《正一出官章儀》

This scripture describes the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoist ritual of "Summoning the Officials Ceremony" (Chuguan Zhangyi), where the ritual master invokes various divine officials and officers from within their own body. The master sequentially summons deities at different levels of the body's spiritual hierarchy:

First, the highest-ranking deities within the body are summoned: the True Officials of the Five Bodies, the Merit Clerks (Gongcao Li), and twelve True Officials including the Five Qi (Wuqi) Merit Clerks and the Supreme Huangzhen Ren (Perfected Beings) from the Three Heavens of Qingwei Tian, Yuyu Tian, and Dachi Tian. Next are invoked the Red Chariot Messengers, the Yin-Yang True Qi (Zhenqi), and various lords, generals, and officers responsible for salvation, liberation, and disaster relief.

Then the master summons the various ranks of Merit Clerk officials, including:

• Zhengyi Merit Clerks (for subduing inauspicious forces)
• Upper Division Merit Clerks (for subduing evil)
• Middle Division Merit Clerks (for subduing rebellion)
• Lower Division Merit Clerks (for subduing harm)
• Qi-Accelerating Merit Clerks (for subduing Yin-Yang imbalances)

Next come the messengers and their subordinate officers:

• Upper Division Messengers (for soul retrieval)
• Middle Division Messengers (for spirit retrieval)
• Lower Division Messengers (for binding)
• Qi-Accelerating Messengers (for time supervision)
• Left and Right Official Messengers (for handling instruments of punishment)
• High Chariot Messengers (for execution)
• Red Chariot Messengers (for road supervision)

Finally, the master summons twelve groups of officers responsible for carrying out punishments, including the Neck-Severing Officers, Direct Combat Officers, Military Advisors, and Merit Clerk Officers. Each group wields specific implements like drums, swords, and long blades, charged with overseeing executions and beheadings.

(Note: These deity names and functions reflect the Daoist belief that the human body contains a complete divine bureaucracy, and that ritual can mobilize these internal divine powers to achieve religious purposes.)

This scripture describes the ritual procedures and incantations used in the "Chuguan Zhangyi" (Exorcism Memorial Ritual) performed by the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition of Daoism, also known as the Celestial Master (Tianshi) school. The general meaning is as follows:

The ritual master summons celestial soldiers and generals (twelve divine officials including mounted messengers, arresting officers, and counterattack officers) for assistance. These divine officials wear majestic attire adorned with ceremonial caps and tassels, forming ranks before and behind the master to await orders.

The master declares adherence to cosmic laws (Daoist precepts), upholding the principles of "cherishing life while abhorring killing, rewarding good and punishing evil." Wearing ritual talismans (Fulu), the master now prepares to expel evildoers from a specified location (a particular village in a named district).

Following the liturgy (Keyi) transmitted by the Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, the master respectfully presents a vermilion memorial. Local earth deities and territorial guardians (Liyu Zhenguan) are petitioned to mobilize their forces, coordinating with community temple spirits to apprehend the offenders.

The incantation contains severe commands requiring the divine generals to:

1. Immediately capture the offenders and detain their three hun and seven po souls for interrogation at the celestial court

2. Ensure the evildoers' execution within three days

3. Command General Chitian to surround the offenders' residence with ten thousand celestial troops

4. Dispatch three hundred thousand celestial soldiers to behead rumor-mongers

5. Send moral enforcement officers to apprehend wandering malefactors

6. Inflict torturous punishments—charring bones and melting sinews—upon those who slander masters or disrespect deities, condemning them to the eighteen levels of hell after death

The ritual concludes with the standard Daoist formula "Urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes of the Most High Lord Lao" (Taishang Laojun), signifying immediate enforcement of the supreme deity's decree.

This scripture describes the ritual procedure for punishing evildoers in the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition's "Official Dispatch Ceremony," comprising several key steps:

First, celestial officials and generals (heavenly deities) are summoned to the offender's residence to apprehend their hun and po (ethereal and corporeal souls) and bring them before the local earth god for judgment.

The ritual master dons a vermilion headscarf (zhu yang headgear), writes the offender's name at a specific inauspicious position (yue yan position), and uses a blade in the left hand to carve an energy-sealing boundary on the ground. Pressing down three times with the left big toe, they recite: "Heaven's net and earth's web swiftly unfold, capturing the hun-po of [offender's name], casting them into boiling cauldrons, eternally trapped beneath celestial nets. Should they resist, may the curse rebound upon them."

Next, multiple divine generals are invoked for assistance:

• The General Who Overturns Nets and Topples Earth (a deity specialized in subduing malign forces) commands 1,200 troops
• The Lord Who Widens Eyes and Expands Vision (supervisory deity) leads 120 attendants
• The Five Directions Great Brow Lords (guardian deities of the five directions) each command 1,200 soldiers

Together they seize the offender's three hun and seven po for divine judgment.

An alternative method involves establishing an altar at specific orientations, placing bamboo tubes inscribed with the offender's name at five strategic pathways (wu lu) and the yue yan position (inauspicious direction). Performing the Seven Stars Step (Daoist ritual footsteps) from the yue jian position (auspicious direction) toward yue yan, the master chants: "By celestial mandate, we beseech heavenly powers to swiftly execute divine justice upon this offender."

Finally, ritual implements including salt, clear water, a great blade, charcoal, and oil are employed while reciting the Five Phases incantation: "By the generative power of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, with the Three Pure Ones' protection, may the afflicted find healing and the wicked meet suppression."

Note: "Yue yan" refers to inauspicious directional energies while "yue jian" denotes auspicious orientations—both crucial spatial concepts in Daoist ritual. This ceremony exemplifies the tradition's practice of invoking divine forces, using talismanic spells and ritual footsteps to uphold cosmic justice.

This scripture is a memorial document (a type of divine petition) used by the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition of Daoism during the "Chuguan" (Officer Dispatch) ritual. Its core purpose is for the ritual master to summon the body deities (divine beings governing different parts of the practitioner's body) and celestial officers to assist in the ritual performance. Let me explain it section by section:

The first part involves the summoning. The master calls upon various divine officers within their own body to provide assistance, including:

• The Five Organs True Officials and Merit Officers (deities governing the five viscera)
• The Great Sage True Spirit Register's Transcendent Officer Messengers
• Directing Merit Officers from the Two Palaces of Supreme Mystery (important Daoist divine bureaus)
• Merit Officers from the Central, Upper, and Lower Divisions (different tiers of protector deities)
• Left and Right Officer Messengers, Red Chariot Messengers, and other divine couriers

Each deity arrives with eighteen attendants, properly attired and stationed around the master.

Next comes the purpose statement. The master informs these deities about the specific matter at hand (the text uses "such-and-such matter" as placeholder), preparing to submit a "Three-Five Cycles Auspicious Memorial" (a type of calamity-resolving petition) to the celestial realm. The memorial document is already prepared and placed upon a pure altar table.

The memorial content follows. It begins by identifying this as a document format transmitted by the "Supreme Mystery Capital's Zhengyi Harmonizing Qi and Connecting Heaven Celestial Master" (referring to Zhang Daoling, the first Celestial Master). The master refers to themselves as "Primordial Destiny Perfected Person" (an honorific for cultivators) commanding fifteen ranks of divine officers.

Finally comes the petition recipients. The memorial is addressed to:

• The Supreme Limitless Great Dao (Daoism's ultimate source)
• The Supreme Elder Lord (one of Daoism's highest deities)
• The Celestial Master (Zhang Daoling)
• The Female Master (Zhang Daoling's wife)

It states the petitioner's background (from such-and-such village) and expresses gratitude for the protection of Dao-Qi (the Dao's energy), while requesting purification from worldly defilements.

The recurring phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" is a common Daoist incantation meaning "execute immediately according to divine command." The entire ritual embodies the Daoist religious concept of communicating between heaven and humanity through the system of body deities and celestial officers.

This scripture is a prayer text used by the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition of Daoism during the "Chuguan Zhangyi" ritual (a ceremony for dispelling calamities). The general meaning is as follows:

As a cultivator of the Dao, though I have obtained the secret methods of longevity, I cannot avoid occasionally violating precepts due to ignorance. Now I suddenly face malicious slander (specifying the year, month, and details of being wrongfully accused by certain individuals). These wicked people harass me from all directions, pushing me into desperate circumstances.

Therefore I devoutly pray:

First, may the Five Directional Celestial Emperors (Green Emperor of the East, Red Emperor of the South, White Emperor of the West, Black Emperor of the North, and Yellow Emperor of the Center) each dispatch eight thousand divine troops to suppress the malicious gossip of these wrongdoers.

Next, may the Five Directional Star Lords and the Eight Extremities Rulers of the cosmos lead 120 divine generals to transform the laws of heaven and earth, quelling all slander.

I particularly beseech the Big Dipper's Kui Gang Lord - if these evildoers remain unrepentant, may their tongues be sealed.

Finally, may one hundred thousand Qi-dispelling soldiers eliminate all calamitous energies, and may the Official Discipline Lord administer true justice.

The prayer expresses hope that the wrongdoers will reap what they sow, suffering retribution if they persist in evil. The entire ritual summons various deities to resolve slander and protect the practitioner. The recurring character "某" (mǒu) represents placeholders that the ritual master replaces with actual names during the ceremony.

This scripture describes the "Chuguan Zhangyi" ritual (a ceremony for exorcising evil and dispelling calamities) performed by Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoist priests, where the master summons celestial troops and divine generals to assist in eliminating misfortunes.

The master first invokes numerous deities: including 1,200 officers and generals, 100,000 mysterious troops, and 100,000 star lords. Additionally, 120 terrestrial officials (deities governing earthly affairs) are summoned specifically to suppress evil Qi and apprehend malevolent individuals. Deities such as Mengwei Jun, Gaocang Jun, and Tian Guan Youhu Jiangjun are also invoked, each leading 120 officers. These deities descend collectively to help eliminate slander and harm inflicted by evil-doers upon the petitioner, ensuring the perpetrators suffer the consequences of their own actions.

Next, 120 harmony officers are summoned to specifically consign the wicked to the underworld, followed by 120 seasonal and Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) generals to compel the evildoers to submit to justice. Special invocation is made to the five directional Great E Jun (of east, south, west, north, and center), each leading 1,200 officers to eradicate all forms of slander, disputes, and malicious gossip.

Subsequently, 120 supreme mysterious troops, 120 southern star-guarding officers from each of the Five Planets, and 30 trillion Yue Nu (ancient warrior women) soldiers are summoned. These divine troops descend simultaneously, surrounding the evildoers from all sides, bewildering their minds and forcing them to submit beneath the authority of Kuigang (the Big Dipper), rendering them incapable of further wrongdoing.

Finally, the master expresses sincere repentance, offering incense and prayers to eliminate all calamities—including legal disputes, slander, theft, and other misfortunes. Though acknowledging limited personal virtue, the master seeks divine intervention to resolve false accusations and malicious schemes. Upon fulfillment of these petitions, all summoned deities will be ceremoniously dismissed with due honors, their merits recorded for promotion, and appropriate rewards bestowed.

This scripture presents the standard liturgical format used in the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoist tradition for performing the "Opening Prison Petition" ritual. The core content involves a Daoist priest (acting as the petitioner) appealing to celestial authorities on behalf of a devotee seeking relief from imprisonment or unjust suffering. Here's a plain explanation:

The priest (referring to himself humbly as "your subject") respectfully kneels to submit this petition: Currently representing a certain individual (the devotee) regarding a specific matter, this vermilion document is presented to the celestial court, beseeching the Supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, Daoism's highest deities) and all celestial officials to examine the case with clarity.

The document meticulously records the petitioner's personal details: residence in a specific province, county, village, along with their exact age. This ordinary person, though fortunate enough to embrace the Great Dao (Dao), has suddenly encountered misfortune—afflicted by illness, haunted by nightmares, experiencing supernatural disturbances, or entangled in legal troubles. Perhaps due to transgressions in past or present lives, they now suffer imprisonment and endure the torment of corporal punishment.

The priest analyzes the situation: In these chaotic times, such suffering may stem from malevolent spirits causing havoc, corrupt officials framing the innocent, or even karmic retribution from past enemies. These injustices trap blameless individuals in prison's suffering. As a cultivator of the Dao, I deeply understand heaven's virtue of compassion (De), and recognize the urgent need for divine intervention to prevent greater tragedy.

(Note: The "Opening Prison Petition" is a Daoist ritual performed for those wrongfully imprisoned. Through burning these memorials, priests appeal to the celestial bureaucracy for justice. "Vermilion documents" refer to petitions written with cinnabar ink, signifying urgent appeals. "Yangjiu" denotes calamitous years in Daoist cosmology.)

This scripture is a memorial document used in the "Ritual of Dispatching Officials" (Chuguan Zhangyi) by the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition of Daoism—a ceremony for dispelling misfortunes and seeking divine protection. The content consists of two main sections:

The first part is a petition addressed to the celestial deities of the heavenly court. The Daoist priest, representing the devotee (referred to as "so-and-so"), confesses transgressions to Heaven and requests:

1. Assistance from the Ten Directions' Flying Immortal Officials and the Guardian of the Southern Gate to absolve karmic offenses committed across past and present lives, whether in the realms of Yin or Yang.

2. The Officer of Transgressions (a deity overseeing sins) to lead 120 divine generals in using Yang talismans (Yangfu) to dissolve current calamities.

3. If haunted by unresolved karmic creditors ("冤亲债主"), the intervention of the Lord of Reconciliation and Transformation (Huihua Nihua Jun) with his 120 generals to mediate conflicts.

4. For particularly severe karmic obstructions, the invocation of the Five Directions' Great Lords (Wufang Da'e Jun) to deploy countless celestial soldiers to suppress malignant forces.

The ultimate goal is to achieve "the dissolution of punitive bonds, the eradication of calamitous retribution, and freedom from physical afflictions," with a pledge to report accumulated merits back to the celestial pantheon.

The second section details practical exorcistic healing methods:

1. The ritual master steps onto the threshold, wielding the "Supervisory Seal" (Dujian Yin—a ritual implement), while reciting incantations to subdue disease-causing spirits.

2. The incantation commands malevolent entities to depart the afflicted person's body, threatening severe divine punishment for noncompliance.

3. The rite concludes with tooth-tapping (a Daoist cultivation technique called Kouchǐ) to summon internally cultivated "divine officers" (inner deities developed through neigong practice) for assistance.

The text concludes by listing honorific titles of major Daoist deities—including the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) and the Celestial Emperor (Tiandi Jun)—as recipients of the memorial. The entire ritual exemplifies Daoist religious practice that integrates repentance, talismanic magic, and internal cultivation to resolve misfortunes.

This scripture describes a Daoist "petition ritual" (shangzhang), a ceremonial practice of submitting memorials to deities, where a Daoist priest summons various divine beings to assist in punishing evildoers. Here's a plain explanation:

At the start of the ritual, four emissaries (two yin spirits and two yang spirits) and four judgment officers (divine officials responsible for executing celestial justice) manifest. Then appear four red talisman officials (divine functionaries holding crimson fu orders) and four fierce wind cavalry (celestial generals commanding heavenly winds), along with two messenger deities responsible for delivering petitions. These divine beings stand before the priest holding white desks, ready to receive the priest's testimony.

The priest identifies himself as "Subject of the Great Mysterious Capital's Orthodox Unity, Equalizing Qi and Connecting to Heaven, Yangping District Official [Name]," petitioning the supreme "Primal Radiance Most High" (one of Daoism's highest deities) to clearly distinguish good from evil. He reports that in a certain village of a specified county, evildoers have been running rampant—not only repeatedly harming "descendants of the Supreme Lord's lineage" (referring to Daoist practitioners), but also verbally abusing, physically assaulting, and slandering innocent people with numerous offenses.

The priest requests that the "Supreme Three Heavens' Bureau" (high-ranking Daoist deities) issue an order for the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water (important Daoist deities governing these realms) to imprison both the evildoers and their ancestors through nine generations in the Northern Prison's underground dungeon (one of Daoism's hell realms). He demands local earth gods and village deities assist in interrogating the offenders' three hun and seven po souls according to the laws against "disrespecting the master's Dao."

Specific deities summoned include:

• 3,600 General Kuigang (divine commander overseeing punishments)
• 1,200 interrogating officers each from the Jade Clarity Heaven (Qingwei Tian), Highest Clarity Heaven (Yuqing Tian), and Grand Red Heaven (Dachi Tian)—the Three Pure Realms (Daoism's highest celestial domains)

These deities will execute the evildoers' souls with iron rods, strictly investigating their offenses of disparaging the Dao. The priest emphasizes these criminals not only cursed and abused others, but also used their power to oppress practitioners, requiring severe punishment according to the Three Officials' laws. Finally, he prays for immediate validation of the ritual's efficacy, promising to report its merits to the deities later.

This passage reveals Daoism's religious concept of rectifying wrongs through sacred rituals, along with its complex pantheon and celestial judicial procedures.

This scripture is a sample petition text used in the "Chuguan Zhangyi" ritual (a ceremony for submitting memorials to heaven) of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoist tradition. The main content involves a devotee appealing to celestial deities regarding a runaway household servant.

With utmost reverence, the devotee addresses the highest Daoist divinities including the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) and the Celestial Emperor (Tiandi Jun), declaring: As an ordinary commoner from [location] fortunate enough to have faith in the Great Dao (Da Dao), the household servant [name] (with age specified) repeatedly stole property before escaping. Though recently recaptured, the servant broke free from restraints at night and fled again. For years this person has betrayed the household, stolen possessions, and even harbored harmful intentions. Exhaustive searches have proven futile, causing domestic unrest and financial loss.

Now bearing offerings of white cloth, rice and other provisions at the temple, the devotee kneels before the Three Treasures (Sanbao) altar beseeching the presiding Daoist priest (referred to as "your minister" in the text) to submit this petition, imploring divine intervention to:

1. Confuse and agitate the servant's spirit (Shen)

2. Thwart all escape attempts

3. Make the servant voluntarily appear before the master during travel

4. Immediately cease fleeing and return home willingly

(Note: The phrase "Grand Mysterious Capital's Zhengyi Balanced Qi Succession of Celestial Masters" refers to the officiating priest's legitimate lineage tracing back to Zhang Tianshi (Celestial Master Zhang). "Yangping Zhi" denotes one of the twenty-four early Daoist parishes, affirming the ritual's orthodoxy. Such petitions reflect ancient Daoism's religious services addressing practical concerns of devotees.)

This is a ritual document used by the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoist tradition for apprehending runaway servants. The text primarily involves a Daoist priest petitioning deities on behalf of a householder to make the fleeing servant repent and voluntarily return home.

The ritual first invokes the assistance of the Five Thearchs (Wudi) of the five directions and various celestial troops and divine generals—including the Qinhu Great Army and the Five Paths Crossroad Generals—to aid in the capture. Special petitions request that the servant's three Hun (ethereal souls) and seven Po (corporeal souls) be handed over to the local Earth God (Sheling), the household's deceased ancestors (Xianwang), and the Kitchen God (Zaoshen) for supervision. The ritual also mobilizes the Three Protecting Generals of the household and twenty-four divine officers to join the operation, demanding strict surveillance to prevent further escape.

The text repeatedly emphasizes compelling the servant to abandon rebellious thoughts and immediately return to the master's household. Should the servant hide in any direction—east, south, west, or north—they must be swiftly apprehended. The document promises that, upon success, the deities will be properly credited for their merits and thanked for their grace according to ritual protocol (Yanfa yangong baolao).

Subsequently, the ritual employs the power of the Five Phases (Wuxing)—Fire, Water, Metal, and Wood—to summon:

• Twelve Fire Department Messengers (Huoche Shizhe) to bind the servant's souls before the Earth God's shrine
• Twelve Water Department Messengers (Shuiche Shizhe) to prevent escape in all directions
• Twelve Metal Department Messengers (Jinche Shizhe) to force voluntary return
• Twelve Wood Department Messengers (Muche Shizhe) to execute the same task

Each section concludes with the urgent command "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" (Jiji rulüling), a standard Daoist incantation phrase indicating immediate execution akin to legal decrees. The repetitive characters "fire fire fire" or "water water water" represent the intensification of ritual efficacy through the stacking of Five Phase elements.

This scripture passage is an incantation from the Zhengyi tradition's Ritual for Dispatching Officials (Zhengyi Chuguan Zhang Yi), summoning various divine generals to capture runaway servants. The main content consists of:

First, the character "wood" (木) is repeated ten times consecutively to summon the Twelve Envoys of the Supreme Wooden Chariot, commanding the runaway servant to immediately turn back, forbidding any betrayal, and demanding their swift return as originally agreed.

Following the same formula, the incantation summons:

• Twelve Envoys of the Earthen Chariot to compel the runaway to return home swiftly
• Twelve Envoys of the Iron Chariot to pursue the fugitive without allowing escape
• Twelve Envoys of the Blade Chariot to prevent the servant from departing
• Twelve Envoys of the Bow Chariot to suppress the servant's rebellion
• Twelve Envoys of the Crossbow Chariot to retrieve the oath-breaking runaway
• Twelve Envoys of the Solar Chariot to command the servant's immediate return to the household
• Twelve Envoys of the Lunar Chariot to recover the covenant-violating fugitive
• Twelve Envoys of the Kerchief Chariot Each segment concludes with the emphatic phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" (急急如律令), signifying immediate enforcement of the divine command. These envoys represent Daoist martial deities specializing in pursuit and suppression, with the repetition of specific characters and formulaic phrasing intensifying their spiritual efficacy.

(Note: In Daoist practice, "dispatching officials" (出官) refers to summoning celestial soldiers and divine officers to execute tasks. The phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" is a standard ritual closing formula meaning "implement this order without delay.")

This scripture documents the "Official Petition Ritual for Recapturing Escaped Slaves" (Chuguan Zhangyi) used in the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition of Daoism. The essence is as follows:

A household slave (referred to as "slave so-and-so") has betrayed their master and fled. The master (referred to as "so-and-so Yi") petitions the divine for assistance in recapturing them. The master prepares offerings such as plain rice, white paper, ink, and brushes, then sincerely submits a memorial with the following requests:

May the celestial bureaus (Tiancao) of the heavenly court seize the escaped slave’s three hun (ethereal souls) and seven po (corporeal souls), delivering them to the City God (Chenghuang, local guardian deity) and the local magistrate for custody. Wherever the slave hides—whether east, west, south, or north—may they be apprehended and returned. If they persist in fleeing, may they be afflicted with confusion, illness, and immobility.

The master pledges to continue providing for the slave, asking only that they repent and return. Should the slave remain obstinate, the master implores the celestial soldiers and generals to deploy nets and encirclements, leaving the fugitive with no escape.

Finally, the master bows in fearful reverence, beseeching the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), the Celestial Master (Tianshi, Zhang Daoling), and other deities for compassion—to dispatch a million heavenly troops to subdue the slave and guide them back to repentance and obedience. If the slave still refuses to reform, the master requests the deities to administer stern punishment.

The recurring phrase "urgently, urgently, as by divine mandate" (jiji rulüling) is a Daoist incantation indicating immediate efficacy, while expressions like "jin jin jin" may represent abbreviated forms of esoteric talismanic language. This ritual reflects the Daoist practice of engaging with the divine through ceremony to address worldly concerns.

This scripture is a memorial document (a type of petition to deities) used by the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition of Daoism during the "Chuguan" (Dispatching Officials) ritual. Its primary purpose is to request the Five Directional Emperors to dispatch troops to assist in capturing a fugitive household servant.

The ritual procedure unfolds as follows:

First, petitions are made to the local earth god shrine (She Temple) and the city god Zhang Yuanfan, requesting their assistance. An image of the fugitive is then hung at the entrance of the She Temple. Next, the Five Directional Emperors are sequentially petitioned to dispatch their celestial armies:

• The Green Emperor of the East sends 810,000 troops
• The Red Emperor of the South sends 640,000 troops
• The White Emperor of the West sends 360,000 troops
• The Black Emperor of the North sends 250,000 troops
• The Yellow Emperor of the Center sends 12,000 troops

These celestial forces are asked to coordinate their efforts to surround and capture the runaway servant, causing them to lose their way and voluntarily return to their master's household. The petitioner promises to report merits and bestow rewards upon the celestial troops and divine generals upon successful completion of the task.

The memorial is then transmitted through the Zhengyi tradition's hierarchical divine officials (including merit officers, messengers, and courier officials) to be presented to the celestial court. Finally, the highest Daoist deities (such as the Most High Lord Lao and the Celestial Emperor) are notified to seek their approval.

This scripture reflects the characteristic Daoist practice of employing sacred power to resolve worldly problems in ancient times, while also revealing contemporary social relations and the institution of servitude. The Five Directional Emperors mentioned in the ritual represent important directional deities in Daoism, each governing one of the five cardinal directions (east, south, west, north, and center).