《太上通玄靈印經》

The Scripture of the Supreme Mysterious Numinous Seal (Taishang Tongxuan Lingyin Jing) offers a vernacular interpretation:

This scripture primarily expounds the miraculous power of the "Numinous Seal of Universal Communion" (Tongling Yin). The seal is divided into three types: the Ghost-Subduing Seal, the Ghost-Commanding Seal, and the Ghost-Summoning Seal. Laozi (the deified Lao Tzu) states these form the foundation of all magical arts. Without mastering this seal method, other esoteric practices will prove futile.

To command ghostly soldiers, one must prepare six medicinal ingredients: three liang of red kudzu flowers (white calamus blossoms), one jin of wolfberries (harvested on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month), red mulberry bark, three jin of white fat, ghost's bane (gui jiu), green ox tallow, and ghost arrow (gui jian, three liang each). These materials should be shade-dried for twenty days, ground into powder, and mixed with honey to form pills the size of small beans. Take three pills during the yin hour (3-5 AM), three times daily. Within seven days, one can summon the Eight Scribes (ba shi, eight divine clerks), the Six Ding (liu ding, six celestial maidens), jade maidens, mountain and river deities, water officials, and kitchen gods—even fearsome demons like the Raksha King and Kumbhanda will come to pay homage. Tigers, wolves, and other fierce beasts may also be commanded.

The Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) declares all magical arts originate from this Numinous Seal. Though other methods employ talismans (fulu), incantations, and hand seals, without this foundational seal they remain empty techniques unlikely to succeed.

Laozi reveals this seal was orally transmitted by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign (Taishang Laojun) himself. Practicing the seal correctly for three months and three days enables myriad transformations—manifesting water, fire, gold, silver, fruits, and trees from emptiness, even controlling wind and rain. However, achieving these supernatural abilities requires maintaining bodily and mental purity while abstaining completely from meat.

To command the Eight Scribes and Six Ding generals in retrieving treasures or immortal medicines, one must first employ their corresponding seal. Facing the eastern zhen position (associated with thunder in the Bagua), the Eight Scribes will immediately deliver requested items; pointing the seal skyward summons the Six Ding generals with ghostly troops at their command.

(Note: The "Eight Scribes" represent eight divine clerks, while the "Six Ding" refers to six celestial maiden generals in Daoist belief—both groups execute sacred decrees. "Raksha King" and "Kumbhanda," originally Buddhist demonic beings, reflect the syncretic nature of later Daoist practice.)

Interpretation of the Supreme Mysterious Lingyin Scripture in Modern Context:

The text records Laozi's teaching that this sacred seal-making method constitutes supreme esoteric knowledge never to be casually transmitted. Violating this injunction would bring calamity extending through seven generations.

Seal specifications require a two-inch square face with white sandalwood as the core material for the Left (Primary) Seal. The carving method mirrors that of its counterpart with equal efficacy. The Left Seal operates in the rear position while the Right Seal takes the forward position. The rear seal commands the Eight Historiographers (celestial record-keepers) and Six Jade Maidens of the Ding cyclical order, whereas the front seal governs all spirits and deities under heaven. For the front seal, use eaglewood carved to one-inch thickness, with production ideally occurring on the fifth day of the fifth month or seventh day of the seventh month—dates marking celestial inspections of human virtue. Activation during these periods ensures immediate potency. The rear seal must be carved concurrently, achieving the power to transmit talismanic commands across thousand-mile distances.

Preparations require entering a purified chamber sprinkled with spikenard-infused water. Using an ancient ritual knife during the Yin hours (3-5am), the carver first offers threefold obeisance to Patriarch Laozi, the Eight Historiographers, and Six Jade Maidens while burning incense. The carving must conclude before Mao hours (5-7am). The artisan wears fresh robes after ritual purification, maintaining sixty-four measured breaths synchronized with each carving stroke without interruption.

The completed seal undergoes twenty-day burial in a "ghostly quadrant" (specific geomantic position), retrieved at dawn on the twenty-first day. Twenty-one days of altar consecration completes its empowerment.

Altar construction demands an eight-foot square space with: eight lamps, one bronze alms bowl, four incense burners, four offering tables, one five-directional colored mirror, wine libations, one jin of dried venison, and five-colored fruits. Ideal establishment occurs on New Year's Day, achieving full potency in three days. Lamp oil must be unadulterated sesame oil. The four corner lamps—representing cardinal directions and seasons—must remain perpetually lit. Four inner lamps mark the Eight Historiographers' stations with circular mats, while the Six Jade Maidens correspond to seasonal energies. Collectively, the eight lamps resonate with celestial record-keepers above and the Bagua trigrams below. Practitioners gain tenfold blessings—longevity for witnesses and unimpeded access to spiritual treasures. Though the merits are ineffable, reckless transmission remains strictly forbidden.

(Note: "Eight Historiographers" denote celestial archivists of human virtue, "Six Jade Maidens" represent six guardian goddesses, and "five-directional colored mirror" symbolizes a ritual implement aligning with Five Phase cosmology)

Laozi said: To activate this spiritual seal, one must first recite the incantation three times while facing it. The mantra goes:

"May the supreme primordial Qi illuminate my being. May all transformations manifested through this precious seal be instantly fulfilled. May the Eight Celestial Deities guard my left, the Six Ding Divine Generals protect my right, and all spirits of heaven and earth resonate with divine awareness. With one imprint of this sacred seal, I command ghostly troops. May my path of cultivating the Dao endure eternally, culminating in ascension to the highest purity of Shangqing (Highest Clarity) in broad daylight."

After chanting, hold the seal aloft toward heaven with your left hand, and all celestial deities will descend. You may directly request what you need, and they will immediately provide it.

To transform landscapes—creating mountains, forests, rivers, or seas—hold the seal and shake your body three times, and it will manifest instantly. To dispel the transformation, simply raise the seal vertically toward heaven to restore the original state.

To summon a great river, ink the seal and wear it on your head, then wave your hand three times—a hundred-mile-wide river will appear. To stop it, place the seal on your body and sit down.

To command the Six Ding Jade Maidens and all spirits, apply bezoar and cinnabar to the seal. All spirits will obey, enabling miraculous feats: moving mountains and filling seas, summoning thunder and lightning, obscuring the sun and moon, or conjuring clouds and rain—all achievable through this numinous seal.

Specific methods:

• Moving mountains and filling seas: Apply cinnabar to the seal and point toward the target—mountains will flatten into plains. To reverse, raise the seal eastward to restore the mountains.
• Summoning thunder and lightning: Hold the seal eastward with your left hand, and thunder will shake heaven and earth.
• Conjuring clouds and rain: Use the seal to summon the Eight Celestial Deities for rainfall.
• Obscuring the sun and moon: Invoke the Six Ding Generals with the seal to create white mist.

Laozi said: To prolong life and attain immortality, apply red kudzu flowers to the seal twenty-one times. The Eight Deities and Six Ding will then guide you to ascension. You may ride clouds and mists to traverse the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue). After ten thousand sessions of secluded cultivation, the immortal officials of the Five Peaks, celestial deities, and jade maidens will welcome you. First master the "Land-Shrinking Technique" to journey through the eight directions, and ultimately achieve immortality.

Land-Shrinking Technique: Mix bezoar with cinnabar, apply it to the seal, and point eastward. The spirit general A-Zha will lead divine troops to assist, enabling you to traverse thousands of miles in an instant.

(Note: The "Eight Histories" refer to eight celestial deities; "Six Ding" are six guardian generals; "Five Sacred Peaks" are the five great mountains; "A-Zha" is a chief spirit. These esoteric methods require specific rituals and materials, representing the thaumaturgical arts of Daoist cultivation.)

This scripture explains the methods for employing the "Spirit Communication Seal" (Tongling Yin), a Daoist ritual implement, to achieve various miraculous effects. The interpretation is presented in sections:

On Seeking Immortals and Visiting the Dao:

• To visit the immortal isles of Penglai and meet transcendent beings, one must apply two zhu (an ancient weight measurement) of mercury and genuine cinnabar to the seal.
• When facing the seal eastward, it can summon the Eight Historiographers (Ba Shi, Daoist deities) who command the five divisions of ghostly troops, while also shortening earthly distances.
• Upon reaching Penglai, jade maidens and immortals will arrive riding azure dragons and white tigers. When meeting the immortals, holding the seal horizontally instantly transforms it into ten thousand lion heads, astonishing the celestials who will then bestow immortal titles and lead you into the golden towers and purple chambers of immortality, granting eternal life.

Usage Taboos:

• Practitioners of this method must never harm any divine beings.

On Obtaining Treasures:

• Laozi states: To summon the Six Ding and Eight Historiographer spirits for treasure retrieval, point the seal toward the sky, and divine maidens will deliver gold and silver. Bury three liang (a weight measure) at the Earth Gate (Dihu, a Daoist concept denoting the entrance of terrestrial qi), and the remainder may be freely used.

On Transformation Arts:

• For invisibility and shape-shifting: Facing the seal toward one's visage transforms into an elder; toward the heart, into a maiden; toward the feet, into earth; toward the back, it summons thunder and lightning.
• Holding the seal inverted in the left hand and pointing skyward brings rain; standing it vertically toward the earth stops the rain.
• Gather a hundred flowers on the fifth day of the fifth month, dry them in shade for twenty days, grind them into powder, and apply to the seal. Pressing it to the ground turns people into plants. Shaking it left and right conjures a thousand figures; to retract them, point the seal toward yourself.

On Subduing Ferocious Beasts:

• Placing the seal horizontally toward the ground summons a thousand ten-zhang-long venomous serpents.
• Fixing the seal upon the earth makes tigers, wolves, and flood dragons vanish instantly.

Transmission Instructions:

• Laozi explains that this Spirit Communication Seal requires twenty-one days of altar practice to activate, bypassing the need for formal ordination (Shoulu, Daoist initiation rites).
• In the first year of the Yongshou era, a divine master witnessed the Eight Historiographers manifesting in the sky, inspiring the composition of their ritual liturgy (Ba Shi Jiao).
• Master Guiguzi and Fei Changfang both attained immortality through this method.
• After its transmission to Master Zhuge in the third year of the Yonghe era (Jin Dynasty), genuine transmission became exceedingly rare.

The core emphasizes the seal's extraordinary powers and strict protocols, attainable only through specific ceremonial practice.

This scripture records a Daoist esoteric technique titled The Supreme Mysterious Ling Seal Scripture of Penetrating the Arcane, traditionally attributed to Master Zhuge. It primarily concerns spirit communication and the command of ghostly beings. The content can be summarized as follows:

To compel ghostly spirits to serve, one must gather specific medicinal herbs like Dysosma versipellis (鬼臼) and white mulberry bark on designated Gui days (癸日). On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, bury these at the Ghost Gate (鬼门) orientation (northeast in Fengshui). After twenty-one days at dusk, perform prescribed pacing patterns while teeth-knocking (kouchi) and incanting. Applying these herbs to the eyes purportedly makes spirits obey like servants, even assisting in obtaining gold, silver, and elixirs (xianyao). However, as these spirits are inherently violent and may rebel, one must ingest protective pills as a safeguard.

For employing spirits to steal others' possessions, first erect an altar with offerings of wine, dried fish, venison, fruit, and incense. Recite an oath to the spirits: "I provide you sustenance; in return, bring me wealth without disobedience." This allegedly grants limitless material acquisition, though absolute secrecy is emphasized.

The text details a Summoning Ghost Talisman (zhao gui fu): drawn with vermilion ink on two-inch white silk, stored in a five-colored pouch. When activated by pointing it to the four directions with the left hand, myriad ghost soldiers arrive obediently. They may be commanded to retrieve elixirs, treasures, or exact vengeance—inflicting death, prolonged suffering, or controlled revival upon enemies.

A postscript attributed to Master Zhuge adds that this method can also summon individuals from a thousand li away. Simply inscribe the target's name on the talisman, shake it thrice, and the person will appear within a day.

(Note: Ghost Gate refers to the northeast in geomancy; Liuding Gui days are Daoist calendrical terms; teeth-knocking and incantation are standard Daoist practices. Such spirit-commanding techniques, classified as ghost servitude arts (yi gui shu), require strict ritual adherence and entail inherent risks.)

This scripture primarily explains how to summon and command the Five Directional Ghost Marshals (rulers of the spirit realms in the east, south, west, north, and center) and the bean-soldier transformation technique.

The Five Directional Ghost Marshals are:

• Eastern Ghost Marshal named Azhaga, commanding one million minor spirits
• Southern Ghost Marshal named Fu (also known as Shensha), commanding three million minor spirits
• Western Ghost Marshal named Fuqiu, commanding three million minor spirits
• Northern Ghost Marshal named Shenzha, commanding one million minor spirits

These ghost marshals can swiftly obtain desired objects for practitioners when their names are first invoked. However, they patrol the human realm three times daily (at sunrise, noon, and midnight) to record people's transgressions. During these periods, one should remain awake, as sleeping may incur harm from the marshals. Holding a medicinal talisman (hushu fu) provides protection against such harm.

Regarding the bean-soldier technique:

1. Prepare one thousand red beans, coating them fourteen times with sheep's blood and bezoar (a precious medicinal substance)

2. Recite the incantation: "Beans become spectral soldiers, I am the child of the Celestial Emperor, obey my command..." (full incantation appears in the original text)

3. Hold the beans in the left hand while gesturing toward the northern Kan position (one of the Eight Trigrams) with the right hand to summon Northern Ghost Marshal Shenzha and his spirit troops

4. The beans transform into vast armies capable of felling trees and moving mountains, accomplishing work equivalent to millions of acres overnight

5. Conclude by using a "spirit-summoning talisman" (shegui fu) to recall the ghost soldiers

Important considerations:

• Talismans must be drawn with both sheep's blood and bezoar—omitting either renders them ineffective
• For talismans to fly a thousand li to retrieve objects, human blood must be mixed with sheep's blood and inscribed with names
• These techniques should remain secret and not be casually revealed to others

(Note: These contents belong to the Daoist ritual system, involving spirit beliefs and talismanic culture. Modern readers should understand them within their proper religious context.)

This scripture primarily explains the use of talismans (fulu) and spirit-summoning seals to command deities and spirits, subdue thieves, summon ghostly soldiers, and other esoteric practices. I will explain it section by section:

When drawing a talisman, recite the following incantation three times: "Heaven and earth deities, sun and moon radiance! I now employ the flying talisman, commanding the Six Ding (Daoist guardian generals) to dispatch ghostly soldiers according to my will. Swiftly, swiftly, as the law commands!" After chanting, knock your teeth together three times and stamp the spirit-summoning seal seven times—the talisman will then fly forth.

To capture thieves with a talisman, recite the incantation three times and stamp the seal three times. The talisman will fly out and slay the thieves. Afterward, the same talisman can transform the thieves' names back into living people.

Zhuge Liang said: To summon spirit soldiers for provisions, mix pig's blood with black ox blood and smear it on the grain two or three times. Then recite the Bean Soldier Incantation three times—ghostly soldiers will instantly appear across mountains and rivers. To recall them, hold the Ghost-Subduing Talisman in your mouth and call—they will immediately come under control.

Those capable of commanding the Kumbhāṇḍa ghosts (spirits that consume vital essence) and Rākṣasa demons (malevolent spirits) can create various supernatural phenomena for sentient beings. The method: press the spirit-summoning seals of both hands onto your fingers—the Kumbhāṇḍa and Rākṣasa will instantly manifest as giant venomous snakes three hundred zhang long, with mouths one zhang wide, terrifying enough to kill with fright. To dispel them, raise the hand seal upright. This method must be kept secret.

Zhuge Liang said: Lao Jun's Ghost-Controlling Talisman enables earth gods (Tudi Shen), river deities (He Bo), and water officials (Shui Guan) to see buried gold and silver treasures a thousand li away, as clearly as if before their eyes. The usage method is the same as above—it can also command the kitchen god (Zao Jun). This must be kept secret.

These are the talismans for commanding river deities, water officials, earth gods, and the kitchen god. Method: Mix swan's blood with sulfur to draw the talismans, then make pouches from five-colored silk. Holding the talisman in your left hand—placed on your head, it grants invisibility; on your face, transforms you into fifteen youths; tied at the waist, becomes a peerless beauty; at your feet, turns you into a white-haired centenarian. Holding it in your right hand, shake it three times while stepping forward twice and back three steps—this can disperse a thousand people. To end the effect, point the talisman toward the Heavenly Gate to restore normality.

Zhuge Liang said: This talisman can be used freely—draw it with cinnabar on white silk. Recite the Ghost-Subduing Incantation three times while tying it to your right ear, and you'll transform into eighteen peerless beauties. Retrieve the talisman to revert. Placing it under a tree gathers all birds; retrieving it disperses them. Casting it into water makes dragons, fish, and turtles appear.

All divine beings assemble here—do no harm to others. At the sight of the sacred talisman seal (fulu, a Daoist ritual implement for warding off evil and suppressing malign forces), their disturbances shall cease.

This Supreme Scripture of the Mystically Potent Seal (Taishang Tongxuan Lingyin Jing) teaches that through the Mystically Potent Seal—a sacred emblem of profound power transmitted by Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun, the highest deity in Daoism)—one may summon divine guardians to offer protection while simultaneously halting the encroachments of malevolent spirits. Merely displaying this potent seal is enough to dispel all inauspicious forces.