《金鎖流珠引》Vol. 21

This scripture records the esoteric methods in Daoism for using talismans (fulu) to exorcise evil and heal illnesses. The main content describes how the Supreme Venerable Lord (Taishang Laojun, the highest deity in Daoism) and the Sovereign of Later Sainthood (Housheng Jun, an important Daoist immortal) transmitted essential techniques for healing and exorcism to Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang Daoling.

The Supreme Venerable Lord instructed Zhang Tianshi: The best way to accumulate hidden virtue (yinde) is to create talismans to heal those afflicted by evil spirits. Saving one person equals merit for ten, because a single individual possessed by evil qi (vital energy) can bring calamity upon an entire village, affecting ten households. Eliminating troublesome spirits, ghosts, and demons does not incur sin but rather accumulates merit.

The Sovereign of Later Sainthood specifically warned Zhang Tianshi: When healing and exorcising, one must carefully discern the situation. Only after confirming it is truly a case of evil spirit disturbance should one eliminate it—mistakenly harming the innocent will instead invite misfortune. Such wrongful killings are considered grave offenses in Daoism that cannot be absolved, so practitioners through the ages must exercise utmost caution.

The scripture details methods to restrain celestial foxes (tianhu) and other monstrous creatures: One must know the afflicted person's name, then form specific hand seals (known as "Celestial Demon Eye" or "Celestial Beast Eye" mudras). These creatures—including celestial tigers (tianhu), celestial dogs (tiangou), celestial oxen (tianniu), and 360 other types—each have corresponding restraint methods. If a person already has demonic qi lodged within, they must first ingest exorcism talismans for 21 to 49 days, combined with proclamation texts (xiwen, ritual documents for exorcism), which prove remarkably effective.

Finally, it mentions that enlightened ghosts and spirits who recognize the practitioner's profound cultivation will voluntarily withdraw and dare not return. The related talismans and documents are recorded in the seventh volume of the Liuzhu Jing (Scripture of Flowing Pearls) and the Sanbu Za Fu (Miscellaneous Talismans of the Three Sections).

This passage explains the Daoist methods for dealing with stubborn evil spirits and malevolent entities that defy the Dao's laws. When encountering such obstinate, violent, and rebellious beings, the following ritual steps should be performed:

First, the ritual master must tread the Earthly Patterns (Diji, a specific footwork sequence) three times on the ground—once forward, once backward, and once in reverse order. Next, they perform the Heavenly Guideline (Tiangang, another footwork method) three times in the air, followed by the Yu Steps (Yubu, ceremonial Daoist footwork) of three paces and nine traces. After completing these, the three paces and nine traces transform into twelve steps (as illustrated in the preceding diagrams).

During the ritual, the master forms the Nine-Finger Mudra with the left hand, pointing toward the Demon King's Palace in the celestial realm while invoking the Golden Bronze Dragon Talisman of the Celestial Messengers. With the right hand holding the talisman, they summon nine times. This talisman transforms into a ten-thousand-zhang-long dragon that swiftly flies to the demonic palaces of the celestial bureaucracy to capture celestial foxes and other evil creatures—all executed with lightning speed.

The scripture specifies that celestial foxes and similar creatures should not be slain. Instead, they are to be caned twenty times, then bound and delivered to the Eastern Sea, where aquatic officials will detain them for five to twenty years. The exact duration is determined by the Examining and Summoning Master (Kaozhao fashi, a specialist in interrogating spirits) based on the severity of their offenses. Since these celestial foxes violate celestial laws, their sins transfer to the humans they possessed.

The Sacred Lord (a Daoist deity) once instructed the Celestial Master (Tianshi, Zhang Daoling): "When treating people's illnesses caused by spirits, you must frequently enforce prohibitions and pass judgments according to the severity of their crimes. Be merciful when sentencing spirits—do not punish them excessively. Overly harsh punishments will strip them of their original nature, making it harder for them to be reborn as humans."

Quoting the Scripture on Cause, Effect, Life and Death, the text explains: These ghostly entities are already unfortunate beings. If they harm humans and are subsequently captured and sentenced by ritual masters, execution would normally be warranted. However, directly slaying them causes their toxic qi (vital energy) to coagulate without dispersing. After being beheaded, they transform into venomous snakes, requiring a thousand years to shed this form. Even then, they can only reincarnate as chickens or dogs, rarely regaining human form. Therefore, imprisonment is preferable—given time, they naturally repent, requesting release through dreams or other means. After serving their sentence in other realms, they may eventually reincarnate as humans, albeit in impoverished or lowly circumstances—still better than losing human rebirth entirely.

Finally, the Sacred Lord admonished the Celestial Master: "Remember my words—do not abuse talismans and incantations." He added: "Talismans merely borrow the Dao's power to subdue spirits and make them tranquil."

This scripture primarily elucidates the quantities of golden and jade talismans (Fulu) held by various Daoist deities, along with their symbolic meanings, divine titles, and corresponding functions.

The text states that the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity in Daoism) possesses eighty-four thousand golden talismans and an equal number of jade talismans, bearing the title "Supreme Sovereign of the Primal Emperor's Great Dao." The Supreme Lord of the Great Dao (Taishang Dadaojun), another major deity, holds twelve thousand golden and jade talismans each, revered as the "Lord of Ten Thousand Dao." The Supreme Venerable Lord (Taishang Laojun, the deified form of Laozi) also possesses twelve thousand golden and jade talismans, honored with the title "Jade Dawn Imperial Lord of the Void Emperor's Great Dao," alternatively called the "Former Sage."

The scripture further records that the Unsurpassed Venerable Lord (another epithet of Laojun) ascended to the position of "Mysterious Primal Superior Lord of the Great Dao, Jade Dawn Sage of the Golden Palace of Great Peace," referred to in the Scripture of Great Peace (Taiping Jing) as the "Jade Emperor" (Yuhuang Shangdi). This deity, bearing the surname Li, given name Er, and courtesy name Boyang, represents an emanation of Laojun. When assuming the position of the Lord of Upper Clarity (Shangqing), he appeared with white hair and plain robes, venerated as the "Jade Emperor" (known formally within Daoism as "Jade Emperor Sovereign" and colloquially among the people as "Celestial Elder Sovereign"). He holds thirteen thousand golden talismans and an equal number of jade talismans.

The scripture then delineates the varying quantities of talismans held by deities of different ranks: The Imperial Lord of Heaven (Tian Dijun) possesses three thousand golden and jade talismans each, as does the Celestial Master Lord (Tianshi Jun). Lower-ranking immortals, such as True Immortals (Zhenxian) and Superior Immortals (Shangxian), may only hold three hundred, two hundred, or one hundred talismans. The Lords of Destiny and Records (Siming, Silu Jun), deities overseeing life and death, hold thirty-six talismans each. The Orthodox Masters of Summoning and Investigation (Kaozhao Zheng Fashi), ritual specialists responsible for invoking deities and dispatching spirits, also possess thirty-six talismans. These talismans are allocated according to specific offices and must not be indiscriminately disclosed.

Finally, the scripture mentions that the Sage Lord of Later Ages (referring to the aforementioned Unsurpassed Venerable Lord) informed the Great King Lord (Dawang Jun) that Orthodox Masters of Summoning and Investigation may receive an additional thirteen talismans, bringing their total to forty-nine when combined with the original thirty-six. Each of these talismans carries distinct names and specialized functions.

This scripture discusses the regulations and taboos concerning the use of fulu (talismans and registers) in Daoist practice.

When crafting golden or bronze talismans, they must be sealed and stored in multiple layers of brocade pouches, never to be casually revealed. These talismans possess formidable spiritual power, and if seen by others, their divine efficacy will be lost. Particularly for healing talismans, exposure may worsen the illness instead—utmost caution must be exercised when using them.

There are strict rules governing the number of talismans a Daoist priest of a certain rank may use: Advanced disciples of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) tradition may employ up to seven talismans and five ritual techniques, Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) disciples six talismans, and Zhengyi Mengwei (Orthodox Unity Covenant Authority) disciples five. The highest-ranking San Yuan Liu Shi (Three Primes Six Forms) masters may use thirty-six talismans, while those of the Housheng Jun (Later Sage Lord) rank—senior celestial officials—may employ forty-nine. These permissions are strictly granted according to the priest’s celestial rank and must never be misused.

The scripture sternly warns that in the past, the master of Ge Xuan (a renowned Daoist of the Three Kingdoms period) once improperly used twelve wooden talismans to deceive people and employed bronze talismans to slay spirits and bewitch the populace. As a result, the underworld reported his offenses to the celestial court, and Lord Lao (Laozi) demoted him by two immortal ranks. Though he retained his longevity, he lost his true mastery of the Dao.

Regarding the proper use of talismans: They may be employed for healing, protection, exorcism, and averting calamities, but only in strict accordance with the rules. Laozi states that a true Daoist priest must be worthy of the title "Venerable Master." Nowadays, some casually draw talismans for others—even local shrine deities cannot discern whether their talismans are genuine. Such false talismans are as worthless as scrap paper—how could they possibly heal? This fraudulent impersonation of Daoist priests is truly lamentable.

(Note: The first three sentences are attributed to Laozi, while the remainder are supplementary remarks by Celestial Master Luo.)

This scripture records the methods and precepts employed by Daoist Celestial Masters (Tianshi, high-ranking priests) for healing illnesses and exorcising evil through talismanic rituals (Fulu). It first outlines the procedure for using curative talismans: the ritual master must inscribe the charms according to specific formats, recording the date, location, and the recipient’s name (designated as "so-and-so Yi"), which are then delivered by the local earth deity (Sheji Zhifu). The ritual must be performed with precise hand seals (the "Ghost-Restraining Seal"), prescribed footwork ("Treading the Earthly Grid"), and incantations.

The incantation roughly translates as: "By the authority of the Supreme Elder Lord (Taishang Laojun, the highest Daoist deity), I command the haunting spirits to reveal their true forms. You must not harm the soul of the afflicted (so-and-so Jia) and must depart at once." The text emphasizes that only spiritually attuned priests can achieve efficacy with these methods. Master Luo (likely referring to Luo Gongyuan, a renowned Tang Dynasty Daoist) particularly criticizes those who attempt to heal others or seek immortality while being unable to cure their own ailments, deeming such behavior utterly absurd.

The latter section cites the Supreme Elder Lord’s Golden Edicts and Jade Statutes, illustrating Daoism’s systematic governance of spirits and demons. It mentions 360 Golden Rules and 15,000 Jade Statutes designed to restrain malevolent ghosts, demons, and spectral entities. Among these, 36 commonly applied methods have been selected, with the ninth specifically detailing the protocols for rescuing the afflicted and subduing spirits through talismanic documents (Fudie). These documents are dispatched to the Three Officials (Tianguan, Diguan, Shuiguan—Officers of Heaven, Earth, and Water) and the celestial pantheon, requesting their assistance in capturing the malign forces.

Note: Daoism holds that talismanic efficacy depends on the practitioner’s internal cultivation (Neigong). Mere imitation of forms is ineffective. The "seal-twisting" (Nianjue) and "grid-treading" (Taji) mentioned here are specialized techniques requiring direct transmission from a master.

This passage discusses two types of ritual documents used by Daoist "Summoning and Interrogation Masters" (specialized priests who examine spirits and cure illnesses caused by supernatural forces).

The first document is employed for eliminating calamities affecting the state. The master must issue an official communiqué to the local mountain deities and territorial spirits, detailing specific cases of human malefactors or malevolent ghosts causing disturbances. This document follows formal bureaucratic formats similar to human government correspondence, but concludes by noting its issuance according to Daoist ritual procedures. The text particularly mentions that when the Supreme Venerable Sovereign (Taishang Laojun, one of Daoism's highest deities) performs rituals, a single character "法" (fa, meaning "law" or "method") suffices.

The second method concerns subduing disease-causing spirits. When common people suffer from illnesses caused by minor ghosts, the master dispatches a notice to the local Sheji deities (earth gods) and City God (urban protector deities), recording the patient's name, onset time, and symptoms. The text specifies these should now be addressed to the "Chief Summoning Officer" to ensure universal spirit compliance. Based on the severity of the offense, serious cases warrant execution while minor infractions receive caning or imprisonment, with set healing deadlines. Final enforcement falls to Talisman Officer Zhao Rui (descendant of Zhang Daoling's disciple Zhao Sheng from the Han dynasty, renowned for prohibition arts).

Both methods exemplify Daoism's characteristic approach of mobilizing divine power through formal documentation procedures to address human misfortunes, blending sacred authority with quasi-judicial protocol.

This scripture recounts the story of an ancient Daoist adept skilled in esoteric arts and his secret rain-summoning method.

The Daoist could command spirits and deities to cure illnesses but never claimed credit for his deeds. He mastered various magical techniques: slaying malevolent spirits that harmed mortals, subduing venomous snakes and fierce beasts, stopping rivers from flowing, and making withered trees bloom. He could even use reed leaves as boats to ferry people across rivers (onlookers perceived them as real vessels, only realizing they were leaves upon disembarking). For these abilities, he was highly valued through three imperial reigns—Emperor Xuan and Emperor Cheng of the Han dynasty—and was enfeoffed as "Marquis Shuo," even marrying Princess Xianyang.

However, his excessive exploitation of spirits and deities for over seventy years incurred their wrath. When the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) learned of this, he punished the Daoist by stripping him of two celestial ranks and sentencing him to serve as a "Summoning and Interrogation Master" (Kaozhao Fashi)—a specialized ritualist responsible for invoking deities and exorcising evils—for 1,500 years. He was ordered to cultivate at Mount Song (Zhongyue), redeeming his past transgressions of killing by healing the people’s ailments and disasters. The text specifically warns later practitioners to use such arts cautiously, noting that even exalted immortals like Ge Xuan (a renowned Three Kingdoms-era Daoist) once committed similar mistakes.

The latter section details the secret rain-summoning method: during severe droughts, one should tread the "Earthly Net" (Diji) three times in a quiet chamber—a ritual pacing pattern (Yubu) derived from Yu the Great—then reverse the steps to pace the "Celestial Guideline" (Tiangang) three more times, forming the "Three Steps and Nine Traces" (Sanbu Jiuji) of Yubu. Next, recite an incantation beseeching Taishang Laojun to command the Dragon Kings and the celestial dragon officials on duty to release rain. The ritual requires specific hand gestures: forming the "Celestial Pass" (Tianguan) mudra with the right hand while pointing toward the dragon pool. This method demands strict lineage transmission and must never be used recklessly.

Note: Yubu is a crucial Daoist ritual pacing technique, traditionally attributed to Yu the Great’s imitation of bird steps during flood control; "Earthly Net" and "Celestial Guideline" refer to formations based on the Big Dipper’s constellation; Summoning and Interrogation Masters (Kaozhao Fashi) are Daoist ritual specialists tasked with communicating with deities and exorcising evils.

This scripture details Daoist methods for praying for rain, stopping rain, and controlling winds—essentially an operational guide for ancient Daoist ritual practices.

Regarding rain rituals: When continuous downpours flood crops—referred to as "Heaven's illness," believed to be caused by licentious dragon spirits—the ritual must be performed in a quiet chamber at midnight. First perform the Earthly Compass (Diji) stepping pattern three times, followed by three repetitions of the Celestial Guideline (Tiangang) steps, then execute the Yu Steps (Yubu, a special Daoist gait) in three movements forming nine traces. With the left hand forming the Heavenly Pass (Tianguan) mudra, recite incantations invoking the Supreme Elder Lord (Taishang Laojun) to command clear skies. Then have the scribe official draft a petition for the talisman officer to deliver to the City God (Chenghuang), local earth deities (Shemiao), and other spirits, ordering the Dragon Kings, Wind Earl, and Rain Masters to withdraw clouds and cease rainfall.

For wind control: When gales destroy trees and houses, rituals may be performed to stop them. The text mentions a Chu-dwelling adept named Zhao Boqin who could restrain celestial beasts. The Great Micro Heavenly Emperor (Taiwei Tiandi) composed the "Pacing the Void Chapters" (Buxu Zhang) documenting three hundred celestial creatures—including lions, phoenixes, and rocs—all subject to ritual restraint. These divine beasts originally assist the righteous Qi of the Dao in protecting virtuous practitioners, but must not be restrained arbitrarily, as this would diminish their cloud-riding spiritual powers.

[Note: Diji (Earthly Compass), Tiangang (Celestial Guideline), and Yubu (Yu Steps) are specialized ritual stepping patterns and orientations in Daoism. Tianguan refers to a specific hand mudra. Chenghuang denotes city-protecting deities while Shemiao indicates local earth gods. These practices embody the Daoist belief that specific rituals enable communication between humans and natural phenomena.]

This scripture primarily expounds Daoist methods for subduing demons and quelling violent winds. It explains that while some animals who cultivate into spirits (Jing) may harm the human world, not all creatures should be restrained—only those truly causing disturbances require ritual intervention. Arbitrarily restricting harmless beings would violate celestial principles (Tianli).

The text details specific demon-subduing techniques: First, one must walk in prescribed patterns (Yubu, the Steps of Yu) while reciting incantations and forming hand seals. The practitioner traces three circuits on the ground following the "Earthly Matrix" (Diji) pattern while chanting eighteen repetitions, then performs three aerial circuits following the "Celestial Guideline" (Tiangang) pattern with twelve chant repetitions. Upon completion, one must rotate the "Celestial Pivot" (Tianguan, referring to specific cardinal directions) nine times and issue a Fulu (talismanic document) commanding emissaries of the demon's kind to capture it. After bringing the creature to the ritual space, judgment is rendered according to its transgressions—but wanton killing is forbidden.

The wind-quelling method follows similar principles: First walk three Earthly Matrix circuits, then three Celestial Guideline circuits while silently reciting secret incantations (inaudible to others) commanding deities like the Big Dipper to restrain the gales. After chanting, the practitioner varies the Yubu steps (first nine, then twelve, finally fifteen steps), rotates the Celestial Pivot nine times, and discreetly dispatches Fulu to deploy solar deities (Rishen) and celestial agents (Shishen) with divine troops to capture wind-stirring dragon spirits and ghosts. The ritual concludes by forming a mudra (hand seal) with the second finger's specific knuckle—immediately calming the tempest.

These techniques exemplify Daoist ritual systems that commune with deities through prescribed ceremonies, incantations, and gestures to subdue malign forces. They emphasize harmonious alignment with the Dao's principles, forbidding needless harm to innocent beings.