《無上祕要》Vol. 31

The fourth section of Essentials of the Supreme Mysteries: “Ritual for Transmitting the Dongzhen Shangqing Tradition—Setting Up the Altar” (modern interpretation)

This section explains how to set up an altar for transmitting the Dongzhen ritual tradition of the Shangqing lineage.

The altar’s dimensions and form

First, build the altar. Its ground plan may measure two zhang and four chi on each side, or three zhang and two chi; its height and overall size depend on the number of participants. Mark the cardinal directions on all four sides and set a doorway, four chi wide, at each corner. The doorways do not face directly forward; their arrangement follows the model of the “Heavenly Gate.”

Objects for consecrating the altar

Prepare a golden dragon, bright mirrors, colored silk cords for protection, and cloth corresponding to the initiate’s birth year. Arrange them according to the prescribed ritual:

• Nine liang of gold, cast into one dragon for each liang, placed on the central table.
• Five bright mirrors, one for each of the Five Directions, each placed on a table.
• Forty chi of silk in each of five colors, one color for each of the Five Directions, placed on the corresponding tables.
• The “birth-year silk” is determined by the initiate’s birth year and its associated direction and color. For the Son of Heaven, it is measured in pi; for princes and high officials, in zhang; for commoners, in chi. The Son of Heaven and high officials use patterned silk, while commoners use plain silk. Place it on the table corresponding to its color.

Arrangement of tables

• One table holds the scripture scrolls, wrapped in cloth of red and blue, and is set in the middle of the altar.
• One table stands at the center and holds the nine dragons.
• Five tables hold incense, lamps, colored silk, and mirrors, arranged in the Five Directions.

Keeping vigil at the altar and entering it

After settling into stillness at night, spend the night in the open on the altar. Once its interior has been arranged, the ritual master and disciples enter from the northwest “Heavenly Gate.” They click their teeth thirty-six times and visualize purple Qi covering their heads and enveloping the entire altar. They then imagine the divine troops of the Five Emperors, one hundred thousand strong, arriving to welcome and protect them, and recite this invocation:

“The divine and perfected beings set forth; the Myriad Emperors are struck with awe. The Dark Guards of Jade Void stand watch; the stars of heaven turn upside down. The officials who govern the Five Sacred Peaks all assist the numinous. I command and summon the ten directions, driving the troops of heaven. Leading all beneath heaven, they arrive together at the imperial court. May I ascend to the Immortal Caverns, attain the Dao with perfect clarity, discern what is inauspicious, penetrate the hidden and investigate the unseen. Wherever I go and whatever I proclaim, may all accord with Jade Purity.”

Invocation for opening the incense burner

Enter the altar again and circle it once. Face east, click the teeth thirty-six times, and recite the invocation for opening the incense burner. Its general meaning is: “I summon the ‘officers of the void, natural order, and flying immortals,’ the ‘messengers of the immortals,’ the ‘flying dragons on the left and right,’ the ‘Jade Maidens of Great Truth,’ and the ‘directing talisman officers of the Five Emperors,’ thirty-six of each within my body, to report to and inform the true officials and proper spirits of this land. We now burn incense and keep vigil beneath the open sky. May the message we present be delivered swiftly and brought directly before the boundless Jade Emperor and the assemblies of the most true, exalted, and myriad sages.”

Invocation for restraining demons

Then face north, click the teeth thirty-six times, and recite the invocation for restraining demons; the full text appears in the original scripture.

Brief background note

“Setting up the altar” is a central part of the place prepared for Daoist ordinations, scripture transmissions, and Zhaijiao purification rituals. The Five Directions, Nine Dragons, and mirrors used to guard the directions are commonly associated with Shangqing purification rites, covenants with perfected beings, and the summoning of divine generals. Clicking the teeth is a common preparation for visualization and communication with the divine. “Opening the incense burner” means making an invocation over the burner to request the oversight of the higher realms. Here, “birth year” refers to the color and length determined by a person’s birth-year cyclical sign and direction. The different ranks use different materials and measures—patterned or plain silk, pi, zhang, or chi—reflecting distinctions of rank within the ritual.

The heavenly demons leap into the sky and spread countless uncanny, baleful energies, disturbing the Divine Court. They also take form and appear through rumor and song, changing with the circumstances.

Turbid, evil Qi wells up from nameless places, obstructing the pure path and wreaking havoc near the Vermilion Palace—the red-hued palace where Daoist immortals dwell—in the palace among the clouds. The Northern Emperor, who governs the north and commands the spirits and ghosts, leads the divine troops in solemn authority. Drums thunder in every direction, and a power of subtle discernment and mysterious movement comes forth to punish them. The immortals of the Upper Radiance ride swift flying chariots, racing through the cloud encampments. They hasten the inspection and recording of the Northern Emperor’s registers of names and subdue the host of demons. Huoluo, a divine general, spreads the net of heaven, displays his might, and casts the streaming bells; the Golden Perfected seize the evil spirits hidden in the void. Jade radiance illuminates the darkness in all eight directions, while Golden Mystery guards the Upper Palace. The divine tiger slays the celestial demons and cuts down the myriad fiends. Countless baleful energies are brought under control.

The celestial realm receives the talismanic command of the Nine Heavens. At a single summons, all the gods respond and set themselves in motion. The cultivator invokes the perfected spirits and investigates the wisdom of the Three Caverns, reciting the scriptures at dawn. Looking up to the mysterious clouds of the Eight Ways, the cultivator follows the ritual movements of the Sevenfold Celestial Scripture, joining the self with the true spirit of the One Emperor. The cultivator delivers the seven generations of ancestors, cuts away the roots of the Five Sufferings, and restores the departed souls so that they may again receive blessings and honor. Golden light shines through the quiet chamber, where sacred lamps and candles appear of their own accord. Exquisite incense spreads through the Jade Palace, its smoke rising straight to the Jade Capital, the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor. The Celestial Emperor bestows a wandering chariot; the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water descend in green carriages. They swiftly ascend through the Nine Heavens to pay court at the Jade Emperor’s celestial palace.

Then turn toward the northwest and perform nine bows.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Heaven of Yudan.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to the Celestial Worthy of Supreme Supreme Goodness in Meditation.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to the Celestial Worthy of Brahma’s Surveillance and Suyan.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to the Celestial Worthy of Silent Stillness and Doushu.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to the Celestial Worthy of Parabhu, the Heaven of Untroubled Joy.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to the Celestial Worthy of the Responsive Voice of Dongyuan.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to the Celestial Worthy of Brahma’s Aid in Spiritual Transformation.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to the Celestial Worthy of Lofty Void and Clear Radiance.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to the Celestial Worthy of Nonattachment.

Then turn toward the lower southeast and bow twice more.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to the True Worthy, the Jade Emperor of the Nine Earths below.

With utmost sincerity, I bow to all the perfected sages who attained the Dao in the Abyssal Cavern below.

Then face north, kneel upright, click the teeth nine times, and recite the petition according to ritual.

A disciple of the Three Radiances of the Great Cavern of the Mysterious Capital, a Minor Omniscient Perfected named Mr. Yue, of the surname [name], submits this petition with utmost respect:

The Most High Primordial Sovereign, the numinous spirits of the Nine Heavens, the perfected ones above, and other revered deities dwell far away in the deep Jade Pavilion, the abode of the immortals. As the cycles of the Three and Five unfold and change, the Seven Lodges shift their positions at dawn. The Sovereign of the Void rides forth in his chariot; the Jade Emperor appoints the perfected immortals; and the Green Palace records their names and issues talismanic commands. Today is an auspicious day on the numinous mountain, when the myriad perfected take their places and proclaim their teachings. Through the fate and affinities of former lives, disciple Jia Yi has been fortunate enough to encounter the Numinous Scrolls of Shangqing. Here, upon the numinous altar, I devote myself wholly to upholding them.

First, establish the covenant by oath. Report to the Nine Heavens and pray to the Five Emperors and the twelve sources of the rivers, asking them to grant the credentials for recording, escorting, and submitting petitions.

Next, make a general report to all the spirits in the upper realm of Gaochen—the lofty, distant, clear heavens—and ask them to calm the ritual altar, guard its precincts, and remove every obstruction and trial. At dawn the following day, have someone formally invite the spirits and deliver the documents, then present the invitation document at once.

Then stand facing east and click the teeth three times, followed by the ritual of restoring the incense burner and offering a blessing. This ritual is performed at the close of a ceremony or during a transition, to settle the burner anew and make an invocation. The blessing says, in essence:

Immortal envoys of the Five Sacred Peaks and the Five Emperors, the True Powers of the Three Origins, the gods of the dragons and tigers on the left and right, celestial, terrestrial, and flying immortals, and the officials of the Five Numinous Fragrances: all of you, please come and gather the righteous Qi of the Ten Directions. May the naturally formed Golden Liquid, cinnabar and jade, and numinous fungi—elixirs and other auspicious treasures of the immortals—as well as the Jade Perfected of the Nine Mysteries, gather within the altar. Pour pure, refreshing immortal Qi into our bodies. Enable us to seek the Dao and attain the Dao, seek immortality and attain it, and ascend through the great void, displaying our radiance in the heavens. May the Jade Youths and Jade Maidens of the Nine Heavens guard the incense smoke, so that our memorial may rise to the heavens and be presented before the Jade Emperor, the supreme, boundless Great Dao and Heavenly Sovereign.

Then circle the altar once while reciting:

The Great Dao is profound and mysterious, vast and far-reaching, encompassing the three tiers of heaven. Golden Immortals open the wondrous spiritual gates, radiant and resplendent, as if the Nine Heavens had unfolded. The patterned Qi spreads through the Purple Palace, and the eight Perfected shine among the white clouds. The Mysterious Mother forms a supreme vow; as she passes through the Eight Gates, every kind of blessing gathers at the wondrous assembly of spirits. Raise the incense smoke and chant for the Lower Origin. The sublime chant reaches through the layers of heaven, enabling us to join the ranks of the high immortals. Circle the altar in reverence, bowing before the realm of the empty and wondrous; knock our heads to pay homage to the Emperor. Then leave by the Earth Gate in the southeast, the altar’s southeastern exit.

Ritual for Mounting the Altar and Transmitting the Teaching

After the nighttime ritual is complete, perform the transmission ritual at dawn the next day. If wind or rain interferes with a morning salvation ritual, it may instead be performed in a quiet chamber.

Master and disciple go together to the Heavenly Gate in the northwest and click their teeth thirty-two times. Visualize purple Qi covering the entire altar and the divine troops of the Five Emperors, one hundred thousand strong, arriving to welcome the officiant. Then silently recite the blessing:

When the divine Perfected travel forth, the myriad Emperors are stirred. The wondrous guards of Jade Void descend, and the stars in heaven seem to shift. The officials who govern the Five Sacred Peaks all assist the numinous life, carrying out the command to summon the powers of the Ten Directions and marshal the celestial troops. The hosts of spirits above and below all come to the Imperial Court, where the Heavenly Emperor resides. Command me to ascend to immortality and enter the Caverns, attaining the Dao with precision and truth; enable me to understand good and ill fortune and perceive the hidden world. Wherever I go and whatever I present, may it accord with the will of the Jade Clarity Heaven.

Next enter the altar and face east. Click the teeth thirty-six times and perform the ritual of opening the incense burner: light the incense and summon the spirits. The blessing begins by invoking the Supreme Dao Lord of the Three Heavens, the Mysterious Origin and Primordial Three Qi, and asking him to summon from within the officiant the functionaries of the flying immortals of emptiness and naturalness, the divine envoys, and the flying envoys on the left and right.

The thirty-six Dragon Taizhen Jade Maidens and the thirty-six Five Emperors’ Direct Talisman Officers are summoned to open this pass. Let the local earth officials and the proper spirits be present. Through the burning of incense and the recitation of scriptures, may what your servant petitions be conveyed without delay and presented directly before the Most High, Most True, and Most Exalted Myriad Saints, the Jade Emperor of Limitless Being.

Next, face north and click your teeth thirty-six times, then recite the spell for restraining demons:

Heavenly demons ride the void, rousing ten thousand spirits and startling the divine court. They assume the guise of songs and rumors, changing as they enter the nameless. What is this tumult of foul Qi, arising to obstruct the Dao? From the cloud palace, the Vermilion Palace, the Northern Emperor’s brave divine troops beat their drums in a mighty surge. They know that the profound movement of the Dao has come to summon and confront them. The High Lord feasts amid the radiant heights, his flying reins in hand; his swift chariot inspects the cloud encampments. He hastens to review the Northern Emperor’s registers and seize the names of all demons. He spreads the vast net of heaven, unleashes his might, and casts the flowing bells. The Golden Perfected capture the empty caverns; jade light shines throughout the eight dark realms. The Golden Mystery guards the Upper Palace; the Divine Tiger slays the celestial essence. They cut down and destroy the Qi of myriad demons, bringing countless beings into order. Receiving the mandate of the Nine Heavens above, they summon with a roar, and none can resist. They call forth the Perfected and investigate the Three Caverns; their wise recitation rings clear in the brightness of dawn. The Eight Directions gaze toward the dark clouds, while the Seven Turns weave the celestial scriptures. They unite with the Emperor’s One Perfected, deliver the seven generations of ancestors, and uproot the roots of the Five Sufferings, restoring souls to renewed honor. Golden light shines in the silent chamber; the divine lamp kindles of itself. Blossoms and incense scatter jade characters; fragrant smoke and Qi reach the Jade Capital. The Emperor lingers, and his chariot brings the Three Primordial Lords down in a green carriage. Swiftly he ascends through the Nine Mysteries and comes before my Jade Emperor’s court.

Next, face upward and bow nine times, following the method described above.

Then kneel upright, click your teeth nine times, and petition:

I, your disciple (name) and the others, now transmit the Nine Heavens’ Precious Scripture. Its supreme jade name is pure and exalted; its Qi and life have long been recorded and joined with the Perfected. We humbly ask that the Perfected Jade Immortal Record-Serving Gentleman and the Guardian Spirit Marshal look down upon us, inspect the covenant text and what has been petitioned and entrusted, and ensure that it reaches the court above.

Next, face downward, bow twice and kneel, then petition again:

Most High Primal Heaven, we now respectfully pray that the auspicious hour of the Eight Assemblies be clear and propitious. We shall solemnly perform the rite behind the spirit portal.

(This passage comes from scroll forty of the Wushang Biyao (Essential Secrets of the Most High) and belongs to Daoist Zhaijiao ritual liturgy. It first summons the Dragon Taizhen Jade Maidens and the Five Emperors’ Direct Talisman Officers to open the ritual altar; then faces north to recite the demon-subduing spell; then bows nine times toward the heavens and, kneeling, petitions the Jade Emperor to witness the covenant and transmission of the scripture; finally, it petitions Primal Heaven below and selects an auspicious Eight Assemblies day to perform the rite at the spirit portal.)