《無上祕要》Vol. 39

Interpretation

Fasting-Ritual Nighttime Invocation Rite of the Lingbao Tradition

The ritual officers line up according to rank. At the outer gate of the ritual precinct, they enter according to the prescribed rite, click their teeth three times, and recite:

“Four High Merit Officers, envoys of the Dragon and Tiger, Zhengyi life-giving Qi, and attendant Jade Maidens of the Quiet Chamber: at night we have a petition to present; may the way be opened and made clear. Youths and Jade Maidens of the Highest Mystery, enter with me into the Yellow Palace, convey our petition, and ensure that it is heard above.”

(The passage above is from the Jing of the Golden Register.)

Entering the Fasting Hall for the First Time

The ritual master leads, followed in order by the assembled officers. Each holds incense between the fingers three times, circles the high seat once to the left, faces east, clicks the teeth twenty-four times, and recites:

“Three Heavens Supreme Above, the three vital Qis of the True Origin, and the Most High Lord Lao: summon forth from within our bodies the Three-and-Five Merit Officers, the left and right official envoys, the left and right dragon-riders who bear incense by post, the incense-attendant Golden Youths, the message-bearing and flower-scattering Jade Maidens, the Five Emperors’ duty talismans, and the daily incense officials—thirty-six of each. Come forth! Those who come forth, solemnly prepare yourselves and report to the true officials and spirits of this land and its precinct. I now burn incense and perform the Way. May the Most High’s true life-giving Qi from the ten directions enter our bodies, so that my petition may swiftly arrive, proceeding directly before the Most High, the boundless Great Dao, the Utmost True One, and the Jade Emperor.”

(The passage above is from the Jing of the Bright True One.)

The Next Rite: Presenting the Petition

The Lingbao disciple beneath the Most High, Master So-and-so of Mount So-and-so, So-and-so and the others, respectfully petition the Most High, the boundless Great Dao and Utmost True One; the honored scriptures of the thirty-six divisions of the Lingbao tradition; the Three Venerable Ones of the Most High; the sages of the ten directions; the Great Master of the Great Dharma within the Mystery; and all divine beings who hold office in the Three Realms:

“We are fortunate to have received blessings through causes planted in former lives. The tribulation of the Nine Heavens has extended to our present lives; we have encountered an age of enlightened fortune, when the Great Dharma is spreading. Though our bodies are impure, we have been allowed to approach the numinous writings, to receive and revere the Golden Books of Shangqing and the precious scriptures of the Three Caverns, and to cultivate the fasting observance. The beneficence is profound and the gifts weighty, far beyond what we can repay.

“Yet we are low and impure. We have not been able to withdraw to numinous peaks and refine our minds and spirits. Instead, we have indulged in worldly honors and lingered among humankind, drifting with the times and rising and falling with custom. We have followed our transgressions and trodden the path of error, accumulating them day after day and month after month. We are constantly afraid that retribution will come, and that we will bear shame in the netherworld. Day and night we tremble with fear, as if treading on thin ice. Truly, we should keep to our limitations…”

---

Notes for Reading the Ritual Text

• Ritual officers: Those who preside over or participate in Lingbao fasting rites, arranged according to rank.
• Entering according to the prescribed rite: The ceremonial procedure for entering the ritual precinct. “Clicking the teeth three times” means clicking the teeth three times, a common Daoist ritual means of “communicating with the spirits.”
• The Four High Merit Officers, envoys of the Dragon and Tiger, and others: Protective deities and divine messengers summoned in the invocation to present petitions at night and convey the practitioners’ wishes.
• The Yellow Palace: Here, this refers to a sacred space symbolizing the center, either within the body or within the altar precinct, associated with presenting petitions to the divine.
• The Three-and-Five Merit Officers: A designation associated with the organization of spirits within the body. Ritual texts often give their number as thirty-six each, signifying completeness.
• Presenting the petition: Submitting a formal written petition to the Jade Emperor, the Three Venerable Ones, and the sages of the ten directions. The latter part of the passage describes the disciples’ past-life affinity and gratitude for encountering the teachings, along with their shame over worldly entanglements and fear of falling into the netherworld. It is a typical Lingbao fasting-rite petition of confession and supplication.

The original text likely continues after “Truly, we should keep to our limitations…” If you provide the next passage, it can be translated as well.

Collapse ▲

Interpretation

This passage comes from Daoist ritual manuals for the zhaijiao (purification rites), such as the Jinlu (Golden Register) and Yulu (Jade Register) texts. It sets out the formal procedure to follow before establishing a fast and practicing the Dao: swearing an oath before the Three Offices (Sanguan), petitioning the Heavenly Venerables (Tianzun), reciting the Wisdom verses and Precepts, and paying homage to the Venerables of the four directions.

Without presuming to say much, on the day one receives the Dharma one swears an oath before the Three Offices. One shall exhaust one's sincere devotion and exert oneself to practice the Dao, even to the point that every hair of the body praises the Great Transformation, taking salvation of others as one's vocation. Together with fellow cultivators of the Way, men and women of such-and-such district and village, [name] by name, aged so many years, one presents a written petition listing the vows, takes refuge in the Great Dao, and arranges incense, lamps, and offerings, begging for a zhaizhi (the officiant who presides over the fast). We who hold these offices dare not fail to memorialize. We shall establish the Supreme Great Method, the Lingbao Ziran Zhai (Numinous Treasure Natural Fast), with the zhaizhi serving for a set number of days and nights. The fast will begin on a certain day of this month. On that day we shall lead the assembly to gather at such-and-such place, purify themselves according to the rites, and respectfully report this. Following the ancient ritual codes of decorum, we also select officers and proclaim the rules of the fast, so that all officials submit to the teachings. We humbly rely on the majestic Venerables of the Supreme Lord, the awe-inspiring spirits of the Three Treasures, the Master Presiding over the Fast, and the perfected beings attending the scriptures to take pity, observe, and illuminate. May they review what has been presented and command the officials of the Three Realms and the Earth Perfected of this place to guard [name] and all members of [name]'s household, great and small, to cleanse the house and dispel demonic pollution. At dawn tomorrow we shall practice the Dao according to the rites and continue to memorialize.

(The above is from the Jinlu Scripture.)

Having finished the memorial, one faces east and stands level for a moment, then recites the three Wisdom hymns:

Wisdom arises from original non-being,

Brilliant, transcending the ten directions.

It knots emptiness and towers over the mysterious heavens,

And the celestial realms draw in its fragrant flow.

Its wonder is beyond thought;

Void responds to the real and connects with it.

Having, having, yet non-being is not a having;

Non-being, non-being, yet nothing fails to contain.

Wisdom constantly contemplates the body,

The first thing to learn on the Way.

Subtly entering the gate of the mystery,

Naturally the Record enrolls my spirit.

The Heavenly Venerable constantly protects,

The Demon King vouches for these words.

Radiant is the adamantine body,

Transcendent, the Supreme Immortal.

Wisdom gives rise to the root of precepts;

True Dao takes the precepts as its foundation.

From this the Three Treasures arise,

And the lofty sages honor and receive them.

Floating on this boat of non-death,

Swiftly we cross into great possibility.

When these precepts are spoken,

The celestial realms all come to bow their heads.

(The above is from the Yulu Qingjie.)

Next, one takes refuge in all the Tianzun:

With utmost sincerity I take refuge in the Jade Dawn Heavenly Venerable of the Supreme Mystery of the Northern Direction.

With utmost sincerity I take refuge in the Supreme Sage Heavenly Venerable who Ferries the Immortals of the Northeast.

With utmost sincerity I take refuge in the Supreme Emperor Heavenly Venerable of the Jade Treasure of the East.

With utmost sincerity I take refuge in the Heavenly Venerable Who Gives Life and Ferries Life of the Southeast.

---

Brief Notes (to aid understanding of the ritual background)

Sanguan (Three Offices): The Heaven, Earth, and Water Officials. Daoists often swore oaths to them and confessed transgressions before them, as in rites of expiation.

Zhaizhi (Fast Officiant): The person who presides over the fast and keeps the ritual discipline.

Lingbao Ziran Zhai (Numinous Treasure Natural Fast): A type of fast associated with the Lingbao school, emphasizing setting up the rite according to the codes and practicing the Dao naturally.

Weiyi jiudian (Ancient Ritual Codes of Decorum): Traditional procedures for selecting officers and proclaiming rules according to inherited ritual.

Supervising Fast Master and Attending Perfected: The Masters and deities who oversee the altar and protect the scriptures.

Officials of the Three Realms and Earth Perfected: The divine officials of the heavens, earth, and waters, along with the local Earth God and house deities of the place.

Wisdom Hymns and Jade Register Precepts: Recitations of the precepts and wisdom texts, usually linked to the reading of precepts and the bowing of the celestial realms.

Taking refuge in the Four-Direction Venerables: Paying homage by direction to the Jade Dawn, Supreme Emperor, and other Tianzun, inviting them to protect the altar.

Collapse ▲

Interpretation

Venerating the Ten Directions' Tianzun

I sincerely take refuge in the Mysterious True Myriad-Blessings Heavenly Venerable of the South.

I sincerely take refuge in the Fire-Spirit Void Sovereign Heavenly Venerable of the Southwest.

I sincerely take refuge in the Supreme Subtle Ultimate Heavenly Venerable of the West.

I sincerely take refuge in the Boundless Great Brilliance Heavenly Venerable of the Northwest.

I sincerely take refuge in the Jade Void Bright Sovereign Heavenly Venerable of the Upper Realm.

I sincerely take refuge in the True Sovereign Cavern-Spirit Heavenly Venerable of the Lower Realm.

I sincerely take refuge in the Past Supreme Jade Sovereign Heavenly Venerable.

I sincerely take refuge in the Present Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerable.

I sincerely take refuge in the Future Supreme Ultimate Heavenly Venerable.

I sincerely take refuge in the Purple Subtlety Heavenly Venerable of the Jade Capital Mysterious Terrace.

I sincerely take refuge in all True Immortals and the assembly of those who have attained the Dao.

The Dharma Master Recites the Precepts

Next, the Dharma Master returns to the east side, faces the west, and proclaims the precept text.

The Heavenly Venerable told the Supreme Daoist Lord: Now we should widely proclaim the Dharma sound, awaken sentient beings, and for men and women alike dispel calamities and remove afflictions, invoke blessings and ferry life across, and uproot the various roots of suffering. Let the living see the Great Dao and escape the eight calamities, and let the dead rest in peace as though enjoying the heavens. May they soon be reborn in the human realm, and even become Wheel-Turning Sage Kings. Those who cultivate the fast and seek the Dao should all wholeheartedly uphold the Ten Precepts, receive them sincerely and never forget them, concentrate on silent recitation, and penetrate their natural meaning, without letting stray thoughts disturb the body and spirit. Those who can do this should listen in quiet attention.

First Precept: Harbor no jealousy in the heart and give rise to no thoughts of covert harm; restrain the tongue, guard carefully against faults, and let the mind never stray from the Dharma.

Second Precept: Hold to benevolence and do not kill; compassionately pity and aid all living beings, extending love broadly and nourishing all things.

Third Precept: Hold to chastity and yield to righteousness; do not engage in lewdness or steal; constantly cultivate good thoughts, diminishing oneself to benefit others.

Fourth Precept: Do not indulge in sensual desire, nor give free rein to it; be chaste and circumspect, so that conduct remains free of defilement.

Fifth Precept: Speak no evil words, and let speech not be ornate or frivolous; be upright within and without, and do not commit faults of speech.

Sixth Precept: Reduce wine and moderate conduct, harmonize the qi and temperament, so that the spirit is not harmed and one does not commit the many wrongs.

Seventh Precept: Do not envy those who surpass oneself, do not contend for merit or fame; in all things yield with humility, withdraw oneself and ferry others across.

Eighth Precept: Do not discuss or criticize the scriptures and teachings, nor slander the sacred texts; personally receive the Dharma and always act as though the divine stood before you.

Ninth Precept: Do not stir up strife with the tongue or pass judgment on the four classes (Heaven, humans, teachers, and kin), harbor no resentment against gods or humans, and do not injure the spirit and qi.

Collapse ▲

Interpretation

The Tenth Precept: In all conduct and action, act with an impartial heart and a single-minded intention, so that people and spirits are at peace, and always keep to this.

The Celestial Venerable (Tianzun) says: Cultivate and uphold the pure precepts so that your conduct always accords with the heart of Heaven. Constantly hold great compassion, wishing to deliver all beings from calamity and distress. Respect and honor the teachings, and do not grow lax midway. Better to die keeping goodness than to live by doing evil. In this way, without regression, one can transcend the Five Paths of rebirth, avoid stepping onto the Three Evil Paths, be protected by the heavens, and be revered by the myriad spirits. Through long-term fasting and steadfast observance of the precepts, one may naturally deliver oneself from the world.

The Venerable says: The Dao (the Way) is honored, the Method is subtle, and the human body is precious. Therefore the Dao opens the gate of the Method and delivers the human body through the articles of the precept scriptures. Once the human body is delivered, it rises to unite with the Dao. One should advance diligently in practice, observe the fast and keep the precepts, keep the mind calm and tranquil, speak little, hold a clear aspiration, and turn single-mindedly toward the Dao, concentrating without division. Cleanse the six viscera, abstain from food after noon, and keep inner and outer purity. Act always in accord with nature. On fast days, light incense and make vows. The voice of the vow ascends to the Four Heavens, and the majestic spirits of the Ten Sections descend to witness, supervise, and protect. The sound of the Dharma reflects upon the heart, which becomes like the precepts. Every act of practicing the Dao is recorded as merit, and the blessings and calamities of the heavens are immediately made manifest. The Dao does not fail people. Receive it diligently and reverently, and do not let demonic words mislead you.

The Venerable says: When establishing a fast (Zhaijiao) and performing the Dao, the Kings of the Four Heavens all ride flying clouds and green chariots, and jade palanquins of the Eight Scenes. Perfected men and jade maidens lead the way, holding ornate banners, while phoenix songs follow behind, and celestial white cranes and lion roars sing in harmonious resonance. Burning incense and scattering flowers, they float down through the air to witness the rite and listen to the sound of the Dharma. When the heavenly kings descend and the myriad numinous beings assemble, how could one not practice fully according to the Method? One should first bestow the Ten Precepts and then perform the rite, with orderly steps and elegant bearing, a calm heart, and a relaxed mind, keeping proper demeanor whether sitting, rising, lying, or resting. When the heavenly kings are delighted, one's name is entered in Shangqing (Highest Clarity). It may be said that attaining the Dao lies within the span of a single inch of the heart.

Excerpted from the Jinlu Jing (Scripture of the Golden Register).

Next, the Appointment of Officers

Appoint the Senior Master of Merit (Gaogong Dafashi): one should be chosen for lofty virtue and profound comprehension of the subtle meanings.

Appoint the Chief Expositor (Dujiang Fashi): one should be chosen for keen wisdom and familiarity with the rules of the Method.

Appoint the Supervisor of the Fast (Jianzhai): one should be chosen who can oversee the faults of the assembly and investigate and impeach transgressions.

Appoint the Attendant of the Scripture: one must safeguard the scripture texts and tend to their cloth wrappings and storage.

Appoint the Incense Attendant: one must manage the censers and ensure the incense fire never goes out.

Appoint the Lamp Attendant: one must arrange the setup in the west and prepare the lamps and lighting.

Collapse ▲

Interpretation

Next, a shizuo (attendant at the seat, who serves and oversees the seating beside the Dharma seat) is appointed. The seating area on all four sides must be swept clean and the mats set out in good order. The kefa qianshi (penalties for faults and lapses) are then read aloud, thirty-six articles in all.

Each penalty below is paid by prostrations (li bai) before the teacher or the altar, as a form of discipline.

Anyone who commits the following faults shall perform ten prostrations: sitting in the fasting hall with improperly worn shoes; failing to chant "shan" (good) in unison with the others; ritual robes, headcloth, or cap in disarray; hair loose or unbound before the Dharma seat.

For the following faults, twenty prostrations: improper bearing when sitting, rising, or bowing; letting the lamp go out while attending to the lamps; failing to hold the thought of qingxu (pure emptiness), causing the assembly to lose focus; sleeping before the Dharma seat.

For the following faults, thirty prostrations: breaking off during the bell and failing to follow the line when the bell stops; failing to pay respects to the teacher in time; bowing out of unison; allowing the incense smoke to break off while attending to the incense.

For the following faults, forty prostrations: the dujiang (lecturer who leads the scripture recitation) failing to lead the chanting; not bowing to the Sanbao (Three Treasures) when entering or leaving; asking idle questions during scripture reading or spoiling the punctuation; not knowing the seating order and falling out of sequence.

For the following faults, fifty prostrations: not chanting "shan" during the praises; not reporting to the officer in charge before rising, resting, or leaving the hall; slouching or lying down while listening to the scripture; wearing ritual robes inside out.

For the following faults, sixty prostrations: walking the procession out of order; the dujiang ringing the bell at the wrong time, morning or evening; climbing the altar out of rank; the jianzhai (supervisor of the fast) seeing a fault and not correcting it, and being corrected by the assembly.

For the following faults, seventy prostrations: going in or out in a coarse brown garment (heyi) or in the daoxing headwear at an unsuitable time; overturning the incense burner or the lamps; burning incense without first washing the hands; speaking with outsiders during a ritual task.

For the following faults, eighty prostrations: arriving after the "jingsi" (quiet contemplation) chant has ended; attending to the seat carelessly and knocking things over; discussing worldly affairs or idle talk; leaving the hall on some errand and not returning.

For the following faults, ninety prostrations: joking or laughing before the Dharma seat; frivolous speech (qiyu) before the Dharma seat; failing to rise at the proper moment when required; raising the voice or showing anger during the fast.

These articles are drawn from the Fuzhai Jing (Scripture on Spreading the Fast), where "fuzhai" refers to setting up the fast altar and carrying out the fasting rites.

After the penalties have been read, each participant bows again to the teacher. The teacher then kneels at length facing east and begins the chuguan (summoning of the officials to the altar), petitioning the divine lords and their attendants to descend:

"The disciple of the Taishang Lingbao Wushang Sandong (Three Caverns), Master So-and-so (mou yue xiansheng), disciple So-and-so (mou jia), respectfully submits..."

The formal petition continues below, adding the names of the divinities and the matter at hand according to the liturgical norms.

Note: This passage describes the hall discipline of Daoist fasts and collective scripture recitation. Penalties take the form of prostrations, with the aim of ordering demeanor and keeping the minds of the participants focused. Roles such as dujiang, jianzhai, shizuo, and the attendants of lamp and incense are the titles of the fast altar's division of duties.

Collapse ▲

Interpretation

Essential Secrets of the Most High (Wushang Biyao): A Vernacular Commentary

I. Invoking the Names of the Venerable Deities (Zhaijiao Vow Text)

Primordial Heavenly Venerable of Void, Nothingness, and Naturalness; Taishang Daojun, the Lord of the Great Dao of the Limitless; the Jade Emperor, the Great Sage who has attained the Dao; the assembled Lords and Perfected of the Utmost Truth; the Thirty-Two Heavenly Emperors; Supreme Lord of the Jade Void; the Jade Emperor, Great Thearch; and the deities of the East Flowery Radiance, the South Pole, the West Numinous, and the North Truth, of Jade Capital of the Mysterious Capital, the Seven-Treasure Mysterious Terrace of the Golden Gate, the Upper Palace of the Purple Subtlety, and the Perfected Lord of the Numinous Treasure, Bright August Emperor. We, the lay practitioners named here, respectfully address all of these august beings. Because of our past-life karmic conditions, we have been born in an age when the Dao's teachings are transmitted, and through the revelations and salvation of the Perfected Ones we have entered the root of faith. Our former masters bound us by oath and passed down the Scriptures of the Three Treasures. We now make offerings and show reverence, placing the accumulation of merit first.

We humbly report that a certain man or woman, named (so-and-so), of a certain village, township, and county of a certain prefecture, has submitted a petition and inscribed their name. Together with (so-and-so) and the others, they request, with sincere and devoted hearts, the pacification and relief of misfortune. We have respectfully read the petition in full and have announced its contents. Having considered what it says, we find the circumstances genuine and the situation worthy of compassion, and we are moved by deep sorrow. We therefore lead the assembly in bathing and purifying themselves, burning incense and lighting lamps, and performing the rites in accordance with the liturgical codes. Following the ritual law, we petition the Celestial Immortals, Flying Immortals, Earth Immortals, Perfected Ones, Spirit Adepts, and Sages, together with the Thirty-Two Heavenly Overseers of the Fast, the Incense-Attending Golden Youths, the Flower-Scattering Jade Maidens, the Five Emperors' Directing Talismanic Officers (thirty-two of each), and the Flying Dragon Riders who convey messages and report affairs. We ask that they all descend, oversee the fast hall, and receive the incense offerings and our intentions, so that the response reaches them swiftly. When the rite is complete, we send the deities back to their celestial palaces.

(Quoted from the Mingzhen Jing)

---

II. Next: The Incense-Burner Rite (Prayer Before the Altar)

Incense Envoys, the Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, and all the numinous officers attending the incense: may it be that within this quiet chamber there naturally arise the golden elixir fluid, the azure jade, and the fungus of immortality, and that the multitude of perfected spirits gather before this incense and flame. May (so-and-so) and the others receive blessings, and may all under heaven receive grace.

May the Jade Youths and Jade Maidens of the ten directions, who attend the incense smoke, carry these words forward and deliver them directly before the Supreme Ultimate Limitless Dao.

(Quoted from the Mingzhen Jing)

---

III. Next: Recitation of the Precepts

The Dao takes "non-mind" as its principle: every good deed becomes a field of merit, and the work of merit has no fixed owner, since each person's fundamental aspiration arises from their own heart. Receiving all beings with an empty heart, the mind embraces everything equally without partiality. The Great Sage honors the supreme teaching as rain falls from heaven; it moistens all things on high, and because it dwells in lowliness, it can form a deep pool.

The sea is the king of a hundred rivers, and so it can contain even the dragon and the qilin. To preserve wisdom and its wondrous function across ten thousand kalpas is not a matter of a single lifetime. Upholding the precepts and conduct requires that they never be broken, even for an instant.

---

Note: In this text, "(so-and-so)" and "a certain prefecture, county, village, and township" are blanks in the liturgical form for inserting a name and place of origin; they are filled in with actual details when the rite is performed. "Pacification" (pingsheng) usually refers to a plea for the removal of calamity and misfortune and for the peace of body and mind. "Performing the Dao" means carrying out the rite by reciting scriptures and enacting the ritual methods according to the prescribed order. "Overseeing the fast" refers to celestial spirits who supervise the fasting rite. "Quoted from the Mingzhen Jing" indicates that the passage in question derives from the Mingzhen Jing (Scripture of Illuminated Truth).

Collapse ▲

Interpretation

Verse:

Life after life, they form good bonds with others. With one mind, they diligently recollect the teachings of the Great Vehicle (Dacheng), and in the end they will personally realize the truth of the Dao.

(This passage comes from the Xiangong Qingwen Jing [Scripture of the Questions of the Immortal Lord].)

---

The following is the "Daohu Incantation Method" (Daohu zhufa).

In its general sense, the incantation says that above the profound and mysterious, the gates of the Eight Palaces of Great Yin (Taiyin) open to light. Whenever there is a petition to be made, it may be announced. The matter of a young woman, or of a medium through whom spirits may communicate with humans, is also handled within this rite. When the rite is complete, each being returns to its proper place, and the myriad spirits rest in stillness and peace.

(This incantation method comes from the Jinlu Jing [Golden Register Scripture].)

---

— Wushang Miyao [Supreme Secret Essentials], juan 48

Collapse ▲