《無上祕要》Vol. 40

Wushang Miyao (The Supreme Secret Essentials), Scroll 49 (Part 2)

Ritual Protocols for the Three Sovereigns Retreat (Sanhuang Zhai Yigui)

Spirit Altar (Lingtan): The altar surface is square, measuring twenty-four chi (chǐ) on each side. Four gates open from the perimeter, facing the directions designated by the Earthly Branches chen, xu, chou, and wei. The interior of the altar is likewise divided into squares, and nine lamps are arranged in each square. In front of the altar stand one offering tray (jiaopan), one wine cup, and one square canopy. The cup holds one sheng (shēng) of liquid, and the tray holds three jujubes and nine slices of dried meat. Nine sheng of wine are set out in total, with twenty-seven jujubes in all. Together these form a single set, and one incense burner is placed beside them.

Seats of the Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang Zuo): The Celestial Sovereign (Tianhuang) is seated in the zi direction, the Earthly Sovereign (Dihuang) in the shen direction, and the Human Sovereign (Renhuang) in the yin direction. Each seat is furnished with one table, one tray, one cup, one mat, and one stick of incense. The incense burner and cup each hold three sheng of wine, and the tray holds nine jujubes. The three seats together hold nine sheng of wine and twenty-seven jujubes. Three blue banners are set up, each five chi long. Each banner bears the inscriptions of the Three Sovereigns in vermilion ink, and the number of characters and the spacing are determined by the requirement that the banner surface be filled completely. The top edge of each banner is fitted with a cord, as described earlier. Three green bamboo poles, each twelve chi long, are fixed with pedestal bases and planted in their respective directions, placed behind the tables. At the center of the altar, a separate incense table is set with one stick of incense. The table is positioned according to the directional correspondence of the retreat master's birth-year branch. Silk candles and a set of tongs are prepared, along with three wax candles held in reserve for turning the pages while the scriptures are read.

The altar floor is covered with mats to its full extent. Eight incense sets and four tables are arranged, and the lamps and incense are placed according to the prescribed method. Thirty-nine seven-cun trays (qīcùn pán) and thirty-nine sheng cups are assembled, along with two sets of seven offering vessels, which hold the dried meat and jujubes prepared for each day. Each day requires four dou (dǒu) five sheng of wine, one hundred thirty-five jujubes, and forty-five jin (jīn) of dried meat. If the ritual is held over three days, the totals are one shi (dàn) and thirty-five sheng of wine, four hundred and five jujubes, and one hundred thirty-five jin of dried meat. Xiang Zhu incense, matching the directions, is placed on the altar. Refined cloud-ointment and cloud-water for bathing should also be prepared. Where resources are scarce, a fragrant herbal bath is sufficient, and five-spice incense with fresh clear oil may be used instead. Thirty-six lamp wicks are arranged, and additional lamps may be lit elsewhere as circumstances allow.

Tokens of Faith (Xinwu): The retreat master's silk cloth of life-destiny is cut to a length of one chi and colored according to the Earthly Branch of the master's birth year. The Celestial Sovereign's cloth is black silk, nine zhang (zhàng) long. The Earthly Sovereign's cloth is white silk, seven zhang long. The Human Sovereign's cloth is green silk, seven zhang long. Those in poverty may reduce the length, and those who are wealthy may increase it according to their means.

Altar Arrangement

Each household then spreads a silk cloth over the exposed mat at its corresponding direction, to hold the wine cups.

For the spirit seats, the east uses a bi (jade-green) silk, the south a jiang (deep red) silk, the west a white silk, and the north a zao (grayish-white) silk, two pieces for each direction. A separate seat is set up at the gate.

Timing of the Fast Meals

According to the scriptures, this fast should take its meals at the hours of zi (midnight) and wu (noon). Today many people find this difficult to observe, so the usual practice is followed. Only after the rites are completed at midnight is the xiajiao (lower offering ceremony) performed before the spirit seats, so that all may receive blessings together. Any leftover offerings may be distributed to family members and devout believers.

Although the scriptures call for three days, the rite may be completed in a single day and night. In mountain regions where resources are scarce, one may even forgo the offering altar and simply light a lamp.

Source of Ritual Implements

The implements listed on the right (the offering vessels, the four-sided banners, mats, and so on) are provided by the officiating master. Incense, oil, tokens of faith, and offered foods are all supplied by the household sponsoring the rite. Once the ceremony is finished, any remaining items are still given away as alms.

Overnight Petition Rite (Ascending the Altar at Dusk; Entering the Chamber in Case of Wind or Rain)

Facing north, knock the teeth twelve times, and recite:

The Jade Maidens of the Incense Smoke, present this memorial to the Three Sovereign True Lords, the Thirty-Six Heavens' Immortals, and the Numinous Officials: Respectfully, on behalf of (name), of (district and county), who for the sake of (reason) establishes this Three Sovereigns Retreat of the Dongshen Cavern (for the purpose of petitioning / giving thanks), we now ascend the altar and enter the chamber, burning incense and making the overnight petition. This is to be memorialized today, passing directly to the Purple Palace and reaching before the Three Sovereign True Lords.

(Then offer incense and bow twice.)

Offer incense once more at each of the three spirit seats: the Heavenly Sovereign (in the shen hour direction), the Earthly Sovereign (in the yin hour direction), and the Human Sovereign (in the yin hour direction), bowing three times at each.

Standing, recite:

Your servant (name) and companions now burn incense and make this ritual bow, vowing to dedicate this merit: above, for the kings and sovereigns, the ministers and nobles, the common people, the prefects and magistrates, the assembled officials and bureaus, and for our ancestors, living and dead; below, for ourselves, the common folk, the dark-realm spirits, the mountain and river essences, the birds, beasts, fish, and insects, and all living beings. May each attain their proper Way, have their accumulated transgressions pardoned, have their accusations and lawsuits resolved, have their names written in the Cinnabar Registers, and have their fates fixed in the Azure Scrolls. May we, your servants, together with the spirits of the Three Palaces, ascend to the Dark Dawn, proceed to the Highest Clarity, and humbly attend the Holy Sovereign, receive his writings and commissions, and forever become high perfected beings.

Then chant:

Vast and boundless is the qi of the Three Heavens, nourishing and sustaining the myriad things. Worldly sentiment delights in its blossoms; the true Dao values its substance. The foolish masses trifle with fleeting glory; the immortals cherish the root essence. Diligently cultivate the Writings of the Three Sovereigns, and the jade spirits will illuminate the hidden chamber. Chant aloud, aspiring to the Grand Tenuity; bow my head and pay homage to the Sovereign One.

Bow twice more, and each person announces their name and office, then recites:

Your disciple of the Three Sovereigns and the Most High Cavern of Mystery (Taishang Dongshen), your servant [Name], respectfully submits this petition to:

the Most High Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), the Most High Elder (Taishang Zhangren), the Jade Lord of the Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang Yujun), the Lords of the Nine Elders of the Celestial Capital (Jiulao Xiandu Junjun), the Elders of the Nine Qi (Jiuqi Zhangren), the Celestial Officials of the Mysterious Capital (Xuandu Xianguan), the Divine Lords of Great Mystery (Taixuan Zhenshen), the Ministry Officials of the Thirty-Six Heavens above and below, the Spirits of Grand Clarity (Taiqing zhi Shen), the Five Directional Celestial Emperors (Wufang Tiandi), the Celestial Officers of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions within and beyond the heavens, the True Officials of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue Zhenguan), the Mountains that Assist Destiny, the Four Seas, the Four Rivers, the Eight Marshes and the Nine Sources, the Water Spirits of famous mountains and cavern-abodes, and all the numinous beings dwelling within the hidden palaces of the cosmos.

Your servants have long performed meritorious works and accumulated merit. In this life, our karmic habits are distant from worldly concerns, and our awareness still tends toward purity and truth. For this reason we have been able to step outside the ordinary world of custom and dwell beyond the forest's edge, where the light is clear. We practice the Dao, contemplate the Mystery, and have passed years in this way. Although we have not yet attained a perception that penetrates the deep and profound, nor a spirit that is luminous and supremely subtle, we have held our thoughts fixed upon the numinous spirits and have never dared to neglect or abandon this duty. From ancient times we have received the inner writings and the jade-script heavenly scriptures of the Three Sovereigns. Above, these allow us to inscribe the names of the myriad spirits and to seal and govern the multitude of divine beings. Below, they allow us to rescue and relieve calamity and to bring down blessings and good fortune. The Supreme Registers of the Precious Retreat (Baozhai Shanglu) contain the chapters on petitioning and giving thanks, and the Secret Formulas of the Celestial Capital (Xiandu Neijue) reveal the rites of offering and ritual. Incense of the Upper Primary Origin (Shangyuan) drifts through the great void, and the luminous lamps of the Mysterious Capital shine through the deep night. These are the secret keys to the sacred and the essential methods for summoning the perfected. Their benevolence extends to the four quarters without regard to rank or station, and their grace reaches the eight outer regions without separating the Dao from the world.

Now there is a village elder, [Name], of [district] in [county], who sincerely believes in the true scriptures, earnestly seeks merit and blessing, and has come to this mountain to set forth a heartfelt plea. He asks that a Three Sovereigns Retreat be established to give thanks and atone, so that wrongdoing may be repented and blessings sought. Your servant respectfully reads this petition and presents it for your hearing.

The words of the petition are sincere and follow proper form. The matter is stated plainly, and the intention is earnest and sincere. Your servants, who assist the world and rescue it from peril, have the duty of aiding and saving, and [Name] has come with the utmost devotion. We now lead them together to bathe in sacred water, purify the body, and cleanse the self. On the [day] of this month, they will all ascend the sacred altar and enter the retreat hall to lodge overnight, recite the opening declarations, and make their statements. For three days and three nights, through twelve periods of the day, we will perform the Dao rites and the ritual offerings, and we will report all of this to the Upper Palace.

We humbly beg that the One of the Three Sovereigns and the Celestial Officials of the Cavern of Mystery kindly oversee and observe this event. Please specially command the True Officials, Upright Spirits, Village Lords, and the various attending perfected officers and soldiers of [county] and [district], together with the Incense Maidens and the Supervising Spirit Officials of the Retreat, to all come together to protect and guard the retreat site, and to sever and eliminate the

Note: This text is a petition from the liturgical tradition of the Zhaijiao (purification ritual). In it, a Daoist priest presents, on behalf of lay believers, a memorial to the various heavenly spirits requesting that a retreat be established to give thanks and seek blessings. Bracketed portions mark places where the original is damaged or incomplete, such as the names of districts, dates, and personal names.

Plain Interpretation

With the deviant ways removed, heaven and earth are clear and bright, the wind has scattered the clouds, and the merit is accomplished, so everything can now be spoken of. Rewards must be settled according to the ritual regulations and statutes. At dawn the next day, when the altar is opened, the assembly bows again and withdraws, reciting this verse:

Those who cultivate the supreme Dao still carry countless thoughts in their hearts. Their ears and eyes are confused by splendid colors, and their emotions and intentions never become single-minded. Though small cleverness may rely on its own strength, how can it ensure freedom from harm for a whole lifetime? When the Five Spirits lose their master, the true qi (zhēn qì) flows away and does not return. If one cultivates with a bitter, diligent heart, one may attain longevity and preserve the root of life. Keeping the precepts is my treasure, and I constantly hold to the words of the Heavenly Elder (Tiānlǎo), the essential methods of cultivation transmitted from Heaven. All the Perfected rejoice together and come forward to welcome the August Lord (Huángjūn), the supreme deity of the upper realms.

Ritual Instructions: Proceed to the southeast, kneel facing west, and recite:

We prostrate ourselves and examine our own conduct. Although we have heard the teachings in full and received the established rules, we have not yet been able to hold our minds in quiet, open stillness so that all leakages are dissolved at once. We must still strive earnestly to complete the work of realization. We now respectfully set forth the scriptural teachings and prohibitions, inform our fellow practitioners (tóngqì, cultivators of the same breath), and transmit the duties of each office, so that everyone follows their post. We ask the ritual officiant (zhāiguān) to listen and receive these commands.

Respectfully following the Perfected Wang of the Western City, the Supreme Minister, who says: The Huangwen Heavenly Writ (Huángwén Tiānshū) is the great seal of the highest cloud script (yúnzhuàn), the Upper Perfected Huangyi Yunzhuan, received in the era of the Three Sovereigns. When the Three Sovereigns established their works, heaven and earth were simple and harmonious, the threads of yin and yang were ordered, and spirits and ghosts were governed. Through this writ one could nourish the body, secure one's destiny, and long endure. This scripture was secretly kept by the Queen Mother of the West and revered by the immortal officials; it is the precious writ of the Perfected. Few in the world obtain this book, but whoever possesses it has the Nine Elders of the Immortal Capital of Great Mystery at once dispatch Duty Talismans (zhífú), celestial mandates that guard this true writ. Those who simply honor it morning and evening may enjoy their allotted years, and the five weapons, the five poisons, and pestilential calamities cannot touch them. If one performs summoning (shī zhào), the efficacy cannot be measured. The calamity of negligence and irreverence is punished by heavenly statute, and the Huangren (Imperial Human) records every fault. How can one not be careful?

The Perfected Wang of the Western City further said: To pursue "fame" as fame is to lose my De (Virtue). To pursue "affairs" as affairs is to disorder my work. To indulge "desire" as desire is to increase my delusion. To be ruled by "feeling" as feeling is to lose myself to the inner thief. No fault is greater than lust, no calamity greater than greed, and no blame greater than gluttony. These are the carriages and boats that carry calamity: in small matters they endanger the body, and in large matters they ruin the family.

The Perfected Wang further admonished: Whoever wishes to study the Dao and seek life must first be careful of all prohibitions. Only then may one communicate with the spirits, and thereby preserve life and body forever.

Plain Explanation

If one repeatedly violates these taboos, one will be seized by the Yin Bureaucracy (Yinsi), the underworld offices that administer punishment in the netherworld. If ordinary people struggle to escape this, how much more so those who seek immortality? I tell you this plainly, and you must hold to it carefully.

First Taboo: Do not indulge in lust or waste one's essence (Jing), lest it shorten one's life and bring an early death.

Second Taboo: Do not harbor treachery or cruelty, for the Three Officials (Sanguan), the Heaven, Earth, and Water officials, will impose punishment.

Third Taboo: Do not kill or injure living beings that possess breath (Qi), for after death one will have to face their victims in confrontation.

Fourth Taboo: Do not slander, envy, or practice deceit, for one will be harmed by both humans and spirits.

Fifth Taboo: Do not steal or defraud, for one will be demoted and diminished.

Sixth Taboo: Do not dwell excessively on sorrow and worry, lest one's essence become dazed and scattered.

Seventh Taboo: Do not give way to anger or indulge in pleasure, lest the clear qi of the spirit (Shen) dissipate.

Eighth Taboo: Do not drink to intoxication or engage in licentiousness, lest the Three Palaces (Sangong), the seats of spirit in the head, heart, and abdomen, collapse.

Ninth Taboo: Do not eat the five pungent vegetables, such as scallions and garlic, or consume blood, lest the organs become foul.

Tenth Taboo: Do not let hunger and satiety fall out of rhythm, or expose oneself excessively to cold and heat, lest countless illnesses take hold.

Eleventh Taboo: Do not speak or laugh excessively, lest one deplete one's spirit energy.

Twelfth Taboo: Do not gaze or listen for long periods, lest the eyes and ears grow dim.

Thirteenth Taboo: Do not succumb to filth, indolence, or moral decline, lest the body and spirit become ugly and disordered.

These thirteen taboos are the greatest dangers to the human body. Observe them and one lives; violate them and one dies. Laozi's words, "Among the things that lead to life, thirteen in ten; among the things that lead to death, thirteen in ten," refer precisely to this kind of situation. Lighter transgressions are called precepts (jie), and graver ones are called prohibitions (jin). Both jin and jie are methods for supporting the body. Students of immortality regard these prohibitions and precepts as armor: even when they enter the three armies, a lost blade cannot wound them, and even when they dwell among the world's affairs, calamity cannot reach them. These words are earnest, and each practitioner should strive to uphold them.

Having finished reading the scripture, the practitioner rises, faces the furnace altar, and says:

The Jade Maidens of Incense Smoke (Xiangyan Yunü), who attend to the incense, stand in service. May the assembled officials, in the presence of the altar that is open to the sky and the hall of purification, consider the hidden Jade Essence of the Fungus of Immortality before this incense and lamp, so that we, your servants, may attain the body of an immortal and be adorned with purple cords and feathered patterns, so that I, this person, may enjoy blessings, and all under heaven may rejoice together. Jade Maidens who attend the altar and the hall, convey this petition, so that your servant's words may rise and reach the heavens.

Before the True Lords of the Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang Zhenjun)

Following the rite, walk the altar in procession, stand upright, face north, click the teeth thirty-six times, and recite the Incantation for Gathering Essence (Shejing Zhu):

Surging and boundless,

Above, seal the Qian Register.

I receive the divine text,

And announce it to the Three Sovereigns.

A Plain-Language Reading of Wushang Miyao (The Unsurpassed Essential Secrets)

I. Bugang Tadou (Pacing the Dipper: Ritual Walking)

Stepping on the Golden Gate, one rises eastward to the Fusang tree. Treading the northern land of Mysterious Yin, one drives the southern Qi of Correct Yang. Advancing, one ascends to the star position of Dajiao (Great Horn). Retreating, one treads the position of Wenchang, wandering between the lunar lodges Kui and Lou and roaming among Di and Fang. Entering, one drives the Jade Maiden; exiting, one leads the Immortal King, living as long as Heaven and shining together with the sun. The twenty-five Qi sweep away calamity and misfortune.

Then one knocks the teeth twelve times (kouchi shi'er tong) and intones:

The Incense Jade Maiden memorializes the Three Sovereigns True Lords and the numinous officials of the thirty-six heavens. Your minor-born male servant, Jia, respectfully establishes, on behalf of So-and-so of such-and-such commandery and county, regarding such-and-such matter, the Dongshen Sanhuang Zhai (Three Sovereigns Purification Rite of the Cavern Spirit). Please ascend the altar, enter the chamber, burn incense and open the rite. This very day, submit this upward, proceed directly to the Purple Palace, and report it before the Three Sovereigns True Lords.

II. Thanksgiving After Incense Offering

Your servant, pure in fast and free from dust, burns incense and offers thanks. Above, I offer this for the seven generations of ancestors and for the entire household. I also beg that accumulated wrongs and bound offenses be pardoned, that lawsuits and accusations be dissolved, that our names be written in the Danjian (Vermilion Register), and that our fates be fixed in the Qingpian (Azure Tablet). May your servant, together with the spirits of the Three Palaces, ascend to the Mysterious Dawn, go up to Shangqing (Highest Clarity), respectfully see the Holy Sovereign, receive the writ and accept our charges, and forever become a perfected immortal.

III. Pouring the First Cup for the Heavenly Sovereign, Then Bowing Again

Your servant now respectfully invites the Heavenly Sovereign True One, Lord of the Jiazi cycle of the Great Origin, Three Mysteries, and Empty Heaven, that he may descend and partake.

It is also said: Your servant, pure in fast and free from dust, establishes the Dongshen Sanhuang Zhai for So-and-so (requesting / giving thanks). Through the sincerity of this present practice of the Way, burning incense and offering thanks (in thanks / in offering), I humbly beg that the True Qi of the Heavenly Sovereign's Great Origin and Three Mysteries descend. For So-and-so's body, I petition the release of all transgressions since former generations that have reached down to this body: rebelling against Heaven, defiling the hanging images of the sun, moon, and stars, insulting light and shadow, angering wind and cloud, destroying shrines and sacrifices, and offending the numinous spirits, and the like, one thousand two hundred items in all. May all of them be dissolved. I beg that So-and-so's life be bound to the Heavenly Palace, that the name be inscribed in the Heavenly Office, that it be fixed in the register of life, and that merit be carved in the Heavenly Pavilion. May all the gods of heaven join in protection, so that illness is healed, the body becomes light and strong, calamity is escaped, and long life endures without limit.

IV. Pouring the Second Cup for the Earthly Sovereign, Then Bowing Again

Your servant now respectfully invites the Earthly Sovereign True One of the Jiashen cycle of the Three Origins, Pure Numinous Jade Heaven, and Great Void, that he may descend and partake.

Glossary of Terms

The whole text is the liturgy of ritual walking, opening, thanksgiving, and wine offering in the Dongshen Sanhuang Zhai. Its structure runs: pacing and invocation, thanks to the seven ancestors and household, the first libation to the Heavenly Sovereign seeking absolution and longevity, and the second libation inviting the Earthly Sovereign.

Furthermore, the officiant says: "Your servant, today, purifying the heart and observing the fast, withdrawing from the dust and vulgarity of the world, establishes on behalf of (Name) the Dongshen Sanhuang Zhai (Sanhuang Zhai, the Purification Ritual of the Three Sovereigns of the Cavern of Spirit), whether as a petition or as thanksgiving. With the sincere intent of carrying out the Way, burning incense, paying reverence, offering thanks, and presenting the sacrificial rite at this hour, I respectfully invite the Earthly Sovereign (Dihuang), one of the Three Sovereigns, who governs the great earth and the Nine Lands, together with the primal qi of the Three Powers (sancai yuanqi) and the numinous perfected qi, to descend and support the body of (Name). I beseech that the transgressions committed from ancestors until now, and those committed by (Name) personally, be dissolved. These include offending and violating Houtu (the Empress of Earth) and the essences of the Nine Lands, as well as harming hills and mountains, water sources, metals and stones, grasses and trees, birds and beasts, and insects. Such faults, one thousand two hundred in all, shall be wholly dissolved. I beseech that the form of (Name) be removed from the earthly officials' registers and struck from the Earth Register, that the hun and po souls be released from the netherworld, and that the shenshi (consciousness) be lifted beyond the bounds of the earthly realm. May the spirits of the earth jointly guard and protect, so that illness is removed, the body is light and strong, calamities are escaped, and long life is preserved without limit."

After offering wine to the Human Sovereign and completing the libation, the officiant bows twice and says:

"Your servant now respectfully invites the Human Sovereign, the True Unity Lord (Zhenyi Jun) of the Void-Completion of the Jiayin Year, within the Seventh Subtle, Vast and Dense Void Heaven. May you graciously descend and receive the offering."

Again the officiant says: "Your servant, today, purifying the heart and observing the fast, withdrawing from the dust and vulgarity of the world, establishes on behalf of (Name) the Dongshen Sanhuang Zhai (petition or thanksgiving). With the sincere intent of carrying out the Way, burning incense, paying reverence, offering thanks, and presenting the sacrificial rite, I respectfully invite the primal qi of the Human Sovereign of the Seventh Subtle to descend and support the body of (Name). I beseech that the great transgressions committed from ancestors until now, and those committed by (Name) personally, be dissolved. These include offenses against human relations, ritual propriety, loyalty and filial piety, as well as the faults of lust, greed and turbidity, falsehood and delusion, cruel oppression and harshness, and the failure to fulfill duties owed to the spirits. Such faults, one thousand two hundred in all, shall be wholly dissolved. I beseech that the age of (Name) surpass the usual measure of people, that wisdom rise above ordinary human understanding, that virtuous conduct be a model for the human order, and that renown and the esteem of others be full. May the spirits among people jointly grant their aid, so that illness is removed, the body is light and strong, calamities are escaped, and long life is preserved without limit."

The officiant pours nine rounds of wine toward the east and, bowing twice, says: "Your servant now respectfully invites the Nine Heavens of the East, the sovereigns, divine lords, the assembled immortals, and the numinous officials. May you all graciously descend and receive the offering."

Again the officiant says: "Your servant, today, purifying the heart and observing the fast, withdrawing from the dust and vulgarity of the world, establishes on behalf of (Name) the Dongshen Sanhuang Zhai (petition or thanksgiving), with the sincere intent of carrying out the Way, burning incense, paying reverence, offering thanks, and presenting the sacrificial rite…"

Section 1: Invocation to the Northern Mystery Heaven

For generations past, down to the present person, the transgressions committed have offended the Lords of the Nine Heavens, the Jupiter star deity and Azure Dragon of the Wood phase (the Azure Dragon being the divine beast of the east), and the star officials both within and beyond the Seven Lunar Mansions. Below, they have violated the Eastern Peak (the sacred mountain of the east, Mount Tai), its mountains, hills, and mounds, its rivers, seas, streams, and valleys, and all the numinous beings. In the third month of spring, on the days Jia, Yi, Yin, Mao, and Chen, this person's Life Star (the destiny determined at birth) may have been struck, suppressed, or harmed by the Stars of Origin (the celestial stars that govern one's birth). Such misfortunes may bring calamity, sickness, or the poisonous winds and pestilential airs that invade the body, leaving one weakened and subject to every kind of setback and fall. May all of these be dissolved, so that this person is joined with the True Qi, receives great blessings and radiant light, sees ten thousand calamities cut off, and enjoys extended life.

Then one pours nine libations facing north, bows twice, and makes this proclamation: "Your servant now respectfully invites the sovereigns, divine lords, host of immortals, and spirit officials of the Nine Heavens of the north to descend together and partake of the offerings."

Continuing, the proclamation states: "Your servant now observes a pure fast and sets aside all worldly dust, and on behalf of this person establishes the Dongshen Sanhuang Zhai (the Three Sovereigns Purification Ritual of the Cavern Spirit Scripture, grounded in the Dongshen Jing and the Sanhuang texts). With the sincerity of today's practice, incense burning, worship, and offering rites, we respectfully invite the Five Qi transformed into rising smoke from the Mysterious Yin Palace of the Dark Azure in the Northern Nine Heavens, to come and protect the body of this person and to grant the removal of the transgressions described above."

Section 2: The Dark Warrior of Water and the Winter Rite

This section is largely the same, differing only in season and direction. The offended beings are now Mercury (the water star), the Dark Warrior, the Water deity and divine beast of the north, and the Northern Peak, the sacred mountain of the north. The ritual time is moved to the third month of winter, on the days Ren, Gui, Hai, Zi, and Chou. The illnesses to be removed include edema, dysentery, afflictions and disasters, distension and fullness, the various winds, and the dangers of drowning in waves. The rite likewise requires abstinence, the establishment of the ritual space, incense burning, and petition for union with the True Qi.

Section 3: The Western Invocation

In turn, one pours nine libations facing west, bows twice, and respectfully invites the sovereigns, divine lords, host of immortals, and spirit officials of the Nine Heavens of the west to come and partake of the offerings. Following this, one likewise observes a pure fast and sets up the offering rite, petitioning the Seven Qi and radiant light of the Pure Flower Vast Gate of the Western Nine Heavens to come and protect this person and remove the transgressions accumulated since former generations. The same transgressions also include offenses against the Lord of the Nine Heavens, Venus (the metal star deity of the west), the Great White Star.

Wushang Miyao (The Supreme Secret Essentials), Vernacular Interpretation

(Petition to the Seven Lodges of the White Tiger, the Stars and Star Officials of China and Abroad, and All the Spirits of the Western Peak, Its Mountains, Hills, Mounds, Rivers, Seas, Streams, and Valleys)

With utmost sincerity, to the Seven Lodges of the White Tiger and the star officials at home and abroad, I pray that the spirits of the Western Peak, its mountains, hills, mounds, rivers, seas, streams, and valleys below will know that a certain person, dwelling within the third month of autumn, on the days and hours of Geng, Xin, Jia, You, and Xu, may encounter clashes and breaks with the year fate and the birth star, Yan-Sha (suppressing killers), Yuanchen penalties and harms, and such calamities as disaster, sickness, white blades and flying arrows, weapons of war, violent bandits, and wounds from bloodshed and mutilation. May all of these be wholly dissolved. I beseech that this person's body be united in virtue with True Qi, that blessings flow like light, that myriad misfortunes be cut off, and that life and years be long.

Next, pour wine, face south, and bow nine times, saying:

Your servant now respectfully invites the Supreme Nine Heavens' sovereign kings, divine lords, all immortals, and numinous officials of the south. May you all descend and partake of the offerings.

He then says: Your servant, in pure fasting and cutting off the dust of the world, establishes on behalf of a certain Jia the Dongshen (Cavern of Mystery) Sanhuang Fast, to invite and to give thanks. With the sincerity of this present rite of walking the Dao, burning incense, and offering the purification ritual, I respectfully invite the Vermilion Light Dan Terrace of the Southern Supreme Nine Heavens and the Three Qi Suspended Light to come and assist this person's body. I beseech that the transgressions of this person's body, from ancestors of former generations down to the present, be lifted. These include offenses above against the Lords of the Nine Heavens, the Fire Star Yinghuo, the Seven Lodges of the Vermilion Bird, and the stars and star officials at home and abroad, and violations below against all the spirits of the Southern Peak, its mountains, hills, mounds, rivers, seas, streams, and valleys. In the third month of summer, on the days and hours of Bing, Ding, Ji, Wu, and Wei, should this person encounter clashes and breaks with the year fate and the birth star, Yan-Sha, Yuanchen penalties and harms, and such calamities as sickness, carbuncles and ulcers, epidemic fevers and pestilential qi, and the poisonous steaming heat of summer and insect stings, may all of these be wholly dissolved. I beseech that this person's body be united in virtue with True Qi, that blessings flow like light, that myriad misfortunes be extinguished, and that life and years be long.

When the four directions are complete, recite:

Vast and boundless is the qi of the Three Heavens, nurturing and rearing the myriad things. The mundane world delights in its flowers, but the True Dao values its substance. Foolish common people play with fading glory, while immortals cherish the root and the essence. Refine the mind and cultivate the Huangwen (Imperial Writs), and the jade numen shines in the secluded chamber. Chant aloud and aspire to the Taiwei, kneel and bow to the Huang Yi. Then bow twice more to complete the rite.

Then turn to face north, bow nine times while kneeling, and say:

Disciple Xiao Zhao Chen, Mou Jia, and the others of the Taishang Dongshen Sanhuang Neijing respectfully memorialize the Taishang Daojun, the Taishang Laojun, the Taishang Elder, the Jade Lord of the Three Sovereigns, the Lords of the Nine Elders' Capital, the Nine Qi Elders, the Xuandu Celestial Officials, and the Taixuan True Spirit above.

The following is a memorial of the kind commonly used in Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual) for rites of blessing and expiation. A representative of the faithful, "Moujia" (a placeholder for the principal's name), petitions the celestial host to avert calamity, resolve ancestral debts, and deliver the dead.

To the Officials of the Bureaus of the Lower Thirty-Six Heavens, the Five Directional Heavenly Emperors, the Spirits of Great Clarity (Taiqing), the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions and the stellar officials within and beyond the realm, the Perfected Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Eight Mountains that assist the Mandate, the Four Seas and Four Rivers, the mountain grottoes and water spirits of the Eight Marshes and Nine Sources, and all the spirits within the cosmos: your servant respectfully submits these words of [principal's name] to the Upper Palace.

The petition runs in substance as follows. Moujia was born into humble circumstances, but by the grace of the surplus virtue of ancestors was able to encounter the Orthodox Teaching and was granted precious scriptures and true instructions. In stillness and in motion Moujia has known restraint, and in rising and resting has striven toward goodness. Not only has this one person received grace, but the descendants of seven generations have also shared in the blessing. Yet Moujia's talents are ordinary, and in the human world Moujia has been caught up in worldly striving and rivalry. As the years advance, regret and fault easily arise. Moreover, the transgressions of earlier generations have not yet been dissolved, the netherworld tribunals still press many cases, and the Three Calamities close in along with a hundred harms. Vital energy (qi) and life hang in peril, illness and affliction accumulate, and by day and by night Moujia is anxious and fearful, heart and gallbladder alike trembling.

Your servant has seen that the "Prayer and Thanksgiving" section of the Jade Emperor's Precious Fast and Register (Yuhuang Baozhai Shanglu), and the ritual codes recorded in the Inner Canon of the Immortal Capital (Xiandu Neijue), set out the rites of offering and supplication. Though this method is lofty and subtle, it is not restricted by rank or station, and it can resolve disasters and bring down blessings. Your servant, leading several Daoist disciples, has therefore bathed in the Mysterious Cloud Waters so that body and spirit are made clear and pure. We have abstained from meat and rich foods so that the viscera are cleansed. We have hung green silks from the forest of jade, and written the cloud seal-script and the Imperial Patterns upon the banners. We have lit the Upper Primordial incense, whose light pierces the Nine Heavens. The Perfected, with the Mysterious Liquor, illumine the Mysterious and Yellow Jade Court, and we have arrayed forty-nine lamps to model the Thirty-Six Heavens. We have offered simple sacrifices of sweet wine and dried meat to receive the descent of the mysterious spirits. For three days and three nights we have walked the rite, repented, and petitioned, and up to the present hour of [date] the rite has been fulfilled.

We humbly beseech, with this modest sincerity, that the August Sovereign, the Supreme Thearch, the Most Holy Spirit of Fire, and the Perfected Spirits, together with the Immortal Officials who oversee the registers, grant instructions to the various bureaus and command the local officers to hear and examine this memorial of your servants. May the families of seven ancestral generations and the other kin among the departed souls, including those who suffer in torment (kushuang), be raised to higher rank, released from the cells and bonds of confinement, freed from their penal servitude, and delivered from the many punishments. May they each return to the halls of blessing, dwell at ease in joy, protect and benefit their descendants, and cause no further lawsuits. When their term is complete, may they be reborn into wealthy households among humankind and forever preserve joy and peace.

We further beseech that the heavenly officers, soldiers, the local lords of earth and village (guardian spirits of the district, such as the Earth God), and the Duty Spirits and Duty Talismans of each day be commanded to surround and protect Moujia's household.

Note: "Moujia," "several" (ruhan), and "at such a time" (ruyu shi) in the original are blanks within a ritual template. In actual performance, the officiating Daoist fills in the principal's name, the number of participants, and the date.

This passage contains the memorial (biaowen) and hymns of a Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual) performed to pray for blessings on a household and the averting of misfortune.

Expelling Malign Spirits from the Home

Within the residence, the halls, and the bedchambers, the ritual drives out each goblin and malign spirit, eliminates the calamities caused by ghosts, purges demonic influences, and allows upright qi to circulate freely. If the qi of ancestral graves left by the deceased interferes with the dwelling, if burial taboos were violated and deathly qi was carried into the house, if skeletal remains lie buried on the premises, or if the spirits of servants, those who died violently, or those who died far from home linger there, or if curses and oaths have entangled the household, or if innocent people were wronged and their resentment has not dispersed, all of these accumulate into disaster and bring misfortune one after another.

Resolving Bonds Between the Living and the Dead

The petitioner humbly asks the gods to reconcile these grievous entanglements, so that the realms of yin and yang no longer disturb one another and the living and the dead are no longer bound to each other.

Dispelling the Patron's Inherent Ominous Afflictions

The ritual prays for the patron (shizhu) that the ominous forces tied to the patron's birth year, birth month, and birth hour be dissolved, along with the Three Punishments and Six Harms (astrological configurations calculated from the stars), clashes, breakings, and yanshah afflictions that may arise in the year, month, day, and hour in question. It also includes the Celestial Years Star and the Netted Snare of Entanglement, as well as the many hazards of weapons, water and fire, illness, pestilence, poisonous insects, thieves, wicked people, official summons (guanfu, legal troubles), and gossip and slander. Whenever misfortune arrives, the ritual asks that it be handed along and addressed from month to month, day to day, and hour to hour, resolving each as it comes, so that it never again becomes a source of calamity.

Prayers and Presentation of the Memorial

May the patron and the officiants all be honored in public and private life, and trusted by those near and far. By following this path, cultivating the Dao, and revering the true heart, may one's devotion grow ever firmer, may cultivation bear visible fruit, and may the consumption of elixirs prove effective. May every misfortune be dissolved, and may the whole household receive great grace forever and enjoy boundless blessings. Your servant, so-and-so, fearful and trembling, kowtows and bows, and respectfully presents this memorial.

Recitation of the Hymn

Bow the head thirty times, bow again, and rise. Recite: "Diligently observe the vows of purification, burn incense and worship the Imperial Scripture; bathe in the dark cloud waters, and let the smoke rise to the Upper Primordial." Establish the fast and arrange the number forty-nine, and summon the verses of the Eight Emperors and the Life Deities. Strike the heart and make your vow, so that it reaches the Three Heavens above. Dispel the debts and faults of seven generations, be released from obligations and accusations, be delivered from the Five Paths, erase transgressions, and attain the rank of Immortal. If one practices this method for a single day, one may form good causes that will bear fruit over ten thousand kalpas. Once the True Dao is accomplished, one will be able to see the Three Sovereign Lords.

Renewed Offering of Incense and Prayer

Burn incense once more, so that the fragrant smoke stands like jade maidens in attendance, the assembled officials immediately receive their orders, and the spirit of the lingzhi fungus appears faintly upon the altar. May your servants attain immortal bodies before the incense fire, and grow purple robes and feathered wings, so that the patron's household enjoys blessings and the whole world rejoices together. May the jade maidens who attend the altar carry these words upward and present them to the Three Sovereign Spirit Lords.

Entering the Altar

Upon entering the altar, face north, click the teeth twelve times, and then begin to recite the liturgical prayer.

[Presenting Merit]

Once the incense smoke rises, the Incense Jade Maiden (Sixiang Yunü, the jade maiden who manages incense and carries messages) relays the report upward to the Three Sovereign Perfected Lords (the Heavenly, Earthly, and Human Sovereigns, three revered deities) and to the numinous spirits and officials of the Thirty-Six Heavens (the divisions of the celestial realm). Disciple So-and-so (a small omen, male), of such-and-such district and county, has performed the Dongshen Sanhuang Zhai (Purification Rite of the Three Sovereigns of the Dongshen tradition, conducted according to its liturgy, either to petition or to give thanks) on behalf of a certain matter. Once the rite is complete, I ascend the altar and enter the chamber, burn incense, and present my merit (reporting my cultivation to Heaven). May this be transmitted upward today, pass directly to the Purple Palace (the celestial palace), and be presented before the Three Sovereign Perfected Lords.

[Second Bow and Thanksgiving to the Three Sovereigns]

After burning incense again, I bow twice and say:

Your disciple, purified through abstinence and free from worldly dust, burns incense to offer thanks and reverence. Above, on behalf of So-and-so, the seven generations of ancestors, and the entire household, I beg for pardon for accumulated evils that have become sins, and for release from kaosong (the burdens of trial and litigation in the netherworld's examinations). May the danjian (the register of names in the immortal records and the netherworld ledgers) be erased of their names, and may the qingpian (the register of good deeds) be fixed with favorable characters. May I, Disciple So-and-so, together with the spirits of the sangong (the celestial palaces of the Shangqing and others), ascend together to the xuanchen (the morning gates of the immortal realms), audience with the Holy Lord in Shangqing (one of the Three Pure Realms), receive scriptures and commissions, and forever become a perfected immortal of high rank.

[Heavenly, Earthly, and Human Sovereigns]

I first bow to the Heavenly Sovereign, then to the Earthly Sovereign, then to the Human Sovereign, bowing twice to each, and say:

Your disciples, purified through abstinence and free from worldly dust, have completed the Dongshen Sanhuang Zhai for So-and-so (in petition or thanksgiving). By this sincere offering of incense and thanks, I beg that the thousand offenses and myriad transgressions committed by So-and-so from their ancestors until now, whether in the living body or in the dead, be fully dissolved and released. May their illnesses be healed, their calamities be averted, and may they attain long life and transcend the world, becoming one of the zhongmin (the seed people, those who receive transformation, do not die, and are nurtured to flourish).

[The Four Directions and Nine Heavens]

Next, I face each of the four directions:

To the East, to the Supreme Lords of the Nine Heavens, the divine lords and numinous officials of the immortal ranks, I hold the number nine in my mind and bow twice.

The South, West, and North follow the same form.

And I say: Your disciple, now purified through abstinence and free from worldly dust, has completed the Dongshen Sanhuang Zhai for So-and-so (in petition or thanksgiving). By this offering of incense and thanks, I beg that the offenses and sins of So-and-so, from their ancestors until now and in this body, be removed and dissolved; that their illnesses be cured, their calamities pass, and that they attain long life, enduring vision, and forever be protected from misfortune.

[Addressing the Dao Lords]

Then I face north, bow nine times, and say:

Taishang Dongshen Sanhuang Neijing (The Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns of the Most High Dongshen), your disciple, the small omen-minister So-and-so, respectfully submits to the Most High Dao Lord (Taishang Daojun), the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), the Most High Elder (Taishang Zhangren), and the Jade Lords of the Three Sovereigns (the principal honored deities and their assisting deities of the Dongshen Sanhuang rite)...

(The remainder of the original, if it contains further petitions or closing words, follows a similar structure: addressing the honored deities, stating the reason for the rite, begging for release from sins, and praying for long life and transformation into the seed people.)

Wushang Biyao (Supreme Secret Essentials): An Interpretation

Gist of the Scripture:

Old Immortal Lord of the Capital, Elder of the Nine Qi, Immortal Officials of Xuandu, True Divine Lord of Supreme Mystery, together with the Spirit Administrators and Lords of the Thirty-Six Heavens above and below, the Five-Directional Celestial Emperors, the gods of Taiqing, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions and the stellar officials within and beyond the heavens, the True Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Eight Mountains that assist the Mandate, the water deities of the Four Seas, Four Rivers, Eight Marshes, and Nine Sources, the spirits of famous mountains and grotto-abodes, and all the numinous beings within the hidden palaces of the cosmos: your servant respectfully leads several fellow disciples of the Dao in bathing in waters of dark cloud, arranging thirty-six lamps in four groups of nine, and modeling the Thirty-Six Heavens. From the present month and day we convene the assembly, and from the dawn of a certain day we perform the Way for three days and three nights, twelve periods in all, until the work is complete. Whatever has been spoken and memorialized this morning, and whatever has been petitioned and requested, has reached the imperial hearing, and may it surely bring down merciful grace.

The Three Sovereigns have memorialized, and the Most High has issued a decree: grant what is requested in accordance with the rites. Let the spirits of the ancestral souls, the seven generations of paternal and maternal forebears of the household of so-and-so, be lifted up and delivered. From this time forward, may the household of so-and-so prosper, forever receive peace and well-being, share in the flourishing of the age, and see its public and private affairs brought together, with the merit of the purification ritual fully accomplished.

To the divine immortal officials, the attendant Jade Maidens of incense, the supervising lords and clerks of the purification, and the lords of the local walls, altars, and villages, who have assisted, guided, and proclaimed, and who have all labored diligently: your servant respectfully reports their merit, and the rewards and recompense owed for their service and gratitude are conferred in several grades, all in accordance with the Xuandu registers and statutes. When the rite is finished, each shall return to their original post and resume their duties as before.

Now the altar is dismantled and the mats are cleared, and all things are restored to their former state. Your servant has personally memorialized and reported, and has proclaimed the divine statutes. Yet the realm of the dead is vast and remote, its principles are profound and subtle, and its sacred methods are difficult to fully comprehend. There have been many omissions and errors, and moreover our bowing has not been reverent, our minds and bodies have grown lax and negligent, the incense has been uneven, and the offerings of wine and fruit have been meager. These faults are the source of transgression, and they have brought down punishment from the unseen realm. Within my heart I am anxious and apprehensive, fearing to be condemned for them. I humbly pray that the Supreme Emperor and the assembled Perfected will grant their compassionate forgiveness, graciously yield to the three pardons, and allow us to escape guilt and punishment.

We bow our heads and bow twice more, and at the closing of the incense burner we declare: May the Jade Maidens of incense and the attending officials maintain that on the spirit altar there is a hidden fungus of jade essence; may it be before this incense flame that we, your servants, attain the immortal state and our bodies bear the purple cords and feathered patterns of the perfected. May this household enjoy blessings, and may all under heaven rejoice together. Let the Jade Maidens who attend the altar, now that the ritual is complete, carry the report of merit upward before the divine lords of the Three Sovereigns.

The above is drawn from the standard liturgy of the Three Sovereigns Purification Ritual (Sanhuang Zhai) as recorded in the Wushang Biyao (Supreme Secret Essentials), juan 49 of the Daoist Canon. It belongs to the Keyi (liturgy) of the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and comprises the memorial, the report of merit, and the closing incense-burner formula. In this text, the "four-nines lamps" refers to thirty-six lamps, corresponding to the Thirty-Six Heavens, and the "Xuandu registers" are the ritual statutes of the Daoist purification rites.