《無上祕要》Vol. 41

Before the ritual begins, first complete the worship according to the daily morning liturgy. Then state one's office, position, and title, and proceed to memorialize the heavens.

Your disciple respectfully submits this memorial to the Supreme Wuji Great Dao, the Great Lord of the Dao, Supreme Lord Lao, the Supreme Elder, the Unsurpassed Mysterious Elder, the Lingbao Heavenly Venerables of the Ten Directions, the great sages who have already attained the Dao, and the assembled Perfected of Supreme Truth, the Lords and Elders, the Great Dharma Masters of the Mysterious Center, the Celestial Master (Tianshi), the Supreme Ministers, the Chief Ministers, the Four Bureaus, the Five Emperors, the officials of the Three Realms, and all the spirits.

Your disciples are as defiled, small, and lowly as insects and ants. Fortunate to have received the accumulated blessings of past lives, we were born in an age when the teaching of the Great Dao flourishes. The Dharma Masters of the Three Caverns have descended into the world in accordance with the times to transmit the scriptures, and the Three Masters have guided and delivered disciples, imparting the wondrous methods, golden writings, jade characters, and secret instructions of the immortals. On the day we received the Dharma, your disciples resolved to exhaust their abilities. Though our understanding is shallow, we strive to uphold the intent of the scriptures and the methods, to proclaim the grace of compassion, to assist our teachers, to spread the Daoist teachings of both the netherworld and the human world, and to guide and save all living beings. Whenever someone comes to take refuge or to petition, your disciples dare not neglect or obstruct them.

Now there are persons, such as so-and-so, who read the memorial. According to the account of a certain person, the matter is true, and the circumstances are deeply pitiable. Your disciple, acting with care and leading the assembly, respectfully follows the Celestial Master's decree and establishes the Tutan Zhai (Ritual of Mire and Embers). The Tutan Zhai is a solemn rite within the Lingbao Zhai methods, in which the officiant expresses repentance and self-reproach by baring the body, binding the bones, binding oneself, loosening the hair, smearing mud on the forehead, and hanging the hair downward. The rite is performed at the central altar, following the regulations of the Lingbao XiaYuan Dacheng Qingzhai, with incense burned, heads bowed, and grace petitioned.

It has been set for a certain day of a certain month, at the spirit altar of a certain hall in a certain village, township, and county, or at a certain household, to perform the ritual, purify and atone for offenses, light lamps to renew their brightness, and let their light shine through all the heavens. The rite continues for three days and three nights, with Daoist practice and atonement performed in six periods each day. The confession includes the ancestors of a certain household across generations, the parents, uncles, elder and younger brothers, and the departed and the living, extending to the officiant himself. It also traces back the transgressions committed by clans of hundreds of millions over countless kalpas. Your disciples, in accordance with the Zhai regulations, have come together to a certain household, bathed and purified themselves, and have memorialized before the ritual begins.

We respectfully request that the Three Supreme Ones, the Perfected of the Ten Directions, and the Great Dharma Masters of the Mysterious Center manifest their divine discernment, examine the contents of this memorial, and issue commands to the Lingbao officials, the Attendant Scripture Powers, the officials of the Three Realms, and the local Earth Lords, that they join in common purpose to protect your disciples and all members of the household of so-and-so, and to sweep clean the ritual site and the house, both within and without.

Memorial and the Merit of the Fast

After the ghosts and thieves have been extinguished and the Four Demons subdued, our minds and spirits are settled and our thoughts clear. Heaven and earth are bright and pure, the memorial rises without obstruction, and the merit of the fast is accomplished without hindrance.

Although we unworthily hold the position of the Great Dharma and carry the Way of the Utmost Perfection (zhi zhen zhi dao) within us, we still dwell in this age of the Five Turbidities, our Three Passes (sanguan) are not yet regulated, and our Six Emotions (liuqing) run wild. We therefore rely on the precepts to examine and restrain ourselves. Now, in accordance with the fasting rites, we explain the precepts and their solemn demeanor so that the officials and the sponsors may all submit to the instruction of the Law. We must await the morning of tomorrow, perform the Dao according to the rites, and continue to memorialize further.

Three Hymns on Wisdom

Wisdom arises everywhere, shining clearly through the ten directions. It forms emptiness and stands in the profound heavens, naturally drawing up its lingering fragrance. Its wonder is beyond thought: emptiness and sensation, the false and the real, interpenetrate. Having is ultimately non-having, and non-being is not non-being at all.

Wisdom constantly observes the body, and this is the first step in studying the Way. Subtly it enters the profound marketplace and naturally records my spirit and soul. The Heavenly Venerable constantly protects and embraces, and the Demon Kings also keep their word. Gleaming is the vajra body, and transcendent is the immortal of the Most High.

Wisdom arising is the root of the precepts, and the True Dao takes the precepts as its foundation. The Three Treasures (sanbao) are raised up through them, and the high sages honor and receive them. Riding this raft of undying life, one swiftly crosses over to great abundance. At this time of expounding the precepts, the heavenly beings come and bow their heads.

(Cited from the Yuqing Jie, Precepts of Jade Clarity)

The Master Expounds the Precepts

Next, the Master of the Law turns back to the east and faces west to expound the precepts, while the assembly kneels to receive them.

The Heavenly Venerable said to the Most High Daojun: Now I shall proclaim the sound of the Law widely and awaken the myriad beings. For all men and women I will dissolve calamities, remove afflictions, petition for blessings, and ransom their lives. I will pull up the roots of suffering, so that the living may see the Way and be freed from the Eight Difficulties, and the dead may rejoice and feast in the Heavenly Hall, and be swiftly reborn among humans as a Wheel-Turning Sage King. All who cultivate the fast and seek the Way should wholeheartedly receive and uphold the Ten Precepts (shi jie), accept them carefully and never forget them, concentrate the mind in silent recitation, contemplate deeply the naturalness of the Dao, and not let miscellaneous thoughts disturb the form and spirit. Those who can do so should listen quietly.

The Ten Precepts:

The First Precept: Do not harbor envy in the heart and do not give rise to hidden harm. Guard the mouth against fault, and keep your thoughts upon the Law.

The Second Precept: Hold to benevolence and do not kill. Feel compassion for and aid all living beings, extending loving kindness widely to save, so that it moistens everything.

The Third Precept: Guard chastity and yield to righteousness. Do not commit lust or steal. Constantly practice good thoughts, diminish oneself, and benefit others.

The Fourth Precept: Do not indulge in sensual desire. Let the heart be free of dissipation, guard chastity with caution, and keep conduct upright.

Plain-Language Interpretation

Fifth Precept: Do not speak evil words or use glib, flowery language. Be consistent in word and heart, upright and sincere, so as not to commit offenses of speech.

Sixth Precept: Drink little wine and moderate your speech and conduct. Keep your temperament and vital spirit (shen-qi) in balance so that your spirit (shen) is not harmed, and do not commit the many evils.

Seventh Precept: Do not resent those who surpass you, and do not compete for fame or rank. In all matters, yield and step back to let others go first.

Eighth Precept: Do not carelessly criticize the scriptures or slander sacred writings. Receive the teachings personally and keep to them, as though the gods stood before you at all times.

Ninth Precept: Do not engage in quarrels of words, and do not gossip about the Four Assemblies (monastics, Daoist priests, lay men and women, and so on) or about matters concerning heavenly beings. Resentment drains one's vital spirit (shen-qi).

Tenth Precept: In every action and every deed, treat all beings equally and keep a single, undivided mind. Then people and spirits will both be at peace. Always practice in accordance with this.

The Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun) says: To cultivate the pure precepts is always to accord with the heart of Heaven. Constantly practice great compassion, vow to deliver all living beings, and save the world. Reverence the teachings and do not slacken midway. It is better to die while holding to goodness than to live by doing evil. If one persists in this without regression, one can cross the Five Paths (the paths of transmigration) and avoid treading the Three Evil Paths (the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and the like). The heavens will protect such a person, and the myriad spirits will hold them in reverence. Keeping long fasts and upholding the precepts is itself the way to deliver oneself from the world.

The Heavenly Venerable says: The Dao is honored and its teachings are subtle, and the human body is also precious. Therefore the Dao has been opened and the teachings transmitted, using the scripture of precepts to deliver the human body. Once the human body is delivered, one can rise and become one with the Dao. One should diligently cultivate, keep fasts and uphold the precepts, and keep the mind level and the breath calm, with clear and unwavering intention. Focus the thoughts on one thing and turn wholly toward it. Cleanse the six viscera (the internal organs), and do not eat after midday (not partaking of food past noon). Keep inner and outer states clear and empty, and accord always with what is natural. On fasting days, light incense and make your vows aloud, so that the sound rises high. Then the Sipositions of the Four Heavens (the heavens of the four directions) and the ten divisions of awe-inspiring spirits will descend and attend to the matter, and the Dao will hear the sound of the teaching and see into your heart. If you practice the Way according to the precepts, your merit will be recorded among the heavens, and blessing or calamity will be made manifest. The Dao does not fail a person. Practice diligently, receive the teaching with reverence, and do not listen to the words of demons.

The Heavenly Venerable says: When an altar of fasting is established and the Way is practiced, the heavenly emperors of the Four Heavens drive flying clouds, green carriages, and the Eight-Scene Jade Palanquins. Perfected immortals and jade maidens attend them, holding bright banners to lead the way. Phoenixes sing, the heavenly harmony rings, and white cranes and lions chant and cry out. They scatter incense and blossoms and come floating through the sky to witness the ritual, to honor the Way, and to hear the sound of the teaching. When the heavenly kings descend and the myriad spirits gather in audience, how can one not follow the rites in full? One should first receive the Ten Precepts and only then practice the Way. The steps should be unhurried and composed, the mind quiet and at ease, and every movement, whether sitting, rising, lying down, or resting, should accord with the proper rules.

Note: This text belongs to the Daoist "Ten Precepts" and to the rules of fasting and of establishing an altar for practice (jianzhai, setting up a ritual altar to practice the Way). "Heavenly Venerable" (Tianzun) is a respectful title for the highest divine being. Terms such as fasting, not eating after midday, and the Four Heavens and ten divisions are common Daoist ritual vocabulary. The translation gives explanations in parentheses rather than rendering every scripture name and office title in full, to keep the text from becoming too long.

Dao, Ritual Format, and Opening Passage

Following the Lixi Ge (Format of Detachment from Mundane Ritual, which separates oneself from secular conduct and follows the ranks of Daoist keyi (liturgy)), the Heavenly Kings (celestial divine lords) rejoice and one's name is entered in the celestial registers of Shangqing (Highest Clarity). It may be said that within a single thought of the mind one already responds to the Dao (the Way). (The doctrine of this passage derives from the Dajie Jing (Great Precepts Scripture).)

Restating the Censer Method (lu fa, the incense-burner rite)

When the Incense Officers and Envoys, the Dragon and Tiger Lords on the left and right, and the numinous officers who attend the incense are present, and a person cultivates in a quiet chamber, they will naturally receive jinye (golden liquor), danbi (cinnabar and jade), and zhiying (fungus blossoms), which are the auspicious numinous essences and sacred herbs of Daoist tradition. The perfected and the hundred spirits gather before the incense flame. May so-and-so and all others receive blessings, and may all under heaven be graced. The Golden Youths and Jade Maidens of the ten directions attend the incense smoke and carry these petitions straight before Taishang Wuji Dao (the Most High Dao of Wuji, the Without-Ultimate). (From the Mingzhen Jing (Scripture of Clarifying Perfection).)

Next, Reciting the Precept Verse

The Dao is the source of no-mind; every good deed may be sown as a field of merit.

Merit has no fixed owner; each person's original vow lies within himself or herself.

Emptying the self, one responds to and transforms all beings; with one undivided mind, nothing fails to be impartial.

The Great Sage spreads the supreme teaching like rain falling across the world. High mounds cannot be reached everywhere, yet low ground that always stays low becomes a deep pool.

The sea is the king of the hundred rivers, and so it can hold the scales of dragons. Through myriad kalpas it preserves its wisdom and its function. How could this be only for one lifetime?

Upholding the precepts, not a moment may be neglected. Lifetime after lifetime, form good bonds and good karma. Contemplate the Mahayana (Great Vehicle) with a focused mind, and at last you will realize the true Dao.

(From the Xiangong Qingwen Jing (Scripture of Questions Posed by the Immortal Lord).)

Next Morning, Entering the Altar

On the following morning, the assembly enters the altar together and, as before, bows to the Master and visualizes the spirits according to the rite.

Next, the Incantation to Guard the Numinous Officers

East: Nine Qi of the Azure Sky. The Great Spirit of the Bright Star shines over the eastern quarter, illuminating the nine gates and turning the lamp of sunlight to sweep away filth and dispel miasma. The Youth of Clear Illumination (Kaiming Tongzi) guards my chamber, binds demons and restrains monsters, and above, connects with the Lord Emperor. He upholds the correct Dao, the vermilion writs of jade text, and the talismanic mandates of the Nine Heavens. He gathers the dragons and manages the relay of dispatches throughout the heavens, so that I may attain flight as an immortal.

South: Three Qi of the Vermilion Heaven. The Glowing Star turns its light and illuminates the sun. Above is the Vermilion Essence. The Youth of Clear Illumination commands the fire troops, guards the three palaces, slays evil, binds demons, and cuts off the demon kings. The winds and fires of the Eight Surges, which the Northern Emperor commands, have streaming bells that interlace in brilliance. Whoever dares not follow the correct Dao shall be driven away. I receive the highest merit and preserve the lasting existence of heaven, endless through countless aeons.

West: The Heaven of Seven Qi. The Great White Star streams its essence and its light shines over the Golden Gate, clearly illuminating the great darkness. Within it dwells the White Sovereign, named Emperor Numinous (Di Ling), who keeps the spirit secure, pacifies the body, cuts off the sources of evil, makes the kingly Way clear, sets the palace in good order, and aligns the three luminaries.

(If incantations for the north and other directions follow, their form resembles that of the east, south, and west. They mostly summon the directional spirit-generals, protect the altar, slay evil, and pacify the realm.)

Note: This piece is an excerpted sequence of zhaijiao (purification ritual) procedures from the Daoist Canon, covering precept-taking and entering the altar. Many entries are marked "extracted from" a named scripture, which shows that the text quotes other scriptures into the Essential Secrets rather than presenting a single original long chapter. Proper names such as Shangqing, Dragon and Tiger Lords, Golden Youths and Jade Maidens, and Northern Emperor should be kept in their original form so the ritual context is not lost.

Wushang Biyao (Supreme Secret Essentials): A Vernacular Reading

Paragraph 1 (General Summary and the North)

Merging with the natural order of Heaven and Earth, one ascends to the Purple Court (Zi Ting, a Daoist paradise). The Lingbao talismanic decrees (the talismans and edicts of the Lingbao school) bestow universal grace upon all living beings. Their merit extends to everything, and Heaven and Earth are all brought to peace.

In the Mysterious Heaven of the North, the Five Qi (the qi of the Five Phases) circulate. Mercury (Chenxing) blazes with brilliance, illuminating the Taiwei (the palace of the celestial court). The Black Numinous Lord, clad in flying mysterious feathered robes, guards the Five Gates, examines the essences, and apprehends transgressors. Should anyone dare to offend, they are beheaded and destroyed (huoluo, "beheading"). When the jade talisman issues its command, the Eight Awesome Divine Generals (the eight guardian spirit-generals) seal off evil gates and open the paths of righteousness, shining upon my body. The Three Lights (sun, moon, and stars) shine together, I whip through the void and ride the air, and my physical form ascends to fly as an immortal.

Paragraph 2 (The Center)

At the center, the Yellow Center governs and unifies the Qi of principle, and the Mysterious Perfected Zhenxing (the planet Saturn) emits its radiance, flowing and shining across the Nine Heavens. Twelve Illuminating Youths, embodying primordial qi and yang essence, send up flaming crimson smoke and illuminate my dwelling and my body. A hundred evils are struck down, and thousands of demons are slain. The Zhongshan Divine Incantation is applied throughout all under Heaven, the Five Numina (the spirits of the Five Phases) are settled and secured, and my body flies up to become a supreme immortal.

Paragraph 3 (Sounding the Drum and Lighting the Censer)

Next, strike the Heavenly Drum twenty-four times.

Next, light the incense burner.

By the Supreme Three Heavens (Jade Clarity, Upper Clarity, and Great Clarity) and the true Primordial Beginning Three Qi, Taishang Laojun (the Most High Lord Lao) summons forth from within my body the Three Five Meritorious Officials, the left and right official envoys, the left and right incense-bearing dragon riders of the relay stations, the incense-attending Golden Youths, the jade maidens who convey messages and scatter flowers, the Five Emperors' Duty Talismans, and the daily incense officials, thirty-six of each. Come forth! Those who come forth must be properly attired, and they shall open the way for the true officials and proper deities of the upper realm who dwell here. I now burn incense and perform the Way, wishing that the true qi of the Supreme One from the ten directions descend and flow into our bodies, so that what I memorialize may swiftly reach and proceed directly before the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi), the Supreme Ultimate Great Dao, the Most Perfect True Lord of the Utmost Void.

When the censer invocation is complete, the assembled officials kneel for a long time. The Heavenly Drum is struck twenty-four times, and the officials then depart to report their business.

Paragraph 4 (Dispatching the Officials to Report)

Respectfully, we send forth from within our bodies the Five Bodily True Officials and Meritorious Clerks. From within our bodies we send forth the Law-Enforcing Officials of the Upper Three Heavens, who open the transformation of yin and yang, and the Clerks who deliver the Dao, dispel calamity, scatter misfortune, and release affliction, twelve of each. From within our bodies we send forth the Governing Office Clerks; the Great General of the Governing Center who establishes authority and supervises merit (name omitted); the Vanguard Meritorious Officer, the Rearguard Lethal Officer, the Post-Station Commander, the Post-Station Assistant, the Four Divisions of Overseers, and the Audience Attendants. From within our bodies come the Immortal Spirit Direct Envoys, the Orthodox Unity Meritorious Officials, the Healing Meritorious Officials, the left and right official envoys, the Yin-Yang Divine Decision Clerks, the Ke-Chariot Red Talisman Clerks, the Gangfeng Mounted Relay Clerks, the Post-Station……

Note: This passage belongs to the "dispatching officials to report" section of the Daoist zhaijiao (purification and offering rite). In the ritual, practitioners visualize numerous spirit clerks and generals within the body. Summoned out of the body, they report to the Jade Emperor and pray that true qi descend into the body. Within the inner visualization practice (neijing), the officials "within our bodies" give concrete form to the inner spirits and express the correspondence between the human body and the celestial deities.

A Plain-Language Reading of the Wushang Biyao (Secret Essentials of the Most High)

Mounted Memorial Clerks (Mashang Zhangli), Flying Dragon Riding Clerks (Feilong Qili), and others, two of each, step forward. Those who step forward dress in full ceremonial regalia, with caps and sashes hanging with tassels, and set their dignified bearing in order.

The Direct-Envoy Merit Officer (Zhishi Gongcao) wears the Tongtian crown (tongtian guan) and a single robe of black silk. The Orthodox Unity Merit Officer (Zhengyi Gongcao) wears a vermilion headcloth of the Zhuyang type and a single robe with crimson insignia. The Envoys (shizhe) wear the crown of the Nine Virtues (jiude zhi guan) and a single robe of five colors for longevity, with a tiger tally at the waist. All of them hold jade tablets.

The Direct-Envoy Merit Officers stand at the four quarters, and the Orthodox Unity Merit Officer stands at the center. The Merit Officers for Curing Illness and the Yingwei Ministers (guardian ministers) are arranged around the body of the practitioner. On the left, the Envoy of the Left raises the staff of authority at the front; on the right, the Envoy of the Right holds the canopy-banner at the rear. The Yangshen Judgment Clerks (judgment clerks of the Yang Spirit) stand on the left, and the Yinshen Judgment Clerks (judgment clerks of the Yin Spirit) stand on the right. The Upper-Section Merit Officers stand above, the Middle-Section Merit Officers stand within the body of the ministers, and the Cuiqi Gongcao (Qi-Urging Merit Officers) hasten the ten directions.

The Upper-Section Envoys gaze far into the heavens, the Middle-Section Envoys survey the eight directions, and the Capital Envoys (duguan shizhe) circle the body of the practitioner. The Corridor Clerks (langli) and Tiger Guards (hubei) inspect for wrongdoing. The Hook-Riding Capital Officials (gouqi duguan), the Chief Attendants (puye), and the Heavenly Strong Men (tianding lishi) gather qi. The Qi-Eating Clerks, the Spirit-Gathering and Spirit-Eating Clerks, the Demon-Gathering and Demon-Eating Clerks, the Evil-Gathering and Evil-Eating Clerks, the Essence-Gathering and Essence-Eating Clerks, and the Poison-Gathering and Poison-Eating Clerks each have their own charge. The Talisman-Smashing and Temple-Breaking Clerks, the Cart-Registering Red-Talisman Clerks, the Gale Riders who post relay horses, the Memorial-Presenting Clerks, and the Flying Dragon Riders are stationed before, behind, left, and right of the practitioner's body.

Once the Merit Officers and Envoys have finished their dress and arrangement, they set out the honor guard (luobu) and open the spirit-treasure officials (Lingbao guanshu). These include the Lord Who Supervises Retreats (Lingxian Jianzhai Junli), the Twenty-Four Seats of governance (ershisi zhi) laid down by the Celestial Master (Tianshi), the Thirty-Six Quiet Retreats (sanshiliu jing), the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands (qishier fudi), the Three Hundred and Sixty Famous Mountains, the Upper Palaces of Kunlun, the thirty-six thousand spirits, the sun, moon, and stars, the Jade Gauge and Jade Balance (Xuanji Yuheng), the Five Emperors of heaven and earth, and the officials and generals of the Three Realms (sanjie). They also summon the Two Mysteries, Three Primes, and Four Beginnings of the Way above, the winds and qi of the four quarters, and the Jiazi officials and generals who pour qi.

The Summoning Lords (Kaozhao Jun) are the Old Lords (Laojun) of the Nine Yi tribes of the east, the Eight Man peoples of the south, the Six Rong tribes of the west, and the Five Di tribes of the north, together with the Old Lord of the Three Qin at the center, known as Cang. Also summoned are the Five Peaks and Four Rivers, the Lords of the Hills and Pools, the spirits of the shrines, the high mountains, rivers, valleys, and forests, the Mengzhang, the Twelve Stream Women, the lords of the originating roots, the Earth Lord, and the altars of soil and grain with their officers. All of them dress in regalia at once. When the Merit Officers and Envoys of the practitioner's body have finished their dress, they set out the honor guard.

Note: This passage comes from the Shangzhang Keyi (memorial-presenting liturgy) of Daoist ritual. It describes the clerks, Merit Officers, and Envoys summoned when a memorial is dispatched, together with the Twenty-Four Seats, the Thirty-Six Quiet Retreats, the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, the famous mountains and great rivers, and the officials of the Three Realms. These beings dress in regalia, stand in formation, and open the spirit-treasure officials to prepare the ascent to the Heavenly Office. The sentences are mostly parallel lists, and they stress the ritual scene and the division of spiritual duties rather than narrative.

[Envoys and Flying Dragon Riders Submit a Memorial]

The envoys and the Flying Dragon Riders respectfully report upward to the Supreme Non-Ultimate Great Dao (Taishang Wuji Dadao), the Supreme Great Dao Lord (Taishang Dadao Jun), the Supreme Venerable Elder of Unsurpassed Mystery (Taishang Zhangren Wushang Xuanlao), the Dao-and-De Heavenly Venerables and assembled Perfected of the Ten Directions, the Great Perfected Emperors, the Heavenly Emperors, the Celestial Master (Tianshi) Lords, and the officials of the Lingbao Supervisory Fasting Great Master.

We were born into a world of demonic custom and have sunk into the degenerate age, long indulging in worldly glory. By a rare and fortunate occasion we were wrongly raised up and admitted to share in the Great Transformation. Through the Three Masters' covenant we received the Scripture of the Three Treasures (Sanbao Shenjing), and we make offerings and show reverence in the hope of fulfilling our aspirations. The grace we have received is profound, and joy and dread arise together. On the day we received this Dharma, we shall exhaust our foolish and limited strength and devote ourselves to the work, cultivating the sense of the scriptures, proclaiming the sacred sound, and, with a compassionate heart that cherishes all beings, leading heavenly and human beings to salvation.

Now, in a certain township of a certain county in a certain prefecture, a man or woman, a certain Jia, of the official and common ranks (including Daoist adepts and lay believers), has submitted a written petition and come before us with a sincere and earnest heart, begging for relief and deliverance. We have therefore presented it on their behalf. Reverently reading its words, we find:

We, upon examining the petition and verifying its facts, find its language urgent and sincere and its circumstances truly pitiable, and we are moved beyond measure by sorrow and compassion. We have accordingly gathered together and, in accordance with the instructions of the Celestial Master, have established the altar and its ashes, exposed our bodies within the central altar, faced east and bound ourselves, let our hair fall loose and smeared our foreheads with mud, and hung our heads with our hair tied above the railings. Following the Lingbao Lower Origin Great Thanksgiving liturgy, we have set up the fast and kept the vigil, burned incense and lit lamps to illuminate the heavens, and for three days and three nights, six periods each day, we have performed the rites of walking the Dao and of repentance and thanksgiving.

On behalf of this household's ancestors of a hundred generations, their parents, uncles, elder and younger brothers, those who have passed away and those yet living, and for the offenses and burdens of the present person, from countless kalpas and the ages of countless clans, down to this very body, we lay bare our hearts, cinnabar-red in sincerity, and bow our heads to the ground in utmost devotion. We humbly request that there come down together, to oversee the fasting hall, nine hundred million heavenly-immortal troops and cavalry, nine hundred million cavalry each of the earthly immortals, the flying immortals, the spirit immortals, the stars and constellations, the Nine Palaces, the Five Sacred Peaks, and the Four Seas, thirty-two supervisors of the Thirty-Two Heavens each with thirty-two attendants, thirty-two Golden Youths who tend the incense and thirty-two Jade Maidens who scatter flowers, thirty-two Five Emperors' Duty Talismans, and the Flying Dragon Riders who convey the Dao and report affairs. May our words rise without obstruction, as we hold the incense and make our wishes.

When the work of walking the Dao is complete and the diligent service has been rendered, may the immortal officials examine and record it.

A Vernacular Commentary on the Wushang Miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials)

Vow-Officers of Merit (Guanyuan Gongcao), Attendant Officers of Merit, the Envoys, and the Flying Dragon Riders: Each guards a gate, reports on schedule, and presents memorials on matters of business. When the affairs are completed, each returns to the bodies of the officiants. If the palace summons them, they come forward again according to the old precedent. (Drum sounded three times.)

First Incense Offering

We, the Celestial Master's (Tianshi) appointed Libationer (Zhijiujun), the Lingbao Wushang Sandong Fashi (Masters of the Three Caverns of the Supreme Numinous Treasure), and the Scholar of such-and-such Mountain (Your servant, such-and-such), respectfully present this memorial:

To the Void and Natural Primordial Heavenly Venerable (Xuwu Ziran Yuanshi Tianzun), the Great Dao of Non-Polarity, Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), the Exalted Supreme Jade Emperor, the perfected sages and realized lords who have attained the Dao in the ten directions, the Elders, the Gods of the Thirty-Two Heavens, the Jade Void Supreme Deity, the Great Jade Emperor, the Eastern Florescence, the Southern Pole, the Western Numinosity, the Northern Perfection, the Capital of Jade Metropolis of the Mysterious Capital, the Seven-Treasure Mysterious Terrace of the Golden Gate, the Upper Palace of the Purple Subtlety, the Lord of Dao of the Numinous Treasure Perfect Brilliant Emperor, the Great Master of the Mysterious Center, and the Celestial Master himself.

In former lives our karmic causes brought us into birth in a time when the Daoist teaching flourishes. We have undeservedly received the instruction of our masters and perfected teachers, who through the scriptures and Dharma opened the way for our decaying bones. Their kindness is boundless. On the day we received the Dharma, we made a vow before the Three Officials (Sanguan) that we would exhaust our bodies and lives, devote our sinews and bones, proclaim the Great Transformation, answer before the netherworld, assist our aging masters, and save all beings.

We now respectfully present this petition. We, your servants, have received the Celestial Master's instruction to conduct this rite on behalf of (such-and-such). We have built the altar and smeared it with ash and charcoal, bound our bones, placed hair in our mouths and mud on our foreheads, and laid our five minds upon the ground. Beneath the altar railings, following the Lingbao Xiayuan Dazhai (Great Thanksgiving Purification Retreat of the Lower Primordial), we burn incense and perform the Dao round the clock in six periods. On behalf of (such-and-such), we confess the offenses committed by countless generations of ancestors, grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters over countless kalpas, along with those of the entire household, great and small, in past lives and in this life. These are the myriad transgressions that heaven does not pardon, earth does not pardon, humanity does not pity, and ghosts do not release. They violate the one hundred and eighty statutes of the Three Primes, and the crimes of the examining officials of the Yin, Yang, Water, Fire, Left, Right, and Central Palaces, and the one hundred and twenty bureaus of the Three Officials' nine offices.

Now we burn incense and pray that the merit of this offering will free the countless ancestors and the living and dead parents of (such-and-such) from sorrow and suffering, lift them to the Heavenly Hall, grant them a share of blessings in the Southern Palace, and return their bodies, spirits, and lives to the Great Dao.

We, your servants, prostrate ourselves to the ground and take refuge.

Note: This text is the incense-offering petition and confessional prayer within the xiayuan dacha (Lower Primordial Great Thanksgiving) liturgy of the Lingbao school. The Merit Officers, Flying Dragon Riders, and other attendant officials are protective spirit-officers summoned in the liturgy. The Three Officials refer to Heaven, Earth, and Water. The rough-and-ground-dwelling gestures of smearing ash, binding the body, and placing hair and mud on the forehead are symbols of penitential asceticism in the confession altar. "Six periods of practice" refers to the performance of recitation and worship at six set times during the day.

Taishang Sanzun (Three Supreme Honored Ones): May the merit of this offering be dedicated to the hundreds of millions of great-grandparents of [name], to all the ancestors of past generations, and to all who have died or are about to die, that they may be freed from the ten sufferings and eight calamities, ascend to the heavens, have clothing and food arise naturally, and always dwell in the state of Wuwei (wúwéi, non-action). Therefore we now burn incense and take refuge in the teachers and in the virtue of the Great Sages and the Perfectly Authentic assembly. Once we attain the Dao, may we ascend into Wuwei and unite with the Dao in truth.

Prayer for the Second Offering of Incense

We, your servants, respectfully burn incense and dedicate this merit to the emperors, kings, rulers, officials, and common people; to the teachers who transmitted the Dao to us, our parents and honored elders, our fellow disciples, the Daoists who study the true Way in seclusion in the mountains, and all the worthy sages. May all people each attain their Dao, returning their bodies, spirits, and lives to the Great Dao. We bow our heads to the ground and surrender our lives to the Three Supreme Honored Ones.

May this merit also be dedicated to the emperors, kings, rulers, officials, and common people; to the teachers who transmitted the Dao to us, our parents and honored elders, our fellow Daoists and the worthy sages. May all be freed from the ten sufferings and eight calamities, each preserve their blessings and fortune, and in the end enter Wuwei. Therefore we now burn incense and take refuge in the teachers and in the virtue of the Great Sages and the Perfectly Authentic assembly. Once we attain the Dao, may we ascend into formlessness and unite with the Dao in truth.

Prayer for the Third Offering of Incense

We, your servants, respectfully burn incense and dedicate this merit to [name] and to their household, clan, and extended kin; to the officials of the realm and the libationers (jijiu), the Daoists who preside over ritual in each locality; to the people of the world; and to all living beings, from the insects that fly and wriggle to those that crawl, breathe, or have many feet. May all of them return their bodies, spirits, and lives to the Great Dao. We bow our heads to the ground and surrender our lives to the Three Supreme Honored Ones.

May this merit be dedicated to the household of [name]: may calamities dissipate, blessings and joy arrive, the home be peaceful and auspicious, and the family prosper. May [name] be liberated, ascend into Wuwei, and unite in virtue with the four elements. May every member of the household, all the people of the world, and all the insects that fly and wriggle be freed from the ten sufferings, eight calamities, the five poisons, fire and water, bandits and plague, and the harms of ghosts and all other disasters. May each preserve their fortune and blessings and dwell in peace in Wuwei. Therefore we now burn incense and take refuge in the teachers and in the virtue of the Great Sages and the Perfectly Authentic assembly. Once we attain the Dao, may we ascend into formlessness and unite with the Dao in truth.

Liturgy of Repentance Facing the Ten Directions

East, south, west, and north, and the remaining directions, each bowed to and repented before in the order prescribed by the ritual.

Vernacular Interpretation

(Bowing to the Directions)

Northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest, above, and below.

The Male Officiant and Libationer (nanguan jijiu) So-and-so, who is recording these petitions at home, respectfully states that in recent years the dwelling has been unlucky and his undertakings have gone awry, with illness following illness, and he fears calamity to his very existence. The matter has been lodged with the Dark Bureau (xuansi, the netherworld administration), and misfortunes have converged so that he cannot escape them. We respectfully follow the Lingbao Xiayuan Tutan Xie Fa (Lingbao Lower Primordial Rite of Thanksgiving for Relief from Suffering). Standing bare before the altar, we kowtow and beg for mercy, earnestly asking for the grace of great compassion and a full pardon.

We pray that the petitioner's person, his ancestors to the hundred-millionth and ten-thousandth generation, his parents, uncles, elder and younger brothers, and all members of his household, great and small, be forgiven for all that they have done and transgressed from former lives up to the present day. These include failing to show reverence to the Great Sages and Supreme Spirits, the sun, moon, constellations, the four seasons, and the Five Phases; to one's teachers and elders, the Five Marchmounts, the Four Rivers, the Three Rivers and Four Seas, and all the perfected spirits, immortals, and jade maidens; and to the Earth Spirits of the Three Realms and all the deities of the Three Officials and Nine Bureaus.

They have also committed countless grave sins: deceiving teachers and betraying the Way, profaning the sacred scriptures, greed for profit, teaching privately and out of turn, violating the oaths sworn before the Five Emperors, plotting rebellion, being disloyal, unkind, unfilial, unloving, and inhumane, opposing ruler and father, harming living beings, seizing people and property, committing adultery with another's wife, envying those who surpass oneself, competing for fame and office, speaking one way while thinking another, attacking the virtuous, polluting the Five Spirits with wine and meat, cursing and reviling others, acting recklessly without cause, being capricious on the auspicious days of the eight fasts, bullying the lonely and oppressing the weak, abandoning the poor and the aged, trampling on the destitute, and currying favor with the powerful. Such sins and their kind cannot be counted.

We beseech that incense be burned in repentance and thanks, that the sins be dispersed and released, and that the petitioner be granted a new beginning. We pray that the petitioner and his ancestors to the hundred-millionth and ten-thousandth generation, along with the dead souls in the dark roads, be opened to all light and be liberated together. May they turn toward roots of faith, depart from the Five Paths of rebirth, and have their karmic connections opened for salvation. May the dead enjoy lasting happiness, the living receive grace, the karmic examinations be dispersed, and the punishments for transgression be eliminated.

We beg that the sins be struck from the black register of the Right Palace and that the petitioner's name be enrolled in the green register of the Left Mansion. May the Dao-breath cover and the spirits protect, turning calamity into blessing and misfortune into good fortune, averting disasters, eliminating harm, and destroying demons and bandits. May true qi (zhenqi) descend and flow, warming the joints and bones, harmonizing the Five Viscera, and clearing the hundred vessels, so that sufferings are relieved and illnesses healed, that the efforts of healing bring results, that one's glory and fortune increase, that the spirit is steadied, that life is preserved whole, and that one forever bears the grace of the Dao.

Next, Ritual Obeisance to the Four Directions Repentance Text (next, worship the repentance text of the four directions)

Directions: West, North, East, South.

On behalf of Male Officiant Libationer (nanguan jijiu, a Daoist office title for one who presides over purification rites) so-and-so and his household, we establish a Zhaijiao (zhaijiao, purification ritual) and practice the Dao. We pray for blessing and protection and for the averting of calamity and the relief of distress. We confess all the knotted offenses of the living and the dead, so that all affairs may be harmonized and resolved. We wish that Dao-Qi (daoqi, the vital breath of the Dao) envelop both the realm of the living and the realm of the dead, widely opening the paths of salvation, so that bodies and persons are at peace, each person among the honored and the humble attains their proper place, the household is clear and auspicious, and its blessings turn toward it. May it constantly dwell in good fortune, its good karmic bonds be complete, and it never fall into the three evil paths of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals. May all its wishes be fulfilled.

Next, according to the rite, perform the contemplations, the subduing of demons, and three stanzas each of the Bu Xu (bu xu, "Pacing the Void") chant, then worship the scriptures.

Then, following the orientation by time of day: during the day, face west; at night, face north. The assembled people loosen their hair and kowtow with their heads in the dirt, an ancient gesture of contrition and submission. The officers then take their positions anew and each announce their official title and name.

Invocation Format (Abridged):

"We, the officiant of the Celestial Master (Tianshi, tianshi) such-and-such, disciple of the Taishang Lingbao Wushang Sandong (the Three Caverns, sandong), Libationer, acting under the Lingbao ritual of Master such-and-such, your minister so-and-so, respectfully memorize:

Above and below, at the center and in the eight directions, the lords and elders of the Great Dao of Taishang Wuwei (non-action, wuwei), most great and most honored, with no summit above them and no limit to them, who illuminate and observe everything, whose brightness is boundless. The highest true lords of countless layers of Dao-Qi, the Primordial Beginning. Vast and boundless, chaotic and formless, void and natural, the Supreme Primordial Root. Profound and silent, mysteriously pervasive, the source of great wisdom. The Divine Lord of the Way of the Dao, the Orthodox Unity of Majestic Power, the Dao within the Dao, Taishang Wuwei. The myriad-billion lords and elders of the Wushang Yuan Chu, the countless multitudes of Dao and De (virtue, de). The Taishang Daode Lord and Elder, the Wan Yuan Lord and Elder, the Wushang Wanfu Lord and Elder, the Wushang Wanqi Lord and Elder, the Mingjian Celestial Lords and Elders, Laozi of the Mysterious Origin, the Great Clarity Mysterious Origin Wushang Santian Wuji Dao Wushang Elder, the Taishang Three Qi Lord and Elder, Taishang Laojun and Taishang Elder, the Taixuan Shangyi Lord and Elder, the Zhonghuang Zhengyi Lord and Elder, the Taiyuan Lord and Elder, the Taishi Lord and Elder, the Taichu Lord and Elder, the Taisu Lord and Elder, the Taixu Lord and Elder, the Taizhen Lord and Elder, the Taiyi Lord and Elder, the Taiyi Lord and Elder, the Taiping Lord and Elder, the Taiyuan Lord and Elder, the Heavenly Emperor Lord and Elder, the Nine Elders, the Immortals..."

Note: The latter half of the passage above is the sequence of honorific titles used in the qiqing shengzhen (invoking the sacred perfected) portion of the Zhaijiao. It piles up forms such as "Lord" (jun) and "Elder" (zhangren) to name, in order, the great Dao and the deities of the Laozi, the Three Qi, and the Primordial Beginning at each level of hierarchy. These are not narrative passages. In the Lingbao ritual, each name is recited in turn as the invocation is offered.

A Vernacular Reading of the Wushang Miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials)

Lord of the Capital, Elder of the Capital of the Nine Heavens, Lord of the Jade Calendar, Elder of the Jade Calendar, Lord of the Nine Qi, Elder of the Nine Qi, and the countless, innumerable Lords of Dao Qi and Elders of Dao Qi; Lord of the Thousand Two Hundred Officials, Elder of the Thousand Two Hundred Officials, and the Jade Steps of Great Clarity (the revered deities who stand upon the jade steps of the Taiqing heaven); Lord of the Supreme Jade Perfected, Elder of the Jade Perfected, Lord of the Five Immortals, Elder of the Five Immortals, Lord of the Nine Numinous, Elder of the Nine Numinous, the Twelve Perfected Lords of Taiqing, the Twelve Perfected Elders, the Lords of the Twenty-Four Spirit Persons, the Elders of the Twenty-Four Spirit Persons, the Thirty-Six Perfected Lords of Taiqing, the Thirty-Six Perfected Elders of Taiqing, Lord of the Five Qi, Elder of the Five Qi, Lord of the Yin-Yang Generative Qi, Elder of the Yin-Yang Generative Qi, the Lords and Elders of the Five Qi Talismanic Tallies, the Compassionate Father and Holy Mother, Lord Supreme Taiyi, Elder Supreme Taiyi, the August Heavenly Supreme Emperor, the Primal Sovereign Supreme of Ultimate Non-Being, the Elder Primal Sovereign Supreme, Lord Taiyi, Elder Taiyi, Lord of Divine Treasure, Elder of Divine Treasure, Lord of True Treasure, Elder of True Treasure, Lord of Heavenly Treasure, Elder of Heavenly Treasure, Lord of Numinous Treasure, Elder of Numinous Treasure, Lord of Primal Spirit, Elder of Primal Spirit, Lord of Primal Perfection, Elder of Primal Perfection, Lord of Primal Numen, Elder of Primal Numen, the Supreme High Emperor's Office Overseeing Spirit Qi (charged with managing spirit qi and assessing merit and fault), together with the Twenty-Four Offices and Thirty-Six Spirits that govern the assessment of conduct through the Six Qualities, Six Uprightnesses, Six Loyalties, Six Simplicities, Six Correctnesses, and Six Sincerities; Lord Heavenly Sovereign Lao, Elder Heavenly Sovereign Lao, Lord Southern Pole Lao, Elder Southern Pole, Lord Yellow Spirit Lao, Elder Yellow Spirit, Lord Lao of the Yellow, Elder Lao of the Yellow, Lord Taihe, Elder Taihe, and the Lords and Elders of the Supreme Sovereign True Dao; the Celestial Master (Tianshi), the Female Master, the Heir Master (Sishi), the Female Master, the Lineage Master, the Female Master, and the Lord of the Three Masters (the masters of the teaching lineage); the Lords and Officers of the Gate's Registrars, the Lord Overseer of the Five Qi, the Parents of Ten Thousand Dao, the Parents of Ten Thousand Qi, the Parents of Ten Thousand Virtues, the Parents of Heaven and Earth, the Source from which the Immortals Emerge and the Assembly Place of the Sages; the Royal Lord of the East, the Queen Mother of the West, the Lord Sun, the Lady Moon, and the assembled celestial officials and great spirits of the immortals.

We, your humble servants, have through the karmic bonds of past lives been brought together and have encountered the transforming teaching of the Dao (Daohua, the great teaching of the Way). We have received the instruction and guidance of the Masters and Perfected, and through their kindness our decayed bones have been permitted to study and practice the scriptural methods. Their grace exceeds even that of the Most High, and we can scarcely repay it. On the day we received the Dharma, we swore an oath before the Three Officials (the Great Emperors of Heaven, Earth, and Water): we would exhaust our lives and expend our strength, proclaim the Great Dao, testify and answer for ourselves before the netherworld (the realm of the yin-world underworld), and assist in the great transformation (dahua, the vast work of transformation).

Note: The passage above is a formula of visualization and invocation, a list of names recited to summon the descent of perfected beings, as commonly used in Daoist purification rites (zhaijiao) and ordination. The practitioner first recites, one by one, the celestial offices, the titles of the treasure decrees, and the lineage of masters. At the end, the disciple states the causes and conditions that brought them to the teaching, along with their vows. Most of these names correspond to the liturgical systems of Taiqing heaven, primordial Qi, talismanic tallies, and the assessment of merit. The passage should therefore be read alongside the liturgical entries throughout the book, and not as a standalone table of mythological figures.

Annotated Explanation of the Wushang Miyao (Essential Secrets of the Supreme)

Outline of the Scripture

This passage comes from the Tutan Xiezui Zhai (Tutan Repentance Retreat, ritual of mud and ash) in Daoist liturgy. It is a dúcí (confession text) in which the assisting master reads on behalf of the faithful, presenting their confession to the gods and requesting pardon and relief from calamity.

I. Invocation

The assisting master, on behalf of all who seek salvation, reads the following statement:

Having received the teaching of the Mahayana (Dacheng) and the duty to aid and save all beings, and moved by deep compassion, we, [Name], have together received the instruction of the Tianshi (Celestial Master) and set up the Tutan rite. Hair is bound and loosened, mud is smeared on the forehead, and the body prostrates fully on the ground beneath the ritual railings. Following the Lingbao Xiayuan Da Xie Qing Zhai (Great Thanksgiving Purification Retreat of the Lower Primordial Lingbao tradition), incense is burned and the Dao is practiced in six periods day and night.

On behalf of [Name], we first offer thanks and confession for our ancestors over countless generations, uncles, brothers, and all beings across endless kalpas and countless lineages, extending to [Name] and all members of the household, great and small. We confess the transgressions committed in past lives and this life, the countless sins that heaven will not pardon, earth will not forgive, humans will not pity, and ghosts will not release. We have violated the one hundred and eighty precepts of the Sanyuan (Three Primes), and the crimes against the officials of the Sanguan (Three Offices) and Jiufu (Nine Bureaus), the Yin, Yang, water, and fire, and the left, right, and central palaces. We beg to be released from misfortune and disaster. We open our hearts and bare our livers, and dare not speak falsely.

II. Petition

We humbly hope that the Supreme Venerables and the Highest Perfected Spirits will show pity and compassion, open the waters of great mercy, return boundless grace, and deliver us from the following: the sins and evil deeds committed by [Name]'s ancestors over countless generations and by all living beings in this life, across endless kalpas; the accusations, punishments, and burdens of thousands of sins; the pardon of our offenses through pity and forgiveness, the reconciliation of grievances, and the cancellation of lawsuits and the rewriting of records. We ask that every lingering calamity be cut off and that all such burdens be dissolved. We pray for secure graves, with no harm or disaster arising. For the spirits of the dead and the living who suffer in resentment, we pray that they receive happiness and joy, that their karma be explained and resolved, and that all punishments and exiles be lifted. We ask that the registers of sin, the black ledgers of the right palace, be erased, and that our names be entered in the green registers of the left bureau. May the Dao qi (Dao breath) cover us, and may the spirits protect us. May misfortune be turned into blessing, and calamity into fortune. May disasters be averted, harm be repelled, and dangers and hardships be escaped. May shortened lifespans be restored and our names written in the long registers. For the family and dependents, may illness and calamity be healed, and may all be kept in ten thousand blessings. May pestilence, demons, poisons, and a thousand calamities be driven out to the eight quarters, may the household flourish, may all goodness return to it, and may the living and the dead alike rest in peace.

III. Conclusion

We receive the grace of the Dao with reverence. The master offers incense and stands facing east.

Next, the Shi'er Nianyuan (Twelve Recitations of Vows) is recited. When it is finished, the incense burner is returned to its place.

The incense officers, the attendant envoys, the Left and Right Dragon and Tiger Lords, and the attending Numinous Officials should now withdraw.

Glossary of Terms

Nature of the text: This is a typical Lingbao Tutan repentance confession reading. Its structure runs from invocation, to confession of faults, to petition, to conclusion. Its language draws on Buddhist concepts such as "Mahayana" and "beings," as well as Daoist ideas of administrative assessment and registers.

On the altar, auspicious things such as golden liquor, cinnabar, jade, and lingzhi fungus arise of their own accord, and the hundreds of spirits gather here. Before the incense, we pray that the Emperor may enjoy a life without limit and that all under heaven may receive grace. Ten-directional Golden Youths and Jade Maidens attend on either side, the incense smoke curls upward, and the words of these ministers are carried directly before the Jade Emperor of the Supreme Infinite Great Dao (Taishang Wuji Dadao).

When the fast is complete, the Senior Master faces east and sounds the Celestial Drum twenty-four times, and each officer calls out his name and rank.

Your servant so-and-so, a disciple of the Supreme Unsurpassed Dongxuan (Dongxuan) of the Taishang Lingbao tradition and a practitioner of the Lingbao Dao, bows to the ground, bows twice, and respectfully submits:

O Supreme Infinite Great Dao, Supreme Great Lord of the Dao, Supreme Lord Lao, Supreme Elder, Unsurpassed Mysterious Elder, the assembled Sages of Dao and De (Dao De) of the Infinite Great Dao in the ten directions, the Heavenly Honored Perfected Great Emperor, the Celestial Lord and Celestial Master (Tianshi), and the Great Master who oversees the Lingbao fast:

Your servants are by nature ordinary and foolish, yet, not scorning our own lowliness, we love the Dao and delight in the immortals. We have wrongly received the charge of ritual office and have been permitted to ascend in the nine mysterious heavens. Our minds are exhausted by our limited abilities, and we offer what little we can, down to the hair on our bodies. Here is a male and female ritual officer, so-and-so, who has come forward to state his petition, sincerely surrendering and entrusting himself, and who has asked your servants for deliverance. We have respectfully led him in. On the day of such-and-such a month, at the Yin hour (3–5 a.m.), in this village of such-and-such county, we received the Celestial Master's instructions and established the rite of atoning for transgressions by burning the offerings of the scripture. We stood openly in the central altar and performed the Lingbao Xiayuan Dayue Qingzhai (Great Thanksgiving Purification Fast of the Lower Primordial). For three days and three nights, in six periods each day, we burned incense, chanted scriptures, and concentrated our minds on the spirits and the perfected. The practice was completed at the Chou hour (1–3 a.m.) on such-and-such a month and day.

What we now respectfully petition is this: that the Celestial Immortals, Earthly Immortals, Flying Immortals, Perfected Ones, and Divine Persons, the sun, moon, and stars, the Nine Palaces and Five Emperors, the spirit armies of the Three Rivers and Four Seas, and the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Rivers, each with nine hundred million riders, be present; that the supervising and officiating Perfected, the Golden Youths and Jade Maidens who attend the scriptures and incense, the assembled Perfected who supervise the fast, the Lingbao officials, and the Flying Dragon riders who carry messages and report affairs, all be present; and that the Perfected who oversee the four directions, the spirits who return to report, the Perfected who advance in rank, the Immortals who receive higher titles, and the ranks of the Emperors be assigned according to their grades, as in the protocol of the Great Perfected.

May your servants attain the Dao through practicing it, and attain the immortal state through seeking it. May your servants divide their forms and transform, descending in the Three Primes to the seventy-four regions, all riding the green-curtained carriages in flight. May the Supreme Clarity rise through the nine heavens, the sun and moon shine together, and the Three Treasures (Sanbao) glow as one.

We have received the illumination of the Ultimate True Dao, and we know that our hearts are sincere in their devotion. Our study of the Way is not yet complete, and in our daily conduct we have been unable to refine ourselves as we should. We have not observed the fasting rules and ritual regulations, and in our every movement we have transgressed the precepts of the liturgy. The Four Offices (Sici) have investigated us, and the Five Emperors (Wudi) have recorded our faults. For our thousand transgressions and ten thousand offenses, we beg for compassionate pardon, and we ask that, having pity on the fact that we have not yet awakened, we be spared punishment for our sins.

The True Officials of the Five Bodies within us will, in accordance with our merits, proceed to the Mysterious Capital (Xuandu), the dwelling place of the immortals, to receive their ranks, and will return to their posts once the matter is complete. The True Officials within our bodies will ascend together with our ministers and rise into the vast heavens. Respectfully, we submit this memorial and humbly await your reply.

(Your servant, [name],) with utmost trepidation, we bow our heads to the ground, kowtow, and bow twice in submission to report this.