《無上祕要》Vol. 43

Wushang Miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials), Juan 52: The Sanyuan Zhai (Three Primes Fast) Section (Vernacular Interpretation)

Altar Diagram

Build a three-tiered altar of red clay. On the altar, arrange five blue-green lacquered tables, each holding an incense burner.

The Heavenly Honored One's Instructions

The rite should be performed on the three Primes days, the fifteenth day of the first, seventh, and tenth months, and during three periods of the day: dawn (early morning), noon, and midnight.

Before the rite, one must first bathe, washing oneself with water infused with the five fragrances. As one enters the bath, face southwest and stir the fragrant water thirty-two times with a golden ladle, moving counterclockwise toward the east and south. Close the eyes and visualize sunlight over the left eye and moonlight over the right, the five stars coiling above the head, and five-colored clouds surrounding the whole body. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, together with the lion and white crane, stand arrayed on the left and right. Jade Youths hold towels, Jade Maidens scatter flowers, and flying immortals ride and guard the body on every side.

Then knock the teeth thirty-two times and recite the bathing incantation:

Heaven is clear and the qi is pure, five colors bright and lofty. Sun and moon breathe out their radiance, pouring over my body and form. Divine saliva cleanses within, fragrant water refines the essence, and light shines through and illuminates the Highest Clarity. Qi takes in no dust, and the five viscera receive spirit. Sins are extinguished in the Three Paths, and calamities are dispelled in the Nine Netherworlds. The roots of evil are severed, and blessings and joy arise on their own. Today I make my great vow, and all things are called to witness it. Receiving transformation and deliverance, I ascend into the Celestial Court.

When the recitation is finished, tilt the head back and swallow twenty-two times, then stop. This is called washing the Five Spirits. After bathing, put on the crown and robe, knock the teeth twelve more times, and recite:

The five turbidities are already cleansed, and the eight luminosities already shine. Today I receive refinement, sins are extinguished, and blessings are born. Forever together with the Five Thearchs, may I attain the same perfection as the True Spirits on high.

After this, one may go out or come in, and when entering the chamber, practice the Dao according to the rite.

Entering the Chamber to Practice the Dao

After entering the chamber, face east and burn incense. Knock the teeth thirty-two times and recite:

Supreme Three Heavens, Mysterious Origin of the Three Primal Qi, Most High Lord Lao: summon forth from my body the Three-Five Merit Officers, the left and right official envoys, the left and right Dragon-Tiger lords, the incense-bearing courier dragon riders, the incense-attending Golden Youths, the messenger Jade Maidens, and the Five Thearchs' Duty Talismans, thirty-two of each, to come forth. Let those who come forth be solemnly attired, and open the gates to notify the true officials and upright spirits of the earth gods of this locality. I, your servant, am now burning incense and practicing the Dao, presenting my petitions and asking that the true qi of the ten directions enter my body and carry my requests swiftly to the upper realms.

(Chanted before the altar table) Wuji Heavenly Honored One, Supreme Great Dao Most Perfect Jade Emperor.

Note: This section belongs to the Daoist Sanyuan Zhai liturgy. Over the three Primes days, practitioners bathe, visualize, and chant at set hours, summon the officers within the body to notify the local earth gods, and then burn incense and practice the Dao. The rite seeks the extinction of sins, the arising of blessings, and the transmission of one's petitions to the heavenly court. "Three Paths" and "Nine Netherworlds" refer to the sufferings of the underworld. The "Three-Five Merit Officers" and similar titles name the spirit officials who protect and assist the practitioner's body during the rite, and they are regularly invoked in zhaijiao (ritual purification) liturgies.

Wushang Miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials): A Plain-Language Reading

[Opening Self-Statement]

Disciple of the Wushang Dongxuan Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) school, Master Yue, your servant Mou Jia, was by the fortune of past lives born into the transformation of the Dao. Through the notice of Dharma Master Mou Jia of the Sandong (Three Caverns), I was brought to salvation: my decayed bones were revived, and I was instructed in the scriptures and Dharma. The grace of this deliverance is boundless. Yet I was raised in the common world, where the Five Spirits (Wushen) contend with one another, the dust of worldly life lies deep, and the stain of sin is thick. I never awoke to this, and my transgressions have grown along with me, piling up like mountains and seas. From my former lives until now I do not know over how many kalpas these karmic ties have formed. Today my offenses are knotted up to heaven and earth. In which registers and ledgers are they recorded? I am being seized and detained as penal labor by the Three Offices (Sanguan). Though I have disciplined myself, my discipline has not moved the heavens. The True Spirits do not descend, the hosts of demons attack me, my thoughts are scattered and unfocused, and my Five Spirits have flown away. I constantly fear that one day I will return to the dark abyss, sink through myriads of kalpas, and never again have a chance at salvation for all eternity.

Respectfully, on this auspicious day of the Grand Celebration of the Three Primes (Sanyuan), I purify myself, abstain, and burn incense. I first confess the sins of my former lives and of all the deeds I have accumulated in this life: transgressions that Heaven will not pardon, Earth will not forgive, the gods will not pity, and ghosts will not release. These are countless offenses, violating the one hundred and eighty articles of the Three Primes and the crimes against the officials of the Yin-Yang, water, fire, left, right, and central palaces of the Three Offices' Nine Bureaus and One Hundred and Twenty Bureaus. Now I burn incense to take refuge in body, spirit, and life with the Heavenly Worthy of Wuji (Boundless Limit), the Supreme Lord of the Dao, the Heavenly Emperors of the Thirty-Two Heavens, the great holy assemblies of the ten directions, the Perfected Lords of Ultimate Truth, the Elders, the Flying Heavenly Kings, the Heavenly Immortals, Flying Immortals, Spirit Immortals, and Earth Immortals, the Perfected of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Jade Maidens, the sun, moon, and stars of all the heavens, and the Jade Pivot and Jade Balance. I also take refuge with the Wuji spirit inspectors of the ten directions on earth, the Five Emperors of the Three Realms, the Three Offices and One Hundred and Twenty Bureaus of the Nine Bureaus, and the spirit officials of the Three Rivers, Four Seas, Nine Rivers, and Eight Extremes. I beg for great mercy: that all sins committed in my former lives and this one be pardoned and removed, and that, by the merit of this incense, the roots of my karma be cut loose. May my name be erased from the Earth Register, the black ledger of sins in the Right Bureau be annihilated, and my name be transferred into the Long Life Blue Register of the Left Bureau of the Southern Palace. May I cross beyond the mortal world as an immortal and enjoy endless life. And after attaining the Dao, may I ascend into the formless and become one with the Perfected.

[First: Nine Prostrations Facing East]

First, nine prostrations facing east, kneeling at length, I say: "Your servant Mou Jia now takes refuge with the Eastern Wuji Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy, the great holy assemblies who have attained the Dao, the Perfected Divine Lords, the Supreme Mystery of the Upper Three Heavens of Taiqing Xuanyuan, the Great Dao of Wuji, the Supreme Mystery..."

Background Notes

This is a repentance liturgy (keyi) of the Lingbao school. On a day of ritual purification, a Daoist priest or lay believer burns incense and confesses wrongdoing before the gods of heaven, earth, and the underworld, seeking pardon and deliverance.

The format is that of a petition in which "your servant Mou Jia" takes refuge with the Heavenly Worthy of Wuji and the assembled spirits, lists the offenses of former and present lives ("what Heaven will not pardon," and so on), and asks that the merit of the incense erase the name from the black ledger and enter it in the blue register, so that one may "attain immortality, enjoy endless life, and become one with the Perfected."

A Plain-Language Explanation of the Scripture from the Supreme Mystery

The Most High Celestial Venerable, the Most High Lord Lao, the Most High Elder, the August Celestial Venerable, the August Celestial Venerable and the Elder, the Blue-Spirit Supreme Perfected, the sovereign lords of the various heavens, the elders of the various heavenly emperors, the Great Emperor, the Great Emperor’s Elder, the Lords of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Capital, the Elders of the Nine Qi, and the twelve hundred officials and lords transformed from the countless layers of Dao Qi; the Elder of the Eastern Pole beneath the Jade Steps of the Great Clarity, the Great Spirit of Blue Florescence, the Senior Minister Sima, the Blue Youth, the Imperial Lord of the Golden Portal and Rear Sage, the Spirit Man of True Yang and Primordial Blue, the Nine Immortal Lords of the Numinous Treasure, and others; the Jade Maidens of Blue Harmony and the Jade Youths who govern the immortals; and all the divine spirits of the Limitless Eastern World—

(These revered beings are the names of the honored deities and perfected immortals venerated by the Eastern lineage of Daoism.)

Your disciple earnestly beseeches you all to bestow your great compassion and the grace of pardon. May you forgive the sins your disciple has committed before this life and throughout this present life, especially the grave offenses that follow. Disrespect above means showing irreverence toward the great sages and revered deities of the heavens, all divine spirits of the Limitless Eastern World, the sun, moon, and stars, the Four Seasons and Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the changing conditions of wind, rain, thunder, lightning, clouds, and mist. Disrespect below means showing irreverence toward one’s teacher and elders, the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Great Rivers, the perfected beings, deities, immortals, and Jade Maidens of the Three Rivers, Four Seas, Nine Rivers, and Eight Extremes, the spirit officials of the Eastern region, the terrestrial deities of the Three Realms, and all the divine beings of the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus.

Other offenses include deceiving one’s teacher and betraying the Dao; profaning the heavenly scriptures; stealing sacred writings; altering numinous utterances; recklessly transmitting the Orthodox teachings; greedily seeking personal gain; passing teachings on without authorization; breaking covenants with the Five Emperors; plotting rebellion; being disloyal, unkind, and unfilial; lacking love and benevolence; rebelling against one’s ruler or parents; killing living beings; plundering people and their possessions; committing adultery with another’s spouse; setting kin against one another; conspiring within one’s clan; envying those more accomplished than oneself; competing for fame and merit; speaking one way while thinking another; attacking the virtuous; drinking alcohol and eating meat, thereby muddying the Five Spirits; reviling and cursing; acting without cause; giving way to unpredictable anger or delight on the auspicious days of the Eight Fasts; bullying the orphaned and taking advantage of the widowed; neglecting the elderly; trampling on the poor; and currying favor with the powerful. Such offenses are beyond counting. From life to life, they bind and entangle one another, becoming difficult to undo.

Today, your disciple burns incense and entrusts their life to the East, beseeching you to show great compassion and directly extend your mercy. May you pardon and remove all the offenses listed above that your disciple has committed in this body, from the countless eons before this life up to the present day. Your disciple also begs for a new beginning from this day onward: to reform, submit to the precepts, and never dare commit these offenses again. May you erase the record of sins in the Three Offices’ earthly registers, remove the roots of grave karmic retribution from the Right Palace’s black ledger, and advance your disciple’s rank in the Left Bureau’s blue register.

Notes for reading the original:

• Elder: Here this is one character in the name of a revered deity, paired with titles such as “Imperial Lord.” It should not be understood in the everyday sense of an old person.
• Nine Qi and the Lords of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Capital: These titles refer to Eastern Dao Qi and the revered lords of the Immortal Capital, and are associated with the number nine.
• Three Offices: The Heavenly, Earthly, and Water Offices, which keep records of merit and transgression.
• Eight Fasts: Fixed auspicious days for fasting and spiritual cultivation.
• Breaking covenants with the Five Emperors: In the context of ritual liturgy, this means betraying one’s covenants and acting in a manner akin to rebellion.
• Erasing the record of sins in the Three Offices’ earthly registers, removing the roots of grave karmic retribution from the Right Palace’s black ledger, and advancing in the Left Bureau’s blue register: These are liturgical expressions for erasing one’s name from the registers of evil and placing it among the ranks of the good.

This is the “Ritual of Giving Thanks” section of a Daoist Lingbao purification ritual (Zhaijiao). During the rites of celebration and repentance, the officiant confesses and gives thanks, then kneels and bows in turn toward the east, southeast, south, and other directions, asking forgiveness and expressing gratitude to the boundless Most High Lingbao Celestial Venerables and the divine beings in their retinues. What follows explains its meaning and procedure in plain language.

[Opening the Liturgy and Giving General Thanks]

(Name) is entered in the ritual register. Today, as we perform the rite of opening and declaring the great celebration of ten thousand vows, we respectfully offer words of confession and gratitude, entrust ourselves to the Celestial Venerables, and pray for the protection of the immortals. May we accord with the True Dao, may our household flourish and our good affinities be complete, and may we enjoy the blessings of the natural order for generation after generation. When the rite is complete, remove the headcloth, bow the head, and strike the chest and back ninety times each.

[After Giving Thanks to the East, Giving Thanks to the Southeast]

After giving thanks to the East, rise and walk in a circle to the left. Face southeast, bow once, and kneel upright to make this petition: “Your servant, [name], now entrusts himself to the boundless Most High Lingbao Celestial Venerable of the Southeast, the great assembly of those who have attained the Dao, the supremely perfected and honored spirits, and also the Southern Supreme Lord Lao, the Vermilion-Spirit Laozi, the Southern Pole Primordial High Longevity Perfected One, the Director of Deliverance from the World, the Directors of Fate and the Records of Life, the Benevolent Lord Han, the Holy King who raises the dead and restores life, refines the bones, and returns the spirit, the Lord of Ten Thousand Blessings, the Elder of the Myriad Spirits, the Jade Maiden of Great Harmony, and all the divine beings in the boundless world of the Southeast. We beg you to look upon and receive us, and offer thanks as in the rite for the East.” When the rite is complete, bow the head and strike the body twelve times each.

[After Giving Thanks to the Southeast, Giving Thanks to the South]

After giving thanks to the Southeast, rise and walk in a circle to the left. Face south, bow three times, and kneel upright to make this petition: “Your servant, [name], now entrusts himself to the boundless Most High Lingbao Celestial Venerable of the South, the great assembly of those who have attained the Dao, the supremely perfected and honored spirits, and also the boundless Great Dao, the Red Emperor of the South, the Vermilion-Spirit Laozi, the Jade Maiden of Great Harmony, the Director of Longevity, the Benevolent Lord, the Directors of Fate and the Records of Life, the Southern Pole Lord of Deliverance from the World, the Flying-Heaven Perfected Ones, the immortals who open the way, deliver, and grant life, the immortals who record births in the Jade Register, the Lord of Deliverance from the World, the Lords of Ten Thousand Blessings, Ten Thousand Deliverances, Ten Thousand Lives, and Ten Thousand Qi, and all the divine beings in the boundless world of the South. We offer thanks according to the rite above.” When the rite is complete, bow the head and strike the body thirty times each.

[After Giving Thanks to the South, Giving Thanks to the Southwest]

After giving thanks to the South, rise and walk in a circle to the left. Face southwest, bow once, and kneel upright to make this petition: “Your servant, [name], now entrusts himself to the boundless Most High Lingbao Celestial Venerable of the Southwest, the great assembly of those who have attained the Dao, the supremely perfected and honored spirits, and also the Elder of the Heavenly Emperor, the Southern Pole Primordial Perfected Lord, the Great Spirit of the Grotto Sun, the Spirit Kings who fly as perfected beings of life-giving Qi, the immortals, the Jade Maidens, and all the divine beings in the boundless world of the Southwest. We beg you to look upon us, and offer thanks according to the rite above.” When the rite is complete, bow the head and strike the body twelve times each.

[After Giving Thanks to the Southwest, Giving Thanks to the West]

After giving thanks to the Southwest, rise and walk in a circle to the left. Face west, bow seven times, and kneel upright to make this petition: “Your servant, [name], now entrusts himself to the boundless Most High Lingbao Celestial Venerable of the West, the great assembly of those who have attained the Dao, the supremely perfected and honored spirits…”

(The following text continues with the names of the Western retinue of divine beings and the corresponding rite of thanksgiving, following the same pattern as for the preceding directions.)

Notes for Reading the Ritual Text

Entrust oneself: To place one’s life and the responsibilities of performing the rite in the care of the Celestial Venerable being worshipped, expressing sincere allegiance.

Boundless Most High Lingbao Celestial Venerable: The directional Celestial Venerables revered by the Lingbao tradition. Each direction has its own Venerable, who governs its divine beings.

Confession and thanks / Ritual of Giving Thanks: At the close of a liturgy, the officiant asks forgiveness from and gives thanks to the divine beings of each direction. This is often accompanied by removing the headcloth, bowing the head, and striking the body—that is, lightly hitting the chest and back with the fists as an expression of repentance.

Rise and walk to the left: According to standard Daoist liturgical practice, after giving thanks in one direction, the officiant rises and circles to the left toward the next direction. This symbolizes following the timing of Heaven and proceeding in accord with the colors associated with the directions.

Servant [name]: The officiant’s self-designation. The name is a placeholder; in performance, it is replaced with the officiant’s personal name or Daoist name.

Wushang Miyao (Essential Secrets of the Highest)

This passage describes a ritual for paying respects and offering thanks to the deities of the four directions and the upper realm. The practitioner performs the rites in sequence, facing each direction, recites a text of devotion, then makes a humble plea of thanks, bows, and strikes their own body. The number of repetitions differs by direction.

West

First, face west and bow in thanks.

Kneel upright and recite: “Your servant, [Name], now entrusts himself to the care of…”

The Limitless Supreme Lord of the Numinous Treasure of the West, the assembly of great sages who have attained the Dao, the honored perfected ones and deities, the Limitless Great Dao, the Highest Emperor of the Supreme Mystery of Western Splendor, the Jade Immortal Mother of the Golden Hall, the Imperial Lord Who Serves the Rear Sage of the Golden Gate, the Celestial Master of Primordial Antiquity, the Lords of the Dao of the Ten Thousand Sages, the Perfected Ones of the Four Poles, the divine immortals and jade maidens, and all the deities of the Limitless World of the West.

When the humble plea of thanks described above is complete, bow and strike your own body seventy times each.

The thanksgiving to the West is complete.

Northwest

Proceed to the left, face northwest, and bow twice. Kneel upright and recite: “Your servant now entrusts himself to the care of…”

The Limitless Supreme Lord of the Numinous Treasure of the Northwest, the assembly of great sages who have attained the Dao, the honored perfected ones and deities, the Limitless Great Dao, the True Emperor, August Elder of the Highest, the Flying Celestial Divine King, the Supreme Sage Who Guides Immortals Across, the Perfected One of Firm Numinous Power, the divine immortals and jade maidens, and all the deities of the Limitless World of the Northwest.

When the humble plea of thanks is complete, bow and strike your own body twelve times each.

The thanksgiving to the Northwest is complete.

North

Proceed to the left, face north, and bow five times. Kneel upright and recite: “Your servant now entrusts himself to the care of…”

The Limitless Supreme Lord of the Numinous Treasure of the North, the assembly of great sages who have attained the Dao, the honored perfected ones and deities, the Limitless Great Dao, the Supreme Lord Lao, the Supreme Elder, the Most High Jade Dawn, the True Lord of the North Pole, the Lords of the Dao of the Ten Thousand Sages, the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice, the Director of Destinies of Great Yin, the Keeper of the Register of the Dead, the Marshal in Charge of Lifespan Allotments, the deity who commands all the powers of killing, the August Supreme Perfected One, the divine immortals and jade maidens, and all the deities of the Limitless World of the North.

When the humble plea of thanks is complete, bow and strike your own body fifty times each.

The thanksgiving to the North is complete.

Northeast

Proceed to the left, face northeast, and bow once. Kneel upright and recite: “Your servant now entrusts himself to the care of…”

The Limitless Supreme Lord of the Numinous Treasure of the Northeast, the assembly of great sages who have attained the Dao, the honored perfected ones and deities, the Limitless Great Dao, the Flying Celestial Divine King, the Demon King of the Divine Empyrean, the Inspector of Numinous Powers and Controller of the Perfected, the Divine Being Who Commands All, the Divine Emperor of the Ten Thousand Living Beings, the Supreme Mystery Elder Lord, the perfected beings and jade maidens, and all the deities of the Limitless World of the Northeast.

When the humble plea of thanks is complete, bow and strike your own body twelve times each.

The thanksgiving to the Northeast is complete.

Above (Heaven)

Proceed to the left, face northwest and upward toward the heavenly realm, and bow once. Kneel upright and recite: “Your servant now entrusts himself to the care of…”

The Limitless Supreme Lord of the Numinous Treasure Above, the assembly of great sages who have attained the Dao, the Mysterious Origin of Great Clarity, the Limitless Great Dao of the Three Highest Heavens, the Supreme Mystery…

Notes: “Humble plea of thanks” is ritual language for asking the deities, in a posture of humility, to pardon one’s offenses and accept one’s offering of thanks. “Bowing and striking one’s own body” means bowing and beating the chest or otherwise striking the body as an expression of repentance and gratitude. “Your servant, [Name]” is how the officiant refers to himself in the ritual; “[Name]” is a placeholder to be replaced with the practitioner’s name or with “so-and-so.” The number of times the practitioner strikes their own body in each direction—seventy, twelve, fifty, and so on—is prescribed by the ritual and must not be changed arbitrarily.

This excerpt from the Wushang Biyao (Essential Secrets of the Highest) is a text of invocation and homage and offering thanks used in Daoist purification and thanksgiving rites. It first names and honors the many deities above, then turns below and repeats a similar sequence of sacred titles.

Sacred names invoked above, in the celestial realm:

The Most High Lord Lao; the Most High Elder; the August Lord Lao; the August Elder; the Green-Spirit Perfected Ones; the Celestial Emperors of the various heavens and the Elders of the Celestial Emperors; the Nine Elders, Lords of the Immortal Capital; the Elders of the Nine Qi; and the countless Lords of Dao-Qi and Elders of Dao-Qi, numbering in the hundreds of millions; the Twelve Hundred Officials and the Elders of the Twelve Hundred Officials; those beneath the Jade Steps of Great Clarity; the Most High Jade Perfected Lord and the Jade Perfected Elder; the Five Immortal Lords and the Five Immortal Elders; the Nine Numinous Lords and the Nine Numinous Elders; the Twelve Perfected Lords of Great Clarity and the Twelve Perfected Elders; the Thirty-Four Spirit-People Lords and the Twenty-Four Spirit Elders (the original text lists these figures together); the Thirty-Six Perfected Lords of Great Clarity and the Thirty-Six Perfected Elders; the Lords of the Five Qi and the Elders of the Five Qi; the Lords of Yin-Yang life-giving Qi and the Elders of life-giving Qi; the Highest Supreme One Lord and the Supreme One Elder; the August Heavenly Most High Emperor, the Primordial Limit Most High Lord, and the Most High Primordial Lord Elder; the Supreme One Lord and the Supreme One Elder; the Lords of the Spirit Treasure and the Elders of the Spirit Treasure; the Lords of the True Treasure and the Elders of the True Treasure; the Lords of the Heavenly Treasure and the Elders of the Heavenly Treasure; the Lords of the Numinous Treasure and the Elders of the Numinous Treasure; the Primordial Spirit Lords and the Primordial Spirit Elders; the Primordial Perfected Lords and the Primordial Perfected Elders; the Primordial Numinous Lords and the Primordial Numinous Elders; the Heavenly Emperor Lord Lao and the August Elder Lao; the Lords of the Southern Pole and the Elders of the Southern Pole; the Yellow Spirit Lord Lao and the Yellow Spirit Elders; the Yellow Elder Lords and the Yellow Elder Elders; the Lords of Great Harmony and the Elders of Great Harmony; the Most High August Perfected Lord of the Dao; and all revered Lords and Elders.

Also included are the Parents of the Myriad Dao, the Parents of the Myriad De, and the Parents of Heaven and Earth—the sources and gathering places of the immortals; the Eastern Royal Lord and the Western Royal Mother; the Solar Lord and the Lunar Lady; the Five Planetary Lords and the Five Planetary Imperial Consorts; the Jade Pivot and the Jade Balance (names of stars in the Northern Dipper, mentioned here alongside the Nine-Star Perfected Lords); the Nine-Star Perfected Lords; all the immortal Perfected Ones, holy fathers and mothers, and divine immortal maidens; and all the deities in the boundless world of Miro above.

After completing the petition of thanks according to the method described earlier—that is, confessing transgressions and expressing gratitude—the officiant bows and strikes their own chest in remorse, performing each act three hundred and twenty times.

After completing the offering of thanks above:

Turn to the left, face the southeast below, bow once, kneel upright, and recite:

“I, so-and-so (the officiant’s self-designation; ‘A’ is a placeholder), now entrust my life to those below…”

Sacred names recited below:

The Most High without Limit; the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, one of the Three Pure Ones and presiding over the realm below; the great sages who have attained the Dao, all the most perfect beings and revered spirits; the High Sovereign of the Nine Earths; the Four Departments and Five Emperors; the Twelve Immortal Officials; the Nine Palaces (the original text lists the Nine Palaces alongside the Twelve and similar titles; these are probably offices of the Nine Palace immortals); and the corresponding sequence of Lords, Elders, Parents, and immortal Perfected Ones below, parallel to the names above. This sequence honors the deities of the lower realm, the netherworld, and the earth.

Notes for reading the text:

• Lord / Elder are paired honorifics often found in liturgy. “Lord” tends to indicate the principal position, while “Elder” may indicate an attendant position or a distinct title of equal rank; they need not be parsed literally word by word.
• Great Clarity is one of the Three Pure Ones’ realms, a high celestial level.
• Petition of thanks, bowing, and striking one’s own chest are concluding rites of a Daoist purification service. Striking one’s chest expresses remorse and accompanies the recitation of names and the entrusting of one’s life.
• The passage emphasizes direction (first above, then to the southeast below) and the exhaustive recitation of sacred names: all are honored, including the Three Realms above and below, the Parents, the stars, and the lineage of Numinous Treasure. The prescribed number of repetitions, three hundred and twenty, is also ritually significant.

Having completed the acts of thanks to the Perfected Ones, Immortals, Jade Maidens, and all the deities of the boundless realm below according to the methods described above, bow your head and strike your chest with your hand one hundred and twenty times each. The acts of thanks to the realm below are complete.

Next, walk to the left and face northeast, toward the Sun Palace. Bow three times, kneel upright, and recite: “Your servant, [name] (A), now entrusts himself to the Lady of the Sun, the Yellow Flower in the Sun, the Child of Luminous Radiance, the Jade Maiden Who Scatters Light, and all the Immortals in the Sun. I beg them to pardon the offenses your servant has committed since birth, including those that have offended the radiance of Heaven and brought retribution in life and death, and to grant forgiveness and absolution. May my body attain radiance and shine with the Sun, enjoy life without end, and receive blessings naturally.” When you have finished reciting, bow your head and strike your chest thirty times each.

The acts of thanks to the Sun Palace are complete. Rise and walk to the left again, then face southwest, toward the Moon Palace. Bow seven times, kneel upright, and recite: “Your servant, [name], now entrusts himself to the Lady of the Moon, the Mother of Water and Stone Radiance, the Jade Maiden of the Perfected Light, the Child Who Scatters Light, and all the Immortals in the Moon. I beg them to pardon the offenses your servant has committed since birth. May my body shine with the Moon, enjoy life without end, and receive blessings naturally.” When you have finished reciting, bow your head and strike your chest seventy times each.

The acts of thanks to the Moon Palace are complete. Walk to the left again, face north, and bow nine times. Kneel upright and recite: “Your servant, [name], now entrusts himself to the stars of all the heavens; the Jade Pivot and Jade Balance; the Seven Stars; the Nine Sovereigns of the Northern Dipper; the Three Terraces; the Ladies of the Five Planets; the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions; the great deities among the stars of the three hundred and sixty-five degrees of the celestial circuit; the Perfected Sovereigns, Ladies, Numinous Consorts, Immortals, and Jade Maidens among the stars. I beg them to pardon the offenses your servant has committed since birth, including those that have offended the radiance of Heaven and brought retribution in life and death, and to grant forgiveness and absolution. May my body attain radiance and shine with the stars, enjoy life without end, and receive blessings naturally.” When you have finished reciting, bow your head and strike your chest three hundred and sixty-five times each.

The acts of thanks to the Star Palace are complete. Walk to the left again and face Mount Tai in the east. Bow once, kneel upright, and recite: “Your servant, [name], now entrusts himself to the Great Deity of the Azure Emperor of Mount Tai in the East, the Flying Immortals, the Perfected Ones, the Immortals, and all the divine officials, as well as all the deities of famous mountains and great waters. I beg them to pardon the offenses your servant has committed since birth, including the original grave offenses against the great deities of Mount Tai and other famous mountains in the east, and to grant forgiveness, erase my name from the registers of sins, and enter my name in the registers of the Immortals. May I be admitted to the company of the great deities and naturally attain fulfillment.” When you have finished reciting, bow your head and strike your chest twenty times each.

Then bow once again, facing south… (The text that follows is not included.)

Great Spirit of the Red Emperor of Southern Peak Hengshan, perfected beings who fly as immortals, divine officers among the immortals, and all the spirits of famous mountains and great marshes—repent according to the method for Eastern Peak.

Then turn southwest, bow again, kneel, and say: “I, your servant, So-and-so, now take refuge.”

Great Spirit of the Yellow Emperor of Central Peak Songshan, perfected beings who fly as immortals, divine officers among the immortals, and all the spirits of famous mountains and great marshes—repent according to the method for Eastern Peak.

Then turn west, bow again, kneel, and say: “I, your servant, So-and-so, now take refuge.”

Great Spirit of the White Emperor of Western Peak Huashan, perfected beings who fly as immortals, divine officers among the immortals, and all the spirits of famous mountains and great marshes—repent according to the method for Eastern Peak.

Then turn north, bow again, kneel, and say: “I, your servant, So-and-so, now take refuge.”

Great Spirit of the Black Emperor of Northern Peak Hengshan, perfected beings who fly as immortals, divine officers among the immortals, and all the spirits of famous mountains and great marshes—repent according to the method for Eastern Peak.

After giving thanks to the Five Peaks, proceed northward to the left and bow twelve times to give thanks to the Water Official, saying: “I, your servant, So-and-so, now take refuge.”

Great Emperor of Fusang, Divine King of Yanggu, Great Spirits of Dongyuan and Dongyuan Qingleng, Water Emperors of the Three Rivers, Four Seas, and Nine Rivers, the River Lords and River Marquises of the twelve river sources, the officials of two thousand shi rank in the rivers, Lady Qinghe, and all the divine officers and immortals of the Water Palace—please pardon the countless offenses and burdens committed by your servant So-and-so from former lives up to this very day, including the grave original sin of having set eyes upon and offended the Water Official. May I be pardoned. Today I burn incense, confess, and give thanks, taking refuge in the Great Spirit of the Water Palace. I beg to be granted life and released from all roots of sin; may my name be removed from the water registers and entered in the register of the living among the immortals, so that I may enjoy boundless life and unite with the Dao in truth.” Bow the head and strike the body, two hundred and eighty times each.

After giving thanks to the Water Palace, bow three times facing north, then give thanks to the Three Treasures, the divine scriptures. Kneel and say: “I, your servant, So-and-so, now take refuge.”

The Most High, Limitless, Great Dao, supremely true and unsurpassed; the honored scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections; the sacred writings of the Three Treasures; the charts, registers, talismans, and seals of the immortals; the natural heavenly books in gold and jade script; the jade boys and girls who attend the scriptures; and the awesome spirits of the Three Sections—may I give thanks and repent as above in the east. Bow the head and strike the body, twenty times each.

The Five Peaks correspond to the Five Phases and the Five Emperors: Eastern Peak Taishan corresponds to the Azure Emperor; Southern Peak Hengshan to the Red Emperor; Central Peak Songshan to the Yellow Emperor; Western Peak Huashan to the White Emperor; and Northern Peak Hengshan to the Black Emperor. “Bowing the head and striking the body” refers to physical gestures in Daoist repentance rites that express sincere remorse.

Ritual conclusion: When the ritual is complete, bow your head and strike your own body, doing each three hundred and sixty times.

Offering incense after giving thanks: When the confession of sins is complete, walk around to the left, return to the west, and face east. Offer incense three times and say:

“Incense officers and messengers, Lords of the Azure Dragon and White Tiger on my left and right, hold up the incense. Dragon-mounted couriers and riding officers, attend to my quiet chamber and purified hall. Let the natural Golden Elixir, the essence of the elixir, and the finest mushrooms arise. May the hundred spirits gather before this incense and its flame, so that I may attain the Dao and become an immortal, my entire household receive every blessing, and the world receive grace. May jade boys and jade maidens from the ten directions attend and guard the incense smoke, conveying what I have petitioned directly to the limitless Supreme Great Dao.”

The Celestial Worthy expounds the teaching: The Celestial Worthy said: “The supreme method of the Three Origins for reciting precepts and confessing sins is to conceal body and spirit within the palaces of the Three Origins and to focus thought on the roots of one’s transgressions, thereby cultivating the immortal Way. Practitioners should perform it three times each year. When doing so, they must devote their hearts and minds completely, and endure hardship in both spirit and body. They must not grow lax. When their sincerity reaches through to all the heavens, the Three Origins will erase their sins from the Black Register; the Northern Emperor will remove them from the register of the dead and raise them among the living; the Three Officials will commend their merits in cultivation; and the Great Mystery will record them among the highest immortals.”

The Three Origins are the Three Great Emperors of Heaven, Earth, and Water, who oversee the assessment of merit and fault, the pardon of sins, and the recording of immortals. The Northern Emperor refers to the True Warrior Emperor of the North and related deities, who govern the registers of life and death. The Three Officials are the officials of the Three Origins. The Great Mystery refers to the realm of the highest immortals or a celestial office that records merit. Dragon-mounted couriers are divine officers who carry messages and protect the incense. The Black Register is a record of sins and a register determining death.