《無上祕要》Vol. 44

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Essential Secrets of the Most High, Scroll 53, Section Five: “The Golden Register Purification Rite”

The Most High Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), an honored Daoist deity often identified with Laozi after his ascent to immortality, bowed and addressed the Celestial Worthy:

“We have now heard the Flying Celestial Spirit (a messenger who transmits teachings from the heavens) explain the causes and consequences of sin and blessing, as well as the highest methods of deliverance—rescuing departed souls and beings of the highest spiritual ranks. We have offered thanks according to ritual and explained the roots of karma from past lives, so that men and women in future lives may receive these blessings, awaken fully, and enter the light.

“Beyond this, if grave calamities still afflict the various regions—if the fate of the state is unstable, the stars are out of alignment, the seasons and weather are abnormal, or there are armies, bandits, epidemics, unrest among rulers, widespread pestilence, or deaths among heavenly and human beings—what methods should be used to avert disaster, deliver those in distress, and dispel ill fortune? We ask you to instruct us, so that we may practice these methods and bring peace to Heaven and Earth and support the state. If your commands are carried out, your grace will reach the ten directions; the state will be secure, the ruler will prosper, and heavenly and human beings will rejoice in peace. Blessings will be without end, and in future lives all will hear the sound of the teaching.”

The Celestial Worthy then said to the Flying Celestial Spirit: “The methods for explaining the causes and consequences of sin and blessing, and for delivering beings of the highest spiritual ranks, can also be used to rescue a country from calamities, illness, danger, and distress. Whatever remains to be done should be done in full. The Most High Lord of the Dao will explain each method, so that those who have not seen may see, those who have not heard may hear, and all may be saved and brought to understanding.” Then the teaching was given. “Receive these instructions with care.”

The Flying Celestial Spirit said: “The Clear Truth Liturgy recorded in the offices of the Long Night—the underworld—and in the Jade Archive of the Nine Depths, where true teachings are stored, provides as follows. When a ruler or a state faces calamity, illness, invasion, or imminent danger, write the five chapters of the Numinous Treasure True Writings in cinnabar ink. Set up five altars in the central courtyard, one in each of the five directions, and place one chapter of the True Writings on each altar. Use five taels of gold to cast five dragons, one from each tael, and place them over the five chapters as a means of protection.

“Also use five-colored patterned silk as an offering to protect the bodies of the Five Emperors—the heavenly emperors of the five directions—when they are afflicted by calamity. Each year, bring patterned purple silk to deliver lives, secure the state and stabilize its fortunes, avert and dispel heavenly disasters, and bring the bright stars and constellations into harmony.

“In spring, light nine lamps, or ninety, or nine hundred. In summer, light three, or thirty, or three hundred. In autumn, light seven, or seventy, or seven hundred. In winter, light five, or fifty, or five hundred. In the months of the four seasons—the third month of each season—light twelve lamps, or one hundred and twenty, or one thousand two hundred.”

This section describes the Golden Register Purification Rite, a liturgy in which rulers seek to avert calamity on behalf of the state and protect its altars of soil and grain. Its arrangements of lamps, five dragons, and True Writings in the five directions correspond to the Five Phases and the seasons, and are typical of Daoist state purification rites.

A Plain-Language Reading of Wushang Miyao

A long-burning lamp nine feet high should also be set up above, with nine lamps arranged in the center. They are used to illuminate the Nine Hells (the nine dark underworld realms in Daoism) and the Palace of the Long Night (the place where the long night of the netherworld resides).

The Grand Ritual Master (the Daoist priest presiding over the liturgy) stands in the center with hair unbound. Following the ritual instructions, he performs the “smearing with charcoal” rite (covering the body with charcoal ash to show repentance and humility), and bows and gives thanks toward the central direction six times a day, at six intervals throughout the day and night. If lay men and women of pure faith (Daoist believers who live outside the clergy) assist in praying for the country’s blessings, they should let their hair down, smear themselves with charcoal outside the gate, and state their petitions.

In spring, the rite lasts nine days and nine nights; in summer, three days and three nights; in autumn, seven days and seven nights; in winter, five days and five nights; and in the seasonal months (the third month of each season), twelve days and twelve nights.

Arrange the lamps so their light reaches through all the heavens and the boundless world of the Dao. In the long night, the Nine Hells open, and endless light shines into them. The Three Luminaries (the sun, moon, stars, and other celestial lights) shine brightly; Heaven and Earth are at peace; the constellations return to their proper places; the four seasons proceed in harmony; every calamity is dispelled; war and pestilence do not arise; those in Heaven and on Earth live in peace; and the country prospers.

After one day of ritual practice, burn the revealed sacred texts and let them disperse as blue smoke. The flying spirits and heavenly beings, the divine protectors of the Dao, say: The ritual master enters through the Earthly Gate (usually a gate in the lower or southern direction, symbolizing passage to and from the netherworld), circles the incense burner and lamps three times, then stands facing east, clicks his teeth thirty-two times (a Daoist visualization practice), and recites the blessing for opening the incense burner. The liturgy leader then calls out, in order, the titles and ranks of each honored deity.

The Great Ritual Masters of the Three Caverns and the Lesser Perfected Ones, your servant So-and-so, respectfully addresses:

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Supreme Lord of the Dao of Limitless Greatness, the High Jade Emperor, all the perfected lords and elders among the great sages who have attained the Dao, the Emperors of the Thirty-Two Heavens, the Jade Void Emperor, the Great Jade Emperor, the Eastern Florescence, the Southern Ultimate, the Western Numinous, the Northern Perfected, the Mysterious Capital and Jade Capital, the Golden Palace and Seven-Treasure Mysterious Terrace, the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity, the Lord of the Numinous Treasure, Most Perfect and Luminous Emperor, and others—

Your servant and all living beings entered the gate of the Dharma through karmic ties from previous lives. Instructed by the Mysterious Real, we established the roots of faith. Our former masters transmitted the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—and the essential teachings of the divine scriptures under oath. We are meant to deliver ninety-nine thousand people and ascend to the ranks of the Perfected. From the generations of our ancestors to the present, we have been born in times when the scriptures and teachings are available and have often enjoyed good fortune. Yet our merit and virtue are slight, and we have not been able to realize immortality for ourselves. Now we devote our will and lives, hoping to help the country and earn merit.

At present, the country is in turmoil, with war and illness arising together. Yin and Yang are out of balance, the stars are out of order, and perilous calamities and grave hardships abound. [Here the petition describes a particular matter.] This is truly because the ruler, entrusted with Heaven’s mandate and charged with governing the people, has not been able to extend benevolence widely and bring its benefits to all directions, so that Heaven and the people might prosper and the country flourish in peace. His kindness and virtue have not yet been made manifest, and the people do not sing his praises; suffering still remains along the roads, among other such conditions.

The latter half, beginning “The Great Ritual Masters of the Three Caverns… respectfully addresses,” follows the form of a petition in which Daoist priests address the perfected and make vows. It strings together many honorific titles, so the plain-language rendering retains the proper names and concludes with “and others” to avoid excessive length.

Excerpts from a Modern Interpretation of The Essential Secrets of the Most High (Wushang Miyao)

The cries of resentment and anger among the people disturb the celestial patterns. The sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—grow dim and fall into disorder; disasters spread across the land, the ruler is troubled, and the people cannot live in peace. Now, in accordance with the Great Law, I respectfully disclose the true scripture, burn incense and light lamps to illuminate the heavens, and, with solemn vows, emulate the practice of the Dao, confess our offenses, and avert calamity. I petition:

May the celestial armies of the heavenly immortals, earthly immortals, perfected beings, flying immortals, and divine immortals, nine hundred million million riders of each, descend;

may the armies of the sun and moon, the constellations, the Nine Palaces, and the Five Emperors—the celestial emperors of the five directions—each descend with nine hundred million million riders;

and may the armies of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Three Rivers, and the four seas each descend with nine hundred million million riders.

I also invite thirty-two officials who oversee purification rites in the Thirty-Two Heavens, thirty-two Golden Youths who attend the incense, thirty-two Jade Maidens who scatter flowers, and thirty-two divine tally officers of the Five Emperors, together with messengers who convey petitions and report affairs, flying-dragon mounted attendants, and the rest. May they all descend to the ritual hall, take up the incense, recite their vows, and carry them upward in response. When the rites of the Dao are complete, those who have earned merit through diligent practice should pay their respects to the immortal officials. Then, facing east, offer incense three times and pray:

I, the minor adept and perfected person, a Great Master of the Three Caverns, N. N., now respectfully light incense in observance of the rite. May this merit deliver the emperor, the ruler of the state, the ministers, officials, and people, and the seven generations of parents throughout the world from sorrow and suffering, and raise them to heaven. I now light incense and take refuge in body, spirit, and life in the Three Venerables of the Most High, the supreme deities of the Three Pure Ones. May this merit be dedicated to the seven generations of parents throughout the world. I beseech that they be spared the ten sufferings and eight hardships, rise to heaven, find clothing and food naturally, and dwell forever in Wuwei (non-action). I now light incense and take refuge in the virtue of my teacher, the Great Sage, the Assembly of the Most True. Once I attain the Dao, may I ascend into formlessness and unite with the Dao in truth.

Next, take up the incense three times and pray:

I now light incense. May this merit serve the emperor, the ruler of the state, the ministers, officials, and people, as well as the masters who receive the Dao and its teachings, parents and honored relatives, fellow students and disciples, and virtuous adepts and Daoist priests who study the truth in seclusion in the mountains and forests. May each attain the Dao. I take refuge in body, spirit, and life in the Great Dao. We cast our bodies prostrate upon the ground and take refuge in life in the Three Venerables of the Most High. May this merit be dedicated to the emperor, the ruler of the state, the ministers, officials, and people, the masters who receive the Dao and its teachings, parents and honored relatives, and all the rest…

Interpretation in Plain Language

May the Daoists and worthy people who live in seclusion in the mountains and practice the true Dao each attain the Dao, dwell in peace through Wuwei (non-action), and enjoy blessings for a long time. Therefore, I now burn incense and entrust myself to my revered masters, the assembly of great sages, and the Virtue of the Most Perfect. After attaining the Dao, may I ascend into the formless and unite with the Dao in its truth.

Next, offer incense three times and pray, saying:

I now stand upright and burn incense. May this merit enable me to attain the immortal Dao swiftly, and may it also benefit my nine generations of kin and in-laws, fellow students of the Way throughout the realm, the people of the world, and all living beings—those that fly, crawl, creep, or breathe, those already born and those yet unborn. May all be fulfilled, and may they entrust their bodies, spirits, and lives to the Great Dao. We bow with our whole bodies to the ground and entrust ourselves to the Three Venerable Ones of the Most High. May this merit flow back to me and grant me deliverance into the ranks of the immortals, so that in the end I enter Wuwei and unite in Virtue with the Four Greats. May the people of the world and all living beings be freed from the ten sufferings, eight calamities, five poisons, floods, fires, illnesses, pestilence, harm by ghosts, and other disasters. May the realm be peaceful and the world prosper. Therefore, I now burn incense and entrust myself to my revered masters, the assembly of great sages, and the Virtue of the Most Perfect. After attaining the Dao, may I ascend into the formless and unite with the Dao in its truth.

When the three offerings of incense and prayers are complete, face east, bow nine times, and say:

Heaven and earth are closed off; Yin and Yang clash and inflict harm upon one another. The seasonal energies of the four seasons have fallen out of harmony; strange calamities spread, and the stars are out of order, foretelling ill fortune. The realm is unsettled; war and illness prevail together. The emperor is anxious and watchful, and the people have no peace. Reverently following the Great Rite, I unfold the revealed text of truth and entrust myself to the Eastern Celestial Worthy of the Boundless, the great sages and perfectly true lords and elders who have attained the Dao, the Celestial Lords of the Nine Qi, and the divine officials of the Eastern Region. I now establish this purification rite, lay bare my heart and form, bow my head and discipline myself, and make offerings of incense and lamps to seek forgiveness for the calamities afflicting the realm. Their light shines through the heavens and below into the boundless realm of endless night and the courts of the Ninefold Darkness, opening every source of radiance. May this merit dispel disasters and avert troubles for the emperor, the ruler of the realm, the lords and officials, and the people. May the Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars—return to their proper places; may the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) follow their normal courses; may war cease and illness be healed; may the fortunes of the realm flourish; may the people rejoice and prosper; and may humans and spirits alike be at peace. I now lay bare my heart and entrust myself to the Virtue of my revered masters, the assembly of great sages, and the Most Perfect. After attaining the Dao, may I ascend into the formless and unite with the Dao in its truth. Then remove the headcloth, bow the head, and strike the body with the fists eighty-one times.

Note on the ritual context

This text is a liturgical formula for a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual), involving incense offerings and vows. Practitioners first entrust themselves to their revered masters and the “assembly of great sages,” then offer incense three times to pray for themselves and all beings to attain the Dao and be spared calamities. They next face east and bow nine times. Since the east is associated with spring and the nurturing of life, they pray to the Eastern Celestial Worthy of the Boundless, the Celestial Lords of the Nine Qi, and other deities, using lamplight to illuminate the netherworld and praying for the ruler and all the people to be delivered from disaster. Phrases such as “stand upright,” “lay bare the heart and form,” and “remove the headcloth and strike the body eighty-one times” refer to ritual postures and gestures used in the purification rites of that period, expressing sincere repentance and prayers for the realm’s well-being.

The following is a vernacular paraphrase based on the discernible meaning of this passage from the Wushang Miyao. The latter half of the original consists largely of repeated ritual sentences and also contains damaged characters (such as “Kan Yanghuang,” “Tai Chengzhu,” “the wine of Juedao,” “Gaocang Qingwei,” and so on). Wherever no precise identification can be made, I have translated only according to the literal wording and common conventions of fast ritual, without adding further plot.

At the Yangzhai (yang fast) established on Mount Emei, the assembled followers of the Dao cultivate together according to the Jiefa (method of deliverance, the gate for eliminating disasters and releasing from misfortune); they pray and make offerings according to the Daxianfa (Great Offering method), and set out the fast altar after examination and verification; having put on the Daolu (Daoist register, the record of names and ritual credentials), they determine to proceed to the mountain shrine. They gaze upon the resplendent and solemn precious register (the fast certificate or imperial mandate issued by court or temple), devoutly recite the method at the altar, and declare vows seeking blessings and the grant of prolonged life. (At the beginning of this section there are also damaged texts recording “jiangming,” “yuzou,” “claiming ten thousand years,” “imperial progress,” and so on; these are mixed with the fast sequence and invocation texts, and their meaning is discontinuous, so they are omitted here.)

First they open the invitation and pray, with the mind resting in stillness.

Then they set out the rite of prostration: they offer pure laojiu (sacrificial wine), holding three cups at the breast, to open the sincere intention of deliverance from misfortune; with hands properly folded and sincere service, they perform the rite and return their lives to the honored deities. They pray that the underworld offices of Fengdu (the Daoist underworld) may turn anger into joy and stop the calamity of wrath; and that all disembodied souls by the banks of Tianming and Tuoluo may be saved and released from suffering. Then they present the sacrificial wine and the passport-register, bathing in the Great Dao, as a rite of confessing offenses and releasing transgressions before the honored Perfected.

In accordance with the Qianfu pattern they arrange the vow text, first invoking the East: taking refuge in the Heavenly Worthy of the Nine Qi of the Limitless (Wuji Jiuqi Tianzun), the great sages who have attained the Dao, the Perfected lords and elders, the Heavenly Lord of the Nine Qi of Shangqing (Highest Clarity), the Lord of the Dao Gaocang Qingwei Guangben, and the Five Numinous Officials of the East. They vow: bathing the body with fragrant water, putting on the Mingyi (bright ritual garment), performing Bugang (stepping the stars according to the Dipper) and standing upon the altar, they carry out the teaching; they seek the grant of prolonged life, and encourage scattered officials, eldest sons, and the whole household to be kind and filial, old and young supporting one another, together begging for immortal deliverance.

(The middle section is also damaged and missing; the general meaning is that the fast-officiant’s memorial reaches the obscure and distant. He states that he is not skilled in literary phrasing, yet still holds the three cups, rises from prostration and holds them, and after a short while prostrates to pay respect to the Dao Yuan (Source of the Dao); he also declares: the masses in recent times who have fallen into the suffering of Fengdu are ignorant and without support; what is prayed for is that there be some release and explanation.)

They further invoke: may the structures (order) of the world enter this fast altar as guardians; prostrating, they respectfully invoke heavenly music, uniquely illuminating the Jinting and Weifu (names of Shangqing heavenly palaces), holding in heart the duty and service of Jiangyang, reporting upward to the numinous hearing with utmost faith and devotion. They set out offerings and prostrate, wearing ribbons and feathered garments, awaiting the zhongdan rite; reverently they take refuge and bow. At a time of weapons and beacon fires, they cultivate and uphold the important ordinances of Chu and Xia (or the seasonal summer fast); they bow their heads to the Lord of the Dao, and after the rite prostrate again.

Having examined and understood the vow of repentance, they restrain and collect their will; prostrating, they hear the questioning (declare the facts), and wash and whet body and mind to proceed to the good gathering (the ritual ground). The disciple prays devoutly in the heart and firmly sets out a memorandum of repentance; prostrating and bowing the head, they complete the rite and make recompense, folding hands together. Reverently receiving the Heavenly Worthy’s command and the rules of the masters, they prostrate and earnestly seek to present the memorial with sincerity; after the rite they still face down in prostration with folded hands and bow the head, and the instruction and return of rite are completed.

They further seek: the true commands of the Shangqing true realm; examining the intent, they prostrate and receive the edict; they set out the management of living souls (souls of the living realm to be saved) and wish to make a fully sufficient rite. They also declare: for the rite of leaking heavenly secrets and shifting the true prohibitions, they likewise seek the middle prohibition of Shangqing; first they repent, purify themselves, still their thoughts and draw in the mind, curl up and bow again at the suburban altar; afterward they pacify the boundary, bow to the Heavenly Lord, and still prostrate to respectfully invoke the Lord of the Dao.

Thereafter the ritual sections repeat: again and again they prostrate and bow twice, knock the head and make vows, incline the ear and present the memorial, knock the head and declare the repentant mind, prayer memorial, and method of full prostration—the phrase “presenting the memorial, full prostration, full-prostration method” appears dozens of times in the original; it is in fact the manuscript’s ritual format, with the same sense and pattern, namely: ceaselessly prostrating and knocking the head, presenting memorial texts, praying for the release of the guilty souls of Fengdu, repenting and seeking blessings, until the single rite is completed.

Explanation: The latter half of the text you attached consists almost entirely of mechanical repetitions of sentences such as “prostrate and bow again,” “bow the head,” “knock,” and “presenting the memorial, full prostration, full-prostration method,” interspersed with words such as “weapons and beacon fires,” “Shangqing,” “Fengdu,” and “feathered garments.” It should be a simplified record or reconstructed fragment of fast ritual, not a narrative scripture that can be translated sentence by sentence.

This passage comes from the Scripture of the Cavern of Mystery on Illuminating Perfection (Dongxuan Mingzhen Kejing) and explains how to choose dates and times for conducting liturgies and purification rituals.

General meaning of the original:

Although one may plan the arrangements according to the four seasons, the days, and the principles of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), purification rituals and similar observances often continue for three days and three nights. Earnest, heartfelt supplication can also move Heaven. Those who study the Dao may use their own judgment about the seasonal festivals and the hours, then act accordingly.

Notes:

“Arrangements according to the four seasons and the Five Phases” means matching spring, summer, autumn, and winter with Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth to determine auspicious days, directions, and the scale of a ritual. This is a common Daoist practice when choosing dates for purification rituals.

“Three days and three nights” refers to the duration required for many liturgies, rites of homage to the True Ones, and repentance observances. It signifies sincerity and adherence to precepts.

“Cinnabar heart” means a heart of utter sincerity. Here, it refers to supplicating with complete sincerity and without deceiving Heaven and Earth.

“To reach through to the heavens” means that sincere devotion reaches the heavens, where the gods and spirits take notice.

“To judge the season and then act” means considering the solar terms, seasonal festivals, and one’s own capacity for cultivation before deciding when and how to perform a liturgy; one should not act recklessly.