《無上祕要》Vol. 47

Wushang Biyao (Essential Secrets of the Most High), Volume 56: The Rites of the Taizhen Midyear Retreat

Plain-Language Interpretation

The ritual texts of the Taizhen tradition are the foundation of Daoist practice and study. Those who study the Dao should first practice the method of the Midyear Retreat of Purification and Uprightness: a rite held at a prescribed time, involving purification and maintaining composure of body and mind.

Through this method, one may atone for transgressions accumulated over many years and confess them before the Celestial Worthy of Taizhen. Once the karmic offenses from past lives of the Three Origins—the Upper, Middle, and Lower Origins, which are the foundations of the realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—have been dispelled, the High True Sages will bestow a true scripture and inscribe one’s name in the Celestial Register, granting the rank of an Immortal Above.

Those who do not practice this method will labor in vain, diminish their merit, and remain out of harmony with the natural Dao. Those who do practice it may soar through the Nine Heavens. But anyone who carelessly divulges this sacred text and secret method will fall after death into the custody of the ghost officials and be punished.

To practice the Midyear Retreat, first bathe and cleanse yourself on the night before. Enter the room, light incense, face west, click your teeth twenty-four times, take up the incense three times, and kneel upright as you make this invocation:

Great August Jade Emperor, Lords of the Nine Mysteries, and Celestial Worthy of the Taizhen Midyear Limitless Heaven: On a certain day of this month, I, your servant, will burn incense and lamps in this retreat hall, repent, and confess my transgressions. I pray that the Celestial Officials of the Midyear Origin will proclaim my request to the Five Directions and Five Emperors, the celestial and terrestrial immortals of the Five Sacred Peaks, the flying immortals, the inspectors of the True, the envoys who oversee the rites, the immortal officials who attend the retreat, and the twenty-four Jade Youths and twenty-four Jade Maidens. May they graciously descend to witness and protect me, open the way to the techniques and bring me to the True, and convey my petition to the Nine Heavens. I respectfully submit this preliminary petition and await its acceptance and enactment.

At dawn the next day, cleanse yourself and enter the room. First go to the entrance of the retreat hall, click your teeth three times, and visualize purple Qi, numinous mushrooms, and cinnabar essence arising naturally within the hall and filling it, while Jade Youths and Jade Maidens stand in rows on either side. Recite the sacred words silently. Then enter, light incense, and perform the rite, praying that the immortal officials who attend the retreat will guard and protect me and those with me, connect us with the hidden and empty, and make our movements and stillness known above.

Then enter the retreat hall, face east toward the incense burner, and pray:

Midyear Fivefold Numen, Five Elders and Divine Sages, Golden Immortals, Jade Youths, Jade Maidens of Taihua, dragons and tigers to the left and right, and immortal officials who attend the incense: I report to the Primordial Heavenly King of the Nine Heavens, the Jade Emperor of the Void Sovereign, and the Most High Celestial Worthy. I now burn incense, circle and bow, and recite the scripture rites. May the natural True Qi of the Midyear Limitless Origin descend into my body, receive the secret words I proclaim, and swiftly carry them to the presence of the High Jade Emperor.

Facing east, kneel upright, click your teeth twenty-four times, and respectfully send forth the True Officials of the Five Viscera within my body, the Purple Gate and Jade Portal, and the thirty-nine passes…

At the left and right of the High True Spirit Officials—immortal officials who serve the Heavenly Worthies in Daoist rites—stand flying immortals, attendants of Jade Void who serve in the realm of Jade Void, the Five Emperors’ True Ones of the Five Colors and Primordial Sovereigns, Flying Dragon Merit Officers who oversee documents, and immortal messengers, thirty-six in all, assembled in their ranks.

The attendants hold aloft the feathered insignia of the flying immortals, used in ceremonial processions, and raise the banner marked “Radiance of the Nine Heavens.” The Five Emperors’ True Ones of the Five Colors and Primordial Sovereigns carry the numinous banners of the Five Emperors, bestowed by them to command spirits and ghosts. The Flying Dragon Merit Officers wear caps and sashes, are clad in feathered robes, and bear golden seals of the True Ones in the shape of phoenixes. The immortal messengers welcome and guide the Seven Origins—whether the seven forms of Qi or seven divisions of revered spirits—and carry a jade document table. They stand facing one another before me, the petitioner. At this moment, I recite the secret words of the rite and ride the flying cloud chariot with its golden frame, purple canopy, vermilion shafts, and jade wheels. On either side are twelve Golden Immortals and Jade Youths, and twelve Jade Maidens of Great Florescence. Dragons and tigers soar through the air, accompanied by mounted attendants with feathered wings. A host of 240,000 rises into the sky, passes through Purple Void, ascends above the Nine Heavens, and enters the Golden Gate and Jade Hall, the chambers of jade and halls of cinnabar, to submit this petition above:

To the Most High, boundless and infinite, supreme Lords of the Nine Mysteries of the Cavern of Truth; the Primordial Father, the Mysterious Mother of Great Void, the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning, the Lofty Elder of the Ten Thousand Ways in Jade Void, the True Kings of the Nine Heavens, the Kings of the Thirty-Six Heavens, the Master of the Ten Thousand Beginnings, the Jade Youths of the Three Heavens, the Chancellors of the Nine Heavens, the Kings of Great Truth, the Thirty-Nine Lofty Emperors, the Twenty-Four Jade Sovereigns, the Master of Ancient Mystery, the Elder of the Ten Thousand Beginnings, the Lofty Jade Morning Lord and Great Lord of the Great Dao, the Imperial Lord of the Golden Gate of the Later Sage, the Divine King of Fusang and Yanggu, the Four Offices and Five Emperors, the Forbidden Lord of the Upper Origin at the South Pole, the Turtle Mother of the Western Terrace, the High Minister and Grand Marshal of the True One of Great Truth in Highest Clarity, Master of the High Morning, who protects jade and governs destiny; the Lord of the Jade Gate and Green Florescence, Jade Youth of the Eastern Sea; the Mysterious Origin of Great Clarity; the Great Lord Laozi, the Supreme Lord of the boundless Great Dao of the Three Highest Heavens; the Heavenly Emperor Lord of the Supreme Elder; the Lords of the Nine Elders’ City of Immortals; the Elders of the Nine Qi; the officials of the hundred thousand layers of Dao Qi and the twelve hundred officials; the Jade Steps of Great Clarity; the countless multitudes of the Four True Ones of the Great Ultimate; the True Ones of the August Sovereign; and the Heavenly Worthies of the Boundless. Dao Qi flows and transforms naturally. I, a disciple of the Three Luminaries of the Great Cavern, Primordial Sovereign of the Mysterious Capital, a minor True One and Master of Mount Such-and-such, declare:

I was born in the womb bearing defilements. Fortunate to encounter a numinous destiny and karmic conditions, and to receive blessings through the turning of fortune, I was able to enter the Dharma Gate and be reborn among humankind. I received the reflected radiance of the High and Void, which shone upon me with compassion and awakened my foolish ignorance. Thus, with a purified body and mind, I was able to look up and receive the sacred writings. The ritual master So-and-so and others transmitted to me thirty-one scrolls of precious scriptures. Yet my body remains burdened by defilements, and I have not been able to soar among the clouds or ride the celestial wheel. I still sink below the Nine Mysteries; therefore…

In the text, “I” is how the practitioner addresses themself before the Heavenly Worthies during a ritual. “The ritual master transmitted to me thirty-one scrolls of precious scriptures” refers to the secret canon bestowed by the ritual master during the scripture-transmission rite.

Plain-Language Interpretation

When people fall short in their cultivation or act wrongly, the Four Bureaus—the four classes of celestial officials who keep records of merit and fault—enter their names in the registers and carry out retribution according to the prescribed statutes. For this reason, they dare not violate the sacred scriptures at will. They must uphold the fasting rites and documents in accordance with their vows, and at the Great True Central Primordial (Tai Zhen Zhongyuan), a type of Central Primordial rite within the Daoist Three Primordials fasting tradition, seek release from sins accumulated in past lives.

Now, as we enter the chamber and ascend the altar for the fast, we recite scriptures, perform the Way, visualize the realms of the Real, burn incense and light lamps, pay homage to the Jade Heaven, repent our sins, express gratitude for the merits of those who came before us, and seek the wish of attaining immortality. We respectfully ask the High Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—the Attendant Aides of the Immortals, the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, the Supervising Spiritual Officials, the Great Deity Who Oversees the Fast, the Envoys in Charge of the Fast, the Perfected Ones Who Attend the Fast, as well as the flying immortals, celestial immortals, earthly immortals, and immortals of the Five Sacred Peaks, each to bring their troops and mounts, numbering in the hundreds of millions, and descend together. May they protect my person, destroy demons and trials, and drive away evil and calamity; summon the natural righteous Qi of the Nine Heavens, the essence of Golden Liquid and the Elixir, and the divine immortals of the mushroom blossoms, to gather and shine together in the fasting hall. May Jade Boys and Jade Maidens attend and guard the incense smoke, so that I may perform the Way and attain the Way, seek immortality and attain it, ascend through the open sky, and soar amid the radiance of the Nine Heavens.

With this intention, I vow to become perfected together with the Three Treasures; may calamities be dispelled in the Central Primordial, and sins extinguished in the Great Yin. May all a thousand transgressions and myriad faults be met with compassion, forgiveness, and pardon. May the departed souls of my seven ancestral generations be rescued and guided to Heaven, and may all the heavens receive deliverance from the ten sufferings and eight hardships, and share in the boundless, immeasurable grace of salvation of the Central Primordial. When the rites of cultivation are complete, I respectfully invite the assembly to return to its original palaces. May this petition swiftly reach the imperial presence, and may I receive the command to carry it out. (The clerks and soldiers withdraw.)

First offering of incense to the censer: I offer incense three times and identify myself as “a disciple of the Two Visions of the Great Cavern of Xuandu, a Lesser Omen Perfected One, Master of Such-and-Such Peak, your subject So-and-so.” I respectfully establish the fast, take up my post, burn incense, light lamps, recite scriptures, perform the Way, and seek release from past transgressions. At the Three Primordials, I offer thanks and confess my sins, seeking immortality above. May I dedicate this merit to freeing my parents of seven generations from grief and suffering, and guiding their souls to Heaven; may it also remove the thousand trials and myriad ordeals, past enmities and grave transgressions that burden me. Now I take refuge in the body, take refuge in the spirit, and take refuge in the life:

Limitless Primordial, High and Supreme Jade Emperor, Great True Celestial Worthy—may this merit be dedicated to my person and to the thousand sins and myriad transgressions of my seven ancestral generations. May we all receive compassion and pardon; I beseech you to free us from the ten sufferings and raise us to the ranks of the immortals. Therefore, I now burn incense and take refuge in the High and Supreme, Limitless Celestial Worthy, that I may attain the Way and become a flying immortal, soar amid the radiance of the Nine Heavens, wander freely in the Golden Palace, and unite in perfection with the Three Treasures.

A Plain-Language Reading of the Wushang Miyao

This text gives the vows recited for the second and third incense offerings in a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), followed by a vow made while facing east, bowing three times, and kneeling. Its general meaning is as follows.

Vow for the Second Incense Offering

I now establish a purification altar, burn incense and lamps, recite scriptures, and perform the ritual, in order to dispel offenses from past lives. Before the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, I confess my sins and seek to attain immortality and the Dao (the Way).

May this merit free my parents of seven generations from suffering in the underworld, and allow the souls of my ancestors to be born in heaven. May it also erase my thousand sins and countless transgressions, the karmic debts and retribution of past lives, and my grave offenses.

I now entrust my body, spirit, and life to the Limitless Primordial One, the Most High Jade Emperor, and the Most High Celestial Worthy of Great Truth. May this merit be dedicated to myself and my ancestors of seven generations, and may all my thousand sins and countless transgressions be compassionately forgiven. May this great grace also extend to all the heavens, to the teachers of the Daoist teachings I have received, to my parents and revered elders, and to the Daoist practitioners and worthy people who cultivate in mountains and forests, so that all may ascend and be delivered, freed from the realm of sin.

Therefore, I now burn incense and take refuge in the Most High Celestial Worthy of Limitless Heaven. May I attain the Dao and become an immortal, soar through the radiance of the Nine Heavens, roam freely in the Golden Palaces, and attain the truth alongside the Three Treasures.

Vow for the Third Incense Offering

I now establish a purification altar, burn incense and lamps, recite scriptures, and perform the ritual, dispelling past offenses. Before the Three Officials, I confess my sins and seek the immortals. I also entrust my body, spirit, and life to the Limitless Primordial One, the Most High Jade Emperor, and the Most High Celestial Worthy of Great Truth, on behalf of my family and clan, my relatives by marriage across nine generations, the emperor and ruler of the state, officials and common people, all the inhabitants of the four borderlands, and every living being: creatures that scurry, fly, wriggle, crawl on many feet, or breathe.

May this merit be dedicated to myself and my family, and may all our thousand sins and countless transgressions be met with compassion and forgiveness. May this great grace also extend to all the heavens; to the clan, relatives across nine generations, emperor, ruler, officials, and common people; to the people throughout the four borderlands and the world; and to every living creature, whether born already or yet to be born. May all ascend and be delivered, each remaining true to its own nature.

Therefore, I now burn incense and take refuge in the Most High Celestial Worthy of Limitless Heaven. May I attain the Dao and become an immortal, soar through the radiance of the Nine Heavens, roam freely in the Golden Palaces, and attain the truth alongside the Three Treasures.

Vow Facing East, After Three Bows and While Kneeling

I now establish and set up the purification altar, burn incense and lamps, contemplate the perfected beings, and turn the scriptures. I dispel past offenses, confess my sins before the Three Officials, and entrust my life to the Limitless Primordial One of the East, the Most High Jade Emperor, and the Most High Celestial Worthy of Great Truth.

I beg the Celestial Worthy to bestow grace and shine upon me, and to verify and approve what I have presented. Grant that I may study the Dao and attain it, seek immortality and become immortal, and fly freely at will.

Note: In manuscripts, “setting the altar upright” and “establishing the altar” are often used interchangeably; both refer to setting up a Zhaijiao ritual. “The Three Treasures” means the Dao, the scriptures, and the teacher—or, in the context of this scripture, the three realms that share the truth with the Celestial Worthy. “I,” literally “your subject,” is a respectful way for the ritual officiant to address the gods, not a reference to a secular official.

Plain-Language Interpretation

(The general meaning of the passage above: May I ascend through the nine heavens, and may my parents of seven generations be freed from the suffering of the “Three Paths,” ascend to the Southern Palace, and receive the grace of the Celestial Venerable’s deliverance. Then bow three times, strike the cheeks three times, and the rite for that direction is complete.)

Next, perform the rites in sequence for the southeast, due south, southwest, due west, northwest, due north, and northeast, following the same procedure as for the east.

Then bow toward the upper northwest and the lower southeast, also following the same procedure as for the east.

For all ten directions, the vows are the same as the vow for the east. In each direction, bow, kowtow, and strike the cheeks three times, to atone for the offenses of the ten directions.

According to the Taizhen Code (a Daoist fasting ritual manual), during a prolonged fast, if the body is utterly exhausted, one may bow inwardly, in the heart. Kowtowing and striking the cheeks, however, must not be omitted.

Now face west, bow again, kneel, and make this vow:

I, your servant, now observe the fast, burn incense, light lamps, contemplate the perfected ones, and recite the scriptures, to dispel and redeem a thousand sins and myriad transgressions from former lives. May I receive the benevolent presence of the West’s supreme Mysterious Origin, Empty Cavern, Great Beginning, Ninefold Mystery, Elemental Jade True Lord, the High Holy Immortal, the Jade Consort of the Tortoise Terrace, and the Jade Void, Great Numinous, Boundless Celestial Venerable. May they grant me compassion and pardon, and grant that I may practice the Dao and attain the Dao, seek immortality and attain it, fly through the vast sky, and ascend in splendor through the nine heavens; deliver my seven generations of ancestors and raise them to the Southern Palace, where they may dwell forever in Wuwei, with clothing and food arising naturally, and receive the grace of the Holy Ones’ deliverance.

Now face north, bow again, kneel, and make this vow:

I, your servant, now observe the fast, burn incense, light lamps, contemplate the perfected ones, and recite the scriptures, to dispel and redeem a thousand sins and myriad transgressions from former lives. May I receive the benevolent presence of the North’s supreme Primordial Lord of the Great Void, Mysterious Cavern, and Purple Empyrean, the Jade Youths of the Three Heavens, the High Jade Dawn, Most High Lord of the Great Dao, the Lord of Great Perfection, the Divine King of Great Perfection, and the Celestial Venerable, True One of the Northern Marquis, High Mystery of the Myriad Immortals. May they grant me compassion and pardon, and grant that I may practice the Dao and attain the Dao, seek immortality and attain it, fly through the vast sky, and ascend in splendor through the nine heavens; deliver my seven generations of ancestors and raise them to the Southern Palace, where they may dwell forever in Wuwei, with clothing and food arising naturally, and receive the grace of the Holy Ones’ deliverance.

Now face east, bow again, kneel, and make this vow:

I, your servant, now observe the fast, burn incense, light lamps, contemplate the perfected ones, and recite the scriptures, to dispel and redeem a thousand sins and myriad transgressions from former lives. May I receive…

(The text that follows has the same structure as the vows for the west and north, but invokes different divine names for the east. The passage appears to break off after “May I receive.”)

A Plain-Language Interpretation of the Wushang Miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials)

The Venerable Ones of the East

Most High Emperor of the Ninefold Mystery and Jade Void of the East; Supreme Lord Lao, the Great Dao without Limit, the Upper Three Heavens of the Mysterious Origin and Supreme Clarity; the Lords and Venerable Elders; the Divine King of the Valley of Sunlight, Great Emperor Lord Fusang; the Lord of Heaven; the Emperor Lord of Taiwei; Lord Lao of the Central Yellow; the Lord of the Immortal Capital of the Nine Elders; the Venerable Elder of the Nine Qi; the Jade Steps of Supreme Clarity; the King and High Minister of Jade Protection, Perfected One of Highest Clarity; the Jade Gate of the Eastern Sea, Lord of the Azure Florescence and Youthful Immortal; and the Heavenly Worthy of the Highest Heaven, supreme among the High Immortals and myriad sages: I earnestly ask you to bestow your grace and shine upon me, to show me particular compassion, and to grant that I cultivate the Dao and attain the Way, seek immortality and attain it, ascend through the skies and roam the nine heavens, deliver my seven generations of ancestors and raise them to the Southern Palace, dwell forever in Wuwei (non-action), and receive food and clothing naturally, all through the grace of the highest sages who deliver and save me.

Facing South, Bowing Twice, and Making a Vow

I now observe purification and cultivate myself in quietude. I burn incense and light lamps, contemplate the perfected ones, and recite the scriptures, seeking to dissolve the thousands of errors and transgressions accumulated in past lives. May I receive the grace of:

The Supreme Emperor of Jade, Lord of the Ninefold Mystery, Primordial Beginning, and the Grotto of Numinous Emptiness in the Southern Supreme Heavens; the Prohibited Lord of the Upper Origin at the Southern Pole; the Lord of Long Life and Controller of Destinies at Nanchang; and the Heavenly Worthy of High Sainthood and Immortality of Dongyang. May they bestow their grace and shine upon me, show me particular compassion, and grant that I practice the Dao and attain the Way, seek immortality and attain it, ascend through the skies and roam the nine heavens, deliver my seven generations of ancestors and raise them to the Southern Palace, dwell forever in Wuwei, and receive food and clothing naturally, all through the grace of the highest sages who deliver and save me.

Facing the Supreme Year Star at the Center, Bowing Twice, and Making a Vow

I now observe purification and cultivate myself in quietude. I burn incense and light lamps, contemplate the perfected ones, and recite the scriptures, seeking to dissolve the thousands of errors and transgressions accumulated in past lives. May I receive the grace of:

The Ancient Master of the Great Void and Empty Grotto, beyond all heights, limits, and bounds, at the center; the Emperor Lord of Purple Void and Azure Essentials, parents of the myriad Daos; the Emperor Lord of the Golden Palace of the Ninefold Mystery, the Later Sage; and the Heavenly Worthy of High Sainthood and Immortality, the Central Emperor of the Four Perfected Ones of Mysterious Origin and Jade Numinous Power at Mount Taihua. May they bestow their grace and shine upon me, show me particular compassion, and grant that I practice the Dao and attain the Way, seek immortality and attain it, ascend through the skies and roam the nine heavens, deliver my seven generations of ancestors and raise them to the Southern Palace, dwell forever in Wuwei, and receive food and clothing naturally, all through the grace of the highest sages who deliver and save me.

Ritual Procedure After Paying Homage to the Five Emperors

After paying homage to the Five Emperors, return to the East and recite the song of the Five Emperors’ sorrow and joy while walking around three times. After the third circuit, proceed to the South and stop facing North. Recite the scripture only; there is no need to bow again.

This scripture documents the specific liturgical procedures of Daoist "Three Primes Fasts" (Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, and Xiayuan). The ritual begins with a northern-facing scripture recitation: after completing circumambulation, practitioners face north to chant the "Hymn of Four Extremes and Five Sufferings" three times, followed by three prostrations with nine kowtows, and slapping one's cheeks nine times to repent for transgressions committed in the four cardinal directions.

After repentance, turn eastward, click the teeth three times, and offer incense with this invocation: "Five Sacred Peaks' Five Emperors, divine envoys, pure spirits of Yin-Yang dual Qi (the fundamental energies in Daoism), left-right Dragon-Tiger guardians, celestial and terrestrial immortals, flying transcendents, and incense officials of the Five Peaks—may you summon the righteous Qi from all directions for this disciple, that natural golden liquor, cinnabar essence, numinous mushrooms, and the Nine Mysteries' Jade Perfection may converge in this fasting hall." Then express cultivation aspirations: "May this disciple attain the Dao through study, achieve immortality through seeking, soar through celestial voids, leap across the nine heavens, with jade maidens and youths attending." Finally, as the incense smoke ascends to the celestial court, click teeth nine times and swallow Qi nine times. When leaving, one must not look back.

The Zhongyuan Fast section mentions crafting Five Emperors' Demon-Subduing Spirit Banners (exorcism implements) placed in five directions. This addresses practitioners' frequent disturbances by demon kings that unsettle the Shen (spirit) and obstruct true Qi reception. Post-ritual, the banners are stored in brocade pouches. While maintaining Shangyuan's daily schedule, Zhongyuan adds repentance for karmic transgressions across lifetimes.

Lamp regulations specify: Shangyuan requires ninety (superior), sixty (medium), or thirty (inferior) lamps; Zhongyuan sixty, thirty-six, or twelve; Xiayuan thirty-six, twenty-four, or nine. Lamps are arranged around the fasting hall and at deity positions like Tai Sui (Year Lord) and Yue Jian (Month Builder). Notably, Tai Sui and birth-year lamps must remain lit continuously, while others may be extinguished by day. During rain, only Tai Sui and birth-year lamps need burning in the fasting hall.

Finally, participants must return to their designated positions after incense offerings. These rituals embody Daoism's symbolic communication with deities through directional alignments, numerical symbolism, and lamp ceremonies.

According to the prescribed ritual, light the lamp again and perform the bows once more. Then address a formal petition to the Tai Sui deity, stating each wish being sought in the same words used when making the petition.

The Tai Sui is a deity in Daoist and popular belief who presides over the fortunes and misfortunes of a given year. “Addressing a formal petition” is a set phrase in Zhaijiao ritual liturgy for reporting to and petitioning the deities. “Lighting the ritual lamp” means lighting it as prescribed by the liturgy. The passage explains that after lighting the lamp and bowing again, one should petition the Tai Sui, truthfully conveying to the deity the wishes spoken aloud by the person making the request.