《無上祕要》Vol. 48

Wushang miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials), Fascicle 57, Section 9

The Rite of the Great Perfection and the Upper Origin

General overview of the Three Origins Retreat

The High and Lofty Retreat of the Three Caverns and Three Origins: the Upper Origin governs Heaven, the Middle Origin governs Earth, and the Lower Origin governs humanity. When the Three Origins unite in perfection, they correspond above to the Nine Heavens.

• Nine days for the Upper Origin: Recite the scriptures and practice the Way; contemplate perfection and remember the spirits; unite the Elixir to stabilize life; seek the immortals above.
• Six days for the Middle Origin: Pray to be released from violations of ritual laws committed by oneself, and guard against the transgressions of old entanglements.
• Three days for the Lower Origin: Deliver the seven ancestral generations, absolve the dead souls of the Nine Yin, and enable them to be born in Heaven.

This is a wondrous method of the High and Lofty, the root of seeking immortality. Through its practice one attains perfection; if one carelessly discloses or neglects it, one incurs the Three Officials’ punishment.

Practicing the Great Cavern Scripture of Perfect Truth and related texts

Those who wish to practice the Great Cavern Scripture of Perfect Truth in thirty-nine chapters, the Jade Register of the Female One, the Precious Scripture of the Five Elders, and the Eight Gates of the Dark Mother must cultivate the Twelve Supreme Vows. They should chant the High and Lofty Jade Chapters and the Chapters of Flying Mystery, contemplate perfection, practice the Way, and seek the immortals above, as well as unite the divine Elixir and soar through empty space.

The Upper Origin retreat ritual

In general, those who practice the Upper Origin retreat must observe a nine-day pure retreat. Before the first day, bathe with the five fragrant substances, observe the retreat overnight, and gather the mind in stillness. The assembly should number no more than nine and no fewer than three.

On the night before, enter the chamber and face north. Click the teeth thirty-six times and pinch incense three times. Kneel upright and announce:

Upper Origin Great Perfect Sovereign Elder, High and Lofty Immortal Capital, Five Emperors, and numinous officials: on the coming [day] of this month, we, your servants, will light lamps, burn incense, circumambulate, and recite the scriptures (or unite the divine Elixir, as may be intended). We respectfully invite the Perfectness-Watching Envoys, the Immortal Officials overseeing the retreat, and thirty-six Jade Youths and thirty-six Jade Maidens to watch over us as we practice perfection, and to report our actions above before the august presence of the Jade Emperor, the High and Lofty Void Sovereign of the Nine Heavens.

The next day, ascend to the retreat and carry out the instructions presented the previous night to the Perfect Ones above. May they graciously receive and heed them. This concludes the announcement.

At dawn the following day, quiet the mind and enter the chamber. First stand outside the retreat hall’s entrance. The retreat leader clicks the teeth three times and envisions clouds of naturally arising purple Qi filling the chamber, with Jade Youths and Jade Maidens arrayed on either side. Speak softly: “On this day, [name] is entering the chamber to burn incense and practice the Way. May the Immortal Officials overseeing the retreat guard and protect the Perfect Ones above, and convey all movements and stillness to the Mystery of the Void.” Then enter the chamber, turn left to face east, and address the incense burner:

Upper Origin Primordial Numinous Ones, Perfect Spirits of the Five Elders, Golden Immortals, Jade Youths, and Pure Numinous Jade Maidens, attending on either side of the incense, Flying Immortals, and numinous officials who communicate with the Primordial Heavenly King of the Nine Heavens and the Void Sovereign Jade…

Note: The original text breaks off at “Void Sovereign Jade.” The remaining ritual instructions, incantations, and closing procedures are not included here; completing them would require consulting the full Daoist Canon or Dunhuang and Zhengyi tradition manuscripts.

Plain-Language Interpretation of the Supreme Secret Essentials

The emperor (or we, his ministers) should at once burn incense and recite the scripture, praying that the boundless, righteous Qi descend and enter our bodies. May it be stirred by the secret words from our mouths and swiftly hear our summons, coming straight to attend before the lofty Jade Void.

Then turn to the left, face north, kneel upright, and click the teeth thirty-six times. Say:

We respectfully summon the true spirit officials within our bodies, in our four limbs and five bodily parts, and at our thirty-nine gates, together with the flying immortals on our left and right, the attendants of the Jade Void, the Five Emperors and Five-Colored Primordial August Ones, the flying dragon merit officers, and the immortal messengers—thirty-six of each. The attendants of the Jade Void and the flying immortals hold feathered tallies and nine-colored banners that shine across the heavens. The Five Emperors and Five-Colored Primordial August Ones hold spirit banners bearing the Five Emperors’ commands to subdue demons. The flying dragon merit officers wear caps, belts, and feathered robes, and bear golden true phoenix insignia. The immortal messengers arrange the Seven Luminaries, carry jade tables, and stand facing one another before me.

Bearing the secret words from our mouths, they ride in golden-rooted carriages beneath purple canopies, in vermilion-yoked jade chariots with wheels of flying clouds. Golden immortals and jade youths, together with twelve Great Hua jade maidens on each side; dragons and tigers soar through the heavens to the left and right; and a host of 240,000 feathered riders flies through the purple void. They ascend to the lofty, rugged jade chambers of the Nine Heavens, to the golden-radiant jade halls and the realm of purple orchids. They ascend to the boundless, supreme Cavern-Truth of the Nine Mysteries: to the Primordial Father, the Great Void Mysterious Mother, the Celestial King of Primordial Beginning, the Thirty-Nine Chapters of the Lofty Jade Void, the Twenty-Four Perfected Ones, the high sages, Jade Morning, the Most High Great Dao Lord, the Four Offices, the Five Emperors, and the boundless Heavenly Worthies. Their Qi is linked to the natural realm of the Mysterious Capital, the Primordial August One, and the Great Cavern of the Three Radiances.

We, the disciples, low-ranking Perfected Ones—(minister so-and-so), A and the others—have, through karmic affinity and blessed fortune, passed through the turning wheel of the Dharma gates and been born into human life. We are honored to rank among the high and mysterious, among the Dragon Scriptures of the Nine Heavens and the treasured writings of Highest Clarity. We cherish the Dao and delight in the Real, and aspire to become immortals. Now, as we enter the chamber, take our places at the purification altar, recite the scripture, contemplate the Real, and practice the Way, we burn incense and light lamps (or combine the divine elixir, as we choose to state). With united hearts, we respectfully pay homage to the Jade Heaven, the Three Treasures of Highest Clarity and Supreme Loftiness, the attendant lords who guide the immortals, the Five Emperors of the five directions, the inspectors of spirits, the officers in charge of the purification altar, the ritual messengers, the flying and terrestrial immortals, and the spirit troops and riders of the Five Sacred Peaks—nine hundred million of each. May they all descend together and surround our bodies, destroy demons and overcome trials, ward off misfortune and avert calamity, and summon the naturally arising righteous Qi, the Golden Liquid and cinnabar essence, and the numinous mushrooms and divine fungi.

Essential Secrets of the Most High: A Plain-Language Interpretation

“May the fasting hall, where immortals meet and mingle, shine with divine light, and may the Jade Boys and Jade Maidens attend and guard us. May incense smoke coil through the air. May I, your servant, practice the Dao and attain the Dao; seek immortality and attain it; fly through space and rise into the nine heavens, fulfilling my heart’s wishes and becoming perfected together with the Three Treasures. When the practice is complete, I shall return to my palace. I ask only that you graciously witness and accept this offering; I must report that I have carried it out.” This concludes the rite.

Next, turn back to face east. Offer incense three times before the censer and say:

“I, the disciple of the Three Radiances of the Great Cavern of the Mysterious Capital, the Minor Zhạo Perfected One, Master of Mount Such-and-such (your servant, Such-and-such), now establish a fasting altar and observe the precepts, light lamps and recite the scripture, contemplate the spirits and call to mind the Perfected Ones, practice the Dao and seek immortality, and soar into the nine heavens (or refine the divine elixir, or say whatever is appropriate). With this merit, may the transgressions and offenses of us, your servants, be absolved, and the root of death severed. May the natural Perfected Ones of the nine heavens descend and grant us their aid; may our names be entered in the registers of the emperors and our characters inscribed in Highest Clarity. May we fly through the Mysterious Void and attain the rank of Perfected Ones. We entrust our spirits to the Most High, the Ninefold Mystery, the Primordial Beginning Jade Emperor, the Thirty-Nine Emperors, the Twenty-Four Perfected Ones, the Most High Lord of the Great Dao, the Jade Morning and Supreme One, the myriad immortals, the gathered sages, and the boundless Celestial Worthies. May this merit be directed toward the refinement and deliverance of our bodies, transforming us into the empty cavern and enabling us to fly to the palace of the Golden Towers of Jade Clarity. For this reason, we now burn incense and take refuge.”

Celestial Worthy of the Most High and Utmost Pole: “After attaining the Dao, one ascends into the formless and joins the Three Treasures in their cycle.”

Second invocation while offering incense: “I, Such-and-such, and my companions now respectfully observe the fasting precepts, light lamps and recite the scripture, contemplate the spirits and call to mind the Perfected Ones, practice the Dao and seek immortality, and soar into the nine heavens (or refine the divine elixir, or say whatever is appropriate). With this merit, we pray for the teachers and masters of the Dao, their parents and honored relatives, who have attained the Dao through hidden study in the famous sacred mountains of the boundless ten directions and the remote lands at the four borders, as well as for their fellow students, disciples, Daoist practitioners, and worthy companions. May each attain the Dao and fly to Highest Clarity. We entrust our lives to the Perfected One above, the gathered sages and myriad immortals of the Ninefold Mystery of the Primordial Origin, and the Jade Emperor, Celestial Worthy. May this merit and its power to deliver all beings enable everyone to ascend swiftly and fly to Highest Clarity. For this reason, we now burn incense and take refuge.”

Celestial Worthy, Most High and Perfect, of the Primordial Origin in the Highest Realm of the Void: “After attaining the Dao, one ascends into the formless and joins the Three Treasures in their cycle.”

Third invocation while burning incense: “I, Such-and-such, and my companions now respectfully observe the fasting precepts, light lamps and recite the scripture…”

Brief explanations of terms

This scripture is a ritual prayer recited during the burning of incense by a Daoist priest. Its essential meaning is this: the practitioner calms the mind, visualizes the spirits (cun shen), upholds the true Dao (zhen dao), and seeks to become an immortal and ascend to the Nine Heavens (Jiutian). "Nine Heavens" refers to the highest reaches of the sky, the immortal realm above all the heavens in Daoist cosmology. The passage may also be read as referring to the refinement of elixirs, with its meaning shaped by the practitioner's intention.

The practitioner then dedicates this merit (gongde) and returns it (huixiang) to their ruler and ministers, their family, their nine generations of kin, their relatives by marriage, and all people under heaven. The merit is also dedicated to emperors and kings, to officials and common people, and to all birds, beasts, and insects, and to every living being that breathes and moves, whether already born or not yet born. The practitioner wishes that all of them entrust their bodies, their spirits, and their lives to the Dao.

The prayer then asks that the assembled perfected beings of the Nine Heavens, together with Yuxu Tianzun (the Jade Void Heavenly Venerable, one of the principal deities of Daoism), use this merit to bring universal salvation to all beings. It hopes that every being will be freed from the ten sufferings, eight calamities, five disasters, six harms, nine afflictions, and seven injuries, and that each will keep their blessings and prosperity and dwell in peace over the long term in the natural realm (ziran). For this reason the practitioner now burns incense and takes refuge in the supreme, limitless True Perfected (zhen tian). After attaining the Dao, one ascends to the formless realm and is honored equally alongside the Three Treasures (Sanbao): the Treasure of the Dao, the Treasure of Scripture, and the Treasure of the Master.

Next, the practitioner bows again while facing the northwest, which is the upper direction, and kneels in a long prayer, saying: "Your servant (chen, the practitioner's self-designation) now burns incense, observes the fast, lights the lamps, recites the scriptures, visualizes the spirits, upholds the true Dao, and seeks to become an immortal and ascend to the Nine Heavens. May Taizhen, Shangyuan, the Heavenly King Yuanshi, Jiuxuan Yuanfu, Gaoshang Yuhuang, Wansheng Dijun, and the Supremely Profound, Utterly Void Heavenly Venerable, bestow upon us the Jade Perfected Qi (Yuzhen zhi qi) to illuminate our bodies, so that we who practice may attain the Dao, we who seek immortality may attain it, we who refine elixirs may complete them, and we who transform base metal may turn it to gold. May we fly through the mysterious void and leap into the vast sky, be guarded by holy sovereigns, and at last ascend to the palace of the Jade Clarity Golden Gate (Yuqing Jinque), the dwelling of the deities in the immortal realm."

Next, the practitioner bows again while facing the southeast, which is the lower direction, and kneels in prayer. The wording is largely the same as the previous section, except that the deities invoked are changed to Jiuxuan Xuanmu (Mysterious Mother of the Nine Mysteries), Wanshi Xiansheng (Master of Ten Thousand Beginnings), Shanghuang Zixu Wansheng Dijun (the Emperor of Supreme Purple Void, the Ten Thousand Sage Sovereign), and others. The qi requested is changed to the "Qi of the Bright Morning" (mingchen zhi qi). The aspiration remains the same: to seek immortality and to ascend to Yuqing.

Finally, the practitioner bows again while facing north and kneels in prayer. This section lists a long series of divine names, including Wushang Taikong Xuandong Zixu Yuanshi Zhangren (the Venerable Lord of the Original Beginning of the Supreme Empty Mysterious Cavern of Purple Void), the Jade Youths of the Three Heavens (Santian Yutong), Gaoshang Yuchen (the Supreme Jade Dawn), Taishang Dadao Jun (the Lord of the Great Dao), and Taizhen Zhang (the Venerable True Perfected). Through this continuous enumeration of honorific titles, the prayer expresses reverence for the deities and makes its petitions.

This text comes from a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual) liturgy. Devotees burn incense, tend lamps, chant scriptures, and visualize the deities as they bow and pray toward the four directions. What follows is a plain-language rendering.

First, facing north, or offering a general prayer:

Perfected Lord of Heaven, Human Tai Zhen, Jade Emperor, Northern Marquis, Central Perfected One, High and Profound One, and supreme sage of the myriad immortals: I earnestly ask you to send down the bright Qi of dawn and shine upon my body, so that by practicing the Dao I may attain the Dao; by aspiring to become an immortal, I may become one; by joining the Elixir, I may complete the Elixir; by refining gold, I may make gold; and may I fly through the mysterious void, soar amid the vast heavens, attend and protect the Sacred Lord, and ascend to the palace of the Golden Gates in Jade Clarity.

Next, facing west, bow twice, kneel, and pray:

I now burn incense, observe ritual purity and keep the precepts, tend the bright lamp and chant scriptures, contemplate the gods and remember the Perfected, practice the Dao and seek immortality, and soar through the nine heavens. May the Supreme Profound Origin, the Empty Cavern, the Great Beginning, the Nine Mysteries, the Original Essence, the Jade Perfected Venerable, the High Sage and Supreme Immortal, the Jade Consort of Turtle Terrace, the Jade Void and Great Void Celestial Worthies, specially bestow the bright Qi of dawn and graciously shine upon my body. May you enable us to practice the Dao and attain the Dao; aspire to become immortals and become immortals; join the Elixir and complete the Elixir; refine gold and make gold; fly through the mysterious void and soar amid the vast heavens; attend and protect the Sacred Lord; and ascend to the palace of the Golden Gates in Jade Clarity.

Next, facing east, bow twice, kneel, and pray:

I now burn incense, observe ritual purity and keep the precepts, tend the bright lamp and chant scriptures, contemplate the gods and remember the Perfected, practice the Dao and seek immortality, and soar through the nine heavens. May the Most High Emperor of the Nine Mysteries and Jade Void; the Lords and Venerables of the Supreme Ultimate Great Dao, the Limitless Dao of the Three Heavens above the Great Clarity, and the Most High Lord Lao; the Divine King of Yang Valley; the Great Emperor of Fusang; the Emperor of Taiwei; the Central Yellow Old Lord; the Lord of the Immortal City of the Nine Elders; the Venerable of the Nine Qi; the Jade Sovereign of Great Clarity; the Supreme Minister of the August Jade Treasure of the Most High Perfected One of Highest Clarity; the Jade Gate of the Eastern Sea, Lord of the Azure Florescence and Youthful Lad; and the High Immortal, Supreme Celestial Worthy of the Myriad Sages, specially bestow the bright Qi of dawn and graciously shine upon my body. May you enable us to practice the Dao and attain the Dao; aspire to become immortals and become immortals; join the Elixir and complete the Elixir; refine gold and make gold; fly through the mysterious void and soar amid the vast heavens; attend and protect the Sacred Lord; and ascend to the palace of the Golden Gates in Jade Clarity.

Next, facing south, bow twice, kneel, and pray:

I now burn incense, observe ritual purity and keep the precepts, tend the bright lamp and chant scriptures, contemplate the gods and remember the Perfected, practice the Dao and seek immortality, and soar through the nine heavens. May the Jade Emperor, Primordial Sovereign of the Great Void, Nine Mysteries, and Cavern of Numinous Power; the Sovereign of the Southern Pole and Upper Origin; the Lord of Long Life, Director of Destiny at Nanchang; and the Celestial Worthy, High Sage and Supreme Immortal of Dongyang, specially bestow the bright Qi of dawn and graciously shine upon my body. May you enable me to practice the Dao and attain the Dao; aspire to become an immortal and become one; join the Elixir and complete the Elixir; refine gold and make gold; fly through the mysterious void and soar amid the vast heavens; attend and protect the Sacred Lord; and ascend to the palace of the Golden Gates in Jade Clarity.

Brief explanations of terms, for reading the original:

“Ritual purity and keeping the precepts” means observing a vegetarian fast, purifying oneself, and upholding the precepts. “The bright Qi of dawn” refers to the luminous Qi of early morning. “Joining the Elixir and completing the Elixir; refining gold and making gold” are metaphors for achieving cultivation in Neidan (internal alchemy) and Waidan (external alchemy). “The Golden Gates in Jade Clarity” is the name of an immortal realm in the upper heavens of Daoism. The titles invoked in each direction mostly belong to deities associated with Jade Clarity, Highest Clarity, and Great Clarity, as well as the celestial emperors, Lord Lao, Director of Destiny, and their divine retinues in the four directions. In the liturgy, worship proceeds in order according to the directions; the prayers are broadly similar in content and chiefly ask the gods to bestow Qi and bring the Daoist path to fulfillment.

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

Making Vows While Practicing the Dao

While practicing the Dao, make these vows: to attain the Dao and become an immortal; to complete the joining of the elixir and succeed in refining gold; to fly freely through the mysterious void, rise amid the clouds, ascend into the open sky, and reach the golden palace of the immortals in the Jade Clarity Heaven.

Prayers at the Central Grand Tai Sui Position

Then face the central Grand Tai Sui position, bow again, kneel upright, and make this vow:

“We now burn incense, observe purification and abstinence, illuminate the altar with lamps, recite scriptures, focus our thoughts on the spirits and the Real, and practice the Dao in pursuit of immortality. May we be able to soar through the nine heavens. We earnestly ask the Supreme Primordial Summit, the boundless and infinite, the profound void of the Great Space, the ancient Master of the Mysterious Mystery, the father and mother of the myriad Dao, the Imperial Lord of Purple Void and Azure Essence, the Imperial Lord of the Later Sage and Nine Mysteries in the Golden Palace, the Four True Ones and High Sages of the Central Mystery in the Jade Numinous Realm of Great Hua, and the Celestial Worthy, Supreme Immortal of the Central Sovereign, to bestow grace and protection upon us and take pity on us. May we practice the Dao and attain the Dao; vow to become immortals and become immortals; join the elixir and complete the elixir; refine gold and achieve gold; fly through the mysterious void, rise amid the clouds into the open sky, and ascend to the golden palace of the immortals in Jade Clarity Heaven.”

At the End, Face West

When the rite is complete, stand on the western side facing east. Click the teeth together nine times, turn the incense three times, and make this vow:

“We burn incense, observe purification and abstinence, recite scriptures, and practice the Dao in pursuit of immortality. Now we have reached the joyous gathering of the high celebration, when all vows may be declared: Great Hua opens its numinous power, the Golden Immortals raise their incense smoke, the Four Offices watch over and illuminate us, the Five Emperors guard the celestial carriage, and the assembled sages descend once more. They circle in three rounds, take flying steps through the void, and pay homage to the Jade Heaven. May we vow to attain the Dao and attain the Dao; vow to realize the Real and realize the Real; vow to become sages and become sages; vow to become spirits and become spirits; vow to fly and fly; vow to become immortals and become immortals. May all six vows and eight assemblies pass through my person, so that I may ride the flying radiance and ascend to the Nine Mysteries.”

When finished, swallow the Qi nine times.

Lord Green Lad Says: Begin Burning Incense in the West

Lord Green Lad says: At this time, begin burning incense on the western side. Carry the incense in a circling motion as you walk, recite the “Song of the Plain Numinous Spirit of the West,” and circle the incense burner three times. When you reach the south, face north and make nine bows. The rite ends there.

Lord Green Lad Says: Bows of the Heart and Three Daily Sessions

Lord Green Lad says: In any rite of homage, it is also acceptable to bow with the heart alone—that is, to pay homage inwardly. For the practices of the Upper Origin grade, dress formally at dawn. After burning incense for one session, sit quietly and take some thin porridge. Then, after burning incense for another session inwardly, eat. Afterward, recite scriptures; take food and drink as needed, lie down and rest to nourish the Qi, and circulate the Qi. At the hour of Zi, burn incense for one more session. These three sessions are all times when the Qi of the Upper Origin—the primordial life-giving Qi—arises. That is why, according to tradition, gatherings for practicing the Dao and seeking immortality include the rites of one session with three vows and nine returns to the Nine Mysteries.

After the Nine Days Are Complete

After burning incense for nine days, enter the chamber at dawn and pay homage according to the proper rite. Face east again, following the ritual described above.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Essential Secrets of the Supreme Mystery

(Petition for Establishing a Purification Rite)

Kneel upright and click the teeth nine times. Then state your name and title: “We, disciples of the Three Luminaries of the Great Cavern of the Mystic Capital, the Lesser Sign, True Person Mr. So-and-so of Mount So-and-so (I, your subject So-and-so), bow our heads and prostrate ourselves twice. We respectfully petition the Supreme Perfected of the Upper Origin, the Nine Mysteries of the Empty Cavern, the Jade Emperor, Exalted Above, of the Great Void, the Thirty-Nine Emperors, the Twenty-Four Perfected Ones, the High Sage Jade Morning, the Lord of the Great Dao Most High, the Four Offices and Five Emperors, the Primordial Beginning, and the Most Exalted Heavenly Worthy, supreme among the sages of the myriad Dao.”

We cherish the Dao and delight in the immortals; our aspiration soars to the Nine Mysteries, and we seek audience with the Supreme Perfected. On this day of this month, in this township and village of this commandery and county, we have announced the opening of a purification rite. We have burned incense, recited scriptures, contemplated the spirits and called upon the Perfected, practiced the Dao and sought immortality—or, where appropriate, joined the divine elixir—according to each person’s intention. Our practice is now complete.

We petition the following: the attendant immortal officials of the Three Treasures of the Most High, Exalted Above, the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, the Supervising Officers of the numinous, the Rite Administrators, the celestial and earthly flying immortals, the Perfected Inspectors of the Five Sacred Peaks, Four Rivers, and Four Directions, and the numinous immortals who have returned to their Perfected Palaces. May they advance us in rank among the Supreme Immortals, grant us titles, emoluments, and official rank, and appoint us as Perfected according to our merit, in accordance with the rites of the Supreme Perfected.

May we, (your subjects), practice the Dao and attain the Dao, seek immortality and become immortal, compound the elixir and bring it to completion, refine metal and turn it to gold, divide our bodies and transform ourselves; may the green canopies descend from the seventy-four directions, and may we fly to the Upper Clarity, soar amid the radiance of the Nine Heavens, shine alongside the sun and moon, and ride together with the Three Treasures.

We humbly beseech the Most High to look down upon us and illuminate our cinnabar sincerity. We have not yet fully mastered the teachings, and many of our actions fall short of the proper forms. In our comings and goings we have sometimes violated the rules, and may be censured by the Four Offices or apprehended by the Five Emperors. For our thousand faults and myriad offenses, we beg for pardon and compassionate forgiveness, and for leniency toward our ignorance.

May we, (your subjects), embody the Perfected Immortals in all five parts of the body, advance to the Mystic Capital according to our merit to receive our ranks, then return to our own bodies and ascend together, flying through the vastness of space. We respectfully submit this petition and await your reply. I, your subject So-and-so, am filled with awe and fear; I bow my head and prostrate myself twice.

On the day the purification rite is established, one should present a token of gold, perfection, and jade radiance to the Nine Heavens, placing it in the Five Directions to summon the spirits and bring forth the numinous.

Note: This text gives the form of a petition used when establishing a Daoist purification rite. It presents a vow to the Jade Emperor, the Lord of the Great Dao, the Four Offices, the Five Emperors, and other high deities, praying for attainment of the Dao, immortality, and the elixir, while confessing shortcomings in one’s study of the teachings. The original text from Volume 57 through Volume 64 is missing.