《法海遺珠》Vol. 31

Pearls Left in the Sea of Teachings, Volume 31

Secret Methods of the Nine Yang Senior General, Celestial Master Liu

Roster of Generals

Commander in Chief: Marshal of the Cavern of Mystery; the Nine Yang Senior General of the Three and Five, Liu the Celestial Master, with Azure Fangs and an Iron Face

Deputy Commanders: The four Celestial Masters Lü, Zhang, Ning, and Ren

General-Summoning Incantation

White Qi, primordial and undivided, fills my form;

With Yu’s Pace, I hasten upward to the Yang Heavens.

Earth turns and revolves, setting the Six Ding to work;

The Celestial Pivot commands me to drive the thunderbolts.

All perfected beings aid me in slaying demons and spirits;

Once all evil forces are destroyed, I attain long life.

I attain long life and ascend beyond Jade Clarity.

Hasten, hasten, in accordance with the command of the Patriarch, the True Lord!

Names of Various Registers and Talismans

Azure Spirit Token Register; Primordial Yang Fire Phoenix Register; Pardon Edict; Petition-for-Entry Register; Sudden Fire Command Register; Iron-Face Thunder-Summoning Register; Primordial Yang True Qi Talisman (transmitted by Liu Ju; some characters have been blurred and are illegible).

There is also an incantation whose general meaning is: “The primordial Qi of the Three Heavens rises from the Kan trigram; Metal Essence separates from Wood; through the Five Emperors, peace and protection are secured.” “The True Spirit takes control” is recited seven times in a single breath.

Other invocations include: “Summon the Ninety-Nine Primordial Yang Generals”; “Great Abyss, bring down the Fire Bell”; “Talisman to smoke out demons”; “Thunderbolt”; and summoning phrases such as “X—, General Doukou, Fire Command, take control,” “X—,” and “X—, take control.” Several characters in these phrases are missing.

Dismissal Incantation

I take purity as my foundation and rectitude as my authority,

So that ghosts and spirits stand with fists raised, attending me.

I command wind and clouds to gather and disperse at the appointed time;

With each breath in and out, I embody Heaven and Earth’s pivotal workings.

In every action, I obey the regulations set by the Mysterious Sovereign.

From above the Three Heavens to below the Nine Earths,

All shall follow the commands and heed my direction. I give the order:

I send you to Heaven to present your report at the imperial court.

I send you into the earth, straight down to the gates of the Yellow Springs, its deepest depths.

I send you to spread thunder and lightning, and to direct the thunderbolts with True Qi.

I send you to seize demons and monsters, bind them, and bring them forth in visible form.

I receive Heaven’s mandate and carry out the commands:

Those guilty shall be executed; those innocent shall not be pursued.

The Primal Origin, Qian: expansion, fulfillment, advantage, and constancy.

By edict, I summon the Iron-Face General—hasten here and appear!

Now I plant the Doukou command and take my stand; return at once, without delay!

(The practitioner sprays water and gives the order.)

Form for Dispatching a Warrant to the Generals

Thunder Administration Bureau

Respectfully submitted: the petition has been received, and the request for an audience is made with utmost sincerity. This matter has already been reported to the appropriate authorities.

The Patriarch has prepared this warrant. Let all offices concerned be informed. A talismanic document is hereby issued, and a warrant must now be dispatched.

(Blank space for the talisman)

By this talisman, summon—

The above is the format of a warrant: a talisman and written summons are used to call the generals and commanders to come and carry out their duties as ordered.

A Plain-Language Reading of Pearls Left in the Sea of Rituals (Fahai Yizhu)

What follows is a plain-language explanation of this passage from the scripture. Technical terms are briefly explained at their first appearance.

(An official) is to transmit the talismanic command with utmost haste, assembling the officials, generals, clerks, and troops of the various divine bureaus, together with the City God (the deity who protects the city) and the Lord of the Altar of Soil (the local earth deity). They are to descend together at the ritual altar on a designated day and hour this month, display their divine might, and make retribution clearly manifest, so that the Daoist rites may flourish and the people may turn toward the Dao.

When the talisman arrives, carry it out with the speed of a shooting star, exactly as the Emperor commands. Respectfully, this dispatch is issued.

Dispatch issued in the name of the Grand Marshal of the Year (the deity who governs the current year), on a certain day and hour of a certain month in a certain year.

I, the official of rank (subject), of the surname [omitted], have received the decree and will carry it out.

The thirtieth-generation Celestial Master (Tianshi), the Patriarch, Perfected Lord Zhang of Mysterious Insight and Vast Awakening.

The Thunderclap Fire Needle Method

Roster of divine generals

Great God Deng, Lord of the Heavenly Commands, of the Thunderclap Fire.

Secret Incantation

Heavenly Fire, Earthly Fire, Thunder Fire, Samadhi True Fire; if I needle a spirit or a person, none shall be harmed. If I needle Heaven, Heaven shall open; if I needle Earth, Earth shall split; if I needle an illness, all illnesses shall be dispelled. I carry out the commands of the Supreme Emperor. (Recite seven times in a single breath.)

Visualization

Lord Deng of the Thunderclap Fire comes from the south riding a fire dragon. He holds a Thunder Fire Needle and a thunder hammer, descends from the sky, and is drawn into the talisman.

Talisman design: Deng Bowen (Lord Deng) enters the talisman through the Thunder Bureau.

Application: After completing the talisman, roll it tightly into a tube using yellow paper. Light it over an incense burner, then apply the burning talisman to the patient’s painful area as a cautery. If the pain is in the chest or abdomen, or between the hands and feet, first place seven paper horses (jia ma) over the clothing. Light the talisman and apply it over the paper horses, cauterizing three times. It is said to work immediately and stop the pain. It is used for abscesses, sores on the back, unexplained swellings, and illnesses caused by wind and Qi moving through the body. Follow the same method in every case; none will fail to work.

General Summary

This passage has two parts:

1. The format of an official dispatch: It imitates a government document, using a “talismanic command” to summon the City God, the Lord of the Altar of Soil, and the divine generals of various bureaus. They are to descend at the appointed time and perform rites at the altar. A Daoist identifies himself as one who has “received the decree and will carry it out,” and the document is signed in the name of Zhang, the Celestial Master of the thirtieth generation, a patriarchal title commonly found in Daoist liturgies.

2. The Thunderclap Fire Needle Method: This is a Daoist talismanic healing practice using cautery. Its principal deity is Lord Deng, a thunder god and divine general also known as Deng Bowen. The method combines a secret incantation invoking “Heavenly Fire, Earthly Fire, Thunder Fire” and a visualization of Lord Deng riding a fire dragon, holding a needle and hammer, and entering the talisman. The practitioner rolls the talisman into a tube and burns it over the painful area. In some cases, seven paper horses are placed over the clothing and the area is cauterized three times through them. The text claims the method can treat painful conditions such as abscesses, swellings, and illnesses caused by wind and Qi moving through the body.

The passage is a practical record combining a ritual dispatch with a healing talisman method. It uses a solemn tone and ends by insisting that the method “never fails,” in keeping with the Pearls Left in the Sea of Rituals, a collection of practical rites and methods from different Daoist traditions.