《法海遺珠》Vol. 39

Interpretation

Collected Pearls of the Dharma Sea, Volume Thirty-Nine, Section Six

Secret Method of Marshal Guan, the Radiant Spirit Who Cuts Down Demons at the Western Terrace of Fengdu

Principal General

The Greatly Powerful and Virtuous General of Fengdu, Who Commands Heaven and Governs Earth, the Radiant Spirit Who Subdues Ghosts and Cuts Down Demons

Marshal Guan, whose taboo name is Yu and whose courtesy name is Yunchang. He is Guan Yu, the famous general of the Three Kingdoms, whom Daoism venerates as a divine guardian general.

He wears a blue headcloth tied in a long knot. His face is a deep date red, with phoenix eyes and a fine beard. He wears a green official robe patterned with wild geese, open at the front to reveal his armor, and green boots with hanging flaps. He rides a red horse and carries a great saber.

Inner Refinement

When refining the spirit, first hold your breath and blow away the Qi from the northeast. Then visualize Fengdu Mountain forming behind your right elbow in the northeast. There is a cave in the mountain, and black Qi billows up inside it. Silently recite the Thirteen Golden Spell and form its hand seal. Go to see Marshal Guan as he leads his troops out, saber in hand. Inhale the transformed Qi into your heart, send it down to the inner kidneys, and refine it while holding your breath until it transforms into a golden talismanic character.

The adept firmly contracts the anus and brings the knees together, then raises this golden character. Blow incense upward, and see the marshal fully manifest before you.

With the left thumb, the adept presses the third section of the middle finger, the position called “the self.” Write the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions above it, forming a golden spirit character. Flick it away, then command it to carry out whatever task is intended.

Next, recite the secret incantation:

Om, sha tian, chou ji, zi di, dui su, li she (wu / chu).
Om, zi hong, chou hong, zhong bo, dui zha, kun su, li she (wu / chu).

Personal Talisman

(Essence of Water, raging spirit, thundering force that crushes evil / True essence of Fire, virtuous power, radiant spirit) Guan Yu (Northern Capital / Guan Yu)

(Heroic / Fierce) (Five thousand / Ten thousand troops) (Banners and pennants / Arrayed in ranks) Quickly behead (Swiftly bring down divine might / Destroy ghosts and bandits)

(Seek through the eight directions / Darkness over the four seas) (Keen sword, frosty blade / Cut down ghosts and erase their traces) (If there is evil / Remove it at once)

(If there are ghosts / Strike them at once) (By the Northern Emperor’s command / In accordance with the Eastern Peak’s order) Thunder forth and crush evil (Thunder across Heaven and encompass Earth / Retribution shall be clear) Command.

Radiant Spirit General, swiftly descend to the Feng camp. Take up your saber and mount your horse; slay the ghosts and present them here. Spare the compliant ghosts; destroy the forms of the rebellious ones. Should even the slightest disobedience or delay occur, it is rebellion against the Most High Pure One. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Four-Evil Talisman

Radiant (Kui, [talismanic characters], Zi-Wu-Dou / Chi, [talismanic characters], Yin-Wu-Dou); Spirit (Jiao, Kang / Di, Fang).

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Interpretation

An Excerpt from Pearls Left in the Sea of Dharma, in Plain Language

Stars, Thunderous Sha, and Various Sounds

The twenty-eight lunar mansions serve as the framework: Heart, Tail, Winnowing Basket, Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment, Wall, Legs, Bond, Stomach, Hairy Head, Net, Turtle Beak, Three Stars, Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, and Chariot. They are paired with the image of “Thunder Shaking the Heavens.”

The Dragon and Tiger rush against each other, shaking heaven and pulling at earth, their sounds ringing clearly. The sha of the year, month, day, and hour, along with every kind of sha arising naturally from ghosts and spirits, is brought under control through this practice.

Chant the sounds “White Emperor,” “Na Gou Di,” “Xi Xi,” “Na Luo,” “Lou Luo,” “Lou Tan,” “Na Di,” “Ba Tou,” “Ba,” “Na She,” and “Om Niu Hong.” Also chant “Zhi Di,” “Tu Su,” “Zha,” “He,” “Ruo Mi,” “Zha,” “Wu Du,” “Zha,” “Ju Qi,” “Zha”; “Bo Nai Di,” “Zha,” “Ye,” “Ruo,” “Zha,” “Ju Luo Di,” “Zha,” “Qi Mo,” “Zha,” and “Suo.” These are Sanskrit or Daoist ritual sounds.

The command “He, order the sha” is associated with an earlier incantation called the “Seven Na Eight Zha Incantation,” also known as the Northern Emperor’s Heart Incantation. It is connected with formulas transmitted in the worship of Lord Guan, Guan Yu.

Sequence of Practice

First recite and make the prescribed finger gestures for the thirteen golden-character incantation formulas, directing the mind or forming the corresponding hand seals. Visualize guiding Qi into the body. The Dipper turns and the Chief Stars move: drive off the sha and bring the action under control while moving in the forward direction. “Heaven’s thunder and earth’s sha; lightning captures and controls” is performed in the reverse direction. Then recite the Tianfeng Incantation.

Next, apply a command to the talisman by smearing it with Qi or ritual water.

Applying Qi to the Talisman and the Sha Talisman

After completing the talisman, draw in Qi from the north, then apply it again.

Incantation for applying Qi to the talisman:

Black smoke, black poison, set Yin essence in motion. Make the prescribed finger gesture over the Zi and Wu Dipper positions—corresponding to the hours of the Rat and Horse, or to the related Dipper gestures. Black smoke, black Qi: make the gesture again over the Wu and Zi Dipper positions.

Sha talisman (a talisman used to create or control sha; both instances of “sha talisman” in the text have this meaning).

Writing the Talisman While Holding the Breath and Visualizing Fengdu

The talisman on the right must be written in a single stroke while holding the breath. Next, draw on the body’s own sha Qi, then on the Qi behind the elbow. Visualize the space behind the elbow as Fengdu Mountain, a steep and forbidding mountain of the Daoist underworld, filled with dense, dark Qi. The Marshal “Hong” is there. Draw in its Qi and blow it onto the talisman.

Incantation for writing the talisman:

One Qi transforms into De; water and fire capture essence. Yang moves and Yin responds; the myriad spirits take form. Red Qi circles and lingers; black smoke gathers thickly. Let me see through to the very essence, and let the summoned spirit arrive at once when called, receiving the command and coming to welcome me. Urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

Dispatching the Talisman and the Command Incantation

Incantation for dispatching the talisman:

Divine talisman of Taiyi, wondrous in a hundred ways and numinous in a thousand. Heavenly soldiers, heavenly soldiers: command and restrain ghostly bandits; save and protect all beings. Mountain demons and wicked rebels, come as sudden rain and racing lightning. Subdue evil essences and hidden corpses; rouse the human spirit and vital energy; slay and destroy demons and evildoers. Above are the Seven Stars, who govern demons and execute punishment, all in accordance with the Great Purity. Urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

After writing the talisman, recite the incantation above. Then visualize the talisman as golden in color and summon the Marshal toward the northeast. Visualize the Water and Fire of the heart and kidneys surging and clashing to form red and black Qi. Let it return to the gallbladder, emerge through both eyes, and direct it into the talisman. Then recite the command incantation—the full incantation for dispatching the talisman given above.

Note: This text combines practices involving Fulu, Dipper gestures, visualization, and incantations associated with the Northern Emperor and Lord Guan. Terms such as “making Dipper gestures,” “Chief Stars,” “behind the elbow,” “Fengdu,” “heavenly soldiers,” and “Taiyi” are established terms in Daoist practice. “Hong” may be the name of a thunder general or marshal. The specific ritual method depends on the full liturgy and the teacher’s transmission; this passage is offered only to clarify the meaning, not as practice instructions.

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Interpretation

The Plain-Language Interpretation of Fahai Yizhu

The Demon-Quelling Marshal (a divine general charged with destroying demons) commands the divine troops: some three thousand in front, with ranks upon ranks behind. Black clouds mass overhead as demon spirits are put to death. Even those close at hand must be treated as distant; in the end, it is hard to capture every last one in a single sweep. Those who disobey the order must carry it out at once. I receive and enact the command of the Jade Emperor (one of Daoism’s highest celestial deities).

Urgent Invocation

By the method of the Most High (the supreme Daoist teaching transmitted by Laozi), I seize and capture all demons and spirits. Let the officers and generals of Fengdu (the Daoist capital of the underworld) swiftly attach themselves to my person. At the sound of the invitation, come at once; at the sound of the summons, descend at once. If you disobey, calamity will befall you. Act with all haste, in accordance with the command of the Northern Dipper (the stellar lords who govern life, death, fortune, and misfortune).

Incantation for the Medium

(Meaning of the incantation:) Fei-fei-li-li—Guan Yu (a famous general of the Three Kingdoms period, later revered as Lord Guan and a guardian deity) wields a fierce bow and holds a keen sword; monsters tremble at his approach. At the sound of my summons, descend swiftly to the altar. Act with all haste, in accordance with the command of the Jade Emperor.

Method of Spirit Possession

After reciting the incantation above, use this method: attach the spirit suddenly, without drawing attention, and take possession at once.

The master (Daoist priest) visualizes the sky darkening and the earth dimming, with neither sun nor moon shining. Black Qi billows in the north. The marshal arrives at the altar and stands above the incense; then the two merge as one. Draw this into the Dantian (the energy center in the lower abdomen), then blow it into the face and ears of the medium (a child who serves as a channel for communication with the divine). If another urgent matter arises, use the incantation that follows; for minor matters, it may be omitted.

Incantation: “Zhoujue biaodichen…” (The characters are joined in a sequence that is largely impossible to translate directly; the words are understood as an invocation that summons and subdues ghosts and spirits.) “…This is the household of ghosts and spirits.”

Format of the Dispatch and Talisman

Write the dispatch in black ink. From “I receive and enact the command” through “by command of the Great Emperor of the North Pole,” write in red ink.

Office of Investigation and Discipline in Fengdu

Write the front in black ink and place a paper horse (burned in ritual to communicate with the divine) over the talisman. Stamp the back with the Seal of the Nine Palaces and Prisons (the seal of the underworld’s nine palaces and prisons).

Text of the Dispatch

I receive the special command of the Great Emperor Ziwei (one of Daoism’s Four Sovereigns, who governs the stars and the image of the Son of Heaven). My office governs Fengdu and commands the forces that control demon spirits; it puts ghosts and spirits to death. Throughout the Nine Heavens, Nine Earths, Nine Provinces, and Nine Palaces; in mountains, forests, open wilderness, sacred peaks, rivers, and waters; and throughout the Three Realms, all essences, spirits, mountain sprites, monsters, demons, ghosts, goblins, evil gods, and malevolent entities who violate the laws of Heaven (precepts established by the Way of Heaven) or defy my righteous command shall be executed and beheaded.

Should Golden Immortals (those who have attained the Great Dao), ancient Buddhas, or titled divine officials permit or shield them, they too shall be wiped out without exception. The revered celestial general Guan Yu must always observe this command. Should anyone disobey, the laws of Nüqing (the underworld punishments governed by the Daoist legal text Nüqing Lü) grant no pardon. Act with all haste, by command of the Great Emperor of the North Pole (one of Daoism’s Four Sovereigns, elder brother of Ziwei, who governs life and death).

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Interpretation

The Pearl of Daoist Documents: A Plain-Language Interpretation

The following are several forms of official documents used in Daoist rituals for driving away evil and treating illness: proclamations, directives, and dispatches. Their general purpose is to issue orders to Fengdu, the Daoist capital of the underworld, and its related divine offices, commanding them to capture harmful spirits and restore the patient to health.

Proclamation Form

This proclamation is issued to the household’s Siming, the Six Household Deities, and others; they are to comply and carry it out.

This proclamation is addressed to the household’s Siming and Six Household Deities, the six household gods who govern the family’s lifespan, fortune, and misfortune, and others. They are ordered to comply.

By the talismanic command of the Supreme One: swiftly capture every evil spirit causing harm within [name]’s body. The source of the evil must be completely cut off, and the afflicted person must recover at the appointed time, without the slightest delay. Should anyone disobey, a report will certainly be submitted. On receipt of this proclamation, carry it out with all speed. So proclaimed.

By the talismanic command of the Supreme One, capture at once every evil spirit causing harm within [name]’s body. The source of the evil must be completely cut off, and the patient must recover at the appointed time, without the slightest delay. Any disobedience will be reported and submitted to the higher authorities. On receipt of this proclamation, carry it out with all speed. Issued accordingly.

Issued on [year, month, day, and hour]

[Surname] receives the command and carries it out.

Issued in the [year], [month], [day], and [hour].

[Name], of the [surname] family, receives and carries out this command.

The Patriarch, the Great Emperor of the Ziwei Pole in the Midheaven, Who Subdues Demons

The Patriarch is the founding master revered by this Daoist lineage. The Great Emperor of the Ziwei Pole in the Midheaven, Who Subdues Demons is the Ziwei Emperor, a great deity of Daoism who resides at the North Pole and commands the subjugation of demons.

Directive Form

Fengdu Office of Inspection and Discipline

Fengdu is the Daoist underworld. Its Office of Inspection and Discipline investigates and corrects violations within the underworld bureaucracy.

This office has now received [name]’s petition and account of the matter. Rituals have already been performed in the prescribed stages, but since the response has not yet become clear, a dedicated directive should be issued.

This office has received the petitioner’s account. Although the rituals have already been performed in the prescribed stages, the response remains unclear, so a dedicated directive should be issued.

This directive is addressed to [name]. By authority of this document, thunder crashes and lightning flashes, its sound resounding through the Three Realms. Any deity it encounters will be reduced to ash; any ghost, to charcoal. The response must be unmistakable. By command of the August Emperor, display your divine might today and bring peace to the people. Do not delay or disobey; carry this out with urgent speed. So directed.

This directive is addressed to [name], divine general. Acting under its authority, thunder and lightning shall resound through the Three Realms. Any deity encountered will be reduced to ash, and any ghost to charcoal; the response must be unmistakable. By command of the August Emperor, display your divine power today and bring peace to the people. Do not delay or disobey. Carry this out with urgent speed. Issued accordingly.

Issued by directive on [year, month, day, and hour]

Signed by [surname], holder of the office

Issued by directive in the [year], [month], [day], and [hour].

Signed by [name], holder of the office.

Dispatch Form

Dispatch from the Fengdu Office of Inspection and Discipline to Marshal Langling, Who Beheads Demons in Fengdu

The Fengdu Office of Inspection and Discipline sends this dispatch to Marshal Langling, Who Beheads Demons in Fengdu, a marshal responsible for slaying demons at the gates of Fengdu.

This office has received a petition requesting action. The request cannot be set aside. Since a talismanic command from the Supreme One has already been issued, we ask your office to capture and drive away the evil spirits below as quickly as possible, and to ensure the swift recovery of the person currently afflicted. Do not delay or disobey. On receipt of the talisman, act with urgent speed. A dedicated dispatch is therefore required.

This office has received a petition requesting action and cannot ignore it. A talismanic command from the Supreme One has already been issued. We therefore ask your office to capture and expel the evil spirits of the lower realm as quickly as possible, so that the person now afflicted may recover without delay. Do not disobey or delay; on receipt of the talisman, act with urgent speed. A dedicated dispatch is hereby issued.

Please acknowledge receipt and carry this out at once. Respectfully dispatched.

Please acknowledge receipt and carry this out at once. Respectfully dispatched.

Dispatched on [year, month, day, and hour]

Signed by [surname], holder of the office

Directive to the Siming Deity

Fengdu Office of Inspection and Discipline

Issued specifically in response to the petition

Talisman

By command of the August Emperor: assign [name] and his troops of armored elite soldiers to proceed to [name]’s household and supervise and compel the Siming, the Earth Deity, and the Six Household Deities to capture the evil spirits of the lower realm causing harm. Escort them to Fengdu for detention and punishment according to the laws of the mysterious realm. Also pray that the afflicted person may recover soon. So directed.

By command of the August Emperor, assign [name] and his troops of armored elite soldiers to go to [name]’s household. Have them oversee and compel the Siming, Earth Deity, and Six Household Deities to capture the harmful evil spirits of the lower realm and escort them to Fengdu for punishment under the laws of the underworld. May the patient recover soon. Issued accordingly.

[Year, month, day, and hour]

Signed by [surname], holder of the office

Directional Reporting with the Jia-Ma Flying Talisman

When using the Jia-Ma, a paper talisman horse bearing an image of a divine general and used to send reports swiftly, the matter is reported according to direction:

Direction	Meanings related to illness and recovery, as glossed in the original
Due east	Afflicted / recovered
Due west	Difficulty / treated
Due south	Evil / harmful spirit
Due north	Afflicted by / earth
Northeast	Urgent spirit trouble / evil deity

The precise meanings assigned to these directions may vary somewhat among ritual traditions. In general, the talismans are sent in the eight directions to notify the ghosts and spirits, so that they can be captured according to the particular affliction.

Note: Proclamations, directives, dispatches, and talismans are “underworld documents” composed by Daoist priests for use in Keyi (liturgy). Invoking titles such as the Fengdu Office of Inspection and Discipline, the Siming and Six Household Deities, and the Great Emperor Who Subdues Demons, they command divine generals to capture evil spirits and cut off their source of harm so that the patient may recover. Phrases such as “carry it out with all speed” and “act with urgent speed” stress that there must be no delay.

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Interpretation

Treasured Secrets of the Dharma Ocean: A Plain-Language Interpretation

1. Signs That Reveal Whether a Talismanic Rite Has Worked

This method is used to determine whether evil spirits are causing trouble and whether a talismanic rite is effective. Observe the following signs:

• If there is movement in the southeast, it portends danger, and someone may be injured or killed.
• If there is movement in the southwest, there is no problem.
• If there is movement in the northwest, there is no problem if a vow can be fulfilled and an offering made to the Celestial Bureaucracy—the celestial judicial administration.
• If a talisman or paper money suddenly rises and then falls, this is an ominous sign; a sudden, severe illness may prove incurable.
• If a talisman passes between the rafters before the Mountain God, a vow may have been made but not yet repaid.
• If a talisman sticks to the roof ridge and remains still, the Dragon God has made no vow. If it moves, a vow has been made.
• If the talisman rises and the paper money spins, the fierce gods or mountain demons have made a vow.
• If the talisman catches fire and makes a sound, this is a sign of divine anger.
• If the talisman does not rise, the Six Spirits are unsettled, or the commander may be unwilling to set out.

2. Procedure for Performing the Rite

When the commanders are about to arrive, take one sheet of Jia-ma (a talismanic horse used to communicate with the spirits), write the talisman, and arrange it according to the four directions.

Pile money in front of the altar and place the talisman paper beneath it. Then invite the commanders. The invocation says, in essence:

“Are evil spirits present? Will the sick person live or die? Let the flying talisman reveal the answer!”

Immediately set it alight and burn it, commanding the officers and soldiers to report the outcome clearly.

This method comes from the secret rites of the Supreme Clarity General Register Office of Fengdu.

3. The Ranks of Commanders: A Register of Their Names

1. Great Sage Miao Mang Nine Uglies · Lord Wei, courtesy name Boxian

• Appearance: A blue ghost face, three golden eyes, and red hair
• Adornments: A necklace of nine skulls and an iron serpent crown
• Robes and armor: A black robe, a tied-sleeve headcloth, golden armor, and black shoes
• Mount: Seated cross-legged atop nine white boa constrictors
• Weapon: A fire sword

2. Great Sage of the Left Banned Division, Sha · Lord Jiao, courtesy name Zhongqing

• Appearance: A green ghost face, two golden eyes, and red hair
• Adornment: An iron crown
• Robes and armor: A black robe, a tied-sleeve headcloth, golden armor, and black shoes
• Weapon: A square-headed halberd

3. Great Sage of the Right Banned Division, Fa · Lord Zeng, courtesy name Yuanxi

• Appearance: A blue ghost face, two golden eyes, and red hair
• Adornment: An iron crown
• Robes and armor: A black robe, a tied headcloth, golden armor, and black shoes
• Weapon: A sword

4. Head-Severing General · Divine Official Zeng Xiao

• Appearance: A blue ghost face, two golden eyes, and red hair
• Adornments: An iron helmet and a forehead band
• Robes and armor: A black robe, white tied trousers, and leather boots
• Weapon: An executioner’s blade

5. Blood-Shedding General · Divine Official Ma Cunzhong

• Appearance: A blue ghost face and two golden eyes
• Adornments: An iron helmet and a yellow forehead band
• Robes and armor: A black embroidered robe, white tied trousers, and yellow leather boots
• Action: Holds a human head in his right hand and a Sha talisman text in his left

4. The Eight Sha Generals

Marshal Wei · given name Xi

• Appearance: An evil spirit in human form
• Adornment: A yellow headwrap
• Robes and armor: A black robe, iron armor, white tied trousers, and yellow leather boots
• Distinguishing features: A pair of swords hangs from his wrists, and flames issue from his body

Marshal Liu · given name Qiu

• Appearance: An evil spirit in human form
• Adornment: A yellow headwrap
• Robes and armor: A black robe, iron armor, white tied trousers, and yellow leather boots
• Weapon: An iron staff
• Distinguishing feature: Flames issue from his body

Marshal Wang · given name Jian

(The source text seems unfinished here and gives only the name.)

Note: This text describes a secret rite of the Daoist Fengdu school, which specializes in dealing with ghosts and adjudicating cases. The commanders’ names and appearances serve as a basis for visualization when inviting them, resembling the iconographic procedures for Buddhist guardian deities.

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Interpretation

Marshal Meng (given name E)

With a human form and the face of an evil ghost, he wears a yellow headscarf, a black robe, iron armor, white tied trousers, and yellow leather boots. He carries a bronze general’s staff and emits firelight.

Marshal Che (given name Zeng)

With a human form and the face of an evil ghost, he has a beard and wears a yellow headscarf, a black robe, iron armor, white tied trousers, and yellow leather boots. He holds a short-handled golden hammer and emits firelight.

Marshal Xia (given name Xin)

He has the head of a black water buffalo and wears iron chest armor, a narrow red divine robe, a leopard skin wrapped around him, tied trousers, and yellow leather boots. He wields an iron fork and emits firelight.

Marshal Lie (given name Kai)

He has the head of a red horse and wears iron chest armor, a short black divine robe, a tiger skin wrapped around him, tied trousers, and yellow leather boots. He wields a saw-edged blade bound with hemp and emits firelight.

Marshal Sang (given name Tong)

With a human form and the face of an evil ghost, he wears a yellow headscarf, a black robe, iron armor, white tied trousers, and yellow leather boots. He holds an iron cangue in his left hand and an iron hammer in his right, and emits firelight.

Jade Maiden of Night Light

She wears her hair in two looped buns and is dressed in blue. She holds a precious pearl and emits firelight.

Great Demon of the Five Emperors

He looks like the Lord of the Dragons and Tigers and is a general in golden armor. He holds a five-colored precious banner, above which an eagle flies spitting fire; below it are bronze snakes and iron dogs, each spitting firelight amid black clouds and mist.

Invocation Spell (Sealing Text / Northern Qi)

May Xi, Jian, E, and the numinous lords of the Five Emperors, together with the four marshals, bind and torture the spirits and ghosts. Hearing my summons, descend with utmost haste, swiftly and urgently, in accordance with the statutes of Fengdu for examining and summoning.

Verse for Combined Use

The two Dippers clearly divide the song of the Sha formula. The two forms emerge and enter, becoming the exhalation. When the Heart Moon is clear, the waist is the master; the master rises straight up through the Niwan. Fix the root position in front, and the eight marshals will encircle the altar, not many in number. Add Jiao and Zeng at the ear root, then inspect the method, carry out the punishment, and pronounce the command within the mouth.

Method

Press the tongue against the upper palate and direct the eyes upward.

Recite the minor summoning spell. Cross the hands and press downward, keeping both eyes directed upward, and visualize a skeleton. Draw in clear Qi through the nose and raise the Golden Well.

Draw one breath of clear Qi into the Dantian. Visualize yourself as the commander: red-haired and blue-bodied, wearing a black robe with the body otherwise bare, seated cross-legged atop the Nine Ugly Ones, with a skull above you, radiating awe-inspiring light.

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Interpretation

Plain Language Interpretation

(External use, continuing from the previous method)

Imagine black mist enveloping your whole body. Then visualize a red current of Qi and a black current of Qi joining between the kidneys, transforming into a golden talisman that rests within the body. Two great generals guard either side. Next, visualize Qi slowly swaying back and forth along the Jiaji and the two passes, key points on the Governing Vessel, then circulating upward to the Niwan Palace, the inner landscape at the crown of the head. The Mysterious Pearl, an image from internal alchemy, emerges like the summit of Kunlun. Visualize the golden talisman emerging through the crown of the head. The two generals emerge through the left and right eyes; the other six emerge through the remaining openings and line up before the altar.

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Internal use

This method requires sitting in the Crane posture, with one foot tucked beneath the other leg. First, exhale all the turbid Qi from your mouth, directing the breath toward the northeast, where it transforms into Mount Fengdu, the Daoist seat of the underworld. Six caverns lie beneath the mountain, surrounded by water.

Then form the Sha-wen hand seal with both hands and cross them beneath the armpits. Visualize nine great pythons coiled beneath your feet as an auspicious sign. Then see yourself seated atop the serpents with your eyes closed. Visualize a bright full moon within your heart, its light shining on the kidneys below. See the water of the kidneys reflecting the moon of the heart; in a hazy moment, this light reveals the Fengdu Palace within the inner landscape. There, blue and white Qi mingle, with more blue than black. Mysterious Qi rises from the Jiaji to the crown, transforming into eight generals. They emerge through the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and mouth, and stand before you.

Next, cross your hands and press them onto your legs. Visualize the Qi of the Yongquan points on the soles of your feet—white on the left, black on the right—emerging from the Jianjing points on your shoulders and transforming into Jiao Zeng, who stands beside each ear. Open your eyes and visualize yourself transformed into Lord Wei Zhenjun, an image of a divine enforcer commonly identified in popular belief with Xu Xun and others, seated cross-legged atop the nine pythons.

Recite the incantation silently seven times. Visualize the generals in the outer landscape of Fengdu emerging from the baleful Qi and joining with your body. Quickly sweep downward with both hands in the sword-fingers gesture. The generals merge into one and are arrayed before the altar, ready to receive your instructions and carry out their tasks.

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Secret incantation (general meaning)

The Lord of the Underworld’s command, the spirit official Lord Wei, Jiao Zeng: water and fire emerge; Yang fluids rise to receive the Emperor’s command and descend to aid the ghosts … (summon the Dark Spirit and Dark Sage; subdue evil ghosts and evil essences, calamities from flying spirits, and rebellious earth spirits). Dispatch the Ox-Head officials and summon the Yaksha spirits, regardless of distance or how recently or long ago … (followed by visualization formulas that link various syllables with the Five Phases and the times of day, such as “connect with Fire,” “gather Metal,” “connect with Wind,” and “connect with Water,” accompanied by sword-finger gestures and visualizations of the generals and officials being swept down). Capture and send them to the underworld. With urgency, by the command of the Yaksha—gather them with the mind (recite seven times).

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General register talisman

“By command of the Vast-Heavenly One,” followed by Kui, Gui, Xing, Bi, Gui, Piao, the Dipper, the celestial officials, the celestial generals … These are divine names commonly inscribed on the talisman to gather and command all the generals and officials described above.

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Interpretation

A Plain-Language Reading of a Scripture from Fahai Yizhu

The passage below is a fragment of talismans and commands used in Daoist rites for summoning spirits under Fengdu’s authority and capturing ghosts. The original book is generally printed vertically in columns; this excerpt contains line breaks and missing characters, marked with “/”. The explanation below follows the general sequence of the ritual as commonly understood, without adding or elaborating on its meaning.

I. Fengdu Commands and Formation Generals (The Ghost-Capturing Formation)

The underworld’s soldiers and the water realm’s forces, who command the myriad spirits, act on the order of the Great Emperor of Fengdu, the Daoist deity who rules the northern realm of the dead:

• Jiao Zhongqing—left formation, bind spirits or evil entities (the text uses the term “juanshen”).
• Zeng Yuanxi—right formation, bind ghosts.
• Fengdu soldiers—front unit, slay.
• Demon-beheading soldiers—rear unit, execute.

The generals at the front and rear each have their assigned duties:

• Liu Sheng—drives the golden-eyed creature (or a similar ghost-subduing being), which bites at the front.
• Shi Wen—commands venomous snakes, which burn at the rear.
• Zhao Zhengxiang—pierces the hearts of ghosts.
• Ma [character unclear]—captures ghosts and makes them state their names.

The commands are: “Capture the ghost—move swiftly! Bind the ghost—move swiftly!”

Addressing a particular ghost or spirit: “Put the ghost in chains—move swiftly! Torture the ghost—move swiftly!”

Zeng Xiao—beheads ghosts; Ma Cun—binds their feet.

Then use the Heavenly Rope, Earthly Rope, Year Rope, Month Rope, Day Rope, and Hour Rope to escort them below to Fengdu, the place where the dead are interrogated and punished.

A string of general names follows: Wei Xi, Liu [character unclear], Wang Jian, Meng E, Che Zeng, Xia Xin, Lie Kai, Sang Tong, and others. These are names of generals in the ritual; their specific duties vary somewhat across editions.

“Come from the Heavenly Gate; emerge from the Earthly Portal”—the formation appears to descend through the Heavenly Gate and come out through the Earthly Portal, an entrance to the underworld.

II. Command Talismans and the General Register

The Command-Talisman Incantation broadly means:

The General Register of the Northern Yin Realm of Fengdu leads a host of spirits and ghosts—numbering in the tens of millions, or “eighty thousand” or “a million and eighty thousand” as exaggerated ritual figures—and uses spiritual powers to capture and register them. It governs the examination and summoning of the living and the dead. All ghost souls are to obey the talisman’s command: capture and bind them, behead them, or make them leave a body, enter a body, or vanish, as the talisman directs.

“Act with urgency, as commanded by the Northern Emperor of Great Yin”—a conventional closing formula, meaning that the command is to be carried out with the urgency of the Northern Emperor’s decree.

III. The General Talisman and the Five Emperors and Four Generals

Those summoned by the General Talisman are:

Xi, Zeng, Jian, E—names of generals written with these characters—and the Numinous Lords of the Five Emperors, together with the Four Generals.

The command is: “Wind spirits, come swiftly; earth spirits, depart swiftly.” The wind spirits are to arrive and the earth spirits to disperse, or, according to some ritual commentaries, the earth spirits are to be driven away. Here the explanation follows the literal wording.

Talismans often include characters for the Eight Trigrams and the directions, along with incantatory sounds, such as: “zhuo-kan, ji-kun, [unclear]-zhen, ta-xun, jiu-zhong, jia-qian, li-dui, chi-gen, she-li, depart.” These are mostly commands assigned to Kan, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Qian, Dui, Gen, and Li: pursue swiftly, seize swiftly, bind swiftly. Regardless of size or closeness, whether spirit or ghost, malign influence or essence, all are to be driven here at once and made to manifest without delay.

It also says: “Act with urgency, as commanded by the Fengdu rite of interrogation and summoning”; “Recite the incantation and apply it to the talisman; visualize it, then direct the incantation into the Yellow-Heaven Great Demon.” The precise meaning depends on the complete text and its ritual context.

The incantation recited by Xia Xin commands pursuit, binding, and swift capture, ending with “with the utmost urgency.”

Che Zeng acts according to the Great Command of the Northern Emperor’s Kui and Gang stars, using destructive force and spiritual capture.

IV. Destructive Inscriptions, Northern Qi, and Incantatory Formulas

The destructive inscription, Northern Qi—the Yin energy of the north or the Northern Emperor’s Qi—and the incantatory formula read:

“Black Qian, wind Xun, cold Kan, ice Zhen; command Li, seize Dui, ghosts Yin, capture Kun, depart.”

The directions, Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, and trigrams are again paired with commands. Broadly, the passage gathers the destructive force of the northern Yin realm and assigns each direction a role in capturing and restraining spirits.

The Command-Talisman Incantation is then written again, with many characters used for transliteration or sound associations. The text reads: “po-luo-ni, pu-jia-ni, na-jie-she-ji-ni, ga, lou, he-chi, lou-na, ba, ji, yun, jiu, jia-po-jie-ni”—followed by “act with urgency, as …,” usually continuing with the name of a deity or a command formula.

The force of these phrases lies in their recited rhythm and visualization. They should not be forced into ordinary meanings. In plain language, they are urgent incantations used when interrogating and summoning ghosts. They are to be recited according to a teacher’s transmitted pronunciation and the altar ritual; ordinary prose cannot fully substitute for them.

Notes for Readers

1. Nature of the text: This is a fragment of ritual liturgy and talismanic incantations, not a narrative scripture. Personal names, generals’ names, and numbers often correspond to divine registers and altar diagrams.

2. Missing or unclear text: Items such as “Ma [character unclear]” and “Lie Kai” are illegible in the original printing or scan. The complete Fahai Yizhu and specialized books on Fengdu rites of interrogation and summoning may help clarify them.

3. Note on use: Modern readers are advised to approach this as a document for the study of texts and religious history. In orthodox Daoism, rites that imitate summoning or capturing spirits generally require a teacher and a ritual setting, and should not be attempted casually.

If you provide the page number or surrounding heading for this passage—for example, whether it belongs to a section on Fengdu rites of interrogation and summoning or to a particular volume on the General Talisman—I can prepare a closer, item-by-item comparison of the generals’ names and terms such as “Heavenly Rope” and “Earthly Rope.”

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Interpretation

Plain-Language Interpretation

Northern Emperor’s Great Command to Subdue and Capture Baleful Forces (Northern Emperor: a revered deity of the Northern Pole and Purple Tenuity Emperor tradition; Kui and Gang: the Kui star of the Northern Dipper and the Tiangang star, who preside over cutting down evil and punishing wrongdoing; subduing and capturing: gathering in and controlling baleful energy and malevolent spirits)

Commanding Talisman of the Spirit Horse (spirit horse: in Daoist talismanic spells, a divine mount symbolizing the dispatch of orders and troops; here, a talisman used to issue commands)

The talisman often has columns labeled with directions and divine names, for example: the Way of Heaven, the Way of Earth, and the Way of Humanity; the Moon deity of Taiyin on the right and the Sun deity of Taiyang on the left; the Twenty-Eight Mansions and the stars encircling the heavens; commands to the baleful stars; “by decree of the Great Emperor of Fengdu”; the Celestial Lords of the Three Primordial Forces; the Four Sages turning back baleful forces and carrying out their mission; divine troops of the Five Directions and nine hundred million mounted warriors; and a general proclamation to the officials who govern the Nine Prisons, commanding them to descend swiftly. In essence, the invocation calls upon the stars throughout the heavens, the Great Emperor of Fengdu (the underworld established in Daoism), the Celestial Lords of the Three Primordial Forces, and divine troops from every direction to come quickly to the ritual altar and enforce the law.

Incantation (Om chi lin mo da om mo lin da lin hong zha suo he)

This formula combines Sanskrit and Chinese sounds. It is a repeated invocation calling divine generals to descend to the altar and subdue demonic obstacles.

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Commanding-Talisman Incantation (general meaning)

True Generals of the Celestial Origin, Great Deities of the Earthly Armor, and Fierce Generals of Fengdu, valiant and mighty spirits, heed my command and swiftly unleash your divine power. To the east, as far as Fusang; to the south, as far as Jambudvipa; to the west, as far as Mani; to the north, as far as Uttarakuru: capture and subdue throughout the four great continents. Let this reach even the nearest place, within the span of an inch (the source of the mind in the present moment, or the ritual altar). Swiftly capture the evil ghosts who bring calamity and greatly manifest your divine power; respond in accordance with the rite. Act with all urgency, by the decree of the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole and Purple Tenuity, and the laws of the Great Emperor of Fengdu.

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Method of Mist Attachment (mist: vapor or fog; attachment: affixing or adhering. This refers to using mist and talismanic characters attached to water or a mediumistic child so that malevolent spirits appear or are brought under control.)

The talisman also contains several secret characters, represented in the source by symbols such as ▲; their actual transmission requires instruction from a teacher.

First method: Use the sword mudra (forming a gesture with the fingers and using them as a sword) to trace characters in the air over the water.

Another method: Again trace characters in the air over the water with the sword mudra, then draw black wind from the Gen direction (northeast) into the water, visualizing golden characters surging and flying within it. First brush the generals seated at the altar into gold paper, then have the child (often a child believed to have mediumistic abilities, serving as a messenger for the deity) hold it while standing.

Sequence of visualizations (the Daoist’s inward vision and contemplation, not something seen with the physical eyes):

1. Visualize the ▲ character on the child’s face, the character “Gui” at the child’s navel, and the ▲ character on the child’s feet.

2. Cover the child’s face loosely with a sleeve. See the child’s left eye as the sun, the right eye as the moon, and a star between the eyebrows. Make the Hai hand sign and draw in a breath. The ritual space immediately grows dark, and only the characters written earlier can be seen.

3. Next, visualize three small children in yellow clothing between the child’s navel and kidneys, emerging from the crown of the head. The practitioner makes the Zi hand sign and draws in a breath; only the character “Gui” can be seen.

4. Next, visualize white vapor between the child’s kidneys, emerging like clouds from the tip of the left foot. The practitioner makes the Zhong hand sign, sweeps a foot across to scatter it like clouds, and draws it in as well; only the ▲ character can be seen.

5. Swiftly draw in the baleful energy and blow forcefully toward the child, issuing the command: visualize seven black characters of vapor streaming from the nose into the navel, and see the child in the darkness taking on the appearance of a ghost. If the mist has not yet attached, add an Eight Trigrams talisman.

This entire ritual belongs to the Northern Emperor and Fengdu tradition of capturing and subduing baleful forces. It combines water, talismans, the sword mudra, visualization of the child’s form, and the contemplation of written characters and Qi, together with secret characters associated with the Six Jia and the earthly branches. Through these means, malevolent spirits are made to attach themselves and appear; they are then commanded and captured. The rite concludes by invoking the names of the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole and Purple Tenuity and the Great Emperor of Fengdu as the highest authority.

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Interpretation

Plain-Language Interpretation of Related Passages from Fahai Yizhu (Pearls Left in the Sea of the Dao)

Method above: Visualizing the Black Waters of the Northern Sea

First, visualize in your mind the black waters of the Northern Sea surging up. Draw them in through the gaps between your teeth, then breathe them out.

Next, visualize countless sheets of ice drawing in the water and spraying it into the air. Eight golden talismanic characters stand in the black mist, arranged in a row. The youths below cannot be seen; only the eight golden characters suspended above are visible. Then recite the command incantation:

The Ten Spirits of Taiyi govern the gates of the underworld; Fengdu’s examining blade summons souls from the Five Sacred Peaks. Black waters of the Northern Sea, come down now. Act with all haste, in accordance with the statutes!

Incantation to Urge the Seizure, Summoning, and Drawing of a Soul into a Shell

Om, wu-lun-ni-di-she; om, wu -ti-she.

Incantation for Commanding All Generals and Their Troops

Om -yun-wu-lun-mo-ni-jia-di-she.

Interrogation Incantation (used to question a possessing spirit)

Om, du-lu-du-lu-duo-du-lu-duo-duo-du-lu, svaha.

Om, mo-ni-ye-ji-she.

Incantation for the Hemp-Binding Torture

Om, hu-wu-ye -li-wu -xu-sha-she.

Incantation for the Belly-Rupturing Torture

Om, li-wu-ying-xu, hu-wu-ye -sha-she.

Incantation for the Kicking and Stretching Torture

Om, ye -ying-xu, hu-wu-li-wu-sha-she.

Incantation for the Poison-Bee Torture

Om, xu-ying-wu-li-Qi, ye-wu-hu-sha-she.

Incantation for the Tongue-Hooking Torture

Om, wu-hu-wu-li, ye -xu-ying-sha-she.

Incantation for the Waist-Breaking Torture

Om, Qi-li-ye-wu-hu-xu-wu-ying-sha-she.

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Order of Practice

When performing the rite, first use a talisman to summon and confine the spirit. State the purpose, dispatch the generals, and complete this step.

Then lay out three sheets of spirit money beside the incense burner and water bowl. The person seeking divination (the zhao) sits facing the spirit money, enters meditation according to the method, and activates its efficacy, directing that efficacy into the spirit money. Have a youth hold it and stand before the altar. After activating the efficacy, spray out a mouthful of black water so that its mist envelops the youth. Then command the youth to set down the spirit money, recite the incantation for commanding the generals, and order the officers to bring the troublesome spirit into the body for questioning. They are to carry out the task according to the stated purpose. If they delay, rewrite the Jia-ma command talisman on the master talisman to urge them on and ensure the task is completed. Once the rite is finished, confine the spirit in a bottle prison, or prepare a written dispatch to send it away.

Soul-Awakening Incantation

Yuanjun, Yuanjun, bright souls of the three spirits,
spirits return to their proper place;
quickly return to the human body.
Act with all haste, in accordance with the statutes!

At the end of the rite, gather into your own Dantian (energy center) the Qi (vital energy) of the youth’s Three Lights that the person seeking divination has inhaled: the upper light is spirit-light, the middle is yellow Qi, and the lower is white Qi. When the rite is complete, visualize this Qi as golden light, draw it up, and return it to the youth.

Note: The symbol “▲” and blank spaces in the text mark characters missing from the original book or incantation sounds that have not been fully transmitted. The plain-language interpretation retains the indication “characters missing” and does not attempt to supply them. Incantations with names such as “interrogation” refer to ritual methods for coercing a possessing or troublesome spirit to give answers. Fengdu, the Ten Spirits of Taiyi, and the Black Waters of the Northern Sea are established terms in Daoist contexts involving the underworld, water realms, and the summoning and control of spirits.

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Interpretation

Pearls Left Behind in the Sea of Rituals: A Plain-Language Interpretation

I. Guarding the Spirit and the Secret Incantation

While performing the rite, keep your spirit alert and Qi (vital energy) strong. Tap the crown of your head and call out the divine names to stay awake and clear-minded. Then recite silently:

“May the heavenly spirit’s joints flourish; may I be granted long life. The One of Great Mystery, guard my true form. Lords of the spirits of the Five Viscera, each keep your charge at peace—swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands.”

(This is a secret incantation for protecting the body and ensuring longevity. The closing phrase, “swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands,” is common in Daoist incantations and expresses the wish that they take effect with the force and speed of a binding order.)

II. The Guiding Spirit Step (a ritual step for leading the souls of the dead)

After completing the ritual steps, the ritual master guides the “Three Lights” into the Kan Palace, follows the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) steps to the Xun position, then turns and steps the Three Terraces. Facing the Gate of Heaven, the master reports to Taiyi (a revered Daoist deity associated with creation and salvation) and requests authorization. After reciting Taiyi’s name eighty-one times, the master performs the Seven Stars step… then turns toward the Earth’s Gate and commands the Night-Luminous Jade Maiden and the Five Emperors’ Great Demons to carry banners, break open the prisons, and rescue the souls of the dead.

Incantation for Summoning the Night-Luminous Jade Maiden (parts of the incantation are missing; the following gives its general meaning)

Visualize the green Qi in the gallbladder transforming into a jade maiden dressed in blue-green robes, holding a luminous pearl. She emerges from the left eye, and her light shines into the dark prisons of the underworld, illuminating and breaking open its cells.

Incantation for Summoning the Five Emperors’ Great Demons (parts of this incantation are also missing)

Visualize the white Qi in the lungs transforming into a general clad in golden armor, holding a five-colored jeweled banner. He points it straight at the prison gate and leads the souls of the dead out.

During the rite, one may also recite the Golden Light Incantation, spreading the golden light into a bridge to guide the dead across. Alternatively, the deity may enter a child medium, acting as circumstances require.

III. An Alternative Method of Practice

When performing this method, the master first steps the Nine-Palace Expansive Dipper, a ritual step and formula organized around the positions of the Northern Dipper and the Nine Palaces. The master then forms hand seals and visualizes a transformed body, silently reciting the incantation for transforming into a deity:

“I respectfully summon the Fengdu Marshal Nezha. Quickly conceal my body and transform it into your form—swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands.”

(The meaning is to ask Marshal Nezha of Fengdu to conceal the practitioner’s appearance and manifest the form of a divine general.)

Dipper formula: Ge (Yin), Zheng (Chou), Ji (Zi), Guang (Dui), Chong (Kun), Wei (Li), Wen… This right-hand formula is a baleful script. Make the formula with each hand three times to seal and protect the body.

Incantation for Summoning the Generals (summoned with incense burning and the gates closed):

“Now, with incense burning, I summon: the chief marshal, Han; Marshal Ai of the Inner Terrace; the head-chopping, blood-shedding generals Zeng and Ma; the two spirit officials Jiao and Zeng; the two Perfected Lords; Marshal Guan of the Scarlet-Haired Radiant Spirit; Wei, Liu, Wang, Meng, Che, Xia, Lie, and Sang, the Eight Baleful Generals; the seventy-two spirits of examination; the demon kings of the Three Caverns and Six Palaces; and all prison officers, jailers, and divine troops, including those who raise souls and descend upside down. Let each take up the implements of the prison, line up on either side, and heed my commands.”

Further Summoning (summoning weapons, instruments of punishment, and the numinous lords of the Five Emperors; many characters in the original are missing):

“…copper fetters, blades… the numinous lords of the Five Emperors… [names of various prison implements]… Spirits and demons, hearing my summons, descend at once in numinous form. I act under the command of the Great Emperor of Fengdu.”

Note: This passage belongs to a liturgy for breaking open the prisons of Fengdu and summoning the souls of the dead. It combines ritual steps, visualization, and incantation. The marked gaps in the original indicate missing characters; some incantation sounds and names of implements can no longer be read in full. The translation above follows common liturgical wording and the surrounding context. Deity names such as Taiyi, the Great Emperor of Fengdu, the Night-Luminous Jade Maiden, and the Five Emperors’ Great Demons are understood within the Daoist tradition of the underworld and salvation of the dead; no further meaning has been added.

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Interpretation

Plain-Language Interpretation

With the right hand, pinch the “Sha inscription” and draw in northern Qi

With the right hand, pinch and hold the “Sha inscription”—a talismanic spell or formula for subduing harmful forces—while drawing in Qi from the north.

Three Summonings

I respectfully summon the ritual officers who drive away evil from all directions, together with the officials and officers of Fengdu, to come and seize, bind, and interrogate the Eight Sha Generals.

Also summoned are the stocks and cangues, iron staffs, golden locks, golden hammers, the Supreme One’s Pillar of the Underworld, golden eagles, venomous snakes, great pengs, and the envoys of the fierce generals. Let them all come together.

I also summon the officials in charge of the seventy-two departments, including those who seize heads and drain blood, as well as all jailers and divine troops within and beyond the prisons. Let them follow me to every place to capture ghosts and spirits.

By my command, first suspend and bind them, then investigate and question them about their origins. Interrogate and examine them according to the law, carry out the prescribed measures, and bind them swiftly for presentation. This is an urgent command under the laws governing Fengdu’s summons and interrogation.

After completing the summons, pinch the Sha inscription again and draw in northern Qi.

Methods

The jade-green moon shines upon the cold pool

Om, qi, ji, fu… [spell syllables]. Seize.

After reciting this spell seven times, draw in a mouthful of northern Qi and swallow it. In the mind, visualize the bright moon shining over the cold pool of Kidney Water. The pool is clear, and the moon is reflected in it.

A hall appears within the pool, and inside the hall is the character “▲” (a character used for visualization, represented by a symbol in the original).

Raise this character from the eyes and send it forth. It transforms into two generals, who stand on the left and right and are commanded by the Nine Ugly Spirits.

Black wind blows through the Xun gate

Om, zha, zhuo, ji… Seize with Sha.

After reciting this spell seven times, draw in northern Qi. Visualize several hundred paper offerings within golden light. The character “▲” appears, coming from the northeast, and is drawn into the eyes.

It transforms into golden light and is written upon talisman paper. Have a boy attendant hold it upright before the altar. Write “Overseeing and Attaching Spirit” in empty script on both sides—the name of the spirit general who watches over and possesses a person.

Golden essence flies from behind the elbow

Om, ji, lu… Command; seize with Sha.

After reciting this spell seven times, visualize the ground behind the left elbow and fix the gaze upon it. Open it with a sword, and see black wind surge forth from the character “shan.” Draw it into a water bowl; it transforms into black wind that fills the air and commands the boy attendant.

Lift it upside down above the golden well

Om… ti. Command; seize with Sha.

After reciting this spell seven times, draw in a mouthful of northern Qi and swallow it down to the Dantian (energy center). The character “sha” appears in Kidney Water. Raise it to the eyes, where it transforms into various generals who emerge before the altar. They are sent out to drive away and interrogate ghosts and spirits.

Wind and thunder strike the earthly gate

Om… Shen-ta, Shen-Sha, Shen-Di. Seize.

After reciting this spell seven times, draw in a mouthful of southern Qi and swallow it. In the mind, transform it into sunlight and raise it until it joins with Kidney Water. The body becomes as cold as ice. It rises through the paired gates along the spine.

Using the thunder formation, guide it from the waist and kidneys past both ears, producing the sound of wind and thunder. Send out the character “jue” together with the thunder formation to strike open the earthly gate—the entrance to the underworld—and summon the generals.

Note: This text belongs to the Fengdu summons-and-interrogation liturgy. “Northern Qi” and “southern Qi” refer to Qi drawn in according to direction. The “Sha inscription” and “thunder formation” are implements or prescribed movements used in ritual practice. The symbol “▲” and the spell syllables were often transmitted orally within lineages; the translation follows the wording continuously without changing its meaning.

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Interpretation

Plain-Language Interpretation

The Officials and Generals of the Commandery Governor Ai’s Bureau Pursue, Seize, and Destroy a Great Evil Spirit

Next, recite the spell for summoning and attaching spirits

Recite the spell using characters assigned to the twelve earthly branches. Each character corresponds to one branch; these are Daoist coded terms:

• Bing (zi), cuan (chou), jia (yin), kao (mao), beng (chen), yu (si)
• Huo (wu), wa (wei), diao (shen), zhan (you), she (xu), zhe (hai)

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Spell for Summoning and Attaching a Departed Soul

Mingming xuanxuan hongcheng [summon]

Recite this spell seven times, then recite:

Black smoke, evil poison; set the Golden Essence in motion.

After reciting the spell, visualize:

First, bring forth Chexia (the name of a divine general) and have him stand on the left and right. Then visualize a moon, as large as a house, in the heart, with the Night-Light Jade Maiden clearly visible within it. Next, visualize a Jade Maiden holding a black banner with golden characters, coming from the north to stand before you and convey her intention.

When this is complete, bring forth the Jade Maiden in the moon and the Jade Maiden of the north, and merge them into one. Together with the two generals, they proceed straight to the Xun gate (the Xun direction corresponds to wind and is also the direction of the prison gate). Using the banner as an instrument, they open the prison gate. All the gods bow their heads, and the Jade Maiden enters with the two generals. In an instant, visualize the Jade Maiden holding a yellow banner with black characters, leading the departed person out. The generals and their troops come before you to guard them. Draw in the departed soul and blow it onto the banner to attach it to a person, then hold it upright.

Next, take in a mouthful of ghost Qi, visualize the departed soul again, and blow it onto the young attendant’s body.

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Talisman for the Small Gathering Altar

The talisman is customarily inscribed with, or paired with, phrases such as:

(Xiujia / Jian’e) (Five Emperors / numinous lords) (Zengxin / Kaizhong) (bind and examine / ghosts and souls)

(pursue and seize / departed soul) (summon the departed / use this) (wind gods arrive swiftly / earth gods depart swiftly) (heavenly rope / bind to the earth)

(fire / summon) (Three Officials and Five Emperors / their command now takes effect)

(The exact forms of the characters vary by textual version; these phrases give the general meaning of the talisman.)

When the talisman is complete, recite the Golden Light Spell three times, infuse it with Qi, and burn it before the altar.

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Spell for Empowering the Talisman

Om (Kan), zha (Kun), zhuo (Zhen), ji (Xun), [sound unclear] (center), ta (Qian), [sound unclear] (Dui), li (Gen), command!

Evil spirits, be seized! (Li / emerge)

(The sounds are matched to the Bagua directions. This spell commands the evil spirits to seize ghosts.)

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Great General Talisman

The general meaning of the talisman’s inscriptions is:

(Xiujia / Jian’e) (Five Emperors / numinous lords) (together with the four generals / examine and bind ghosts and spirits)

(wind gods arrive swiftly / earth gods depart swiftly) (zhuo ji, Pan Tuo / Lan spirits seize) (pursue swiftly, capture swiftly / bind swiftly without exception)

(This great talisman gathers and pursues the departed and examines and binds ghosts and spirits. It is used together with the officials and generals of the bureau, and the wind and earth gods.)

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Explanation: This passage belongs to a liturgy for pursuing, seizing, and destroying a great evil spirit, and for summoning and attaching a departed soul. It begins with coded terms for the earthly branches, the spell for summoning and attaching spirits, and instructions such as “black smoke, evil poison; set the Golden Essence in motion.” These are combined with visualizations of Chexia, the Night-Light Jade Maiden, and the opening of the prison gate in the Xun direction. The departed soul is led before the altar and attached to a young attendant or a banner. The Small Gathering Altar Talisman, the spell for empowering the talisman, and the Great General Talisman are then burned, accompanied by commands for the wind and earth gods to arrive swiftly, as well as references to heavenly ropes and earthly fire, to gather and control the ghosts and spirits. “The officials and generals of the bureau of Governor Ai” names the system of divine generals summoned in the liturgy; it is not a factual record of historical government officials.

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Interpretation

A Plain Language Interpretation of The Lost Pearl of the Dharma Sea

Summoning Fengdu, Using Talismans, Command Tablets, and Ritual Seals (excerpt)

Whether great or small, malevolent spirits or relatives, summon them swiftly and make them possess the body swiftly—hurry, in accordance with the statutes and commands for interrogation and summoning in Fengdu.

The talisman on the right (with the “subduing baleful forces” hand seal): Form the hand seal according to the subduing baleful forces formula and draw in northern Qi (vital energy from the north). Visualize the Eight Generals within the talisman, then recite the incantation for consecrating it.

The general meaning of the Fengdu summoning incantation: Spirits of Fengdu, spirits of Fengdu, come down at once! Golden hammers whirl wildly, iron staffs cross and clash. Put on the cangue, put on the stocks, bind and seize them. Kin or stranger, it makes no difference: bind them swiftly and bring them before the altar to be presented. Demon Kings of Fengdu, gather at the ritual site and reveal your forms. Obey my ritual command: bind them swiftly and bring them here—hurry, in accordance with the statutes and commands for interrogation and summoning in Fengdu.

Using the command tablet and ritual seal

When the ritual master performs the rite: First focus the mind behind the left elbow. Direct the gaze of both eyes toward the tip of the nose and draw forth white and black Qi. Turn back to look behind the right elbow and visualize a stream of black Qi rising to join it; feel a whistling wind. Draw it in with the breath, hold it in the mouth, and blow Qi onto the ritual seal and command tablet forty-nine times.

When using a young medium (a spirit medium): Combine this Qi with northern Qi as well, hold a mouthful of water, and spray it onto the child.

Note: This text belongs to the Daoist Fengdu ritual tradition of interrogation and summoning. Its language largely takes the form of urgent commands and formal injunctions. “Eight Generals,” “northern Qi,” and the “subduing baleful forces” formula are common concepts in talismanic practice and the summoning of generals. This is a documentary record, provided only for studying the context of classical texts; the ritual practice should not be imitated.

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