《法海遺珠》Vol. 40

Pearls Left Behind in the Sea of Dao (Fahai Yizhu), Volume Forty, Section Seven

The Secret Method of the Swift Dispatch of the Six Ones

Chief General

The Thunderbolt’s Direct Talisman of the Six Ones, Swift Dispatch and Response, Zhang the Envoy, named Yuanbo: He has a red face and wears a cross-footed futou (a headcloth with two ends crossed over the head), a yellow forehead band, golden armor, a short robe with narrow sleeves, and a wind cloak. He wears fluttering sashes and tied trousers, green boots, and holds a battle-axe. He arrives riding lightning and fiery radiance.

Names of the Six Ding Spirits

All six spirits share the same appearance: ghostlike forms, pig snouts, fleshy wings beside their mouths, purple hair, golden eyes, and naked red bodies. They wear golden bracelets on their wrists and ankles, golden flower ornaments on their foreheads, fleshy horns, and white crowns. They wear crimson wind cloaks and green fluttering sashes. In the left hand they hold an official document; in the right, a black banner bearing the golden characters “By decree, summon the Thunder Spirits.” The banner’s lower end streams toward the Xun direction (southeast). They fly down from the Xun position amid golden lightning and fiery radiance.

Summoning Incantation

The Thunder Generals of the Five Thunders transform into a thousand perfected beings, driving the lightning, sending fire forth, and moving the clouds. Qi descends from the five directions, swiftly driving the thunderbolts. I now summon you: come straight to the ritual altar and obey my commands. Swiftly, swiftly—by the decree of the True King of Jade Purity, hasten in accordance with the laws of thunder and fire.

Key Points for Performing the Rite

After reciting the incantation, when summoning the Six Ones, proceed as follows:

1. First, breathe out one mouthful of precelestial Qi, visualizing Heaven and Earth as a formless chaos, unified in a mass of red.

2. Next, exhale one mouthful of lung Qi, golden in color, to break open the chaos. Direct the gaze westward: Taiyi is in the southwest, in the Kun position. Use the method of transforming a golden bridge: surge outward from the nose and connect with the Xun portal.

3. Then see Taiyi above. In a hazy vision, unite with the envoy as one. Descend by the golden bridge and stand amid lightning and fiery radiance, ready to obey commands.

When drawing a talisman, have the envoy inhale Qi into it. When dealing with a malign spirit, hold the axe; when summoning thunder, wield the banner. Both banner and axe are transformations of Taiyi’s sword. The envoy takes shape from astral Qi and merges with Taiyi in transformation.

Secret Summoning Incantations for Each of the Six Ding Envoys

Om om, shake and tremble! Swiftly summon the Dingmao Swift Dispatch Envoy Shang De, Na-da-nu.

(The other five Ding envoys each have their own corresponding secret incantation, following the same pattern.)

Plain-language interpretation of Pearls Left Behind in the Sea of Dharma

“The might of the celestial spirit, the power of iron armor and flying lightning: may the Six Ding follow the fire and drive away evil with fierce speed. Hasten and obey the command!”

(Meaning: By invoking the might of the celestial spirit and the power of iron armor and flying lightning, the Six Ding deities are commanded to travel with the fire and swiftly drive away evil. Hasten and carry out the command!)

“Om, om! Shake and thunder! Urgently summon the Flying Swift Messenger Ma Guangduo of Dingchou. By command: let the flying fires of the Six Heavens descend in form, patrol the Three Realms, and make ghosts and demons vanish. Hasten and obey the command!”

“Om, om! Shake and thunder! Urgently summon the Flying Swift Messenger He Yantong of Dinghai. By command: Celestial soldiers and mighty warriors, Thunder deities, heed this order. Let flying fires from the five directions carry out the alliance’s authority. Hasten and obey the command!”

“Om, om! Shake and thunder! Urgently summon the Flying Swift Messenger Bian Chengxi of Dingyou. By command: let the celestial might of the Six Ding, the essence of thunder and fire, send out talismans and seals, and slay ghosts and devour spirits. Hasten and obey the command!”

“Om, om! Shake and thunder! Urgently summon the Flying Swift Messenger Li Cong’e of Dingwei. By command: let the Six Ding and Six Jia, forms of thunder and fire, slay demons and break evil, and carry out the order. Hasten and obey the command!”

“Om, om! Shake and thunder! Urgently summon the Flying Swift Messenger Zhang Congzheng of Dingsi. By command: spirits of the Six Ding and swift Lords of Thunder, wherever the Terrace Stars appear, act swiftly and carry out the order. Hasten and obey the command!”

After reciting the above incantations, visualize inwardly the Six-One Flying Swift Messengers—that is, the various deities of the Six Ding. In Daoist practice and occult arts, the Six Ding are divine generals associated with the Heavenly Stems called Ding, and are often invoked together with the Six Jia. Each governs one ten-day period, and together they are called the Venerable Deities of Heavenly Joy.

Secret incantation:

Heavenly Lord, Heavenly Mother, Heavenly Messenger, Heavenly Joy, Heavenly Maiden, Heavenly Grandson: Six-One Heavenly Joy, obey the command of the Supreme One’s Lady of Primordial Origin in the Purple Void.

(This incantation names the Four Deities of Yin-Yang Thunder. They must be summoned silently; this is a highly secret practice.)

Incantation:

Daughter of the Lord of Thunder, granddaughter of thunder and fire, entering and leaving Heaven and Earth, coming and going across Kunlun. The Celestial Emperor commands me; the divine seal is ever present. I drive the thunder ghosts and bid them rush through the clouds. Hasten and obey the command!

Talisman of the Six-One Messengers (key points for making the talisman):

Using the Qi of the Celestial Dipper, taken from the direction of the Northern Dipper’s Celestial Dipper, write the names inside the dots. Arrange the positions according to the Five Phases, Kui (the Celestial Kui Star), and other positions. The Zi-Wu and Yin-Wu Dipper patterns correspond to the star positions of Tanlang, Jumen, Lucun, Wenqu, Lianzhen, Wuqu, and Pojun. Write phrases such as “Reverently Honored Precious Wheel” and “Command the spirit to capture.”

The Left-Hand Messenger Yang Ruming, associated with Qingyang; the Right-Hand Messenger Geng Miaozhen, associated with Tuoluo.

The text as a whole belongs to Daoist Thunder Rites for summoning and dispatching the Six Ding and Six Jia. It first invokes the five Flying Swift Messengers—Dingchou, Dinghai, Dingyou, Dingwei, and Dingsi—using “Om, om! Shake and thunder!”, their names, and Sanskrit-like endings such as “danu.” After the incantations, the practitioner visualizes the Six Ding dividing up the ten-day periods and bearing the title Venerable Deities of Heavenly Joy. The text also includes a secret incantation, a formula associated with the Lord of Thunder, and notes on visualization, writing the talisman, and the names of the messengers associated with the left and right hands. Practice and talisman making require the complete text and instruction from a master; this passage only clarifies the wording and should not be attempted independently.

This passage comes from a Daoist Thunder Rites ritual for summoning thunder and driving away evil. It describes the full procedure: drawing talismans, guiding Qi, reciting incantations, and writing an official summons to call the generals of the Thunder Division. The following is a plain-language account of its meaning.

Talismans and Qi circulation

As you step into position with your left foot, recite, “Command of the Lord of the Sun”; as you step with your right foot, recite, “Command of the Lord of the Moon.” This means invoking the authority of the Lords of the Sun and Moon to command thunder and lightning—to wield the power of the Thunder Division—and to destroy demons and evil spirits. Then invoke Tianyi and Taiyi, supreme titles in Daoist thunder rites associated with the Celestial Emperor and the exalted deity Taiyi. Recite, “May heavenly thunder rise swiftly, dragon thunder rise swiftly, divine thunder rise swiftly, water thunder rise swiftly, and thunder of the Earth Altar command rise swiftly,” summoning the various kinds of thunder in accordance with the ritual.

Establishing the Thunder Formation and infusing the Xun direction with Gang Qi: Arrange the Thunder Formation by direction at the thunder altar, then direct Gang Qi—the forceful, righteous energy used in cultivation or ritual—toward the Xun direction, associated with wind in the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and often linked with thunder.

Write the talisman in black ink on yellow paper. Draw in a breath of Tiangang Qi, the firm, yang energy symbolized by the stars of the Celestial Dipper, then exhale it onto the talisman or toward the altar. Next, circulate white Qi, the pure inner energy, from the Yuan Palace, usually referring to the Dantian or central palace. Form the sound “xi” in the lungs and breathe it out to fill the ritual space. Visualize an emissary transformed from Taiyi arriving in response to the omen, with a flash of fire flying into the Qi of the Xun direction before your eyes. Then establish the Golden Bridge, a ritual symbol that connects Heaven and humanity and opens a path for thunder. Open the Xun gate, and the emissary transformed from Taiyi descends amid thunderfire and lightning.

Next, recite the secret body-protection incantation, which protects the practitioner and summons the Six Ding and Six Jia:

Its general meaning is: Command the Six Ding, guardian generals of Daoism, to enter and leave the netherworld, move mountains and dam seas, and work without pause, day or night. Capture demons and spirits alive. Let thunder roar and lightning strike; let drought demons, dark mists, and evil spirits all be destroyed. The final phrase is a formula such as “Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes.”

Incantation commanding the summoning of thunder

Its general meaning is: “Emissaries of the Six-One and exalted deity Tianxi, you are heavenly officials, the fiery Black Fiends, generals of thunder and fire. Today I summon you. Bear the talismanic command and official notice to the Xun Palace, the place of wind and thunder, and summon Yuanbo, one of the great deities of the Thunder Division. Reveal your divine power greatly; hasten, hasten, and rush swiftly among the clouds.” It concludes with the command of the Emperor.

Incantation commanding the subjugation of evil

Its general meaning is: “Spirits of Heaven and Earth, carry out the Emperor’s command. Swift-flying emissaries, official runners and soldiers, heavenly warriors, the mighty ones, the Six Jia and Six Ding, and the deities of the heavenly, earthly, and watery courts, together with the City Gods: receive my talismanic command and carry it out at once. Seize and arrest rebellious ghosts; pound evil spirits to dust; capture their entire band without exception or mercy. Those who resist will face Heaven’s established punishment.” The final phrase is, “Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the Emperor’s command.”

General commanding incantation

Its general meaning is: “Spirits of Heaven and Earth, let thunderlight kindle fire, let clouds gather and thunder and lightning arise, and send down the heavenly warriors. Answer my words at once; answer my voice at once. Whoever defies my spoken command or opposes Shangqing, act swiftly in accordance with the Emperor’s command.”

Official notice format

Title: Office of Thunder Administration, the central bureau of the Thunder Division.

The body of the notice means: “On the basis of the matter reported, this office issues an official notice for the action to be carried out at the appointed time. Now that the appointed time has arrived, a summons must be expedited, and this formal notice is therefore issued.”

“By this notice” is the conventional closing formula.

The deities named in the notice are the Six-One Official Runner, Swift-Flying Emissary, and Exalted Deity Tianxi, together with the general in charge of the relevant ten-day period. In thunder rites, generals are assigned to command thunder during particular ten-day periods. The manuscript’s wording here means the thunder general on duty for that period.

Note: The original combines talismanic designs, ritual steps, visualization, and spoken incantations. A plain-language account can explain only the ritual’s structure and the general meaning of its incantations. The procedure should be performed only according to the complete liturgy and a teacher’s transmission; it should not be attempted independently on the basis of an excerpt.

Urgent Dispatch Document (Model)

A certain deity is to hasten to the Xun Palace (Xungong) of the Bagua (Bagua), which governs the southeast and the positions of wind and thunder, to report how a certain matter has been fulfilled. This dispatch is issued accordingly.

Issued on a certain day, month, year, and hour.

The official holding the post (state the title) named (state the name) affixes the signature.

When issuing a dispatch to summon, the document must specify the location where the Thunder Altar (leitan) is to be established, and fix a certain hour and moment by which vast dark clouds are to be spread, thunderbolts widely unleashed, great yang thunder sounded, true fire sent down, and heavy rain poured forth, so as to make the response clearly manifest.

Relay Horse Direction (transformed into a talisman): The direction of summons is set by the day's stems and branches. On days of Shen, Zi, and Chen, face the direction of Yin (east-northeast). On days of Hai, Mao, and Wei, face the direction of Si (southeast). On days of Yin, Wu, and Xu, face the direction of Shen (southwest). On days of Si, You, and Chou, face the direction of Hai (northwest).

The principle is this: according to the presiding day spirit of each ten-day cycle (xunzhi), summon in the direction where the current day resides. The positions of Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai are the lodgings of the Thunder Lord, whose abode is the Wing constellation (Yi xiu, among the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the home of the thunder deity). When summoning the thunder hosts, perform the Pacing of the Dipper (jiagang bu, the ritual stepping pattern that follows the Dipper), and then issue the talisman and set out. In grave emergencies, one may recite the following sacred title:

"The Most High Purple Void Primal Lady arrives with urgency."

The principle is this: conduct the sacrifice as usual, but first send forth the primal spirit (yuanshen, the practitioner's consciousness rising free of the body) to silently petition the Great One Lord Taiyi, and only then carry out the orders according to the rite.

Talisman of the Six Ding Envoys

The envoys are the Ding Mao, Ding Chou, Ding Hai, Ding You, Ding Wei, and Ding Si envoys.

Write these six talismans in cinnabar on yellow paper, inscribing the name of the envoy of the present ten-day cycle within each talisman circle. After they are stored, seal the talismans by daubing them with the incantation "Wei Wei Han Han" (Wei wei han han).

Incantation for the Sealing Talisman

Heaven is round and earth is square; the six pitch-pipes and nine chapters govern all. Wherever the divine talisman arrives, myriad ghosts hide and submit. Let the Six Ding come forth swiftly, responding and transforming as the Kuigang (Kuigang, the stars of the Dipper's bowl). Swift, swift, as the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady commands.

Method of Sacrifice

Perform the rite on a dark evening under the heavens. Facing the Dipper (chaodou, beneath the Northern Dipper), take the direction indicated by the Dipper's handle (tiangang) and, at about the hour of Zi (around midnight), spread a clean mat on the ground and set up the spirit seats. When the sacrifice is complete, the master dons a black robe, holds a sword, lets his hair fall loose, goes barefoot, and sends forth his primal spirit to silently petition the Great One Lord Taiyi. Then he transforms his spirit (bianshen, visualizing oneself becoming a divine general) and silently recites the Tianpeng incantation seven times, visualizing the body transforming into Tianpeng. He stands in the center of the Nine Star Pacing, first summoning the Envoy Zhang and ordering him to deliver the dispatch. Once the Six Yi Spirits (the Six Ding and Six Jia) have burned the talisman of Envoy Zhang, he then summons the Six Ding Envoys according to the rite, silently chanting the incantation "Wei Wei Han Han," burning the six talismans, calling each envoy by name in turn, and carrying out the sacrifice as prescribed.

Ritual Closing and Talismanic Forms

After the full sequence of the rite has been completed, the used paper ash, tea, wine, and offerings are buried in the earth at the Xun direction (the southeast), and a sword is set upright in the ground above them to hold them in place. On the following day, the hair is taken and the spirits dispatched according to the method. Whenever summoning officials or drawing talismans, this procedure is followed.

The front of the talisman bears the Liu Yi Shen Fu (Six-One Divine Talisman), a type of secret talisman common in Daoist practice. The back bears the name Zhang Shizhe (Envoy Zhang), one of the Swift Dispatch Envoys of the Ding Si decade (Dingsi xun).

When performing the sacrifice and writing talismans, blood may be drawn from a rooster's comb with a needle and mixed with powdered cinnabar (chenshā) to make the ink for drawing the talisman.

When ascending the altar for the sacrifice or writing talismans, one person of pure and abstinent conduct (jingjie, body and mind purified and precepts kept) must stand attending nearby. Children, the elderly, Buddhist monks and nuns, women, the six domestic animals, and anyone suffering from a severe contagious illness must not be allowed to see the rite.

Offerings to Each Deity

For the Swift Dispatch Envoy Shang of the Ding Mao year, the offerings are wine, rice dishes, fruit, paper, candles, banners, incense, dried venison, and straw sandals. For the Swift Dispatch Envoy Ma of the Ding Chou year, they are wine, rice dishes, fish, fruit, paper banners, candles, dried venison, and straw sandals. For the Swift Dispatch Envoy He of the Ding Hai year, they are wine, rice dishes, fruit, paper, candles, banners, flowers, dried venison, and straw sandals.

For the Nine Heavens Taiyi Yuebei Thunder Lord (Jiutian Taiyi Yuebei Leijun), the offerings are wine, fruit, tea, a seal, a sword, a mirror, and incense and candles, together with the Thunder Summoning Banner issued by imperial command (chìzhào Leishen qi), and the sacrifice is made with these.

For the Swift Dispatch Envoy Bian of the Ding You year, the offerings are wine, rice dishes, fruit, paper, a sheep's head, banners and candles, dried venison, and straw sandals. For the Swift Dispatch Envoy Li of the Ding Wei year, they are wine, rice dishes, fruit, paper, a rooster, banners, flowers, dried venison, and straw sandals. For the Swift Dispatch Envoy Zhang of the Ding Si year, they are wine, rice dishes, fruit, paper, candles, banners, incense, dried venison, and straw sandals.

Altar Arrangement

All the above offerings are laid out on a clean mat. The officiant sits facing the Heavenly Gate and with their back to the Earth Gate (chaotian men, beidi hu), meaning the seating follows the orientation of the altar. The Master performs the rite with their back to the Heavenly Gate and facing the Xun Gate in the southeast.

The seven deities' tablets are all placed in yellow paper covers, with the names of the deities written in black ink. The summoning banner and the six deity banners are inscribed in vermilion on black banners. The cover for each envoy of a given decade bears the inscription "Swift Dispatch Envoy of the Ding X decade." Among the Heavenly Joy Venerable Deities, Envoy Zhang has no tablet. Instead, the Master visualizes him in the Xun direction and addresses that direction, with the heart turned to the southeast and no physical tablet set up.

Summoning the Four Duty Officials

The talismans for summoning the four Duty Officials (gongcao) are the Year Duty Talisman, the Month Duty Talisman, the Day Duty Talisman, and the Hour Duty Talisman.

Summoning Incantation (General Sense)

By imperial command, the Year, Month, Day, and Hour Duty Officials, together with the talisman messengers and other spirits, are summoned to open the roads, to pass out of the dark realms and into the underworld, and to reach the three realms and the netherworld. The talisman summons them urgently, so that they may respond to the mysterious powers, and they are urgently offered up in accordance with the imperial statutes and decree of the Supreme Emperor (Shangdi lǜling chì).

Great Divine Road-Opening Talisman

The text separately records a road-opening talisman, to be used in conjunction with the summoning incantation above.

Note

Several of the characters in the original text, which here appear as a string of unusual, rare glyphs, are mainly taboo characters and talisman cores (fu dan) in Daoist liturgy. They have been corrupted in transmission, so their specific written forms are omitted here, and only their sense is retained: the summoning of the merit officials, the talisman messengers, and the opening of the way. For a closer comparison with a particular edition of the Fahai Yizhu, the page numbers would need to be checked against that edition.

This scripture records a Thunder Ritual summoning ceremony in Daoist practice, focusing on how to invoke the Fire Thunder Envoy Zhang Yuanbo (a major deity of the Thunder Department). The core contents are as follows:

First, the ritual master must follow the command of the Jade Clarity True King of Divine Empyrean (a revered Daoist deity), summoning the Thunder Department gods through specific incantations. It mentions "the Great Fire God Deng of Sudden Flame" (the primary fire deity of the Thunder Department) and "the Five Thunder Envoys" (deities governing thunder from five directions), using the "Zi-Wu Hand Seal" (a Daoist mudra gesture) combined with mantras to mobilize cosmic forces.

The text then details the process of summoning Envoy Zhang Yuanbo: The master must first recite purification chants, offer incense to ancestral masters, then perform the "Divine Transformation" ritual (assuming a deity's form) while chanting summoning mantras. The incantations employ the Eight Trigrams (Dui, Gen, Li, Kan etc.) to harness natural forces—using the Li Trigram to ride fire wheels, the Zhen Trigram to generate thunderclaps—ultimately invoking the envoy to descend swiftly on fiery clouds astride a flaming dragon.

The scripture repeatedly emphasizes the phrase "urgently as by divine decree" (a Daoist command formula meaning immediate execution), demanding instant response from thunder deities under penalty of celestial law. It concludes with heart mantras and secret spells—special phonetic combinations believed to possess thunder-summoning power, capable of commanding "thunder chariots" to mobilize and "lightning" to manifest.

The entire ceremony embodies the Thunder Method's principle of "resonance through Qi (vital energy)," combining specific incantations, hand seals, and internal cultivation to summon thunder deities and command lightning. Envoy Zhang Yuanbo serves as a key Thunder Method deity specializing in swift retribution and punishing evil while rewarding good.

The passage below sets out the chants, talisman names, and instructions for use in the thunder-rite (Leifa) petitioning and warding rituals recorded in the Fahai Yizhu (Pearls Left in the Sea of the Dharma). The original is dense with talisman-core (fudan) terms, directional and hour markers, and bracketed annotations, so this rendering follows the sequence of what is done, how it is prepared, and when it is applied.

The sequence of thunder momentum, keyed to the earthly branches, begins with the third stage, "Thunderous Roar," paired with the yin hour. The fourth stage, "Shaking the Four Quarters," is paired with the mao hour, and the fifth, "Sand Flying and Stones Rolling," with the chen hour. The sixth, "Violent Winds and Crashing Thunderbolts," is paired with an hour marked in the note as ji, though that annotation is unclear. These phrases describe the symbolic stages of thunder manifestation, which the officiant visualizes or uses to time the rite.

For summoning the thunder, the text gives a formula: "I, by the decree of the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi) and the Edict of the Primal Beginning, and by the command of the Great Thunder Ancestor (Leizu Dada), establish the altar and summon the Envoys of the Prior-Heaven Thunder Office (Xiantian Leibu Shizhe)." This is followed by a string of thunder chants, seed syllables such as "ong" and "hong," and commands such as "Thunder Envoys, descend swiftly." Talismans bear the label "issue the talisman command." A note adds that the talisman's form or core has a particular structure, described as a "top radical resembling a mountain, with a four-stroke tail," and calls this the "marrow of the thunder's essence," meaning the central secret structure of the talisman.

A single talisman type can serve several purposes, as the bracketed notes indicate. These include summoning rain, summoning clear weather, halting wind and rain, subduing (suppressing evil spirits or malignant forces), summoning thunder, and conveying memorials to the celestial court. The same talisman formula can be assigned to different uses depending on added marks, characters inside the talisman body, and the command that is spoken.

The Nine-Character Numinous Sections consist of three passages of nine characters each. Many characters are archaic or borrowed in form, and each passage is used for a distinct goal. One passage is used for rain-petitioning, and its characters depict clouds and vapor. A second is used for requesting clear skies, and its characters depict fire and sunlight. A third is used for subduing malignant forces, and its characters name demonic spirits. In practice, the officiant selects the nine-character passage that matches the purpose of the rite.

The Seasonal Talismans give numerical formulas or secret permutations. In spring the numbers are 4-9-2, 3-5-7, and 8-1-6. In summer they are 8-3-4, 1-5-9, and 6-7-2. In autumn they are 6-1-8, 7-5-3, and 2-9-4. In winter they are 2-7-6 and 9-5-1. The text also mentions secret names such as "inner treasure," which refer to talismans that are either visualized within the body or worn on the person.

Other named uses appear throughout. Several symbols are used to counteract evil influences. Specific talisman labels mark rain-petitioning, clear-weather petitioning, and subduing functions. A formula associated with the twelve earthly branches, the Gen trigram position, and the south direction is also listed. Banners carry numbered labels for wind, thunder summoning, rain petitioning, thunderclaps, urging on thunder, calling in thunder, and calling in wind, so that the banners correspond to the spirits of the directions. A single "fiery thunder" formula, with a Yiqi (one vital breath) designation, combines wind, cloud, thunder, and rain in one invocation, and further subsections cover lightning, clear-weather petitioning, and calling in thunder.

The Clear-Weather and Rain Commands of Master Bai Haiqiong (Haiqiong Bai Zhenren, the lineage of Bai Yuchan) name four commands used in petitioning for weather. The Supreme Mystery Command (Taixuan Ling) is for clear skies, the Supreme Origin Command (Taiyuan Ling) is for rain, the Supreme Void Command (Taixu Ling) is for snow, and the Command of Pervasive Penetration (Tongling, a rare character in the original) is for halting wind. The officiant selects the command that matches the weather being sought.

Note: The original contains many "▲" marks and variant characters, which usually reflect unclear transmission or missing talisman strokes. This rendering gives only the meanings and uses of these items. The exact talisman forms and strokes should be checked against a reliable critical edition or a qualified teacher, and should not be reconstructed from a manuscript copy alone.

The Command of Subtle Wonder (Weimiao ling) is used for thunder, the Command of Heavenly Treasure (Tianbao ling) for lightning, the Command of Sudden Fire (Xu huo ling) for swiftness, and the Grand Sovereign Command (Taihuang ling) for slaughter, punishment, and subjugation. The Inner Title of the Celestial Emperor (Tianhuang neihao) means "thunderous commands, swift as wind and fire." The Five-Character Secret (Wuzi mi) concerns wind, clouds, thunder, rain, and lightning. The Water-Borrowing Talisman (Jieshui fu) and the Clear-Skies-Borrowing Talisman (Jieqing fu) are each written according to the five directions.

The Three Surging Secret Seal (Sanchong mizhang), the Nine Yang Secret Seal (Jiuyang mizhang, of which there are two), the Tight-Control Secret Seal (Jinxia mizhang), and the Dispatch Secret Seal (Ceyi mizhang) are listed next, and "ceyi" means to dispatch servitors and issue orders to carry out tasks. The incantation's gist is: "If you do not come, you shall be turned into yellow stone." The Cloud-Cluster (Tuanyun) is used within five circles. The original includes a talisman figure marked with ▲…▲ symbols, a register sign that must be followed according to the diagrams in the full text. The glyph inside uses a rare character that cannot be reproduced here.

In the verse formulas, the seventy-six-character "Battle of Thunderbolts" incantation (Zhan leiting) is to be recited silently, not aloud. One need only strike the Six-Character Formula (or "Six Formulae," according to one's master's transmission) on the command tablet at the Baleful Gate (sha hu, the gate of malevolent forces), and the true form will appear. The Nine-Character Numinous Seal (Jiuzi lingzhang) is a mystery among the Three Heavens Secret Registers (Santian mifu) and is little known. If a true talisman is used, it must be checked against the secret transmission. One should not say that rain is hard to petition for, since the Southern Dipper (Nandou) governs the region.

The Heavenly Emperor Dispatch Talisman (Tianhuang ceyi fu) is written on yellow paper with a cinnabar brush. The ritual master first closes the eyes and sits quietly, with no stray thoughts inside or out, then draws the talisman in a single stroke. Next, one visualizes one's gaze entering the talisman, then golden light forming into characters that descend from heaven into it. Finally, one states one's intention and dispatches spirits as the matter requires, such as summoning spirits or performing rites. The term for the call-out is written with a rare two-character phrase meaning a shout or call, and the original gives variant forms for this term.

For the "One Summons" and "Two Commands" steps, one writes from the tail of the talisman up to the nape, adding one stroke on the envoy talisman. The "Three Cuts" step means adding the furnace-base Lower Origin talisman and then cutting and burning it. To cut below the neck, burn the tail of a large-moon wick and the head of a small-moon wick.

The Incantation of Command (Chi zhou) reads roughly as follows: Heavenly Emperor, Great Thearch, Utmost Essence of the Southern Pole, Ancestor of Blazing Flame, and Essence of Gouchen (Hook-Array, a star name that also denotes a spirit general). Disheveled hair and black face, human head and serpent body, black vapors spewing from the mouth, coiling through heaven and earth. You hold all transformations in your grasp and govern thunder and lightning. The Nine Heavens are under your rule, along with the thirty-six fowl; above are the nine heavens, the sun, the moon, and the stars; in the center you guard the Five Peaks and the spiritual powers of the city gods; below you command the rivers and seas, the twelve springs and their locks, and the Nine Ramparts of the Northern Fengdu (Beifeng Jiulei, the underworld realm of ghosts). Water and land yang spirits, those who resist shall be destroyed, and demons who resist shall be overthrown. Wherever the command arrives, none dare disobey; heavenly spirits and earth deities may not hide their forms. Wherever the talisman arrives, the throne of the great sovereign descends; should a single one disobey, a thunderclap shall strike. Quickly, quickly, as the law commands (or "Quickly, quickly, as the Most High's law commands").

Note: This passage belongs to Daoist thunder rites (leifa) and to literature on talisman incantation and spirit dispatch. Its commands, secret seals, dispatch talismans, cutting and burning, and visualizations of golden light entering talismans are to be used only under master-disciple transmission and with the complete diagrams and oral instructions. The written text alone cannot reconstruct the full rite.

Fahai Yizhu (Pearls from the Sea of the Dharma), Volume 40: A Vernacular Explanation

Statutes and Edicts of the Southern Pole Celestial Sovereign Emperor

Tianhuang Fu (Celestial Sovereign Talisman)

Formula (Essential Recitation Instructions):

The principle is profound and secluded, utterly distinct from ordinary worldly matters. The golden writ, a decree inscribed in golden script, is locked away within the Taiwei Palace (the celestial palace that governs the stars and the scriptures).

Burn incense three times to fumigate the talisman, and recite the incantation to activate it.

On the first summons, call down from the azure heavens (the high celestial realm). On the second, the flying talisman descends into the black banner (a dark ceremonial standard).

Stamp the seal three times, personally pressing it with a thunder crystal (a seal or stone associated with thunder rites), and then dispatch the talisman.

Perform the rite at the three appointed times (morning, noon, and evening, or whatever hours are specified). Cut and burn the talisman, let the void respond and connect, and let the true form descend to arrive upon the altar.

After the rite, clouds move, rain falls, thunder roars, and lightning flashes. As heaven and humanity resonate, there will certainly be a visible response.

Note: This passage belongs to the category of Daoist thunder rites (leifa) or ritual procedures for invoking rain and dispatching spirit-generals. With the Southern Pole Celestial Sovereign Emperor as the principal deity, it seeks, through steps such as burning talismans (fu), reciting incantations, stamping seals, and manifesting at the altar, to achieve resonance with heaven and earth and to summon rain and thunder. "Taiwei Palace," "azure heavens," "black banner," "thunder crystal," and "manifest at the altar" are all ritual terms. "Resonance" (gantong) denotes the mutual responsiveness between humans, celestial spirits, and nature, such that actions produce verifiable effects.