《道法會元》Vol. 120

This scripture records the esoteric incantations and ritual procedures of Daoist Thunder Magic (a technique for summoning thunder and lightning). The main content is divided into several parts:

First, it introduces the "Secret Method of Moving Thunder Through the Primordial Qi of Life" from the "Supreme Ultimate Capital Thunder Hidden Text." This involves writing true words and talismans on a sword using rooster blood and cinnabar. The four-character phrases in parentheses are specific incantations, such as "Heaven round, Earth square" representing cosmic principles, "Thunder rumbles, lightning moves" indicating thunder's movement, and "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with statutes and ordinances"—a common Daoist incantation ending meaning immediate execution of commands.

Next comes the "Spell for Manifesting Power," used to summon thunder deities. It mentions spirits like "the Gang wind deity" (wind god) and "five dragon thunder shocks" (thunder god), commanding thunder to erupt and wind to follow its course. When performing the ritual, the talisman should be attached to the sword, burned facing the direction of thunder, and propelled with "Sha Qi" (a special type of vital energy).

The text then details the specific directions and times for gathering "Sha Qi" according to different solar terms. For instance, after the winter solstice, collect Qi during the Zi hour (11pm-1am) facing the Wu direction (due south), and during the Chou hour (1-3am) facing the Wei direction (south-southwest). After the summer solstice, the directions reverse—Zi hour faces due north, Chou hour faces northeast-north. These orientations strictly correspond to the twenty-four solar terms.

Finally, there's the incantation for the "Sudden Fire Talisman," written in cinnabar. The spell invokes imagery like "Heavenly radiance flowing brilliantly," "Jade Pond in the east" (an eastern immortal realm), and "casting fire ten thousand miles." It summons the "Venerable Sage of Covenant Power" (a thunder deity) to dispatch "Azure Youths" (immortal attendants) for assistance, mentioning how "Great Unity Wood Youth" (an important thunder general) commands the might of the Three Sacred Mountains (Daoism's major immortal peaks).

This scripture depicts a majestic scene of thunder deities from Daoist Thunder Magic (a ritual art for summoning lightning) demonstrating their divine power. It features several important Daoist deities:

The Venerable Haoling (one of the principal thunder deities) manifests his awe-inspiring presence in the southeast (Xun position), riding a fiery chariot and leading the Flashing Fire deity (thunder department's fire god) in a charge forward. Zhurong (the southern fire god) also ascends Mount Hua's cloud peaks in his massive chariot, with banners fluttering day and night across the void.

The Flame Emperor (sun deity) sends down scorching rain while Asura (guardian deity) rotates the sun to alternate day and night. When dark clouds gather, the thunder gods wield golden hammers, jade axes, and fiery bows, suddenly concentrating formidable thunder Qi (energy). Amidst earth-shaking war drums, lightning erupts from Mount Min as the Supreme Void Sovereign's eyes emit dazzling radiance.

The thunder deities shake the Kunlun mountain range, joining the sea god Xuanming to churn oceans and rivers. Roaring in fury, they command wind and rain, using divine flames to purge venomous creatures. The Yellow Profit Deity (demon-slaying god) beheads flood dragons with his sword while the Weak Waters (legendary divine waters) of Penglai Immortal Isle surge in support.

Immortal officials review merit ledgers as the ceremonial guards of Yingzhou produce crystalline sounds. Heavenly thunder resonates like golden bells, the Water Official (river deity) whips up tidal waves, and local earth gods join the campaign against monsters.

The thunder generals transform into majestic forms with crimson hair and enormous wings, exhaling toxic breath amid lightning flashes to subdue evil dragons. Scarlet thunderbolts fill the sky as the four seas darken under heavy clouds. Golden-armored vanguard deities command the Mystic School (Thunder Magic tradition) to deploy rain formations, unleashing torrential floods.

Vermilion chickens and purple geese (thunder department's sacred birds) break golden cages as auspicious clouds glow with crimson hues. Countless celestial soldiers stand solemnly while emissaries like the Vairochana Messenger (supervisory deity) pay reverent homage. A giant kun fish lashes its tail, shaking the Nine Heavenly Gates as Mount Heng of the south darkens. The Elder of Mount Tai (mountain god) meets the legendary archer Fengmeng, while western Mount Hua gleams with golden light and northern Mount Heng trembles under thunderous roars.

This scripture describes the complete liturgy of Daoist rain-summoning rituals, encompassing deity invocations, incantation commands, and specific operational procedures.

The text first enumerates the celestial hierarchy participating in the ritual: "Four Heavenly Wardens" refers to the four fierce deities guarding the cardinal directions, "Five Luminaries" denotes the star deities of the Five Phases (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth), and "Divine Hearing" represents the messenger spirits. It then mentions numerous transcendents with rain-controlling functions, such as the Daoist immortals Hao Meng and Siquanzi, along with ancestral-level deities like the "Two Patriarchs of Dongyuan."

The core ritual segment involves reciting command incantations. The twenty-four-line "Wood Lord's Incantation" specifically regulates weather patterns, allowing selection between rain summoning, rain cessation, or snowfall. Subsequently, thunder deities are invoked, including the Thunder Lord (chief deity of the Thunder Ministry) and Marshal Wen (one of the four great marshals of thunder), who possess powers to topple mountains and summon clouds. Special mention is made of the "Eight Gates of Poisonous Thunder," representing eight potent thunder techniques in Daoist thunder magic.

The practical section details rain-summoning talismanic methods: the ritual master must inscribe the "Sudden Fire Talisman" (a thunder fire deity's charm) using specific techniques while coordinating with "personal cultivation effects" (internal alchemical practice). The procedure involves spraying ink from the mouth, tracing dragon patterns with five claws (symbolizing the Five Phases), and establishing an altar tablet for the Sudden Fire deity. The ritual concludes with the standard Daoist phrase "urgently as the law commands," signifying immediate execution of divine orders.

The entire passage demonstrates the core Daoist thunder practice concept of "human- heaven correspondence," where talismans, visualization, and internal cultivation mobilize thunder deity powers to influence natural phenomena. The reference to "all phenomena being governed by celestial mechanisms" reveals how these techniques are rooted in ancient understanding of astronomical correlations with weather patterns.

This scripture describes the talismanic incantations and ritual procedures of Daoist Thunder Magic (a technique for summoning thunderstorms and rain). The practitioner must first place a bowl of wine in the southeast (the Xun position), stir it with a sword after adding rooster blood, then shatter the bowl. Next, the "Swift Fire Edict" (a type of official document inscribed with magical characters) is used to issue commands to the Thunder Ministry deities.

The text mentions "Dao Ancestor the Thunder-Roaring Great Emperor" as the deity governing thunderbolts, and the "Jade Clarity True King" as an honored Daoist divinity. The ritual master must follow these deities' decrees to summon the Thunder Ministry generals (the thunder gods and their retinue) to gather clouds and release rain, capture drought demons (malevolent spirits causing aridity), and exterminate pestilential creatures. Those who disobey shall be struck down by thunder axes.

Several Thunder Magic incantations are recorded: the "Jade Character True Script" serves as a secret thunder-summoning mantra, while the "Thunder Cavern Wind Drill Spell" must be recited silently. These mainly invoke divine creatures like crimson dragons and black tortoises, mobilizing the power of thunder and lightning from all directions. The final section presents the "Dao Ancestor's Single Qi Thunder-Summoning Secret Talisman," referencing the Three Pure Ones (Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Taishang Laojun) along with the cosmological principles of Five Phase generation (Metal-Wood-Water-Fire-Earth) and Four Symbol rotation (Azure Dragon, White Tiger, etc.).

The complete ritual must be performed at specific auspicious hours by a qualified Daoist priest (identified as "the titled practitioner so-and-so"), involving talisman drawing, incantation recitation, and seal stamping procedures. Its purpose is to summon thunder deities for rainfall during droughts and to exorcise evil influences.

This scripture records several Daoist exorcism talismans (Fulu) and ritual procedures, primarily including the Palm Thunder technique and invocations for two divine generals: the Heaven-Cleaving Great Axe General Liu Tong and the Demon-Subduing Vanguard General Tao Gongji.

Regarding Palm Thunder cultivation: Practitioners must visualize themselves within the primordial Qi (vital energy) that existed before the separation of Heaven and Earth, harmonizing with the energies of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) while silently reciting mantras like "Om Hong Hong Hong Mo Na Xi." The specific procedure involves first writing the names of five deities on talismanic paper, incorporating the incantations of "Dongnuzi" and "Mulang," written with the left hand. When celestial phenomena manifest, immediately clap hands and shout commands while tracing talismanic symbols in the air before the incense burner with one's sleeve—this method yields the most potent thunder magic effects.

The invocation for the Heaven-Cleaving Great Axe General emphasizes: This crimson-horned, scripture-bearing general is empowered by the Northern Emperor (the Great Emperor of the North Pole) and the divine force of Mount Kunlun, capable of soaring through heavens and uprooting earth to slay demons. The chant repeatedly stresses "by decree of the Supreme Deity," indicating divine mandate. The accompanying talisman incorporates key elements like the mutual generation of Five Phases (numbers 1-5 representing Metal-Wood-Water-Fire-Earth), sealing ghost gates ("blocking earth portals while leaving human gates open"), and destroying demonic forms ("piercing ghost hearts and rupturing demon bellies"), concluding with binding evil spirits with golden ropes and fiery chains for delivery to Fengdu (the underworld).

The Demon-Subduing Vanguard General's talisman harnesses the power of the Eight Trigrams (Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, Dui), emphasizing the boundary principle of "opening celestial gates while closing earthly portals," demanding the divine king reduce evil spirits to dust. Both generals command celestial immortals, earthly transcendents, and armies from all directions—their front steps churn rivers and summon rain, while their rear kicks topple mountains and summon thunder to eradicate drought demons (Hanba), embodying the dual functions of Daoist thunder magic: "commanding wind and rain while slaying demons."

All incantations conclude with "urgently urgent as the law commands" (Ji Ji Ru Lü Ling), the distinctive imperative phrasing unique to Daoist invocations indicating immediate execution. "By the Thunderous Great Emperor's decree" specifically references the supreme command of the Thunder Ministry, while "General Liu Tong shall enforce" designates the responsible divine officer for implementation.

This passage contains incantations and proclamations from Daoist Thunder Magic (a ritual practice invoking thunder deities through talismans and spells to exorcise evil and summon rain). The opening Sanskrit-sounding mantra "Om Vajra Hum...", with each syllable corresponding to specific thunder deity powers, serves as an esoteric chant to summon the Five Directional Thunder Gods.

The Five Directional Thunder Envoys (thunder generals from east, south, west, north and center) must immediately descend to the ritual altar upon receiving this command, manifesting their awesome power to annihilate evil spirits, reducing them to dust. The conclusion emphasizes lightning-fast execution of these orders, issued according to the sacred decrees transmitted by Tao Hongjing (the renowned Southern Dynasties Daoist master revered as "Thunder Proclaiming Great Emperor").

The subsequent "Proclamation for Contending Thunder and Seizing Rain" presents a formal petition to celestial deities regarding the drought disaster: With the Dao's power waning in this age, people have lost moral foundations while the drought demon ravages the land. Fields crack under unrelenting sun, even storks cease nesting, leaving farmers in utter despair. Though the Supreme Laozi (Taishang Laojun) nurtures all beings with compassion, now barren lands stretch a thousand miles, moving Heaven and Earth to grief.

The final section explains: While rain was initially dispatched, the rainbow spirits (Hongni) have maliciously intercepted the precipitation, splitting thunderstorms into fragments. Given this urgent crisis, the Thunder Ministry deities are petitioned to exercise discretionary authority ("act as circumstances permit") in resolving the situation. The bracketed note "reserve space for two talismans" indicates blank areas left for ritual sigil-drawing.

This scripture is a Daoist proclamation for exorcism and rain summoning, primarily invoking various divine generals to carry out urgent rainfall missions. The "Great General of Demon-Subduing with Heaven-Cleaving Axe" mentioned in the text refers to a specialized deity responsible for vanquishing demons, while "Northern Fengdu" denotes the Daoist mythological capital of ghosts in the northern realm.

The proclamation first describes the dire emergency of local people suffering severe drought and life-threatening conditions, commanding the divine generals to immediately recall the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning currently bringing precipitation elsewhere. It emphasizes that this is an urgent action aligned with celestial will, warning that any disobedience would result in offenders being delivered to Fengdu for severe punishment.

Subsequently, it details the summoning of various deities: the Great General of Demon-Subduing is to lead celestial troops in beheading demons and dragons; wind, rain, thunder, and lightning are commanded to redirect their course to bring rainfall here; deities refusing compliance are threatened with decapitation or limb amputation. Quoting the Yijing (Book of Changes), it declares celestial mandate cannot be defied, and all spirits must obey dispatch orders.

Attached are incantations for summoning and commanding, invoking the power of the Eight Trigrams Divine Kings to capture disobedient spirits, executed under the orders of the Daoist Patriarch and the Thunder-Resounding Great Emperor. The proclamation concludes with the issuance date, signatures, and lineage transmission, reflecting the standardized procedures of Daoist ritual practice.

The entire document demonstrates Daoism's ritual tradition of marshaling natural forces through sacred authority, employing celestial documents to mobilize heavenly powers for disaster relief during severe droughts, embodying the tradition of saving people through divine intervention.