《道法會元》Vol. 121

This scripture documents the esoteric system of the Southern Palace Fire Ministry (the southern pantheon of fire deities), focusing on the Dark Solar Thunder Master (a divine lord governing thunder and fire methods) and his retinue. The principal deity is Patriarch Dark Solar Thunder Master Wu Zhenjun (an immortal official who attained the Dao), whose subordinates are organized into multiple tiers.

The highest-ranking is Supreme Marshal Wu of the Flowing Gold Fire Bells (named Mingda), whose terrifying form appears with a blue face and crimson hair, fleshy horns on his head, a yellow headband across his forehead. His left hand holds a black command flag emblazoned with the Li trigram (the Bagua symbol representing fire), while his right grips a flaming sword. He rides a fire-breathing dragon, his entire body erupting with blazing flames, radiating awe-inspiring majesty.

The fire ministry generals are divided into upper, middle, and lower divisions:

• Upper Division Fire Wheel Marshal Song (named Wuji) manifests with a horse's head and human body, clad in red robes with bare chest, holding a fire gourd in his left hand and a flame-spewing banana-leaf fan in his right. He wears tiger-skin trousers and rides barefoot on a fire phoenix exhaling infernos.
• Middle Division Marshal Liu (named Yanzhen) and Lower Division Marshal Liu (named Zexian) both appear as star officials, their bodies wreathed in flames while brandishing fiery swords.

Grand Marshal Yang of the Flowing Gold Fire Bells (named Changnian) resembles a fierce celestial soldier, shaking a fire-spitting bell with his left hand while gripping a blazing sword in his right, carrying twelve thunder drums spouting flames on his back. His command includes:

• Strategist Zhao Hou (a black dog transformed into a counsel)
• Four Sacred Envoys (demon-faced with flames shooting from their orifices, each holding thunder drums with fire vessels)
• Swine-Headed Envoy Liu Ju'an (boar-headed humanoid carrying wind bags that exhale raging fires)
• Sweat-Indicating Judge Tian Wenyong (blue-faced ghost recording sins with fire ledgers and pens)
• Chill-Dispelling Envoy Geng Zhi (red-faced wrathful figure wielding fire blades)
• Healing Officer Jia Daolong (celestial being carrying medicinal gourds and fire swords)
• Thunderbolt Firelight General Xu Lizhen (fiendish naked demon wielding thunder hammers and electric drills, eyes shooting thunderflames, accompanied by five fire-spewing thunderghosts)

Together these divine generals form a complete fire ministry thunder method system, each assigned specific functions—whether leading campaigns, administering punishments, or overseeing healing—executing celestial will through mastery of blazing flames and thunderbolts.

This scripture describes the visual characteristics and summoning rituals of several Daoist martial deities. It first introduces three fire-elemental generals: Divine King Liu Younian has a crimson face, three eyes, and an awe-inspiring wrathful expression, wearing a yellow headscarf, red robe, and golden armor with flames at his back, holding a fire sword in his left hand and pushing a fire wheel with his right; General Li Cunzhen resembles the Dark Heavenly Emperor (Xuantian Shangdi, the Northern Dark Warrior), with disheveled black hair, black garments and golden armor, wielding a fire sword in his right hand while supporting an ice mountain with his left; Envoy Liu Youhua has a dark face with three eyes, dressed in black robes, headscarf and golden armor, carrying a wind bag in his left hand and gripping a snowball in his right, standing atop an ice wheel.

The text then enumerates numerous fire department deities, including the Bingding Generals, Fire-Spitting Heavenly King, Flying Fire Envoys and other fire-elemental spirits, along with underworld marshals like the Ox-Head Prison Guards and Dark Spirit Demon Kings who govern celestial prisons and hell realms.

The summoning ritual section details cultivation methods: practitioners must visualize themselves transforming into their "Primordial Life True Self" (original spirit), exhaling toward the Crimson Flame Cavern in the south to perceive the marshal's form within fiery light. By reciting specific incantations such as "Respectfully summon the Southern Fire Mansion's Crimson Flame Cavern Lord, the Dark Solar Thunder Master," combined with mudra hand seals (finger gestures) and inhaling southern fire Qi, one can invoke Marshal Wu and other fire department generals to descend and assist. Phrases like "Tiger-Horse Dipper" in the mantras refer to Daoist star-stepping directional terminology, while "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with statutes and ordinances" is a standard Daoist incantation closing formula.

This passage demonstrates the complete ritual process in Daoist Thunder Methods (Leifa) for summoning deities through visualization, incantations, and hand seals, representing practical records of Daoist magical cultivation. The detailed descriptions of divine appearances serve to help practitioners accurately visualize the deities' forms during meditation.

This scripture outlines a Daoist exorcism ritual procedure and its accompanying incantations. The preparatory stage begins when the practitioner observes ominous red flames signaling evil presence. Using their inner "heart Qi" (Xinqi, the cultivated energy within one's body), they must mentally trace the character "烜" before projecting it through their left eye while reciting the invocation to summon divine generals. Upon completing the chant, the "True Form of the Marshal" (a guardian deity) manifests at the altar, ready for command.

The core exorcism chant, titled "The Marshal's Fire Exorcism Incantation," channels formidable power: it summons southern fire deities' energies (the Crimson Phoenix's blood, the Sun's True Fire, and Li-direction earthly flames) to generate purifying flames against malevolent forces. The phrase "dragon and tiger interlocking with a roar" metaphorically represents the explosive union of Yin and Yang Qi, while "thunderfire erupts from Gen" draws upon the stabilizing mountain energy of the Gen trigram from the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) to intensify the blaze.

The latter section details the complete "Three Fires True Talisman" system, listing upper, middle, and lower tiers of fire-wheel deities, each annotated with their corresponding directions and hand mudras (such as the Wu-position or Yin-position finger techniques used in Daoist rituals). It concludes with auxiliary chants for the "Fire Bell Scarlet Sky Talisman," primarily invoking southern fire department deities (Bing-Ding generals, mighty warriors, and divine youths) to empower the talisman for healing and exorcism.

All incantations terminate with "urgently urgent as the law commands" (Jiji rulüling), the standard Daoist formula demanding immediate execution akin to legal decree. This ritual system embodies the Daoist principle of "subduing evil with righteousness," harnessing the elemental fire energies of heaven and earth to achieve exorcism and healing purposes.

This scripture describes Daoist exorcism and healing rituals involving incantations and ceremonial procedures. It begins with reciting esoteric mantras like "Om Hu" (unique Daoist sound combinations believed to possess special spiritual power), invoking the protection of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing - the supreme triad of Jade Pure, Upper Pure, and Great Pure deities), and summoning the divine forces of the Five Directions to subdue demons, commanding all malevolent spirits to be immediately vanquished.

Next, it calls upon the principal deities of the Shangqing (Upper Clarity) tradition to descend and bestow spiritual talismans (Fulu) to capture and annihilate evil ghosts. The phrase "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" (急急如律令) is a common Daoist concluding formula, signifying immediate execution according to celestial law. The ritual then summons the Fire Bell Emperor (a southern fire deity) and his retinue: the Upper Fire Wheel General Song Wuji, the Middle Fire General Liu Yanzhen, and the Lower Fire General Liu Zexian, commanding them to lead their troops into the afflicted person’s body to seek out and expel malicious spirits, mountain demons (wǎngliǎng), and plague-causing energies.

When transforming talismans into consecrated water, the practitioner first faces east to recite incantations, drawing upon the solar essence, then channels the true Qi (primordial energy) from the south to dispel inauspicious influences. The incantations reference the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) directions: the Li (Fire) Trigram expels yin ghosts, while the Kan (Water) Trigram draws in true yang. Finally, the power of the stars and the Big Dipper is invoked to enter the patient’s spleen, stomach, liver, and intestines to purge pathogenic influences. The ritualist must visualize red light from the south enveloping the patient’s body while imagining the Fire Department General Wu Mingda wielding a black banner and a flaming sword as a guardian.

The entire ceremony employs multiple ritual techniques—talismans, visualization (Cunxiang), and consecrated water—to mobilize the righteous energies of heaven and earth in expelling disease-causing evils. These operations must be performed with specific hand seals (mudras) and timed according to auspicious hours (e.g., the Tiger hour [3–5 AM] or Noon hour [11 AM–1 PM]), exemplifying the standard Daoist exorcistic healing process.

This scripture records Daoist exorcism and healing rituals, primarily involving two types of incantations: fire methods and ice methods. Let me explain section by section:

The fire method describes techniques for expelling epidemic pathogens. The ritual master must visualize the descent of the Fire Virtue Star Lord (the Daoist deity governing fire) and the Southern Pole Fire Bell Emperor (deity overseeing fire rituals). Using hand mudras, they trace from the Tiger Mouth position (Yin point) to the Palm Center (Wu point), envisioning the Fire Department Marshal leading underworld judges to scorch the patient's entire body with fierce flames, forcing pathogenic qi out through the pores. The incantation phrases "burn ghosts to ashes, refine ghosts to liquid" illustrate the purifying power of true fire against malevolent entities.

The activation chant section contains special syllables (like "ti du lu") - these are Daoist mantric codes functioning as passwords to summon divine power. Each concludes with the command phrase "By the decree of the Southern Pole Fire Bell Emperor."

The fever-reducing chant shifts to invoke northern icy forces. It summons the Mysterious Heaven of the North (an epithet for Zhenwu the Perfect Warrior) and the Great General of the Ice Pool (deity governing frigid energies) to suppress heat toxins and evil spirits with wind, snow and ice. "Golden ropes and jade cords" symbolize binding pathogenic qi with divine power before banishing it to the deep sea. The syllables "om hong hong" are borrowed from Buddhist mantras, while "Northern Emperor's Revered Wheel" refers to Zhenwu's dharma wheel.

The Ice Pool Talisman requires coordinated hand seals and visualization: pressing the Shen point (base of ring finger) and Zi point (base of little finger) while inhaling northern frigid qi, imagining blizzard winds channeling into the talisman. Chant phrases like "shui bing ding te" mimic freezing sound effects, culminating in spraying water onto the patient to reduce fever.

The final headache talisman invokes the "Great General of the Heavenly Fire Wheel" (celestial fire deity), describing true fire's dragon-tiger ferocity that incinerates haunting yin ghosts. The "three fires" likely reference the Daoist triad of sovereign fire, minister fire and commoner fire.

These rituals embody the Daoist principle of "expelling evil with righteousness," balancing pathogenic qi in the body by harnessing the complementary forces of water-fire and yin-yang. Successful implementation requires the complete ceremonial system combining hand mudras, visualization, talismans and incantations.

This scripture records Daoist talismanic incantations (Fulu) and ritual methods for exorcising evil and curing illnesses, primarily involving the use of divine powers such as "Black Sun True Fire" and "Fire Bells."

The text first describes the deity-invocation process: Through specific ritual steps (Yu Steps) and incantations, practitioners summon the divine forces of celestial fire generals like Liu, the Black Sun True Fire, and the Crimson Phoenix of the South. These deities are absorbed into the talismans, imbuing them with formidable power to terrify ghosts and spirits and split skulls. Subsequently, earthly fire generals and the Fire Bell Emperor are invoked into the talismans, creating a balanced water-fire dynamic capable of swiftly incinerating evil entities and obliterating ghostly forms. The ritual concludes by petitioning the Jade Emperor to descend with dragon-fire thunder power.

For treating headaches, the method involves crafting two talismans into medicinal pellets placed in the patient's ears. The practitioner first uses a sword mudra (hand gesture) to symbolically cleave the patient's crown, followed by pressing the Great Strength Heavenly Warrior mudra on the temples while reciting incantations like "Harmoniously Bright Heavenly Emperor Sun" three or seven times. The practitioner then uses their sleeve as a wind pouch to disperse toxic Qi from the patient's body, simultaneously pointing a Dipper Seal mudra toward the head while chanting "Great Unity Perfected Person Cuts Toxins." If pain persists, specific mudras and numerical incantations like "one two three four five" are employed.

The text emphasizes coordinating physical actions during practice: tightening the middle finger, holding the breath, pressing the tongue against the palate, firmly planting the right big toe on the ground, and shouting "Halt!" This integrated process combines talismans, mudras, ritual steps, and breathing techniques, embodying the Daoist cultivation principle of "uniting form and spirit" (Xingshen Heyi) in ritual practice.

This scripture records the Daoist exorcism and healing methods of the Five Thunders Technique (Wulei fa) and the Fire Bell Incantation (Huoling fa), detailing both the mantras and operational procedures. The content is divided into several key components:

The first section presents the Five Thunders incantation, which summons the "Black Poisonous Thunder of Five Directions" to capture the minor spirits causing headaches. The term "Northern Emperor" (Beidi) refers to the Great Emperor of the North Star (Ziwei Dadi), a significant Daoist deity, while "Three Pure Ones" (Sanqing) denotes the supreme triad of deities: Jade Pure (Yuqing), Upper Pure (Shangqing), and Great Pure (Taiqing). The ritual requires reciting the mantra three times.

Should the patient show no improvement, the practitioner must then use five-colored coins to perform a capturing ritual above the patient's head while chanting to summon the "Envoy of Feverish Headaches." The incantation petitions this envoy to accept the monetary offering and relieve the patient's suffering, concluding with a forceful command for malevolent forces to depart.

The Fire Bell Technique involves the practitioner facing east to recite the Solar Mantra, drawing the authentic solar fire Qi (Taiyang zhenhuo zhi qi) and blowing it onto a ritual fan. Using this "Supreme Fan" (Taishang shanzi), a single wave purportedly disperses hundreds of pathogenic influences. The "Fire Bell" (Huoling) mentioned in the chant represents the power of the Fire Virtue Star Lord (Huode xingjun).

During execution, the practitioner forms specific hand seals (Hunhun Jue) while visualizing General Fire Bell leading celestial troops into the patient's body to seek out and eradicate epidemic-causing entities. A well-shaped character (井) must also be drawn on the altar to contain seven generations of the possessing spirit's ancestors.

The final stage involves focused visualization (Cunxiang) of a fiery citadel, summoning deities including the Southern Fire Virtue Star Lord and General Fire Bell to descend. The imagery depicts these beings unleashing sword-like flames in a torrential downpour to annihilate demonic forces. The mantra concludes with "Swift capture without bounds" (Ji she wu jiang), emphasizing immediate subjugation of pathogenic influences.

These practices exemplify the Daoist tradition of exorcism and healing through talismanic spells (Fulu), visualization techniques, and ritual hand gestures, all requiring precise ceremonial movements and meditative skills. The methods integrate physical actions with sophisticated imaginal processes characteristic of Daoist ritual therapeutics.

This passage describes the specific procedures of the Fire Bell Method (a fire-based exorcism technique) used in Daoist rituals for dispelling evil forces. It involves several important Daoist divine generals and the application of talismanic spells:

First, the practitioner invokes deities from the Fire Bell system, including the Fire Bell Youth and the General of the Fire Wheel Chariot, who can harness the light of thunder and fire. The Fire Bell commands the fire of the Bing-Ding directions (associated with the Fire phase in the Five Phases), riding fiery clouds to envelop all directions, ensuring that any malevolent spirits or ghosts are instantly reduced to dust. Here, one must swiftly recite the Fire Bell Decree of the Great Emperor of the South Pole (a revered Daoist deity) to subdue the evil qi.

When drawing the Fire Bell talisman (fulu), the practitioner uses the Wu Hand Seal (a Daoist mudra with the middle finger extended and the other fingers clenched into a fist). After burning the talisman, the incantation continues. Simultaneously, the Four True Lords—Tianpeng, Tianyou, Yisheng, and Yousheng (the Four Saints of the North Pole, important guardian deities)—are summoned to descend and assist with their true qi.

Next, the practitioner employs the Mysterious Origin Seal (a type of Daoist ritual seal) and the Sword Mudra (a hand gesture for wielding a sword) while reciting the incantation of the Great Unity Divine Lord (a deity associated with the Big Dipper). This divine lord wears a seven-star crown, treads upon the sacred lands of the four directions, and wields a dragon blade to patrol the eight trigrams (bagua) before finally ascending to the Heavenly Gate to pay homage to the Celestial Emperor. The incantation declares that any disobedient ghosts will be turned to dust beneath the sword.

Then, the practitioner points the sword toward the Ghost Gate direction, holding a bowl in the left hand and forming the Wu Mudra with the right while chanting the spell of the Southern Cinnabar Heaven Lord (a fire department general of the south). This lord governs the Flowing Gold Fire Bell, capable of shaking the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Seas, commanding celestial troops to capture and execute fierce ghosts and malevolent spirits, casting them into the Fire City (a Daoist purgatorial realm for refining souls).

Finally, the practitioner uses the Subdue Evil Mudra (a gesture for capturing evil) to draw the "Well" character talisman in a quiet space, first trapping the evil spirits before sealing them within the well. Simultaneously, the Black Emperor of the North (one of the Five Directional Thearchs) is petitioned to dispatch 810,000 divine soldiers, using bronze nets, iron snares, and celestial traps to encircle the troublesome ghostly thieves. The Celestial and Earthly Net Spell is then recited, forcing the spirits into submission. The ritual concludes by summoning Marshal Wu, Lord of the Crimson Flame Cavern, and General Yang Chang of the Flowing Gold Fire Bell (two fire department generals) to reinforce the exorcism.

The entire ceremony integrates multiple elements of Daoist ritual arts, including talismans (fulu), hand seals (mudras), incantations, and ritual steps (gangbu), forming a comprehensive exorcism system through the invocation of numerous fire department generals.

This scripture describes the Fire Prison Demon-Subduing ritual in Daoist Thunder Magic (a form of exorcism), which consists of three main stages:

The first stage involves summoning deities to suppress evil influences. The ritual master recites incantations to invoke Thunder Department generals like Liu Younian and Xu Lizhen, commanding them to swiftly search the patient's internal organs (wuzang liufu) and pores (the "84,000 hairs" representing Daoist microcosmic anatomy) for possessing demons. These malevolent spirits are to be shackled and immediately delivered to the fire prison for punishment.

Next comes the construction of the fiery prison through ritual actions. The master forms hand seals (the Well Character Mudra) while visualizing towering flames rising on all sides, accompanied by recitations of the All-Heaven Thunderfire Incantation. This summons the Nine Heavens Fire Deities, the Flame Emperor (Yandi) and his retinue—including flying fire-crow soldiers and generals capable of hurling flames thousands of miles. These fire-wielding deities arrive bearing implements like fire wheels, fire chariots, and fire dragons, commanded to incinerate mountain spirits, tree demons, corpse-energies, and all spectral evils—their power sufficient to boil rivers and seas.

The final stage establishes a five-direction protective boundary using concealment magic. The master constructs five celestial fortresses (corresponding to the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Metal, Water, Earth) at the cardinal directions (east-mǎo, south-wǔ, west-yǒu, north-zǐ, and center). Each fortress is garrisoned with heavenly troops to form an impenetrable barrier. Simultaneously, the master employs the "Sun Palace hides the Stars, Moon Palace hides the West" invisibility technique, merging their form with celestial palaces to evade detection by plague demons. The ritual concludes with the sealing mantra "Dui An" to contain the magical operations.

This scripture describes a Daoist ritual technique for protection and celestial ascension, comprising three key components: hand seals (mudras), incantations, and visualization (neiguan).

The practitioner begins by forming the "Dipper Seal" (Douyin), a specific finger configuration, while silently reciting protective mantras. These incantations repeatedly emphasize how "wheels of fire" must swiftly envelop, conceal, and transform one's physical form. During practice, the visualization proceeds from head to foot and back again, coordinated with specific directional orientations (Yin position, Wu position) and hand movements (tichu "flicking out," heti "combined flicking").

Next comes the "Flying Body Technique" cultivation method. The adept visualizes transforming into a celestial flying being, imagining travel across seas astride black clouds. Key visualizations include: converting the body's 360 bone joints into 360 fire crows soaring toward the Thirty-Three Heavens (Daoism's highest celestial realm); transforming 84,000 pores into 84,000 spirit soldiers forming protective ranks; and mentally constructing defensive barriers spanning thousands of miles. The practitioner reverses flight through the Nine Palaces (spatial arrangement of the Bagua trigrams), closes the eyes to conceal the spirit (Shen), and envisions plunging heaven and earth into darkness.

The ritual then summons the "Great General Who Moves Mountains and Alters Scenery" to relocate mountains and block roads. At crossroads, the practitioner executes the Sword Seal (jianjue) gesture three times, visualizing three fiery walls stretching from the azure heavens down to the yellow springs, preventing ghostly pursuers. Subsequently, the five vital energies (Qi) of the internal organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys) are exhaled and transformed into the Five Directional Thunder Gods, who ascend riding five-colored clouds to pay homage to the Jade Emperor in the Thirty-Three Heavens.

The concluding incantation invokes the Five Thearchs: the Green Emperor of the East guarding the soul (Mao position), White Emperor of the West attending to the corporeal soul (You position), Red Emperor of the South nurturing Qi (Wu position), Black Emperor of the North circulating blood (Zi position), and Yellow Emperor of the Center commanding all deities. It also references the Five Directional Demon Kings (Green Heaven Demon King Ba Yuan Chou Bo, Red Heaven Demon King Fu Tian Dan Shi, etc.) and celestial armies forming protective formations during ascension, emphasizing these divine forces' power to eradicate inauspicious influences and awe the four directions.

This scripture records two Daoist ritual methods for dispelling epidemics, detailing specific procedures and incantations. The first method, "Entering the Plague-Stricken Household," describes how a Daoist priest should act when entering an infected home: one must visualize transforming into the Black Sun Envoy (a plague-dispelling divine general) leading celestial soldiers to the patient's residence. The priest then summons seven sacred fires - heavenly fire, earthly fire, solar true fire among others - to burn away impurities from the household. Next, forming the "Golden Tower and Jade Palace" hand seal while reciting incantations, the priest transforms the afflicted home into a celestial abode (the Daoist immortals' dwelling) where the Five Thunder Officials take residence, finally petitioning the deities to remove the illness.

The second part details the "Entering the Chamber to Expel Disease" procedure: first activating the Three Caverns' True Fire (the pure fires from the Shangqing, Yuqing, and Taiqing realms) to transform the patient's body, visualizing them being purified in sacred flames. Prepare a basin of pure water and a peach wood branch measuring one chi five cun (peach wood holds exorcistic properties in Daoism), while opening front and rear doors/windows to provide escape routes for plague demons. Performing the Gangbu steps (a ritual walking pattern) while chanting, the priest petitions the Three Platforms (celestial star officials) to expel malign influences and protect the dwelling. When approaching the patient, sprinkle the water while reciting the Northern Dipper Sacred Water incantation. Finally, decoct the peach branch into medicinal soup, adding a burnt Black Sun talisman for the patient to ingest.

The practitioner must further visualize their ten fingers as celestial cavalry troops (heavenly divine soldiers) searching the patient's body for toxic qi, simultaneously invoking Fire Bell General Wu Mingda (a plague-expelling deity) to lead fiery-wheeled generals into the patient's five viscera to eradicate pathogenic qi. This complete ritual synthesizes visualization practices (neigong cultivation), talismanic magic, ritual steps, and sacred implements, embodying the Daoist religious concept of using divine power to transform impurity and dispel epidemics.

This scripture records a Daoist ritual practice for expelling epidemics and curing diseases. The practitioner must first recite specific incantations, such as the mystical syllables "Om, the Great Sage is inconceivable," which possess demon-dispelling power.

During the ritual, the master performs prescribed stepping patterns (dingbu steps) and water-spitting gestures while chanting detailed mantras. The incantation consists of several key components:

First comes the summoning of guardian spirits from all parts of the body - including the five viscera and six bowels, bones and joints, even the pores (such as the Five Body True Officials and the Three Sections and Eight Sceneries' Twenty-Four Spirits) - to protect the patient from pathogenic Qi. The phrase "three hun souls on the left, seven po souls on the right" reflects Daoist cosmology regarding human vitality, which posits three ethereal hun and seven corporeal po souls governing life functions.

Next follows an exorcism ritual addressing the five directions (east, south, west, north, center). By spitting water toward each cardinal point while chanting, the master symbolically destroys sources of malign influence: "The east's Wood withers and breaks" signifies exhausting wood-associated pathogens from the east, while "The south's noon Fire extinguishes" quenches fire-related disease Qi from the south.

The incantation also invokes major Daoist deities like the Northern Dipper's Seven Stars, the Southern Dipper's Fire Official, and the Five Thearchs of Great Demonic Power, petitioning them to dispatch divine troops (such as "three hundred thousand soldiers") to eliminate the plague. It concludes with the standard Daoist imperative "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes," commanding immediate execution.

The complete ritual combines verbal power (incantations), physical movements (stepping patterns), material媒介 (water-spitting), and talismanic implements (post-epidemic severing fu) into an integrated healing practice. The term "xun" refers to the master's act of spraying consecrated water from the mouth, symbolizing purification and exorcism.

This scripture records several Daoist talismans (fulu) and ritual procedures for exorcising evil influences and dispelling epidemics. It primarily contains three types of talismans: the Plague-Severing Talisman, the Five Thunder Command Talisman, and the Iron Fan Talisman.

The Plague-Severing Talisman invokes celestial powers to eliminate pestilence and malevolent spirits. It first commands the plague demons of the five directions to cease their lingering, ordering their transfer to the jurisdiction of the Great Bear Star Lord (an important Daoist deity). It then employs the four virtues from the Book of Changes - "Yuan Heng Li Zhen" (Origination, Prosperity, Advantageousness, and Steadfastness) - to suppress epidemics between heaven and earth, decreeing that plague deities and demonic entities shall not cause chaos beneath the authority of Kuigang (two principal stars in the Big Dipper). The talisman ultimately issues its mandate in the name of the Great Emperor of the Nine Heavens Thunder Ancestor (supreme thunder deity in Daoist cosmology).

The Five Thunder Command Talisman summons thunder deities for spiritual warfare. Beginning with the Celestial Emperor's decree to assemble thunder gods, it bridges the cosmic polarity of Yin-Yang while harnessing the power of Kuigang stars to awe the Three Realms (of heaven, earth and the underworld). It urgently petitions generals to descend upon the ritual altar for slaying mountain spirits and specters (referring to various nature demons). The incantation emphasizes swift action akin to the Fire Wheel Divine Generals, permitting no delay in execution.

The Iron Fan Talisman requires specific mudras (ritual hand gestures) and visualization techniques. The practitioner forms the "Wu mudra" (a Daoist hand seal), draws three breaths from the southern direction, and visualizes: the mouth transforming into a fiery gate, the tongue becoming flames, the heart turning into a fire palace, and teeth manifesting as thirty-six divine generals. The final step involves exhaling Qi into the talisman. An alternative method involves silently reciting the Solar Lord's incantation (a sun deity mantra), channeling Qi into the talisman before imprinting it with the Flying Dipper Seal.

These talismans exemplify characteristic features of Daoist exorcism rituals: harnessing celestial and astral powers, summoning divine generals to suppress evil, and amplifying spiritual efficacy through specific mudras, visualizations, and incantations. Each concludes with the urgent command "Swiftly obey as the law decrees", signifying immediate enforcement of divine will.

This scripture records several Daoist talismans (fulu) and ritual techniques for exorcism and healing. It primarily details the application methods for three types of talismans:

The first is the "Fever-Reducing Talisman," used to treat heat symptoms. During the ritual, the practitioner must visualize General Wu (a Daoist guardian deity) leading Water Ministry official Li Cunzhen and numerous water soldiers descending from the northwest, bringing frost, snow, and hail to suppress the demonic forces causing the fever. The specific method involves imagining the talisman paper as a snowy mountain, drawing in cold qi from the northern direction and blowing it into the talisman, which is then ingested by the patient.

The second is the "Plague-Banishing Talisman," specifically designed against epidemics. When inscribing this talisman, the character for "thunder" (雷) must be added to summon the Five Mighty Thunders (Wufang Manlei) - five powerful thunder deities. The accompanying incantation has four transformative stages: the first turn shakes heaven and earth, the second illuminates the sun and moon, the third annihilates evil spirits, and the fourth summons thunderfire to cast all demons into the fiery prison for judgment.

The third is a universal exorcism talisman. When reciting the "Supreme Command Incantation" (Duchi Fuzhou) and "Myriad Transformations Spell" (Wanbian Zhouchi), the practitioner visualizes General Wu leading fire department deities and soldiers entering the talisman to drive plague-causing demons to distant lands.

The scripture's introduction also mentions a powerful fan ritual implement capable of splitting mountains, crushing rocks, and destroying ghosts. When activated with the phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" (jiji rulü ling - a common Daoist command meaning "execute the order immediately"), it can transform adversaries into East Sea silt.