《道法會元》Vol. 128

This document records a complete Daoist rain-prayer ritual petition, detailing the formal process through which a Daoist priest appeals to the celestial deities for rainfall.

The priest (referring to himself as "your subject [name]") approaches the Supreme Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor of the Great Heaven, Mysterious Canopy Most High God (the Jade Emperor) with reverence. He presents the dire situation of drought afflicting the people and petitions the Jade Emperor to issue a decree commanding various deities to assist in bringing rain. The petition meticulously enumerates the divine hierarchy to be mobilized: stellar deities including the Solar and Lunar Palaces, the Northern and Southern Dippers, Tian Gang (the Celestial Stem star of the Big Dipper), and He Kui (the Celestial Root star of the Big Dipper); thunder deities under the jurisdiction of the Thunder Department's Divine Empyrean Jade Mansion Thunder Office, such as the Great Thunder Envoy Deng [name], the Fierce Officer Commander-in-Chief Xin [name], and the Five Thunders Swift Messenger Zhang [name]; as well as specific weather-controlling deities like Thunder Duke Jiang Hechong, Lightning Mother Xiu Wenying, Rain Master Chen Huafu, and Wind Earl Fang Daozhang.

The priest requests these deities to descend to the ritual altar at the designated date and hour, obey divine commands, and employ their supernatural powers to release torrential rains that might relieve the drought. He particularly emphasizes the need for three consecutive days of heavy rainfall to save both the people and all living creatures. Concluding with another kowtow, the priest expresses his trepidation at daring to disturb celestial majesty while awaiting the Jade Emperor's decree.

Attached is a supplementary petition addressed to the Celestial Stem Great Sage, Thunder Perfected Lord (one of the principal Thunder Department deities), explaining that the celestial court has already been petitioned and now requires the Thunder Department's deities to execute the rainfall mission. This strictly formatted document exemplifies the complete Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual) liturgical procedure of "petitioning the celestial court above and commanding divine offices below."

This scripture is a Daoist rain-praying ritual document containing two parts: a petition to the deities and an issued command.

The first part is a memorial submitted by the Daoist priest to the Great Sage of River Chief, the True Lord of Thunderclap (a deity governing thunder). The text reverently requests the deity to exercise divine power by: mobilizing the righteous Qi of the Five Phases (Wuxing) and commanding thunder across the Three Realms; first obscuring sunlight, then bestowing sweet rain; exterminating drought demons (legendary drought-causing creatures) and eliminating irregular shrines; summoning dragon deities responsible for rainfall and the marshal commanders of the Thunder Ministry to receive orders—thereby manifesting the majesty of the Heavenly Dao and promoting the Dharma of Daoism. The conclusion notes the date and the submitting priest's official title and name, with copies sent to the Southern and Northern Dipper Star Lords.

The second part is the edict issued by the Nine Emperor Lords of the Northern Dipper (Beidou star deities) upon receiving the petition. It commands the Thunder Department (Leiting Dusi, the administrative office governing thunder) to dispatch the three marshals—Deng, Xin, and Zhang—as overseers, leading divine generals including the Duke of Thunder, Mother of Lightning, Earl of Wind, and Master of Rain to attend the ritual altar (Fatan) at the appointed date and hour. They are ordered to immediately activate thunderclaps and pour down torrential rain to relieve the drought, while simultaneously reporting to the True Lord of Thunder from the Heavenly Gang, the True Lord of Thunderclap from River Chief, and all constellations to act swiftly. Additionally, they must exterminate drought demons, obscure sunlight, and universally bestow three days of heavy rain to alleviate the people's suffering. The edict concludes with the issuance date and signatory.

The term "altar" (Tan) refers to the ritual platform for Daoist ceremonies. The "Thunder Department" (Leiting Dusi) is the divine institution governing thunder methods in the Daoist pantheon, while the "Three Marshals Deng, Xin, and Zhang" are famous thunder ministry commanders. Such documents demonstrate the meticulous hierarchical relationships and human-deity communication methods within Daoist thunder ritual systems.

On [specific date], we shall erect a Thunder Altar (Leitan, the Daoist ritual platform for thunder rites) in an open wilderness, arranging the ceremonial space according to the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) directions. Before commencing the ritual, official summons must be issued to invite the various deities: First, the Divine General of Majestic Radiance is invoked to purify the altar, dispel malign Qi, and muster the Thunder Department’s celestial troops. These deities act under the command of the Celestial Emperor, ensuring the propagation of Daoist teachings far and wide and the timely descent of nourishing rain.

By special decree: All marshals and generals of the Thunder Department, the Five Divisions of Wind, Cloud, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning, the Envoys of the Five Directions’ Savage Thunder, the Four Guardian Generals of the Nine Provinces (Kang, Liu, Lü, and Yin), the Dragon Kings responsible for rainfall in [specific] region, the Rain Deities on duty this year, the City God (Chenghuang), the Earth God (Tudigong), and the Dragon Deities of mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas must act immediately. You are commanded to arrive at the Thunder-Summoning Celestial Altar by [specific date and time] without awaiting further imperial edicts, leading your retinues without delay.

The specific requirements are: Raise the terrestrial Sha Qi (baleful earth energy) to obscure the scorching sun, gather dark clouds, brandish the thunder whip, and manifest divine might to send down abundant rain, nourishing vast farmlands and reviving all living things. Furthermore, local Earth Gods, City Gods, and other territorial deities are ordered to strictly inspect their jurisdictions. Should drought-causing Hanba (demonic drought entities) or illicit shrines (Yinci, unauthorized temples) be discovered, they must be reported and eradicated at once without obstruction. This matter is of utmost urgency and must be executed immediately, awaiting your manifestation through rainfall as proof of fulfillment.

This document is specially submitted for review by the Three Thunder Lords of the Thunder Department—Lord Deng, Lord Xin, and Lord Zhang.

Issued on [specific year, month, and time]

By the presiding Daoist Master [name and title]

Additional Summons to the Three Guardian Marshals (Kang, Liu, and Lü):

The [specific] Office of the Thunder Department, in response to the current drought, has already petitioned the Celestial Court and notified all Thunder Department deities. This official dispatch commands all Thunder Department generals to lead their troops, including the envoys overseeing Yin-Yang, the thunder gods subduing demons, the territorial deities, the eighteen divine generals of the upper and lower altars, the lords of the Nine Provinces’ local guardians, the deities of flourishing Qi in this region, the Great White Tiger of Baleful Power, the deities of the Fire-Streaming Malefic Star, the Four Thunderbolt Archers, and the presiding deities of local temples, to assemble at the Thunder-Summoning Celestial Altar by [specific date and time] for duty.

By this joint talismanic decree: Dark clouds shall gather at once, terrestrial energies shall be roused, and vapors shall rise to veil the sun. Heavy rain must descend immediately, accompanied by thunderbolts and gales (lightning like golden serpents writhing, winds strong enough to uproot trees).

This Daoist document is an official petition (diewen) used in rain-praying rituals, primarily requesting divine assistance to alleviate drought. The text mentions "Hanba," a legendary demon believed to cause droughts, and "yinci," referring to unauthorized folk shrines that violate ritual propriety.

The ritual master first reports to the celestial court the severity of the drought, petitioning for the dispatch of thunder deities to bring rain and relieve the disaster. The text lists several thunder generals by their official titles, including Commander-in-Chief Marshal Kang, Deputy Commander Marshal Liu, and the Nine Provinces' Earth God Messenger Lü. The master warns that disobedience to celestial law will result in severe punishment, demanding immediate action.

The document then details the rain-praying ceremony arrangements: an auspicious date and time must be selected, summoning the year god, monthly generals, and other celestial officials, along with thunder deities such as the Four Thunder Arrows, the Flowing Fire White Tiger, and the Earth God’s Savage Thunder. They are instructed not to wait for the master to ascend the altar but to directly manifest their divine powers—raising dark clouds to obscure the sky, spreading dense mist across the land, exterminating the Hanba demonic forces, destroying unauthorized shrines, and unleashing thunderous downpours of nourishing rain.

The text emphasizes that the operation must "manifest celestial decree above and comfort the people below," requiring swift execution without delay. It reiterates the strictness of celestial law and names specific officials responsible for enforcement, such as Marshal Yin, demanding immediate compliance. The closing section records the date of issuance, the master’s rank and name, and the official seal.

An appended note mentions that previous rain-praying rituals had failed, worsening the drought. Thus, the celestial court is petitioned again, with notifications sent to all relevant heavenly departments—including the Three Thunder Ministries, the Nine Celestial Palaces of Divine Empyrean, the Sun and Moon Palaces, the Northern and Southern Dippers—as well as patriarchs and perfected beings from various lineages, to collectively resolve the crisis.

These are two Daoist Thunder Ritual summons documents (used for invoking thunder deities to command clouds and rain), equivalent to modern "reminder notices" in official correspondence. The first is addressed to the Retribution Emissary Zhang Tianjun, while the second specifically summons Xin Tianjun.

The texts invoke several key thunder deities:

• Deng Tianjun (Marshal Deng of Swift Fire Command, supreme commander of the Thunder Ministry)
• Xin Tianjun (Grand Marshal of the Thirty-Three Heavens)
• Emissary Zhang (Swift Retribution Emissary of Primordial Qi)
• Marshal Yin (God of the Grand Year)
• Along with the Five Directions' Wild Thunder Emissaries and local commanders Kang, Liu, and Lü

The general meaning of the documents states: Previous memorials have been submitted to the celestial court, and initial summons have been issued, but due to urgent circumstances with no response yet received, this follow-up reminder is being sent. The thunder deities are commanded to immediately mobilize their troops—including officers of wind, cloud, thunder, and lightning divisions, along with local dragon kings, city gods, and earth deities—to assemble at the ritual altar for orders.

The specified tasks involve completing a full rainfall procedure within three days: "obscuring sunlight → generating rain vapor → whipping dragons to produce rain → thunder and lightning → widespread downpour." Special emphasis is placed on "bestowing universal moisture" to revive withered vegetation, demonstrating both the awe-inspiring power of thunder and responding to the people's sincere prayers for rain.

The documents conclude with issuance dates and space for the ritual master's signature and seal (marked "Sealed by [ritual title] Master [surname]"). In Daoist Zhaijiao liturgy, such documents belong to the "dispatch" phase, essentially serving as formal work assignments for deities.

This is a Daoist Thunder Ritual document used to summon thunder deities for rainfall, divided into two main sections.

The first half constitutes an urgent petition to the Thunder Ministry deities. It begins by reverently invoking Xin Tianjun (Celestial Lord Xin), the Iron Brush Law-Recording Deity who oversees Thunder Ministry justice, followed by urgent appeals to Commander-in-Chief Deng Tianjun. The ritual master recounts having twice petitioned the Celestial Court—first by dispatching Zhang the Swift Fire Thunder Enforcer and then Xin Tianjun—yet with the appointed deadline passed and still no rain, this third missive is issued as final summons. The document demands the Thunder Ministry deities immediately mobilize their celestial armies, joining forces with Envoy Zhang and Celestial Lord Xin at the ritual altar. They must command the full pantheon of wind, cloud, thunder, lightning and rain deities, along with barbarian thunder envoys from all directions, local thunder gods, dragon kings, and city gods to swiftly gather clouds, release rainfall, expel the drought demon (Hanba), and pour down three days of life-giving rain to relieve the people's suffering.

The second half presents the formal Thunder Decree. The master declares his authority derived from the teachings of Taishang Laojun (the Supreme Venerable Lord), summoning thunder deities in accordance with celestial law. Having already submitted memorials to the Golden Palace's Celestial Emperor (one of Daoism's supreme deities) and notified all Thunder Ministry spirits across the Three Realms, the decree establishes an absolute deadline—specifying the exact day and hour when abundant rain must fall to end the drought. Any Thunder Ministry deity failing this mandate will face severe punishment under celestial statutes.

The term "missive" (die) refers to formal Daoist ritual documents for divine communication, while "Celestial Lord" (Tianjun) honors high-ranking thunder generals. The descriptor "Swift Fire Thunder" illustrates these deities' lightning-speed responsiveness. Such documents embody the Thunder Method's core principle of "humanity harmonizing with heaven"—using talismanic writings to mobilize nature's divine forces for worldly salvation.

This scripture is a thunder ritual edict (a formal summons) from Daoist Thunder Magic (rituals for invoking thunder deities to bring rain), primarily summoning various thunder department deities to carry out rainfall duties.

The edict first explicitly commands the thunder gods to swiftly depart their palaces and immediately execute the rainfall order. It then lists an extensive roster of thunder department deities, including:

• Thunder Commanders: Deng Bian (Thunder Chief), Xin Hanchen (Lightning Chief)
• Principal Thunder Deities: Zhang Jue (Fire Thunder), Jiang Hechong (Thunder Lord), Xiu Wenying (Lightning Mother)
• Weather Deities: Fang Daozhang (Wind Earl), Chen Huafu (Rain Master), Guo Shixiu (Cloud Official)
• Five Directions' Wild Thunder Envoys and auxiliary spirits: Ma Yulin, Guo Yuanjing, and dozens more
• Local Deities: Resident Dragon Kings, City Gods, Earth Gods, etc.

All deities are commanded to immediately leave their respective jurisdictions in accordance with the Heavenly Emperor's decree, fully armed and arrayed in formation, leading their subordinates to assemble at the designated time (specific month/day/hour). They must rapidly alter weather conditions to produce thunderstorms, with specific requirements including:

• Immediate response, acting before the ritual platform is even ascended
• Gathering dark clouds to obscure the sun
• Whipping divine dragons to generate thunderclaps
• Summoning lightning and gale winds
• Churning rivers and overturning seas
• Pouring nourishing rain for three days to relieve drought

The edict concludes by emphasizing the strictness of celestial law and the imperative of immediate execution. The document bears the issuance date and authentication from three supreme deities:

• Patriarch Fire Master True Lord, Flaming Heaven God-Emperor
• Nine Heavens Thunder Ancestor Great Emperor
• Golden Tower Jade Emperor God

The reverse side bears talismanic inscriptions (in green characters) using symbolic language to describe fluctuations in magical potency, invoking stellar deities like the Weaving Maiden for assistance, and concludes with "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" (a common Daoist incantation phrase indicating immediate execution).

This scripture is a thunder ritual proclamation (leifa) from Daoist thunder magic—a practice involving talismans and incantations to summon thunder deities for rainfall. Its main purpose is to invoke the thunder pantheon to bring rain and relieve disaster. Let me explain it section by section:

First, it summons the thunder deities. The phrase "the Qian trigram begets the spirit of the Gen trigram" refers to the Daoist Bagua (Eight Trigrams) directional system, indicating the thunder god's celestial position. "Leigong" (Thunder Duke) and "Axianggong" are names of thunder generals responsible for commanding clouds and rain. "By the direct command of the Jade Emperor" emphasizes that this invocation carries the authority of the supreme celestial ruler.

Next, it states the reason for seeking rain: severe drought ("scorching yang turns to snow"), with the drought demon (a creature causing aridity) wreaking havoc. Various evil spirits obstruct wind and rain, preventing life-saving precipitation. Thus, an urgent proclamation is issued, beseeching the thunder deities to swiftly bring rain.

It then lists in detail the deities being summoned: the thunder marshals Deng, Xin, and Zhang (chief thunder generals), local thunder gods (sheling leishen), rain-dragons, city gods (chenghuang), and earth deities (tudi). They are commanded to act immediately—balancing Yin-Yang, stirring thunder and lightning, gathering storm clouds, and unleashing abundant rain to end the drought.

Repeated phrases like "urgently, by divine decree" and "make haste with solemn procession" convey the emergency. The gods are reminded of heaven's virtue of nurturing life (De), urging them to act with compassion to save the people and collectively accumulate merit. Finally, it requests redirecting storms elsewhere so this region may receive timely rain, demonstrating divine power.

The conclusion notes this follows the decree of "Patriarch Fire Master Wang Zhenjun" (a renowned Song dynasty thunder ritual master), commanding the Great Demon Kings of the Three Realms and Five Heavens (Daoist deities governing cosmic domains) to immediately execute the Jade Emperor's order. The entire proclamation follows strict liturgical form, embodying the solemn authority of Daoist thunder magic.

This scripture is a formal petition used by Daoist priests during rain-invocation rituals, addressed to the celestial court. It consists of three main sections:

The opening section pays homage to major Daoist deities, including the Great Emperor of Thunder Ancestors of the Nine Heavens, the Great Emperor of the North Pole (Purple Subtlety), the Great Emperor of the South Pole (Celestial Sovereign), and the Jade Emperor of the Golden Tower of Haotian (the full title of the supreme Daoist deity Yu Huang Dadi). The priest humbly identifies as "your servant [name]" and presents the petition with utmost reverence.

The middle section systematically enumerates the complete hierarchy of rain-controlling deities: First, the Three Thunder Bureaus (the highest administrative bodies of the Thunder Department) and the Nine Celestial Sovereigns of Divine Empyrean (the nine principal thunder deities). Then it lists stellar deities including the Sun and Moon Palaces, the Northern and Southern Dipper Lords, and the Celestial Stem and Earthly Branch constellations. The text further details the specific thunder generals responsible for rainfall implementation, such as Marshal Deng (chief commander of the Thunder Department), Marshal Xin (chief commander of the Lightning Department), along with specialized functionaries like Fire Thunder Envoy Zhang, Thunder Duke Jiang Hechong, and Lightning Mother Xiu Wenying who govern wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

The concluding section contains the actual petitions: First, requesting the Jade Emperor to reward these diligent deities with promotions and honors; second, confessing the collective sins of the local populace and seeking absolution for transgressions revealed during the drought. The priest also confesses personal shortcomings in cultivation and ritual performance, hoping for divine forgiveness to ultimately achieve the prayer for seasonal rains and agricultural abundance.

The "Three Thunder Bureaus" mentioned represent the highest administrative organs of the Daoist Thunder Department, while the "Nine Celestial Sovereigns of Divine Empyrean" collectively refers to the nine principal thunder deities. This divine bureaucracy reflects Daoism's characteristic deification of natural phenomena. The entire document embodies the Daoist concept of "cosmic resonance" (Tianren Ganying), which holds that sincere human petitions can interact with celestial forces.

This document records a Daoist memorial petition for rain thanksgiving, detailing how priests reported to celestial deities and requested commendations after successfully performing thunder rites (one of Daoist ritual systems) to summon rain.

The priest, assuming the role of a humble subject, respectfully petitions the celestial court: Previously, in response to the people’s plea during a prolonged drought, a thunder-summoning altar (a ritual platform for Daoist thunder rites) was erected on the appointed day, invoking the deities of the Thunder Ministry through talismans and incantations. Following a series of rituals, rain indeed arrived at the predicted hour, accompanied by thunder and lightning for three consecutive days, alleviating the drought and fulfilling the people’s hopes.

The memorial specifically acknowledges the efforts of the Thunder Ministry’s divine generals (commanders within the Daoist thunder pantheon), including:

1. The Thunder Ministry’s chief marshal, the Swift Fire Decree-Enforcing Flame Emperor, Heavenly Lord Deng (one of the principal deities of the Thunder Ministry)

2. The Lightning Ministry’s chief marshal, the Wind-Bearing Fierce Officer with Silver Teeth and Blazing Eyes, Heavenly Lord Xin (the deity governing lightning)

3. The Fire Thunder Swift Messenger and Retribution Officer, Divine Lord Zhang (a Thunder Ministry envoy responsible for rapid message delivery)

The priest petitions that, on the celestial court’s designated days for merit evaluation (such as the Three Origins and Five Offerings, key Daoist festivals), the Thunder Ministry generals may be promoted in celestial rank based on this achievement. The document concludes with the exact date of issuance and the ritual rank (a Daoist priest’s hierarchical status) of the presiding priest.

An appended section for clear weather petitions reveals that when prolonged rain damages crops, priests similarly follow this procedure, using talismans to summon thunder deities to halt rain and bring sunshine. Phrases like "kowtowing and bowing deeply" are standard formal expressions in Daoist documents to convey utmost reverence.

These texts are two formal Daoist memorials—one for praying to stop rain and another for summoning snow. The first is a petition submitted by a Daoist priest in the role of a subject to the Jade Emperor (the Most High Lord Jade Emperor of the Golden Palace of the Vast Heaven), describing the current abnormal weather of continuous rain. It requests the Thunder Ministry deities—especially the three marshals Deng, Xin, and Zhang, along with other thunder gods—to cease the rain and disperse the clouds at an appointed time, allowing sunlight to return and ensure agricultural prosperity.

The second memorial is a winter petition for snow. The priest reports that due to the imbalance of Yin-Yang, the season has been unseasonably warm without snowfall, raising concerns of potential epidemics. Despite repeated efforts to dispatch thunder deities for intervention, no improvement has been seen, hence the bold appeal. The priest humbly seeks the Jade Emperor’s pardon for any presumption and implores the lunar palace (Taiyin Yuefu), the Jade Purity Palace of the Nine Heavens, and other departments governing ice and snow to send divine emissaries such as the Immortal of Auspicious Light (Ruiguang Xianshi) and the Jade Snowflake Envoy (Yuying Shizhe) to bring snowfall on a specified date, thereby restoring cosmic harmony. The text mentions Deng Xie, Xin Hanchen, and Zhang Jue—the three principal marshals of the Thunder Ministry.

Such memorials reflect the Daoist cosmological view of "resonance between heaven and humanity," where sincere prayer and ritual practice can communicate with deities to regulate nature. The format is highly structured: first describing the calamity, then seeking forgiveness for any transgression, and finally specifying the timeframe for divine intervention. This demonstrates the "covenant between humans and spirits" at the heart of Daoist liturgy, embodying a sacred contractual relationship.

This scripture passage describes the ritual content of a Daoist priest (designated as "your subject, Minister X") submitting a memorial to the Celestial Emperor (Di Xin, the Emperor's Heart). Through specific ritual movements and incantations, the priest prays for heavenly blessings of auspicious snow (yinghua jianshui, "jade-flower snow cutting through water") to nourish the earth, bringing abundant harvests and prosperity (zhenxiang yunniang fengrang, "auspicious signs brewing plentitude"), while simultaneously dispelling plagues and diseases (xiaochu yili).

With reverence, the priest declares that these petitions are made both to align with the Celestial Emperor’s will (shang fu Di Xin, "above, to accord with the Emperor's Heart") and to fulfill the hopes of the people (xia fu min wang, "below, to match the people's expectations"). Trembling with awe (busheng zhanli, "unable to contain his fearful trembling"), he presents his plea to the Emperor, anxious that his request may overstep celestial authority (ganmao tianwei, "daring to intrude upon Heaven’s majesty"). The passage concludes with the date of submission and the priest’s official title and name (juwei chen xing mou zhuang zou, "your subject, Minister X of such position, respectfully submits this memorial").

This text exemplifies the Daoist concept of "resonance between Heaven and humanity" (tianren ganying), which holds that through sincere ritual practice, the human realm can communicate with the celestial sphere to invoke natural harmony and dispel calamities. The poetic terms "jianshui" (cutting water, metaphorically describing snowfall) and "yunniang" (brewing, symbolizing how auspicious snow fosters abundance) are characteristic Daoist ritual expressions, rich in symbolic imagery.