《道法會元》Vol. 131

This scripture documents Daoist ritual methods for praying for rain and ending droughts, primarily involving several divine generals who govern wind and rain, along with specific ritual procedures.

The text first introduces the pantheon of rain deities: the principal deity is Marquis Zhang Bo, the True Lord of Righteous Blessings and Sacred Fierceness (a Daoist rain god), flanked by two guardian generals—General Ding the Sage Kuang and General Ren the Sage Yong—as well as the vanguard General Fang Tong who delivers divine retribution.

During prolonged droughts, the ritual master must perform these steps: First, inscribe two talismans (fulu) on iron plates or new tiles, then cast them into deep pools or dragon wells—places believed to possess spiritual potency. To summon strong winds, the master attaches the talismans to the gills of live carp while silently reciting incantations over a black banner to invoke Generals Ding and Ren. Waving this banner skyward will summon fierce winds.

For formal rain prayers, the master must establish an altar while performing internal cultivation (neilian): Visualize the heart fire (red essence qi) descending to meet the rising kidney water (black essence qi). When these two energies merge within the body, they surge up the spine to the crown of the head. Simultaneously, envision all water deities—including those from the Five Lakes and Four Seas—converging above. The practitioner then visualizes transforming into the Dark Emperor of Heaven (an important Daoist deity) to beseech rainfall before the Celestial Gate.

Specific recitations include the "Water Palace Divine Incantation," "Heavenly Pengzhou Incantation," and the "Heavenly Youth Scripture's Numinous Text," each chanted seven times while forming hand seals like the Ziwen Mudra and Dipper-Holding Mudra. When fish-scale clouds accumulate and white clouds darken, these are signs of impending rain. During extended sunny periods, the master must perform the Gang and Dou sacred steps (Daoist ritual footwork) according to yin or yang calendar days, using thunder method (leifa) hand seals to mobilize the heart and kidney energies.

For prolonged rainfall, the procedure reverses: the heart fire and kidney water energies must circulate and merge in opposite directions. This complete ritual system combines talismans (fulu), incantations, internal alchemy (neidan), hand seals, and sacred steps (bugang), embodying the Daoist cosmological principle of "heaven-human resonance."

This scripture describes Daoist ritual techniques for summoning rain and invoking thunder, incorporating specific methods of talismanic writing (fulu), hand seals (shoujue), and visualization (cunxiang).

For creating the Red Spirit Great Divinity Talisman of Ding: Use vermilion ink on red paper, writing the character "kuang" while invoking the Yang aspect of the Dipper (Yangdou, referring to the Northern Dipper deities). Recite the Seven True Ones of the Dipper incantation seven times, followed by the Water Palace spell. Form the noon-hour hand seal (Wuwen shoujue), visualize raising heart-fire from the Dantian to the crown of the head, then infuse the talisman with Qi by exhaling with the "he" sound.

The Black Spirit Great Divinity Talisman of Ren requires black paper with white ink, writing the character "yong" while invoking the Yin aspect of the Dipper (Yindou). Similarly recite the Seven True Ones incantation seven times with the Water Palace spell. Form the midnight-hour hand seal (Ziwenshoujue), visualize raising kidney-water upward, then charge the talisman by exhaling with the "chui" sound.

The Water Palace Summoning Spell essentially calls upon water deities and thunder generals, commanding them to gather clouds and release rain. It mentions how the Ding and Ren generals represent the primordial sources of fire and water, demanding their immediate attendance. Deities from major waterways like the Xiang River and Great Lakes are invoked, along with frost goddess Qingnü and water god Fengyi, all required to act in concert. Disobedience would result in banishment to Fengdu (the Daoist underworld).

The Thunder Summoning Spell declares the practitioner a disciple of the Celestial Master (Tianshi), urgently convoking thunder gods like Leigong (Thunder Duke) and Dianmu (Lightning Mother), along with the霹雳火車 (Pili Huoche, "Thunderbolt Fire Chariot") to the ritual altar. Thunder generals are commanded to mobilize from the震宫 (Zhengong, Thunder Palace in the east) and巽户 (Xunhu, Wind Gate in the southeast), raising clouds and mist. Those complying with cosmic will receive blessings, while resisters face punishment by thunder-axes.

The text concludes by referencing two crucial thunder magic formulas: "The Dao Ancestor's Thunderclap Rain Command" and "The Sudden Fire Thunder Division Secret Incantation." Through the coordinated use of talismans, spells, hand seals, and visualization, the ritual harmonizes fire and water energies to summon thunder deities for drought relief.

This scripture contains two Daoist Thunder Magic incantations—the Demon-Dispelling Thunder Spell and the Clear Sky Prayer—demonstrating how Daoist practice employs mantras to mobilize natural forces.

The first passage describes the awesome power of thunder: Between heaven and earth flows the invisible force of thunder, with the Celestial Thunder bearing the surname Yan and the Earthly Thunder bearing Guo (personified names of thunder deities in Daoism). Thunder can vanquish demons and evil spirits with earth-shaking might that even heaven and earth cannot withstand. The practitioner claims to have forged a covenant with the Thunder Gods, wielding the Fulu (talismanic mandate) as spiritual authorization to command the thunder deities to ride their chariots and wield axes, swiftly capturing malevolent entities. The phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" (急急如律令) is a common concluding formula in Daoist spells, signifying immediate execution of divine commands.

The second passage, the Clear Sky Prayer, summons the True Fire of the Sun to disperse storm clouds: "Primordial Lord of the Sun's True Fire" refers to the Solar Deity (Daoist sun god). The incantation invokes the Fire Gods of the Southern Bing-Ding direction (associated with the Fire phase in the Five Phases system), requesting assistance from the Nine Heavenly Perfected Beings and the Celestial Emperor to sweep away rain clouds. "Yinghuo" denotes the planet Mars, while "flowing golden bells" refers to ritual implements. The spell warns of heavenly punishment for disobedience, concluding with "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the Supreme Lord's wind-wheel fire-chariot statutes," invoking the rapid descent of Laozi's flaming chariot of law.

The recurring motifs of "fire wheels" and "fire chariots" do not refer to modern vehicles but rather to the flaming divine conveyances envisioned in Daoist cosmology. These incantations embody the Daoist belief that specific linguistic rhythms can commune with deities and harness natural forces—a magical worldview where practitioners must combine Fulu (talismans), mudras, and other ritual elements for efficacy.

This scripture primarily discusses Daoist snow-invocation rituals and the theory of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases (Wuxing), divided into two parts: incantations and the principles of thunder magic (Leifa).

The first half contains snow-invocation incantations, focusing on summoning the "Eastern Numinous Prime Minister of the Auspicious Radiance Household" (a snow deity in the Daoist pantheon) to bestow benevolent snowfall. The incantations describe snowflakes as pure as celestial jade blossoms, capable of dispelling pestilence and evil qi (vital energy), ensuring abundant harvests. The phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" is a standard Daoist incantation conclusion, signifying immediate execution of divine commands. Through imagery like "Yin congealing the frozen sea" and "phoenix-beaked silver teeth," the verses vividly portray the majestic descent of ice and snow.

The latter half explains thunder magic principles using Yin-Yang and Five Phases theory. Key points include: Heaven (Yang) contains hidden Yin (the sun being externally Yang but internally Yin), while Earth (Yin) harbors latent Yang (the moon being externally Yin but internally Yang), enabling mutual transformation between water and fire. For instance, flames can appear amidst ocean waves (water containing fire), while sudden hailstorms may erupt during wildfires (fire containing water). Thunder appears to descend from heaven but actually originates from earth, akin to echoes in a valley. This concept of mutual Yin-Yang concealment manifests in cultivation practices—using fire mirrors to gather solar fire by day and water mirrors to collect lunar water by night.

Two examples illustrate these principles: sailors observing flames in waves are witnessing water-fire interaction, not mere reflections from sea creatures' scales; hailstorms quenching urban fires demonstrate fire's hidden watery nature, unrelated to the Han-dynasty fangshi (esoteric practitioner) Luan Ba's legendary wine-spitting fire suppression. The text concludes that thunder and wind both originate underground, merely manifesting audibly in the sky, using analogies like "drilling wood produces fire" and "digging earth reveals water" to explain these profound mechanisms.

The patterns of wind follow the movement of the sun: when winds arise with sunrise, they dissipate at sunset; when winds emerge with the moon (Taiyin), they fade as the moon sets. All transformations of wind, rain, darkness, and brightness between heaven and earth fundamentally stem from the interaction of Yin and Yang Qi.

Harmony between Yin and Yang is the Dao (the Way), while their imbalance leads to disorder. The continuous rising and falling, opening and closing, and orderly circulation of Yin and Yang Qi ensure smooth and balanced wind and rain. Any disruption in this movement results in either drought or floods. Similarly, within the human body: when Qi flows smoothly, the meridians remain balanced, but stagnation leads to illness.

The waxing and waning of Yin and Yang in the cosmos manifests as follows: when Yang Qi is strong and Yin Qi weak, wind forms; when Yin Qi is strong and Yang Qi weak, clouds gather; when Yin and Yang clash violently, thunder arises; when they ascend and descend, rain falls; and when they condense and flow, lightning emerges. If Yin and Yang Qi remained fixed without fluctuation—no strengthening or weakening, no rising or falling—then heaven and earth would cease to be heaven and earth.

More specifically: when Yang Qi reaches its peak, wind is born; when heat reaches its extreme, rain follows. When Yin Qi accumulates to its limit, clouds form, and when cold builds excessively, snow descends. Wind relates to fire—extreme heat generates wind—while clouds relate to water—extreme cold produces clouds. These principles align with the mutual generation and restraint of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), not only evident in Daoist practices like the "Zhenkan Zongzhen Talisman" but also serving as the foundational law underlying all Daoist methods.

Each of the Five Phases has its season of growth and flourishing: Wood Qi arises in the tenth lunar month (Hai) and peaks in the second month (Mao); Water Qi arises in the seventh month (Shen) and peaks in the eleventh month (Zi); Fire Qi arises in the first month (Yin) and peaks in the fifth month (Wu); Metal Qi arises in the fourth month (Si) and peaks in the eighth month (You); Earth Qi resides at the center, peaking in the ninth month (Xu). The order of mutual generation is: Metal begets Water, Water begets Wood, Wood begets Fire, Fire begets Earth, and Earth begets Metal. The order of mutual restraint is: Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, and Fire overcomes Metal. There is also mutual control: Metal in the south is restrained by Fire, Wood in the west is restrained by Metal, Water in the center is restrained by Earth, Fire in the north is restrained by Water, and Earth in the east is restrained by Wood.

This cyclical motion never ceases: movement at its extreme returns to stillness, and stillness at its extreme transforms into movement—this is the fundamental law of Yin-Yang alternation and Five Phases transformation. For example, when Metal Qi in the south is restrained by Fire to its limit, a reversal occurs: Fire generates Earth Qi, weakening its restraint on Metal, allowing Metal Qi to naturally recover.

This scripture elucidates the cyclical patterns of mutual generation and restraint among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and how these principles are applied in Daoist ritual arts. When one phase restrains another to its extreme limit, transformation occurs—for instance, when Metal (Jin) overcomes Wood (Mu) to its utmost, the Metal itself transforms into Water (Shui), thereby releasing Wood from restraint and allowing its innate nature to reassert itself.

The text illustrates this dynamic through seasonal transitions: during the Beginning of Spring (Lichun), the celestial stems Ding and Ren combine to generate Wood, as the restraining force of Geng-Metal upon Jia-Wood reaches its limit and transforms into Wood Qi predominance. At the Beginning of Summer (Lixia), Wu and Gui merge to produce Fire when Ren-Water's restraint over Bing-Fire culminates in Fire Qi ascendancy. The Beginning of Autumn (Liqiu) witnesses Yi and Geng combining into Metal as Bing-Fire's suppression of Geng-Metal peaks and shifts to Metal Qi governance. During the Beginning of Winter (Lidong), Bing and Xin unite as Water when Wu-Earth's constraint over Ren-Water reaches its apex and converts to Water Qi dominance. Each seasonal transition includes an eighteen-day interim period marked by Earth Qi's flourishing.

The latter section reveals the esoteric principles of Daoist Thunder Magic (Leifa)—a ritual art for summoning wind and rain. The practitioner must internally circulate the Dao of Water and Fire's ascent and descent (referring to Neidan internal alchemy practice) to activate thunder's power. Just as the people of Leizhou offer drums to the Thunder Deity, demonstrating that divine beings require earthly objects to manifest their potency, so too must the ritual master employ physical water and fire when ascending the altar—such as using the Water-Fire Basin (a ritual implement symbolizing Yin-Yang harmonization) during soul liberation rites. These phenomena embody the profound mystery of "transformation"—whether in the interplay of the Five Phases, celestial phenomena, or spiritual affairs, all follow the fundamental laws of mutual generation and restraint.

When performing magical transformations, one need not prepare anything overly elaborate—even just a bowl of water and a single lamp will suffice. Take exorcism and purification rituals, for example: the essentials are simply consecrated water (ritually empowered holy water) and the divine sword (a ritual implement). Ordinary water and fire cannot possibly achieve the effect of connecting inner and outer cosmic transformations.

Natural phenomena in heaven and earth each correspond to specific directions: wind aligns with the Xun position (southeast), clouds with the Gen position (northeast), thunder with the Zhen position (east), rain with the Kan position (north), and lightning with the Li position (south). However, note that celestial directions don't perfectly mirror terrestrial ones—for instance, the heavenly Xun position doesn't rigidly correspond to the earthly southeast. These natural phenomena also find correspondence within the human body: the ears serve as passages for wind and thunder, the nose for clouds and thunder, the eyes for fire and lightning, the mouth for water and thunder, the crown of the head as the hub of earthly thunder, and beneath the tongue as the pivot of celestial thunder.

Different energies within the body also have their correspondences: Jing (vital essence) resembles rainwater, Shen (spirit) resembles thunderfire, Hun (yang soul) resembles wind and wood, Po (yin soul) resembles lightning and metal, while intention resembles clouds and earth. Even breathing can manifest natural phenomena: a "he" exhalation generates thunder, "xi" produces celestial thunderclaps, "chui" creates rain, "xu" stirs wind, "si" sparks lightning, and ordinary exhalation forms clouds. All this originates from the workings of consciousness—the power of myriad divine beings connects with heavenly principles through the Dantian (the golden chamber at the body's center). Those who understand these principles perform rituals with ease, while the ignorant are like deaf men trying to hear or blind men attempting to see, wasting their efforts in vain.

Regarding the essential techniques of Pacing the Void and Treading on Dipper (Daoist ritual footwork): with each step, visualize golden orbs like constellation stars appearing beneath your feet. Kicking upward rotates the celestial pivot, stepping downward spins the earthly axis, kicking toward the Li position (south) ignites fiery wheels, while treading toward the Kan position (north) activates water wheels. This method holds tremendous power and must never be used carelessly. Ancient perfected ones warned: Pacing the Dipper is no child's play—if practiced without proper mastery, even the Thunder God will scoff in derision. Practitioners must therefore cultivate these arts with utmost diligence.

(This passage originates from Volume 131 of The Collected Essentials of Daoist Methods, primarily explaining the correspondences between Daoist magical principles, the human body, and natural phenomena, along with key cultivation points for Pacing the Void and Treading on Dipper.)