《道法會元》Vol. 15

This scripture records the ritual procedure and prayer text of the Daoist "Jade Palace Refinement Talisman Method" (Yuchen Liandu Fufa), primarily used for the salvation of deceased souls and the resolution of karmic grievances. Here is the modern interpretation:

Before commencing the ritual, preparation requires blue talisman paper (Eastern Pole Blue Script) – either seven-foot-long white paper or silk, leaving a five-inch blank space at the front. Vermillion ink is used to draw the talismanic symbols, while the accompanying text is written in black ink at the back. The talisman must be sealed with a circular imprint, enclosed within nested wooden and yellow paper cases, securely bound with silk threads.

The presiding Daoist priest (officially titled "Your Servant So-and-So") addresses Heaven with reverent awe: "It is known that the Supreme Dao Ancestor (referring to the highest Daoist deity), in boundless compassion, has widely transmitted methods for delivering sentient beings." Humbly acknowledging his limited cultivation yet undertaking this solemn task of salvation, the priest earnestly seeks divine forgiveness for any presumption. Acting upon the petitioner's request, he now prepares to conduct the Keyi (standard Daoist liturgy) for the deceased souls' deliverance.

Considering the vast distances of the netherworld (Luofeng), where souls may suffer judicial torment from unresolved earthly grievances, the ritual employs sacred instruments like the "Jade Purity Heavenly Pardon Treasure Edict" (Daoist absolution document). These ritual objects include: the Celestial Unity Northern Blessing Jade Slip, Jade Palace Seven Treasures Purple Tenuity Talisman, and Three Primes Bamboo Registers – all capable of commanding the underworld to absolve the souls' transgressions.

With utmost devotion, the priest invokes the Most High Lord of Salvation from Suffering (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun) and the Mysterious Azure Emperor residing in the Eastern Pole Palace, beseeching them to bestow these pardoning talismans. May all underworld jurisdictions across the Three Realms and Ten Directions (cosmological term for the entire universe) obey this decree – delivering specified deceased (including the petitioner's designated ancestors, souls trapped in the Nine Darknesses, victims of calamities, and women suffering in the Blood Lake) from karmic entanglements, absolving their sins, liberating them from darkness, and granting the blessings of Liandu (Daoist salvation ritual).

The prayer concludes by invoking assisting deities: officials of the Water-Fire Refinement Offices (Daoist salvation bureaus), Celestial Physicians (Tianyi), and Overseers of Rebirth (Jiansheng) – all essential for completing the salvation process.

This scripture records a Daoist ritual document for the salvation of departed souls, primarily consisting of two parts: a memorial petition and an official dispatch.

The first part is a memorial petition submitted by the Daoist priest to the Most High Lord of Salvation from Suffering (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, the venerated deity specializing in alleviating suffering and delivering souls). The text describes the purification of the deceased's spirit through Daoist ritual implements like the "balm of flowing fire" and "yellow blossom waters," which cleanse karmic obstructions from their earthly life, freeing them from underworld officials' jurisdiction. This grants the soul rebirth opportunities to enter the Southern Palace (Nangong, the Daoist celestial abode of immortals) for spiritual instruction. The priest humbly states his incomplete realization of the true Dao (Zhen Dao), thus entrusting divine marshals like Zhang Ya, the Swift Thunder Courier, to deliver this document to the Eastern Extremity's Wondrous Solemn Palace (Dongji Miaoyan Gong), the celestial residence of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun.

The second part is an official dispatch ("Guanwen") addressed to the celestial bureaucracy, issued by the "Ten Thousand Thunder Divisions of Primordial Qi" (Yuanshi Yiqi Wan Shen Lei Si), a divine institution of the Shenxiao tradition. It declares the ongoing performance of the "Jade Imperial Scripture Rites" (Yuchen Jingfa) for soul salvation, requesting all deities to facilitate document transmission. Specific instructions summon divine officers like the "Thunder Swift Retribution Emissary Zhang of Yang Valley" (Dongqing Yanggu Zhang Shenjun) and the "Upper Realm Direct Symbol Courier" (Shangjie Zhifu Shizhe) to immediately deliver the amnesty document, assisting the soul's liberation from the underworld. The document bears the seal of the "Jade Purity Celestial Amnesty Treasure Mandate" (Shenxiao Yuqing Tian She Baozhang), certifying its authorization by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun).

Recurrent references to the "Eastern Extremity" denote the oriental realm of eternal life, while the "balm of flowing fire" (representing Yang energy) and "yellow blossom waters" (embodying Yin energy) symbolize dual cultivation implements used in Daoist soul refinement. The entire ritual exemplifies Daoism's characteristic communication with celestial bureaucracy through sacred documents, embodying the religion's core concept of "using texts to commune with heaven" (yi wen tong tian).

This scripture is a formal petition from the Daofa Huiyuan (Collected Essentials of Daoist Ritual) concerning the performance of the Celestial Amnesty Ceremony. It details how Daoist priests, following liturgical protocols (Keyi), submit an official document to heaven requesting absolution for the sins of departed souls.

The priests first describe how sentient beings in this Dharma-ending age remain perpetually entangled by karmic retribution, ensnared in evils such as killing, theft, licentiousness, greed, wrath, ignorance, and envy. Disregarding cause and effect and violating precepts, these souls suffer posthumous punishment in the underworld, trapped in cycles of rebirth without liberation—a truly pitiable state.

Thus, the priests petition the compassionate highest deities (referring to Daoism's supreme divinities) to issue the "Divine Empyrean Jade Purity Celestial Amnesty Treasure Edict." This document must urgently reach all ten directions of the cosmos, the Three Realms and Six Paths of existence, and every divine administrative office, including:

• The Nine Bureaus and Four Offices (underworld management agencies)
• The Boundless Divine Domains
• The Yellow Springs underworld
• Northern Capital Luofeng (a hell realm)
• The Three Officials' Nine Bureaus (heavenly, earthly, and water officials with their subordinate offices)
• The Twelve River Sources
• Sacred mountains and great rivers
• Celestial prisons and hells
• The Great and Small Iron-Enclosed Mountains (hell realms)
• The Blood Lake Gorge and Stone Prison (hell realms)
• The Uninterrupted Avīci Hell (lowest hell)

—alongside all local City Gods (Chenghuang) and Earth Deities (Tudi Shen).

The edict’s core appeal is this: May the Supreme Elder Lord (Taishang Laojun) bestow great mercy to immediately absolve all souls being delivered—including those in the Nine Darknesses hells, beings suffering in the Five Paths of rebirth, those who perished in calamities, and women who died in childbirth. Their sins—whether evil thoughts, harmful speech, personal wrongdoing, or inciting others—accumulated from past to present, normally unforgivable even after three rounds of underworld interrogation, shall now be pardoned by celestial grace. These souls must no longer be detained but granted liberation.

The absolved must cleanse their hearts, repent, reform, and vow never to commit evil again. With purified spirits and clarified innate nature, they should take refuge in the Three Treasures (Dao, scriptures, and masters), comprehend the true Dao, and seize this opportunity to transcend rebirth, reaching the "Dao’s shore" (liberation).

A final note specifies the edict takes immediate effect upon proclamation, executed according to the Qingwei lineage’s (a major Daoist school) scriptural methods. Signatories include three presiding priests:

• Zhao Yizhen, Great Cavern Master of the Three Luminances (Shangqing tradition)
• Zeng Guini, Five Thunder Master of the Three Caverns (Shangqing tradition)
• Peng Ruli, Officer of the Mysterious Cavern (Dongxuan rank)

This passage documents the hierarchy of exalted immortals (gaozhen) within the Daoist pantheon along with their divine titles, as well as the procedural dissemination of a celestial pardon document (Tianshe Baozhang) originating from the Jade Purity Heaven of Divine Empyrean.

The opening section enumerates the complete honorific titles of prominent Daoist deities, each comprising their official position, reverential title, and personal name. For instance, "Superior Minister of Luminous Vastness from the Cavern of Truth, Dongzhen Dafu Qingwei Guangming Shangqing" denotes the divine office, while "Xiong Daohui" represents the immortal's earthly surname and religious name. These celestial beings include:

• Huang Shunshen, Perfected of Universal Transformation from the Thunder Abyss of Extensive Blessings (Leiyuan Guangfu Puhua Zhenren) of the Thunder Ministry (Leibu) that governs celestial lightning
• Nan Bidao, Perfected of Prosperous Radiance from the Hidden Mystery of Universal Salvation (Hunyin Hongji Changyao Zhenren) who presides over water realms
• Li Shaowei, Perfected of Venerated Grace from the Protective Numinous Blessings (Baoyi Lingyou Chonghui Zhenren) of the Five Thunder Court (Wulei Yuan)
• Zhu Dongyuan, Perfected of Luminous Virtue and Penetrating Wisdom from the Jade Pivot (Yushu Shi Tonghui Mingde Dongzhao Zhenren) of the Divine Empyrean (Shenxiao) lineage
• Along with foundational patriarchs like Xu Xun, Ge Xuan, and Zhang Daoling (Celestial Master Tianshi)

The latter portion details a pardon edict issued from the supreme celestial realm "Jade Purity Heaven of Divine Empyrean." This document is promulgated by the "Myriad Spirit Thunder Office of Primordial Qi" (Yuanshi Yiqi Wan Shen Lei Si) - the divine institution governing celestial thunder - in accordance with the highest Daoist decree (fengdaozhi). It is to be delivered throughout the "Three Realms, Ten Directions and Nine Nether Prisons" (sanjie shifang jiuyou zhuyu), encompassing celestial, terrestrial, and underworld domains. The "Celestial Pardon Pass" (Tianshe Guan) refers to the official clearance document accompanying this pardon.

This text exemplifies the intricate bureaucratic structure of Daoist divinity and the religious concept of celestial-human communication through formal documentation. In Daoist rituals (keyi), such documents are typically employed in ceremonies for sin absolution and soul salvation (chaodu).

This scripture is a Daoist liturgical document (Keyi) for the salvation of departed souls, consisting of two main sections:

The first part is an official dispatch ("Guanwen") addressed to underworld deities, requesting the release of souls. It invokes the "Thunderous Guardian General Guan Yuanshuai" (a Daoist protector deity) and the Six Jia Generals to clear the path with talismans. The document demands that the Dinglu Division of Fengdu's Northern Yin (the highest administrative realm of the Daoist underworld) immediately consult the Registers of Life and Death to release the souls recommended by the petitioner, without delay. It particularly emphasizes the immense merit of soul salvation, urging execution as swiftly as sparks flying through the night.

The second section contains the "Nine Heavens Jasper Memorial" for refining and delivering souls, specifically designed to liberate those who died in childbirth from the "Blood Lake Hell" (a special infernal realm in Daoism where women who perish during labor are believed to fall). The text summons deities like the "Sixth Jade Maiden of the Tortoise Platform from the Divine Tiger Division" to deliver the document to Fengdu, commanding the administrators of Blood Lake Hell to immediately absolve these souls' karmic burdens, erase their transgressions from three lifetimes, cleanse their blood-stained records, and guide them to the ritual altar for salvation.

Attached is the "Numinous Treasure Threefold Dawn Wisdom Light True Talisman" (a Daoist Fulu), which contains the combined power of solar, lunar, and stellar radiance to illuminate the souls' path to liberation. The entire ceremony strictly follows the standards established by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme Daoist deity), embodying Daoism's compassionate commitment to universal salvation.

This scripture is a ritual document used in Daoism for the salvation of female souls who died in childbirth. The main content consists of an official petition issued by the Daoist priest in the name of the "Numinous Treasure Pure Spirit Jade Perfection Talisman Register" (Lingbao Qingshen Yuzhen Baolu), requesting celestial deities to assist in the deliverance of the deceased.

The document begins by specifying the ritual date and the officiating priest's name. It employs the "Numinous Treasure Pure Spirit Register" (Lingbao Qingshen Lu), a type of Daoist talisman that can be inscribed with azure, orpiment, or cinnabar pigments, specifically designed to save women trapped in the Blood Lake (a realm of suffering where women who die in childbirth are believed to descend).

The text invokes thirty-six Perfected Beings including the "Divine Lord of the Yellow Watchtower" (Huangque Shenjun) and the "Great Deity of Purple Gates" (Zihu Dashen), along with twenty-four other deities and numerous divine generals and officials. Together they work to cleanse the karmic obstructions of the deceased, resolve grievances, and purify the separated souls of mother and child. Through this ritual, the departed may transcend suffering and ultimately reach the sacred realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), attaining eternal liberation.

The latter section adopts the form of the "Purple Tenuity Edict" (Ziwei Fugao), summoning two specialized soul-retrieving deities: "Grand Mystery Summoning Deity Wu'a of the Left" (Taixuan Shezhao Zuo Shen Wu'a) and "Grand Mystery Summoning Deity Tuke of the Right" (Taixuan Shezhao You Shen Tuke). These deities are instructed to gather the specified deceased along with their ancestral relatives and wandering spirits for salvation, with the ritual to be completed by a designated night.

The entire document exemplifies Daoist religious practice in soul salvation through talismanic registers (fulu), divine hierarchies, and strict ritual procedures—particularly addressing the special circumstances surrounding maternal mortality.

This scripture describes the ritual documents used in Daoist salvation ceremonies for deceased souls, primarily focusing on several types of talismans (fulu, Daoist ritual texts) and wooden slips:

The text first introduces the "Jade Capital Seven Treasures Purple Tenuity Jade Talisman" (Yuchen Qibao Ziwei Yufu), a crucial talisman for soul salvation. The ritual master must present this talisman during specific years, months, days and hours to the Divine Generals of the Supreme Mystery Left and Right Recruiting Offices (Tai Xuan Zuo You Shezhao Wutu Erwei Shenjun) – deities specializing in guiding departed souls – entreating them to help the deceased transcend the sufferings of the underworld.

Next, it explains the crafting method for the "Salvation from Suffering Slip" (Jiuku Jian): ideally made from very thin cypress wood, though thick paper may substitute if unavailable. The slip bears the inscription "Primordial Commands of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning" (Yuanshi Fuming), representing the highest divine decree from the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun). This serves to notify deities across the ten directions, requesting their assistance in guiding a specific deceased individual's soul to escape the underworld and ascend to the immortal realms.

The documents must be placed in specially prepared slip pouches marked "Ten Thousand Thunder Gods Office of Primordial Qi" (Yuanshi Yiqi Wan Shen Lei Si) – the celestial bureaucracy governing thunder deities – to be delivered by special courier youths to Mount Luofeng (Luofeng, the Daoist underworld) for expedited salvation.

The final section discusses the "Upper Prime Slip" (Shangyuan Jian), also called the "Proclamation Text" (Gaowen). This document petitions the Upper Prime Celestial Ministry (Shangyuan Tiancao, the heavenly judicial system) to grant salvation not only to the immediate deceased but also their ancestral lineage and all wandering souls, enabling their collective liberation from suffering and ascension to celestial realms. Following standard protocol, the document concludes with the date and the ritual master's official title and name, signifying solemn observance.

All these documents adhere to fixed formats requiring ritual masters to write and burn them at specific times through prescribed methods. They are transmitted via sacred courier systems to relevant deities, collectively completing the salvation ceremony.

This is the format of the "Three Primordial Memorials" (Sanyuan Jian) used in Daoist rituals for the salvation of departed souls. Divided into Upper Primordial (Shangyuan), Middle Primordial (Zhongyuan), and Lower Primordial (Xiayuan) sections, they correspond respectively to the three netherworld realms: celestial, terrestrial, and aquatic.

The Upper Primordial Memorial is a document addressed to celestial deities, beginning with the phrase "Universal Proclamation from the Jade Script of Primordial Commencement," indicating it is an official dispatch issued in the name of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Commencement (Yuanshi Tianzun, Daoism's supreme deity). Its content essentially states that a designated priest (identified as "Your subject, [surname]") petitions the Upper Primordial celestial realm to request salvation for a specific departed soul along with their ancestral lineage and unattended wandering spirits, delivering them from suffering to ascend to the immortal realms. It concludes with the date and time of issuance, bearing the priest's signature.

The Middle and Lower Primordial Memorials follow identical formats but are directed to terrestrial and aquatic deities respectively. The Middle Primordial Memorial is sent to the "Infinite Divine Regions of the Earthly Netherworld Prisons" (the underworld), while the Lower Primordial Memorial addresses the "Infinite Divine Regions of the Watery Netherworld Springs" (the aquatic underworld). Both petitions seek to liberate souls from suffering, enabling them to "transcend bitter destinies and ascend to the Emperor's realm" (escape suffering and rise to celestial realms).

Following this is the "Primordial Command of Destiny" (Yuanshi Fuming) section—a talismanic document imbued with spiritual power. It summons three emissaries: Jiao Yuanfan of the Upper Primordial, Zhu Qin of the Middle Primordial, and Tang Shun of the Lower Primordial. These messengers are tasked with delivering jade scriptures, purple bamboo slips, and talismanic texts respectively to the celestial realm, netherworld, and aquatic underworld to swiftly execute the salvation mission.

The concluding section is the "Jade Document of the Divine Tiger" (Shenhu Yuzha), inscribed on seven feet of white silk. This higher-level document, called the "Northern Mandate Jade Slip of Heavenly Unity" (Tianyi Beizuo Yuzha), possesses the power to "condense Qi in emptiness and transform radiance into sacred syllables." It can open the Northern Dipper's Divine Mansion (the hell realm governed by the Big Dipper deities) and universally deliver souls at the Southern Radiance Cinnabar Platform (a sacred Daoist cultivation site). The text clarifies that this document originates from the Purple Pass Palace of Jade Capital in Supreme Clarity (Shangqing Xuandu Yujing Ziguan Gong—one of Daoism's highest celestial realms), embodying the "Chapter of Purity and Emptiness" from the Heavenly Unity Jade Texts (advanced Daoist scriptures).

The complete set of documents demonstrates Daoism's comprehensive cosmology of the netherworld and salvation rituals. Through these tiered memorials, deities across the three realms are mobilized to collectively accomplish the rite of soul deliverance. The recurring phrase "boundless universal salvation" reflects Daoism's compassionate ideal of delivering all sentient beings.

This is a talismanic document (Fulu) used in Daoist salvation rituals, primarily invoking divine assistance to deliver deceased souls. The text consists of two main sections:

The first section serves as a proclamation to celestial and earthly deities. The Daoist priest, acting in the name of the goddess "Purple Radiance Lady of Mysterious Darkness from Supreme Unity (Taiyi Xuanguan Ziguang Furen)," issues a jade decree (sacred document) commanding Yang-world deity He Chang and Yin-world deity Qiao Xun to act immediately. Their mission is to bridge heaven and earth, facilitating the salvation of a specific deceased soul along with their ancestral lineage and unattended wandering spirits from the underworld. The document concludes with the issuance date and the officiating priest's formal title.

The second section contains specific water-fire talismanic invocations. The priest petitions the "Thunder Office of Myriad Spirits from Primordial Qi (Yuanshi Yiqi Wan Shen Lei Si)"—a Daoist divine institution—explaining the purpose of conducting this salvation ritual. Multiple deities are then summoned:

• The Yang-moving Red Spirit Celestial Lord Xun of Supreme Purity (Shangqing Yunyang Chiling Shenlie Tianjun Xun)
• The Yin-moving Black Spirit Celestial Lord Bi Zongyuan of Supreme Purity (Shangqing Yunyin Heiling Shenhua Tianjun Bi Zongyuan)
• Fire Marshal Zhao Zhongming and Water Marshal Wang Yan

The incantation calls upon solar and lunar deities to descend, bringing the True Fire of the Sun (Taiyang Zhenhuo) and True Water of the Moon (Taiyin Zhenshui), establishing a symbolic alchemical cauldron (Luding) at the ritual altar. Numerous divine beings—including celestial physicians, birth-register officials, and the Fire Bell General—are required to attend. Their collective task is to assist in the Water-Fire Refinement (Shuihuo Liandu), a purification ritual that transforms souls for celestial rebirth. The document reaffirms compliance with the salvation regulations from the Scripture of Salvation by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzhu Duren Jing), concluding again with timestamps and priestly credentials.

The entire document exemplifies the sacred systematicity of Daoist salvation rituals, employing talismanic power to mobilize cosmic forces of Yin-Yang, sun-moon, and water-fire for liberating souls from purgatorial states.