《道法會元》Vol. 168

This passage describes the "Fiery Prison" ritual from the Celestial Purging Demon-Subduing Great Method of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) tradition in Daoism, primarily used for exorcism and healing. The specific procedures are as follows:

First, prepare seven Fiery Prison talismans (Fulu) and seven purification talismans for dispelling evil. Create a combined Qi Celestial Purging Fiery Prison talisman and the talisman of the monthly duty general, then affix these to a mirror. Prepare one dou (ancient measurement) of white rice, insert the mirror with talismans into the rice pile, and offer three portions of tea and fruits before the mirror. Additionally, prepare one dou of fine clean ash. After thoroughly cleaning the center of the purification chamber, use a sword to draw seven circles on the ground, aligning the handle of the Big Dipper toward the patient's direction. Spread the ash and begin burning the talismans.

During the ritual, recite the Big Dipper incantation while arranging the seven stars' positions. The practitioner must visualize (Cunxiang) celestial constellations, lighting paper twists starting from the Greedy Wolf Star (first star of the Big Dipper), then erect banners to establish the "Fiery Prison" boundary. Before the mirror, place the command tablet, proclamation documents, decree papers, and the Three Terraces Lamp (representing the Three Terraces Stars).

When lighting the lamp, chant: "When the sun shines directly, dark ghosts shall perish; divine radiance illuminates the celestial realm. The Three Terraces and the Karmic Mirror (reflecting good and evil) subdue all malevolence; true Qi and true fire blaze with lunar brilliance. Heaven and Earth observe clearly by cosmic design—seven energies form the Dipper, three energies manifest as the Three Terraces, five stars radiate together. Upon the talisman's arrival, capture follows immediately."

Next, the practitioner visualizes towering flames, forming the Zi-Wu Mudra (a Daoist hand seal) with both hands pointed toward the lamp, imagining the Big Dipper shining like sunlight. Visualize Marshal Tianpeng (a Daoist guardian deity) continuously shaking the Imperial Bell (a ritual instrument), purifying heaven and earth. The practitioner then walks the Twenty-Eight Constellations Gang Steps (ritual steps following stellar positions).

Further visualize the seven stars in the northeast (Gen direction) shining brightly, recite the Tianpeng Alignment Incantation thirty-six times, and tap teeth thirty-six times to resonate with Tianpeng's thirty-six generals. At this moment, thirty-six celestial soldiers will stand guard. The practitioner petitions Tianpeng, explaining the healing purpose for a specific individual and requesting the descent of the thirty-six generals to subdue evil entities.

Subsequently, one may observe bluish-black Qi emerging from the northeast as the celestial generals depart to capture demons. Soon, the practitioner visualizes Marshal Tianpeng shaking the Imperial Bell, shooting a beam of fire toward the northeast that transforms into a Fiery Prison. The generals imprison all malevolent spirits within it, while the hanging stars of the northeast descend to seal the paths of ghosts.

This scripture describes the ritual procedures and incantations used in Daoist exorcism practices. It begins with the directional movements of Bugang Tadou (Pacing the Void and Treading on the Dipper), a distinctive Daoist footwork technique: After completing the twenty-eight lunar mansions' steps at specific stellar positions, the practitioner must recite the "Heavenly Peng Reverse Incantation" forty-nine times. Starting from the current position, they form mudras (ritual hand seals) before leaving the altar area.

Next comes the recitation of a semi-sequential, semi-reverse incantation thirty-five times, followed by the "Golden Void Cavern Incantation." This spell vividly portrays mighty celestial warriors: venomous beasts devouring demons guard the four directions, while fierce generals wielding giant axes, galloping warhorses, and soaring golden dragons form the divine army. The incantation declares its power to subdue ghosts from the Six Heavens (the underworld), purge foul Qi (vital energy), and force evil spirits to reveal themselves before divine kings. It mentions how the deities of the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Great Rivers will assist in distinguishing good from evil, with all demons compelled to obey—or face decapitation, root extermination, and immolation. The passage concludes by emphasizing the purification of turbid energies to maintain cosmic clarity.

The subsequent "Demon-Subduing Incantation" proclaims the speaker's authority as a subordinate of the Great Emperor of the Purple Subtlety of the North Pole (Beidi): commanding the underworld's Six Heavens while wielding ritual implements that emit fiery light and bells capable of awing all spirits. Any offending ghosts will be captured and annihilated by the power of Tiangang (the Big Dipper). The spell concludes with the urgent command "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with Beidi's ordinance," indicating immediate execution of the northern deity's decree.

After chanting, the ritual master must seal the gates of hell using the "Great and Small Mountain Pass Mudra," visualizing towering flames and divine generals standing guard before withdrawing from the altar. The final "Black Wind Shroud Incantation" summons dark storm clouds stretching from the Nine Heavens (highest celestial realm) to the Nine Earths (deepest underworld), enveloping all directions with black nets and chains to trap spirits, forcing terrified wails. Every incantation concludes by stressing immediate enforcement, as unbreakable as imperial edicts.

These spells and rituals exemplify typical Daoist exorcism liturgy, employing divine generals, ritual implements, and visualized sacred power to subdue demons. The language brims with martial authority and striking visual imagery characteristic of these ceremonial practices.

This passage describes the specific procedures of a Daoist exorcism ritual, typically conducted over two or three days.

On the first day after the ceremony, the ritual master interlaces their fingers to form a protective mudra (left thumb pressing on the right index finger), completing the "Fa Zhao Fa" shielding boundary. They then recite the "Great Awesome Virtue (Da Weide) Incantation" while forming the "Wu" hand seal (middle finger extended, other fingers bent) to unleash exorcistic power.

During the second day's ritual, the master harmonizes their internal Qi (Heqi) as before and lights the Hell Lantern. At this stage, visualization of the Big Dipper Deity is unnecessary—focus remains solely on Marshal Tianpeng (a Daoist guardian deity). Instead of ritual incense, they observe the constellation governing that day and visualize its deity descending from the corresponding direction. Next, they perform the Gangtou stepping pattern (a Daoist ritual dance) according to the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions' positions, reciting seven times each: the "Chaos Between Heaven and Earth Incantation," "Demon-Slaying Incantation," "Mountain-Shattering Cave-Crushing Incantation," "Monster-Capturing Incantation," and "Great Accord Incantation." The external boundary concludes with one recitation of the "Great Emperor's Demon-Subduing Incantation." That night involves Qi harmonization to summon divine generals as protectors, though memorial petitions should not be submitted unless for grave matters.

The third day continues with Qi harmonization, lantern lighting, and Tianpeng visualization, confirming the day's governing constellation. After Gangtou steps, the grand incantation is recited in seven phases: first knocking the teeth (Kouchi) once every four lines, then seven tooth-knocks every three lines, every two lines, every single line, and finally thirty standalone knocks. Visualize infernal spirits burning in purgatorial flames while divine generals stand guard. Next, recite the "Great Demon-Destroying Chapter" and "Demon-Sweeping Chapter," imagining a mighty wind from the southeast (Xun position) dispersing malignant forces, leaving only crimson light. For household protection rituals, the "Heaven-and-Earth Purification Incantation" may be omitted at the end, though exorcisms require it. If the malign influence is mild, only the second day's rites are necessary.

A stern warning accompanies these hell-suppressing rites: their tremendous power invites celestial retribution if misused. Results typically manifest within three days without modifying the procedure. The passage concludes by mentioning the specialized "Tianyi Northern Hell Talisman" (Tianyi Beiyu Fu) used for subduing infernal realms.

This scripture describes a Daoist exorcism ritual involving incantations and mudras (hand seals) for refining malevolent spirits in the fiery hells. According to Daoist cosmology, the underworld is governed by the Prison Lord of Dingming and the Prison Deity of Lingming, where lawless evil spirits, demons, and malicious ghosts causing chaos in the human realm are sent for punishment.

The incantation "Fire Command, Imperial Fire Command" invokes the power of the Three Platforms Star Lords (Upper, Middle, and Lower Platforms) and the Great Emperor of the Northern Dipper (Ziwei Dadi, a revered Daoist deity). The ritual requires specific mudras: the Jade Script Seal and Three Platforms Seal, while visualizing three-colored Qi (blue, yellow, and white) infusing the talismanic writings. The talisman must be inscribed with blood during auspicious hours (the Si and Chen periods).

The phrase "The Four Luminaries Shatter Tianyou's Destruction" illustrates the potency of exorcism tools—when the divine blade descends, ten thousand ghosts scatter. The practitioner forms the You Seal (a specific hand gesture), pressing the thumb over the middle finger, while combining it with the "Great Execution Script" and "Wenqu Star Seal" mudras.

The subsequent lengthy incantation summons Marshal Tianpeng (a Daoist guardian deity) and the Four Sacred True Lords (Tianpeng, Tianyou, Yisheng, and Yousheng). References like "Nine Primal Slayer Youths" and "Five Ding Commanders" denote Tianpeng's divine generals. Wielding imperial bells and kui-dragon ritual implements, they lead 300,000 celestial troops to annihilate evil spirits with heaven-rending axes.

The repeated refrain "Fiery Emperor's blazing blood, the Dipper chars bones" emphasizes invoking the Fire God Yandi and the power of the Northern Dipper to incinerate ghostly forms. The entire scripture demonstrates the complete Daoist exorcism process—harnessing celestial might through sacred chants, mudras, and ritual implements to subdue malignant forces.

This scripture documents the exorcism rituals of the Daoist Northern Emperor tradition (a sect primarily venerating the Great Emperor of the Northern Dipper), comprising complete procedures for incantations, talismans (fulu), and visualization (contemplating divine beings).

The practitioner first recites the core invocation three times: "By the Northern Emperor's decree, Marshal Tianpeng of the Celestial Headquarters, apprehend and subdue by divine mandate!" This summons Marshal Tianpeng (chief of the Four Saints of the North Pole). While drawing the talisman, one must form the specific hand seal (the Marshal's Seal gesture). Upon completion, hold the breath and click the teeth (standard Daoist cultivation techniques), lightly tapping the talisman paper with each recited phrase. Simultaneously, visualize Marshal Tianpeng leading his thirty-six divine generals—including the deities of Heaven's Pivot and Earth's Axis, the Eagle and Hound Gods, and the Deaf Soldiers and Mute Generals—riding upon northern baleful energy (sha qi) as they descend, channeling this power into the talisman.

The text then presents three variant forms of the talisman, each annotated with corresponding types of baleful influences (such as bone-sha or blood-sha) and suppression methods. Phrases like "the divine blade strikes once" signify the talisman's ghost-slaying potency, while "ten thousand ghosts disperse spontaneously" confirms its exorcistic efficacy.

During ritual performance, one must visualize the four marshals (Tianpeng, Tianyou, etc.) commanding celestial troops upon dark clouds. Subsequent incantations divide into three sections: the Black Baleful Chant emphasizes the Northern Emperor's power to annihilate specters; the Flame Emperor Chant borrows southern fire-god energy to incinerate malignant entities; finally, the mantra "Om Hong Hong" commands the deities to capture demons—those resisting shall be delivered by the Northern Emperor's talismanic enforcers to the underworld tribunal.

The concluding Ghost-Slaying Chant specifically targets haunting entities, summoning the specialized ghost-capturing deities Gong Hai and Zhang Jie to swiftly apprehend seventy-two types of violent sha-energies and troublemaking spirits from a designated household. The entire ceremony integrates dual forces—northern baleful suppression and southern fiery refinement—embodying the Daoist exorcistic principle of "using sha to control sha."

This scripture records several Daoist exorcistic incantations and methods for using fulu (talismans), primarily drawn from the ritual systems of Marshal Tianpeng (a Daoist guardian deity) and the Fire Department deities.

The text first describes the ghost-slaying ritual: The practitioner must visualize holding severed heads of demons, with blood dripping to reveal their forms, executing evil spirits by command of the Northern Emperor (the Great Emperor of the North Star) and strictly punishing transgressions according to the Nüqing Mystic Statutes (Daoist precepts) without mercy. The mentioned General Yangwei and the Blood-Dripping Colossal Spirit are both specialized deities for slaying ghosts.

Next comes the "Ghost-Frying Incantation," summoning four divine officials—Wu Maogong, Wei Xingwen, Li Yangshi, and Jin Guangyuan—to swiftly descend, imprison and burn the ghosts harming the human realm until they char and reveal their true forms. This emphasizes execution under the full title of Marshal Tianpeng, "Commander-in-Chief of the Heavenly Canopy."

The "Three Transformations Talisman" section details the talisman-drawing method: Use cinnabar to draw the talisman while absorbing southern fire qi (energy), then seal it with a Thunder-Fire stamp. When using, the yellow paper must be torn by hand (never with scissors) during the second watch (9-11 PM). The incantation references three stars of the Dipper (major stars in the Big Dipper) shining like dragons and phoenixes, with crimson light illuminating the five directions, summoning Fire Department deity Song Wuji (the Fire God) to refine demons with true fire.

Subsequent passages contain more Fire Department incantations, repeatedly emphasizing "ji ji ru lü ling" (a standard Daoist incantation closing meaning "execute immediately"). Deities like the Southern Fire-Bell Emperor and the Great Emperor of the South Pole dispatch generals like Three-Eyed General and Fire-Chariot General, using fire dragons, fire horses, fire hawks, and fire hounds to devour demons. Specific ghost types are mentioned, including "Kuí, Xiāo, Xū, Hèng, Píng, Liáo."

These incantations exemplify characteristics of Daoist exorcism: achieving the effect of "refining ghosts into dust" through visualizing deity forms, harnessing Five Phases fire energy, and coordinating with specific timekeeping and talismanic techniques. The recurring "ji ji ru lü ling" reflects these rituals' pursuit of immediate efficacy.

This scripture describes a complete Daoist ritual for exorcising evil spirits and suppressing demonic forces, primarily used to subdue malevolent entities and expel ghosts. The entire process involves multiple steps and incantations, which we will examine in detail:

First, the ritual master visualizes the form of the Fire Virtue Star Lord (Huode Xingjun, a Daoist deity governing fire): wearing an iron crown with crimson hair and a ruddy face, clad in red robes with vermilion shoes, carrying a fire gourd on his back while holding a bow and arrows along with a fire seal. Next, the master envisions the Thunder God riding a scarlet steed, driving fiery clouds from the southern direction. The practitioner must draw breath into the talisman (Fulu), visualizing flames erupting from it while reciting incantations to summon the power of Jambudvīpa (a Buddhist term referring to the human world) and the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals (Daoist celestial deities).

This is followed by a series of exorcism incantations invoking various divine forces for assistance: the great thunder deities of the Thunder Ministry (Leiting Dusi), the awe-inspiring General Yin with gleaming silver fangs, the wind-bearing fierce officers, as well as the mighty celestial warriors from Fengdu (the Daoist underworld) like Lei Yuanying. The incantations command these deities to capture the haunting demons and spirits, delivering them to the fiery hell to be burned to ashes.

The talismans used in the ritual require specific hand mudras (Wuwen gesture) and the Qi of the southern direction, directing the fire generals to follow the talisman's command. Subsequently, higher-ranking deities are summoned: the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the supreme Daoist deities), the Four Heavenly Kings, the Five Directional Star Lords, the Six Ding and Six Jia guardian generals (Daoist protective deities), the Seven Primordial True Lords, and the Eight Vajra Guardians.

The final stage involves burning gold paper "armor horses" (a type of ritual paper) before the patient's bed while visualizing the Black Fiend General (a specialized subduing deity) departing with the talisman to execute its mission. Through systematically invoking deities of different ranks, the ritual creates formidable exorcistic power, demonstrating the systematic hierarchy and graded structure characteristic of Daoist talismanic practices.

This records a Daoist ritual procedure for exorcism and healing. First, the patient's home must be thoroughly cleaned, with three talismans (fulu) placed beneath the sickbed and rush stems arranged in the pattern of the Three Platforms (Santai). True Descending incense is then lit. For particularly malevolent demons or vengeful ghosts, twenty-one rush stems should be arranged as seven lamps forming the Big Dipper (Beidou) constellation.

During the ritual, the patient must wear clothes of the opposite gender and lie on the bed. The ritual master first performs purification rites upon entering, summoning celestial soldiers and generals. Five large spirit money notes and five jiama paper offerings (Daoist ritual items) are prepared. When burning these before the bed, the master visualizes five directional generals clad in five-colored battle robes, wielding swords and ritual staffs. After chanting incantations and burning talismans, the lamps are lit while General Zhao's talisman is burned in the incense burner.

When lighting the lamps, the master imagines towering flames reaching the heavens, forming the Zi-Wu Dipper hand seal (a mudra) directed at the lamps. If the patient feels bodily heat, this indicates the ritual's efficacy. When drawing talismans for the thirty-six celestial generals including Moon Officer and Deaf-Mute Generals, specific mantras must be silently recited seven times before inhaling vital energy (qi) from the Northern Heavenly Gate and exhaling it onto the talismans.

When creating the "Northern Prison Talisman of Heavenly Unity," after completing the talisman, General Zhao's seal must be stamped while forming the Ghost-Pursuing hand seal (left hand's second and third fingers pinching the thumb base, thumb pressing the Dui position). The talisman must be drawn facing the direction of the current month's ruling star (yuejian).

While burning talismans, chant: "All haunting ghosts and demons, swiftly bring them from every source to the fiery prison, where retribution shall be immediate."

Additional prison-establishing incantations describe capturing evil spirits with bronze nets and iron snares, invoking the Three Officials (Tianguan, Diguan, Shuiguan) and five directional mighty celestial warriors (tianding) to apprehend malicious ghosts. Finally, in the name of the Jade Emperor, urgent messengers are commanded to swiftly capture all rampaging ghosts and demonic entities.

(Note: "Three Platforms" refers to the Three Platform Star Lords; "Big Dipper" to the seven stars of Ursa Major; "Zi-Wu Dipper" is a Daoist hand seal; "monthly ruling star" is a Daoist calendrical term; "celestial warriors" denotes heavenly troops.)

This scripture records Daoist incantations for exorcising evil spirits and capturing ghosts, primarily invoking deities like Zhao Gongming (a Daoist guardian deity also known as the True Lord of the Mystic Altar) to subdue malevolent forces. The incantation consists of several parts:

First, it summons Zhao Gongming, the red-haired demon king, to manifest swiftly, combining with sacred syllables like "Om" (special sound formulas in Daoist cultivation believed to possess extraordinary power). The incantation references temporal directions like "zi-wu-mao-you" (representing the midnight-noon-dawn-dusk quadrants), which belong to Daoism's system of spatial-temporal correspondences in ritual practice.

The phrase "urgently urgent as the law commands" appears as the classic Daoist concluding formula, indicating immediate enforcement of divine decree. Following this are the names of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper - "Tan-Ju-Lu-Lian-Wu-Po" (representing the Dipper's stellar deities), as Daoism attributes potent demon-subduing power to the Northern Dipper constellation.

Subsequent sections issue commands in the name of the Supreme Lord Lao (Laozi deified) and the Great Emperor of Purple Subtlety from the North Pole (major Daoist deities), ordering jade maidens and the Six Ding-Six Jia guardian generals to capture inauspicious forces. The text proclaims that practitioners can expel myriad ghosts, making evil spirits tremble at their approach.

The final sections contain esoteric mantras and talismanic commands, including special syllables like "Om Hong" and decree phrases such as "may all ghosts perish utterly." In Daoist ritual magic, such secret incantations are believed to directly mobilize celestial generals and suppress demonic entities.

It should be noted that in Daoist tradition, these incantations require specific rituals, talismans (fulu), and cultivation foundations to be effective - ordinary recitation holds no power. The special symbols and bracketed annotations in the scripture likely represent secret transmission markers within the lineage.

This passage describes the complete ritual procedure of Daoist "Prison Establishment" (liyu) – a temporary altar setup for capturing malevolent spirits – along with the accompanying talismanic practices:

First, prepare yellow talisman paper and use cinnabar to draw the Prison Establishment Talisman (liyu fu), then overlay it with another talisman. Affix these to the top of a bamboo pole to create a placard, hanging two strings of five-colored spirit money. When setting up the ritual altar, submit memorials to the Celestial Ministry (tiansheng, a heavenly institution), Marshal Tianpeng (Tianpeng yuanshuai, a Daoist guardian deity), and the Great Emperor of Eastern Peak (Dongyue dadi, sacred mountain deity), requesting celestial soldiers and generals be dispatched to capture spirits at the altar location, forcing them to manifest while protecting the afflicted. If effective, express gratitude, send back the celestial forces, and dismantle the altar.

Next comes the content of the "Supreme One Capture Command Talisman" (Taiyi chi zhuo fu), a spirit-subduing talisman essentially stating: "By Marshal Tianpeng's mandate, we imprison demons, sealing the celestial gates and earthly passages (blocking escape routes), delivering spirits to the fire prison for interrogation." The concluding phrase "ji ji ru lü ling" is a standard Daoist talismanic formula meaning "to be executed immediately."

Following this is the "Command Incantation" (chi zhou), summoning the Fire God Yandi and Thunder-Fire Generals to incinerate all evil entities. After recitation, add the decree of the Great Emperor of the North Star (Beiji Ziwei dadi, an important Daoist deity).

For using the "Yan Jia Kuilong Talisman" (solemn procession of the one-legged dragon): while drawing the talisman, complete the great incantation in one breath, then blow northern qi (energy) into it. Have the petitioner take the talisman to the patient's kitchen hearth and burn it with spirit money. For particularly recalcitrant spirits, employ this method: form the Chenwen hand seal (a Daoist mudra), visualize Marshal Tianpeng, draw the talisman with azure energy, then blow into it. Wrap the talisman in spirit money and burn it before the patient for immediate effect.

Finally, the incantation for the "Kuilong Head Talisman" describes this mythical one-legged dragon's appearance: eyes shooting lightning, nostrils spewing thunder-fire, head crowned by the Kuigang (Northern Dipper constellation), capable of devouring countless ghosts. It concludes with Marshal Tianpeng's command spell, extolling his boundless supernatural powers that awe the ten directions.

The entire process demonstrates the systematic nature of Daoist talismanic magic: from altar establishment and deity invocation to talisman drawing and practical application, all strictly regulated while integrating multiple elements including written charms, hand seals, visualization, and ritual burning.

This scripture primarily documents Daoist talismans (fulu) and rituals for exorcism and home protection, belonging to the liturgical system of the Beidi tradition (a Daoist school venerating the Great Emperor of the North Star as its central deity). The core content details the operational procedures for summoning divine generals to suppress malevolent entities:

When using the exorcism talisman, one must trace forty-nine circles over ink with a special hand gesture (the Dipper Mudra) while reciting the Celestial Lotus incantation. This talisman can be posted on dwellings to ward off evil or ingested to devour the vital essence (qi) of ghosts. The repeated phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" (a common Daoist incantation coda) signifies immediate enforcement of divine will.

The specific procedure involves: First, inscribing the talisman (fulu) on yellow paper with cinnabar while reciting the Great Incantation three times, then drawing in northern qi and exhaling it into the talisman. Visualize the divine general (here Marshal Zhao Gongming, a renowned Daoist guardian deity) entering the talisman sword in hand, simultaneously chanting "The sun illuminates universally as dark ghosts perish" before burning the talisman. Marshal Zhao will then escort the haunting spirits to the Celestial Prison of the North (a Daoist conceptual space for confining evil entities), where their true forms manifest upon an ash altar.

The ritual concludes with the practitioner's credential verification: precise timing must be recorded, along with the master's lineage (here citing inheritance from the Shangqing tradition's Immortal Dong and Marshal Tianpeng), using the specific binding incantation "Om [esoteric syllable] chi sha she" to subdue the evil forces. The entire ceremony exemplifies the Daoist trinity of exorcism methods—talismans, incantations, and visualization (cunxiang)—grounded in the divine authority of the Great Emperor of the North Star.

This scripture records several types of Daoist talismans (fulu, ritual documents with spiritual power) and incantations, primarily used for exorcism and disaster-relief rituals.

It begins with a standard "official dispatch" (guanwen, a Daoist document) format, specifying the issuance date (such-and-such year, month, day, and hour under the current celestial stem cycle), the sender’s official title and name, and invoking the witness of the patriarch "True Lord of the Grand Marshal of Heavenly Canopy" (Tianpeng Dutong Dayuanshuai Zhenjun, a Daoist guardian deity). This is followed by the "Longevity and Life-Preserving Talisman for Complete Protection," a charm for safeguarding life and health, which must include the year and month of inscription.

Next are three types of ghost-expelling talismans:

1. "Incantation for Dispelling Ghosts via the City God’s Office": Commands the deities of the City God’s Office (Chenghuangsi, the underworld’s local administration) to deliver malevolent spirits to the judicial authorities of the underworld without leniency. The accompanying "Borrowing Troops Talisman" allows the practitioner to requisition underworld soldiers from the City God.

2. "Ghost-Dispelling Talisman of the Eastern Peak": Summons divine enforcers such as the Five Thunder Envoys (Wulei Shizhe, thunder deities) and the Black Emperor of the South (Wudu Chidi, a fire god) to compel ghostly soldiers to manifest and capture wandering spirits.

3. "Ghost-Dispelling Talisman of Fengdu": The incantation explicitly states that evil ghosts are to be permanently banished to Fengdu (the Daoist capital of the underworld), escorted by the Five Thunder Envoys, with no possibility of pardon.

The text concludes by specifying that all these talismans must be inscribed with cinnabar (a red pigment considered spiritually potent in Daoism). These contents originate from The Collected Essentials of Daoist Rituals (Daofa Huiyuan), Volume 168, a significant compendium of ritual practices transmitted from the Song Dynasty.