《道法會元》Vol. 193

This scripture documents the Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation method and talismanic protocols of the Taiyi Huofu lineage in Daoism.

The practice should commence during the fourth watch of the Yin hour (around 3 AM). Entering a quiet chamber, the practitioner first gazes inward at the heart, then exhales three mouthfuls of turbid Qi. Next, inhale primordial clear Qi (the innate pure energy) through the nose while pressing the tongue against the palate. Stir the divine water (saliva) produced in the Hua Pool (oral cavity) and swallow it together with the clear Qi down to the Dantian (lower abdominal energy center).

Visualize a point of radiance between the two kidneys. With closed eyes, imagine the left eye transforming into the sun and the right eye into the moon, as the Yin and Yang energies intertwine and descend into the clear Qi of the Dantian. Maintain a state of Wuwei (non-action), allowing the breath to naturally rise to the heart before returning to the kidneys. Soon, the Yin-Yang energies will converge at the Yellow Court (middle Dantian), forming a golden light sphere resembling flames, much like refining the Golden Elixir. At this stage, one may observe the Qi of the five viscera emerging to encircle this golden light as it ascends to the Niwan Palace (crown energy center). When the golden light splits open, it reveals a Zhenren (true person, representing the original spirit) identical to oneself, with whom one merges.

Then visualize this Zhenren emerging from the Niwan Palace, where the single Qi divides into the Three Pure Ones (Jade Pure, Upper Pure, and Supreme Pure), the Deities of the Eight Realms and Celestial Domains, as well as the divine generals and officials specific to this method. One may pray and conduct affairs according to intention, after which return to stillness and absorb the golden light sphere back into the Yellow Court. This practice embodies the Daoist cosmological view of "the primordial single Qi giving birth to all celestial realms."

The scripture also records the heart-seals (esoteric symbols) of four Zhenren: Chen Tuan (styled Xiyi), Liu Jin (styled Tongxuan), Xu Yi (styled Fumo), and Yang Xie (styled Piyun). When using talismans, one must inscribe the four masters' cipher characters on the reverse side, stamp them with the "Summoning Command of Universal Heaven Seal," and affix the Dharma name seal at the name section. Both sides of the talisman should bear a twenty-character incantation. Official documents with matching talismans may be cut into two halves, affixed before and after the text respectively.

The final section details standardized talismanic formats, including the writing method for "Thunder Command Contracts" and positions for secret incantations. It emphasizes that execution must be "swiftly carried out without delay" to ensure spiritual efficacy. The incantation portion records a twenty-character true mantra (specific content partially obscured).

This scripture primarily documents the thunder magic incantations (fulu) and ritual procedures for rainmaking and sun-seeking in Daoist practice. It contains multiple spells and specific operational methods:

The text begins with invocations to summon thunder department deities, petitioning "certain numinous spirits" (referring to specific deities) to descend swiftly, while using the "thunderclap absorption" incantation to mobilize the fire of heart and kidneys (a Neidan term denoting internal energies). This is followed by a specialized incantation to summon General Yang, a principal thunder deity, demanding his immediate attendance.

The "True Form Talisman of Swift Fire" section enumerates divine titles including the Five Thunders, Sun and Moon, the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi), and the Four Seas deities, along with protective methods involving the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions (ancient astronomical constellations) and recitations of the Seven Stars spell. The incantations emphasize commanding thunder troops, sending swift fire across ten thousand miles, and executing ghostly extermination by the Mandate of the Supreme Deity.

Practical methods for weather control include: writing talismans with cinnabar on ceramic tiles; chanting the "Star-Shifting Sun-Veiling Spell" to summon wind, clouds, and thunder; observing incense smoke patterns at dawn with purified water for weather divination (straight smoke indicates clear weather, slanting signals afternoon rain, while downward-hanging smoke foretells heavy rain). The text also mentions using five-colored paper and blood from white fowl (chickens, geese, or ducks) for offerings to thunder gods.

A concluding note stresses that these rituals constitute "heaven-sanctioned transformations to aid the state and save the people," prohibiting trivial misuse of divine summons. The complete ceremony requires first memorializing the Jade Emperor and the Supreme Thunder Ancestor (highest thunder deities), then reporting to ancestral masters, before finally dispatching official documents to thunder department generals for execution.

This scripture primarily contains Daoist ritual procedures for rainmaking and exorcism, along with talismanic incantations. The first section presents the imperial decree documents for rainmaking ceremonies, commanding the Thunder Department deities to swiftly execute rainfall orders. The term "Jade Decree" refers to the edict of the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Dadi), while "Thunder Deities" denote the divine beings governing thunder and lightning. During practice, one must write talismans with cinnabar—using blue paper for rain invocations, red paper for clearing skies, and writing on tiles when summoning thunder.

The second section details the standardized procedure for rainmaking rituals: First, the practitioner must purify both body and mind through ablutions, severing mundane distractions to focus wholeheartedly. Next, they establish an altar to burn incense, summon divine generals, and submit memorials to the Jade Emperor while dispatching documents to the Thunder Marshals and their subordinates, demanding immediate manifestation at specified dates and hours. After the ceremony, one must ritually thank the ancestral masters (Zushi), conduct a thanksgiving offering (Zhaijiao) to Heaven, and reward the Thunder Department generals. The text emphasizes that such rituals can move Heaven and Earth above while subduing ghosts and spirits below—yet they must be guarded carefully and never divulged lightly.

The third section provides ghost-catching talismans for treating children's night terrors. "Six Caverns" refers to ghostly domains in six directions. The incantations summon divine generals to capture mischievous specters (Wangliang) and evil spirits, ensuring children's peace. The spells mention "Jade Purity" (Yuqing)—one of Daoism's highest celestial realms—and the "Thunder Capital Bureau" (Leiting Dusi), the divine office overseeing thunder methods. Finally, specific earthly branches (Mao, Zi, Wu, Chou, Yin etc.) are coordinated with the power of elixir Qi (Danqi) and thunderlight to exterminate demonic essences, invoking the "Great Red Heavenly Emperor Lord" (Dachi Tiandi Jun), a revered Daoist deity, to issue execution orders.

This text records several types of Daoist talismans (Fulu) and their corresponding incantations. The first is the "Talisman for Subduing Mountain Spirits and Evil Deities," used to capture mischievous creatures and malevolent spirits dwelling in mountains. When drawing this talisman, one must first calm the mind and regulate breathing, containing the Qi of the five viscera (heart Qi at the noon position, liver Qi at the mao position, spleen Qi at the shen position, lung Qi at the you position, kidney Qi at the midnight position). Only after stabilizing the Qi of all five viscera can the talisman be drawn, ensuring absolute effectiveness in exorcising ghosts and subduing evil.

Next is the "Talisman for Treating Chills and Fevers," specifically designed for malaria and similar alternating hot-cold illnesses. When using it, one must recite the accompanying incantation: "Jade Purity Emperor's Wind-Fire Command," ordering a specific celestial general to act immediately with the swiftness of a fire command.

The "Talisman for Anchoring the Hun and Po Souls" treats mental disorders and soul dispersion, and can also be used for soul retrieval. The incantation mentions invoking different celestial generals' powers at specific hours (midnight, chou, noon, shen, etc.): slaying evil spirits, burning ghostly forms, illuminating with lightning, and reporting to the celestial court—ultimately restoring the souls and pacifying the patient. Should there be resistance, the Great Red Heaven Emperor is summoned to deliver thunderous punishment.

The "Talisman for Hastening Birth or Protecting Pregnancy" is accompanied by a special incantation: "One Qi divides heaven, two unite sun and moon..." It requires drawing prosperous Qi from the south and vital Qi from the east. When drawing this talisman, one must make nine mao-hand gestures (specific mudras) while facing south. When drinking the talisman-infused water, receiving it with the left hand foretells a male child, while the right hand indicates a female.

Lastly, the "Talisman for Expelling Ghost Pregnancy or Stillbirth" features an exceptionally severe incantation: "Golden axes strike first, the Vast Heaven metes punishment..."—signifying execution by golden blades and celestial retribution, dismembering the ghost fetus a thousand times until both its form and spirit are utterly annihilated.

This scripture primarily discusses Daoist talismanic rituals (fulu) for handling stillbirths and exorcising malevolent influences to pacify the spirit (shen).

For talismans addressing difficult labor and stillbirths, one must inscribe symbols on peachwood boards. The specific method involves using a peachwood plank measuring one chi two cun (approximately 36cm), placing a purple talisman (zifu) beneath the right side of the delivery room door. The characters "顺安" (smooth delivery) should be neatly inscribed, then covered with an inverted magnetic bowl bearing the inscription "大安" (great peace). Simultaneously, one must recite incantations summoning the Six Life-Governor Deities (Siming Liushen Jun), commanding the ghost fetus to swiftly depart the mother's body.

The stillbirth incantation follows a seven-step process: From "One Rotation of Heaven" to "Seven Luminaries Shining Bright," this sequence represents a seven-directional rotation ceremony aligned with earthly branch (dizhi) hour directions (Zi, Yin, etc., corresponding to Daoist directional correspondences), concluding with seven recitations of "Nuqing Dantian Command." The ritual also invokes the power of the Southern Cinnabar Heaven Emperor (Dan Tian Di), a fire virtue (huode) deity, to pacify departed souls.

For cases where vengeful ghosts in the womb cause stillbirths remaining undelivered after three days, there exists a specialized "Earth-Raising Talisman" (qitu fu). This talisman captures wandering baleful qi (shaqi), summoning deities from all five directions—including the Earth Duke and Earth Mother (local earth deities)—to suppress annual and monthly misfortunes. The method involves driving the peachwood plank three cun six fen (about 10cm) into the ground, or binding paper talismans to bamboo poles planted at afflicted locations.

The final section describes twelve-hour talismans (shier shichen fu) arranged according to the twelve earthly branches (Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, etc.), used for rituals corresponding to specific hours. These talismans require coordinated hand seals (jue), breathing techniques (expelling seven rotations of lung qi), and ritual seals, demonstrating the Daoist ritual principle of integrating talismans (fu), incantations (zhou), mudras (jue), and qi manipulation.

This scripture documents the use of Daoist fulu (talismanic registers for exorcism and blessings) and its associated pantheon. Each of the twelve traditional time periods (ancient China's division of a day) is governed by a corresponding minor celestial official (gongcao): Liu Kang for the Hour of Zi, Zhang Bao for Chou, Wu Jing for Yin, and so forth until Meng Kang for Hai. These talismans must be selected according to the specific time period and its corresponding official.

The Absolution Talisman section contains celestial pardons issued in the name of the Primordial Lord of Taiyi Fire Mansion (a high-ranking Daoist goddess). Its essence states: Though demonic disturbances cannot escape thunder punishment, the Supreme Dao (referring to the Three Pure Ones, highest Daoist deities) values the virtue of preserving life. Sincere repentance and virtuous transformation will earn heavenly forgiveness. It warns malevolent forces to repent—continued harm to mortals will bring severe thunder-axe retribution. Should they reform, the Jade Emperor (supreme ruler of heaven) will erase their criminal records in Fengdu (the underworld bureaucracy).

The Talisman of Celestial Lord Xin summons thunder department general Xin Hanchen, fully titled "Fierce Officer with Silver Teeth," who commands thunder gods and rain masters to summon storms. The obscure characters like "魁𩲃𩵄䰢" represent esoteric thunder method incantations unique to Daoism, typically requiring specific hand seals and visualization techniques (imagining divine forms). The talisman's endnote specifies activation by breathing "Jade Mansion Primordial Qi" (pure energy from the Jade Pure realm) into the talisman to awaken its spiritual power.

This scripture is a compilation of incantations and Fulu (talismanic writings and diagrams used in Daoism for exorcism and healing), containing various practical magical formulas. The main content can be categorized into several types:

First are powerful exorcism chants for subduing demons, such as the passage "Point at a mountain and it crumbles, point at a stone and it splits," which describes the practitioner harnessing the power of heaven and earth to vanquish evil spirits. The phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" (jiji rulüling) commonly concludes Daoist incantations, meaning "execute immediately as commanded."

Next are specialized talismanic spells:

• The "Covering Heaven and Enveloping Earth Talisman" and "Five Thunder Investigation with Gang Qi (vital energy)" invoke the power of the Thunder Department deities (Daoist gods who govern lightning and thunder).
• The "Incantation for Burning Illicit Shrines" is used to destroy improper sacrificial sites dedicated to malevolent spirits.
• The "Celestial Physician Talisman" and "Healing Water Incantation" are medical talismans, mentioning the use of true water Qi (primordial energy) from the West combined with the genuine Qi of the Five Thunders for healing.
• The "Madness-Curing Talisman" requires facing east and inhaling Qi before writing with the brush.
• The "Labor-Inducing Talisman" must be burned in a kitchen stove for use.

The final section describes methods to verify the efficacy of the talismans, such as examining ink stains for the Household Deity Talisman or checking for errors in writing the Five Wounds Talisman. The "Great Unity Exorcism Command to the Generals" emphasizes the Daoist principle that the Great Dao (Dao) eternally supports righteous energy and eliminates evil forces.

All these incantations follow the ordinances of the "Great Unity Primordial Lord" (an important Daoist deity) and the "Northern Emperor" (the Purple Tenuity Emperor of the North Pole), embodying the fundamental Daoist concept of mobilizing the righteous energy of heaven and earth through talismans and incantations to exorcise evil and heal ailments.

This scripture primarily discusses Daoist exorcism rituals, divided into two main sections:

The first section explains methods for expelling malevolent entities. Certain demons that delight in causing calamities and tormenting people may attach themselves to plants and trees to wreak havoc, or violate celestial laws to harm the human realm. Without implementing orthodox methods, the people cannot be saved. Therefore, one must devoutly pray to Heaven, proclaim the thunder ministry's decrees, and dispatch celestial soldiers and divine generals to expel these evil influences. Through incantations and talismans (Fulu), the mighty power of thunder is invoked to purge the netherworld of aberrant creatures. Heaven's majestic authority can cast all malevolent beings into the Fengdu underworld, while the Celestial Worthy of Great Unity (Taiyi) exercises divine authority to establish realms of longevity and well-being across all lands. These miraculous transformations must be executed immediately.

The second section enumerates the twenty-eight lunar mansions with their corresponding palace names and time periods - crucial astrological knowledge in Daoist ritual practice. For instance, the Horn constellation corresponds to the Palace of Primordial Day during the Chen hour (7-9 AM), while the Neck constellation relates to the Palace of Primordial Mountain during the Wu hour (11 AM-1 PM), and so forth. Accurate correspondence with these stellar positions is essential when performing rituals.

The text concludes with a sample format for wind-and-rain summons, to be written on yellow paper with cinnabar ink. It states how the Thunder Ministry Office (Leiting Dusi) on a specified date delivers a household petition on behalf of a petitioner to Perfected Lord Xu (Xu Zhenjun, the renowned Daoist immortal Xu Xun) at the Central Heaven Pivot Minister's residence, requesting prompt delivery. It further proclaims the command of the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), ordering the divine generals governing wind, rain, thunder and lightning to immediately execute their duties in accordance with the Supreme Emperor's decrees.

Key terms retain their Daoist specificity: "Fengdu" refers to the Daoist netherworld, "Taiyi" denotes the Celestial Worthy of Salvation from Suffering, and "Perfected Lord Xu" is the Jin dynasty master Xu Xun, revered as patriarch of the Pure Brightness (Jingming) tradition. These specialized terms preserve authentic Daoist characteristics.

(On [date] at [time], this edict is issued)

[Title] So-and-so, now receiving the celestial mandate (referring to divine instructions in Daoism) to perform the relevant ritual.

This passage comes from Volume 193 of the Daofa Huiyuan (Compendium of Daoist Rituals) and represents the standard opening format for Daoist liturgical documents. Here, the term "edict" (xi) refers to the formal document used during Daoist rituals, similar to an official proclamation. The blank space for "title" (juwei) should be filled according to the actual rank of the presiding Daoist priest, such as "Disciple of Orthodox Unity (Zhengyi) Covenant Authority." The phrase "receiving the mandate to implement" (chenggao fengxing) indicates that the action is carried out by divine decree, reflecting the Daoist religious concept of "acting as heaven's agent to transform the world." Such documents are typically used in grand purification rituals (Zhaijiao) or important ceremonial activities, possessing both sacred authority and standardized form.