《道法會元》Vol. 207

This is the detailed liturgy of the Taoist "Great Ultimate Immortal Ge's Food Offering Method," documenting the complete daily ritual process for priests to deliver food offerings to wandering souls.

At breakfast each day, take a spoonful of food and place it in a small container. When night falls and all is quiet, arrange the incense burner and face the void while silently reciting the Heart Purification Incantation and Mouth Purification Incantation three times each. First exhale turbid qi to the right, then inhale pure qi from the left and swallow it. Next recite the Scripture for Saving the Suffering and the Qinghua Proclamation once each. Upon completion, click the teeth three times and silently offer incense in reverence.

At the formal ceremony's commencement, the ritual master should declare: "Your disciple [name], with utmost sincerity, burns incense to report: I reverently invoke the Supreme Sovereigns of the Three Pure Realms in the Great Brahma Heaven—the Divine Empyrean True King of Eternal Life, the Great Unity Savior of Suffering Celestial Worthy, the Eastern Extremity Green Mystery Sovereign, the Venerable Kehan, the Cinnabar Empyrean Sovereign, and all Ten Directions' Saviors of Suffering Celestial Worthies, along with the True Humans Who Save from Suffering, Jade Maidens, Immortal Youths, and all benevolent deities. I specially invite the Great Ultimate Left Palace Immortal Lord Chongying Fuyou True Lord, the Southern Changshang Palace's Vermilion Mansion Refining Immortal Official, the Northern Kui Dark Model Mansion's Five Gathering Souls Officials, the Soul-Summoning Tiger Department's Pursuing Spirits Officers, as well as local City Gods and Earth Deities. Your disciple [name], in accordance with the Great Dharma, prepares this food to universally aid all beings in the dark underworld. May the sacred light illuminate the Nine Darknesses, may these dharma offerings transform to fill the entire cosmos, delivering departed souls to the immortal realms. May all past ancestors, parents through multiple lifetimes, teachers, fellow practitioners, and all sentient beings of the six paths and four births rely upon celestial grace to together ascend the shore of the Dao." This declaration must be made with absolute sincerity.

Then silently recite the Food Transformation Incantation three times, forming mudras toward the offerings with each recitation. Visualize these dharma offerings filling the entire dharma realm. The incantation is: "Om (Zi mudra) Hum (Chou mudra) Ling (Dui mudra) Suo (Kun mudra) Ha (Wei mudra)."

Next, focus the spirit and concentrate the mind. Visualize a point of spiritual light rising from the Dantian to the Niwan Palace at the crown, transforming into the Great Unity Savior of Suffering Celestial Worthy who embodies heaven and earth, radiating five-colored auspicious light to illuminate the dark underworld. With the left hand forming a specific mudra, visualize shattering the Fengdu Hell Realm, instantly transforming the dark underworld into radiant light. Conclude by reciting the Fengdu Opening Incantation to complete the ceremony.

(Note: The "□" symbols in the text indicate missing content from the original scripture, representing absent mudras or visualization details.)

This scripture describes a Daoist ritual for the salvation of deceased souls, consisting primarily of incantations and visualization (meditation) practices.

First, the ritual master visualizes the scenery of Fengdu (the Daoist underworld): within the dark netherworld, the infinite radiance of the Lingbao Heavenly Sovereign illuminates the fiery pools of hell. The deceased souls follow the guidance of incense smoke and ritual banners, ascending to the celestial realm atop blue lotuses. At this stage, the incantation "Swiftly, by the decree of Yuanshi's salvation" is recited, meaning "Execute promptly according to the salvific ordinance of the Yuanshi Heavenly Sovereign."

Next, the master visualizes the gates of the underworld opening wide, with all souls arriving at the ritual arena bathed in light. Here, wandering spirits from the ten directions and the Nine Nether Hells are summoned to receive salvation through the power of Daoist rites. The master perceives these souls gathering like starlight before them, then recites the "Dissolving Karmic Grievances" incantation three times to help resolve the deceased's earthly resentments. The chant's essence conveys: The Heavenly Sovereign, in compassion, pities souls drowning in hell, helping them realize that grievances stem from ignorant delusions, and that they should calm their Shen (spirit) and release attachments.

Subsequently, a secret incantation is recited seven times to dissolve the "Five Ghost Debts" (referring to various karmic debts incurred during life). Maintaining a heart of compassion and clearing all distracting thoughts, the master then chants the "Soul Restoration" incantation thrice, invoking the Yuanshi Heavenly Sovereign to dispatch celestial physicians (Daoist deities who heal souls) to restore the deceased to complete form.

The final bathing ceremony involves the master swallowing saliva (the "Divine Nectar of Huachi" in Daoist cultivation) for inner and outer purification, while visualizing the surroundings transforming into a pure ocean. The deceased souls bathe in these waters, emerging as immortal youths and jade maidens seated on lotuses, nourished by sweet dew. The "Nectar Incantation" is recited three times, expressing: Pitying souls long tormented in hell, may this ambrosial water quench their hunger and burning thirst, enabling their Shen to ascend to the Great Luo Heaven (the highest Daoist celestial realm), attaining cool liberation.

The five viscera (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys) fully expand and become unobstructed, while long-accumulated cold energy dissipates from the throat and abdomen. Those who comprehend the true meaning of the Dao (the Way) will remain unharmed.

With the compassionate Dharma rain, purify the body three times. After cleansing, the true radiance manifests, guiding departed souls back to the Supreme Great Dao. Devoutly bow in reverence to the Celestial Venerable of the Dao in the void.

After reciting the incantation, visualize all wandering souls becoming purified in body and mind, their throats opening and becoming unobstructed. Then recite the Food-Dispersing Mantra: "You spirits in the dark underworld, I now offer you this food as sustenance. A single grain of rice spreads throughout the ten directions, allowing all ghosts and deities to partake together."

Visualize countless departed souls and celestial beings receiving the offerings, savoring the sweet and delicious food until all are fully satisfied. Filled with joy and gratitude, they bow in thanks to the compassionate deities. At this moment, perform the deliverance: form the Jade Seal mudra with both hands and raise it to the forehead, then trace the pattern of the Southern Dipper constellation toward the south.

Visualize the six stars of the Southern Dipper shining brilliantly, transforming into countless fiery bells. All departed souls ride upon this radiance, ascending to the heavenly realms. Recite the Secret Mantra of Heavenly Rebirth three times to escort them into the void: "Om Hum Trah Li, swiftly descend, be reborn in the heavens, Svaha."

Then, using the fire-bell of the Crimson Palace (the heart's cavity) within your mind, connect directly to the celestial realm. The light grows increasingly vast and boundless until it dissolves into infinite space. Finally, bow and offer this prayer: "The merit of delivering the departed souls is now complete. Humbly we gaze upon the compassionate holy light, receiving them into the heavens. With reverence, we recite the inconceivable merits of 'Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (Heavenly Venerable of Supreme Oneness Who Saves from Suffering)' and 'Zhuling Duming Tianzun (Heavenly Venerable of Scarlet Palace Who Delivers Life).'"

On the essence of food-offering deliverance: The Immortal Lord Ge Xuan (patriarch of the Lingbao tradition in Daoism) taught: "I attained the Dao through the methods of ritual refinement and deliverance, taking pity on the suffering souls in the underworld. Most descendants in this world fail to remember the deep kindness of their parents, gradually forgetting over time. Little do they know that in the underworld, the departed endure each day as if it were a year. Those with the means to perform virtuous deeds and accumulate merit may deliver their ancestors—those with lighter karmic burdens may attain liberation, while those with heavier burdens may only find slight relief. Yet people forget how their parents, while alive, cherished their children with all their hearts, even praying desperately for offspring when childless. Now they merely say, 'I have already performed deliverance,' without a trace of gratitude. For the poor who lack the means to perform deliverance, their ancestors' souls sink deeper into darkness—truly pitiable. Unless all wandering souls are universally delivered, one’s own ancestors cannot be liberated alone. Thus, this method of food-offering is meant to cultivate enduring filial devotion."

This scripture explains the principle of delivering ancestral spirits through the daily accumulation of yin virtues (secret good deeds) and the widespread practice of compassion. The most essential method of sacrificial refinement (rituals for spirit salvation) actually originates from a single moment of sincere devotion within one's heart. If even such simple and practicable methods are neglected, then these spirits truly have no hope of deliverance.

All people inherently possess the instinct to honor their ancestors, and practicing universal compassion is itself a way of self-cultivation—this requires no external persuasion. Yet some scholars, clouded by conscience, engage in empty talk about emptiness, unaware that such behavior condemns ancestors to eternal suffering. Those who sincerely practice will always have their devotion witnessed by the divine. As the elders said: attempting spirit salvation without understanding refinement methods only prolongs the suffering of netherworld beings. The method itself is remarkably straightforward.

Some question how meager offerings like scattered grains could possibly benefit all beings. The Song Dynasty chancellor Zhang Shangying refuted this with classical allusions: King Goujian of Yue shared one jug of wine to intoxicate his entire army, while the immortal Luan Ba could bring rain to Sichuan with a single spray of wine. Where true sincerity exists, no prayer goes unanswered. When the 36th Celestial Master (Tianshi, Daoist leader) was drawing talismans (Fulu) in the imperial palace, the emperor jestingly asked whence their efficacy came. The master replied, "Where sincerity reaches, spiritual response follows." A single petal of heartfelt devotion can permeate the entire Dharma realm (cosmos)—the key lies in absolute sincerity.

We advise practicing during significant dates: the Three Primes (Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, Xiayuan festivals), Eight Solar Terms (like Beginning of Spring), Three Assemblies (Daoist ceremonies), and Five Offerings (Daoist fasting days). Even if offering just one stick of incense or candle, the consistent practice of nighttime incense burning with heavenward prayers—performed with ritual precision—will assuredly deliver all wandering souls. If even jackals and otters understand repaying their origins (basic gratitude), how much more should humans?