《道法會元》Vol. 214

This scripture describes the divine imagery and cultivation methods within Daoist Thunder Ritual (Leifa) practices. The content is divided into three main sections.

The first section introduces the three principal deities of Thunder Ritual. The first is the Celestial Emperor of Brahma Qi (Fanqi Tianhuang Tianfu Tiandi), depicted with a human head and serpent body, red hair and golden eyes. The second is the Earthly Empress Celestial Mother Emperor (Dishi A□ Dihuang Tianmu Tiandi), also human-headed and serpent-bodied but with green hair and silver eyes. The third is the Great Emperor of Nine Heavens Thunder Ancestor (Jiutian Leizu Dadi Doumu Ziguang Jinzun), portrayed with three heads and six arms holding the sun and moon, bow and arrows, and demon-subduing vajra bells, surrounded by lightning and riding a chariot drawn by seven golden boar-birds.

The commander section details four thunder generals' appearances. The Jade Brahma Heavenly King (Yufan Zuntian Louluo Wang) appears in Western foreigner form with red hair, golden headband, three eyes and red body, wielding a fire chariot and demon-subduing pestle. The Mystic Brahma Heavenly King (Miaofan Zuntian Jialou Wang), also foreign-looking with blue hair and white body, commands water chariots and golden bells - these two represent the yin and yang aspects of thunder. General Deng (Deng Tianjun) has red hair, blue face, fleshy wings, and holds thunder drills and hammers. General Xin (Xin Tianjun) dresses as a judge holding iron registers and fire brushes. The messenger Zhang (Zhang Shizhe) wears a golden crown and carries thunder-summoning banners.

The final section explains the meditation method: Practitioners should visualize the sun on their left and moon on their right, inhaling their essential qi (jingqi) to descend through the throat to the central palace dantian (zhonggong dantian), merging with innate primordial qi. After sustained practice, this blended qi should be mentally guided from the double-pass acupoints up to the mud pill palace (niwan gong) at the crown. At this stage, the yang spirit (yangshen) emerges from the left eye while the yin spirit (yinshen) manifests from the right.

(Note: "Cun" refers to Daoist visualization practice; "central palace" indicates the dantian energy center; "mud pill" refers to the Baihui point at the crown of the head)

This scripture records various esoteric incantations and mudras (specific hand gestures) used in Daoist Thunder Magic practices. It first describes how to summon celestial deities by reciting secret mantras and forming the Dipper Seal (hand gesture representing the Big Dipper constellation). When the practitioner achieves a state of mental tranquility with ascending genuine Qi (vital energy), a spiritual light manifests within the body, causing the Thunder Department's divine generals to appear.

The practice involves multiple chants: The first is the "Om Ma Li Jie Suo Ha" mantra recited seven times forward and backward. Next comes an incantation to summon the Ten Great Majestic Deities, containing Sanskrit-derived phonetic transcriptions. The Thunder Ancestor Heart Mantra "Xiong Weng Nei Yin Wu Hu Hong" serves as a brief secret code to communicate with the highest Thunder Department deities. The Dipper Mother (Mother of the Big Dipper) Oath Chapter employs repeated syllables like "Om Li Hong" to mobilize the power of the Northern Dipper.

The subsequent longer incantations, such as the Universal Sound Chapter of Heaven-Piercing and the Great Exorcism Divine Mantra, utilize special phonetic combinations (like "Ba La Du" and "Hong Zha Li") combined with mudras to summon Thunder Department generals for subduing demons. Specific directional hand seals are mentioned (e.g., "two fingers pointing upward" refers to both index fingers raised, while "four covering the heavenly eye" means four fingers placed on the third eye). The final Thunder-Raising Mantra, when combined with the Thunder Seal, can invoke lightning power.

These mantras frequently contain characteristic Daoist esoteric syllables like "Om," "Hong," and "Suo Ha," using specific sound vibrations to communicate with deities. Successful practice requires strict adherence to ritual procedures, combining mudras, visualization (of divine images), and internal alchemy (Neidan) cultivation.

This is an instructional text on the creation and application of Daoist ritual talismans (Fulu), detailing the procedures for crafting specific charms and their accompanying incantations. Let me explain in contemporary terms:

The talisman should be crafted on yellow paper measuring one chi and one cun square (approximately 33cm × 33cm), folded eight times horizontally and vertically to create sixty-four small squares. The reverse side must bear the date of creation written in celestial seal script (Tianzhuan Yuwen), the sacred calligraphy unique to Daoism.

The talisman comprises four concentric layers:

The first layer contains five sets of special incantations and mystical glyphs. When reciting the spells, one must invoke the mandate of heaven with the phrase "By decree of the Celestial Sovereign" (Tianhuang Youchi), signifying action under divine authority. Failure to observe proper protocol renders the talisman inert ("turning to yellow stone"). Among these are exorcistic formulae like "Swiftly manifest the golden light of thunderbolts" (Pili Jinguang Su Xianxing) to summon lightning's divine power, and "Demons submit to righteousness" (Xiemo Guizheng) commanding evil spirits to surrender.

The second layer embodies yang energy. The mantra "Xuǎn ēn wā lá hùn lì suō hē" requires forming the "Mao hand seal" (a specific Daoist mudra) with the left hand while visualizing nine solar rays perceived through the left eye. The practitioner must blend these luminous energies with internal Qi in the central mystic pass (the Dantian region), elevate it to the heart center, then release it through the crown of the head.

The third layer contains yin energies. The incantation "Nǜ ēn wā míng lá zā lá suō pó sà hē" accompanies the "You hand seal" formed with the right hand, while gathering ten lunar beams observed through the right eye. These moonlit energies similarly merge with the practitioner's internal Qi.

The fourth layer harmonizes yin-yang forces through additional mantras and mudra techniques. The process concludes with spells like "Solar Essence Vermilion Radiance" (Rihun Zhujing) to invoke the sun's vital spirit.

This intricate procedure demands precise coordination of hand seals, visualization, incantation, and energy circulation. These operations collectively mobilize the cosmic yin-yang energies (Qi) to empower the talisman. Daoist tradition holds that such rigorous ritual protocols endow the talisman with divine efficacy for exorcism, protection, and other supernatural functions.

This scripture outlines a complete Daoist practice for talismanic cultivation and application, consisting primarily of internal refinement techniques and talisman-drawing procedures.

During cultivation, practitioners first visualize white light (a common luminous meditation in Daoist practice) and channel it through the right eye into the middle palace (the Dantian region) to merge with the Mysterious Pass (upper Dantian). After quiet sitting, this energy is raised to the heart region, envisioned as clear as moonlight. The practitioner then guides the energy to flow out from the Baihui point at the crown of the head before projecting it through the right eye onto the talismanic paper. This process is accompanied by chanting mantras like "Om Li Hong" (a common three-word Daoist incantation) and using specific hand seals (the Youwen mudra) to infuse the talisman with power.

When drawing talismans, practitioners visualize different colored lights: first drawing crimson light from the Heavenly Eye (third eye chakra), combining it with imagined red-black radiance from the Tian Gang stars (the handle of the Big Dipper). Through specific breathing techniques (nose flickering), this energy is channeled into the talismanic circles. The inscriptions contain terms like "Red Yang Three-Five" and "Blue Yang Three-Five," referring to different combinations of energetic attributes.

The latter part enumerates various practical talismans:

1. Chariot Talisman: Named with the seven stars "Tan, Ju, Lu, Wen, Lian, Wu, Po" (alternative names for the Big Dipper), used to summon deities

2. Purple Radiance Mysterious Seal Jade Script: A high-level talisman for exorcism and disaster prevention

3. Yin-Yang Twin Talismans: Combining the Daoist Mother's heart seal with the decrees of the Jade Brahma and Wondrous Brahma deities, representing water and fire elements respectively

4. Thunder Chapter Hidden Names: Esoteric thunder-related incantations

5. Various functional talismans: Including purification talismans, incense message talismans, and envoy summoning talismans. These are typically written with cinnabar on yellow paper, some requiring special sigil imprints (unique talismanic characters).

The text concludes with usage protocols: the practitioner must indicate their lineage affiliation (e.g., "Successor of the Mysterious Mysterious Lineage") and maintain reverent intention. These talismans are primarily used in Daoist Zhaijiao purification rituals, embodying characteristic features of Thunder Magic (Leifa) from the Song-Yuan period.

This scripture belongs to Daoist Thunder Rites (a ritual art for summoning thunder and commanding lightning), primarily comprising three sections:

First comes the memorial addressed to deities including the Great Emperor of Thunder Ancestors from the Nine Heavens, the Solar Sovereign Emperor, and the Lunar Sovereign Empress. The Daoist priest, referring to himself as "your subject," meticulously records the petitioner's origin and specific requests, petitioning for Thunder Department generals (such as Celestial Master Zhang, Celestial Master Deng, and Celestial Master Xin) to lead thunder troops on a specified date. The memorial concludes with the submission date and the priest's formal ritual title.

The middle section contains a series of esoteric incantations:

1. The "Original Covenant Pledge" includes Sanskrit-derived mantras like "Ma-li-pu-li-tuo-ye" serving as secret language to commune with deities

2. The "Minor Demon-Subduing Spell" for exorcism contains unique syllables like "Na-mo-la-ta"

3. The "Jade Script of Primordial Beginning" features single-character thunder commands like "Long" (霳)

These incantations must be performed with specific hand mudras and Pacing the Void (special ritual footsteps) in Daoist ceremonies. Recurring syllables like "Om-Hong-Zha" represent characteristic "thunder sounds" in Thunder Rites, believed to resonate through heaven and earth to summon celestial generals.

The concluding phrase "Urgently obeying the command of the Primordial Celestial Sovereign" emphasizes the ritual's authority as being mandated by the highest deity, Yuanshi Tianzun (the Primordial Beginning Celestial Venerable). The entire scripture demonstrates how Daoist Thunder Rites integrate memorial petitions, esoteric incantations, and celestial troop mobilization into a unified practice.

This incantation originates from Volume 214 of the Daoist canonical text Daofa Huiyuan (Synopsis of the Dao and Its Methods), belonging to the secret transmissions of sacred mantras used in Daoist cultivation and ritual practice. These mantras consist of special syllables, each carrying specific mystical power.

The first phrase "Om Hong Hong Zha Li Zha Li She Ye Li Suo He" follows a common Daoist mantra structure, where "Om" represents the primordial sound of the universe, "Hong" symbolizes the power to subdue demonic forces, and "Suo He" signifies perfect accomplishment. When combined, these syllables are believed to mobilize the spiritual energies between heaven and earth.

In the second phrase "Om Hong Zha Li Nan Tu Li Xiu Tu Li Lü Ling", the characters "Lü Ling" (immediate command) hold particular significance in Daoist ritual magic, equivalent to the modern expression "urgently as the law commands". Reciting these mantras repeatedly during cultivation or ritual practice helps practitioners concentrate their spirit, communicate with deities, or ward off evil influences.

Such mantras are typically used in Daoist ceremonies alongside specific mudras (hand gestures), visualization techniques, and fulu (talismans), forming an essential component of the Daoist ritual system. As secret transmissions, their complete meanings and precise applications usually require direct transmission from a master.