《道法會元》Vol. 226

This scripture records the esoteric method of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition, a branch of Celestial Master (Tianshi) Daoism, for summoning Marshal Ma the Divine Officer and his retinue. Marshal Ma serves as a key guardian deity in Daoism, depicted with a blue face and three eyes, wearing a celestial warrior's crown and red brocade robe with golden armor, wielding a sacred sword while standing atop fiery clouds. His command includes several subordinate generals: General White Snake Ma Chong with red hair and protruding fangs carries either double tablets or a bow; Soul-Capturing General Tian Hong wears black-faced iron armor and holds a spirit-collecting bag; the Swift Retribution Attendant appears in feminine attire; while Soul-Fetching Envoy Mei Fu dons golden armor with a red robe.

Practitioners must first calm the mind and regulate breathing, silently reciting the specific incantation "Om Ling Nazha Hu..." while visualizing a golden dharma wheel forming at the Dantian (energy center). After briefly holding the breath, they imagine this wheel ascending along the spine to the Muddy Pellet Palace (upper Dantian) at the crown, merging with the primordial spirit (Shen) before exhaling to transform it into golden light. Next, they visualize the radiance of the six stars of the Southern Dipper shining into this golden light before them, accompanied by specific hand seals (the Golden Tablet and Jade Seal Mudra), thereby invoking Marshal Ma's manifestation.

The scripture documents multiple summoning incantations, such as "Om □ zhi □ zhi Juniya..." which must be used during designated hours (from midnight to noon, etc.). There is also an emergency invocation chant: "Burning incense summons the Divine Officer..." emphasizing the divine command of the Heavenly Emperor to swiftly descend with supernatural power to capture demons. Finally, the Golden Tablet and Jade Seal incantation "Om Qielou Zhaji..." enhances the efficacy of the summoning.

These incantations and hand seals must be practiced alongside specific visualization (cunxiang) and internal refinement techniques, exemplifying the Daoist ritual methods of "preserving the spirit (cunshen)" and "transforming into the spirit (bianshen)." Through precise syllable vibrations, breath control, and guided intention, practitioners achieve communion with divine beings.

This scripture primarily contains Daoist talismanic incantations (Fulu) and invocations of divine beings, structured in several sections:

The "Assembly Summoning Incantation" serves to invoke the presence of Lingguan (Daoist guardian deities). The syllables "Om," "Zha," and "Hong" represent sacred mantras with special spiritual power in Daoist practice. These carefully arranged phonetic combinations establish communication with celestial beings.

The "Essential Talisman" section outlines fundamental methods for drawing ritual sigils. It correlates the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches with natural elements (e.g., the Hai branch representing Heaven, Shen representing Earth). Talisman creation requires invoking the sacred names of the Big Dipper's seven stars (believed to possess immense divine power in Daoism) while seeking empowerment from the Southern Dipper's stellar deities.

The "Great Unity Talisman" invokes the Great Unity Savior from Suffering (an important Daoist deity) and his retinue of guardian spirits. The incantation emphasizes these deities' power to disperse countless malevolent spirits and protect practitioners. Mentioned within it is "Ma Sheng," a renowned guardian spirit in Daoist tradition.

The "Command Incantation" and "Dispatch Incantation" employ imperative language, urgently summoning guardian spirits through the authority of the North Star (central to Big Dipper worship) to capture evil entities. The phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with statutes and ordinances" serves as a standard Daoist closing formula indicating immediate execution.

The final section concerns fire deity invocations, summoning flame-associated divinities including the Supreme Lao Jun and the Flame Emperor to dispatch fiery troops that incinerate malignant forces. The incantation vividly depicts infernos consuming ghosts, with "reducing to ashes without trace" emphasizing complete annihilation of harmful entities.

These incantations demonstrate Daoist methods for exorcism and disaster prevention through sacred language, astral veneration, and Five Phases theory. They reveal the power of ritual speech and divine communication within Daoist mystical practice.

This scripture describes the ritual use of the "Fire Crow Talisman" (huoya fu) and "White Snake Talisman" (baishe fu) in Daoist incantation magic, primarily employed for exorcism and ghost capture. Here's the detailed explanation:

Visualize countless fire crows amidst southern fiery clouds, then draw their vital essence (Qi) into the talismanic paper. Envision celestial generals standing before you, channeling this essence into the talisman where it transforms into blazing light. When activated, the talisman must be swiftly cast forth.

The talisman bears esoteric inscriptions like "Solar Disc of the Great Sun" and invocations such as "Ma Sheng's spiritual connection," signifying divine mandate from the Jade Emperor. Directional spells follow: "Open Heaven's Gate, Seal Earth's Door, Preserve Humanity's Passage" establishes celestial access while blocking infernal pathways. Ghost-targeting incantations declare: "Bar specters' paths, Pierce ghostly hearts, Shatter demonic bellies" to obstruct and neutralize malignant entities.

Subsequent verses summon the Fire Virtue Star Lord (southern fire deity) and Divine Guardians (Dharma protectors), commanding immediate capture of mountain goblins (shanxiao) and the Five Perverse Deities (wutong xieshen). The chant incorporates mystic syllables like "Gaya chara shejiapo nang ji" alongside invocations to the Six Ding-Six Jia Divine Generators (liuding liujia shenjiang) and Fire Ministry Messengers (huobu gongcao).

The White Snake Talisman's incantation projects even greater potency: this serpent deity's transformative power knows no bounds—its upward gaze makes sun and moon shine simultaneously, while its downward glance withers vegetation. Malevolent spirits disintegrate upon sight. The spell demands immediate divine attendance at the ritual altar.

This talisman manifests extraordinary might: it moves mountains and overturns seas, spews fire from its maw, and terrifies ghosts into flight. A single undulation of its body triggers landslides and cosmic tremors capable of toppling Mount Kunlun. The text describes its left eye radiating light that illuminates all directions to summon the Eight Trigrams Celestials (bagua tianshen), while its right eye generates thunderbolts.

The concluding Western White Emperor's (Xifang Bai Di) incantation commands the Pure Spirit Deity (suling shen) to unleash thunderclaps that purge demonic miasma—powerful enough to devour mountain ranges. Collectively, this scripture reveals the Daoist mystical methodology of envisioning divine potency and mobilizing cosmic energies (Qi) through ritual talismans for exorcism.

This scripture records Daoist incantations and talismans (fulu, mystical diagrams used in ritual practices) for exorcising evil spirits and capturing demons. The main content is divided into several sections:

First comes the incantation for overturning heaven and earth to capture demonic entities, warning unbelievers they will be reduced to dust. The recurring phrase "ji ji ru lü ling" (immediately obey the command) is a standard Daoist concluding formula.

Next are several potent exorcism chants containing mantra syllables like "Om" with special spiritual power, describing visions of blazing light and earth-shaking phenomena when opening the spiritual eye. The "Ice Water Incantation" specifically freezes ghosts, summoning the Great Deity of Nine Rivers (water god) and the Primordial Lords of Four Waterways (river deities) to assist in immobilizing evil spirits with extreme cold.

The ritual requires specific physical actions: forming the "Zi Pattern" hand seal (mudra) with both hands, then spraying water into the air to make it frost-cold. When this water sprinkles on ritual assistants, it produces trembling effects.

Various talismans are listed with their designs, such as the "Mountain-Sealing Cavern-Breaking Talisman," featuring the Big Dipper stars (with names like Greedy Wolf and Giant Gate) and images of divine generals. Also recorded are names of spirit entities like the "Soul-Fetching General" and references to demon-subduing fires including "celestial fire, earthly fire, and samadhi true fire."

The final section contains incantations for swift demon suppression by the Lingguan (guardian generals), describing the vision of the Great White Serpent General (incarnation of the southern fire deity) flying from the south with flaming breath. Practitioners must visualize (cunxiang) the white serpent entering the heart palace while coordinating hand seals with southern fire qi (vital energy).

These contents demonstrate characteristic Daoist exorcism methods of "using fire against evil and cold to suppress ghosts," employing coordinated techniques of incantations, talismans, hand seals, and visualization practices.

This scripture describes a complete Daoist ritual for summoning deities and exorcising evil spirits, incorporating hand mudras, incantations, and visualization (meditation) techniques.

At the ritual's commencement, the master visualizes the sun and moon shining together while reciting sacred mantras such as "Om Hong Zha" to summon celestial generals. These incantations possess special powers—for instance, "Shui Huo She Jing" mobilizes the energies of water and fire, while "Feng Du Chi Xing" commands underworld spirits to act.

Next, the master draws talismanic symbols (Fulu) in the air (known as "virtual writing"). There are two main schools: the first requires entering the ritual altar while chanting, visualizing black mist flowing from the nostrils to envelop heaven and earth, wielding a sword and treading on fiery wheels to terrify evil spirits. The second school involves forming the "Chen" hand mudra with the left hand while visualizing Qi from the northwest (Hai direction).

The summoned deities include:

• The Zhengyi Lingguan with three heads and nine eyes, capable of moving mountains and filling seas;
• The Dutian Lingguan, who rides a fiery dragon;
• The Dingjia Lingguan, responsible for capturing ghosts;
• The White Snake General, who exhales clouds with his breath.

The incantations emphasize that "the Jade Emperor's decree must not be disobeyed," indicating these deities act under the supreme command of the Heavenly Lord.

During cultivation, the practitioner must focus the spirit (Shen) and calm the Qi, visualizing the three characters "Om Hong Zha" glowing within the Three Dantian: the Upper Dantian (between the eyebrows), Middle Dantian (heart center), and Lower Dantian (below the navel). Simultaneously, the left hand forms the Big Dipper mudra, pointing sequentially from the Kui star to the Piao star toward the Celestial Gate (crown of the head), while reciting a secret mantra containing multiple "Zha" syllables.

Finally, the practitioner visualizes the character "Kui" from the Big Dipper radiating brilliant light, presses the tongue against the palate, and traces the twenty-eight lunar mansions in the air to form a spiritual character. The Southern Dipper mudra is then formed, merging the sixth star's "Sheng" character with the spiritual character into golden light, which is inhaled and stored in the heart. To conclude, the golden light is exhaled from the heart, and a sword mudra is used to draw the final talisman in the air.

This entire ritual combines incantations, hand seals, and visualization—core Daoist cultivation methods—to summon deities and expel malevolent forces. Key elements include the sacred mantras ("Om Hong Zha"), Three Dantian cultivation, and astral veneration, all of which are essential practices in Daoist spirituality.

This scripture describes the complete process of a Daoist ritual master summoning the Divine Generals (protective deities) for an exorcism ceremony. The master accomplishes the entire magical operation through specific incantations, hand seals (mudras), and visualization techniques.

First, the master visualizes a fiery wheel appearing before them. Holding a golden tablet and jade seal, they gaze toward the Celestial Gate (entrance to the heavenly realms), where the majestic form of the Divine Marshal materializes amidst the starlight of the Northern Dipper, drawing this presence into the ritual altar. Through focused visualization, the master guides the Divine General to descend from heaven into their Dantian (the lower abdominal energy center), merging with their own being before exhaling the deity's manifested form before them.

Subsequently, the master recites multiple esoteric mantras in succession. Each incantation begins with "Om" (an), a common opening syllable in Daoist spells. The mantras intersperse divine titles like "Jialou Zha" and "Tongtian Zha" (names of celestial generals) with imperative phrases such as "quickly appear and apprehend," all serving to summon the Divine Generals with urgency. The phrase "Divine General of Flying Fire swiftly manifests retribution" indicates the invocation of a fire-commanding protective deity.

The master coordinates hand seals to mobilize Qi from the four directions: pressing the Mao position (base of the index finger) draws azure Qi from the east, the Wu position (middle fingertip) summons crimson Qi from the south, and the You position (base of the ring finger) gathers white Qi from the west. These gestures all amplify the ritual's efficacy.

The scripture then summons multiple protective deities: Great Sage Jiatuoluo (spirit of soul stabilization), Great Sage Shatuoluo (spirit of soul pacification), and Great Sage Tiangang (spirit of malevolent force suppression). Among these, "Masheng" is another name for the Divine General, described in the text as capable of "penetrating heaven and earth" and "traversing mountains and seas without pause," demonstrating his vast supernatural powers.

The final section invokes various fire deities for reinforcement: celestial fire, earthly fire, temporal fires (of years, months, days, and hours), along with Samadhi True Fire (the internal fire cultivated in Daoist practice), creating a powerful fiery energy field to subdue demonic entities. The ritual concludes with "encircled by golden light," using a radiant barrier to protect the ritual space.

This scripture exemplifies the characteristic Daoist integration of incantations, hand seals, and visualization in ritual practice, mobilizing sacred forces from all directions to achieve exorcistic purposes. Each step interconnects seamlessly, reflecting the systematic rigor and structural coherence of Daoist ritual magic.

This passage describes Daoist exorcism rituals involving incantations and talismans (fulu), comprising several key components:

The summoning chant invokes the True Lord of Fire Virtue (a Daoist deity governing fire) through sacred syllables like "Om Hum." The phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with statutes and ordinances" serves as a standard Daoist closing formula demanding immediate execution of divine commands.

Following this is the formal exorcism proclamation issued in the name of the Great Emperor of the Purple Tenuity (one of the highest deified star gods representing Polaris). It commands the celestial guardians (lingguan) to manifest, mobilizing the Six Ding and Six Jia (Daoist pantheon of celestial warriors) to deploy an impenetrable cosmic net for subduing demons and ensuring earthly peace.

The demon-expelling talisman section references the Three Platforms Star Lords (Upper, Middle, and Lower Platform constellations), each possessing powers to eliminate misfortune, protect households, and cure illnesses. The incantation includes invocations to the Seven Primordial Lords of the Northern Dipper (deified Big Dipper stars), believed capable of dispelling calamities caused by malevolent spirits.

Subsequently listed are the Five Celestial Demon Kings of the cardinal directions (Blue, Red, White, Black, and Yellow), along with their respective subduing deities. Through the decree of Lord Lao (one of Daoism's highest divinities), celestial soldiers are mobilized to slay specters, employing elemental forces of wind, thunder, and fire to eradicate evil influences.

The final instructions detail the talisman's application method: after inscribing the talisman, practitioners must gather Qi from the five directions (energies of east, south, west, north, and center). The completed talisman is burned and its ashes blown toward the afflicted area. The "zi-wu hand seal" refers to a common Daoist mudra representing the intersection of Yin and Yang, formed by connecting thumb and middle finger.

This scripture describes a Daoist exorcism ritual for healing the sick, primarily aimed at recalling lost soul-essences and subduing malevolent spirits afflicting the patient. The ritual master employs specific mudras (hand seals), talismanic incantations (fulu), and the powers of water and fire to mobilize celestial generals for the task.

The master first commands the divine generals to swiftly apprehend the haunting spirits within the patient's body and deliver them to the underworld tribunals for imprisonment and punishment. Next comes the act of spraying consecrated water while burning soul-summoning talismans in the kitchen stove—a liminal space in Daoist cosmology that connects the realms of Yin and Yang. The ritual involves opening the Celestial Gate (portal to heavenly realms), sealing the Earth Portal (entrance to the underworld), while preserving the Human Gate (connection to the mortal plane). Special talismans simultaneously block ghostly paths, pierce spectral hearts, and rupture demonic abdomens.

Characters like 魁 (kuí), 𩲃, and 𩵄 represent specialized spirit-subduing sigils. The master declares authorization from the Jade Emperor and the Purple Tenuity Emperor (two supreme Daoist deities), summoning the Three Officials—the Heaven Official of Upper Prime, Earth Official of Middle Prime, and Water Official of Lower Prime—along with the three divine generals Tang Hong, Ge Yong, and Zhou Wu to respectively behead evil deities, slaughter malicious ghosts, and exterminate monstrous entities.

An urgent summons then goes forth for the patient's scattered three hun (ethereal souls) and seven po (corporeal souls) to return to their bodily residence, assisted by five swift-moving celestial envoys including Xu Shouzhong, the Cloud-Path Messenger of the Nine Heavens. The ritual incorporates the Chenwen hand seal (a specific mudra) to channel baleful qi while reciting incantations to annihilate evil forces, sometimes morphing into a terrifying six-armed, crimson-haired manifestation to overawe all spirits.

The text specifies that these talismans must be inscribed with cinnabar on yellow paper and burned in the stove alongside spirit money and "golden armored horse" offerings. The "Mountain Character Talisman" and "Hūṃ Character Talisman"—two potent spirit-subduing sigils—require accompanying Mountain-Seal mudras and invocations of the Purple Tenuity Emperor's name. They channel the authentic qi of Marshal Ma, the Divine Guardian (a Daoist protector deity), to forcibly relocate all possessing spirits beneath the celestial authority of Kuígang (the Big Dipper's subduing position), where they remain eternally immobilized. The repeated phrase "urgently, urgently, according to statutory ordinance" (急急如律令) emphasizes immediate enforcement of divine will.

This scripture records a complete Daoist exorcism ritual, primarily consisting of two components: incantations (hand seals and mantras used in Daoist magic) and visualization (mentally conjuring divine images through focused intention).

The opening section employs esoteric mantras like "Om Hong Zha"—imbued with special spiritual power—to invoke the celestial authority of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions (ancient Chinese astrological constellations) and summon Marshal Ma, the Divine Guardian (a protector deity in Daoism), to imbue the talismanic paper. The ritual master must inscribe these mantras onto fulu (Daoist ritual talismans) while reinforcing their potency with Gangbu (the sacred pacing steps used in Daoist ceremonies). The mention of "Three Terraces" refers to three principal stars in the Big Dipper, symbolizing celestial authority.

The middle section details the application of the Ghost-Locking Talisman: first, the ritual master petitions the Great Emperor of the Purple Tenuity (one of the Four Heavenly Sovereigns in Daoism, who governs the stars) to issue a divine decree. Then, using a ritual implement called the "Golden Brick," a protective boundary is formed. The master visualizes the divine general descending from the Heavenly Gate, wielding the Golden Brick, which transforms into countless golden rays to seal all directions. The haunting spirits are then escorted to the Kuigang position (a direction corresponding to the Big Dipper) beneath the altar (the sacred space for rituals). The recurring mantra "Om Hong Zha" is a core sacred phrase frequently used in Thunder Magic (a Daoist practice harnessing the power of thunder).

The final stage requires the master to concentrate their intention, visualizing the Golden Brick transforming into golden walls encircling the afflicted person's dwelling. Simultaneously, Marshal Ma unleashes the "Samadhi Fire" (the pure Yang fire in Daoist cosmology) to incinerate the malevolent entities. The entire process must be synchronized with Chenwen (hand seals specific to certain hours) and Wuqi (the Yang energy of high noon), concluding with the imperative phrase "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes!" to reinforce the ritual's efficacy.

This passage describes a Daoist ritual for summoning celestial forces, specifically invoking the fire department deities of the Six Heavens (火部神将吏兵) to protect the ritual altar. When drawing the talisman (Fulu), the practitioner must first depict the constellation "軫水蚓" (one of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions), then mark eight dots representing the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) directions at the talisman's center, symbolizing the harmony of heaven (round) and earth (square).

Key celestial generals mentioned include: the White Snake General (白蛇大将), a serpentine deity capable of devouring inauspicious Qi; and General Ma Chong (马充大将), a mounted warrior commanding celestial troops. Mantric syllables like "Om" (唵) and "Hum" (吽) represent standard Daoist incantations (真言) with ritual power, while terms like "Kui" (魁) and "Qinzha" (钦吒) serve as esoteric codes for deity summoning.

During the ritual, the practitioner visualizes cosmic harmony—the merging of heaven and earth, sun and moon—while chanting to empower the deities with the ability to "penetrate heaven and enter earth" (通天入地). These generals possess formidable powers: toppling mountains, boiling earth veins, traversing the underworld, subduing malevolent forces, and destroying demonic lairs. The repeated emphasis on swift divine response in the incantation's conclusion reflects the characteristic Daoist principle of "immediate summoning" (召之即来).

This scripture integrates astral veneration, Five Phases (五行) theory, and esoteric mantra practices, exemplifying Song-Yuan period Thunder Rituals (雷法) literature. Through specific talismans, incantations, and visualization, the adept seeks to harness natural forces and divine assistance for exorcism and disaster prevention.