《道法會元》Vol. 228

This scripture describes the ritual for summoning General Zhu Yan, a thunder deity in Daoist thunder magic (a form of exorcism). As a key commander of the Thunder Department, General Zhu Yan specializes in punishing wicked sorcerers who reject Daoist teachings and commit evil deeds.

The deity manifests with awe-inspiring features: a dark face with furious eyes, crimson hair, a black headscarf, black robes over golden armor, and emerald brocade boots. In his left hand he carries iron chains, while his right wields either a golden hammer or an iron tablet (a type of weapon). Under his command are five fierce generals including General He and 120 divine warriors.

The ritual proceeds with these incantations and steps:

First, recite the mantra "Chi pi fei yi suo he" seven times while forming the Mao hand-seal (a specific Daoist mudra), visualizing one's transformation into the form of Lord Yuebo (a fierce stellar deity in Daoism).

Next, chant the summoning invocation, which essentially declares: By the decree of the Jade Emperor, General Zhu Yan is commanded to descend immediately. The chant describes the general's ring-like piercing eyes and terrifying dark visage capable of toppling Mount Kunlun. He is ordered to leave the celestial palace instantly, descend to the mortal realm to aid the righteous path, and punish those sorcerers who defy Daoist law. A single swing of his golden hammer can capture the souls of evildoers, crush all demonic entities, and eradicate plagues.

This is followed by the merging mantra, chanting syllables like "Om yun zha li hong li zha □ ye" to invoke the empowerment of the Flying Celestial Mighty Sovereign.

During the ritual, northern sha-qi (malignant energy) must be drawn into the kidney palace (one of the five organ systems) and blended with one's breath before being exhaled toward ritual incense smoke. Within the smoke, practitioners visualize the deity's form manifesting with perfect clarity.

The ritual concludes with General Zhu Yan's authentic fu-talisman inscribed with the words: "Celestial fire, earthly fire, thunder fire, crashing fire, samadhi true fire," and the command: "Respectfully summon the Great Luo Heaven's Dark-Faced Zhu Yan swiftly." The entire ceremony is performed under the sacred ordinances of the Northern Emperor (the Purple Subtlety Emperor of the North Pole).

This scripture describes the incantations and talismanic (Fulu) practices within Daoist Thunder Magic (a ritual technique for summoning thunder deities to exorcise evil). The core content involves invoking thunder gods from all directions to expel malevolent forces.

The opening repetition of "Heaven commands, Earth commands" demonstrates the practitioner's authority over cosmic forces. The urgent summoning of Zhu Yan (a thunder general's title) reveals the practitioner's self-proclaimed identity as the "Master of Ten Thousand Methods" — a patriarch who claims supremacy even over the Celestial Master (Tianshi Zhang Daoling) and earthly adepts, asserting power sufficient to subdue all spirits and ghosts.

The text elaborates on Thunder Magic's formidable capabilities: it can capture wicked sorcerers from all three realms (Desire, Form, and Formless Realms), delivering instant retribution regardless of distance. Through imperative phrases like "By Heaven's decree" and "By Earth's decree," the ritual mobilizes the power of the Nine Emperors (supreme deities of the Nine Heavens), commanding wind and thunder to pursue demonic entities. Vivid descriptions like "seizing alive" and "capturing in person" illustrate the technique's relentless force.

The scripture enumerates the five-directional thunder god system:

• Eastern Thunder of Mount Tai (corresponding to the Mao [east] direction)
• Southern Thunder of Mount Heng (Wu [south])
• Western Thunder of Mount Hua (You [west])
• Northern Thunder of Mount Heng (Zi [north])
• Central Thunder of Mount Song (center)

Execution requires coordinated hand seals (e.g., "Mao gesture," "Wu gesture") and ritual footsteps (Pacing the Big Dipper's constellations).

The concluding section emphasizes technical details: a "well" character (井) must be inscribed at the talisman's base, accompanied by the "Great Summoning Incantation" to invoke Zhu Yan, the black-faced general under the Northern Emperor (Ziwei Dadi). The practitioner identifies as one with the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing: Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun), completing the ritual by tracing the Nine Palaces (Jiugong) on the palm.

The entire passage radiates an awe-inspiring, thunderous solemnity, embodying Thunder Magic's core principle of "crushing evil with righteousness."

This scripture describes a Daoist ritual practice designed to punish those who disrespect the Daoist teachings or slander the orthodox tradition. The core practice involves summoning various divine generals (such as the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity [Zǐwēi Dàdì], the Great Chieftain of the Northern Dipper [Běidì Dàkuí], and the Black-Faced General [Hēimiàn Dàjiàng]) to swiftly capture the souls of such offenders for interrogation and retribution.

The ritual procedure includes the priest reciting specific incantations (such as "Ōṃ mī tiān mī dì zhà lì zhà jìn zhà shèng shè"), combined with hand mudras (e.g., forming the Great Slaying Seal) and breath techniques (such as exhaling Northern Qi [Běiqì] onto the feet of a spirit medium). These actions summon deities like the Black-Faced General and the Mighty Yaksha Spirits, who ensure immediate karmic retribution for the offenders. The ritual can forcibly extract the offender’s soul for detention and questioning or cause them to become self-confused and confess voluntarily. To release a detained soul, the priest simply withdraws the mudra and sweeps their hand over their eyes; to continue interrogation, they recite further incantations invoking the Black-Faced General.

The incantations repeatedly emphasize the command "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes!" (jí jí rú lǜ lìng), demanding immediate execution. The text also mentions the use of a spirit medium (likely a child medium, referred to as "the youth") to facilitate possession, compelling the offender’s soul to reveal their name and other details. Finally, a soul-returning incantation is included to restore the spirit to its body.

These practices belong to the "summoning and interrogation" (kǎozhào) category of Daoist ritual magic, primarily used to discipline heretical sorcerers and those who reject the Dao. They reflect the tradition’s solemn authority in upholding orthodox teachings. The deities invoked—such as the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity and the Northern Thearch—are major Daoist divinities, while the Black-Faced General and others are specialized enforcers of divine justice.

This scripture records an exorcism ritual from Daoist Thunder Magic (Leifa). The Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Dadi, the supreme deity of Daoism) commands the valiant General Zhu (a thunder deity) to act swiftly, ensuring that wandering souls return to their rightful bodies. During the ritual, the practitioner must draw upon the celestial energy of the Big Dipper (Tiangang Qi) and the divine energy of the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Qi), then blow nine breaths onto the afflicted (often a child), visualizing their three Hun (ethereal souls) and seven Po (corporeal souls) realigning and awakening.

The text then details the ritual steps: the master forms the Sword Hand Seal (Jianjue, a specific mudra) and traces the character for "well" (井) on the ground, transforming it into a bottomless black prison filled with instruments of punishment. While reciting the Binding Incantation (Cuzhou Zhuo), the practitioner must sequentially seal the four directions (east, west, south, and north, corresponding to the earthly branches Mao, You, Wu, and Zi), ultimately trapping the target within the palm of the hand.

The ritual involves specific hand gestures: the thumb presses down on the other four fingers (known as "Luosizhi"), while simultaneously opening the Celestial Gate (Qian position), closing the Earthly Door (Xun position), retaining the Human Gate (Kun position), and blocking the Ghost Path (Gen position). Symbolic motions include piercing the ghost's heart (from Mao to You) and splitting the ghost's belly (from Zi to Wu), creating a boundary that seals all directions.

Finally, the ritual summons Thunder General Zhu to capture malevolent practitioners from all directions (the five musical notes—Jue, Zhi, Shang, Yu, and Gong—correspond to the five directions). This includes reported and unreported sorcerers, village troublemakers, specific witches, and even their nine generations of ancestral teachers, all to be delivered to the North Prison of Heavenly Unity (Tianyi Bei Yu, a Daoist prison for evil entities). The ceremony emphasizes "no movement, no action" (Wuwei, maintaining mental purity), with the final energy directed through the Celestial Gate (from the central palace to the Qian position).

This passage explains the ritual of capturing malevolent forces in Daoist Thunder Magic (Leifa), which involves hand seals (shoujue), incantations, and specific operational steps. Let me break it down section by section:

First are the hand seal movements: Retreat to the Earth Door position (northwest), form the Chen-position seal (thumb pressing the middle finger's base) to gather the celestial power of Tiangang (the Big Dipper's energy). Then form the Dou seal (thumb pressing the ring finger's base). Next, the Yin-position seal (index finger base) combined with incantations creates a protective barrier, causing deities to conceal themselves; the Mao-position seal (index finger's second joint) obscures ghosts' vision, naturally dispelling calamities; the Yin-position seal forms the Mount Tai seal (symbolizing stability like the sacred mountain).

Next comes stepping the celestial paces (Tagan Budou): Use the left foot to stomp on positions symbolizing sealing the Earth Well and the gates of hell. Then comes the commanding incantation, summoning Dark Thunder Yin Lord (a thunder department general) to lead celestial troops, describing the thunder department's awe-inspiring might: with gale-force winds, torrential rains, and earth-shattering power to terrify non-believers. The Flying Sky Demon King (another thunder general) captures evil entities, using thunderbolts to annihilate malicious spirits, making wicked sorcerers (xie wu) and their seven generations of ancestors tremble in fear.

Specific methods for capturing malevolence: First expel internal fire qi (positions Si, Wu, and Wei represent fire), close the grain passage (anus), and visualize thunder generals descending from southern fiery clouds, enveloped by Big Dipper energy. When capturing evil sorcerers, first petition the Northern Emperor (Ziwei Dadi), dispatch Commander Zhu (thunder general Zhu Yan) to apprehend them, and send documents to the Tianyi Northern Prison (a hell realm). After capture, firmly imprison them while visualizing the Big Dipper as wheel-sized, its starlight directly illuminating the ritual platform.

For soul capture, use earthenware jars and copper coins, visualizing generals escorting evil spirits into hell. Finally bury a Commander Zhu talisman to guard the site. When establishing the ritual prison, use a ceramic bottle with half wine and half vinegar, summoning thunder gods from the celestial, water, and fire prisons. Arrange ten copper coins in formation, drawing the character "well" (井) to represent the Northern Prison, then burn talismans to summon Commander Zhu to imprison the sorcerer's soul.

Concluding actions: Rotate the left hand counterclockwise and toss ten copper coins over the left shoulder. If the ritual succeeds, picking them up signifies soul capture completion. The entire process embodies Thunder Magic's characteristically fierce and vigorous energy, combining hand seals, incantations, visualization, and ritual implements to subdue malevolent forces.

This scripture records the ritual procedures of Daoist exorcism and evil-subduing magic, focusing on methods to capture malevolent sorcerers (harmful practitioners of dark arts) and the deployment of the Celestial Net and Earthly Snare formation.

The first method involves using Marshal Zhu (a Daoist guardian deity) to apprehend evil sorcerers. Upon capture, they are immediately confined in a specially prepared "prison vessel," suppressed with the crushing force of Mount Tai. The specific ritual requires drawing a talisman (fulu) to seal the bottle's mouth, which is then tightly covered with yellow clay and placed in a furnace for intense burning. Simultaneously, the practitioner recites fire incantations, forms fire hand-seals (mudras), and burns additional talismans to urge the marshal into action. In urgent cases, the sorcerer may be directly delivered to the Kitchen God (Siming) for judgment.

Before confronting the sorcerer, an official dispatch must first be issued to Marshal Zhu, mobilizing the assistance of the Grand Duke of Jupiter (Taisui) and the Three Malevolent Stars (sansha, deities of inauspicious directions). A talisman is drawn on a peachwood board, targeting the sorcerer’s residence based on its alignment with either the Taisui or sansha方位 (directions). The character "井" (well) is inscribed in the corresponding方位 to suppress the target. Additional spells may command Marshal Zhu to mobilize Taisui or sansha deities to execute the sentence within a set timeframe.

The "Prison Establishment Method" involves deploying a seven-layered Celestial Net and Earthly Snare: The first layer darkens heaven and earth; the second interrogates evil spirits; the third binds with shackles; the fourth refines with true fire; the fifth drowns and devours; the sixth smites with thunder; and the seventh eternally imprisons in hell. This formation must be activated under the light of the Big Dipper’s 魒星 (specific star), summoning thunder marshals and celestial troops to capture the sorcerer. Additionally, Five Sacred Mountains thunder talismans stamped with the character "煞" (execution) are employed, combined with Mount Tai hand-seals for suppression. The practitioner invokes the names of celestial and terrestrial executioners (tiansha, disha, etc.), compelling the sorcerer to self-destruct.

Finally, the "Five Tones Restraint Method" targets sorcerers from different directions using corresponding plague deities: the Green Plague deity subdues those of the Jue (角) tone in the east; the Red Plague deity controls the Zhi (徵) tone in the south; the White Plague deity suppresses the Shang (商) tone in the west; the Black Plague deity restrains the Yu (羽) tone in the north; and the Yellow Plague deity dominates the Gong (宫) tone in the center. This ensures the capture and imprisonment of all malevolent sorcerers from the five directions in the demon barracks.

This passage describes Daoist ritual methods for dispelling epidemics and malevolent forces. The "Central Yellow Plague Control System" refers to the Daoist pantheon governing pestilential energies, detailing how incantations and talismanic techniques (Fulu) are used to subdue various evil influences.

The practitioner first recites the incantation: "Celestial sha, terrestrial sha, annual sha, monthly sha, daily sha, hourly sha—all wicked sorcerers and malevolent practitioners shall be apprehended by the Plague God's tribunal." Upon completing the chant, one visualizes (cunxiang) these evil practitioners being detained by the Plague God's administration. The specific procedure requires drafting an official dispatch (die) to the commanding general (benshuai), instructing him to deliver these malign entities to the local Plague God's office for processing.

The appended verse explains: The essence of Daoist practice lies in sincere faith creating efficacy (the method resides in the heart when belief forms the connection), but this sincerity must further align with celestial principles (this heart must also accord with Heaven). Family-transmitted Daoist teachings (jia chuan dao ben) are no ordinary path—the mystical transmissions bestowed by deities (shen shou xuan zhong) embody profound mystery within mystery. This method can subdue three hundred kinds of evil sorcerers (she fu xie wu san bai bei) and uphold orthodox Daoism for millennia (fu chi zheng jiao shu qian nian). By receiving the master's precious oral instructions (de shi zhou hou qian jin jue), one can manifest the Black-Faced General (a divine exorcism deity) for immediate protection.

This scripture originates from Volume 228 of the Daoist Ritual Compendium (Daofa Huiyuan), primarily documenting the ceremonial procedures and essential mental techniques for plague expulsion and evil purification. It emphasizes the vital integration of mental cultivation and divine assistance in Daoist practice.