《道法會元》Vol. 230

This scripture records the celestial roster of the "Secret Method of the Three Divine Officers Ma, Chen, and Zhu" from the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) tradition, an important Daoist lineage. It essentially describes the organizational chart of a specialized celestial task force dedicated to subduing demons and exorcising evil.

This divine battalion is commanded by three principal marshals:

1. Supreme Marshal Ma Sheng (courtesy name Dezhi) of Orthodox Unity (Zhengyi)

2. Grand Marshal Chen Danian (courtesy name Fuzhi) of Orthodox Unity

3. Vice-Marshal Zhu Sengqi (courtesy name Fanzhi) of Orthodox Unity

Under their leadership are specialized divine officers with distinct operational roles:

• Reconnaissance & Communications Unit: Includes swift messengers like the Retribution-Flying Capturing Youth and the Rapid-Delivery Reporting General, responsible for instantaneous intelligence transmission.
• Inner Altar Combat Unit: Eight generals armed with golden spears, golden bricks, fire gourds, and other esoteric weapons, specializing in close-quarters combat.
• Outer Altar Enforcement Unit: Eight "Great Strength" generals, each assigned specific duties—apprehension, restraint, interrogation, and execution.
• Special Operations Unit: Features spatially adept commanders like the Aerial Suspension General and the Void-Reeling General, capable of dimensional manipulation.

The text concludes with the "Divine Officer's Shielding Spell," a secret incantation for mobilizing this celestial force. This hierarchical system reflects Daoism's sacralization of military structures, where each divine officer corresponds to a specialized function—akin to modern special forces' tactical divisions. During Daoist rituals, adepts invoke these named generals through recitation to summon their assistance in exorcistic operations.

This scripture describes a Daoist exorcism ritual involving multiple incantations and mudras (ritual hand gestures). The priest summons divine assistance through specific hand seals, mantras, and visualization techniques.

The ritual begins by establishing a "Iron Net Golden Snare" magical boundary, with flames burning on all sides connecting heaven above and the underworld below, creating a sealed space to trap malevolent spirits. The four cardinal directions correspond respectively to: water sources (east), the Metal Ancestor (west, representing the elemental origin of metal), the Sea Gate (south, symbolizing water realms), and the Fengdu Underworld (north). This barrier prevents the passage of spirits both entering and exiting.

Next comes the summoning of Divine Guardians (Lingguan, protector deities) to swiftly deploy a thousand-mile spiritual net. The priest forms the "Noon Seal" mudra (a specific finger configuration) while visualizing this net enveloping all ten directions of space. To verify the spell's efficacy, one must first chant to gather Qi (vital energy) from heaven and earth to reinforce the barrier before dispatching deities to capture the haunting spirits.

Subsequent incantations summon celestial soldiers and generals, commanding the Three-Five Officers (Daoist cosmic warriors representing the Three Realms and Five Directions) to manifest immediately. The priest forms the "Great Execution Seal" mudra while drawing golden light Qi from the Heavenly Gate (crown chakra) to encircle the altar three times. Faceless Generals, Six Jia Divine Generals, and other deities are dispatched to designated households to cooperate with the Director of Fate (life-span deity) and local earth gods in searching for and apprehending the offending spirits.

The Purple Tenuity Imperial Edict incantation emphasizes divine authority, declaring that resisters will be annihilated by wind and fire. This is followed by a mantra summoning cosmic energies, invoking the Orthodox Unity (Zhengyi) spiritual light to possess the practitioner, with the Three-Five Generals accompanying to execute heavenly justice.

The final Soul-Ascension Charm controls spiritual essences, summoning the Three Hun (ethereal souls) named Tai Guang, Shuang Ling, and You Jing to manifest amidst the convergence of heaven-earth, sun-moon, and water-fire energies. Special mention is made of Soul Messenger Mei Fu (a Daoist deity) who supervises living souls, enabling spirit possession for communication. The priest forms the Soul-Gathering mudra while chanting to shake heaven and earth, requesting assistance from the Three Marshal Deities (Ma, Chen, and Zhu) to stabilize the spiritual essences.

The entire ceremony coordinates incantations, mudras, and visualizations to construct sacred space and mobilize multiple divine powers for exorcism. Each step strictly follows Daoist liturgical protocols, embodying the imperative "as by divine decree" (Ru Lü Ling) that enforces celestial authority.

The "Soul-Summoning Incantation" consists of nine cycles, each with specific effects: The first cycle can shake heaven and earth, the second brings forth the radiance of sun and moon, the third confuses divine spirits, the fourth captures complete souls, the fifth specifically gathers the three human souls (Taiguang, Shuangling, and Youjing), the sixth collects the traces of all bodily forms (eighty-four thousand in total), the seventh swiftly summons the vital souls of children, the eighth compels wandering spirits to quickly possess a body, and the ninth completes the fusion of soul and flesh. It concludes by declaring this is carried out under the decree of the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity (one of the Four Sovereigns in Daoism, governing celestial bodies and the underworld).

The "Spirit-Communication Incantation" summons General Masheng (a Daoist ghost-capturing general) and soul-guiding youths. The incantation demands the summoned to immediately descend to the incense altar, allowing the deceased spirit to possess the youths and truthfully reveal their name and origin, clearly explaining blessings, misfortunes, and omens without ambiguity. It ends by invoking the "Mandate of the Supreme Deity" to emphasize its efficacy.

The "Three-Soul Summoning Incantation" calls upon the Golden-Armed Fire Rhinoceros Immortal from the Thirty-Three Heavens (the highest celestial realm in Daoism). This immortal was appointed by the Jade Emperor (the supreme deity in Daoism) as the Roaming Envoy, wielding authority to seal mountains and break through caverns. The incantation describes him as the Marshal of the Orthodox Unity (Zhengyi) Divine Officials, capable of flying talismans to capture ghosts, manifesting in dreams, and displaying miracles before the incense ash altar. It urgently commands this great immortal to descend swiftly with the three marshals—Ma, Zhu, and Chen.

The "Convergence Secret Incantation" is a Sanskrit-derived chant composed of special syllables like "Om □ Duo Bu □," resembling Buddhist mantras, possessing mysterious summoning and unifying power.

The "Soul-Confusing Incantation" specifically bewilders souls: the first cycle disorients the Taiguang soul, the second obscures the Youjing soul, and the third directly disrupts the Shen (spirit). The incantation is cast at specific hours (Hai, Chou, Mao, etc.) and directions (Zi, You, Zhong, etc.), causing the target's souls to scatter and the seven corporeal souls to separate, ultimately allowing ghostly Qi to commune and swiftly achieve the confusion effect.

The "Secret Incantation to Summon Marshal Zhu" specifically invokes Marshal Zhu Sengqi, a Divine Official. The incantation describes this Golden-Armed, Haloed Fire Rhinoceros Immortal as capable of flying among the Six Ding (Daoist guardian deities), exhaling blue smoke from his nose, with the power to obscure souls. It summons him to capture demonic entities and manifest through possession of a youth.

This scripture records several Daoist incantations and ritual procedures for summoning divine generals (Marshal Zhu and Spirit Official Chen). The first section details the invocation of Marshal Zhu:

The ritual begins with the Sanskrit mantra "Om juzha juni di ni..." to summon Marshal Zhu, followed by the "Command Talisman Incantation": issued in the name of the Jade Emperor, this orders Marshal Zhu to manifest his divine might as a middle realm spirit who vanquishes demons and evil entities, capable of eradicating malevolent forces throughout heaven and earth. The incantation emphasizes swift execution of commands to exterminate demonic hordes, concluding with the standard Daoist reinforcing phrase "urgently and in accordance with the statutes!"

After recitation, the practitioner must engage in visualization (cunxiang), imagining Marshal Zhu descending to the lower Dantian (three inches below the navel), while chanting the hybrid mantra "Om suoluodi hong...". This is followed by the "Soul Ascension Incantation": mobilizing the powers of heaven, earth, sun, moon, fire and water to fortify the soul like iron, while summoning the Yellow-Headed General (a Daoist guardian deity) to lead the three soul aspects (Taiguang, Youjing, and Shuangling) out of the body—though they must obey the ritual master's command for eventual reintegration.

Next comes the "Hastening Incantation": urging the spirit to rapidly exit through the crown of the head, temporarily separating the three hun and seven po souls to facilitate spirit communication. The effect is intensified with another "urgently and in accordance with the statutes!"

The second section details the invocation of Spirit Official Chen:

The ritual opens with the "Summoning Spirit Official Chen Incantation", describing this official's resplendent image—robed in brocade and wielding a golden spear—while commanding him to immediately capture possessing evil spirits. During performance, the left hand holds the marshal's seal against the chest while the right hand forms the sword mudra (Daoist hand gesture) at the waist.

This is followed by Sanskrit mantras for the "Summoning Marshal Chen Talisman" and its accompanying "Command Incantation": issued in the name of the Northern Emperor (Purple Tenuity Emperor of the North Pole), this orders Spirit Official Chen to manifest with mountain-crushing, sea-overturning power, compelling him to seize possessing demons regardless of their hiding places. After chanting, the practitioner visualizes Spirit Official Chen in the upper Dantian (between the eyebrows) while reciting the hybrid mantra "Om hong baini..."

These incantations and rituals exemplify characteristic features of Daoist talismanic magic: integrating Sanskrit mantras, visualization techniques, and mudras to mobilize different divine generals' powers for exorcism or spirit communication. Each step follows strict protocols, with incantations typically concluding with "urgently and in accordance with the statutes!" to signify immediate execution of divine will.

This scripture records a complete Daoist exorcism ritual procedure, primarily involving the summoning of divine generals, incantations for expelling evil and protecting the soul, as well as ceremonial steps.

The ritual begins with the "Urgent Incantation" (cuizhou) to invoke the power of the sun, moon, and heaven and earth, causing the living soul (the hun and po of a living person) to swiftly depart from the crown of the head. Next, a specialized incantation is recited to summon the Daoist guardian deity Marshal Ma (also known as Ma Sheng or Ma Lingguan, one of the Four Great Guardian Marshals in Daoism). This blue-faced divine general specializes in capturing unruly evil spirits. The incantation describes Marshal Ma’s appearance: three heads, nine eyes, six arms, and a blue body, wielding a divine sword, with the supernatural ability to fly through the heavens and earth.

During the ritual, the priest must visualize Marshal Ma residing in their middle Dantian (the chest area) while reciting secret incantations. Subsequently, the "Soul-Soaring Incantation" (tenghunzhou) mobilizes the power of the celestial deities of the Nine Heavens, requesting Marshal Ma and his subordinates—such as the divine official Mei Fu—to assist in retrieving the living soul and securely anchoring it in the lower Dantian (the lower abdomen) for protection, while allowing the ghostly spirit to possess the body and convey messages.

The following "Nine Transformations Incantation" (jiuzhuanzhou) details the ritual process: beginning with the shaking of heaven and earth, gradually gathering the Three Hun (Taiguang, Shuangling, and Youjing) and the body’s shadow, ultimately completing the transformation of the living soul departing and the dead soul entering the body. The ritual concludes with the "Five Thunder Incantation" (wuleizhou), invoking the divine power of the Thunder Department to ensure the efficacy of the ceremony.

The entire ritual embodies the Daoist concept of "using divine forces to subdue ghosts." Through the coordinated use of specific incantations, visualization (of divine beings), and talismans (fulu), the ceremony achieves the purpose of expelling evil influences and protecting the living soul. The frequently repeated phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" (jiji rulüling) is a common concluding formula in Daoist incantations, signifying the immediate enforcement of divine law.

This scripture describes a Daoist ritual for summoning divine guardians (protective deities) and suppressing malevolent forces.

The practitioner must first silently recite esoteric incantations to invoke the living spirit of the Lingguan attendants (servants of the guardian deities), while maintaining strict control to prevent its escape. Only when the spirit fully submits to the caster's command may it be allowed to return. As proof of successful possession, the possessed individual should cough three times.

Next comes the application of the "Incense Talisman for Manifesting Truth" and the "Command Talisman Incantation." The spell summons the Dingjia Lingguan (Six Ding and Six Jia celestial generals) to command fire spirits, dispatching merit officials (heavenly messengers) to issue the summons. The scripture vividly describes the divine presence: the "Golden-Armed Fire Rhino" descends upon the altar, while the "Disheveled-Haired Great Sage" immediately captures the haunting spirits. The "Five Directional Power Warriors" (deities of the cardinal directions) demonstrate their might by lifting Mount Tai to suppress evil, with attendants pinning down the ghosts' hands. The incantation concludes with the standard formula: "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes of the Supreme Deity's command!"

After recitation, the practitioner forms the "Mountain Character Hand Seal" (a specific mudra), visualizing Mount Tai descending while drawing Qi (primordial energy) from the northeast into the ritual space. This passage originates from Volume 230 of the Compendium of Daoist Rituals (Daofa Huiyuan), belonging to the ritual system of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition.