《道法會元》Vol. 242

This scripture records the practice and invocation ritual of the "Huoluo Lingguan Secret Method" in Daoism, primarily detailing how to summon Marshal Wang Shan (one of Daoism's guardian deities) to descend upon the altar and manifest his divine presence.

The founding master of this method is the Quanzhen lineage's Master Sa Shoujian (a renowned Daoist of the Song Dynasty). The Lingguan Marshal Wang to be summoned is fully titled "The Fierce Officer of the Heavenly Capital, Loyal and Righteous, Subduer of Ghosts and Binder of Spirits, Thunderbolt-Wielding Lingguan of Fire and Lightning." His appearance is awe-inspiring: a red face with crimson hair, wearing a yellow headscarf, clad in golden armor and red robes, holding a rope in his left hand and an iron whip in his right, with green boots on his feet and a tiger-skin bag on his back.

The invocation method: First, use the Sword Mudra (a Daoist hand seal) to write the character "轰" (hōng) in the incense burner. This character emits golden light, gradually transforming into a fiery wheel, within which a fire pearl appears, and from this pearl, Marshal Wang manifests.

The invocation incantation (which must be performed with the Noon Position Mudra and the Qi of the South) praises Marshal Wang's formidable image, stating that he acts under the command of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) to pursue and capture evil spirits, ordering them to reveal themselves immediately or face instant execution. The command is issued in the name of the "Great Emperor of the Nine Heavens' Thunder Ancestor."

The incantation includes several esoteric mantras (such as "Om Lei Chi Che Hong Tian Pi Li She"), which are specialized spells of Daoist Thunder Magic. It also mentions harnessing the power of the dual thunders of Yin and Yang (the Zi-Wu and Yin-Wu formations).

The final section is a Hejing Talisman (a Daoist Fulu), inscribed with sacred names such as "Jade Emperor" and "Heaven and Earth," as well as commands like "Wang Shan flies through the heavens and splits the earth," used to order Marshal Wang to capture demons and bring them before the altar. The closing phrase "Qian Yuan Heng Li Zhen" borrows from the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) hexagram text to amplify the ritual's power.

Note: In the text, "Noon Mudra" refers to the hand seal of the noon position, "Southern Qi" means drawing in the energy of the south, and "Sha Mudra" is a special hand gesture. These are all specialized terms in Daoist ritual practice.

This scripture describes a complete Daoist ritual for summoning celestial generals, comprising three key components: incantations (fulu), visualization (cunxiang), and ceremonial procedures.

The ritual begins with a series of potent mantras, such as "Om! Thunder roars, chariots rumble, heaven's thunderbolts obey!" These invocations are used to summon the Thunder Department's divine generals (Leibu shenjiang), the Daoist deities governing thunder and lightning. Among them, "Wang Shan" refers to the renowned guardian deity Wang Lingguan.

Next is the "Falling Banner" (zhuifan) ritual for guiding departed souls. The ritual master visualizes the deceased's countenance while imagining the banner as a golden bridge. Through specific hand seals (such as the "Mountain Character Seal") and contemplation of Mount Tai's deity (in Daoism, this sacred peak is regarded as the entrance to the underworld), the souls are guided to descend upon the banner. The ritual concludes by invoking the authority of the Great Emperor of the Nine Heavens' Thunder Ancestor (Jiutian Leizu Dadi) and the Celestial Worthy of Universal Salvation (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun), two pivotal Daoist savior deities.

The most crucial section, "Summoning and Commanding," details the method to invoke Marshal Wang (Wang Lingguan):

1. First, visualize the Primordial Dipper (a form of the Big Dipper constellation) before you, then draw in fiery Qi (the elemental energy of Fire from the Five Phases) from the southern direction.

2. Use the tip of the tongue to trace the Fire Character Talisman, exhaling breath to transform it into flames, while envisioning spiritual light flickering within.

3. Close the eyes, regulate breathing, and visualize the inner heart-fire merging with the external flames, forming a golden radiance in the sky.

4. With the Sword Mudra (a common Daoist hand gesture), cleave the flames apart, envisioning Marshal Wang emerging from towering firelight.

5. Finally, seal the invocation by directing the "Treasure Character Seal" of Patriarch Sa Zhenren (the Song Dynasty master Sa Shoujian) toward the divine general, ensuring his obedience.

This comprehensive ritual integrates mantras, hand seals, visualization, breath regulation, and other Daoist cultivation techniques, embodying the principle of "internal refinement forms the elixir (neidan), external manifestation becomes the method." By harmonizing inner energy cultivation with outward ceremonial operations, it achieves religious objectives such as summoning divine generals and liberating wandering souls.