《道法會元》Vol. 43

This is a Qingwei School (an important Daoist lineage) document titled Petition for Protection and Safe Childbirth from the Qingwei Tradition, recording the formal memorial submitted by a Daoist priest on behalf of devotees praying for safe childbirth. The priest refers to himself as "your servant [name]" and addresses the petition with utmost reverence to the Nine Celestial Sovereigns (honored deities in Daoism):

A devotee has sought assistance out of concern that his wife, now nearing her due date, might face difficulties during childbirth due to karmic obstacles from past lives or unresolved grievances with "creditor spirits" (冤亲债主). Having accepted the request, the priest has already prepared preliminary documents submitted to the Patriarch Masters (祖师) and now formally presents this Chongming Golden Primordial Heart Memorial (崇明金元心章) to the Nine Celestial Sovereigns.

The petition mentions that this document originates from the immortal realm of the Great Void (太虚仙境) and circulates through the Three Realms (三界). The priest reverently implores the Nine Sovereigns of the Divine Empyrean (神霄九宸上帝) to grant divine compassion and approve the petition. He requests the issuance of celestial decrees to notify all relevant heavenly authorities—including the palaces of the Nine Heavens (九霄诸天), the Dipper Offices of the Three Realms (三界斗府), the Devotee’s Destiny Star Lord (本命星君), the Tai Sui deity (太岁神), the Three Officials (三官大帝), the Five Directional Sovereigns (五方上帝), and all related deities—to collectively safeguard the couple.

Specifically, the petition seeks absolution for all possible transgressions committed by the couple across past and present lives, including disloyalty, filial neglect, ingratitude, exploitation of others, and other unwholesome karma. Such offenses would normally warrant the karmic retribution of childlessness, yet the priest humbly begs the deities for mercy, granting them a chance for renewal. He prays for the dissolution of astrological misfortunes (孤刑之灾) and the resolution of marital conflicts rooted in incompatible fates (夫妻相克之厄).

Finally, the petition earnestly invokes childbirth-related deities—the Officer of Birth Registration (注生官), the Great Overseer of Birth (监生大神), the Director of Destinies (司命神), the Holy Mother Guarding the Birth Chamber (卫房圣母), and the Lords of Yin and Yang Thunder (阴阳二雷君)—to descend and infuse the expectant mother with primordial Qi (先天元气), dispel ailments, and ensure the safe delivery of both mother and child. A five-inch blank space is reserved in the document for the inscription of ritual talismans (画符).

(Note: Such petitions are typically employed alongside specific liturgical rites [科仪]. The priest communicates with the deities through visualization [存想], mudra gestures [掐诀], and ritual pacing of the Dipper [步罡], ultimately sending the memorial to the celestial court by burning it.)

This is a Daoist ritual document for prayers and supplications, primarily used in ceremonies to ensure safe childbirth. The text follows the complete memorial format of Daoist petitions, containing both the formal structure and supplicatory content.

The document begins with standard Daoist memorial protocol: A designated Daoist priest (identified as "Your subject, so-and-so") submits this petition to the Nine Celestial Sovereigns of Divine Empyrean (high deities in Daoism), seeking divine protection for a safe delivery. The memorial must undergo proper procedures including inner and outer sealing, explicitly stating its destination as the Divine Empyrean's Nine Celestial Palace.

The core content petitions the Nine Thunder Magistrates (deities governing thunder) to forward this appeal to the celestial court. It seeks heavenly pardon for any potential transgressions by the expectant mother and requests the descent of childbirth-related deities including: the Nine Heavens Birth-Register Official, the Great Birth-Supervising Deity, the Six Jia Generals, and the Holy Mother Guardian of the Birth Chamber. Special supplications are made to the Great Unity Life Director (deity presiding over life) and birth-assisting deities for collective protection. During labor, they are asked to infuse the mother with Primordial Dao-Qi (the fundamental life energy), dispel ailments, stabilize her physical and spiritual form, nourish the fetus's vital root (referring to the life-sustaining essence), ensuring smooth delivery with auspicious timing for both mother and child.

The conclusion reaffirms this practice as manifesting heaven's virtue of cherishing life (De) while responding to devotees' sincere prayers. The document ends with the submission date and the petitioner's name, noting simultaneous petitions to the Big Dipper Deities (important stellar deities in Daoism), accompanied by the "Three Realms Demon-Subduing Heart Memorial."

The entire text reflects Daoism's sacred perspective on childbirth, employing meticulous ritual procedures (Keyi) to invoke divine protection. Terms like "Primordial Dao-Qi" and "vital root" represent key concepts in Daoist cultivation and life-nourishing theories.

This scripture is a memorial document used in Daoist Zhaijiao (purification rituals), where the priest petitions celestial deities on behalf of devotees. Let me explain it section by section:

First, the priest solemnly declares his role in representing the devotees (a certain male and female follower couple) to submit this memorial to the celestial court. Having already burned the ritual documents according to proper liturgy (Keyi), he now prepares to present this petition for disaster relief to the "Three Realms" (Sanqing realms of Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing) in accordance with Daoist tradition.

The text then employs a special talismanic symbol (the five-inch blank seal script) as divine authentication, indicating this memorial originates from the Great Void celestial paradise and will reach all three realms (heaven, earth, and the underworld). The priest sincerely petitions the Great Sage of the Central Heaven and the Nine Emperor Stars of the Northern Dipper (deities governing life and death) and their retinue, hoping for their compassionate response.

The main content implores the Northern Dipper constellation, sun and moon stars, the Three Officials and Five Emperors (Celestial, Earthly and Water Officials with the Five Directional Deities), Nine Bureaus and Four Departments, and other hierarchical deities to jointly protect this couple. Special emphasis is placed on seeking forgiveness for their karmic transgressions across lifetimes, manifesting heaven's virtue of nurturing life (De).

Specific petitions include: dispatching the Birth-Registering Immortal Official, Fetal-Protection Divine Generals, Six Jia Generals (guardians of pregnancy), and the Guardian Mother of the Birth Chamber (goddess of childbirth) to descend and infuse the female devotee with vital Dao Qi, eliminate illnesses, and safeguard the fetus. The prayer seeks safe delivery for both mother and child at an auspicious hour.

Finally, the priest expresses reverence for disturbing the deities, reiterating the memorial's contents. The document notes the submission time and the priest's ritual rank (positioned minister so-and-so), while mentioning simultaneous submission of the "Chongming Golden Origin Heart Memorial" to the Three Officials.

Recurring technical terms preserve distinctive Daoist concepts: the "five-inch blank seal script" serves as sacred notation in Daoist documents; "emanating from the Great Void" indicates the text's celestial origin; "Three Realms" denotes the Sanqing realms; and "Three Officials" represent Daoism's important triumvirate of supervisory deities. These specialized terms maintain the tradition's unique characteristics.

This scripture is a formal petition document used in Daoist Zhaijiao (purification rituals), primarily addressed to the Three Officials (Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, Water Official) and the Great Emperor of Eastern Peak to seek absolution of sins and bestowal of blessings. The text specifically mentions two of the Three Officials who govern human fortune and retribution: the Pure Void Great Emperor of Middle Prime (Earthly Official) and the Cavernous Yin Great Emperor of Lower Prime (Water Official).

During the ritual, the Daoist priest petitions the deities on behalf of devotees: humbly requesting these venerable gods to mercifully grant their pleas, especially by issuing sacred decrees that mobilize deities from the Three Realms and Ten Directions, including sacred grotto-heavens, city god offices, and other divine realms. The petition seeks absolution for a male/female devotee's karmic transgressions committed through ignorance in past and present lives, resolution of underworld disputes, elimination of judicial punishments and calamities, prolongation of lifespan, and protection of body and mind. It implores the transformative power of the Three Primes (Heaven-Earth-Water Officials) to help the Nine Qi (nine primordial energies) coalesce within the body, praying for the blessing of conceiving an intelligent son with safe childbirth.

The document includes a special memorial to the Benevolent and Sagely Great Emperor of Eastern Peak (the sacred mountain deity of Mount Tai), requesting pardon for the couple's grave offenses, resolution of karmic entanglements with creditors from past grievances, elimination of astrological afflictions like "solitary stars and widowed lodgings" in their destiny charts, and enhancement of progeny blessings for the early birth of a wise son. The text concludes with expressions of reverence for divine majesty, followed by the submission date and the officiating priest's clerical title and name.

Such petitions are typically employed in Daoist liturgical Keyi (ritual ceremonies), where high-ranking priests burn them in specific rituals to transmit the messages to the celestial court. The mentioned "Primordial Qi Red Spirit Cavern Scripture" (Yuanshi Yiqi Chiling Dongzhang) referenced in the text is an important esoteric Daoist document believed to possess special efficacy in communicating between heaven and earth while conveying supplications.

This document presents the complete format of a Daoist memorial petition, recording the formal ritual process through which a Daoist priest (referring to himself as "your subject, [name]") submits a petition to the deities. The priest first reverently declares his intention to follow liturgical procedures, requesting the Patriarch (Supreme Primordial Illuminating Dharma King, Pure and True Purple Void Primordial Lord) to examine whether the memorial complies with regulations. Any errors or omissions should be corrected to ensure the document meets celestial standards.

The text mentions transmitting the petition through the "Supreme Mysterious Capital Bureau" (the celestial administrative institution of the Shenxiao Daoist tradition) via three True Lords, ultimately delivering it to the "Supreme Divine Empyrean Jade Purity True King of the Nine Celestial Palaces" (one of the highest deities in Shenxiao Daoism). The priest emphasizes that the petition must be submitted separately, not mixed with other documents, and prays for a swift response.

The latter section includes the accompanying "Heaven-Opening Talismanic Edict" (a ritual document of Daoist magic), invoking the primordial Qi (primordial energy) of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (the supreme deity in Daoism) to authorize the document's passage through the Three Realms. The name of "Yang Jie, the Swift and Blazing Talismanic Messenger of the Nine Heavens" (a divine courier specialized in celestial document delivery) appears, designating him as the one responsible for conveying the petition to the heavens. The issuance date is recorded, with the supervision of the Patriarch Lady Wei Huacun (a renowned female Daoist of the Jin Dynasty, honored as "Golden Kingdom's Supreme Protector, Pure and True Purple Void Ultimate Dao Primordial Lord").

The document concludes with two specific petitions: one addressed to the Supreme Primordial Illuminating Palace (a key temple in Shenxiao Daoism) and another to the Nine Thunder Magistrates (deities governing thunder rituals), both concerning the protection of the "fetal armor" (likely referring to either a pregnant woman or a practitioner's Dantian energy center). The entire process reflects the meticulous celestial communication system of Daoist documents, integrating liturgical traditions from Shenxiao, Qingwei, and other Daoist schools.

This is a ritual talisman document (fulu) from Daoist liturgy (keyi), designed to avert disasters for women in labor. The document comprises three main sections:

First are petitions addressed to three sacred celestial offices: the Jade Pivot Palace of the Northern Dipper (residence of the Big Dipper deities), the Triple Origin Assembly Hall (domain of the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth and Water), and the Vast Empyrean Palace of Primordial Beginning (the Dao-field of Yuanshi Tianzun). These memorials are transmitted through ritual burning to reach the divine realm, requesting various deities to witness and provide protection.

The central section presents an official decree issued in the name of the "Thunder Ministry of the Primordial Qi and Ten Thousand Spirits" (a Daoist thunder department). It records how a devotee sought help at the altar due to his wife's difficult labor, fearing karmic obstacles from past lives or demonic interference. Upon receiving the petition, the Thunder Ministry resolved to activate the power of "jade talismans" (sacred incantations) to summon Thunder Marshals Gou and Bi (divine generals specializing in yin-yang harmonization). These commanders would lead celestial officials including the Nine Heaven Birth-Register Officers, the Six Armor Generals (guardian deities), and the Holy Mother of the Delivery Chamber (patroness of childbirth) to descend to the mortal realm.

These deities would collectively perform the following for the laboring mother: eliminate karmic obstacles, resolve karmic debts, stabilize the spiritual essence (shen), regulate qi and blood circulation, clear the birth canal, and sever any "fetal obstructions" (karmic blockages in the womb). Special emphasis is placed on ensuring smooth delivery and the safety of both mother and child, with immediate punishment decreed for any disruptive demons.

The concluding section follows standard bureaucratic format, noting the issuance date and names of presiding officials, stamped with ritual seals. The recurring term "beneficent aid" reflects Daoism's salvific purpose, while "execute with meteoric urgency" demands swift divine action - underscoring the Daoist view of childbirth crises as emergencies requiring immediate intervention.

This is a Daoist petition (zhangbiao) for blessing an infant and averting misfortunes. Its primary purpose is to beseech the Northern Dipper Lords (Beidou Xingjun) and other deities to safeguard the child's well-being and dispel calamities.

The document opens by affirming its accordance with the compassionate, life-affirming decrees of the Most High (Taishang, the supreme Daoist deity) and the celestial ordinances. Composed by a designated Daoist priest (juwei chen mou) on behalf of a devotee (mou), it addresses the family's concerns regarding their newborn. Fearful that the child may encounter astrological afflictions known as "punitive sha influences and life obstacles" (traditional beliefs held that birth coincides with potentially malefic stellar influences), the family has commissioned this ritual appeal.

The priest establishes an altar in the devotees' home, illuminating the Dipper Lamps (doudeng, symbolizing the Northern Dipper deities), and performs the Qingwei School's (an important Daoist lineage) "Dipper Baptism" (guandou) ceremony. Through this ritual, the petition is presented to the Great Sage of the Central Heaven, the Nine Emperor Calamity-Dispelling Lords of the Northern Dipper (Zhongtian Dasheng Beidou Jiu Huang Jie'e Xingjun), and associated deities.

Specific petitions include: absolution for the child's karmic debts from past lives, resolution of the "three punishments and six harms" (sanxing liuhai, astrological terms denoting various misfortunes), elimination of "four obstacles and nine calamities" (siguan jiu'e, diverse tribulations), augmentation of blessings and longevity through the Southern Pole Star Lord (Nanji Xingjun), and removal of death records from the Northern Capital underworld (Beidu difu). The text further implores the Seven Primal Youths (qiyuan tongzi, attendants of the Dipper Lords) to infuse primordial qi into the infant, ensuring tranquil hun and po souls (ethereal and corporeal spirits), robust health, regular nourishment, protection from seasonal ailments, and auspicious maturation.

The document concludes with the composition date and the submitting priest's name, humbly awaiting divine response. This petition exemplifies Daoist ritual traditions for dispelling misfortunes and invoking blessings, particularly demonstrating devotional practices within the Northern Dipper cult. The meticulous structure reflects the integration of astrological beliefs, karmic resolution, and physiological concerns characteristic of Daoist soteriology.

This passage presents two types of "official petitions" (diewen) recorded in the Daoist compendium Daofa Huiyuan, used for exorcising malevolent influences and averting disasters. The first is designed to dispel misfortunes affecting infants, while the second specifically treats childhood convulsions caused by spiritual disturbances.

The first petition is addressed to Zhang Lingcao, the Divine Lord of Yang Valley under the Northern Dipper (a deity within the Daoist Big Dipper pantheon). Its essence states: Having received a devotee’s sincere plea, we have reported to our Patriarch and beseeched the Dipper Deities to bestow grace in resolving this calamity. By the decree of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), we now summon Divine Lord Zhang to collaborate with all spirit-officials of the Dipper system tasked with disaster relief. They are to thoroughly inspect the celestial realms—the twelve divisions of heaven, twenty-four directions, and the configurations of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and Nine Palaces—to determine whether the child’s fate has encountered the "Three Punishments and Six Harms" (inauspicious astrological afflictions). Through the power of the talismanic decree from the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), may all misfortunes be dissolved: may the child’s name be erased from the registers of Northern Metropolis (symbolizing the underworld) and inscribed among the blessings of the Southern Pole (emblematic of longevity). May the infant’s body thrive, their soul remain pure, and their nursing and laughter flow unhindered. Shielded from harm by seasonal extremes or Yin-Yang imbalances, may they grow robustly, bringing peace to their parents.

The second petition is directed to the Thunder Lords Gou and Bi (two of the Thirty-Six Thunder Generals in Daoist thunder theology), specializing in childhood convulsions: In response to a devotee’s plea, we promulgate the talismanic mandate of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, summoning the two Thunder Lords to descend upon the supplicant’s household. They are to command the Director of Fate (Siming) and local earth deities to expel pathogenic winds, phlegm, and noxious Qi (energy) from the child. Whether the affliction stems from the fifteen categories of haunting ghosts, mountain specters (shanxiao), the Five Licentious Spirits (Wuyou), or restless spirits of untimely deaths and unresolved karmic creditors, all are to be captured and delivered to the Thunder Ministry for judgment. Thus, the child’s inner true nature may be pacified, and external demonic obstructions subdued.

Both petitions conclude with the date of issuance, the officiating priest’s title and name, and instructions to inscribe accompanying talismans (fulu) measuring five inches in length. This reflects Daoist religious practice—using ritual documents and talismans to communicate with the divine realm and resolve earthly misfortunes.

This is a "Groundbreaking Ritual Document" (动土仪式文书) from the Daoist compendium Daofa Huiyuan, serving as an official petition to deities before construction—analogous to modern building permits submitted to spiritual authorities. The text consists of two main sections:

The first half is an application addressed to the Grand Duke Jupiter (太岁神), the deity overseeing construction projects. The devotees explain that their aging house requires renovation, but they fear disturbing the cosmic order by breaking ground. Through a ritual master, they submit this request to the "Thunder Ministry of Ten Thousand Spirits Under Primordial Qi" (元始一炁万神雷司), a Daoist celestial bureaucracy. The document meticulously enumerates all deities requiring notification: from Marshal Yin the Fierce Earth Official (地司猛吏殷元帅) and the Venerable Goddess of Houtu (后土尊神), to soil guardians like the Nine Ox Generals (九牛将军), the Thirty-Six Directional Deities (三十六方位神), Seventy-Two Hour Spirits (七十二时辰神), and even malevolent influences like Celestial and Earthly Sha Demons (天煞、地煞). They petition these beings to temporarily withdraw from the construction site, promising to reinstate them through rituals upon completion.

The latter section is a post-construction thanksgiving document. The devotees recount the project timeline, acknowledging that despite prior notifications, inadvertent offenses might have occurred during building. Now that the work concludes safely, they conduct a "Land Gratitude Ceremony" (谢士) to honor the local earth spirits. Invoking high-ranking deities like the Dharma King Gao Yuan Chenzhao (高元宸照法王) and Lady Wei (魏夫人, a renowned Daoist immortal) as witnesses, they use talismanic spells (符咒) to pacify all affected spirits and secure domestic harmony.

The recurring phrases "符到奉行" (Upon receiving this talisman, act accordingly) and "一如律令" (Execute as cosmic law commands) reflect standard Daoist bureaucratic formulae, mirroring imperial edict language. These documents reveal how traditional societies approached construction with ecological reverence, using ritual frameworks to negotiate humanity's transformative acts upon the earth while maintaining cosmic equilibrium.

This scripture consists of two parts: first, a Daoist ritual document for pacifying and stabilizing the land, and second, a prayer text for selecting burial sites (yinzhai) for the deceased.

The first part serves as the liturgical document used by Daoist priests when performing land-pacification rituals. It mentions the invocation of the "Imperial Nine Earths Stabilizing Primordial Inner Method True Talisman" (a Daoist fulu for land protection), commanding underworld deities such as Marshal Yin of the Grand Year (Taisui), the Venerable Earth Deity (Houtu), and various earth palace deities to return to their proper positions, ensuring seasonal peace and abundant blessings for the locality. The ritual concludes by recording the performance date and the presiding priest's signature, noting the lineage transmission from ancestral masters like Wei Huacun (the Pure and True Purple Void Primordial Lord) and other Daoist perfected beings.

The second part contains prayers for selecting burial sites. It expresses the filial grief of bereaved children while emphasizing the need to follow yin-yang geomancy principles for proper interment. Delayed burials are warned to violate underworld laws and invite misfortune. The petitioner humbly requests ancestral masters to provide guidance, allowing the deceased to rest peacefully and the living to receive protection. The prayer addresses multiple Daoist patriarchs including the High Primordial Pure and True Purple Void Primordial Lord (Gao Yuan Qingzhen Zixu Yuanjun) and the Western Flowering Thorough Wisdom Primordial Lord Pang (Xihua Tonghui Pang Yuanjun) — important Daoist deities overseeing underworld affairs.

(Note: Wei Huacun was a renowned female Daoist master of the Eastern Jin dynasty, revered as the patriarch of the Shangqing lineage; "yinzhai" refers to burial sites, as Daoism considers grave fengshui crucial for family prosperity; "Taisui" is the annual rotation deity in Daoism whose directional position must be avoided during construction work)

This scripture is a Daoist memorial document (shuwen) submitted by a priest to deities for soul salvation and burial site selection. The priest first reverently bows to Immortal Lady Baoxian of the Golden Portal (a Daoist deity) and other celestial beings, humbly requesting their compassionate approval of the petition.

The main content involves seeking divine assistance for several crucial matters: First, praying to locate geomantically auspicious land (fengshui) for the deceased with guidance from enlightened masters, avoiding the stigma of unfilial piety due to improper burial arrangements. Second, petitioning to report this matter to the Supreme Emperor of August Heaven (the highest Daoist deity) and Earth Deities (gods of the land), while also notifying celestial bodies like the sun, moon, stars, the Big Dipper, as well as deities such as the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens (goddess of warfare and divination) and the Primordial Lady of Great Unity. Third, summoning local mountain and land deities for assistance—whether the deceased soul encounters lingering difficulties, the burial site faces taboos, ancestral graves have disputes, or descendants suffer misfortunes—all should receive merciful resolution.

The priest further prays for divine revelations through traditional divination methods like turtle shells and yarrow stalks, ensuring harmony between yin and yang while following ancient and modern burial customs. Finally, the text expresses hope that the chosen burial site will enjoy favorable natural surroundings to bless future generations, with all local land deities serving as witnesses. The document concludes by specifying its celestial delivery through Yang Jie, the Swift Talisman Messenger of the Nine Heavens (a Daoist divine courier), along with the submission date and the priest’s official title and name.

This memorial reflects the complete Daoist funeral ritual process—communicating with deities, salvaging souls, and selecting auspicious burial sites—demonstrating Daoism’s unique understanding and approach to matters of life and death.