《道法會元》Vol. 6

This scripture records the "Mysterious Azure Void Great Brahma Five Thunder Secret Method" from Daoist thunder magic, detailing the ritual procedures for summoning thunder department generals and their associated incantations.

The text first lists the three supreme deities venerated in this practice:

• The Most Exalted Jade Pure Primordial Celestial Worthy of the Great Canopy (one of the Three Pure Ones, the highest Daoist deities),
• The Jade Luminary Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy of the Upper Clarity Realm (i.e., Lingbao Tianzun),
• The Supreme Elder Lord of the Grand Monad and Dao-Virtue from the Great Pure Immortal Realm (i.e., Taishang Laojun).

It then meticulously describes the appearances of the thunder generals:

• Zhu Qing (the Five Thunder Imperial Lord) wears a celestial warrior’s crown, golden armor, a red robe, and red shoes, holding a talismanic scepter while riding a jade dragon. He is actually an emanation of Guanyin Bodhisattva.
• The four great divine kings—Kong Ji, Yang Tingqing, Zeng Yuanfang, and Gao Sui—all have fierce, blue-faced visages with fiery crowns, red robes, and red shoes. They wield an axe, sword, bow and arrows, and an iron rod respectively, and are incarnations of the Four Heavenly Kings from Buddhism.
• Lin Zhongyuan (the Celestial Unity Talisman Emissary) wears an upright black headscarf, a white face with golden armor, black robes, and a jade belt, holding a talismanic scepter. He is an emanation of the Buddhist Sudhana (Good Wealth Youth).

The method for summoning these generals is as follows: First, calm the mind and focus the spirit, silently reciting the Golden Light Incantation while visualizing the universe filled with radiance. Then, close the eyes and turn the gaze inward to the dantian (energy center), sitting in stillness for an extended period. When the first stirring of thought arises, use the "celestial eye" (the third eye at the brow) to gaze toward the southeast, tracing golden talismanic symbols in the air while silently chanting the secret incantations. This will cause the generals to manifest within the golden light.

The recorded secret incantations include:

1. Summoning Incantation: "Li duo zha li hong" (recite seven times)—used to invoke Zhu Qing and the five main thunder generals, along with talisman emissary Lin Zhongyuan.

2. Command Incantation: "By the decree of the Primordial Beginning, I universally announce to all heavens..."—a formal directive invoking the authority of the Primordial Celestial Worthy to assemble divine forces for assistance.

This scripture exemplifies the Daoist thunder magic practice of "summoning deities through spirit," where specific visualizations, incantations, and talismans establish a connection with the thunder generals, harnessing their power to perform rituals. The integration of Buddhist elements (such as Guanyin, the Heavenly Kings, and Sudhana) reflects the syncretic nature of Daoist magical traditions as they evolved.

This scripture records Daoist ritual methods for summoning deities and writing talismanic charms (fulu). It primarily contains several different types of charms and their application methods:

First, it describes the ritual for summoning the Four Great Divine Kings (Kong, Yang, Zeng, Gao - protective deities in Daoism) and the "Celestial Unity Talisman Envoy" (a divine official overseeing talismans). The ritual master must concentrate their spirit (shen) to visualize the deities descending upon the altar before they can be dispatched at will. When inscribing the charms, one must recite the esoteric incantation "Om □ [untranslatable syllable] niè [untranslatable syllable]" seven times while visualizing golden light (jin guang) rising from the chest and flowing through the third eye into the brush tip.

Several specific charms are then introduced:

1. "Summoning General Charm": Used to invoke the descent of the Azure Heaven Emperor (a celestial deity) Zhu Qing. When writing this charm, the general's name must be inscribed within the talismanic circle while reciting a specific mantra over the southeast quadrant.

2. "Expedient Charm": Used to dispatch divine generals for various tasks, following a format similar to the Summoning General Charm.

3. "Azure Heaven Jade Charm": Applicable for diverse rituals including blessings, disaster relief, and exorcism, with specific annotations added according to the intended purpose.

The scripture also mentions the "Perfect Penetration of Azure Heaven Scripture" (Biluo Yuantong Shangjing), a text capable of harmonizing yin-yang forces, usable for weather control (sun/rain), healing, and exorcism. When employing this scripture, one must write with cinnabar on yellow paper - the front containing the sacred text and the back specifying the petition - while reciting the esoteric mantra "Jili duo suo po he" three times.

Finally, several specialized charms are recorded:

• "Perfect Vision Charm": Used in rain-praying ceremonies, requiring accompaniment by the specific "Cloud-Summoning Rain-Invocation Mantra"
• "Clear Sky Charm": For petitioning sunny weather
• "Evil-Cutting Healing Charm": Employed for exorcism and healing. When inscribing, it must be covered with the secret names of the Five Directional Celestial Emperors. For exorcism, peach wood can be used as the writing surface, with efficacy achieved through fumigation or ingestion.

All these charms require the ritual master to be in a specific ceremonial state, combining visualization, incantations, and precise inscription methods to activate their power.

This passage explains the methods of using Daoist talismans (fulu) and the related pantheon of deities. Regarding the Childbirth Talisman (used to assist smooth delivery), before drawing the talisman, one must first calm the mind and focus the spirit, then draw the characters in a state called "Golden Light Infused Brush" (a sacred writing state). After completion, the recipient's name should be written within the talismanic circle, followed by reciting the incantation: "By the Great Deity of Life Governance (Siming Dashen, the deity overseeing life) and the Sacred Lord of the Delivery Chamber (Weifang Shengjun, the immortal protecting childbirth), wherever this talisman reaches, may mother and child be safe and sound, as natural as a ripe melon falling from its stem, with abundant qi and intact form. As I speak, let it be swiftly fulfilled by the decree of the Supreme Emperor."

When using the Childbirth Talisman, the specific year, month, day, and hour must be noted on the talisman. The ritual master must also sign with their Dharma name and personal name, indicating they are acting under celestial mandate.

Next, the text introduces the deity system of the Qingwei Thunder Method (a Daoist ritual tradition):

The presiding deity is the "Supreme Emperor of Mysterious Transformation, True Origin, Patriarch of Qingwei" (the highest deity of the Qingwei lineage).

The founding master is "Perfected Purple Empyrean Primordial Lady Wei, Dharma King of Lofty Origin's Illuminating Grace" (Wei Huacun, the Qingwei lineage's founder).

The lineage master is "Numinous and Wondrous Dao-Protecting Immortal Lady of the Golden Tower's Luminous Condensation."

Two important divine generals are described in detail:

One is General Yang Xian, with a red face and majestic bearing, five fangs, golden armor over red robes, red boots, wielding an axe while riding a golden dragon—the incarnation of the Fire Star.

The other is General Yang Jie, with a white face and three fangs, phoenix eyes, golden armor over green robes and red boots, holding a sword while riding a white dragon—the incarnation of the Bo Comet Star.

These two generals command myriad spirits and oversee the Three Realms.

Finally, the secret incantations (mizhou) for summoning the generals:

To summon Yang Xian, recite "Jian Liang Jin Zhao Yang Xian Su Jiang" seven times.

To summon Yang Jie, recite "Xu Shu Fu Jin Zhao Yang Jie Su Jiang" seven times.

There is also a general summoning formula: "Qing Hong Han Hong Zhao Ying" for yin days, and "Xu Shu Fu" for yang days.

Method of summoning: Close the eyes for inner vision, still distracting thoughts, regulate breathing, and focus the spirit. After maintaining this state for some time, raise the divine light upward in homage.

This scripture describes the ritual procedure of the Daoist "Thunderbolt Locust-Dispelling Great Method." The ritual master must face the southeast (the Xun position), widen their eyes in focused concentration, and silently recite the esoteric incantation to summon the divine generals. Through sincere visualization, the summoned talisman emissaries (divine generals who execute the ritual power) will manifest towering before them, connecting heaven and earth. Next, the master burns the summoning talisman while reciting the command spell: "By the decree of the Primordial Heavenly Worthy, we notify all celestial deities. Shake the mountains, churn the seas, swiftly descend with majestic power, and gather the host of immortals. Holding this decree, we eternally secure the ritual altar. With reverence, we present the true talisman to summon [name] the emissary—hear the command and come swiftly to the altar."

The master then traces the Jade Seal Script (sacred characters) in the air, at which point the chief general, deputy generals, and their retinue will appear in orderly formation, awaiting instructions. The scripture lists several principal emissaries who may be summoned, such as Yang Xian and Yang Jie, and mentions the use of a three-stroke annotation method to designate specific divine generals for particular tasks.

The presiding deities of this locust-dispelling ritual include high-ranking divinities such as the Pure Subtlety School's Patriarch, the True Origin Wondrous Transformation Heavenly Emperor; the Great Primordial Heavenly Lord, Purple Palace Grand Splendor Heavenly Emperor; and the Three Heavens' Supporting Orthodox Unity's Tranquil Response Manifest Protection True Lord. The divine general team responsible for executing the locust-dispelling tasks includes Emissary Wang Bin (depicted with crossed feet, a headscarf, yellow forehead band, red face, vermilion robe, golden armor, green boots, and wielding an axe) and Emissary Wu Zhou (similarly attired but wielding a sword). Depending on whether the day is Yin or Yang, one of these two emissaries is summoned accordingly.

During the actual operation, the master first silently recites the Golden Light Incantation, visualizing their own body and the entire ritual space—both inside and outside—transformed into radiant light. After calming the mind and focusing the spirit, they guide the divine light with intention, projecting it from the third eye (heavenly eye) to trace golden talismanic characters in the southeast. At this moment, golden light will flash like lightning or golden serpents, while the master silently recites the aforementioned summoning incantation.

This scripture documents the Daoist ritual procedure and talismanic instructions for dispelling locust plagues. First, the ritual master must light incense to invoke the deities, summoning two specialized divine generals for locust expulsion—Wang Bin (used on yang days) and Wu Zhou (used on yin days). These emissaries manifest within golden light and swiftly descend to the altar upon being summoned.

The ritual employs multiple types of Fulu (talismans):

1. The General Summons Talisman: Draw a circle with the name of the invoked divine general written inside.

2. The Emissary Wang Talisman: Used on yang days, inscribe "Wang Bin" on the summoning talisman, then cover it with the Scripture of Movement (Dongjing).

3. The Emissary Wu Talisman: Used on yin days, write "Wu Zhou" on the summoning talisman, then cover it with the Scripture of Stillness (Jingjing).

4. The Locust-Dispelling Talisman: May be written on bamboo slips using "hundred-herb soot" (pot-bottom ash) for burning, buried at designated locations, or inscribed using soil from the current year's Tai Sui (Grand Jupiter)方位 (position).

5. The Locust-Repelling Talisman: Used with the specific incantation "Xū hū □ lì zhà" to command local earth deities to drive away locusts.

The ritual concludes with a secret mantra requiring seven recitations, beseeching Generals Wang Bin and Wu Zhou to immediately execute their locust-dispelling mission. These talismans may be used individually or composed as official proclamations to notify earth deities for assistance. The entire ceremony emphasizes swift efficacy, demanding "urgency like shooting stars and spreading fire," ensuring immediate resonance throughout the ten directions and three realms.