《道法會元》Vol. 73

The scriptures transmitted by Immortal Elder Ge Xuan (a renowned Daoist master of the Three Kingdoms period) record: When the two Qi (vital energies) of Yin and Yang (referring to their attributes within the Five Phases of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) combine with exquisite harmony, they form humans and all things. The mysterious operations of the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity) and Five Phases generate thunder and lightning. These natural phenomena can command spirits and deities, and even influence the Celestial Emperor. Thus, thunder and lightning possess the function of participating in Heaven and Earth's creative work and assisting in the transformation and nurturing of all beings.

Yang Thunder (manifest thunder) and Yin Lightning (hidden thunderbolts) together manifest the majesty of Heaven and demonstrate the function of the Great Dao. Though the Way of Yin and Yang may seem intangible and elusive, in rewarding good and punishing evil, it never errs by the slightest measure. In ancient times when people's customs were simple and unadorned, they kept records by tying knots, leaving no textual evidence. By the middle antiquity, as worldly customs gradually changed, the Yellow Emperor commanded Cang Jie (the legendary creator of Chinese characters) to observe the forms of sun, moon, thunder, mountains, rivers, and vegetation, creating written characters to educate later generations—these contained profound meanings within them.

The character for "thunder" signifies reviving withered plants; "lightning" refers to thunderbolts, its character form taking the meaning of "contrary," representing violation of natural principles. Actions contrary to the Dao must be punished. "Ren" belongs to Yin, representing obscurity—thus ancient magistrates adopted this meaning when adjudicating cases. The Shenxiao School (a major Thunder Method tradition in Daoism) holds that the Celestial Yan Emperor governs two hell realms, both being institutions of punishment.

Confucius in the Book of Changes used different hexagrams to explain thunder's symbolism: the Fire-Thunder Biting Hexagram (Shihe) clarifies punishments; the Thunder-Fire Abundance Hexagram (Feng) elucidates judicial decisions; the Repeated Thunder Hexagram (Zhen) emphasizes reverence and virtue cultivation; the Wind-Thunder Increase Hexagram (Yi) teaches emulating the virtuous; the Thunder-Water Release Hexagram (Jie) advocates forgiveness of offenses. This shows Yang Thunder governs growth while Yin Lightning governs execution, each overseen by distinct deities. Therefore, the Thunder Ministry (Daoism's divine institution governing thunder) commands a million thunder soldiers, led by General Thunder Duke and the Thunder Ministry's Commander-Envoy, with subordinate departments specializing in pursuit, judgment, and retribution—such as the Life-Excess Collection Office (reclaiming allotted lifespans), the Fugitive Souls Arrest Office, and the Retribution Office.

Accordingly, institutions like Thunder City, Thunder Prison, and Thunder Administration were established with specialized duties. Through Thunder Methods for education and Thunder Punishments for discipline, they command thunder deities, lead thunder soldiers, wield thunder instruments, and exercise thunder's might—holding authority over life, death, rewards, and punishments. Concrete manifestations include: in the human realm, sealing mountain spirits, destroying heterodox temples, and slaying demonic entities; in the celestial court, eliminating violent rebels and executing treacherous officials. These commands execute swift as wind and fire, all resulting from the interaction of Yin-Yang energies and the mutual resonance between the visible and invisible realms.

Those who are unfilial, disloyal, defy the Mandate of Heaven, commit evil deeds, or are guilty of heinous crimes—if human laws fail to punish them—will have their transgressions recorded by the Three Officials (Tian-guan, Di-guan, and Shui-guan, the Daoist deities overseeing heaven, earth, and water). Local deities (Sheling) will also report their misdeeds to the celestial court, and ultimately, the Department of Thunder’s Execution (Wulei Zhankansi) will strike them down with lightning.

There are several scenarios in which such individuals are struck by lightning: some are paying for past-life sins, reincarnated as livestock to atone; others involve sacred sites like temples or monasteries being defiled by evil spirits; or trees and vessels harboring venomous creatures or malevolent entities; or acts of lewdness and sacrilege that provoke divine wrath. In such cases, celestial writings (Tianshu) often appear to reveal their crimes—manifesting on the bottom of pots, walls, or even the sinners’ own bodies. These inscriptions are not in ordinary script but resemble ancient Daoist cloud-seal characters (Yunzhuan), tadpole script, or bird-track writing, some originating from Thunder Department texts. Only the learned can decipher them. Here, we document cases verified by past masters for future reference.

Signs of lightning strikes and their corresponding remedies: For instance, if lightning strikes on an auspicious day (Jianri), hitting wood or stone signifies a Yin-Yang imbalance; striking a house foretells a funeral within a hundred days; hitting a temple predicts a change in leadership. If a person is struck, it indicates they once cheated others with dishonest scales; if livestock are struck, they are repaying karmic debts from trampling crops in past lives.

If a temple is struck on an inauspicious day (Churi), it suggests internal improprieties—immediate repentance and good deeds are required, or someone will die violently within two hundred days. A person struck on such a day likely committed incest in a past life or defied rulers and elders in this one; livestock struck are atoning for slandering the Dao.

On certain hours (Manri), lightning striking palaces or official residences often relates to corruption, bribery, or unfilial acts; hitting wood or stone may mean they harbor spirits; a person struck likely neglected filial duties for three lifetimes; livestock struck usually slandered scriptures in past lives or harmed others through impurity in this one.

On ordinary days (Pingri), temples struck by lightning often foreshadow internal debauchery or treason. These records, recounted by Tang-dynasty Celestial Master Zheng Siyuan, detail the patterns of the Thunder Department’s wrath and the corresponding rituals (Zhaijiao) and liturgies (Keyi) for dispelling calamity.

This scripture explains the ominous portents signaled by anomalous sounds (such as unexplained noises from wood or stone) occurring on specific days, and how these disasters reflect karmic retribution spanning past and present lives.

If one hears strange sounds emanating from palaces, temples, or government buildings on certain designated days, it foretells grave misfortune. For instance, hearing such sounds on a "Zhiri" (Day of Grasping) predicts the household may face complete extinction of its members within three years, with the calamity manifesting as quickly as six months. Neither virtuous deeds nor purification rituals (Zhaijiao) can avert this fate. When anomalous sounds occur in dwellings on a "Pori" (Day of Breaking), it indicates the eruption of long-accumulated misfortunes rather than sudden disasters.

Unexplained noises from wood or stone often signify the presence of demonic entities lurking within these objects. On a "Dingri" (Day of Stability), such phenomena reveal blood-sucking specters feeding on human essence (Jing) and vitality; while on a "Zhiri," they may stem from malignant stellar influences or restless ghosts.

The scripture emphasizes that abnormal sounds from livestock—particularly oxen and horses—frequently correlate with past-life crimes as treacherous servants. For example, livestock noises on a "Weiri" (Day of Peril) suggest a previous existence as a violent servant who murdered masters for property, while occurrences on a "Pori" may indicate retribution for past transgressions like destroying Buddhist or Daoist scriptures, mountain arson, or wrongful accusations.

Regarding inexplicable human sounds (such as unwarranted physical attacks), the text attributes them to past-life misdeeds: assaults on a "Zhiri" may trace to poisoning relatives in prior incarnations, whereas "Weiri" incidents could stem from drowning victims or murderous robbery. Notably, such behavior in women often relates to extramarital affairs.

This scripture primarily explains the various causes of lightning strikes and their corresponding karmic retributions from past lives. Being struck by lightning on different days (closing days, opening days, or sealing days) corresponds to different past-life transgressions:

When lightning strikes houses, temples, or private dwellings, it foretells impending fires or family misfortunes. Strikes on human bodies result from past-life wastage of food, blasphemy against heaven and earth, or defiling sacred spaces. Strikes on trees or rocks indicate the presence of water spirits or supernatural beings within. Strikes on livestock stem from past-life destruction of clothing and grain, or complaints against cosmic order.

Being struck on auspicious days paradoxically predicts household prosperity and official advancement when hitting buildings. However, strikes on human bodies then indicate past-life instigation of licentiousness or propagation of unfilial, disloyal teachings - similar transgressions apply to livestock strikes.

Inauspicious-day lightning strikes foretell bloody disasters like drowning or hanging. Tree and rock strikes then reveal venomous creatures or malignant Qi (vital energy) within. Human strikes signify past-life offenses like corrupt officialdom harming people, incompetent medical practice causing deaths, or employing evil sorcery.

Notably, if clothing and jewelry remain intact after a strike, the karmic burden is lighter. Complete destruction of garments with seven-orifice bleeding yet surviving three days indicates grave sins. These retributions stem entirely from accumulated misdeeds across lifetimes - what one sows, one reaps. Yet the text concludes that through diligent cultivation and virtue accumulation (De), redemption remains possible for such karmic debts.

(Note: The "Three Treasures" refer to Dao, scriptures (Jing), and masters; "Five Blessings" denote longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and peaceful death; "Fengdu" indicates the Daoist netherworld.)

This scripture primarily discusses various scenarios of lightning strikes and corresponding Daoist ritual remedies.

When someone is struck dead by lightning due to evildoing, they may still be redeemed through sincere cultivation of virtue (De) and merit, allowing rebirth as a human. The lightning marks on the deceased appear differently depending on their posture at death: those lying on their side bear the character "人" (human) under the ribs, those prone show it on the back, those supine display it on the chest, those buried upside-down reveal it on the legs, and those seated exhibit it on the abdomen.

To identify lightning marks, wash the body with a decoction of peach and willow branches, then wrap it in red silk and apply heat with burning mugwort incense while chanting incantations and sprinkling consecrated water. Reddish-blue marks will then appear on the skin. When lightning strikes wood or stone, the marks are often engraved with iron tools or highlighted with realgar powder.

Lightning strikes often involve "thunder wedges" (stone resin from Penglai Mountain in the East Sea, collected by locals in Leizhou, ground into powder to calm children and ward off evil). Leizhou, being near the immortal isle of Penglai, falls under the jurisdiction of thunder deities, hence its frequent thunderstorms. A Temple of the Thunder God stands there, where divine instruments like thunder drums were once offered during the Han dynasty. After a night of wind and rain, these artifacts vanished—proof of their spiritual potency.

When encountering lightning strikes, two thunder incantations may be recited:

The first is the "Divine Might of Thunder Light" chant, seven lines long;

The second is the secret "Jade Thunder Youthful Radiance" incantation.

Reciting each seven times while sprinkling consecrated water pacifies thunder's fury. These chants contain esoteric Daoist terms like "Kuigang" (Celestial Pivot), "Doubing" (Dipper Handle), and "Five Thunders" (Wulei), all secret phrases for harnessing thunder's power.

This passage discusses Daoist methods for handling lightning strikes and related taboos, along with the religious concepts underlying such phenomena.

When a person is struck dead by lightning, the first priority is to pacify the deceased spirit to prevent further calamity. One must immediately examine the lightning patterns (雷文) left on the body and, according to one’s means, promptly perform a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) to seek forgiveness. When handling the corpse, a hole should be drilled into the coffin lid, through which a twelve-foot bamboo tube is inserted before burial in the Tai Sui (Year God) direction (a specific feng shui orientation). Inside the bamboo tube, an iron talisman inscribed with the Five Thunder True Script (五雷真文铁符, a charm invoking thunder deities) should be placed, while the outside is painted with the "Soaring Sky Repentance Talisman" (冲天悔过符) to suppress and pacify the spirit, simultaneously appeasing the mountain deities and the deceased.

The Five Thunder True Script must be painted on both sides of the bamboo tube. After inscribing the talisman, the "Thunder Light Divine Might Incantation" (雷光神威咒) must be recited to activate its power. This talisman prevents the deceased soul from sinking into Fengdu (酆都, the Daoist underworld), much like an official pardon in the mortal realm. Performing additional meritorious deeds for the deceased can further help liberate them from the suffering of reincarnation.

If a house or tree is struck by lightning, the same talisman can be used to suppress and dispel the misfortune. Only after completing the repentance ritual may the buried bamboo tube be removed. If livestock such as oxen or horses are struck, the talisman can also be used to pacify the disturbance—but under no circumstances should the meat of such animals be consumed, as doing so will cause the offender to suffer from severe leprosy (大风病) for three lifetimes. Those afflicted with leprosy in this world are said to have eaten the flesh of lightning-struck animals in past lives. If consumed by accident, the illness will flare up during rainy or overcast weather, at which point one should pray to the thunder gods and seek forgiveness.

The scripture also records an observation by a true master (真师, an accomplished Daoist adept): those struck by lightning emit flames with a sulfurous odor, and within the light, one may sometimes glimpse spirits or hear commanding voices. There was once a man mistakenly struck—his entire body burned in excruciating pain—when suddenly, a voice declared, "Wrong target!" In a daze, he saw a divine being pour water over him, instantly relieving his pain and restoring his skin without burns, though his hair temporarily fell out only to regrow overnight. This water, called "divine oil" (神油), is said to grant immortality if ingested. Having drunk it, the man lived for many years beyond ordinary reckoning.

These accounts reflect Daoist mystical interpretations of lightning strikes and the religious practices—talismans (Fulu), rituals (Keyi)—used to avert disaster. They incorporate concepts of karmic retribution, soul salvation, and ancient reverence for natural phenomena.

This scripture records numerous miraculous events throughout history where lightning strikes revealed celestial writings, as well as the Daoist understanding of these "thunder-script celestial inscriptions" (natural characters formed by lightning).

The so-called water from the "Mysterious Field and Jade Pool" is actually divine water used by immortals to refine elixirs and neutralize toxins. The Jade Well of Emerald Green atop the Jade Spring of the Jasper Pool (residence of the Queen Mother of the West), and the water used by the Heavenly Emperor to brew golden nectar and jade liquor (immortal wine) are all made from this sacred water.

The text then enumerates historical cases of lightning-revealed celestial writings: During Qin Shi Huang's reign, lightning struck a palace pillar revealing ten characters: "The Great Qin shall perish through treacherous ministers Li Si and Zhao Gao"; in Emperor Ming of Han's time, lightning struck a dressing table showing "The state declines through treacherous ministers"; during Emperor Guangwu of Han, a person struck by lightning bore the words "Unfilial to parents"; when the Han dynasty divided into three kingdoms, lightning struck the Great Light Pagoda in Fengxiang Prefecture, revealing "Great Chaos in Zhongyuan" on its third level; King Xuan of Qi's extravagant construction of the Phoenix Terrace that exhausted his people was destroyed by heavenly fire, leaving only a stele inscribed "Fire's command urgently burns Phoenix Terrace."

Other cases include: During Emperor Yuan's reign, a palace maid struck by lightning showed "Lewdness in palace quarters"; in Later Zhou, lightning struck Wu Hui revealing "Son harbors patricidal intent and thievish thoughts"; under Emperor Wen of Song, a minor official struck by lightning bore "Conspires against the ruler"; during Emperor Houzhu of Chen, a Sichuan native struck by lightning showed "Manipulating scales and measures" (accusing merchants of cheating); in Song dynasty, lightning striking an ancient Buddhist temple wall revealed "Next year famine and great pestilence"; during Emperor Wu of Liang, a market-goer struck by lightning bore "Small measures in marketplace" (accusing merchants of short-changing). Notably, when Emperor Wu of Liang revered Buddhism while slandering Daoism, his capital was struck by lightning revealing the warning "The king slanders the Celestial Honored One, the state shall be ruined"—later during the Hou Jing Rebellion, the back of a Buddha statue in an ancient temple showed six more characters: "Liang starves, metal kingdom, fire's command."

There were positive cases too: During Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, lightning struck a jade pillar at the Purple Emptiness Temple's Jade Emperor Terrace in Hezhong Prefecture, revealing the auspicious omen "Peaceful times, pure world, abundant harvests next year." But most were warnings, like the Eight Characters recorded in Chronicles of the Nine Provinces: "Harming living beings, licentious worship of spirits"; during Wu's Chiwu era, lightning struck a stele at Luoyang's Northern Seal Mountain showing "Poison hidden below"; under Emperor Wen of Wei, lightning struck palace bricks revealing "Sun and moon lose light, heaven and earth darken."

Finally, it mentions that Lady Zixu (a Daoist female immortal) personally witnessed thunder-script celestial inscriptions at the Heavenly Gate, through which she received authentic teachings. These records collectively demonstrate Daoism's belief in lightning's sacred capacity to convey celestial will and warn humankind.

This scripture documents the Thunder Magic (a form of Daoist ritual harnessing thunder power) tradition, detailing the forms, functions, and operational methods of the Thunder Department's sacred instruments.

The text first introduces the "Thunder Anvil" (one of the Thunder Department's ritual implements), also called the "Thunder Wedge." Those struck by thunder would have their souls scattered, while objects would be shattered. Without performing specific purification rituals (zhaijiao) after a lightning strike, these sacred artifacts remain in the human realm. They appear neither metallic nor stony in composition; when ground into powder and consumed with asafoetida (a medicinal herb), they can expel intestinal parasites.

Next described is the "Thunder Axe," alternatively named "Hong." This axe appears forged from bronze-iron alloy, extraordinarily hard and heavy with razor-sharp edges. Capable of splitting mountains and rocks with tremendous force, it invariably falls to earth after a single use.

The "Thunder Hammer," known as the "Immortal Spirit Hammer," serves to strike thunder drums. Resembling bronze-iron in appearance, it possesses remarkable weight. Historical records mention a Southern Dynasties-era collector named Su Zhao who possessed such a hammer—its head and handle both iron-like, fist-sized yet weighing nine jin (approximately 5.4kg).

Finally, the "Thunder Drill" is described as an instrument for executing the most heinous criminals, driven through the crown of the head until protruding from the heels. Measuring about two chi five cun (≈80cm) long with an iron-like appearance, it too requires specific ritual handling after use.

The scripture concludes by noting that all Thunder Department implements remain in the human realm after fulfilling their purposes, requiring trained discernment. When people or objects are thunderstruck, these characteristics allow identification and guide appropriate purification rituals (zhaijiao) for disaster relief and blessings.

In the folk traditions of Hunan and Hubei provinces, many people have reportedly found celestial treasures from the Thunder Department (Leibu) that fell from the sky. These treasures mainly come in three types:

The first is called Thunder Pearls (Leizhu), precious orbs held in the mouths of thunder deities. During violent storms, these pearls descend rapidly to earth alongside lightning. If someone finds such a pearl, it emits miraculous light at night—bright enough to illuminate an entire room, with a radiant glow measuring about three inches in diameter.

The second type is Thunder Rings (Leihuan), jade rings worn by thunder gods. Due to the gods' hurried movements during rainmaking, these rings occasionally fall to the mortal realm. At night, they emit a luminous glow three to four inches long and possess the power to ward off demons and malevolent spirits.

The third kind is Thunder Ink (Leimo), which are actually scales shed by ancient dragons during their molting cycles. These scales drift down to earth amid fierce winds and torrential rains. Larger specimens can weigh several pounds, while smaller ones resemble the ceremonial tablets (hu) used by officials at court or take the shape of silver ingots. This Thunder Ink has an exceptionally hard, jet-black texture that appears remarkably peculiar.