《道法會元》Vol. 86

The Hidden Scripture of the Primordial Thunder Crystal primarily discusses the purification altar ritual within Daoist Thunder Magic (a practice that mobilizes cosmic energies to exorcise evil and avert disasters). The opening passage explains that the Dao (the Way) is fundamentally formless and transcends distinctions of purity and turbidity. Practitioners must align with the wondrous principles of the primordial state and gather their Shen (spirit) to harness the energies of heaven and earth. Here, the text emphasizes drawing upon the power of the Water phase (one of the Five Phases, as Daoism regards water as purifying all things) to dispel malevolent impurities.

The ritual involves summoning various divine beings for assistance: the Radiant Essence of the Sun and the Floating Light of the Moon (deities manifesting from solar and lunar essences), the Raksha Messengers (thunder department heralds), the Envoys of Truth, the Divine Officials of the Numinous Treasure Talismans, and the Nine Phoenix Immortals Who Dispel Defilement (specialized deities for purging contamination). These divine beings transport the Primordial Waters of the Mysterious Origin (the purifying waters from the dawn of the cosmos), creating a field of cleansing energy.

The text particularly highlights the sacred nature of this water: it transcends the Five Phases, nourishes all things, and embodies both the celestial dew of the Nine Heavens and the surging tides of the Four Seas. It references classical allusions—such as the Yellow River clearing when a sage emerges or springs flowing abundantly when virtuous governance prevails—to illustrate the purifying power of this ritual water. A single drop of this sacred water suffices to purify the entire ritual space, inside and out.

The subsequent section details the procedural steps: the ritual master must first silently recite incantations to purify the mouth and body, maintaining personal purity. Then, they mobilize the Primordial Qi of the Central Palace (the core energy of the Dantian, the body’s energy center), coordinating with hand seals and the mantra "Om mani hei li chi xu wu." This mantra functions both as the Divine Incantation of Central Mountain and, when inscribed in water, transforms into the Jade Script of the Primordial Beginning (the highest tier of Daoist talismanic writing).

Finally, the practitioner visualizes the Celestial Gate (the crown-point Baihui acupoint) emitting golden light, within which golden talismanic characters float. At this moment, they summon the Thunder Department’s messengers and the local earth deities, envisioning them descending swiftly to the ritual altar—riding auspicious clouds and girded with ritual swords. The entire ceremony harmonizes the practitioner’s inner energy with celestial and earthly deities, achieving the dual purpose of purifying the sacred space and expelling malign influences.

This scripture describes the Daoist ritual master's invocation ceremony when performing rainmaking rites. Kneeling before the altar, the master burns incense and offers prayers, reverently inviting various deities to descend to the ritual space.

First, the master expresses sincere devotion, beseeching the deities to hear his supplication. He then proceeds to respectfully summon the august gods: Yuanshi Tianzun (the highest Daoist divinity), the Jade Emperor, the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity, the Empress of Earth Houtu Huangdiqi, and other divinities from the Three Realms. This includes thunder deities like the Universal Transformation Tianzun of Thunderous Voice and the Great Thunder Ancestor Emperor, along with stellar deities such as the Northern Dipper Lord and Southern Dipper Lord.

The master particularly addresses thunder deities governing rainfall - the True Lord of Thunder and True Lord of Lightning - hoping they will swiftly convey the rainmaking petitions. Referring to himself humbly as "your servant [name]", the master prostrates with utmost reverence, holding true incense while praying to the deities dwelling in the void.

This passage reveals the solemnity of Daoist deity-invocation rituals, where masters communicate with celestial beings through incense burning, prostration, and recitation of sacred names. The numerous deity titles mentioned reflect Daoism's intricate and systematic pantheon, demonstrating how ritual specialists establish sacred connections between heaven and earth through prescribed ceremonial forms.

This scripture enumerates the extensive pantheon of deities within Daoist Thunder Rites (Leifa) – a ritual system employing talismans and incantations to summon thunder deities. The opening references to "Immortal Elder of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji)" and "True Lord Celestial Pivot Emissary" designate high-ranking divinities within the Thunder Ministry (Leibu), the celestial bureaucracy governing thunder and lightning. These deities oversee key departments including the Three Thunder Bureaus (Leibu's three administrative divisions) and the Jade Prefecture (the central Thunder Ministry office).

Subsequent mentions include "Sovereign Lord of Hua-Yang, True Yang, and Pure Yang" referring to Lü Dongbin (one of the Eight Immortals, known by his Daoist name Chunyangzi), "Haichan" denoting Master Liu Haichan, and "Ziyang" indicating Zhang Boduan (patriarch of the Southern Daoist school) – all celebrated realized adepts in Daoist history. The text also references pivotal lineage holders like the 30th Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang Jixian (Master Xujing).

The scripture meticulously catalogs various Thunder Generals: the "Wind-and-Thunder Summoning Envoys" command storms and rainfall, the "Iron-Armored Envoys of Supreme Unity (Taiyi)" serve as guardian warriors, while the "Thunder Envoy Jiang of Nine Provinces" governs lightning across the realm. The text further details directional thunder envoys like the "Five Directions Barbarian Thunder Envoys" and "Five Directions Execution Envoys," along with organized celestial troops such as the "Thirty-Six Thunder Divisions of Divine Empyrean" and "Thirty-Six Thunder Courts of Earthly Deities."

Concluding with martial deities like "Marshal Zhao" (the wealth god Zhao Gongming) and "Marshal Guan" (Guan Yu), the text presents a comprehensive celestial judiciary system. These deities collectively form an integrated thunder enforcement mechanism, invoked by Daoist ritual masters during ceremonies to exorcise evil and execute celestial justice. Parenthetical notations "(某)" indicate spaces for inserting specific deity names according to ritual circumstances.

This scripture describes the complete procedure of a rain-praying ritual (Zhaijiao), which consists of three main parts:

First comes the summoning of various deities. The ritual master reverently invites all celestial beings governing wind and rain, including dragon spirits overseeing terrestrial waters (mountain, river, spring, and pool dragon deities), local guardian gods (City God and Earth God), wind-and-rain deities, as well as messenger officials responsible for delivering divine decrees. These deities pervade the entire cosmic realm, and the master earnestly awaits their descent to the ritual altar with utmost devotion.

Next follows the three-stage offering ceremony. During the first tea offering, the master praises the primordial Wuji's supreme deities (the highest Daoist divinities), beseeching them to bestow mysterious life-force that revives the earth. In the second offering, homage is paid to successive generations of Daoist patriarchs, acknowledging the modest offerings while expressing sincere intent to aid humanity. The third offering addresses all deities at the Yu Altar (rain-praying platform), using three cups of wine to commune with the Dao, praying to alter celestial patterns and bring nourishing rain.

Finally, the text explains the ritual's purpose. Due to prolonged drought (delayed rainfall) in a certain region, with crops withering and people distressed, the master responds to popular appeal. Following Daoist liturgical regulations (formal petitions), an auspicious date is selected to erect the ritual altar. Through Fulu (talismanic summons), thunder department generals (like swift-response envoy Zhang Jue of the Five Thunders) are mobilized to execute rainfall duties. The entire ceremony embodies the Daoist concept of "cosmic resonance" - through devout prayer and proper ritual forms, harmonizing heaven-earth energies to resolve natural calamities.

This scripture passage describes the preparatory deity-invocation process in Daoist Thunder Rites (Leifa) ceremonies. The ritual master first expresses humility, acknowledging his mundane existence in the impure mortal realm, distanced from the Dao (the Way). As a late-generation practitioner, he admits limited comprehension of the profound mysteries of the Primordial Dao, yet earnestly seeks divine compassion through sincere devotion.

Through specific ritual procedures—spirit transformation (bianshen), pacing the celestial net (bugang), and reciting the Golden Light Incantation—the master summons various deities. The initial invocation targets Thunder Department deities including:

• Zhang Jue, the Primordial Qi (Yuanqi) Five Thunders Swift Retribution Emissary, with his deputy commanders
• Five Directional Savage Thunder Emissaries (Ma Yulin, Guo Yuanjing, etc.)
• Five Directional Execution Envoys (Jiang Ganglun, etc.)
• Meteorological deities like Thunder Duke Jiang Hechong and Lightning Mother Xiu Wenying
• Thirty-Six Thunder Officers from the Divine Empyrean and Thirty-Six Thunder Courts of Earthly Divinities

Subsequent invocations extend to other pantheons:

• Yin Jiao, Great Year Deity governing celestial-earthly executions
• Guardian deities like Marshal Wang Shan and Demon-Slayer Zhu Wei
• Earthly divinities including Zhao Lang (Zhao Gongming) of the Mystic Altar and Guan Yu of Fengdu
• Local deities—city gods (chenghuang), earth spirits (tudi), and mountain-dragon deities

The master confirms these summoned deities have arrived at the altar, temporarily restraining their awe-inspiring radiance to receive ritual instructions. Special homage is paid to the Primordial Qi Swift Emissary—a Thunder God described with "one essence manifesting three bodies and a thousand transformations," commanding myriad spirits from his Divine Empyrean throne. As a Jade Clarity (Yuqing) realm immortal, he wields authority over the Five Thunders' swift operations.

This text reveals the comprehensive deity hierarchy in Daoist Thunder Rites, where harmonious collaboration with celestial forces enables the practitioner's "mortal body to unite with the Dao." Key techniques like spirit transformation and star-pacing represent essential ritual actions for altering the master's state and bridging heaven and earth.

This scripture describes the Daoist Thunder Ritual (Leifa), a practice of summoning thunder deities to exorcise evil and heal illnesses. It first depicts the awe-inspiring forms of the Thunder Department deities: they harness the primordial Qi of heaven and earth, command the myriad phenomena, wield golden whips and silver axes, traverse ten thousand miles in an instant, and govern wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. When practitioners pray with sincere devotion, these thunder gods respond to their call, aiding in dispelling calamities and subduing demonic forces.

The text then details the four ceremonial steps of offering wine to the thunder deities: During the first libation, practitioners praise the omnipresent Dao-Qi (primordial energy) of the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Thunderclap (the supreme deity of the Thunder Department), comparing its vastness to the waters of the Milky Way spanning the ten directions. The second libation extols how the Great Dao (cosmic origin) gives birth to heaven, earth, sun, and moon, while thunder deities command celestial armies across the nine heavens—riding the divine beast Muan (a constellation guardian among the Twenty-Eight Mansions) to cross waters and whip malignant dragons. The third libation specifically honors Marshal Wang Lingguan (a Daoist guardian deity also known as Marshal Wang of the Fiery Chariot), portraying his majestic form with crimson robes, golden whip, and wrathful flaming hair as he leads millions of divine troops to eradicate plagues, neutralize toxins, and revive the dead. The final libation venerates all Thunder Department generals, commanders, and soldiers, celebrating their loyal, courageous, and indomitable divine might.

Through these progressive wine offerings, the ritual gradually summons thunder deities of different ranks to descend. Their collective power is channeled to exorcise evil, heal diseases, and deliver all beings. The text repeatedly emphasizes the crucial importance of "sincere devotion" (chengxin), asserting that only through utmost sincerity can practitioners achieve mystical communion with the thunder deities.

This scripture describes the practice of Daoist Thunder Magic (Leifa), a ritual technique for summoning thunder deities through talismans and incantations. The ritual master invokes the pantheon of thunder gods, including divine generals who ride dragons and tame tigers, commanding wind and rain. These deities possess the power to awe the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Great Rivers, subduing all manner of demonic forces.

The ceremony begins with offerings of fine wine and ritual gifts, accompanied by recited incantations expressing sincerity to the deities. The master then proclaims a formal proclamation (xíwén), summoning the "Swift Messenger of Primordial Qi" (a thunder envoy responsible for message delivery) and the Five Directional Thunder Gods. These celestial beings are instructed to carry the edict upon clouds and thunder, transmitting commands throughout the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and underworld) and Ten Directions (cardinal and intercardinal directions, plus above and below), bestowing the grace of nourishing rain.

The ritual master declares his authority to issue primordial decrees, bearing responsibility for rain prayers and disaster relief. He commands the thunder generals to swiftly prepare their cloud chariots and implements, deploying the "Formation of Cloud-Thunder Fire Chariots" to instantly mobilize cosmic forces. This dispels the drought demon (Hanba) and brings widespread rainfall to relieve the people.

The practitioner then performs ritual footwork (bugang, the Pace of the Dipper) and hand seals (qiajue), visualizing the thunder envoys departing upon black clouds amid thunderclaps and lightning. The rite concludes with the mantra "Om Ma Li Ji Suo Ha," urging the messengers to swiftly fulfill the commands of the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) and return promptly. The efficacy of the ritual is to be verified through the Nine Palaces (Jiugong) divination system.

This process exemplifies how Daoist Thunder Magic integrates ritual, incantation, and visualization (cunxiang) to harness natural forces for rainmaking and disaster relief—a profound expression of religious practice.

This scripture describes the "Nine Palaces Operation" ritual in Daoist Thunder Magic (Leifa), detailing the process of summoning thunder deities and commanding clouds and rain through specific directional arrangements and incantations.

The ritual begins with the practitioner silently reciting the names of the Thirty-Six Thunder Deities at the Kun position (southwest), chanting invocations at the Dui position (west) to summon myriad deities for cloud formation and rainfall, and visualizing azure clouds of splendor merging with the Dao at the Qian position (northwest). Using a golden brush, the adept draws talismans (fulu) at designated directions, then drives them into the ritual altar with an axe-shaped ritual implement to gather cloud qi.

At the Xun position (southeast), water magic is employed to obscure sunlight, combined with thunder's power, while three talismans are inscribed with brush and ink. The Li position (south) utilizes sun-obscuring techniques with visualization of solar eclipse; the central palace's Kan position involves visualizing North Sea waters coordinated with commander talismans. When the sky darkens and storm clouds swirl, the practitioner chants mantras while holding ritual seals, wielding them like whips to command wind and rain as if directing divine dragons.

Subsequent steps involve erecting ritual swords and unfurling command banners at specific directions while reciting secret incantations. The first sword must point toward Zhongling County's direction; after displaying banners at Xun position and burning incense to summon wind, palm-thunder is immediately effective at Zhen position (east). Sword energy at Gen position (northeast) pierces straight to the Ox and Dipper constellations, capable of slaying demons within three feet. Water talismans are finally drawn to subdue ghosts and malicious spirits.

Concluding the ritual, the practitioner offers incense and bows in gratitude to celestial deities. The thanksgiving liturgy successively praises: the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi), the North and South Pole Star Lords, Empress Earth (Houtu Huangdiqi), the Nine Celestial Sovereigns of Divine Empyrean, Mother of the Dipper (Molizhi Tian Doumu), solar, lunar and stellar deities, the Three Origin Great Emperors (Sanyuan Dadi), the Four Saints True Lords (Sisheng Zhenjun), along with successive generations of ancestral masters including the True Lord of Supreme Mystery Capital, Fire Master True Lord, Celestial Master Xu Jing (Xujing Tianshi), and other significant Daoist divinities. Final thanks are given to Thunder Ministry generals, Lingguan marshals, and the Grand Year Spirit Lord (Taisui Shenjun) among other protector deities.

This scripture documents the complete procedure and invocations for a Daoist rain-praying ritual. First, the ritual master summons deities from the Three Realms (celestial, terrestrial, and aquatic realms), including dragon spirits from deep pools and caves, City Gods (guardian deities of settlements), Earth Gods (Tudi), and all locally enshrined deities from nearby temples.

With utmost sincerity, the master petitions the celestial realm to issue a Fulu (talismanic decree with spiritual authority) authorizing rainfall, mobilizing thunder deities from the Thunder Ministry to execute the rainmaking mission. The ritual specifically acknowledges the Covenant Deity (Zhumeng Shen) who oversees sacred pacts, while beseeching divine forgiveness for human transgressions and requesting the grace of spiritual communion.

The text describes the auspicious signs of successful rain-praying: nurturing clouds and rain benefiting all living beings. Gazing upon the celestial Brahma Qi (primordial cosmic energy), the master affirms the perfect constancy of the sages' (referring to deities) divine works. The ceremony culminates in reverent homage to the Three Heavenly Worthies: the Universal Thunderclap Heavenly Worthy (sovereign of thunder phenomena), the Golden Court Absolution Heavenly Worthy (bestower of karmic pardon), and the Dharma-Vow Eternal Aid Heavenly Worthy (perpetual granter of succor), extolling their inconceivable merits.

Upon conclusion, the master performs the regulated retreat from the ritual altar to return to ordinary state. The scripture further specifies the establishment of a three-tiered ritual platform and a unique altar arrangement following the "Yin encompassing Yang" principle, with devotees performing ceremonial bows. This passage originates from Volume 86 of the Daoist Ritual Compendium (Daofa Huiyuan), serving as crucial primary material for studying Daoist thunder rites and rain invocation ceremonies.