《上清靈寶大法(一)》Vol. 12

The Gate of Saving the World and Accumulating Merit

The Master said: Whenever one wishes to accumulate merit and assist the people of the world, there is a corresponding purification rite (zhai). For example, when the fortune of Heaven and Earth is blocked and declining, one practices the Golden Register Rite of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Jinlu Zhai). When the stars move out of order and the sun and moon grow dim and irregular, one practices the Nine Luminaries Rite of the Celestial Sovereign (Tianhuang Jiuyao Zhai). When the four seasons lose their order and Yin and Yang fall out of harmony, one practices the Five Emperors Rite for Nurturing Creatures (Wudi Yuwu Zhai). When wars arise on all sides, one practices the Taiyi Sacred Perfected Rite (Taiyi Shengzhen Zhai). When epidemics spread, one practices the Rite of Lord Chang for Preserving Life (Changzhu Baoming Zhai). When one prays for rain or for clear weather, one practices the Five Spirits of the Abyss Rite (Dongyuan Wushen Zhai). When a master or a fellow disciple passes away, one practices the Yellow Register Rite (Huanglu Zhai).

The Nine Kinds of Hidden Merit

The phrase "misalignment of the stars" in the scripture refers to abnormal movements of the five planets, which encroach upon other celestial bodies. It also refers to disordered motion of the Nine Luminaries, the appearance of baleful stars and comets, and the displacement of constellations from their regular positions and sequence, all of which bring upheaval and calamity.

"Loss of brightness in the sun and moon" refers to the sun appearing blue and without light, moving irregularly, or undergoing phenomena such as the sun and moon pressing against each other, eclipses, obscured light, and halos.

"Disorder in the four seasons" refers to abnormal seasons and climate, such as autumn-like weather in spring, frost in summer, or thunder in winter.

"Disharmony of Yin and Yang" refers to rain and sunshine that arrive out of season and to unusual changes in the weather.

"Calamity befalling the ruler of the state" refers to situations in which rebellious ministers and treacherous officials usurp power, monopolize authority, coerce the sovereign, and cause governmental orders and administration to fall into disorder.

"Warfare rising on all sides" refers to the lack of stability in the four directions, the invasion of the borders by foreign peoples, bandits and rebel officers waging war everywhere, and the spread of fire across the land, with the common people terrified and wailing in the mountains and fields and killing one another.

"Spread of pestilence" refers to epidemics that proliferate and sweep through towns and cities. The scripture holds that ghosts who receive no sacrifices may ride upon malign qi to bring disaster. Moreover, demons, spirits, monsters, poisonous creatures, and fierce beasts in the wild mountains may also bewilder and harass the human world.

"Death and injury among the multitudes" refers to abnormal winds and bitter cold, through which evil ghosts cause harm, and to landslides, earth subsidence, the clash of water and fire, and the malevolent creatures of rivers, seas, and mountains, all of which may bring calamity. The scripture further lists afflictions caused by ghostly evil, consumptive illnesses, corpse-transmitted diseases (chuanshi bing), latent sicknesses (fulian), and poisonous ailments (guzhu). It describes these as spreading illness and running rampant to injure people, so that the common folk meet untimely deaths, die young, or suffer death and injury.

"Death of a teacher or friend" refers to this: a fellow student or disciple worthy of emulation may be called a teacher, and those who study under the same dynasty are all called friends. As for those who transmit the Dao, inherit the lineage, share the same aspirations, and belong to the same school, the bond of affection between them...

When a close relative or kin passes away, one should devote oneself to accumulating merit on their behalf, arranging the rites according to the particular circumstances. This is the original purpose of performing purification rites (xiuzhai, part of the broader Zhaijiao, or purification ritual), offering incense, and reciting scriptures. These acts are known as the "Nine Kinds of Hidden Merit" (jiuzhong yingong), meritorious deeds performed in secret on behalf of the deceased and others.

For a major matter, one should establish a Numinous Treasure Altar (Lingbao Xuantan); for a minor matter, a small Three Luminaries Altar (Sanchen xiaotan) will suffice. When a teacher or friend passes away, one may, as the circumstances warrant, recite scriptures and set up an altar at the grade prescribed by the Yellow Register liturgy (Huanglu keyi), and other affairs should likewise be handled in this manner. In setting up the altar, the Nine Tripods (jiuding) are displayed and images of the Three Luminaries are buried. During the rite, one adjusts the ritual sections according to the calamity at hand, purifies the altar grounds, and prepares the appropriate musical instruments. One must carefully record the five kinds of calamity and report them to the Exalted Perfected (gaozhen), the divine lord in charge of the matter. So long as one's sincerity accords with the Heavenly Dao, the five kinds of merit can be accomplished, and one will ultimately be elevated. This is yin merit (yingong). This method values secret cultivation; if the affair is leaked and made known to outsiders, the merit will no longer be recorded.

Regulations for Establishing the Altar

The method states that one should select a location with vigorous qi, avoiding filth and gravel, and use clean earth. The altar site must avoid places where death, warfare, corporal punishment, or slaughter have occurred. The altar is built in three tiers.

For a Three Luminaries Altar, each tier is one chi high. The upper tier is two chi wide, the middle tier three chi, and the lower tier six chi. The surface of each of the three tiers holds the sacred seats belonging to the matter at hand, and the upper tier is sealed with talismans (fu).

The images of the Three Luminaries are buried in the upper tier to a depth of nine cun. The image of the sun is placed on the right, the image of the moon on the left, and the images of the five planets are each set in their corresponding directions.

The middle tier arranges nine tripods according to the eight directions, with one placed at the center, and a shen position (the original text reads thus; its specific meaning is unclear) is also set up. The nine tripods may be cast in gold, silver, copper, or iron, or fashioned into tripod shapes from newly made, clean pottery. Each tripod is covered with a lid. On the outside of each vessel, the names of the Nine Tripods are written in cinnabar, and inside, in black ink, the names of the Nine Provinces are written and distributed according to direction. In each direction, the numerical symbols of the Hetu (River Diagram) are first written in cinnabar, and then the tripod is placed over the characters, with its name facing outward, set steadily and not tilted.

Before the rite begins, one should first memorialize the Supreme Lord, submit documents to the sacred spirits belonging to the altar, and notify the local earth deities (dizhi) and other divinities, requesting them to guard the altar grounds and bar idle persons from entering. During the rite, clear spring water is drawn from nine directions and poured separately into the nine tripods. The officiant orally reports the matter to be undertaken, and the tripods are then closed with their lids. A separate clean seat is set up, ritual objects are prepared according to the instruments used, fresh seasonal flowers and fruits are readied, incense is burned and lamps are lit, and everything is arranged in accordance with the ritual regulations. Afterward, one gathers those who practice goodness and pure cultivation...

Daoist priests conducting the purification rite may be of any number and may perform it together. Throughout the rite, they must strictly observe the prohibitions, keep the ritual space clean, maintain reverence and sincerity, and remain single-minded in their faith. Everything must follow the ancient ritual procedures. They should offer incense six times each day and recite the scriptures ten times, so that the sincerity in their hearts may reach the celestial realm and they may pray for Heaven’s grace to descend. This cannot be achieved by casually reciting scriptures as people do in the secular world. Unless one is a virtuous person of upright heart, free from attachment to worldly concerns, reciting sacred scriptures aloud—even tens of millions of times—will be of no avail.

When the purification rite is complete and virtue fulfilled, open the Nine Ding to inspect them. The Nine Ding are ritual vessels used for divinatory examination. After inspecting them, cover them again as before. If the water inside remains as clear as it was originally, this is normal. If it is slightly cloudy or shows other unusual signs, this may portend disaster. Any abnormal condition is regarded as an omen of malign spirits. It may be examined according to the prescribed ritual procedures to determine which celestial sector—and the corresponding earthly region—the calamity belongs to. If the disaster cannot be fully averted, a separate ritual should be performed to dispel it.

Talismans and rites for dispelling irregular movements of the stars and the dimming of the sun and moon

Upper ranks of the sacred deities

The Great Emperor of Heaven, the Lord Emperor of Taiwei, the Lords of the Northern Dipper, the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, the Lords of the Eleven Luminaries (the star deities who govern the sun, moon, and five planets), Lord Han Zhangren, the True Lord of Ten Thousand Blessings of the Nine Heavens, the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice, and the Perfected One of the Azure Net.

Middle ranks of the sacred deities

The Lords of the Three Terraces and the Canopy, the Lords of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Great Emperors of the Three Primordial Powers and Three Palaces, the Perfected Lords of the Four Sages of the North Pole, and the Divine Kings Who Fly Through the Ten Directions.

Lower ranks of the sacred deities

The Great Gods of the Eight Trigrams, the Community Officers of the Nine Provinces (divine officials who govern local land and soil), the Great Gods of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Twelve Monthly Generals (the generals who each take charge of one of the twelve months), and the Twelve Hourly Deities (the spirits who take turns governing the twelve double-hours).

Talismans and rites for dispelling irregularities in the four seasons and imbalances in Yin-Yang

Upper ranks of the sacred deities

The Celestial Perfected of the Void Emperor, the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, the Great Emperors of the Three Offices, the Perfected Lords of the Four Departments, the Great Emperor of Fusang, and the Divine King of Yanggu.

Middle ranks of the sacred deities

The Great Gods of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Community Officers of the Nine Provinces, the Dragon Lords of the Four Seas, the Source Kings of the Four Rivers (the deities who govern the sources of the four great rivers), and the Great Gods of the Eight Trigrams.

Lower ranks of the sacred deities

The Great Gods of the Wind, Thunder, and Rain Departments; the Earl of Wind; the Master of Rain; the Jade Maiden of the River; the Jade Maiden of the Lake; the Jade Maiden of the Sea; the Twelve Monthly Generals; the Twelve Hourly Deities; the Venerable Spirit of Tai Sui; and the Earth God Who Guards the Altar.

Talismans and rites for dispelling calamity befalling the ruler and frequent outbreaks of war

Upper ranks of the sacred deities

The August Supreme of Vast Heaven, the Celestial Worthy of the Sacred Ancestor, the Great Emperor of Heaven, the Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei, the Celestial Worthies of Lingbao of the Ten Directions, the Perfected Lords of the Four Sages, the Perfected Lords of the Five Masters, and the Ten Spirits of Taiyi (ten deities arranged in sequence).

Middle ranks of the sacred deities

The original text ends here.

The Thirty-two Celestial Emperors, the Eleven Luminary Lords (divine lords who govern the sun, moon, and five planets, among other celestial bodies), and the Divine Kings of the Ten Directions;

the Great Gods of the Nine Palaces, the Great Gods of the Three Wonders, and the Lord of the Great One.

Lower Rank of the Saints

The Earth Emperors of the Nine Layers, the Great Gods of the Five Sacred Peaks, and the Earth Gods of the Nine Provinces (spirits who govern the land of each province);

the presiding lords of the City Gods, the Lords of the Great One’s Eight Gates, the Venerable Gods of the Grand Duke Jupiter;

the Twelve Monthly Generals, the Twelve Gods Who Take Their Turns by the Hour (spirits who take turns serving according to the month and hour), the True Gods of the Land;

and the divine officials who keep watch over the ritual altar.

Talismans for Dispelling Epidemics and Poisonous Influences, and for Foretelling Death and Injury Among the People

Upper Rank of the Saints

The August Celestial Emperor, the Celestial Worthy of Lingbao of the Ten Directions, the Celestial Worthy of Long Life and Preservation of Life;

the Perfected of Wondrous Practice, the Great Emperors of the Three Offices, the True Lords of the Five Masters;

the True Lords of the Four Sages, and the Venerable God Who Delivers from Calamity.

Middle Rank of the Saints

The Generals of the Three Origins, the soldiers and officials who dispel and overcome calamity, the Great Generals who capture and destroy pestilence;

the Great God of Heavenly Medicine, the Youth of Sweet Dew, and the Jade Maiden of Coolness.

Lower Rank of the Saints

The Celestial Soldiers and Mounted Officials of the Five Directions, the Earth Gods of the Nine Provinces, the Venerable Gods of the Grand Duke Jupiter;

the Twelve Monthly Generals, the Twelve Gods Who Take Their Turns by the Hour, the presiding lords of the City Gods;

the True Gods of the Land.

The master said, “Usually, there are established Yellow Register Retreat rites (large-scale Daoist purification and offering liturgies) for praying for blessings, warding off calamity, and delivering the dead on behalf of one’s teachers and friends. I will not elaborate on them here.”

The Small Altar of the Three Mornings

Images of the Two Luminaries

Make the image of the sun from gold and the image of the moon from jade.

Each image should be one inch long and shaped like the sun or moon. If gold and jade are unavailable, silver or copper may be used instead.

Make the images of the Five Planets from quartz in five colors, each about the size of a small pellet.

Offerings and Instruments Cherished by the High Perfected and the Stars

Pipa lutes, phoenix pipes (wind instruments such as the sheng and xiao), fresh flowers in season, fresh fruit, mountain spring water, the Five Grains, clean cooked food (five-colored rice), green agarwood, spikenard, mao incense, jujubes, fine tea; five-colored banners and five-colored embroidered silks.

Offerings Cherished by the Ten Spirits of the Great One

Bamboo bows, reed arrows, seals, paper horses for the divine generals to ride, horses without saddles, soldiers, wooden knives, wooden spears, wooden swords, wooden halberds, red paper money, black paper money, five-colored silk, and fresh flowers and fruit in season.

Great Gods of the Nine Provinces’ Celestial Regions

The true Earth God of the Celestial Region of Zou Hun in Yangzhou (Mountain Palace Fu);

the true Earth God of the Celestial Region of Zhang Xiang in Jingzhou (Second Palace Xiao);

the true Earth God of the Celestial Region of Fei Meng in Yanzhou (Eighth Palace Cang);

the true Earth God of the Celestial Region of Jia Meng in Xuzhou (Fourth Palace Tong).

The characters “Mountain Palace Fu,” “Second Palace Xiao,” “Eighth Palace Cang,” and “Fourth Palace Tong” in the original may be specific names or variants introduced during copying, so they are retained as written.

Shengji of Yongzhou is the state’s principal Earth Altar deity, corresponding to its celestial region (in ancient times, constellations in the sky were matched with regions on earth). He occupies the treasured position in the Sixth Palace.

Feng Qian of Jizhou is the state’s principal Earth Altar deity, corresponding to its celestial region. He occupies the Mao position in the First Palace.

Fan Qi of Yuzhou is the state’s principal Earth Altar deity, corresponding to its celestial region. He occupies the Nai position in the Fifth Palace.

Xiang Yu of Qingzhou is the state’s principal Earth Altar deity, corresponding to its celestial region. He occupies the Gang position in the Third Palace.

Zhang Qian of Liangzhou is the state’s principal Earth Altar deity, corresponding to its celestial region. He occupies the Kui position in the Seventh Palace.

Nine Cauldrons Diagram:

Jingzhou is in the Second Palace, Liangzhou in the Seventh Palace, and Yongzhou in the Sixth Palace; Yangzhou is in the Ninth Palace, Yuzhou in the Fifth Palace, and the original text does not specify the position of Jizhou; Xuzhou is in the Fourth Palace, Qingzhou in the Third Palace, and Yanzhou in the Eighth Palace.

Yellow River Chart Diagram

Method for Reading Calamities, Blessings, and Misfortunes Revealed in the Cauldron

If the cauldron shows black and murky signs, this portends flooding; if they are black, thick, and turbid, it portends torrential rain. Yellow and murky signs portend wind disasters; yellow, thick, and turbid signs portend epidemics; yellow and filthy signs portend insect infestations. If the writing on the cauldron is cracked, this portends an earthquake.

White and murky signs, or spots appearing on the writing, portend small-scale banditry. White, thick, and turbid signs, or writing that disappears, portend war. Slight murkiness portends loss and drought. If the water takes on a reddish hue and the writing appears pale red, this portends fire; thick and turbid blue-green signs portend famine.

If unusual changes appear, a report must be submitted to the Celestial Department, the office in charge of the heavenly realm, and one must await its reply in order to determine the circumstances. If the cauldron shows ordinary signs, this indicates peace in the region. It may also mean that the calamity has not yet been dispelled; in that case, the Nine Palaces method for healing disasters should be performed, followed by a ritual to avert and dispel misfortune.

Method for Healing Disasters through the Nine Palaces and Eight Seasonal Nodes

The master said: Han holds authority over the upper palace in the south. The celestial stars of the Nine Palaces descend to the Nine Earths, carry out Heaven’s mandate, and oversee omens of calamity. One seasonal node governs the Qi of calamity; one year governs a celestial region; five days govern inspection and administration; and one day governs changes in commands.

The deity of the Dark Abyss in the Kan Palace is called the Supreme Unity Star. It governs military calamities, floods, rivers overflowing and breaching their banks, high grain prices, and war.

The deity of Cinnabar Flame in the Li Palace is called the Heaven Unity Star. It governs fires, droughts, withered plants and trees, extreme heat, and major calamities. It can also cause grain to scorch and the people to go hungry.

The deity of Thick Transformation in the Central Palace is called the Heavenly Treasury Star. It governs harm caused by earthly Qi, cracks in the ground, construction projects, earthquakes, illness, and the hardships of the people.

The deity of Flying Clouds in the Qian Palace is called the Azure Dragon Star. It governs frost and cold, floods, and small-scale military calamities.

The deity of Accumulated Yin in the Gen Palace is called the Great Yin Star. It governs prolonged cloudy rain, haze, and the dimming of the sun and moon.

The deity of the Yellow Dragon in the Zhen Palace is called the Xuanyuan Star. It governs sudden thunder, violent winds, incessant rain, widespread illness in military camps, and severe frost.

The deity of Empty Haze in the Xun Palace is called the Summoning Star. It governs damage caused by sudden winds, hail, and downpours…

Insect and Locust Plagues That Damage Crops

The deity who governs the land in the Kun Palace (one of the Bagua directions) is called the Star Sheti. This deity oversees earthworks and construction, and also presides over sudden severe cold, frost, dense fog, and calamities that damage plants and trees.

The deity who governs Metal Qi in the Dui Palace is called the Star Xianchi. This deity oversees frost and cold, damage to the five grains, as well as military unrest, theft, and violent banditry.

These nine stars, acting on the command of the Southern Supreme Emperor, each govern calamities during one of the seasonal periods. They travel throughout the Nine Provinces, often visiting places that conflict with their own palaces and bringing disorder to the four seasons and imbalance to Yin-Yang. In addition, the Senior Officials of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Divine Lord Taiyi specifically govern war, drought, floods, and epidemics. The Upper Purple Tenuity Palace, the Celestial Emperor’s Dark Residence, and the Perfected One Qingluo govern cycles of calamity and changes in the passage of time. The Seven Luminaries—the Sun, Moon, and five planets—govern disasters among the people of the lower realm and calamities that befall states. Eclipses of the Sun and Moon, irregular movements of the five planets, unusual celestial signs, earthquakes, and baleful stars, comets, ominous stars, and anomalous energies are also connected with calamity and good fortune throughout the Nine Provinces.

Methods for Dispelling Calamities

The practice should follow the directions of the eight seasonal nodes governed by the Nine Palaces. Beginning on the day of the Winter Solstice, first face east and recite the scripture ten times to dispel calamities throughout the Nine Provinces during the forty-five days from the Winter Solstice to the Beginning of Spring. Then begin at Kan One Palace (the north), face north, and recite while turning through the directions up to Li Nine Palace, for a total of nine recitations. Next, face east and recite once more, making ten recitations in all, to dispel calamities in the northern Kan Palace. Recite the scripture twenty times at each seasonal node.

At the Beginning of Spring, follow the same procedure. First face east and recite the scripture ten times to dispel calamities throughout the Nine Provinces during the forty-five days from the Beginning of Spring to the Spring Equinox. Then begin at Gen Eight Palace (the northeast), face northeast, and recite while turning through the directions up to Dui Seven Palace, for a total of nine recitations. Finally, face east and recite once more, making ten recitations in all, to dispel calamities in the northeastern Gen Palace. Proceed in the same way for the remaining seasonal nodes, following the sequence of the Nine Palaces.

At the end of each recitation, visualize the Jade Maidens and Jade Youths who attend the scripture scroll, and contemplate what they are doing. With each recitation, visualize one region of land, as though the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning were proclaiming the scripture. Beginning with Shiqing, contemplate all beings attaining deliverance. Give undivided attention to this visualization with every thought.

Diagram of the Eight Seasonal Nodes and Nine Palaces

Ritual for Establishing the Altar and Dispelling Calamity

The Master said: Each year, on the day of the Great Inspection of the Lower Origin in the tenth month, the Supreme Emperor has already determined the calamities and good fortune of the Nine Provinces. When the eleventh month and the Winter…

Yang Qi corresponds to calamities and auspicious signs. They rise, descend, lie hidden, and gather along with Qi (the life force of the universe, as understood in Daoism). Whatever accords with the cycles of Qi will appear after the first day of the first lunar month. Whatever does not accord with those cycles will not come to pass. Only when the cycles of Qi are exhausted do calamities and auspicious signs begin to arise. Ordinary people in the world are benighted and ignorant, unaware of how to avoid them. Having received the Immortal Precepts of the Cavern Mystery, one should not wait until events are upon them to seek a way to avert calamities, but should begin practicing in advance, after the Lower Origin period.

To relieve suffering in the world, assist the state, and bring stability to the people, select nine Perfected Ones who share a common purpose. In a pure and quiet place, build an “Altar of the Three Heavens’ Total Qi,” a ritual platform for gathering Qi and performing rites. Divide it into three levels: the upper level represents Heaven, the middle level represents humanity, and the lower level represents Earth. Construct the altar according to the prescribed measurements.

The first design is as follows: the upper level is circular, nine feet in diameter and three feet high; the middle level is octagonal, measuring one zhang, two feet, and four inches from side to side, and two feet and four inches high; the lower level is square, fifteen feet and five inches wide and three feet and six inches high.

There is another design: the upper level is circular, five feet in diameter and nine inches high; the middle level is octagonal, measuring seven feet and two inches from side to side; the lower level is square, nine feet wide and one foot high.

On the upper level, make a circular image of the sun from gold, nine fen in diameter, and a circular image of the moon from jade, ten fen in diameter. Then make images of the Five Stars from five kinds of quartz, each about the size of a pellet. Bury the sun image at the Mao position (facing east) and the moon image at the You position (facing west), both close to the altar’s outer edge. Bury the Five Stars inside the sun and moon images, at the five positions of east, south, west, north, and center, three inches apart from one another and one inch deep.

Next, erect at the center of the altar a pillar that reaches toward the sky, three feet and two inches high. At intervals of eight inches, fit it with a heavenly disk, making three tiers. At the very bottom, install a tier of Dipper Ladle and Dipper Handle stars, arranged like the frame of an angled lamp stand.

Paint the surface of the upper level a pale blue-green. Around its perimeter, write in cinnabar the forms of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions and the Dipper stars. Paint the surface of the middle level yellow, and write the Lingbao Five Merit Talismans around its perimeter, marking only the four corners and four passageways. Then distribute the Great Brahma Hidden Inscriptions and Luminous Jade Characters evenly across the four directions. Below these, write the names of the Thirty-Two Heavenly Emperors.

Next, take nine ritual cauldrons, which may also be made of porcelain or stone, and place them in the eight directions and at the center. The central cauldron is set in the Kun Palace (the southwest position). Then take water from a deep pool or a flowing stream and fill the nine cauldrons. Before the water is poured in, each of the nine ritual masters faces a different direction and holds a brush, visualizing a place ten thousand li away…

Draw Qi—the breath and primordial energy in Daoist understanding—from people, mountains and rivers, and cities and walls, then use the numbers assigned to the nine directions as you write. In visualization, for example, take nine breaths of Qi from the Palace of Li (the palace of the south), and follow the same method for each of the other directions. After gathering the Qi, blow it onto the brush, then write the names of the Nine Regions in black inside the cauldron.

Boil water from the nine directions and pour it into a vessel, filling it level with the surface of the water, then cover it securely. Place a lamp beside the vessel and an incense burner in front of it. Behind the cauldron, set upright a spirit tablet bearing the title “Venerable Lord of the Nine Qi.” On the lower level of the altar, too, pack fresh white clay around the perimeter, open eight gates, and establish the Gate of Heaven and the Earthly Portal. Draw the Eight Trigrams, the Four Seas, and the Five Sacred Peaks on the altar. The position of the Central Peak should face Kun (the southwest); also draw the divisions of the Nine Provinces. Once everything has been arranged according to the ritual requirements, place the sacred spirit tablets in three tiers and three circuits, in accordance with ritual protocol.

On the appointed day, enter the altar at either the Zi hour or the Wu hour. Set tables, cushions, and mats in each of the eight directions, with eight like-minded people each responsible for one direction. The Senior Ritual Master, who presides over the rites, should set up a high seat at the Earthly Portal, facing the Gate of Heaven and overseeing the duties assigned to each of the Nine Palaces. Only after everything has been properly arranged may incense be offered six times each day. Each person should recite the Great Scripture and the Sacred Book once, then everyone should chant them together once. Repeat this cycle ten times in all. At the same time, each person should focus on visualization, carrying out the rite through the power of intention in accordance with the method of the Inner Scripture, a method of internal cultivation and visualization. Continue for one full day and night. After completing the six incense offerings, enter the altar at the Hai hour and uncover the vessel to inspect it. The signs of calamity and auspiciousness shown by the Nine Soils will then be visible.

Continue the practice as before, and inspect the vessel again at the Hai hour. If the water and the writing inside remain unchanged, the altar may be dismantled and a Zhaijiao purification rite performed to give thanks for blessings, dispel disasters, lift misfortune, and pray for protection. This method may also be used for other purposes. These are the ritual procedures recorded in the Great Red Golden Register. They must not be altered on personal whim, lest the rite fail to take effect and all the effort be wasted.

Spirit Tablets of the Nine Palaces

East: Venerable Lord, Ruler of the Qi, of the Nine Qi; South: Venerable Lord, Ruler of the Qi, of the Three Qi;

West: Venerable Lord, Ruler of the Qi, of the Seven Qi; North: Venerable Lord, Ruler of the Qi, of the Five Qi;

Northeast: Venerable Lord, Ruler of the Qi, of the Four Qi; Southeast: Venerable Lord, Ruler of the Qi, of the Six Qi;

Southwest: Venerable Lord, Ruler of the Qi, of the Two Qi; Northwest: Venerable Lord, Ruler of the Qi, of the One Qi;

Center: Venerable Lord, Ruler of the Qi, of the Twelve Qi.

The Eight Gates and Two Portals

Qian direction: Great Sovereign Taihao’s Heavenly Gate; Kan direction: Great Abyss, Water-Severing Gate;

Gen direction: Great Peace, Mysterious Stone Gate; Zhen direction: Great Origin, Divine Thunder Gate.

At the Xun position (southeast) is the Gate of Great Void and numinous Wind; at the Li position (due south), the Gate of Great Brightness and pure Fire; at the Kun position (southwest), the Gate of Great Release and the Nine Earths; and at the Dui position (due west), the Gate of Great Simplicity and spreading Marsh. The Qian position (northwest) is the Gate of Heaven, and the Xun position is the Door of Earth.

Upper Circuit, thirteen in all: the Three Realms, the left and right Mysterious Perfected Ones, the Perfected One Taiyi, the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice, the Perfected One Qingluo, the Perfected One Lingbao, and the Four Emblems.

Middle Circuit, twenty-one in all: Haotian, the Celestial Emperor, the North Pole, the Eastern Hua Wood Duke, the Western Yuan Metal Mother, the Three Officials, the Four Saints, the Five Emperors, and the Four Masters.

Lower Circuit, fourteen in all: the Sage Ancestor, the Celestial Worthy Taiyi Who Relieves Suffering, the Celestial Worthy Lingbao of the Ten Directions, the Celestial Worthy Who Dispels Calamity and Resolves Misfortune, the Celestial Worthy Who Resolves Misfortune in the Nine Palaces, the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion Who Protects the State, the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Long Life and Preserves Vitality, the Perfected One of Great Wisdom, the Perfected One Who Relieves Suffering, the Perfected One of True and Steadfast Light, the Perfected One Yuluoqiao, the Perfected One of Radiant and Wondrous Sound, the Perfected One Taiji, and the Three Heavens’ Ritual Master.

Square Ruler and Dipper Lamp, nine in all: the Seven Primal Lords of the Northern Dipper (the star lords of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper), the Left Assistant, and the Right Assistant.

First Heaven Circuit, thirty-five in all: the Ten Divine Taiyi, the Eleven Luminaries (eleven stellar deities), the Lord Who Delivers People from Death, the Great Emperor of the Southern Pole Who Registers Births, the Great Lord of Long Life of the Southern Pole, the Great Spirit Sima Who Guides the World Beyond, the Elder Lord Han Who Cherishes Life, the Perfected Lord of Great Sovereignty and Ten Thousand Blessings, the Perfected Lord Who Supports the Failing and Delivers from Calamity, the Perfected Lord Who Restores the Corpse and Revives the Dead, and the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper.

Second Human Circuit, thirty-seven in all: the Immortals of the Court within the Rite, the Numinous Officials Who Hold Office, and the Merit Officers; the assembled Golden Boys and Jade Maidens (one of whom is placed at the center); the Local Lords of the Nine Provinces (arranged around the outside); the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding (arranged on the left), the Divine Generals of the Six Jia (arranged on the right); and the Five Directions, Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the Five Sacred Peaks who assist in determining fate.

Third Earth Circuit, sixty-three in all: the Great Spirits of the Eight Trigrams, the Dragon Lords of the Four Seas, the Source Kings of the Four Rivers; the Spirit Lord of the Year (standing in the direction of the year’s Grand Duke), the Great Spirits of the Ten Thousand Heavenly Stems, and the Great Spirits of the Twelve Earthly Branches; the Wind Earl, Rain Master, Thunder Duke, Lightning Mother, High Officials of Frost and Snow, the Four Duty Envoys, High Officials of Hail and Sleet, High Officials of Clouds and Mist, and the Earth Emperor of the Nine Ramparts; as well as the local City God, the Numinous Official who oversees the purification ritual, and the local altar earth spirit.

Here the divine names and positions are listed by “circuit” and “tier”; phrases such as “arranged on the left,” “arranged on the right,” and “placed on the outside” indicate their positions when the ritual arrangement is set out.

The governing deity of the Ten Isles and Three Islands, as well as the large and small grotto-heavens, Jinglu, and blessed lands (this divine general holds the central military post).

Altar of the Three Heavens’ Primordial Qi

Methods for Averting and Resolving Disasters of Flood and Drought

The master said: Whenever the Qi of Heaven descends but the Qi of Earth fails to rise, Fire Qi becomes excessive, and the drought demon—an uncanny being that causes drought—brings harm. When Earth Qi rises and Yin Qi blocks Yang Qi, floods spread and unrelenting rain becomes a disaster.

Deeds of hidden virtue need not wait until someone asks before they are done. Deeds of public merit, however, should be carried out when people make their pleas. An altar marked with the character gui is built to pray for rain; a bing altar is set up to end days of continuous rain. Report to Yanggu, the legendary place where the sun rises, and submit a petition to the Fire Emperor. Pray to the Three Officials—the Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water—with the Azure-Register Dragon, a dragon deity charged with governing water and rain. When the allotted period of disaster reaches its limit, pay homage to the Jade Palace, the celestial emperor’s court. Once talismanic documents have been sent down, issue warrants summoning the Thunder and the Ding-Jia divine generals to perform the rites, and request the aid of Taiyi.

The stellar deities of the Northern Dipper destroy demons and evil forces, quell disorder, uphold what is right, and remove abuses. The four goddesses take charge of related matters, harmonizing Yin-Yang and dispelling dark influences. Once the work is complete, all the people of the realm receive its blessings, and all things flourish through the nurture of De. Thereafter, report the merits and offer thanks for any transgressions. Each deity is promoted in rank according to their office and entered in the registers of the Celestial Immortals; their De is then comparable to that of the divine lords. Those who act carelessly and achieve nothing will have their lifespans shortened and their ranks reduced. All must observe these requirements and not slacken in their duties.

The instruction says: When rain falls, the Qi of Heaven descends and the Qi of Earth rises; Yin and Yang harmonize and join, and rain follows. During drought, although the Qi of Heaven descends, only Yang Qi is in motion, while the Qi of Earth does not rise. Yin and Yang therefore fail to harmonize, and heat grows excessive, bringing drought and fire calamities. Such disasters are also often caused when a regional guardian deity becomes violently angry and cruel, wantonly inflicts harm, and damages the righteous Way out of resentment. When Earth Qi surges upward and Yin Qi encroaches upon Yang Qi, the Qi of Heaven cannot descend; incessant rain and flooding then cause harm. Similar calamities can be brought on when leaders responsible for the people secretly plot against them and poison them, when punishments, rewards, and virtuous governance are unclear, or when the loyal and worthy are secretly harmed.

Since you hold the office of Director of the True, you should openly perform good deeds and also accumulate De in secret on behalf of the people, praying privately to avert disaster. When someone submits a written plea for help and asks for relief, this is the practice of public virtue. To pray for rain, build an altar marked with the character gui; to pray for clear skies, set up a bing-ding altar. Major rites are limited to three days, intermediate rites to seven, and lesser rites to nine. The rite must bring a response within its prescribed period.

First build the altar, observe purification, and recite the true scripture Dongyuan Dragon Writing. Report to the local land deity, the Dragon Official in charge of rain, the Divine King of Yanggu, and the Water Official in charge of fate. Next submit a petition to the Great Emperor of Fusang and register it with the Celestial Bureau. Then pay audience to the divine beings of the Golden Palace, submit a memorial, and request authorization. Appoint the Primordial Lady Taiyi, the Six Ding and Six Jia, and the Samadhi Fire Coffer to subdue the water demons. The original text ends here.

The “Black Talisman of the Red Feather Fan for Clearing the Skies,” used by Han Si Leiting, the divine official who governs thunder, to dispel calamities, together with the talismans and incantations for summoning rain and dragons, calling down thunder, and bringing rain to the land, can mobilize the goddesses of lakes and seas, dispersing clouds and revealing the light. They can also bring the Sea Consort of Great Harmony, the goddess of the sea, into union above and below, first stirring up sudden thunder and wind. In accordance with the command, the skies can be cleared or rain can be made to fall.

Before the rain has fallen, thunder has already sounded. The weather is stifling and unsettled, and the fine rain has yet to form. When the work is accomplished, the practitioner cannot claim the credit alone. Only those whose virtue is pure and whose intentions are sincere can harmonize with Heaven and Earth. Heaven is supreme and impartial; it does not show favoritism. All things must accord with virtue as well as with the talismanic methods.

The scripture also says: All manner of disordered and declining Qi can throw the seasons out of balance and disrupt the proper harmony of Heaven and Earth. Insects and locusts then multiply and devour the grain, while epidemics spread and harm the people. Frost in summer, thunder in winter, and springlike blossoms appearing in autumn all signal that the seasons have gone awry. Rainbows spanning the sky, great hailstones, bitter rain, violent winds, and sudden thunder can also damage all things. In the water, jiao dragons and shen dragons cause trouble; on land, tigers and si rhinoceros-like beasts roam, while giant snakes, rats, demons, and gu poison bring harm.

Therefore, one should pray to the spirits of the Fire Court to save the people, and ask the Five Emperors, deities who govern the five directions and the seasons, to nurture all things. In the autumnal season of the West, one should suppress insect poisons, subdue locusts, and bring snakes and tigers under control. One should also pray to the celestial gods to dispel epidemics and preserve life, and ask the Celestial Officials to contain pestilence and relieve suffering. The jade script talisman for subduing jiao dragons and the gold script talisman for undoing harmful spells and gu poison cannot aid the divine work unless they belong to the highest class of practice. With the aid of the middle section of the scripture’s methods, one can manifest divine might, make prayers effective, enable practitioners to ascend, and receive blessings that extend to the mysterious ancestors.

The scripture also says: The primordial ancestral Dao, the source of the Dao, divides into different kinds of Qi. The Qi of the Three Pure Ones gives rise to the high perfected beings; the upright Qi of the Five Phases gives rise to the many deities; fierce Qi gives rise to the Six Ding yin spirits; gentle Qi gives rise to the Six Jia yang spirits; harmonizing Qi gives rise to the people; the most yin Qi transforms into ghost essences; various mixed Qi transforms into birds and beasts; and the finest, most disordered Qi gives rise to insects. This is how the different kinds of Qi bring forth the myriad things.

The course of the four seasons and the Five Emperors’ nurturing of all things proceed as follows. In spring, the Azure Emperor presides and brings forth harmonious, flourishing Qi. In the fourth month, the Red Emperor takes charge of the season, turning spring’s harmonious Qi into warmth. If the Azure Emperor fails to complete the spring season and withdraw in time, a slight chill will arise, preventing the five grains and the hundred fruits from ripening; mists may also bring epidemics. If the Red Emperor intrudes before his season, sudden thunder, violent winds, and aquatic spirits will cause harm to all things, while the people may suffer from heat disorders, epidemics, abscesses, scabies, dysentery, and other illnesses.

In summer, the Red Emperor presides over the fire season and brings all things to maturity. In the seventh month, the White Emperor takes charge, turning warmth into coolness. If the Red Emperor fails to withdraw from the summer season at the proper time, scorching heat and dried-up water sources will result. Rainbows, hail, thunder and lightning, bitter rain, and violent winds will damage plants, while venomous snakes and harmful insects will appear…

If the White Emperor, the deity who governs autumn and is associated with Metal among the Five Phases, oversteps his authority in the mountains, forests, or fields, frost and snow will fall in summer. Plants and trees will wither and die, the grains will fail to ripen, and the people will suffer from coughs. This is the calamity caused when the White Emperor, whose charge is autumn’s power to wither and kill, intrudes out of season into summer’s domain.

The White Emperor should govern in autumn. When all things have borne fruit and ripened, in the tenth month the Black Emperor, the deity who governs winter and is associated with Water among the Five Phases, takes his place, bringing cooler weather and the onset of winter. If the White Emperor fails to restrain autumn’s command, flowers and trees will flourish abnormally in autumn, tigers and leopards will cause harm, rats will gnaw at the grain, and the people will suffer sores and itching. If the Black Emperor oversteps his authority, calamities will follow: rivers and mountains will flood, coastlines will collapse, and earthquakes will occur. The grain harvest will fail; birds and beasts will die without cause; plants and trees will wither; and the people will go hungry, while diseases break out one after another.

The Black Emperor should govern winter with the command of cold. In the first month, the Azure Emperor, the deity who governs spring and is associated with Wood among the Five Phases, takes his place, turning cold into mild weather. If the Black Emperor fails to draw winter’s command to a close and the Azure Emperor does not take over in time, rain, snow, and frost will bring disaster. Trees will grow old and wither, young and old alike will die, and the people will face a severe epidemic in spring. If the Azure Emperor oversteps his authority, flowers will bloom abnormally amid drought but bear no fruit; strange creatures such as flood dragons and mirage creatures will appear in the waters; and people will die suddenly.

In addition, the seasonal changes in climate all require the support of Earth’s De (the power of Earth among the Five Phases). If the seasonal terms fall out of alignment, Yin-Yang will become unbalanced, and all kinds of calamity will follow. These matters are under the jurisdiction of the Southern Nanchang Palace, a celestial office in Daoism, and are overseen by Lord Han the Elder of the Han Fire Directorate. His title is “Han, who commands the Five Emperors, nurtures beings to the utmost, rectifies the courses of the celestial lodgings, harmonizes the Great Pivot, and brings the Seven Regulators into accord.” This means that he commands the Five Emperors, nurtures all beings, corrects celestial phenomena and the courses of the stars, and harmonizes the ordered movements of the sun, moon, and five planets. When such calamities occur, one should petition Lord Han the Elder and pray to the Five Emperors, pledging an alliance with them.

Calamities involving locusts, tigers, rhinoceroses, and related creatures fall under the authority of the Lord of the Western Peak. Epidemics are governed by divine offices including the Eastern Pole Azure Mystery Palace, the Supreme Clarity Jade Directorate, the Longevity and Preservation of Life Palace, the Great One Palace of Primordial Life, and the Four Offices of the Heaven of Succession. The Jade Text and Golden Talisman originate from the Jade Directorate and are administered by the divine offices under the Jade Emperor. Matters such as “the central governor of the stellar divisions” also fall under these offices.

The scripture then says that one should recite the “Central Section” ten thousand times and the Scripture for Delivering Humanity of the Highest Rank ten times. This will dispel calamities in the four directions and sweep away demons and evils in the eight regions. The blessings earned through such mysterious merit will not benefit only oneself; they will also extend to one’s nine generations of ancestors.

It further says that the high officials of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the deity Taiyi command the armies of the various commanderies and states, and are specifically responsible for warfare, banditry, floods, and fires. The deity Tianyi has nine forms of Qi (vital energy) and extraordinary divine generals who guard the nine directions; they are called “noble spirits” and also govern warfare, drought and flood, thunder and wind, and epidemics. When unrest arises in a place under the jurisdiction of these spirits, rebellious ministers, traitors, and warfare will appear. At Donghua there is a holy manifestation of the Primordial Beginning who can preside over these matters; the jade characters and true writings of the thirty-two heavens can suppress calamities and strange phenomena; and cultivating the Ten Virtues can avert disaster.

(The source text ends with “nine,” leaving the sentence unfinished.)

Rituals can dispel calamities and bring peace to the world.

It is also said that when the Nine Spirits governing the movements of war under Taiyi (deities associated with the fortunes of military affairs) shift and change, warfare breaks out. Officials and common people scatter in every direction to flee the conflict. Towns and mountains lie in ruin; the strong prey upon the weak; blood flows through the outskirts and settlements, and corpses lie exposed. Men wail in grief, and women weep in sorrow. How can such calamities be dispelled? One should petition the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning to manifest as the Celestial Worthy of Great Benevolence and Salvation in the Eastern Pole, and have the Jade Characters of True Writings of the Thirty-Two Heavens (sacred celestial script) spread across high mountains, rocky valleys, and great rivers. Nine kinds of ritual offerings should then be prepared to avert calamity. Afterward, ten acts of good governance should be carried out, while people reflect on their faults, repent, and reform themselves. Then weapons will be laid to rest, peace will soon arrive, and stability will endure without collapse.

The Nine Ritual Offerings

Ceremonial horses (horses used in sacrifices or rituals), bows and arrows, a white horse, a red ox, sacrificial blood, firewood, clear spring water, fresh fruit, rare and unusual flowers, fine incense, the Five Grains, five kinds of metal, and five kinds of silk cloth, such as brocade and embroidery.

The Ten Virtues

Commute death sentences and show compassion to orphans; discipline body and mind; observe proper limits in ritual and preserve self-respect; cast off extravagance and reduce food consumption; put public affairs in order; reduce the number of unnecessary officials serving outside the capital; avoid sexual indulgence; let the merit of one’s household benefit those without status or distinction; and make goodness manifest by willingly suffering harm in another’s place.

Ritual for Averting Drought and Praying for Rain, and for Setting Up the Altar

The master said: First choose a clean place and build a Gui-shaped altar (an altar laid out in the form of the character “Gui”) according to the usual specifications, with no restriction on its size. On the upper level, remove the northwest and northeast corners. On the middle level, add a vertical path on each side. On the lower level, remove the southeast and southwest corners. If the situation is urgent, the Gui shape may be drawn on the ground with black mud.

Arrange the seats for the Jiao ritual (an offering ceremony held at an altar) on the north side of the altar. Ascend the altar six times each day, recite passages from the Great Brahma’s Hidden Words or the Scripture of the Cavernal Abyss, summon the Dragon Spirits, and chant prayers and spells. The observance should last nineteen days.

During the first three days, on the first day, report to the Local Altar Official (the deity in charge of the local altar) and the Dragon Spirits who govern the bringing of rain. Also report to the Divine King of Yanggu, the Water Official’s Bureau, and the Bureau of the Lords of Destiny. The documents should bear the signature “Office of the Great Lingbao Rite,” and the affairs of the Water Bureau should be carefully reviewed. The prescribed format for the report should state which prayer text is being submitted; if no prepared prayer text is available, it should state the cause of the prolonged drought. Other matters are explained below. First, send a Merit Officer (a Daoist divine functionary who delivers documents and summons deities) to convey the documents.

If the deities have still not granted a response, on the second day report to the Great Emperor of Fusang, inform the subordinate Three Origins Water Bureau and the Eastern Sea Penglai Directorate of Waterways, and then report to the Office of Laitai Xuandu. Send the documents in the same way as before. If there is still no response, prepare a memorial to the Jade Emperor, bow and submit a petition to the Golden Gate of the Celestial Court of the Three Heavens, and request an edict to be issued and delivered to the Water Bureau...

Write the dragon-summoning talisman on an iron tablet with cinnabar, and the rain-invoking talisman in ink. Cast the tablet into a river or the sea.

Then issue documents to the Five-Thunder Envoys, the Great Gods of the Ding and Jia, the Earl of Wind, the Master of Rain, and other deities. Forward official notices to the City God, the Nine Rivers and Four Seas, and the Dragon Gods of lakes and marshes, ordering them to bring rain by a set deadline. Set the first deadline at three days. If there is still no response after three days, perform the preceding liturgy again, this time using the “middle-level rite,” with a seven-day deadline and an order for results within two days. If there is still no response, perform the “lower-level rite,” with a nine-day deadline and an order for results within three days, following the preceding ritual procedures. If, by the nineteenth day, there has been no response from any deity at all, no further prayers are permitted.

The scripture explains that prayers may go unanswered for three reasons: first, the circumstances of the time may bring a natural disaster as punishment for wrongdoing; second, the person presiding over the liturgy may lack Virtue and have shallow cultivation; third, the petitioner may lack sincerity. The Most High is always compassionate and comes to the aid of all beings. Therefore, petitions may be made for no more than three deadlines, and the Most High will surely respond to the people’s urgent distress. If anyone violates these rules, the Three Officials—the deities who govern the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water—will investigate and demote them or deduct their merit. If a prayer receives a response, a Zhaijiao rite should be held to repay Heaven’s kindness, and the result and the petitioner’s office should be reported.

Altar of the Dongming Gui Water Characters

Three-Heavens Dragon-Summoning, Rain-Bringing Talisman

True Talisman of the Three Heavens for Summoning Qi, Bringing It into Harmony, and Bringing Rain

Whenever casting a talisman, cast it toward a place with a Dragon Pool or Dragon Cave. Support the talisman with the left hand and hold a sword in the right. Perform the Dinggang steps, and after taking three steps, recite this invocation:

“By command of the Three-Heavens talisman, summon the dragon and bring rain. The Celestial Officers of Ding stand before you; the Earl of Wind presides. The Jade Road is blocked, Yin and Yang are cut off, and the two Qi cannot rise and descend. Fly through the sky and bring the rain. Dragon God on duty, obey the talisman and carry out its command. If you refuse, the Water Official will send a flying memorial upward to Shangqing, and the Celestial Officers of Ding will destroy your body. By the numinous command of Yuqing, you must listen with reverence.”

After casting the talisman, withdraw at once, lest thunder, lightning, or rushing water frighten people. Write the talisman on an iron tablet one chi and two cun long and four cun wide. Write the dragon-summoning talisman in cinnabar on the front and the rain-invoking talisman in ink on the back.

Method for Setting Up an Altar to Pray for Clear Skies or Stop the Rain

The master said: Set up a canopy in a clean, open-air place, and build the Bing-Ding altar—the altar symbolizing Bing and Ding and the Qi of Fire—according to the usual rules. Set up the upper level as usual, without adding or removing anything; divide the middle level into two sections, and build a separate, straight section on the lower level. Alternatively, use red clay to mark the shape of the Bing-Ding altar on the ground, make a fan from deep-red silk, write the clear-sky talisman on it in cinnabar, and place it at the eight compass points.

Next, submit a report to the Water Official’s office and inform the Divine King of Yanggu, the deity who governs sunrise. Command the Dragon God in charge of rainfall and the other deities. On the following day, submit a memorial requesting that the rain stop. If there is still no response, pay homage to the Supreme Emperor and ask him to send down Taiyi…

The Great Deities of Yuanjun Ding and Jia, the divine generals who guard and carry out the commands of Heaven, spread the Samadhi Fire, the sacred fire invoked in Daoist ritual. They draw in the water Qi, cut down water demons, and dispatch them between the realms of Yin and Yang. Whenever the rite is performed, incense should be offered and the Hidden Words of the Great Brahma recited during six double-hours. Once the ritual is complete, a Jiao rite should be performed in gratitude for Heaven’s grace.

Altar of Bing and Ding at Yang Valley: Talisman for Inviting Clear Skies

Talisman for Inviting Clear Skies by Opening the Jade Path through the Three Heavens

The Master said: Whenever rain falls without letup and prolonged rainfall brings disaster, set up an oilcloth canopy over an open-air altar. Make eight fans from the feathers of swans and geese, write the “Jade Path Talisman” on them in yellow, and place one in each of the eight directions. The rite should take no longer than one double-hour; the rain will then stop and the sky will clear.

Set out the talismans across the Three Heavens, pray that Heaven clearly distinguish Yin from Yang, and recite this invocation:

“Metal and Water were originally mutually generative, yet have become mutually destructive; the Qi of Fire and Earth restrains and harms the forms of all things. Han Si, set the commands in order, so that the radiance of the Three Luminaries shines forth, Yin and Yang each return to their proper place, and passage to the Purple Court is open. Great Dao of the Primordial Beginning, Wu, Yi, Bing, Ding—hasten in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

Petition for Rain: Rite of Inviting the Officials

I, [name], am a disciple of [rank], registered with the Daoist authorities of [name], under the jurisdiction of Celestial Master [name] and within the lineage governed by [name]’s Qi. I am a Libationer holding an authorization document. In submitting this petition, I, [name], am filled with awe and trepidation; I bow my head to the ground and pay my respects twice.

I respectfully state, as recorded in the documents, that I have been fortunate to live in this time and to receive the Daoist teachings from my masters, so that I may aid the state and support the people’s lives. Recently, the seasons have fallen out of balance and calamities have arisen. Since the beginning of spring, drought and lack of rain have prevented the people from farming, and the grain seedlings have withered. Concerned for the people, I ask that the clouds be parted and rain sent down to nourish all things, allowing life to continue. In accordance with the Lingbao Great Rites, I respectfully submit this petition to Heaven and beseech its attention.

For this purpose, I respectfully invite the Grand One’s Talisman-Bearer, the Five-Thunder Envoys, the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, the Great Deities of the Six Jia, the Jade Maiden of the River, the Divine King of Yang Valley, the Jade Maiden of Pengzhong, and the Jade Maiden of the Lake to descend at the appointed time, carry out the commands, and convey them to the Water Court of Fusang, the Divine King of Yang Valley, the Chief Water Commissioner of Penglai, the Water Official in charge of Destiny, the Four Seas and Nine Rivers, the Water Courts of the Three Origins, and the rain dragons, Wind Earl, Rain Master, Thunder Lord, Lightning Mother, and soil deities appointed for this year.

I beseech all the deities to go to their respective regions and command the dragon gods responsible for the movement of Water and the distribution of rain within their jurisdictions. May they swiftly bring Yin and Yang into harmony, raise clouds and spread mist, and send down abundant rain throughout the four directions, relieving the drought-stricken lands. If any beings have damaged the righteous Qi, committed evil, or caused disturbances, I beseech the thunder’s might to punish them, thereby making Heaven’s laws clear and preventing the rain from being obstructed. I respectfully ask for your grace…

May the Highest One—the supreme deity—look upon this petition with clear insight and compassion. I, your humble and ignorant servant, respectfully call upon the divine officials who deliver petitions directly to the Two Offices, the Zhengyi merit registrar, the left and right official messengers, the clerks who determine matters of Yin and Yang, the clerks of the red tallies for ritual carriages, the mounted couriers of the fierce winds, the mounted post clerks who present petitions, and the dragon-mounted clerks, to present this petition on my behalf:

I respectfully place this petition in an envelope and send it to the Office of a certain Bureau in the heavenly administration. I humbly await notice and reply. I, your servant So-and-so, am filled with awe and trepidation. I bow my head twice and respectfully submit this petition.

[Leave three blank lines here]

I, your servant So-and-so, belong to a certain palace and burn incense here as I cultivate the Way.

[Leave three blank lines here]

[Leave three blank lines here]

[Leave three blank lines here]

On the full sheet of paper used to write the petition:

To the Most High, Primordial Mystery of the Great Clarity, Supreme Three Heavens, Limitless Great Dao, and Jade Steps of the Seven Treasures in the Golden Gate of Great Clarity:

Petitioning office and rank: I, So-and-so, submit this petition and respectfully seal it.

Inner square envelope

Respectfully sent to the Office of a certain Bureau and a certain palace. Petitioning office and rank: So-and-so respectfully seals this again.

Outer square envelope

Respectfully sent to the gates of the Three Heavens, with a request that it be forwarded. Petitioning office and rank: So-and-so respectfully seals this again.

Formula for a Petition to Pray for Clear Skies

Petitioning office and rank (in the same format as above).

I submit this petition: I have consulted the records, which state that I once encountered this cycle of events and was granted the Dao teachings transmitted by my master, so that I might assist the state and uphold Heaven’s mandate. Recently, cold and heat have been out of balance. From summer into autumn, Yin Qi has spread everywhere and failed to disperse. Relentless heavy rain has swollen the waters, and rivers have overflowed their banks. The people can no longer make a living; crops in the fields have been washed away and submerged. The court and the people are both deeply troubled by this.

I request permission to submit a petition in accordance with the Great Lingbao Method, and respectfully ask that this petition be conveyed upward. I hereby pray that the Jade Maidens of the River, Sea, and Lake, together with the Water Office’s direct tally-bearer, issue orders to the Three Origins’ Water Palaces, the Water Office bureaus, the rivers and waterways, and the water-controlling Dragon Spirits of springs, sources, streams, and ravines; to the deities of the Cloud, Thunder, and Rain divisions, the Wind Earl, and the other gods; and to the Dragon Spirits and Rain Masters charged with bringing rain this year. May they swiftly gather in the clouds and mists, regulate Yin and Yang separately, stop the rain, and bring forth clear skies. May each return to their appointed duties, and may this serve as a sign of the petition’s efficacy.

May the Highest One show compassion. I, your humble and ignorant servant, respectfully call upon the divine officials who deliver petitions directly to the Two Offices, the Zhengyi merit registrar, the left and right official messengers, the clerks who determine matters of Yin and Yang, the clerks of the red tallies for ritual carriages, the mounted couriers of the fierce winds, the mounted post clerks who present petitions, and the dragon-mounted clerks...

Carefully present a letter containing a memorial for someone, and send it to the seat of the appropriate bureau. Await notice and a reply. I, your servant, am filled with awe and fear, bow my head twice, and respectfully submit this report.

〔Leave three blank lines〕

The second memorial is to be handled in the same way. When making the prayer, however, say: “Taiyi Primordial Lord, Jade Maidens of the Six Dings, Great Spirits of the Six Jias, Heavenly Officers, and Mighty Warriors: please descend together, swiftly gather in the water vapors, cut down the water demons, divide the springs, open the Jade Path, and make the three lights—the sun, moon, and stars—shine clearly. Let this serve as proof of efficacy.”

Rituals for Recitation and Practice: Nine Methods of Hidden Merit for Averting and Suppressing Calamities

The Master said: If the cycles and measures of Heaven and Earth become abnormal, write the scripture on purple silk in the script of dragon-and-phoenix forms, place it in a famous mountain, and cultivate and recite this scripture to dispel ominous events.

If the courses of the stars become disordered and the sun and moon grow dim, write the True Writings in Red Script and Jade Characters of the Five Elders on yellow silk with cinnabar, place them in a famous mountain, and cultivate and recite this scripture to dispel ominous events.

If the four seasons depart from their proper course and Yin-Yang falls out of balance, write the Chapter of the Correct Sounds of the Great Brahma’s Hidden Language on blue-green silk with cinnabar. Place it in a shrine in a village or district, or in a famous mountain, and cultivate and recite it to dispel ominous events.

If the ruler suffers calamity and warfare breaks out repeatedly, write the Secret Taboos of the Thirty-Two Heavens on yellow silk with cinnabar, carry them on your person, and cultivate and recite them to avert calamity.

If epidemics spread and the people die or are injured, write the Chapter of the Correct Sounds of the Thirty-Two Heavens on green silk with cinnabar, carry it on your person, and cultivate and recite it to avert calamity.

If a teacher or friend dies, write the Great Brahma’s Hidden Language of the Immeasurable Inner Sounds on yellow silk with cinnabar, then burn it to deliver the deceased from suffering. (The jade registers are found in the “Section on Averting and Suppressing Calamities through Wearing and Carrying.”)

Whenever these methods are performed, visualize yourself as the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure. Make the hand sign by holding the middle finger, draw the three Qi of the Heavenly Gate from its center, and write facing south. If you can observe the prescribed purification and practice described above, write talismans and recite scriptures with focused sincerity and reverence, the heavens will record your name and the myriad spirits will attend and protect you. You may then hope to become an official of the Golden Palace and receive the Demon King’s recommendation.

Method for Averting Calamities and Delivering from Adversity

The Master said: If the sun and moon are eclipsed, mountains and rivers quake or collapse, epidemics spread, Yin-Yang falls out of order, or cold and heat arrive out of season, the people should enter a Jing chamber—a place where practitioners quiet their minds and perform their rites. Sit upright and recite the Chapter of the Correct Sounds of the Great Brahma, and wear the Great Brahma Talisman for Quelling Spirits. These practices drive away all manner of calamity, invite harmonious Qi, protect the practitioner, and bring peace to the region.

To follow this method, write the talisman on yellow silk with cinnabar and wear it. In this way, you can communicate with the Five Emperors and form ties with the assembled sages.

Imagine yourself as the Dao Lord (a revered Daoist deity). Form the Shangqing hand seal, drawing in the pure Qi of the Nine Heavens and letting it circle around the tip of your brush. Click your teeth three times, silently recite the incantation, and then write the talisman.

The incantation says:

The primordial Qi spreads across the heavenly vault. The great primordial Qi flows, radiating light, and unfolds into true script, mysteriously responding to the rising sun. Its splendid radiance shines brightly, guarding the Central Yellow. It connects with the Dipper’s celestial powers, aligns the Northern Dipper, and illuminates the Celestial Beam. It guides the vast primordial Qi in its course, directing it by the laws of the Mysterious Dipper. Its numinous might shakes the heavens; divine voices resound, bringing Yin-Yang into harmony. It commands the myriad spirits, returning life to its constant truth; it subdues all demons, while I occupy the position of Supreme King.

Hasten and act in accordance with the precepts of Lingbao.

The Great Primordial Qi’s Spirit-Shaking Talisman:

(Open the Eight Gates) (Set the heavenly wheel spinning) (The Three Luminaries conceal their traces, bringing the dead back to life)

(Circulate the Qi of the Central Yellow, so that the upper, middle, and lower Dantian naturally fill) (Extend everywhere in the ten directions) (Deliver nature and life from affliction, restoring youth) (Let the Five Phases flow smoothly) (Keep the Qi of the four seasons abundantly full) (Let the ancestral Qi shine brightly, its scene clear and boundless)

(The primordial Qi coils around the rosy clouds like jade chimes) (The hundred spirits) (Primordial Nurture) (Lord Hua)

(Leap over the cinnabar dragon) (Unite) (The Dark Child receives the command)

(Encompass the Mysterious Way’s essential teaching) (Let radiance shine forth, power be complete, and efficacy be boundless) (Gather the myriad Qi and become an immortal)

(Let the Dipper stars expand and flow together) (Return me to the beginning before Heaven and Earth were divided, enduring through countless eons without end) (By the Jade Emperor’s decree, suppress and pacify) (The talisman envoy on duty takes the central position) (Make clear the harmony that joins the two cycles) (Together accomplish the primordial beginning’s work)

The Great Primordial Qi Soars Through the Void

The master said: Whenever those who study the Dao encounter the Three Primal Days—the fast days of the upper, middle, and lower periods—or the Eight Seasonal Nodes, or their own birth day; whenever the ruler of the state faces calamity or famine, or the seasons fall out of order; whenever the cultivated dharma body—the Dao-body envisioned by a practitioner—grows dull or falls ill; whenever one is struck by curses spoken aloud, a baleful star shines directly upon them, or an ill-omened luminary approaches; whenever the people suffer injustice without redress, or men and women are unable to have children; and whenever fierce, violent, and harmful beings haunt the mountains and forests, or spirits that fly through the sky, burrow into the earth, and wreak havoc in midair bring calamity that is hard to remedy, one should practice the “Way of Soaring Through the Void.”

To perform the rite, bow low and focus your thoughts on the Heart Chapter. Walk the Dipper’s revolving course, stepping through the Dipper pattern that passes the Winnowing Basket constellation—the ritual steps known as pacing the Dipper. Apply the method of the union of Kan and Li, in which the two Qi merge through the Yin-Yang symbols of Kan and Li, and silently pay homage to the Lingbao Emperor. Contemplate the principle called “One Mud, Nine”—a technical term in the original whose precise meaning is unclear—and penetrate deeply into the netherworld. In this way, spirits and ghosts can be made to tremble and submit, and the myriad Qi can be kept in existence for a long time.

Without undergoing suffering, the body can manifest radiance. The myriad kinds of original Qi gather together, enabling all to ascend to the realm of immortals and bringing calamities and misfortunes to an end. This is what is called the wondrous Dao of the highest order.

For the practice, on the morning of a fasting day, enter a quiet chamber at the hour of Yin (approximately three to five in the morning). Sit upright and form the Lingbao hand seal, used in Daoist cultivation, resting one hand on each knee. Steady your thoughts and clear your spirit, so that thoughts within do not scatter outward and thoughts from the outside do not enter the mind. Visualize the inner and outer surfaces of the five viscera and six bowels as bright, pure, and transparent. Visualize the sun on your left and the moon on your right, each nine inches from your face. At the center of the crown of your head, a circular image of five-colored light appears. Within it is a precious pearl, seeming to hang in the air as it turns and moves.

Next, visualize the imperial lords of the thirty-two heavens riding together in chariots adorned with the five colors and the Eight Luminaries. Each comes from its own direction and gathers at the center of your crown. Every imperial lord emits true Qi in one of the five colors, drawn from the five directions. These streams interweave like threads, merging into myriad rays of precious light and joining with your own true Qi. When the visualization reaches this point, beat the ritual drum twenty-four times to summon the twenty-four Qi. Then sense the dark Qi in your lower Dantian, the abdominal center used in internal alchemy, coiling and rising. It flows and mingles within the heart, winding gently upward from between the eyebrows to the hairline, where it emerges and transforms into twenty-four deities.

Next, visualize two chambers behind the spine, one on either side of the space between the shoulder blades, like halls of colored glass. In each hall is a crystal pearl, luminous and transparent within and without. Then visualize the original Qi in the kidneys rising in reverse from the tailbone area, transforming into a clear blue-green spring that wells upward to the Palace of the Mudball, the cultivation center in the head. In the palace, the sun and moon reflect one another, forming a pavilion of flowing golden and emerald light. On its terrace, the Imperial Lord of Beginning Blue sends down light in five colors—purple, yellow, white, blue, and green—which enters the crown of the practitioner’s head and condenses into a precious terrace.

Then visualize your own dark Qi transforming into a Perfected Being seated upon the precious terrace. The myriad kinds of original Qi descend together. You sit upright among them, your whole body shining with precious light. The ten directions and the inner and outer worlds of the three realms, the Daoist heavens and worlds, all appear clearly, as if right before your eyes.

Afterward, silently recite the sixty-four verses of the Great Brahma Hidden Words. With each verse, draw in breath, exhale, and snap your fingers once for each of the twelve double-hours, from Zi to Hai, allowing the breath to work through your whole body. When you recite the four verses containing the words “Kan and Li” and “Qian and Kun,” knock your teeth together thirty-six times. Visualize the Three Pure Ones and the Qi of the Northern Mystery merging, with the radiance of the sun and moon shining together. Draw in breath, rinse your mouth with saliva as part of the practice, and swallow it, repeating this nine times. Then recite the incantation:

The dark and yellow radiance shines brightly upon the Purple Tenuity. Beginning Blue and Linfan reflect one another; golden fungi grow from the realm of Primordial Beginning and then enter the void. From this, a deep and luminous gate opens, forming a numinous embryo that transforms into an infant. The flowing chime’s flames of light leap forth brilliantly, and Cangmei flourishes and transforms. The gods of the myriad heavens array themselves to give support; far away, they appear, robed and approaching.

The three fields—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian—are filled to the brim, and auspicious light rises like a rainbow. The Yellow Emperor and Laozi, revered deities of Daoism, transform and become immortals, transcending suffering and danger.

Through Wuwei, the highest benevolence is attained, and one joins with the Great Dao without loss.

After reciting the incantation on the right, swallow the talisman prepared earlier, turn, and leave by the door without looking back.

After doing this for sixty-four days, all spirits will submit in awe, and the assembled immortals will answer the summons. No impure Qi will remain in the heavens, and on earth demons and defiling dust will be banished. The underworld and the realm of wisdom will be clear and unobstructed, allowing one to enter the profound, boundless realm of the scripture.

Method for Exorcising Water Demons

The Master said: When dark clouds suddenly gather and reddish-yellow Qi appears within them, bursting forth like smoke, there will surely be rain and hail, violent thunder and lightning, or disturbances caused by water demons. If dark clouds and black Qi appear over rivers or seas, strong winds may also arise and damage property.

When this happens, first perform the Fire Bell Dipper step, a Daoist method of stepping through the stars. Quickly carry out the Four Mountains hand-seal formula, move to the Xu position, circle around to the Dipper position, then proceed to the Chen position. Next make the Claw Pattern hand seal, change to the Shangqing hand seal, and mark it with cinnabar. Then wind red thread around it three times, hold the hand seal firmly, and stand facing south. Visualize the Primordial Heavenly Worthy in the Niwan Palace, the upper Dantian in the head, and silently recite the secret words ten times.

Next change to the Yuqing hand seal and face south. Visualize Mars with three rays of light like flames. Inhale through the nose, draw the Qi into the mouth, hold the breath for three counts, and silently recite the incantation:

“Reddish-yellow Qi, revered numinous source of the Three Samādhis, command the water essence to overturn.”

When the incantation is finished, exhale toward the head of the clouds. Do this three times, and the water essence will fall, while wind and thunder will cause no damage.

If a violent storm breaks trees and sweeps up stones, make the Heavenly Emperor Seal: press the left index finger against the base of the thumb, then use the thumb to hold the Shen Pattern hand seal. Visualize and silently recite the reason for stopping the wind, and inwardly pray for the Primordial Heavenly Worthy to perform the wind-stopping incantation. Take Qi from the northwest and blow it onto the final talisman, written on a tile or stone. Then recite the incantation, write a second talisman, and afterward draw the heart seal. Release the hand seal and place the talisman in the direction of the Heavenly Gate. The wind will stop at once.

Wind-Stopping Talisman

First write the talisman, then write the talisman again, and finally draw the true-form heart seal.

Primordial Wind-Stopping Incantation

“All paths belong to the Primordial Heavenly Worthy; even when carrying out the work of sweeping away and issuing commands, it is above the Heavenly Gate.”

The Master said: If you encounter a storm while crossing a river or sea and the boat is about to capsize, write the Sea-Calming Talisman and visualize the mouth of the Northern Dipper. The Dipper’s leading star at the tip of the nose points forward, aligned with the tip of the nose and directed toward the bow. Fix your gaze on the bow, recite the Disaster-Dispelling Incantation seven times, then the Wave-Stopping Incantation once, and throw down the Sea-Calming…

Recite the Stabilizing Spell once more and blow it toward yourself; the turmoil will naturally subside.

Spell for Dispelling Calamity

“Reed-roller, reed-roller! The Lord of the River leads the way ahead. Hold back the flood dragons and scatter the myriad disasters; let the sky clear. Let brightness appear. Hasten in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

By command of the Supreme Emperor of the Primordial Beginning.

Spell for Calming the Waves

“Water spirit, wave spirit, Feng Yi in charge, Lord Spirit Wu Zixu: please calm the waves and still the waters. Celestial immortals and earth deities travel with the Jade Emperor; dragons crouch and tigers lie hidden, while the Water Official carries out his command. We remain safe and unharmed. Hasten in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

Sea-Calming Talisman and Stabilizing Spell

“Primordial Beginning, bring peace and stability. Spread forth the five scrolls of red writing and jade characters. By the power of the Eight Mighty Dragons, preserve and restrain the calamities of fate, so that Heaven and Earth endure forever. Hasten in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

By command of the Supreme Emperor of the Primordial Beginning.

Talisman of the Six Ding for Slaying Water Monsters

Draw the talisman on a square brick. Before drawing it, first recite the command spell. Then, while writing it with cinnabar ink and brush, recite:

“Primordial killing force, vermilion cinnabar, streaming with light: enter within and destroy all evil. Hasten in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

By command of the Lingbao talisman.

This spell is used with all kinds of talismans: recite it first, then draw the talisman; once it is drawn, recite the accompanying invocation as well.

The invocation says:

“Great gods of the Six Ding, jade maidens of the Six Ding, by the command of the Heavenly Talisman, slay the monsters: gouge out their eyes, sever their claws, remove their brains, and cut open their bellies. Hasten in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

By command of the Lingbao talisman.

During the ritual, form the Jade Purity hand seal, draw in the Qi of the Ding position for the current ten-day period, blow upon it, and cast it forth.

Method for Exorcising Fire Demons

The ritual master says: Among the spirits born between Heaven and Earth is one called the “drought demon.” There is also a monster resembling a camel, called the “fire demon.” When it appears, clouds surge violently and red clouds roil; heat rises, and the wind sounds like galloping horses. A fire will then break out.

During the ritual, form the Kan-pattern hand seal and smear ink on the hand. Then wind black silk around it five times and face north. Visualize the Water constellation, draw in five streams of blue Qi through the nose, hold the breath for five counts, and recite:

“Child of Metal, hear this: Fire overcomes Metal. Metal is the mother of Fire; the child of Metal must hurry to save its mother. Fly swiftly, scattering everywhere; transform into rivers, ponds, seas, and streams. Extinguish the fire in the dwelling and disperse the smoke and dust. Bury the essence of the red demon a thousand fathoms below. Hasten in accordance with the statutes of the Primordial Beginning!”

Recite this spell five times, then blow toward the fire demon. The flames will immediately subside, the calamity will be dispelled, and the fire demon will sink and perish.

Method for Extinguishing Harmful Fires

The ritual master says: There are various uncanny beings in the world, and each should be destroyed according to its kind. The spirit left behind after a person dies is called a “ghost”; a spirit that attaches itself to an object is called an “essence”; and when a deity strays from the proper path, it is called an “evil spirit.”

If the four kinds of beings—those born from the womb, from eggs, in dampness, or through transformation, and other sentient life—bring calamity upon people, this is the work of demons and malign spirits. If violent killings manifest through ominous signs, this is the work of strange spirits. When mountain sprites, celestial foxes, great pythons, long dragons, and similar beings harm the people, a Three-Day Altar of Quiet Qi should be established, enshrining the deities of the Three-Day lineage and serving as a ritual platform for Zhaijiao (purification rites).

First, build the altar platform from purified ash, three feet high and three feet six inches wide on each side. Two people, each carrying a hu-measure of ash, begin spreading it from the northwest (the Qian direction), forming two altars, one on the left and one on the right, and laying the ash in a full circle around each. Another account says the altar surface should be six feet square. Place seven piles of fire and eight urns of water outside the altar. Perform the rites on the prescribed dates, mounting the altar six times each day. Hold a ritual sword and recite the “Spell of the Divine Lord’s Sweeping Away.”

The spell means:

The Thirty-Two Heavens, the Thirty-Two Emperors, and the hidden names, sacred titles, and numinous registers of the various heavens all contain the wondrous power of the natural order. The rhythms of the heavens and the sounds of the celestial realm are the work of its exalted spirits, celestial gods, demons, and numinous powers. They merge and transform, revealing the immeasurable, profound mysteries of the High Clarity heaven, whose teachings are so vast and deep they cannot be fully described. The divine perfected beings descend and spread salvation to all people and living beings.

Today a sacred celebration is held. Those who receive deliverance pass through the gates of the various heavens and seek to end the Three Evils, sever their roots in the underworld, fly across the Five Households, and have their names entered in the Great Mystery. The Demon King is commanded to inspect and recommend them, and the gates of heaven remain unobstructed. The Eastern Dipper records years of life, the Western Dipper registers names, the Northern Dipper governs death, the Southern Dipper governs life, and the Great Chief of the Central Dipper oversees and inspects all spirits.

The Azure Emperor protects the hun-soul, the White Emperor attends to the po-soul, the Red Emperor nourishes primordial Qi, the Black Emperor opens the channels of the blood, and the Yellow Emperor, dwelling at the center, commands all the gods. The demon king of the Azure Heaven is named Wuyue; the demon king of the Red Heaven, Bayuan Choubo; the demon king of the White Heaven, Fu Tian Danshi; another demon king of the White Heaven, Fanshan Liumu; the demon king of the Black Heaven, Jianchou Langfu; and the demon king of the Yellow Heaven, Hengtian Danli. The Great Demons of the Five Emperors are chiefs of the myriad gods. Leading their hosts through the air, with drums resounding behind them, they command the ghost soldiers and direct banners, pennants, and drum standards. They patrol the heavens, proclaim their blazing splendor, and bring all the heavens together in the accomplishment of merit.

The heavens deliver people and, in majesty, command the Northern Feng, the underworld in the north. The Divine Lord is ordered to sweep away inauspicious forces everywhere. The Eight Mighty Generals breathe forth fierce, poisonous vapors; the savage steeds race in all directions. The Celestial Soldiers clear the way ahead, while the great commander carries a banner and hurls fire. Even ten thousand miles away, the flowing divine fire rings wield their power. In all eight directions, whoever dares to offend or obstruct the Perfected Ones is first struck down with a golden axe. The heavenly troops then mete out punishment, dismembering ghosts and demons as wind and fire rage without pause. Thousands upon thousands of ghost heads are severed; tens of thousands of ghostly forms are cut down.

Demons and malign spirits may not invade; ghosts and specters may not cause harm. The Three Officials and the Northern Feng scrutinize the camps of the ghost hosts, allowing no evil spirits to hide. The Golden Horse relays carry the commands, proclaiming them throughout the boundless realms. All the myriad gods must obey. The Five Emperors of the Three Realms jointly submit their report to the High Clarity heaven.

If, within seven days of performing the rite, the celestial spirits do not eliminate the harm, cast it into the altar, strike it with a sword, and then throw it into flowing water. For lesser ghosts and goblins, there is no need to use water or fire. Simply write the characters “Yan” and “You” in ash inside the altar, then circle the altar six times a day while reciting the “Sweeping and Banishment Incantation.” Within three days, the demon will be confined in the altar and reveal its form. Then pray, asking the spirit officials within the altar to send it to the Northern Heaven for punishment.

To subdue strange trees or evil temples, use ash to mark out a ritual altar, write the “Sweeping and Banishment Incantation,” and set it in the southeast. Recite the incantation silently ten times, then draw in the Qi of the Heavenly Gate and form the “Jade Clarity Hand Seal,” a Daoist ritual gesture. Within ten days, heavenly thunder will destroy the target. To deal with demons in ponds, springs, or similar places, write the incantation on a stone and sink it in the water, reciting the incantation as before. Within seven days, the Jiaolong and Shen monsters can be struck down and forced out; then attack them with Fulu, and the rite will take effect immediately. Building the altar from earth works better than drawing one on level ground. In an emergency, the altar may be omitted.

The master said: “‘Yan’ is the courtyard where ghosts are bound; ‘You’ is the room where ghosts are confined. To restrain ghosts and spirits, take two dou of ash. Form the Jade Clarity Hand Seal with both hands, and use the middle fingers to write these two characters. There is no need to write a separate petition or proclamation. You may also write two talismans on yellow paper in cinnabar and place them in the center of the ash. Evil demons, ghosts, and spirits will naturally be subdued within it. You may also sink it in water to make a water prison, or throw it into fire to make a fire prison. The practitioner decides which transformation to use.”

Altar for Quieting the Qi of the Three Heavens

Courtyard for Binding Ghosts: The character “Yan.”

Room for Confined Ghosts: The character “You.”

Incantation for Establishing the Prison:

“Yan, the courtyard that binds ghosts; You, the room that confines ghosts. Evil ghosts have trespassed against the True Dao, and their crimes are grave. The Jade Clarity celestial troops will seize them and cast them into the place of confinement. The transformation will take place of its own accord; they must not be allowed to linger. Urgently, urgently, in accordance with the…”

Lingbao Ordinances.

In the rites above, form the Jade Clarity Hand Seal, blow the talisman with Qi from the East, and blow it into the prison.

Three Heavens Method for Driving Away Locusts

The master said: “To drive away locusts, take eight boards of peachwood, each two chi and four cun long and three cun wide. Use realgar and cinnabar to write eight ‘Zhu Lake Talismans.’ Prepare three portions each of tea, wine, fruit, and colored silk, and make offerings to the Southern Lord of Ten Thousand Efficacies, the Red Emperor True Lord, and the Zhu Lake Envoy.

“The Zhu Lake Envoy is three hundred thousand zhang tall, with red eyes and scorched-yellow hair. He wears a scarlet robe and deep-red skirt, a red crown, and vermilion shoes. He rides amid ten thousand zhang of flames, holding a wheel of Samadhi Fire and riding upon the Qi of the Vermilion Bird of the Cinnabar Grotto. Flocks of birds follow behind him. Pray, saying:”

Enact the teachings transmitted by the Primordial Lord (a high-ranking Daoist deity) and the Jade Emperor’s Red Script to drive away pests and put an end to locusts and stem borers.

I now command you: parents and offspring of insects and locusts, leave at once and go far away. You must not linger. If even one insect disobeys this command, all of you will turn to fine dust.

After reciting the spell, draw in a breath and blow it toward the Fulu (talismans and registers), then nail the talisman at each of the eight directions, driving it about one foot into the ground. The insects and locusts will then perish of their own accord, bringing a bountiful harvest and accomplishing the work of rescuing the people.

Cinnabar Lake Talisman for Driving Away Locusts

Six Jia Talisman for Removing Harmful Influences

The spell says:

In the world above are eight thousand people. Below are the Four Generals Who Uphold the Earth and the officers and soldiers of Three and Five, charged with removing evil ghosts. Four and Six youths guard your body. To your left is the Azure Dragon, to your right the White Tiger, above you the Vermilion Bird, and below you the Black Tortoise. Before you is the Merit Officer; behind you, the Registrar. If a harmful spirit is causing trouble, send it back to its original master. If it does not leave within an instant, deal with it using the Heavenly Axe. Hasten, by the command of the Primordial Lord, the Supreme Emperor!

Write the talismans above in cinnabar on yellow paper. Form the Jade Clarity hand sign, draw in the Qi from the direction corresponding to the Jia day in the current ten-day cycle, and blow it onto the talisman. Use them as follows: wear one talisman on your person; burn one in the center of the courtyard; burn another to ash, mix it with water, and sprinkle it around the room; and decoct the remaining talisman with seven smoked plums and three inches of licorice root, then drink the decoction. According to the scripture, this will make a person afflicted by a harmful spirit vomit out the thing causing the disturbance.

Method for Setting Up an Altar to Drive Away Spirits and Remove Harm

The master said: In the mountains and rivers, seas and streams, cities, townships, and villages of the lower realm, there may be spirits of wood and stone, birds and beasts; deities arising from disorder in the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); fierce ghosts beneath the earth; and the souls of strange spirits and harmful apparitions. They recklessly bring about calamities, harassing and injuring the people. Some may also consort with the deceased who receive sacrifices in Northern Yin Fengdu (the Daoist underworld), involving one’s ancestors or forming ties with recently deceased relatives. They may also cause disputes over graves and entanglements in the underworld, or even start fires that bring calamity upon the living. Whenever such a situation cannot be handled or resolved by other means, choose a clean room or a quiet, remote wilderness where few people pass, and use clean earth to build a three-tiered “Three Mornings Mysterious Pivot Altar.”

The altar has three levels, each one foot high. The top level is two feet wide, with the Imperial Palace position at its exact center, where the Great Emperor of the North Pole and the Great Emperor of Heaven are enshrined. The middle level is three feet wide, with positions for the Nine Emperors of the Northern Dipper, the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper, the sun and moon, and the deities of the Three Terraces, all arranged according to the constellations, with lamps lit below. The bottom level is six feet wide, with positions for the Generals of the Three Origins, the deities of the Twelve Branches, the Grand Year, the two envoys Qiangyang and Tuoluo, the Merit Officers of the Four Watches, and the Earth Deity. Arrange these before the altar…

Write the secret names of the Southern Dipper and Northern Dipper on the ritual table, then place them over a lamp and burn them. Run five-colored threads from the Dipper’s mouth to beneath the ritual table. Following the prescribed rite, write a prayer on paper, and secretly record and conceal your own failings.

After confessing and expressing remorse for your faults, pray for harmony in your allotted years and the warding off of calamities, so that the human world may be peaceful and ghosts and monsters may cease their disturbances. If there is not enough time to build an earthen altar, draw the shape of a three-tiered altar on the ground with white chalk and conduct the rite accordingly.

Altar of the Three Mornings’ Mysterious Pivot: Rite for Warding Off Calamity and Resolving Misfortune

The master said: For any grave matter involving calamity or disaster, one should build the “Altar of the Three Heavens’ Universal Qi” in accordance with the Great Red Golden Register; its precise design is described earlier. For lesser calamities, one may build a “Altar of Life and Transformation”: the altar should be five feet high, with a circular top nine feet in diameter. Set up a marker post on the altar, place a celestial disk atop it, and light nine Dipper lamps.

If an earthen altar cannot be built, use white chalk or a blade to draw a circle on the ground. Place the Dipper lamps on a platform or stool to represent the form of the celestial disk with the Dipper set upon it. The rite will be more efficacious if the arrangements follow the prescribed forms exactly.

Next, prepare nine portions each of pure water, seasonal fresh flowers, fine incense, choice fruit, and mellow wine. Then draw nine cloud horses on colored paper, showing the horses running and the clouds billowing. In the blank space, write the person’s place of origin and name, briefly state the cause of the calamity they have suffered, and pray for its removal, so that they may pass safely through the ordeal and enjoy long life. Also record the year, month, day, and hour.

Write the name of one star lord on each cloud horse, and write a Dipper talisman on each saddle (see the Dipper Scripture). Prepare a sacrificial document for each star lord and present it as the paper is about to be burned, following the usual rite.

Draw six more cloud horses and write the Southern Dipper talisman on them (see the Dipper Scripture); proceed as before. Also write three “Three Heavens’ Nurturing Bureau Talismans” in vermilion ink. Have the person suffering the calamity take one of them and, in a darkened room, write down the secret deeds of their life and the reasons for acting against their conscience. Seal the writing, then burn it together with nine hundred strings of cash and the cloud horses. Burn the second talisman to ash and swallow it. Wear the third on the crown of the head, bow ninety-eight times, then withdraw. The scripture says that in this way all calamities can be dispelled and the person can regain their vitality.

Three Heavens’ Nurturing the Dead Bureau Talisman (also called the “Talisman for Harmonizing One’s Allotted Years”)

Beneath this talisman, write the person’s allotted lifespan and their year, month, day, and hour of birth.

A person born under a particular star of the Northern Dipper has that star as the governor of their sins throughout life. The matters for which forgiveness and pardon are sought may be written down as desired.

With reverence, invoke the numinous and efficacious Emperor Lords of the Five Stars and the person’s birth destiny, urgently, as though by decree of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, commanding the True Lord who serves as one’s master.

Write the incantation seven times in cinnabar. Then take the Qi of the Jade Clarity Northern Dipper—the primordial and numinous energy spoken of in Daoism—and the Qi of the star governing one’s birth destiny, and blow onto the talisman.

The Flying Dipper Method

Secret Memorial to the Flying Spirits

The instructions say: First perform the Yu steps, the ritual steps Daoist practitioners make according to a prescribed pattern. Enter the Dipper’s mouth from its handle, then retreat to the handle, using the steps to cover the whole body. Next, step into the Dipper’s mouth and bow three times. At the third bow, prostrate yourself and visualize the following according to the method: white Qi from the lower Dantian enters the Crimson Palace, the place associated with the heart; green Qi enters the Niwan, the head; and purple Qi also enters the Niwan. Then visualize Qi in five colors issuing from the five organs. Using the mind’s intent, ride these currents of Qi and guide them with the tongue.

Visualize an immortal bridge shaped like a long rainbow. At first it is faintly visible, then gradually becomes clear. A pool of water appears before you, with a bridge across it leading straight to the Dipper’s mouth. Ride the Qi up the immortal bridge until you reach the Dipper’s mouth. A radiance shines before your eyes, like the moon. Within the Dipper are a jade palace and golden steps. Silently summon the Four Duty Envoys, the divine messengers who serve on their appointed days and hours, and tell them what you are asking for. Watch as the envoys enter the Dipper and proceed one by one to the star palaces to present their reports.

Next, see the two envoys Qiangyang and Tuoluo descend and inspect the Zhaijiao offering altar, the ritual arrangement established to pray for blessings. They then report back to the star palaces. Afterward, see the spirit official responsible for presenting memorials within the Dipper guide you as you present your petition. Once you receive an approving decree, bow again and return.

Then, following the visualization method described earlier, enter the Southern Dipper to present your petition. Next, see General Fire Bell and the Six Star Youths descend and inspect the Zhaijiao altar as before. After the inspection, a short while later, purple clouds and a strange fragrance will appear, or red light will shine through the doorway. This signals that the Southern and Northern Dippers have descended. Those in mourning, women, chickens, dogs, Buddhist monks, and Buddhist nuns must not witness this.

Burning Talismans over a Lamp

Talisman characters for Chi and Wang, among others; the characters are damaged in the source and cannot be read with certainty.

Kui, [illegible], [illegible], [illegible], Bi, [illegible], Piao.

Southern Dipper talisman, see the Dipper Scripture.

Northern Dipper talisman, see the Dipper Scripture.

Ritual Arrangement for Establishing an Altar to Pray, Avert Calamity, Subdue Harmful Forces, and Give Thanks

The master says: Whenever rituals are held to avert calamity, subdue harmful forces, pray for blessings, or give thanks, a Xuantan, a Daoist ritual altar, should be established. Its arrangement should follow that of the Yellow Register altar for rescuing the dead and the Lingbao Xuantan altar. Although the purposes differ, the ritual rules are the same: the Gate of Heaven and the Earthly Portal must also be opened. For rituals to avert calamity and subdue harmful forces, however, add the Twelve Earthly Branch Deities, set up twelve mirrors and twelve swords, and use banners made of five-colored silk, forty-four in all: eight each in four colors, placed in the four directions, and twelve yellow ones placed in the center.

At the center of the five directions, light forty-nine lamps and arrange them according to the Eight Trigrams, the Nine Palaces, and the twelve lines. Ritual liturgies concerning the Great Deities of the Twelve Branches and the Three Platforms and Nine Mornings have already circulated among the people.

Lingbao Altar of Mystery: The Method of the Fire Bell for Repelling Evil and Curing Calamities

The master said: In the Southern Palace is the Han Division Fire Bureau, where the Red Texts of Flowing Fire are kept in a treasure storehouse. The divine seal of the Golden Perfected gathers the exquisite vital energy of the crimson clouds and condenses the mysterious characters of the three lights—the sun, moon, and stars. It is called the “Divine Seal of the Fire Bell of Flowing Gold in the Cinnabar Heaven.” It shines like the sun, and the golden light of the fire bell leaps and glows. With this seal one can summon dragon spirits by dispatch, call forth thunder, refine the soul, and ascend to perfection. One can also cut down water demons, drive away yin demons and ghosts, dispel calamities, epidemics, and misfortune, ward off illness, burn away the Six Uglies, and subdue the Five Demons.

Serving this seal are three thousand senior officials of the One Qi Cinnabar Radiance, six hundred Fire Bell generals, and one hundred and twenty golden-light divine youths. When invoking the seal, pray that its radiance will arrive with it, and act in accordance with ritual law. This is the Chief Register of the Red Emperor and the Fire Bell of Lord Han, kept secret in the Bureau of Cinnabar Flames and shining from the Terrace of Radiance. Its inscription is made in fine crimson jade and sealed with the “Seal of Primordial Illumination and Numinous Emptiness.” Only once every three hundred years is the seal bestowed upon officials of the Southern Palace. Those who perform meritorious deeds in the lower realm must receive this method inwardly. It must not be passed on to ordinary people lacking the requisite ability, nor disclosed recklessly; otherwise, they will be examined and punished by the Left Officials.

Ritual for Making the Fire Bell Seal

The master said: To make this seal, choose a Bing or Ding day and use material whose Five Phases cycle classification is Wood or Fire. Take a south-facing branch from a numinous peach tree growing in a sacred place, and have a craftsman carve it. The seal face should be square, two cun and one fen on each side, and seven fen thick. Once carved, bury the seal in a clean place at the southeast corner, about seven cun deep. Each day, burn a stick of incense at the spot where it is buried and perform three bows, without reciting an invocation, then leave. After doing this for seven days, take out the seal and wash away the soil under running water. Then bathe it in scented water, fill in the carved grooves with cinnabar according to ritual law, and make offerings. Ordinarily, keep the seal in a yellow brocade pouch of blue-green and cinnabar coloring, and protect it from dust. If these rules are broken and the seal is defiled, the attendant divine officials will not descend; however intently the practitioner concentrates, the effort will be in vain.

Ritual for Receiving and Holding the Divine Seal

The oral instructions say: When receiving and using this seal, tie it behind the elbow. At the Ding hour on a Ding day, face the Ding direction, tread the Fire Bell steps, and visualize the true form of the Royal Maiden and the six deities.

The incantation is as follows:

“Piao, [character illegible], Bi, Xing, [character illegible], [character illegible], Kui: by command, … draw them into the seal. Swiftly, swiftly, be drawn in by the Fire Bell!”

The characters represented by “▲” in the original cannot be deciphered, so they are retained as in the source text.

Each time you recite the incantation above six times, take a breath and blow it onto the seal. For seven days, do not eat meat or any fishy, gamey, or spicy foods. When the seven days have passed, on a jia day at a jia hour, face the jia direction and perform the Fire Bell Pace of the Dipper, a form of the Daoist practice of pacing the Dipper. Visualize the true forms of the six jia divine generals.

Recite the incantation:

“Kui, X, Y, Xing, Bi, Z, Piao, by command…”

(The original contains six symbols that have not been deciphered.)

“Draw them into the seal and settle them within it. Swiftly, swiftly, let the Fire Bell draw them in!”

Recite the incantation six times, taking a breath and blowing it onto the seal each time. Then, for two days, do not eat the five pungent foods, vegetables, fruit, or oil. When the two days have passed, on a bing day, face the bing direction and perform the Fire Bell Pace of the Dipper. Face the sun and click your teeth nine times. Visualize sunlight covering the face of the seal, its rays passing through your teeth and circling around it in nine layers.

Recite the incantation:

“Yuanyun Boy, summon the light; Yuyi, Red Emperor, appear and shine through. From the south, let radiance emerge. Jade eyes shine brightly; let all evils scatter and vanish. I carry out my master’s command and dare not delay or disobey. Let the light and Qi wind around in nine layers, with the divine jia and ding generals guarding my person. By the oral command of the Primordial Emperor, let all Yin Qi be utterly dispelled.”

Recite the incantation eighty-one times, taking a breath and blowing it onto the seal each time. Then, on a chen day at the xu hour, perform the Fire Bell Pace of the Dipper, face the Northern Dipper, and click your teeth seven times. Raise your face and recite the prayer:

“Taluoyu, pure radiance shines upon the Dipper stars and the morning stars. Taiyi’s divine boy and the Primordial Lord of Kui and Gang, through the wondrous Qi of the Primordial Emperor, nurture this seal until it reaches the true realm and becomes supremely numinous and holy. All evil beings who oppose the right Way must respond and submit. Golden light from the Fire Bell cuts down demonic Qi; Kui Xing and the Qi of Gang destroy every evil. Within this one seal, good fortune arises: yuan, heng, li, zhen.”

Recite this incantation forty-nine times, taking a breath and blowing it onto the seal each time. When the rite is complete, make the offering and announcement, then set the seal in its proper place.

How to Use the Seal

Whenever sealing off mountains and rivers, summoning deities, issuing proclamations to summon dragons, cutting down demons and evil spirits, calming waters and crossing waves, curing epidemics, or dispelling calamities, form the Fire Bell seal mudra with the left and right hands, perform the Fire Bell Pace of the Dipper, and face south. Visualize the heart’s fire as a fine thread entering the seal, passing through its teeth and circling around it in nine layers until it forms a net of red light. Then click your teeth nine times and make this prayer:

“Your servant, so-and-so, respectfully submits this petition above. I beseech the Supreme Southern One Qi Ancestral Deity, the Great Lord of Long Life, Lord Han, and the Great God Sima to bestow special true Qi and enter the seal held by your servant. May the seal, following the Qi, summon the deities to descend, so that the Golden Perfected and Jade Radiance, the Great Deities of the Eight Effulgences, the Fire Bell Generals, the Enlightened Spirit Boy, the Three Qi Officers, and the deities who spread refined radiance may act in accordance with the seal’s command, display the awe-inspiring might of Heaven, and burn away and sweep aside demons and evil spirits…”

Earlier, the methods of Flowing Bells—deities and ritual implements in Daoist thunder rites—as well as those of Rushing Wind and Frenzied Fire, were used to destroy evil influences. During the rite, by the command of the Jade Emperor, the Divine Lord was ordered to carry it out: “Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the Fire Bell’s command.”

After the invocation is complete, draw the Correct Qi of the Upper Palace—the righteous energy of the upper realm—in through the mouth and distribute it over the seal. This seal can be used to suppress evil beings. Its design may be stamped onto sand or stone and then buried in water or in the ground; stamped onto a piece of silk and swallowed or worn; stamped onto sealing clay; or stamped over the afflicted area. Each ritual should be performed no more than three times, after which the illness will be cured. Avoid impure influences so they do not defile the seal’s efficacy. Once the seal has been touched by impure Qi, it will no longer work.

Divine Seal of the Flowing Golden Fire Bell

Fire Bell Step

To form the Fire Bell hand gesture, use the middle finger of the left hand to make the Li-position gesture, then hook upward into the seal from below the Jia position.

Method for Treating Illness with the Fire Bell Seal

The instructions say: For illnesses such as chills and pain, form the Li gesture with the left hand, also called the Sun Lord gesture. Older editions often treat the Chen position as the Sun gesture, but Chen represents the Celestial Dipper. The energy of the Heavenly Emperor, Yang essence that nurtures the soul, and the illumination refined in the Cavern of Yang all belong to the Three Qi; therefore, the Li position is the Sun Lord gesture. Hold the seal in the right hand, moving and pausing with care and deliberation so that the spirit and Qi do not scatter. Simply copying the practices of shamans would reduce the rite to a worldly practice.

For the rite, stand two paces from the patient, with the seal’s design facing them. Then declare: “Divine Spirit of the One Qi, Great Lord of Long Life, I, your young servant, so-and-so, suffer from such-and-such an illness and respectfully request true Qi. I humbly invite the Flowing Bell, Flying Radiance, Red Qi Imperial Lord, together with the assisting officers Wenxiu, Shuguang, and Yaoming, to destroy demons and seize evil.” Next, draw the sun’s radiance throughout the body, merging body and mind into one with its light. Then breathe it out through the nose, through the seal and throughout the body. Let it coil around the body three times, then stop.

Shangqing True Talisman of the Flowing Fire Bell, Nine Dipper Yang Radiance of Double Illumination, also called the Great Talisman for Stopping and Refining the Body. The divine powers and functions listed in the talisman include: the Flame Spirit and Fire Bell, reaching upward to the Purple Pole and penetrating downward to the Yellow Underworld; driving out demons and evil spirits and refining the soul; invoking the numinous power of the Red Emperor and the two Fire Essence deities to transform into flowing flames; and, through the radiance of the Three Terraces, refining the embryo soul and changing the bodily form, annihilating all evil influences and scattering them into the air.

The Heavenly Official of the Upper Origin grants blessings; the Earthly Official of the Middle Origin pardons sins; and the Water Official of the Lower Origin dispels calamities. Also named are the Great Marshal Tianpeng and the Great Marshal Tianyou.

The Great Marshal Yisheng, the Great Marshal YouSheng, and the deities of the twelve earthly branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai.

(Some words and phrases in the incantation may be corrupt or missing. The translation below follows the text as it stands.) With spirit and mind wholly focused, and virtue pure and undivided, enter deeply into the realm of fire. Blend the nine Qi—the nine kinds of primordial energy—and gather them in the Void Emperor. Heaven above issues its command; flowing gold thunders forth in radiance. The light of the Primordial Heaven appears, and the blessings of uprightness are boundless.

Urgent, urgent, urgent!

This incantation is used to refine and transform yin souls, expel evil influences, and avert calamities.

Incantation Recited When Writing the Character “Refine”

The sovereign of the south is the essence of red primordial Qi, the envoy of the Yinghuo star (the planet Mars as it was known in ancient times), and the general Bingding. The Vermilion Bird, the fiery spirit, blazes with brilliant light; the yang sun shines bright. The Five Phases transform and bring forth all things. The Celestial Emperor issues a command: wherever the Fulu (talismans and registers) arrive, it must be obeyed. Humans and spirits alike undergo this transformation and retain life forever.

Urgent, urgent, in accordance with the statutes!

Incantation Recited When Writing the Character “Behead”

Cause Brahma Qi to coalesce in the void; true Qi arises spontaneously. The Red Script in Jade Characters is the writing of the Eight Majestic Dragon Texts, powerful script used in Daoist Fulu. It can cure illness and cut down evil influences, bringing peace to all things. It can halt the cycles of calamity and preserve Heaven and Earth for ages.

Urgent, urgent, in accordance with the statutes!

Arrange the above Fulu in a surrounding pattern to suppress all kinds of killing energy, transform yin energy, and support yang energy. Write them in cinnabar, following the methods of the Shangqing school. Face south and focus the spirit and mind. Use a cinnabar brush to draw down the sun’s nine rays, encircle the paper and brush with them, and then write. The Fulu may be swallowed, carried on the person, posted up, or used to protect a dwelling; all these applications are permitted.

General Command Incantation

The ancestral Dao is mysterious and true; its radiance shines forth, and the Correct Way flourishes. Yuyi, the name of a spirit of the moon, is luminous; the Yinghuo star purifies form and substance, and the Qi of Red Brightness harmonizes yang energy. It governs prohibitions and restraints, and its awe-inspiring numinous power shines forth; the radiance of the ancestral lineage appears anew. The essence of Wuji, associated with the central direction, and the Central Stabilizing Star, the ancient name for Saturn, sweep away evil influences and destroy demons. When the sea encounters this incantation, it boils; when wood encounters it, it is consumed by fire; when fire encounters it, it is extinguished; when metal encounters it, it burns. The Lord of Changli, a deity of the south, commands the flying spirits. Milinuona, an an an, hong hong… the net encompasses all. The Azure Lad of the Eastern Sea, an immortal of the Eastern Sea… urgent, urgent, in accordance with the statutes!

After reciting this incantation, visualize the sun blazing with light and direct its radiance into the Fulu. For the specific methods of inviting and drawing down primordial Qi and performing the rites, see The Numinous Book of Jade Tones for Gathering Qi.

True Fulu of the Three Upper Realms

The Holy Realm of Jade Clarity, Heaven above; the Celestial Emperor; the True Realm of Highest Clarity, Chief Governor of the Nine Heavens; the Immortal Realm of Great Clarity, the direct commander who captures ghosts. The Jade Emperor, the direct commander who binds ghosts; the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, swiftly send down true Qi; the Qi of the True Lords of the Five Directions moves with the Fulu. Wherever the brush strokes move, ghosts and spirits move with them.

(When writing the talisman,) as the brush moves, the ghosts and spirits come to a halt. Once the brush stops, it must not move even for an instant.

Consecration incantation:

With reverence, I invite the Supreme Mysterious Emperor, the True Lord of the Wondrous Dao; the Elders of the Nine Heavens; the Immortal Officials and their Attendants; and the revered spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks. May you swiftly send down true Qi and enter my talisman. By the command written upon this talisman, may ghosts retreat and the sick recover. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

Write this talisman in cinnabar on yellow paper. Form the Three Pure Ones mudra, face toward the Heavenly Gate, breathe onto the talisman, and recite the incantation. Then gather the Qi of the Five Directions and breathe it into the talisman. Burn the talisman to ashes and take them with incense-infused water. It is said to treat illness and take effect quickly. Take three doses, one every hundred ke.

Middle Section: True Talisman of Support and Aid

The talisman lists the Great Emperor of Ziwei, Marshal Tianpeng, Marshal Tianyou, the True Lord Yisheng Baode, the True Lord Yousheng Lingying, and the Great Spirits of the Heavenly Pass and the Earth’s Axis, among others. All are commanded to drive away baleful influences and expel ghosts.

Consecration incantation:

With reverence, I invite the Grand Marshals Jiang Juyuan, Zhai Shining, Zhao Ziyu, and Xu Laizhong, who pursue and seize their targets along the Cloud Road of the Nine Heavens and the Upper Clarity realm. In accordance with the talisman’s command, go with it to seize ghosts and evil spirits, so that illness may be cured and the household kept in peace. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the ordinances by which the Upper Clarity descends!

This method uses the Ziwei seal. Write in black on yellow paper and breathe onto the talisman while facing north. Use one talisman when burning it for renmen (a term in the original whose specific meaning is unclear); use seven when burning the talisman and taking its ashes. Mix the ashes with peach-kernel juice and take them. It is said to have the power to return the soul.

Lower Section: True Talisman of the Five Gongcao

The talisman lists the names of the Five Emperors, the Five Dipper constellations, and the Demon Kings of the Five Directions, among other deities: the Azure Emperor protects the Hun soul, and the Eastern Dipper records one’s allotted years; the Red Emperor nourishes Qi, and the Southern Dipper grants rebirth; the White Emperor attends the Po soul, and the Western Dipper records names; the Black Emperor circulates the blood, and the Northern Dipper records the time of death; the Yellow Emperor resides at the center and commands the myriad spirits, while the Central Dipper supervises all numinous beings. Also listed are the Three Officials, the Northern Fengdu, the Lord Without Heroic Spirit, and the Thirty-Two Heavens.

Consecration incantation:

With reverence, I invite the True Lords of the Five Dippers, the appointed talismanic officials of the Five Directions and Five Emperors, and the high officials of the Thirty-Two Heavens. In obedience to the Supreme Emperor’s command, may wind and fire never cease; may the corpse be restored to life and vital energy infused, so that the dead may live again…

May the infant soul (the soul in an infant’s form) and the ghostly po-soul return to harmony, gentleness, and stillness, with all the deities within the body settled in their proper places. Carry this out at once in accordance with the law and command!

After drawing the talisman on the right, first recite the “Incantation of Mysterious Depths.” Then form the Jade Clarity hand seal, and use cinnabar to write at the “Heavenly Gate.” After completing the prayer, direct your breath toward the purified water while facing southeast, then swallow the water. In this way, the matters for which you pray—averting calamity and curing illness—will come to pass.

The above is from volume twelve of The Great Ritual of the Highest Clarity and Numinous Treasure.