《上清靈寶大法(一)》Vol. 22

The talismanic verses in the twenty-second scroll of the Shangqing Lingbao Dafa (Great Method of Shangqing and Lingbao) are used according to their purpose. Some of them recur, so one may select among them according to the circumstances.

For protection and exorcism, the verse "Fengze Dongxu" (Wind Marsh, Hollow Void) is worn on the head as a talisman, which frees a person from fear. The verse "Jin'gang Cheng Tian" (Vajra Mounts the Heavens) is written on catalpa wood and placed on the ground to guard the eight directions. "Mingxing Dafan" (Vast Primordial Brahma) is used in the performance of transformation and fan-shi (ritual food), the offerings of food presented and dispensed in Daoist liturgy. "Liaokuo Wuguang" (Vast and Dark, Without Light) guards graves against misfortune. "Chiming Kaitu" (Crimson Brightness Opens the Chart) subdues the cat-eating ghost, a spirit described in the scripture. "Yundu Ziran" (Nature Carries Across) subdues the monstrous dog that climbs onto roofs and causes harm. "Chishu Yuyu" (Red Writ, Jade Eaves) increases the strength of cattle and horses when affixed. "Bawei Longwen" (Eight Majesties, Dragon Script) is taken as a talisman, and after long use it is said to enable ascension to immortality. "Fanqi Miluo" (Brahman Breath Fills All) subdues the mountain demon that injures people. "Wanfan Kaizhang" (Ten Thousand Norms Unfolded) subdues calamities. "Xuandou Lixi" (Circling the Dipper, Passing the Winnowing Basket) dispels lawsuits and disputes involving slander and quarrels; the Dipper and Winnowing Basket are names of constellations, and "chikou baishe" (red mouths, white tongues) refers to quarrels, slander, and disputes over right and wrong.

For control of the land and its pests, "Fanjing Taixia" (Floating Scene, Great Mist) subdues the earth god so that insects and frogs die out. "Xiaoyong Dongzhang" (Chanting the Cavern Writ) guards a locality so that locusts disappear.

For healing and bodily preservation, "Jinzhen Langyu" (Golden Truth, Bright Gathering) treats consumption of the lungs and expels the corpse worms, which in traditional Daoist belief are creatures that lodge in the body and damage health. "Lingfeng Juyan" (Numinous Wind Gathers Smoke) kills poisonous insects and subdues the places where they dwell. "Qianhe Wanhe" (A Thousand Harmonies, Ten Thousand Unions) harmonizes wealth with the five viscera (wuzang). "Ziran Chengzhen" (Nature Becomes True) harmonizes all affairs and settles the shen (spirit). "Zhenzhong Youzhong" (Within Truth Lies a Seed) treats liver disease when taken with a wax decoction. "Changsheng Dajun" (Great Lord of Long Life) treats heart disease when taken with a decoction of arborvitae leaves. "Wuying Gongzi" (Young Lord Wuying) treats kidney disease when taken with a frankincense decoction. "Bai Yuan Zunshen" (Venerable Spirit of White Origin) treats lung disease when taken with a decoction of arborvitae twigs. "Taiyi Siming" (Taiyi, Director of Destiny) protects the body and removes it from death. "Taokang Heyan" (Peach, Health, Joined to Extend) treats spleen disease and promotes the growth of flesh. "Zhifu Balu" (Hold the Talisman, Grasp the Register) protects the body and secures a pregnancy. "Baoming Shengen" (Preserve Life, Take Root) preserves the body and resolves grievances. "Xia Zhen Renshen" (Descend and Settle the Body) stabilizes the five viscera and expels the sanshi (Three Corpses), which in Daoist teaching are spirits that dwell in the body, record a person's misdeeds, and tempt them into further wrongdoing.

Finally, "Niwan Jianggong" (Niwan and Jianggong) treats headaches and strengthens the jing (essence) and shen (spirit). Niwan and Jianggong are names used in neidan (internal alchemy) for specific locations within the human body. "Zhongli Wuqi" (Regulate the Five Qi at the Center) regulates the qi within the body, where the five qi correspond to the five viscera.

The "right talismans" (you fu) repeated here are the talismans listed in the scripture, each corresponding to the preceding line; what follows explains the use of each. "Suppress" (zhen) means to subdue and stabilize, and "ghosts" (gui) includes the ghosts, spirits, and evil presences of the scripture's conceptual world.

The talisman Tong Bai Guan (Penetrating the Hundred Barriers) is used to clear the body's hundred barriers, a general term for the body's orifices and joints. Hun He Bai Shen (Blending the Hundred Spirits) is used to harmonize and govern the hundred spirits. Zhen Zhai Jin Shen Gui (Suppressing the House and Restraining Spirits and Ghosts) is used to guard a dwelling and forbid the intrusion of spirits and ghosts. Shi Zhuan Hui Ling (Ten Turns Returning the Numinous) is used to turn the numinous vital energy back upon itself. Zhen Jing Quan Hua Mu Jing (Suppressing the Spirits of Wells, Springs, Flowers, and Trees) is used to subdue the spirit-beings dwelling in wells, springs, flowers, and trees. Wan Qi Qi Xian (Myriad Breaths Uniting in the Immortals) is used to bring the myriad vital breaths into harmony with the Way of the immortals (xiandao).

Zhen Fu Shi Ke Gui (Subduing the Corpse-Lodgers and Guest Ghosts) is used to subdue the lodging corpse-spirits, guest ghosts, and other evil presences. Shang Kai Ba Men (Opening the Eight Gates Above) is used to open the eight gates of the heavens above, which in Daoist thought are the portals between realms. Li Cai (Benefiting Wealth) is used to draw profitable fortune. Fei Tian Fa Lun (Flying Heavenly Dharma Wheel) is used to set in motion the flying Dharma Wheel, a wheel-shaped ritual implement or power in Daoist ritual practice. Zhi Cai Hao (Resolving the Drain on Wealth) is used to resolve the depletion of money.

Su Ming Yin Yuan (Former Destiny and Karmic Ties) is used to address matters of destiny and karmic connection from past lives. Zhen Qi Fu Ji Gui (Suppressing the Jealous Ghosts of Husband and Wife) is used to subdue the ghostly influence, described in the scripture, that breeds suspicion and discord between spouses. Zuiifu Jin Jie (Restraining Sin and Fortune, Forbidding Precepts) is used to restrain the causes of sin and to regulate matters of blessing and misfortune. Zhen Zhai Ling Zi Sun Wei Wang (Guarding the House So That Descendants Flourish with Authority) is used to protect a dwelling so that one's children and grandchildren prosper and gain standing. Pu Shou Kai Du (Universal Reception of Opening and Deliverance) is used to bestow release and salvation broadly.

The talisman Mu Zi Shu Wang Ren (Writing on Catalpa Wood and Placing It in the Hand of the Deceased) is to be written on catalpa wood and placed in the hand of the dead, and is said to free the deceased from sin and allow them to ascend to heaven. Si Hun Sheng Shen (Returning the Dead Soul to a Living Body) is used to restore a living body to the deceased soul. An Wang Ren Shou, De Zai Sheng Ren Zhong (Settling the Hand of the Deceased So They May Be Reborn Among Humans) is placed in the hand of the dead, and is said to allow them to be reborn as a human being.

Ren Dao Miao Miao (The Human Way Is Vast and Obscure) describes the human Way, the path of rebirth into human form, as deep and hard to comprehend. Zhi Tu Zhi (Curing Earth Afflictions) is used to expel the earth-related afflictions and evil qi lodged in the soil. Xian Dao Ben Ben (The Way of Immortals Rushes Onward) describes the swift advance of the path to immortality. Zhi Xue Dao Shi Xin (Curing Loss of Mind in Cultivation) is used to heal the derangement of mind and spirit that can arise in the practice of the Way. Gui Dao Le Xi (Even the Way of Ghosts Has Its Joys) observes that there are also things to enjoy within the Way of ghosts.

Zhen Zhou Zhong Fu Yao Long Shui Guai (Suppressing the Hidden Demonic Dragons and Water Monsters in a Boat) is used to subdue the demonic dragons and water monsters lurking aboard a vessel. Dang Ren Sheng Men (Guarding the Life Gate of a Person) is used to protect a person's life gate, the portal bearing on vitality. Zhen Di Du Hun De Sheng (Stabilizing the Land, Ferrying Souls So They Attain Rebirth) is used to stabilize the realm of the earth and deliver the souls of the dead so that they may be reborn. Xian Dao Gui Sheng (The Way of Immortals Values Life) states that the Way of immortality prizes life. An Tai, Zhi Xiao Er Ye Ti, Tie Zhang Shang (Securing the Fetus, Curing Infant Night Crying, Affixed Above the Bed Curtain) may be used to secure a pregnancy and treat night crying in infants, and the talisman is affixed to the bed curtain. Gui Dao Gui Zhong (The Way of Ghosts Values Endings) observes that the Way of ghosts prizes death and termination.

Zhen Zhai Mie Huo (Guarding the House and Extinguishing Calamity) is used to protect a dwelling and eliminate misfortune. Xian Dao Chang Zi Ji (The Way of Immortals Always Brings Good Fortune) states that the path of cultivation tends toward auspiciousness. Pei Fu Xue Dao, Wu Mo Xiu Zhen You Wu (Wearing It While Studying the Way, Free from Demons, Cultivation Yields Realization) says that wearing this talisman while cultivating the Way is said to protect one from demonic disturbance and bring realization in true cultivation. Gui Dao Chang Zi Xiong (The Way of Ghosts Often Leads to Ruin) observes that the Way of ghosts is often bound up with peril.

Zhen Hu Lang Bu Chu (Suppressing Tigers and Wolves So They Do Not Emerge) is used to subdue tigers and wolves so they do not come out to harm people. Gao Shang Qing Ling Shuang (The Lofty Pure Numinous Qi Is Crisp and Clear) describes a lofty, pure, numinous qi that is bright and refreshing. Zhi Xiao Er Jing Feng (Curing Infant Convulsions) is used to treat infant convulsions, a traditional term for convulsive symptoms in children. Bei Ge Lang Tai Kong (Mournful Song Resounding Through the Great Void) describes a sorrowful song ringing out across the vast sky. Xia Si Tai Gui Qi (Expelling the Ghostly Qi of Stillbirth) is used to drive out the ghostly qi that accompanies a stillborn fetus.

Wei Yuan Xian Dao Cheng (Only Wishing for the Accomplishment of the Way of Immortals) expresses the sole wish that the path to immortality be fulfilled. Yun Fu Pei De Zi, Shou Ren Pei De Xian (A Pregnant Woman Who Wears It Obtains a Child; One Who Seeks Longevity and Wears It Attains Immortality) states that a pregnant woman who wears it is said to bear a child, and a person seeking longevity who wears it is said to become an immortal. Bu Yu Ren Dao Qiong (Not Wishing the Human Way to Reach Its End) expresses the wish that the human Way never come to exhaustion. Zhen Xiong Gui (Suppressing Malevolent Ghosts) is used to subdue malevolent ghosts. Bei Du Quan Qu Fu (The Northern Capital, Spring Bend Prefecture) refers to the Northern Capital's Spring Bend Prefecture, an administrative seat associated with the netherworld in Daoist cosmology. Zhen Shi Jing Gu Guai Yi Wu (Suppressing Stone Spirits and Strange Ancient Objects) is used to subdue stone spirits and other strange, ancient objects. Zhong You Wan Gui Qun (Within It Gathers a Multitude of Ten Thousand Ghosts) describes a host of countless ghosts gathered within it.

Pei Dai Neng Cang Xing, Xie Gui Bu Neng Qin Hai (Wearing It Conceals the Form, and Evil Ghosts Cannot Harm) states that wearing this talisman can hide the body's form, so that evil ghosts cannot harm the wearer. Dan Yu Guo Ren Suan (Seeking Only to Outlive Ordinary People) expresses the aim of living longer than ordinary people. Yan Ren Shou, Yi Suan (Extending Human Life and Adding to One's Years) is used to prolong life and increase one's allotted years. Duan Jue Ren Ming Men (Severing the Gate of Human Life) is used to seal off a person's life gate, the vital point governing life itself. Zhen Qi Fu Yuan Gui (Suppressing the Wronged Ghosts of Husband and Wife) is used to subdue the wronged ghosts that entangle a married couple. A Ren Ge Dong Zhang (Someone Chanting the Dong Chapter) is an unclear phrase, with "A Ren" of uncertain meaning, while "Dong Zhang" refers to a Daoist scripture or chapter. The overall sense is that someone is chanting a Dong Chapter. Dao Bai Guan, Ren Shen Tang Xia (Penetrating the Hundred Barriers, Taken with Ginseng Decoction) is used to clear the hundred barriers of the body, to be taken with a ginseng decoction. Yi She Bei Luo Feng (Used to Govern the Northern Luo Feng) is used to govern the Northern Luo Feng, the northern netherworld in Daoist belief. Shu Song Yao Jing (Binding and Sending Away Demonic Essences) is used to bind and send away demons and spirit creatures. Zhan Guo Liu Gui Feng (Cutting Down the Edge of the Six Ghosts) is used to sever the sharpness of the six ghosts; "guo" originally refers to cutting off an enemy's ear, here implying annihilation. Shu Dao Shang Zhan Di Mie Gui (Written on a Knife, Slashing Downward to Destroy Ghosts) is written on a blade and used to strike the earth and destroy ghosts. Zhu Tian Qi Dang Dang (The Qi of All Heavens Surges Vast and Boundless) describes the qi of all the heavens as vast and surging.

Wearing the right talisman (here referring to the talisman described on the right) can make the spirit vigorous. My Dao is growing more flourishing by the day. Wearing the right talisman can bring about the attainment of the Dao. It is lofty and vast.

The right talisman can be used to govern the dissipation of wealth. A luminous qi (Qi, vital energy) rises in all four directions. The right talisman can be used to calm quarrels arising from idle talk. The heavens all move in accordance with pure conduct (fanxing, the purified methods of cultivation). The right talisman can suppress the calamities of male and female deaths caused by violence. It encircles the ten directions. The right talisman can quell the wandering qi (the stray evil currents drifting about). The immeasurable great spirits.

The right talisman can settle the spirits of the Siming (the Arbiter of Fates) and the earth gods. All of this is governed by my own body. Wearing the right talisman can make people observe the principles of order. I possess the Dong scripture (Dongzhang, a sacred writing of Daoism). The right talisman can subdue the ghosts of trees. Ten thousand transformations will in the end lead to becoming an immortal.

The right talisman can govern slave ghosts. The way of the immortals values the rescue and deliverance of all beings. The right talisman can subdue the ghosts of ancient tombs. The paths of ghosts are linked to one another. The right talisman can govern iron essences (spirits born from iron objects). Heaven and earth are vast and boundless.

When the right talisman is written on the ground with a sword, it causes malicious spirits to flee. Foul qi comes pouring in. When the right talisman is written on the ground, it can kill ghosts. The Three Realms (the worlds of heaven, earth, and humanity) are at peace.

The right talisman can pacify the restless dead. Beyond this point, one can endure forever. The right talisman protects silkworms and mulberry trees and eliminates their losses. The body is delivered up to my realm. The right talisman can subdue the ghosts of drowned persons. The physical form returns to nature. The right talisman can subdue the ghosts of those who died from taking medicine. Now all is at peace.

The right talisman can extinguish evil spirits in ancient temples and spirit altars. Grace is thin, yet I bestow it. The right talisman brings favorable opportunities, can secure a house and home, and brings good fortune. The Longhan era (an era within the Daoist cycle of calamities) is vast and boundless.

The right talisman can cut off and eliminate evil traces. How can one distinguish the true from the false? The right talisman seals off insects and beasts so that they all submit. My realm is difficult to reach. Therefore the Dong writings (dongwen, secret Daoist talismanic script) are made. Transformations soar through the sky.

The right talisman can subdue strange insects and rodents. The right talisman can cut off the ghosts of those who died far from home or along the road. It is used to test oneself. The right talisman can subdue the ghosts whose souls do not disperse after death. After success or failure, one grows lax and regresses. The right talisman can subdue the forbidden incantations performed by sorcerers. How many people can be delivered?

The right talisman can subdue the ghosts of those who died far from home, carried in funeral carts. I laugh at you for failing to attain deliverance. The right talisman can subdue injuries caused by tigers and wolves. Therefore I sing and chant a song. The right talisman can subdue the portents of black and five-colored light appearing in wells and springs.

Above the Three Realms, the Great Luo Heaven (the supreme heaven in Daoist cosmology) is deep and vast. The right talisman can govern epidemics among domestic animals. Above, there is no visible root. The right talisman can cut off the ghosts of violent death. The clouds rise high.

A talisman for suppressing evil and destroying the life force of ghosts and demons. Only the Heavenly Venerable of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun)…

A talisman for preserving one's life and dispelling calamity. The household of great calamity…

Affixed to the home, this talisman draws wealth to the master of the house. Governing my realm…

If someone steals one's Qi (the vital life energy that Daoists speak of), writing this talisman on the ground will render that person unable to move. Inheriting Xuandu (the Mysterious Capital)…

This talisman transforms a dwelling into a heavenly realm that ghosts and spirits cannot enter. Whoever trespasses my realm…

Worn on the body, this talisman makes a person intelligent. Entering Yuxu (the Jade Void)…

Worn on the body, this talisman allows the spirit and soul to roam freely through the Three Realms. The king in my position…

This talisman treats those who are frightened and startled while traveling at night and fall ill as a result. Subduing the multitude of demons…

This talisman treats sudden fainting caused by offending ghosts and spirits. Myriad transformations in the sky…

This talisman treats swellings and abscesses and may be written directly on the afflicted area. Foul Qi gathering in clusters…

This talisman treats hauntings by demons in latrines and drainage ditches. Few who preserve their true nature…

This talisman treats dreams of sexual intercourse with demons at night. When drawing it, turn the brush three times to the left and three times to the right, then draw one stroke downward. Many who are deluded…

This talisman treats mental confusion and disorder. The path of the immortals is hard to secure…

This talisman treats restlessness and agitation of the five viscera. The path of ghosts easily turns to evil…

This talisman treats goods that have been eaten by insects. Those on the human path have hearts…

This talisman clarifies the spirit and helps nourish and regulate vital Qi. Surely it is not up to others…

This talisman subdues ancient trees that have become spirits. Placed in the tree, it causes the tree to suffer heavenly punishment. The path of the immortals values substance…

This talisman treats epilepsy afflicting one's children and grandchildren. The human path values ornament…

This talisman treats miscarriage. You do not delight in the immortal path…

This talisman treats the five kinds of wind-epilepsy. How can the two realms be crossed…

This talisman treats conflicts between a husband and wife whose fated destinies are mutually destructive. Whoever wishes to turn the Five Paths…

This talisman treats hauntings by the ghosts and spirits of the Five Paths at the front door. What more can I do…

This talisman suppresses external affairs and keeps them from stirring. Crossing beyond the Three Realms…

This talisman treats hauntings by the ghosts of servants and slaves. The king of demons reveres the form…

This talisman suppresses outsiders who violate prohibitions, causing the calamity to fall upon the offender. Commanding the earth spirits (diqi)…

This talisman suppresses and drives away plague demons. Forever distant from the ghostly offices…

Worn on the body, this talisman protects against miasma and malaria in the mountains. The soul passes to Zhuling (the Vermilion Mound)…

Worn on the body, this talisman refines and nourishes the essential spirit and soul. Refined and reborn…

Worn on the body, this talisman removes a person's name from the registers of death. This is called the immeasurable…

This talisman subdues firearms, cauldrons, kettles, wells, chairs, tables, and other objects that make sounds on their own. Universal salvation without end…

The talisman on the right is worn on the body, or used when traveling by boat or subduing water monsters.

Shangqing Lingbao Dafa (Great Methods of the Numinous Treasure of Shangqing), Scroll 22.