《上清靈寶大法(一)》Vol. 27

The master said: Among male immortals, the highest rank is called “Celestial Worthy”; among female immortals, the highest rank is called “Primordial Sovereign.” If one’s physical form and spirit-consciousness have not yet reached a sublime state and one still retains a mortal body, one cannot be granted these honorific titles.

After immortals have rendered meritorious service, they may be promoted according to their achievements and cultivation: those with great merit rise one rank every three years, those with moderate merit every seven years, and those with lesser merit every nine years. Immortals without mortal bodies are promoted uniformly by one rank every seven hundred years. They first serve in the Office of the Underworld, which oversees assessment in the realm of the dead. They then advance in sequence to posts in the Water Office; as masters of mountains and rivers; as masters of the blessed lands of the Earth Office’s quiet retreats; as masters of grotto-heavens; and as immortal officials of the Ten Continents and Three Islands, gradually rising to posts in the Celestial Office.

Those who perform good deeds, cultivate De, render meritorious service, and teach and transform others in the human world will, once their inner and outer merit are complete, be summoned by the gods and assigned an office. After the period of Taiyin Corpse Refinement—the refining of the corpse in the underworld—their physical form can unite with their spirit. They then become immortals complete in both body and spirit, able to ascend. If their merit is not yet complete, they will divide their spirit to attend to their duties and establish residences in the underworld offices of the Three Realms: Heaven, Earth, and Water.

To enter this mysterious and exalted rank of immortals, one must pay homage to the Northern Dipper, receive the celestial books, be removed from the registers of the dead, and be entered in the Southern Office, which oversees immortal registers and merit. If one’s merit becomes manifest and one helps correct corrupt practices, one may ascend to the ranks of immortals. Assessments also compare the length of time spent cultivating; only those who meet the requirements may advance in immortal rank. If someone presumptuously skips ranks and claims a title, the Three Offices will investigate. How could one fail to be cautious? Those who transgress will be demoted, have years deducted and merit penalized, or even face harsher punishment. They must therefore be especially respectful and prudent.

Ranks and Grades of Immortals

Three Heavens’ Scribe, Demon-Subduing and Dharma-Holding Envoy

Supreme One’s Dharma-Holding Disciple; Supreme One’s Dharma-Holding Immortal Adept

Supreme One’s Dharma-Holding Perfected Adept; Supreme One’s Dharma-Holding Immortal Official

Supreme One’s Dharma-Holding Perfected Official

Supreme One’s Jade Steps’ Dharma-Holding Perfected Adept; Supreme One’s Jade Steps’ Dharma-Holding Immortal Official

Supreme One’s Jade Steps’ Dharma-Holding Perfected Official; Supreme One’s Jade Terrace Steps’ Dharma-Holding Perfected Official

Supreme One’s Jade Altar Steps’ Dharma-Holding Perfected Official

Southern Palace’s Shaowei Dharma-Holding Perfected Official; Southern Palace’s Taiwei Dharma-Holding Perfected Official

Southern Palace’s Yuanwei Dharma-Holding Perfected Official; Southern Palace’s Lingwei Dharma-Holding Perfected Official

Southern Palace’s Miaowei Dharma-Holding Perfected Official

The above are the fifteen ranks of “Fabaizheng.”

Celestial Office’s Dharma-Holding Immortal Supervisor (the Immortal Supervisors are divided into seven grades).

Celestial officials who enforce the law: the Immortal Ministers of the Celestial Court and the Immortal Ministers of Taiji; the True Ministers of Taiji and the Immortal Ministers of Dongwei; the Immortal Ministers of Taiqing and the True Ministers of Taiqing; the Immortal Ministers of Shangqing and the True Ministers of Shangqing; the Immortal Ministers of Yuqing and the True Ministers of Yuqing; the True Regents of Taiji and the True Regents of Taichu; the True Regents of Taiyuan and the True Regents of Chiming; the True Regents of Yuanming and the True Regents of Taixu; the True Regents of Yaoming and the True Regents of Zhuluo; the True Regents of Xuming and the True Regents of Guanming.

These ten rank among the chancellors of the various heavens and all belong to the grade of “fifty fa.” When a transgressor against Zhengyi rises to forty fa, they enter the grade of these ten Immortal Regents. From this point downward, the ranks belong to the heavens of the Realm of Form, where beings have form and substance and are constrained by appearances.

The Immortal Regents who enforce the law in Taihuan, Shangxian, Yuanzai, Tai’an, Xianding, Shihuang, Wengzhong, Wusi, Ruanle, Wuji, Haoting, and Yuandong; each is also called a True Regent of Shangxian.

Among the ranks recorded above, a transgressor against Zhengyi who reaches sixty fa enters the grade of Immortal Regent; at seventy fa, the grade of Shangxian; and at eighty fa, the grade of True Regent. The ranks below belong to the heavens of the Formless Realm, beyond tangible forms and appearances.

The Immortal Regents who enforce the law in Taiwen, Taisu, Wushang, Taishi, and Fandu; the True Regent of Pingyu, also called a True Regent of Shangxian; the True Regent of Taiqing, also called a True Regent of Shangqing; and the True Regent of Yuqing.

These ten ranks are attained in stages: at ninety fa, a transgressor against Zhengyi enters the grade of Immortal Regent; at one hundred fa, the grade of Shangxian; and at one hundred and twenty fa, the grade of True Regent.

After attaining the rank of Perfected, one also receives a special investiture from the Supreme Lord and concurrently serves in offices governing the various heavens, lands, and water immortals. Thereafter, one may take up posts in institutions such as the Heavenly Mechanism Inner Secretariat, the Heavenly Mechanism Grand Secretariat, and the Great Mystery Grand Secretariat. Whenever a matter arises, it should be reported to the Heavenly Secretariat; if it involves demonic affairs, the Demon Office must verify it. The offices of the numinous demons, merit and treasure, and demon control, together with the Three Demon Officials and the Five Emperors, submit recommendations recognizing meritorious service and present them to the various heavens. Only then can one be promoted in rank. Retirement and demotion follow the same procedure. Without the ability to understand the many spirits and communicate with the Heavenly Offices, one cannot learn the details of these mysteries. There are also ranks for heavenly Perfected Immortals, who may receive routine appointments in the Golden Gate of the divine court. Matters such as bestowed robes, the building of residences, audience with the Primordial, participation in the Dipper rites, penetrating vision, and assignment to a bureau must all be arranged according to regulations. Only after cultivating the Seven Scriptures and bringing one’s merit to completion can one fully grasp the ultimate principles of the Highest Mystery.

An Inquiry into Register Ranks and Ritual Offices

The Three Caverns scriptures and registers—that is, the Daoist Three Caverns scriptures and their corresponding ritual registers—are transmitted and circulate in accordance with their time. In the Cavern of Truth, there is one rank: the Register of the Great Cavern of Shangqing, Returning to the Chariot and Completing the Way. Those who receive and wear this register are called “disciples of the Great Cavern of Shangqing.” Some do not wear a register, but enter a chamber to recite the Scripture of the Great Cavern and practice its methods; they are called only “your humble servant, a junior adept.” The thirty-nine chapters of the Great Cavern belong to the Cavern of Truth. They are not, as some people in recent times have claimed, chapters from the Scripture of Salvation assigned to the Cavern Scriptures. Moreover, the Great Cavern scriptures originally had neither ritual offices nor a system for submitting memorials. The Great Cavern methods were fabricated only in later generations and are not, in the end, found in the ancient texts.

The Cavern of Spirits flourished from the Eastern Han onward. From the Registers of the Covenant of Might downward, its various ranks and miscellaneous registers all fall under the Zhengyi altar. Methods such as the Celestial Heart and the Five Thunders, as well as talismanic writings and prohibitions, also belong to this tradition and need not be discussed here in detail.

The Cavern of Mystery has a rank known as the Secret Register of the Central Covenant of Lingbao, followed by the Purple Void and Sunlight rank. Only the Great Lingbao Rite belongs to this Cavern. Those who have received a register but do not practice its methods are called simply “register holders.” Those who have already put the Great Lingbao Rite into practice have ritual offices because their purification rites derive from Lingbao. To respond to worldly affairs and guide people, they established ceremonies as circumstances required, and then created ritual offices. These were unavoidable measures: titles devised under compulsion to adapt to the times and carry out transformation. When submitting memorials, one must hold the corresponding office; when delivering the dead and helping the living, one must also have the appropriate title. If a ritual office does not match the register one has received, spirits and demons may well laugh at it. Lin Shichen once said, “For this reason, five grades of immortal rank were established, to provide for practical use.”

From this point on, one should continue cultivating, accumulating merit and refining and nourishing the breath. In the end, one will unite with the Dao and attain the realm of the divine. Good works reach the Mysterious Capital—the Daoist paradise—and one’s immortal name is entered in the Golden Palace, the celestial court. Heaven then grants the corresponding office of a Perfected One. In the human realm, one is tasked with proclaiming the teachings and spreading the Great Dao; above the blue heavens, a feathered canopy, the insignia of an immortal, is bestowed, and one is summoned to ascend and become immortal. These matters accord with records from ancient and modern times. They are the fruits of virtue, not the result of first claiming a high-ranking, weighty office.

Some people cultivate the Lingbao scriptures and rites yet seek a different path; others cultivate the Jingming method and hope to use it to fill a different office. Neither approach is correct. Practitioners should all receive and wear the Zhongmeng registers—Fulu (talismans and registers) conferred by Daoism as proof of one’s ritual authority—and, on that basis, fill the office appropriate to the registers they have received.

As for the title “Taishang Ritual Enforcer” mentioned earlier, this designation does indeed exist. But “Taishang” refers to the deity of the Void. Another explanation holds that “Taishang” is a title of supreme authority, with “shang” meaning exalted. Some also explain that it means “Taishang” because it is supremely great and without bounds, and so high that it cannot be measured; another explanation is that nothing higher can surpass it, hence the name “Taishang.” The Dao is called the Supreme, Primordial, and Utmost Great Dao. Apart from this, the words “Taishang” should not be used in other titles.

Daoist scriptures sometimes use “Taishang” on its own, just as people in the world refer to the supreme ruler. Can a ruler’s honorific title be used for a minister? In the human world, every rank of office, beginning with the lowest, is conferred by the ruler. Could an official title therefore begin with “Emperor” or “Son of Heaven”—“Emperor’s [such-and-such] official” or “Son of Heaven’s [such-and-such] post”? What is more, the register scrolls conferred at Daoist ordination altars all begin with “Taishang [such-and-such] Register,” because the talismans and seals in the registers all come from the Taishang. When practitioners declare a talismanic command while performing rites, they also refer to it as the “Taishang [such-and-such] Talisman.” “Taishang” may be used for talismans and registers, but not for official titles. Since the registers come from the Taishang, those who use them as the basis for advancement must not place “Taishang” before their own official titles. What is more, the title “Perfected Adept of Taishang Ritual Enforcement” is itself hardly reasonable.

In memorials submitted by ministers in the human world, words such as “ancestral temple” and “emperor” are generally subject to taboo; if an official’s rank or title includes “before the throne” or the name of a palace hall, one character is also left blank as a mark of respect. Yet official ranks and titles never have “Emperor” or “Son of Heaven” appended to the end. Is it appropriate for you to appropriate “Taishang” as an official title? An official rank or title indicates the position one has received. For example, “disciple holding the [such-and-such] register” or “office of the [such-and-such] method” means that one has received a particular register or practices a particular method, and takes this as one’s title. A designation like “Taishang” is not something an individual can acquire.

Some people believe that “Southern Bureau Ritual Enforcer” is a title used by those who cultivate scriptures and rites…

If the Lingbao methods used outwardly—the ritual arts and liturgies of the Lingbao school—are not called the Southern Court, then one does not understand the scriptures and methods. The Southern Court is, from the beginning, an institution within the scriptural tradition.

In today’s Zhaijiao (purification rituals involving abstinence, the establishment of an altar, and the performance of rites), proclamations of talismanic commands are issued, credentials are granted, and actions follow established codes. All of this derives from the scriptures and methods. Those who do not know the origins of these institutions yet claim that the Lingbao methods used in worldly Zhaijiao differ from the scriptural tradition are speaking from a truly shallow understanding.

Since the rise of the Lingbao methods, there has never been a rank called “Supreme Lord of the Law”; knowledgeable people in various regions have never adopted it. Recently, some have also claimed titles such as “Bearer of the Teaching,” “Heir Master,” and “True Lord of the Law,” even fabricating Jing names—the names of Daoist ritual sites or organizations—to fill out their ranks. Is this not absurd and reckless?

In recent times, many positions have also been added to the scriptural tradition, including ranks for entry into the ranks of immortals, six military offices, and various grades of rank. These have gradually become overly complicated. They should not be cited as precedent, nor should positions be granted simply because they appear in the scriptures. Doing so would disrupt the system of celestial rites.

Some people claim to be disciples of the Lingbao Central Alliance, meaning they have received its ritual registers, and say they can perform the Great Lingbao Method. If they cannot fully understand the “Central Alliance,” they do not understand the Lingbao methods. “Southern Court Law-Enforcer” in the Lingbao register is a title within the Lingbao methods, and has been used for a long time. The High Emperor of Heaven is certainly aware of this. Once someone receives this register and is granted this position, they may act according to the law without question. Why would they need to submit repeated memorials declaring their title before they could perform the rites? Such a view is rigid and uninformed.

Therefore, when the revered master added the word “immortal” to all four ranks of the “Southern Court’s Four Grades” and bestowed them on me, I dared not accept them. I accordingly addressed a petition to the Highest Mystery, asking instead for the special appointment of “Keeper,” as the initial grade. The title “Keeper” also exists in other traditions; since it had not previously been established in the Lingbao methods, it was specially added. The other four grades cannot be abolished because they are reserved for those who will become perfected and attain the Dao.

The Five Grades of the Southern Court:

Southern Court Law-Enforcing Keeper, Southern Court Law-Enforcing Immortal Adept, Southern Court Law-Enforcing Immortal Officer, Southern Court Law-Enforcing Perfected Adept, Southern Court Law-Enforcing Perfected Officer.

Regulations for Seals and Engraved Characters

In discussing this method, seals and engraved characters should be used in full.

The revered master said: “A seal is a token of trust and proof of authenticity. Seals are used to close and secure objects and to verify them with one another. Those who govern also hold seals as tokens of authority. The Han Court Ceremonial says: the seals used by kings and lords were called ‘xi’; those used by nobles and officials ranked from marquesses down to the middle two thousand bushels were called ‘zhang’; all others were called ‘yin.’ These were the seals used in the secular world. In the flourishing age of antiquity, humans and ghosts each kept to their proper place, and Yin and Yang did not intermingle. The effects of the Daoist methods were therefore confined to cultivating the true and refining the root, thereby lightening the body and ascending to immortality…”

In ancient times, people grew increasingly indifferent to the true Dao, while the orthodox way steadily declined. Heterodox teachings and false methods sprang up in great number, and the order of the world repeatedly fell into disorder. The sages therefore established rules and standards to correct these abuses, devised memorials—documents submitted to the deities—to express sincerity, and bestowed seals and talismans as credentials. The principles governing the use of seals were broadly similar to those of secular government offices. This, too, reflects how Daoist legal institutions changed over time, with their rules and practices expanded or reduced as circumstances required.

Yet similarity in names does not mean that the wording on secular government seals can simply be copied. The characters and contents of a seal must not be assembled arbitrarily. One must not presume to use designations relating to “administrative offices and jurisdictions” in the celestial realms, nor use titles belonging to the true celestial bureaus beyond their proper scope or in excessive, elaborate form.

The Lingbao Great Method originally used only the seal “Southern Bureau Under the Three Heavens Gate.” In recent times, authentic seal-script impressions have become difficult to find, and the four characters “Under the Three Heavens” are also unsuitable for use in the human world. If those four characters are removed, however, the seal’s inscription is incomplete. Accordingly, under this method, the seal now used bears only the inscription “Seal of the Lingbao Great Method Bureau.”

Today, practitioners who have advanced to the Dongxuan rank, received the Zhongmeng registers—the Daoist ranks and credentials of ritual office—and taken up the Lingbao method hold a position of considerable importance. Apart from performing a formal bow and submitting a memorial to the deities, they should use the “Seal of the Lingbao Great Method Bureau” for all official documents: whether submitting petitions upward or issuing notices, reports, directives, postings, dispatches, proclamations, and talismans downward. This applies to all matters involving the offices of the Three Realms and Ten Directions, the underworld bureaus of the Nine Provinces and Four Seas, and the affairs of the realms of the hidden and the manifest associated with the underworld of the Nine Earths and the immortal administrations of the grotto heavens. This seal is the credential by which the practitioner exercises the authority of their office. Can other seals simply be substituted for it?

All reports and petitions, whether placed in a square case or submitted on their own, must bear this seal at both the top and bottom. Only memorials and the cases in which memorials are enclosed use the seal for memorials. If a memorial, notice, or directive is issued separately, it must still bear the seal of the practitioner’s office.

On the Seal of the Lingbao Great Method Bureau

From the Zhou and Qin dynasties through the present dynasty, the length of the chi ruler has not been uniform. There have been the Zhou ruler, the millet ruler, the Han ruler, and the Later Zhou ruler; in the present dynasty there are also the cloth ruler and the provincial ruler, while the Jianghuai region has its own Huai ruler. These rulers differ in length. Today, the seal used by this office in performing rites measures two cun and five fen in diameter. Earlier ritual manuals often specified a seal’s diameter in cun and fen without stating which ruler was meant. If later ritual masters wish to follow the ancient system, they may use the Zhou ruler consistently.

On the Seal for Memorials

The Dongzhen rank and the Way of Jade Purity arose during the Yonghe era of the Jin dynasty. When the immortals San Mao and the two Xu descended to transmit the Way, no system for memorials yet existed. As for the Dongxuan Way and the Lingbao teachings, they originated in the era of the Three Sovereigns, during the Red Brightness kalpa…

The published “Rules for Petitions to the Original” comes from the Scripture of the Five Refinements of the Living Corpse, transmitted by the Five Elders. This scripture says that Yuchen was a disciple of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The seal is therefore used to convey sincere intent and make offerings to the ancestral masters. Without this set of Fulu (talismans and registers)—documents that authorize the transmission of Daoist ritual arts—no one may use it without permission.

When performing the Dongxuan petition ritual, leave a margin of paper before and after the petition text, and write the talismanic symbols according to the prescribed format. Do not use the twelve small seals found in the Zhengyi petition ritual; use only the seal for general petitions at the date. Its inscription reads only “Contract of the Three Heavens, Register of the Divine Empyrean.” This seal also appears in the Fulu of the Divine Empyrean. Seeing it recorded there, people say it belongs to the Jade Clarity Heaven and is assigned to the Dongzhen Cavern. They do not know that the Dongxuan petition ritual used this seal long before the Divine Empyrean teachings arose, and before the Five Dynasties. The inscription originally appeared on the Great Contract for Ascending to Heaven of the Lingbao tradition; only the text that followed it was omitted. When the living use this seal, it serves as a credential for a petition to ascend to the Heavenly Court.

The use of the general petition seal in Dongxuan rites belongs to Lingbao liturgy. Since ancient times, the Great Contract for Ascending to Heaven has also belonged to the Dongxuan Cavern. When the contract is issued for the dead, the words “summon the soul” and others are added below “Envoy of the Nine Generations.” When the living use it, the following text is omitted. How, then, can one conclude that this seal belongs to the Dongzhen Cavern? The Divine Empyrean is the Heavenly Altar, from which all ritual arts are governed. The three Lingbao talismans are therefore also included in the registers for use, but this has never meant that the seal is considered outside the Dongxuan category.

Wang Shengqing, a Daoist of this dynasty, revised and compiled the Great Lingbao Rites, recording this matter in accordance with ancient practice. Many Daoist communities follow and use it. The seal’s border is two cun and four fen wide by the Zhou ruler. If the seals used in ritual are measured by the Zhou ruler, this one should be too; if they are measured by the cloth ruler, this one should be too. It should be made according to the ancient standard. Anyone who ought to use this seal but substitutes another will be examined by the Three Offices, the divine authorities governing Heaven, Earth, and Water.

On the Seal of the Nine Elders and the Immortal Capital

The Way of Great Clarity and Zhengyi was transmitted by the Later Sage, Xuan Yuan, to the Celestial Master of Zhengyi. The Seal of the Nine Elders and the Immortal Capital is used when performing the ritual of submitting a petition through prostrations. Because the revered deity of Great Clarity is connected with the Venerable One Who Was Old from Birth, and because Taishang is the master, disciples use this seal when submitting a petition to their master, from the beginning of the text through the point of the second bow. At the end of a petition addressed to the Grand Year, they switch to the twelve small seals. One lineage’s copy of these small seals has not been handed down…

One category of styles follows the format of seals.

Twelve Small Seal Designs

“Having bowed twice to Your Majesty”

“To be reported” — the side seal at the head of a memorial

“Great Clarity” — the seal at the end of a memorial

“Your servant’s surname” — the side seal for Great Clarity

“Great Year, Mysterious Capital”

“To be reported” — the waist seal

All twelve seals above are one cun and two fen long and eight fen wide; their thickness is unrestricted.

On the Yellow Spirit’s Seal for Crossing Boundaries

The Essentials of Orthodox Unity records that there is only one kind of blade seal, collectively called the “Yellow Spirit’s Seal for Crossing Boundaries.” Its diameter and width are somewhat greater, and it is used only for directing Qi and treating illness. The design listed here is one cun and eight fen in diameter, measured according to the Zhou ruler. Following the ancient design, two seals are used chiefly for heart memorials, and are suitable for urgent prayers and petitions addressed to the Thearch on High. This seal is also used for formal memorials that do not involve bowing.

The Jade Seal of the Dao Lord

This seal is used for transmitting the Dao, receiving instruction, requesting a mandate, and submitting memorials to the ancestral masters.

The Seal of Red Script in the Cavern of Chaos, the Seal of Jade Characters in Red Writing, and the Seal of the Eight Majestic Dragon Characters

These three seals can all be used to stamp talismans and registers. They may also be swallowed, worn, posted, or used for protection and subduing.

The Seal of the Middle Section of the Numinous Script

This seal is used to stamp and spread the “True Script”—sacred writing in Daoism—to protect and subdue mountains, rivers, and the earth.

The Seal of the Primordial Beginning’s Talismanic Mandate

This seal is used to stamp the Primordial Beginning’s talismanic mandates on yellow registers and white slips.

The Seal of the Most High of the Three Heavens

This is the covenant seal used in the “Central Covenant,” and the principal seal of the Lingbao tradition. It may be used for various memorials, petitions, and proclamations. It may also stamp edicts, be worn, treat illness, and drive away evil. The seal is two cun and seven fen long and three cun and four fen wide.

The Seal of the Mysterious Altar of Lingbao

The Seal of the Jade Register of the Three Qi of Flying Mystery

The Seal for Dispatching the Nine Numinous Ones and Their Flying-Step Memorials

The Seal of the Court of Great Mystery

The Seal of the Great Northern Dipper’s General Inspector

The Male Seal of the Divine Tiger for the Left, and the Female Seal for the Right

The Seal of Total Command

The Seal of Jingfang

On the Use of Various Seals

In my view, the Dao of Lingbao appeared before the Limitless, while its ritual methods arose only after the middle antiquity. When Ge Xianweng (Ge Xuan) of Eastern Wu received scriptures from the Perfected Xu Laile, the methods were not yet complete. In the Jin dynasty, Xu Jingyang (Xu Xun) encountered the Mother of Shen and received the teaching of the Moon’s Filial Dao King; only afterward did the categories of ritual practice gradually become clear. The term “Jingming Monastery” used today is incorrect: the Dao of Lingbao is not divided into two kinds. Around the Jin and Song dynasties, purification rituals and cultivation practices gradually flourished, and memorials, documents, and proclamations became increasingly numerous. Seals and seal-script inscriptions therefore became especially indispensable. In the Han dynasty, the Celestial…

The master used only the Yangping Zhidu Gong Seal, the ritual seal used by the Celestial Master, and that alone enabled Xu Jingyang to ascend. Xu Jingyang received the bronze talisman, iron writ, Golden Elixir, precious scripture, and the teachings of the King of Illustrious Filial Piety. He followed the Way of Lingbao and likewise had no need for many ritual seals. This shows that superior adepts who cultivate the Dao, attain the Way, and take their place in the highest heavens do not necessarily need seals and talismans. Some can bring aid to the world and peace to its people without them. The power of a ritual technique does not depend on how many seals it uses.

Later practitioners of ritual arts have not matched the subtle attainments of the ancients, yet they use a hundred times more seals and talismans than their predecessors. Thus, in recent times, when performing Lingbao rites, they often do not use the seals assigned to their own offices when drafting petitions and memorials. Instead, they issue documents with the “Jade Seal of the Three Qi of Flying Mystery.” This is not an ancient Lingbao method; the old tradition never used the seal this way. Others use the “Seal of the Most High of the Three Heavens” when issuing talismanic proclamations. Since the talismanic text descends from the Highest Mystery, it is enough for a person to write it in seal script, submit it to Heaven, and act in accordance with it. But if titles of honor and official ranks are listed after the talisman, what do “Three Heavens” and “Most High” have to do with it? “Three Heavens” and “Most High” are not inscriptions on the seal.

There is also what is called the “Jade Seal of the Dao Lord,” which is likewise inappropriate. The seals used by the Son of Heaven and by kings and nobles are called xi, or imperial seals. It is improper to call the Dao Lord’s seal an “imprint.” An imperial seal made of jade is called a “jade imperial seal.” In antiquity, the Son of Heaven had eight imperial seals. The Heirloom Imperial Seal, engraved in seal script by Li Si of the Qin dynasty, bore the inscription: “The Emperor receives the Mandate; may his house flourish for ten thousand generations.” The imperial seal handed down to the present dynasty bears the inscription: “The Treasure by Which the Emperor Reverently Receives Heaven’s Mandate.” The Celestial Master’s jade seal is called the “Yangping Zhidu Gong Seal.” From ancient times to the present, no one has ever described himself in a seal inscription as possessing a “jade seal.”

The Dao Lord is a ruler of the celestial realm, just as an earthly sovereign is a ruler in the world. How can a subject presume to use the sovereign’s imperial seal? And when officials submit a petition to the sovereign, how could they turn around and use the sovereign’s own seal?

Likewise, seals such as the “Seal of the Red Script of the Primordial Cavern,” the “Seal of the Middle Section of the Numinous Writ,” and the “Eight Majestic Dragon Script” are made by combining four characters from a scripture into a single seal. For example, “Solemnly Command the Northern Feng” and “Clearly Inspect the Ghost Camp” are each carved as a seal, or the characters are arranged in three rows and fitted together. If this method were followed, every character in the Scripture of Heavenly Scripts for Delivering People could be made into a seal from beginning to end, and the number of seals would become incalculable.

There are also seals that some call the “Mysterious Numinous Altar of Communion with the Real” and the “Lingbao Mysterious Altar.” Such a practice is not merely an act of overstepping…

It disrupts the order of the Celestial Court and violates the laws of the heavenly realm. Mount Mao in Jinling is the altar of the Great Cavern lineage; Mount Gezao in Linjiang is the altar of the Lingbao lineage; and Mount Longhu in Xinzhou is the altar of the Zhengyi lineage. These places have long been honored by the imperial court. They are where the sages and teachers of the Three Caverns transmit the true teachings and spread their instruction, and where the discipline of the Daoist tradition is administered.

When people in the community hold purification rites or perform rituals, they may set up an altar temporarily, but it should be dismantled once the rites are complete. How can anyone casually establish a lineage altar and give it that name inside their own home? Those who truly understand the Dao can foresee great benefit and great harm throughout the world, as well as the fortunes, calamities, and cycles of destiny in different places. But claims of this kind are forbidden by secular law. Unless one’s cultivation and merit have reached the appropriate level, there is no need to make such reckless claims.

Some have also established a “Bureau of Memorials Through the Ninefold Spirit’s Flying Steps” and made a “Seal of Memorials Through the Ninefold Spirit’s Flying Steps.” “Stepping the Dipper” means performing the ritual steps according to the number of the Ninefold Spirit; “memorials” are petitions submitted to the heavens. “Ninefold Spirit’s Flying Steps” is merely the name of a ritual for stepping the Dipper and submitting memorials. There is no such bureau in heaven and no such seal in the world. From Zhengyi registers through Dongxuan registers, all permit the submission of memorials; one need only act according to the duties of one’s own ritual rank. Zhengyi registers use the “Seal of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Capital,” while Dongxuan registers use the “Seal for Transmitting Memorials.” This has been the established practice since ancient times. Why add another title and make a special seal for submitting memorials?

Under secular law, officials from the rank of prefect and above may submit petitions to the imperial court. They simply state their current office as their title in the memorial; they do not establish a separate rank, beyond their regular office, solely for handling petitions. A review of the ancient books and the teachings transmitted by the masters shows that only one title has been added. For various reports and petitions, dispatches bearing talismans, and official notices, use the “Seal of the Lingbao Great Law Bureau.” For submitting memorials, use only the “Seal for Transmitting Memorials.” In urgent petitions, use the “Seal of the Yellow Spirit for Crossing the Boundary.” For other matters, such as summoning souls, use the “Divine Tiger Seal.”

Whether holding offerings and purification rites, praying for rain or fair weather, summoning deities and subduing ghosts, treating illness and investigating harmful spirits, delivering the dead, or rescuing the living; whether performing the worldly ritual liturgies of the twenty-seven classes of purification rites or the forty-two grades of offerings, all matters handled through Lingbao memorials can be carried out with the four seals described above. None of these seals is unsuitable. When performing a Northern Dipper offering under the method of the Heavenly Heart, use the “Seal of the Court for Driving Away Evil,” as prescribed by that method. Those who have advanced in cultivation to the Dongxuan level and perform a Northern Dipper offering should use the “Seal of the Lingbao Great Law Bureau” for all such purposes. This arrangement is already complete in principle.

When cultivation is perfected, one can perceive all things and see clearly into what is hidden and subtle. When one’s De is profound, one can command ghosts and spirits. And…

Apart from the Lingbao seal, there is no need to establish a wide array of seals from other lineages. When carrying out the liturgy of a particular method, use that method’s seal. For writing talismans, presenting memorials, submitting documents, and transmitting official papers, the seal proper to the Lingbao tradition is sufficient. This is because the methods of the Jade Clarity Cavern of Truth (Yuqing Dongzhen) originally had no rites for memorials and petitions. The Lingbao method is the highest grade of the Middle Vehicle; the methods below Zhengyi cannot surpass Lingbao. Various other seals have been passed down for a long time, and it is difficult to eliminate them all at once. For now, they may coexist; those who favor ancient methods and are skilled in practice may choose for themselves.

The Rite for Consecrating a Seal

The master said: “Seal certificates are sacred writings of the Three Heavens and tokens of covenant with the High Perfected, the revered deities of Daoism. Once a seal is put to use, Jade Maidens attend and protect it; when it is used, spirit officials also oversee and regulate its use. Therefore, all matters must follow the seal’s prescribed method and must not exceed its bounds.”

For the consecration rite, one usually prepares twelve portions each of jujube broth and pure tea, twelve bright lamps, and twelve portions each of ritual money and paper horses, arranging them beneath the Gate of Heaven. When the stars shine clearly, the ritual master puts on his robes and cap, focuses his mind, and offers incense. With both hands, he forms the central hand seal with his middle fingers, draws in the Qi of the Ten Directions, and blows it over himself, visualizing his transformation into the Celestial Worthy of Lingbao. He wears a crown of interlocking seven stars made of green jade, a robe of blue feathers and flying clouds, vermilion shoes, and a crimson skirt. He carries the divine sword of the Three Realms of Lingbao and bears on his back the round emblem of the Five Colors.

Standing with his feet in a T-shape, the ritual master faces south, steps through the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), and pays homage to the Northern Dipper. He then turns toward the Gate of Heaven and performs three bows. Rising, he silently presents this memorial to the Supreme Emperor: “The seals I have received number [so many]. Now, on this chosen day, I follow the prescribed rites to consecrate them. I respectfully ask the Three Venerables to look upon this rite and especially to bestow the three Qi of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning, letting them flow into the seals. Command twenty-four Golden Youths and twenty-four Jade Maidens to attend and protect them, so that when I use a seal, I may reach the spirits and receive a response to every invocation. I ask the most holy beings of the Ten Directions to come and bear witness.”

After completing the memorial, he bows three times, draws in the Qi of the Gate of Heaven three times, and blows it into the seals. Then he kneels upright and, taking each seal in turn with both hands and forming the Great Shao character, raises it to his forehead and issues a command to the seal.

Seal-Consecration Incantation

“Embodying the true elixir of the numinous, shining with numinous purity and might; the hero of the Dark Heaven, the presence of the Dark Heaven; peaceful radiance and shadowed countenance; the four directions transformed, the Mystery Pivot; responding to the great determination, enduring auspiciousness.”

After reciting the incantation, he draws in Qi three times and blows it toward the seals, then forms the Jade Clarity hand seal. Next, he recites the “Numinous Writ” once, and finally places the seals in their case.

The Method for Bringing Out a Seal

Form the Zi-character hand seal with the left hand and recite the following incantation:

Om bhaluvara mandala indhishtana niuhaludi she.

Method for Forming the Hand Seal (form the noon-character seal with the left hand and recite the incantation):

Om mashumidi luni adoyena wuyindi la.

Incantation for Sealing Characters with the Hand Seal (form the middle-finger seal with the left hand and recite the incantation):

Om banna henna wulumo saha.

Incantation for the Inkstone (press the upper joint of the left middle finger and recite the incantation):

Om miao mang wushuang juzhi picha she.

Incantation for the Water (the text reads “right of Zhuangzi’s character,” likely a notation for the hand-seal direction; hold the water and recite the incantation):

Om yudan bohe hanjing tuoluo jingxuan she.

Incantation for the Paper (place the left middle finger at the center, hold the paper in the right hand, and recite the incantation):

Om buyu tanna moluo ana she.

Incantation for the Cinnabar (form the noon-character seal with the left hand, hold the cinnabar in the right hand, and recite the incantation):

Om tuoluo ana yuanfan putai she.

Incantation for the Ink (form the zi-character seal with the left hand, grind the ink with the right hand, and recite the incantation nine times):

Om xingxuan tahe youlü m she.

Incantation for the Brush (form the yin-character seal with the left hand, hold the brush in the right hand, cross the two hand seals in front of the mouth, and recite the incantation):

Om yuzhu luomeng moluo ayi yu yun she.

Consecrating the Cinnabar, Ink, Brush, and Inkstone

According to the ritual, choose an auspicious day associated with the Six Ding and Six Jia (a system of selecting dates in Daoist calendrical practice). Prepare twelve ritual brushes, twelve ink sticks, twelve liang of cinnabar, and two inkstones. On a Jiazi day, face the Gate of Heaven (a specific direction or sacred portal in the ritual) and arrange these items neatly on a table. Offer twelve cups of jujube broth and a burner of incense, keeping the ceremony out of sight of others.

The ritual master forms the zi-character seal with the left hand and the noon-character seal with the right, crossing the two seals in front of the mouth, and prays:

“I have now prepared the brushes, ink, cinnabar, and inkstones in accordance with the ritual, and arranged them beneath the Gate of Heaven. I respectfully invite the spirit officials, immortal functionaries, golden boys and jade maidens, and the generals, commanders, clerks, and soldiers of the Lingbao ritual department. May each bestow and distribute the true Qi of transformation, infusing these implements so that, when I use them in the future, they respond efficaciously to my will.”

Incantation for Consecrating the Brush

Om ana fayen moyi a ▲ miluo puti polou saluo fan na zongjian guishen she.

After reciting the incantation, flick the hand seal, draw in twelve breaths of Qi from the Gate of Heaven, and blow them into the brush. Then draw a talisman inside the brush handle and recite:

“The divine brush is efficacious; it acts in obedience to the command of the High Emperor. The upper realm receives the order, and all the spirits come to obey. By writing talismans and registers, one may reach the profound and mysterious realms. The Supreme Emperor in the Mysterious Center, the High Perfected, and the Central Principle…”

The “Five Qi” converge, and the hundred spirits obey. Act swiftly in accordance with the commands of the Great Lingbao Method.

Pen-Entering Talisman

Marshal-Summoning Talisman

Incantation for Writing the Talisman:

“Om, ye-she-tu-qu-he-le-tan-ju-po-yi-zhi-di-sa-zha.”

For this rite, pinch the middle finger and draw ten talismanic strokes within the talisman. Write them on red paper and set them out separately.

Burn the talismans for the ten directions one by one, reciting:

“Thousandfold auspiciousness and myriad blessings converge; the hundred spirits assemble. The Spirit Lord receives the command and oversees all the spirits. The demons are bound and subdued, and the myriad spirits are brought to submission. Protect and preserve true nature, strengthen life, and enable the people to pass through the trials of life and death and receive blessings. The merit is beyond measure, and all transgressions are dispelled. May you be protected and guarded. Act swiftly in accordance with the Lingbao ordinances.”

Great Lingbao Method of Highest Clarity, Volume 27.