《上清靈寶大法(一)》Vol. 28

The master said: “The Great Method of the Numinous Treasure is the highest Daoist teaching among the Three Caverns and Three Grades, and the essence of the thousands upon thousands of Numinous Writings. Anyone who receives its transmission, whether an immortal or an ordinary person, may serve as a teacher if they possess the scriptures. Anyone who gives the transmission, whatever their rank or status, may become a disciple if they sincerely seek to learn.

“According to the Register of the Mysterious Capital, this method is transmitted once every forty thousand kalpas. This refers to the measure of time in the heavenly realms, not to the regulations governing rank in the Lower Primordial Divine Continent, the human world. The restriction was established to prevent the method from being passed to unsuitable people. If someone with a true affinity for the immortals appears, why insist on waiting forty thousand kalpas to transmit it?

“The regulations of the Divine Continent state that this method is transmitted once every four hundred years. The scriptures also permit it to be passed to people of virtue and insight. One person may receive it every forty years, with no more than seven recipients in four hundred years. But later, more and more people studied and transmitted the method. Some betrayed the Daoist tradition, disobeyed their teachers, and broke their vows. They did not understand its fundamental principles, yet treated the Daoist teachings with contempt, misused them, and disclosed secret methods at will, violating the laws of Heaven. This not only damages an important Daoist lineage, but also betrays the kindness of one’s teacher. One’s Daoist rank and office may be reduced, and it may ultimately prove difficult to regain them. Those who lack the innate qualities for cultivation may even bring harm upon their Mysterious Ancestors, the patriarchs or forebears honored in Daoism. These lessons must be taken to heart.

“There are also arrogant teachers who happen upon the scriptures and appear lofty and virtuous, while inwardly coveting wealth. Without distinguishing the worthy from the foolish, they pass the method to unworthy people and confuse important teachings. Thus the Three Palaces, the divine offices of the heavenly realms, record their transgressions, and the Four Offices, the celestial agencies that govern heavenly affairs, register their offenses. As a result, the subtle principles of the Daoist teachings cannot be revealed, and their numinous, wondrous mysteries are left to no purpose.

“Yet the Highest Mystery cherishes life and abhors killing, saving all who have fallen into suffering. It has especially revealed the boundless purpose of liberating all beings. To guide later generations of Dao seekers, it has established formal rules and rites for transmitting the teachings. These bring down the Qi of harmonious Yang and make the light appear, without summoning the sinister Qi of Yin and killing. These rules should be followed in support of Heaven’s way of transforming and guiding the world, so that all people under Heaven may feel grateful for its grace and together attain the fruition of the Great Luo, the highest heaven in Daoism.”

The Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate said: “Since ancient times, I have undergone many transformations and experienced every condition, from wealth and honor to poverty and low status. When teachers and disciples transmit a method, even if it consists of only a word or a phrase, they should not entertain thoughts that divide true from false. Treating the false as true can bring a real response; treating the true as false causes truth to slip away of its own accord. Once thoughts that divide true from false arise, the myriad methods fall into confusion, and the Qi of the Cinnabar Palace, where a cultivator’s spirits and Qi reside, becomes disordered. Even after ten thousand kalpas, one may still fail to understand. Only by single-mindedly practicing the true Dao…”

The Perfected One of Brahma-Void said: Whenever a method is first transmitted and received, the recipient’s intentions must be examined according to the rules of sworn covenant. This is because among those who study the Dao, some are frivolous in conduct and shallow in understanding, unable to hold a pure and undivided aspiration. For this reason, rules were established requiring gold and precious treasures as tokens of sincerity, to emphasize reverence for the Great Dao and disregard for material wealth.

Some have so many faults that they cannot truly receive the transmission of the teaching. Others covet gain and haggle over possessions, thereby missing the right person to receive the lineage. If transmitting the teaching or inheriting its lineage violates these requirements, the faults of one’s original mind cannot be cleared away. Even before punishment arrives, it will be difficult to escape the judgment of ghosts and spirits.

The master said: When transmitting a method, one should choose the right person. The recipient must have Shen and Qi that are genuine and pure, and a steadfast heart. Their bearing and De should be dignified; their words and actions trustworthy; their conduct compassionate, loyal, and filial; and their observance of precepts careful and disciplined. They must keep themselves upright and devote themselves to their practice, aspiring toward purity and Wuwei (non-action). Only such a person can cultivate the higher methods and deliver beings from life and death.

Those who secretly harm others, fail in word and deed, lack loyalty and filial piety, harbor crooked intentions, flatter and act perversely, deceive and defraud others, possess no De within, and lack dignity in their outward bearing have little good fortune and will ultimately suffer retribution. As for those who commit evil and defy what is right, or come from families of butchers, executioners, or those who command troops and administer punishments, how could they comprehend the Dao of the celestial and earthly spirits—the gods between Heaven and Earth? One must examine whether a person is worthy or foolish, and discern whether they possess the qualities of an immortal Perfected One. Only then may the sacred words of the method be transmitted and the covenant sworn. In accordance with the term set by the rules of the Mysterious Code, prepare the covenant documents and the heart-seal, and ask the Great Marshal—the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning—to orally confer the mandate of the method. Then ask the Ancestral Master to recommend you. The Ancestral Master and the Initiating Master, who presides over the transmission ceremony, belong to the same lineage and altar. After this, report the matter to the High Ministers of the Three Heavens and await an auspicious response from the offices of the Three Officials, the divine authorities governing Heaven, Earth, and Water. Then choose an auspicious day and transmit the method through a sworn covenant, fully observing the prescribed rules.

The scripture also says: In general, after a master who receives the method has practiced it for half a cycle—six years—they may transmit it to five people. After a full cycle—twelve years—they may transmit it to thirteen people, and must not transmit it any further. The transmission of the Lingbao scriptures, however, differs from that of other methods and must be handled with the utmost care.

Swearing a Covenant to Heaven with Sincerity

The scripture says: A person of utmost De brings gold and precious treasures, swears a covenant to Heaven with sincerity, and then receives the method. It also says: If there is a true cultivator of the Dao, they should follow the old rules and swear sincerely, making their covenant known to Heaven over ten days; only then should the method be transmitted to them. This is why sincerity serves as the pledge and the Great Dao is held precious.

The rules for making the covenant are as follows: If a feudal lord or high minister wishes to serve the world, aid those in danger, and secure lasting peace for the state by receiving this great method, they should offer one hundred and twenty liang of gold; thirty-six bolts each of five-colored silk and brocade; twelve liang each of cinnabar and green silk; one hundred and twenty shi of rice as an auspicious token; and one string of life-money …

The incense used when making a solemn vow and covenant should weigh thirty-six jin. If scholars or common people wish to deliver the dead, help them ascend, and offer posthumous rites for their ancestors, they should prepare thirty-six liang of high-quality gold, ten bolts each of five-colored silk and gauze, nine liang each of cinnabar and blue silk, twelve shi of blessing rice for sealing the covenant, twelve strings of life-money, and six jin of vow-incense.

For a Daoist who lives in seclusion among the mountains and forests, fasts for a long time, and practices the Way in rocky valleys, the offerings should be nine liang of high-quality gold, one bolt of purple silk, one liang each of blue silk and cinnabar, and one jin of vow-incense. In place of money, silk, and rice, provide one hundred sheets of writing paper and a set of brushes and ink for each of the five directions. If one lacks the means to prepare all this, a practitioner may offer two-thirds of the prescribed amount, but no less.

A secluded practitioner who truly cannot afford the offerings may also cut off their hair in place of gold and report the matter to the Thirty-Two Heavens, swearing an oath with the Ten Heavens. They may also offer three chi and six cun of five-colored cloth as a token of sincerity, or prick themselves and offer blood instead. Offering blood expresses sincerity to the Five Emperors and also serves as a provision for the Jade Youths and Jade Maidens. Blue silk may replace cut hair, and cinnabar may replace blood.

Today, even when tokens and money are available, few people are willing to cut their hair or offer their blood. Yet sincerity depends on being willing to give up what one cherishes, even to endure the pain of cutting one’s own body. One must not dwell on shame or pain. Through this, one forms a bond that endures through ten thousand kalpas, demonstrates one’s sincerity, and vows never to transmit the teaching recklessly or treat it lightly. Such a person is truly fit to receive the teaching. Why look only at worldly possessions?

This method is a secret treasure kept in Heaven, and its prohibitions are extremely serious. Even when celestial beings go to the Upper Palace of Xuandu to receive it, they must bring gold and treasures as tokens. It must therefore never be disclosed lightly. If a Daoist practitioner transmits the method to a disciple in accordance with the prescribed covenant, the master must report each required item to the Heavenly Court and prepare everything according to the rules. They must not conceal or withhold anything out of self-interest.

If a disciple is unwilling to part with possessions, scorns the Daoist teachings, and is reluctant to give up hair or endure pain to demonstrate sincerity according to the rites, then even after receiving the transmission, the teachings will not prove efficacious. The perfected spirits will not protect them, and the scriptures and methods will be disrupted by a hundred demons. Both the master who transmits the teaching and the disciple will suffer great calamity, bringing trouble upon their ancestors and betraying the Mysterious Dao. They must be especially cautious and guarded.

If the rules are observed, the heavens will rejoice, the demons will be bound, and the myriad spirits will pay their respects. At the opening of the altar and on the day of transmission, the assembled perfected beings will watch over the rite, grant us the Daoist teachings, and enable them to endure and spread, while a hundred demons retreat. The original text ends here before the passage is complete.

By following the Dao of nature and reciting invocations to invite the holy immortals to descend, one can save and aid living beings, deliver the dead from suffering, and accumulate merit. In time, one will attain realization.

Those who receive this teaching must first be loyal to their sovereign and show filial respect to their teachers and parents. They must be compassionate and mindful of suffering souls in the netherworld. They must sincerely uphold the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers—remain pure and upright, cultivate themselves, keep their talents unobtrusive, reflect in silence, and quietly perform good deeds and accumulate merit. They must remain single-minded and never forget the foundations and purpose of their practice. They should earnestly seek instruction from their teachers, receive their subtle teachings with sincerity and steadfastness, and observe them with humility.

Cultivating the Dao need not disrupt one’s existing way of life. Those who hold office and receive a stipend may continue serving their sovereign and supporting their families. Those who live in the mountains and forests may cultivate their bodies and spirits. Those who enjoy wandering freely by rivers and lakes need not be ashamed of their unrestrained way of life. Farmers need not abandon their fields and silkworms; merchants need not stop managing their trade. Those who practice medicine, divination, or crafts may devote themselves to mastering their own skills. Cultivation should be practiced quietly, keeping one’s light hidden; in time, it will bear fruit. Showing off and drawing attention to oneself will only lead to failure.

Those who serve their superiors but disdain their inferiors, flatter others and shift with the wind, act deceitfully and scheme excessively, are rash and quick to lose heart, speak without order, treat others arrogantly, covet empty appearances and pursue profit in all things, behave frivolously, boast of their own good deeds, indulge in drink and sex, or are greedy and quick-tempered—and whose aspirations and conduct are therefore improper—will, once they break the precepts, surely be consigned to the deepest depths of the netherworld. Those who observe the teachings may hope to leave the ordinary world and ascend to the ranks of the immortals. These are the instructions of our Daoist lineage; they are not to be passed on to ordinary people. Follow them with care and make sure you understand their meaning.

The Master said: Anyone who has already bowed to receive the Heart Register, accepted the command of the Highest Mystery, and been authorized to conduct an ordination rite must then devote themselves once more to practicing the Heart Register. They should present its text at the Jing sanctuary, the quiet ritual precinct used for Daoist practice, or on a high mountain. When presenting the register, they should prepare the Ten-Heavenly Treasure Vouchers, the Contract Vouchers of Office, the Vows of the Mysterious Capital, covenant documents, and the Ten-Heavenly Mysterious Spring, sacred fungi, unusual flowers, rare fruits, and fine incense. They should also bow thirty-two times before their master, as a formal memorial. Only after all other matters—such as receiving replies, submitting reports, and being granted additional offices—have been completed, and they have perceived the myriad numinous beings, seen the hundred spirits paying homage at the jade steps, and attained clarity within, can they truly grasp the essentials of the “Seven Scriptures.”

Afterward, they should establish a Jiao offering ritual to give thanks to their teachers. Once the Heart Register has been presented, Heaven has granted permission for ordination, and the rites of forming a covenant, making vows, bowing to the master, and distributing the contract vouchers have been completed, they may establish on their own the office of a Heavenly Master within the Mysterious Realm, enter the path of the “Seven Scriptures,” and erect an altar to ordain themselves. A transmission master need not personally preside over and perform every part of the process.

Even so, one still needs a scripture master from the human world in order to communicate with the Mysterious Master. The scripture master transmits the scriptures and methods, while the Mysterious Master is the revered teacher in the hidden, mysterious realm. Without a scripture master, one cannot receive ordination; without a Mysterious Master, one cannot attain realization. The scripture master and the Mysterious Master are originally no different; if one deviates even slightly in serving them…

Official memorials commonly record demotions, punishments, deductions from one’s allotted years of life, and similar matters. Other affairs are handled in accordance with the Xuánxiàn and the laws of the immortal realm. Once the transmission rite is complete, a strip of yellow silk nine cun long is inscribed in cinnabar with the words “Golden Flow, Body Refinement, and the Talisman of Long Life.” The Nine Precepts are written on the back of the talisman, which is then placed in a red pouch and hung over the chest. Those who have received the transmission must observe the Great Nine Precepts of the Nine Perfected, accept their ritual office, practice the Ten Precepts and the conduct of the Twelve Heavenly Beings, and recite the hymns in the Book of Numinous Writings ten thousand times before they can enter the “Seven Scriptures.” They must then cultivate the “Eight Bonds” and will surely attain the state of a Perfected One. Even if their merit is not yet complete, should their allotted fate require them to enter the underworld, they may temporarily withdraw into Great Yin and attain the Dao through the method of corpse liberation, ascending to the palaces of the immortals.

Memorial protocol (the divine ranks and document formats followed when submitting memorials)

The deities and institutions listed in memorials include the Three Realms of Jade Clarity, Highest Clarity, and Great Clarity; the August Celestial Ancestor of Vast Heaven, the North Pole, Houtu, Primordial Heaven, the Eastern Pole, the Nine Netherworlds, the Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions, the Great Emperor of Vermilion Mound, and the Southern Pole; the Nine Celestial Lords of the Abyssal Cavern, the Thirty-Two Heavens, the Nine Celestial Emperors, and the Five Great Emperors of Eastern Florescence; the Western Primordial Metropolitan Office, the Palace of Numinous Emptiness, the Inner Court of the Celestial Immortals, the Palace of the Sun, and the Court of the Moon; the Celestial Dipper, the Five Planets, the Four Luminaries, the Five Dippers, the Three Terraces, the Southern Dipper, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Northern Dipper, and the Three Offices of Nanchang; the Four Saints, the Transmission Masters of the scriptures and registers, the Mysterious Master, the Celestial Master, and the Supervisor of the Purification Altar; the Three Perfected, the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice, the Three Registers Office, the Patriarchal Altar of the Nine Heavens and Three Caverns, the Three Caverns’ Treasured Scriptures, the Celestial Pivot Office, the Celestial Bureau, the Celestial Perfected Sovereign, the Lingbao Commander-in-Chief, the Great Gods of the Ten Directions without Limit, and the Transformation of the Three Origins through the Dao; the Eastern Peak, the Four Peaks, the Water Court, the Ten Kings of Fengdu, the Water Control Office, the Nine Earthly Layers, and the Grand Year; and the local gods, including the Earth Altars and Wardens of the Nine Provinces, the City Gods of the capital, prefectures, and counties, the officials and generals of the Jingzhi, the Lingbao officials and generals, local spirits, the Earth God of the place of residence, and the Lord of Destiny.

Documents used in petitions and reports

Transmission registers, blue petitions, seal-return forms, recommendation certificates, supervision certificates, covenant documents establishing alliances across three generations, memorials, yellow sheets for transcribing, yellow sheets for attachment, petitions and reports requesting a Zhaijiao rite, ritual passes, dispatch passes, memorial passes, petition passes, memorials presenting the dragon chariot at the Zhaijiao altar, petitions for sacrificing to the generals, petitions presenting offerings to the assembled Perfected Ones at a Zhaijiao rite, petitions for enshrining, and notices for collecting and replenishing.

Objects and credentials used in transmission

Edicts of the immortals, the Three Heavens’ covenant certificates, joint covenant certificates, two rings, certificates of the Tablet of Subtle Contemplation, covenant certificates pledging allegiance to the Ten Heavens, thirty visiting tablets, one liang of blue silk thread, one staff, a handover notice for the generals, and precept certificates.

Notice of Supplementary Appointment (Buzhi Tie)

Petition of the Guarantor Master

Guarantor Master: I set out in full my identity and surname (So-and-so).

Now, according to the Dharma-heir disciple So-and-so, whose native place is (insert native place or related information), who has submitted a document requesting that the matter of guarantorship and transmission-ordination (chuandu) be handled: upon examination, So-and-so conducts himself upright and cautious, admires the Great Dao, is reverent and sincere, and is fit to receive a Lingbao ritual office. I respectfully prepare this document and submit it to the altar of the Great Lingbao Dharma Master, Master So-and-so, earnestly requesting the Master, out of compassion, to grant special permission to memorialize this matter to the Celestial Court and, in accordance with the Keyi (liturgy), transmit the ordination method.

If So-and-so, after receiving and upholding it, violates the covenant oath, I am willing to bear with him the punishment of the Mysterious Gate’s Dharma regulations. Respectfully awaiting the Dharma command.

Year, month, day; petition of the Guarantor Master.

Petition of the Supervising Ordination Master

Supervising Ordination Master: I set out in full my identity and surname (So-and-so).

Now, according to the statement of the Dharma-heir disciple So-and-so, whose native place is (insert native place or related information), who requests that the matter of supervised ordination be handled: upon examination, So-and-so’s state of mind is clear and empty, he constantly harbors the wish to aid the world and benefit others, is fit to receive a Lingbao Dharma office, and is suitable for me to supervise in ordination; but I dare not decide on my own authority. I respectfully prepare this document and submit it to the altar of the Great Lingbao Dharma Master, Master So-and-so, earnestly requesting the Master, out of compassion, to memorialize according to the Keyi and to select a day, establish the altar, and transmit the ordination. Respectfully awaiting the Dharma command.

Year, month, day; petition of the Supervising Ordination Master.

Petition on the Background of the Three Generations and the Establishment of the Covenant Oath

Disciple: I set out in full my identity and surname (So-and-so).

I now list item by item the circumstances of my three generations’ background, native place, and so forth as follows: my native place is Such-and-such Prefecture, Such-and-such County, Such-and-such Township, Such-and-such Bao, and Such-and-such Jing (quiet chamber), where I ordinarily burn incense and cultivate; my great-great-grandfather So-and-so, with the year, month, day, and hour of birth and death noted, and if he once held office or received Fulu (talismans and registers), this too must be truthfully listed; my great-great-grandmother Madam So-and-so, great-grandfather So-and-so, great-grandmother Madam So-and-so, grandfather So-and-so, grandmother Madam So-and-so, father So-and-so, and mother So-and-so, all with the year, month, day, and hour of birth and death noted; I was born in such-and-such year, month, day, and hour, corresponding above to the illumination of a certain star of the Northern Dipper; on such-and-such year, month, and day, I received a certain kind of Fulu under the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Celestial Master (Tianshi) at Mount Longhu; on such-and-such year, month, and day, I went to the altar of Master So-and-so to receive transmission of a certain Dharma gate, which I am now practicing; none of my four generations of ancestors belong to the households of military commanders, butchers, or executioners, and I myself am not a person who has committed the Ten Evils or Five Heinous Offenses, have not committed the crimes of disloyalty and unfiliality, and have never been subjected to punishment; I now request transmission of the Great Lingbao Dharma. After receiving and upholding it, I vow to take upon myself ...

The original text breaks off here. The Guarantor Master is responsible for recommending the disciple; the Supervising Ordination Master is responsible for overseeing the transmission-ordination ritual; a petition (zhuang) is a document submitted to a Dharma Master or the Celestial Court. Shoulu (receiving registers) refers to accepting Daoist Fulu; chuandu (transmission-ordination) refers to formally transmitting a Dharma office or Dharma gate through ritual.

The Dao of Heaven moves and transforms, nurturing all things. I build altars for Zhaijiao purification rituals, accumulate merit, and broadly relieve the spirits of the underworld and the living, bringing peace and protection to families.

I dare not betray the Great Dao or violate the teachings of my lineage. I will remain diligent and will not begin with zeal and then give up, carelessly disclose secret scriptures, or recklessly transmit secret methods to unsuitable people. I dare not commit acts of disloyalty, unfilial conduct, inhumanity, or injustice, nor dare I arrogantly slight the Most True Dao or violate precepts and prohibitions. If I commit such offenses, I willingly accept punishment myself. Calamities sent down by the Three Officials—the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water—may also extend to seven generations of ancestors. All matters will be handled according to the precepts of the Mysterious Gate.

Ordinance of the Mysterious Rites

Disciple So-and-so now calls upon Recommending Master So-and-so and Supervising Master So-and-so.

Should anything stated above be false or mistaken, I willingly submit to punishment under the laws of the Celestial Court. Respectfully submitted.

Year, month, and day. So-and-so, of the So clan, holding the appointed rank, submits this petition.

Format for Submitting a Petition

To So-and-so, holding the ritual office:

Disciple So-and-so, registered in Baojing of Such-and-such county, Such-and-such prefecture, is now such-and-such years old, born on such-and-such month, day, and hour, and is under the protection of Lord So-and-so of the Northern Dipper.

From childhood, the disciple has received the protection of the Great Dao and has been permitted to enter the Mysterious Gate. The disciple wears Fulu (talismans and registers) to protect life and stabilize the body, and has received the scriptures and methods to carry on the Dao lineage and spread its teachings. Yet the disciple’s cultivation has not reached the proper level. The disciple is ashamed not to have benefited living beings or established meritorious achievements, and, with limited understanding, fears not yet having grasped the Dao’s mysterious principles. Reflecting on a meager store of virtue, the disciple fears having sullied the Daoist tradition’s pure and upright character. Therefore, the disciple has fasted, bathed, and purified body and mind, prepared incense and offerings, and personally come before the altar of the Transmission Master, Lord So-and-so, to respectfully request that the full body of teachings of the Shangqing Lingbao Great Method be transmitted: its scriptures, secret instructions, talismanic diagrams, and seals.

The disciple vows to practice in accordance with what is learned, submit memorials and petitions, and aid both the spirits of the underworld and the living; to cultivate body and spirit and bring peace and protection to family and state; to undertake beneficial works and remove calamities; and to establish virtue and accumulate merit. The disciple dares not resent the Great Dao or blame the honored master, nor begin with diligence and later grow slack, carelessly disclose secret scriptures, or recklessly transmit them to unsuitable people. If the disciple breaks this vow, calamity will befall the disciple and extend to seven generations of ancestors; the disciple will also undergo severe trials and forever lose the way of human relations. Respectfully submitted to the altar of the Transmission Master, the perfected master So-and-so, Patriarch of the Three Caverns. The disciple humbly begs the honored master’s compassionate approval, and respectfully requests that the master specially prepare a memorial for the disciple, submit it to the Celestial Court, and transmit the methods according to the liturgy. The disciple awaits the sacred decree.

Year, month, and day. So-and-so, of the So clan, holding the appointed rank, submits this petition.

Memorial Submitted to the Jade Clarity Heaven

To So-and-so, a junior adept holding the ritual rank:

I risk punishment and presume to bring this matter before Heaven. I know well that this is an act beyond my station and in violation of proper procedure, and first humbly beg your pardon. I respectfully submit a memorial concerning the statement in the petition that the disciple will “forever lose the way of human relations.” My abilities and understanding are ordinary, and my daily cultivation is shallow. I have not yet grasped the mysteries of the True Dao, and truly dare not lightly transmit the methods to others. Having received your favor…

The Most High issued these liturgical regulations.

The sacred text has descended into the human world and may be used to guide later students and transmit the lineage of the tradition. Anyone who comes seeking instruction must not be turned away. With care, choose a day this month and a place where, risking violation of the prohibitions, an oath may be sworn before Heaven and a memorial transcribed to request authorization. Once authorization is granted, respectfully follow the liturgy and hold a transmission ceremony at the altar, conferring the lineage and ritual office in accordance with the teachings of the masters.

Conduct the rites of splitting the sacred text and dividing its ring, making a pact and swearing an oath. At night, establish a pure Zhaijiao purification ritual. Set up the prescribed number of divine seats during the ceremony, give thanks to Heaven, and pray that a memorial be submitted to add someone’s name and ritual office to the register. Also submit a request for the altar’s title and Jing name, the name of the ritual site and its associated register.

Carve and print the seals and script required for the ceremony. Prepare the heart seal, its design, and an inventory, and submit them together.

Regarding the matters previously memorialized, I, your foolish and ignorant servant, have risked death to record them carefully in this written petition and submit it to Your Majesty, the Jade Pure Emperor, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning. I beseech Your Majesty, through the Way of compassion, to grant what I have requested and issue a special decree informing the offices of the Three Realms and the heavens of the ten directions, as well as the agencies of the human world, the offices of the underworld, and all relevant institutions. May they recognize and uphold the ritual office and seal design conferred upon disciple So-and-so, and may this be known everywhere.

I further request that So-and-so be pardoned for past transgressions, that the records in the register of offenses be erased, and that their name be entered in the Jade Register of heavenly names and included among the immortals of the Mysterious Capital. If they pray for blessings and the averting of calamity for the state and its people, seek protection, aid the living and deliver the dead, perform purification rites and cultivate merit, or travel to various places bearing documents such as talismanic proclamations, official notices, and sworn covenants, may every undertaking proceed without obstruction and be carried out swiftly.

I also pray that the Mysterious, Primordial, and Original Qi, together with the wondrous light of the Numinous Treasure, descend and flow into So-and-so’s chamber of the Hun-yuan spirit, enabling them to preserve the spirit and direct intention, perform ritual arts, and cultivate through breath. May the mysterious and wondrous methods of the Grotto talismans become effective and responsive, reach all beings without exception, and bring every request to fulfillment.

When the time comes to hold the Zhaijiao purification ritual, I respectfully await the descent of Heaven’s grace to shine upon the ritual feast and witness this act of devotion. Though I am of ordinary capacity, foolish and impure, I have presumed to take my place among the ranks of immortals and offended Heaven’s authority; my crime deserves death ten thousand times over. I respectfully submit this petition and await Your Majesty’s decree.

Respectfully submitted.

On this year, month, and day, your appointed servant So-and-so submits this petition.

Petition to the Three Pure Ones and the Four Emperors (the text of the rite is generally the same as above; replace “Three Pure Ones” and “Mysterious, Primordial, and Original Qi” with “One Qi,” and leave the rest unchanged).

Petition to the Numinous Treasure of the Nine Depths and Ten Directions.

Your appointed junior adept, servant So-and-so:

I, your servant, do not shrink from the penalty of execution and respectfully give thanks to Heaven. In addition to the petitions listed above, I should also petition the Three Heavenly Emperors and submit the documents of formal notification and covenant.

With reverence, we report to the Three Realms (the celestial realm, the earthly realm, and the netherworld) and the Ten Directions (the worlds in every direction): the document submitted on behalf of a certain person is given above.

With reverence, we report to the Celestial Worthy Who Rescues the Guilty in the Ninefold Darkness, the revered deity who governs the netherworld and removes karmic offenses:

We await the command issued by the deities.

On [year, month, day], the official of the appropriate rank, your servant So-and-so, submits this petition.

Petition to the Southern Pole’s Vermilion Mound

Your servant So-and-so, a junior Daoist cleric:

Your servant submits this petition, accepting the risk of punishment and death. With reverence, we report before the Southern Pole Great Emperor of the Vermilion Mound and the Great Emperor of the Southern Pole of Taiwei, who oversees the fate of the living. We earnestly beseech their sacred wisdom and compassion, and ask that this matter be carried out swiftly. We also pray that a command be issued to the Office of Refinement in the Upper Palace of Nanchang, within the Vermilion Mound Fire Court of the Cinnabar Heaven, ordering the relevant immortal officials and officers to descend together to the Daoist sanctuary of a certain person. May they assist in the rites and teachings, deliver beings of the netherworld, and ensure that none remain undelivered and none fail to attain fulfillment. We pray that the deities turn their thoughts to this matter and act, making their efficacy manifest.

We await the command and respectfully submit this petition.

On [year, month, day], your servant So-and-so, an official of the appropriate rank, submits this petition.

Petition to Dongyuan

Your servant So-and-so, a junior Daoist cleric:

Your servant submits this petition, accepting the risk of punishment and death. With reverence, we report before the Lord of Heaven, the Supreme Great One of the Boundless Upper Realms, Dongyuan Samādhi, and the Celestial Worthies of the Three Caverns. We earnestly beseech their compassion and ask them to grant this sincere petition. In particular, we pray that a command be issued to the Three Realms and Ten Directions; the Nine Springs and Nine Depths, the layered reaches of the netherworld; the realms governed by the winds and Brahmā; the distant lands of Shanshan and Yujue; and the offices of earth and water and the bureaus of the underworld, directing them to attend to the disciple So-and-so, as described above.

We await the command.

On [year, month, day], your servant So-and-so, an official of the appropriate rank, submits this petition.

Petition to the Nine Celestial Lords

Your servant So-and-so, a junior Daoist cleric:

Your servant submits this petition, accepting the risk of punishment and death. With reverence, we report before the following deities: the Great Emperor of Long Life, the True King of the Jade Clarity Palace in the Highest Heaven of the Divine Empyrean; the Great Emperor of the Eastern Pole, the Azure Florescence; the Celestial Worthy of Universalizing Thunder, Responding to the Primordial in the Nine Heavens; the Great Emperor, Ancestor of Thunder in the Nine Heavens; the Great Emperor, the Great One of the Upper Clarity Palace of Purple Tenuity and Jade Green; the Great Emperor of the Six Heavens, Dongyuan; the Imperial Lord, Master of the Six Waves; the Perfect Lord, Elder-in-Charge of the Kekan Office in the Upper Palace of Nanchang; and the Perfect Lord, Envoy of the Nine Heavens, who investigates affairs and responds to the Primordial to protect fortune. We earnestly beseech all these revered deities to show compassion and look favorably upon this petition.

I humbly beseech Your Compassion to grant approval to my petition and issue a special decree, proclaiming to the Thirty-Six Heavens of the Nine Heavens; the Three Provinces, Four Courts, and Four Offices of Thunder; the Eastern and Western Flower Terraces; the Four Departments and Four Bureaus; the Six Ministries and Eight Temples; and all offices, halls, and their subordinate departments and bureaus. Let these institutions know of and attend to the ritual office, seals, and talismans and registers conferred upon the disciple, so-and-so.

When the disciple, so-and-so, seeks to avert calamities for the state and its people, pray for harmony between wind and rain, uphold the Orthodox Way, eliminate evil, aid the living, or deliver the dead, please do not obstruct the talismanic dispatches, official communications, and covenant texts required for these purposes wherever they are sent. Let them be carried out promptly. I also humbly beseech You to promulgate this command to the divine offices that govern the Three Realms, so that they may act in accordance with my petition.

My talent and understanding are shallow. I respectfully await the imperial decree.

On [year], [month], [day], your subject, so-and-so, of the rank of [Daoist official rank], submits this memorial.

Memorial to the Life-Giving God on High (the deity who governs birth and life)

Your subject, so-and-so, of the rank of Lesser Omen (a Daoist ritual office):

At the risk of incurring blame, I respectfully submit this memorial before the throne of the Great Emperor of the Numinous Treasure, Natural Nine Heavens, and Life-Giving God. I humbly beseech Your Majesty, in Your compassion, to grant approval to my petition and bestow a special decree, informing the celestial departments and bureaus in the Three Realms and Ten Directions, the heavenly court in the world of the living, the netherworld court, and all relevant governing offices. Let them know of and attend to the ritual office, seals, and ritual forms conferred upon the disciple, so-and-so.

Please immediately pardon the disciple, so-and-so, for past offenses, erase the entries in the register of sins, record their name in the Jade Register (the celestial register), and admit them to the Dark Capital (the abode of immortals in Daoist belief). When the disciple, so-and-so, prays and petitions on behalf of the state and its people, aids the living, delivers the dead, or performs purification rites and establishes merit, please do not obstruct the talismanic dispatches, official communications, and covenant texts required for these purposes wherever they are sent. Let them be carried out promptly.

I also humbly beseech You to send down, from afar in the Nine Heavens, the vital energy of the True and Orthodox and the immeasurable wondrous radiance of the Numinous Treasure. Pour them into the disciple’s body field (the place within the body where Daoist cultivation takes place), viscera, marrow, and every aperture of the body, harmonizing the Five Qi and uniting the hundred spirits. Clear away the Three Corpses (spirits believed to dwell in the body and record a person’s faults), destroy the Nine Worms (impurities and evils within the body described in Daoist cultivation texts), calm the Three Hun, and refine the Seven Po. Enable the disciple to absorb Qi and refine the body, pay homage to the Primordial Beginning, and perceive what is hidden and subtle. Let divine radiance shine forth and wondrous Qi flow throughout; purify the eyes, grant divine aid, dispel the intrusion of demons, cause the body to manifest light, unite it with the Dao and its truth, and bring about long life and enduring clarity.

Respectfully awaiting the imperial decree.

On [year], [month], [day], your subject, so-and-so, of the rank of [Daoist official rank], submits this memorial.

Memorial to the Five Elders (the Five Emperors of the Five Directions)

Your subject, so-and-so, of the rank of Lesser Omen:

At the risk of incurring blame, I respectfully submit this memorial before the throne of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, and humbly beseech …

With reverence, I beseech the sacred and compassionate authority to grant what I have submitted and issue a special edict informing the True Bureau of the Ten Extremes, the divine office responsible for examination: May the transgressions and offenses committed by the disciple So-and-so over his many lifetimes all be pardoned. May his name be carved into the Cinnabar Register, which records the names of immortals and perfected beings, and his style entered into the Jade Scrolls, the canonical books of the immortal realm.

If he practices the methods of ingesting Qi and refining the body, aids the living, and delivers the dead, may pure Dao Qi of the Five Directions and Five Sprouts be sent down and infused into the disciple So-and-so’s bodily field—the inner domain of body and mind cultivated by a practitioner. May numinous Qi and precious lingzhi arise within him, and clouds and vital energy gather around him. May harmonious Qi flow through the Five Viscera, governing and commanding the myriad spirits. When he practices visualization and breathwork, may his breaths accord with one another, circulate throughout his body, and connect without obstruction to the True Origin.

I further beseech you to issue the edict to all relevant divine bureaus throughout the Three Realms and Ten Directions, so that they may acknowledge and uphold the disciple So-and-so’s received ritual office and seals. Wherever the talismanic dispatches he uses in prayer arrive—documents that convey divine commands or present petitions and invocations in Daoist rites—may they be carried out according to the edict without obstruction, and may the petitions be fulfilled swiftly. I respectfully await the edict.

Submitted on the year, month, and day by the duly appointed official, So-and-so.

Petition addressed to the Ministerial Lord Wood Duke, a revered deity of the Eastern Immortals.

The duly appointed Junior Omen Official, So-and-so:

At the risk of punishment and death, I submit this petition once again, as in the preceding document, before the Eastern Ministerial Lord Wood Duke, the Green Youth Dao Lord, and before the Western Queen Mother, the Most Numinous and Most True Golden Mother of the White Jade Terrace of Tortoises.

With reverence, I beseech the sacred and compassionate authority to grant what I have submitted and issue a special edict, conveying it to the offices of Heaven, the courts of the living, the administrations of the dead, and all relevant divine bureaus throughout the Three Realms and Ten Directions. May they be informed of and uphold the disciple So-and-so’s received ritual office and seals. Please pardon his past transgressions, erase the entries in his register of offenses, list his name in the Jade Register of the immortal realm, and record it in the Mysterious Capital, the abode of immortals and perfected beings in Daoist tradition.

If he prays for blessings and the averting of disasters on behalf of the state and its people, conducts prayers, aids the living, delivers the dead, or establishes a purification altar and cultivates merit, then wherever the talismanic dispatches, official communications, and covenant documents he uses arrive, please do not obstruct them, so that the rites may be carried out swiftly.

I further beseech you to send from afar the ancestral Qi of Heaven and Earth and the True Essences of Metal and Wood, flowing them into the disciple So-and-so’s spirit chamber, where a practitioner gathers spirit and circulates Qi. May Kan and Li, symbols of Water and Fire and of Yin-Yang, be brought into harmony, and may Lead and Mercury, metaphors in Neidan for the body’s Yin-Yang essences and Qi, be brought under control. May he cultivate himself, nurture the sacred embryo, and gather numinous Qi; may he also relieve suffering and deliver the dead, refining departed souls until they attain transformation into immortals. When he practices breathwork, may it accord with the Great Dao, reaching the state of returning to the True and uniting with the Dao.

I respectfully await divine grace to descend and oversee and verify the Zhaijiao ritual assembly, ensuring that the practice is carried out smoothly and brought to completion, and that its good merit is fulfilled. Having offended the divine authority, I am inwardly fearful and unsettled. I therefore submit this document with due care and respectfully ask that it be examined. Respectfully submitted.

The undersigned official, [surname], respectfully submits this memorial.

Standard Form for a Memorial to the Celestial Administration

The undersigned official, [surname], again bows and submits this memorial:

I have dared to address the celestial court, without shrinking from punishment. Now that I have inherited the lineage and teachings of my religious tradition, I have carefully examined [name]’s conduct and sincerity. They are truly reverent and earnest, and it is difficult to refuse their request. I have respectfully selected a day this month and, in accordance with the liturgical procedures, dared to submit the documents despite the taboos, establish the altar and transmit the teachings, confer the ritual ring and divide a written covenant as proof, and swear an oath of alliance. In the evening, I will hold a pure Zhaijiao (purification ritual), inviting the Imperial Perfected to descend and witness the transmission, in fulfillment of this earnest petition. The matters to be presented are as follows:

First, I petition to transmit the Great Teaching to [name]. I earnestly request that a sacred decree be issued to inform the offices of the Celestial Court, including the administrations of Xuandu and the Three Officials’ nine bureaus, and that the relevant Perfected officials who oversee registers examine [name]’s faults and offenses in past and present lives. May their record of sins be erased, their name entered in the register of the living, and their standing recorded in the ranks of immortals, their offices, and the Elixir Registers—the books that record immortals’ names, offices, and merit. May this enable them, however modestly, to assist the transformation of the Mysterious and uphold the teachings of the Dao.

First, I petition for permission to submit documents to the Golden Gates of the Three Heavens and the imperial courts of the various heavens. I request that an edict be issued and circulated to all celestial offices throughout the Three Realms and Ten Directions; the Dipper mansions and star palaces; the Three Origins’ nine prefectures; the Five Sacred Peaks and nine earth strongholds; the underworld of Fengdu; the Water Palace and sources of the rivers; blessed lands and grotto-heavens; the territories of the divine continents; and every relevant place in the realms of the living and the dead, so that all may be informed. I also earnestly request that [name]’s nine generations of ancestors be pardoned for the faults of former ages and the sins accumulated over many lifetimes, that their ties to the underworld be severed, that a new register of divine status be established for them, and that they be transferred to the Southern Palace. From now on, whenever this disciple who has inherited the teachings prays for blessings or the averting of calamities for themselves or others, seeks help through prayer, aids the living, delivers the dead, or performs purification rites and accumulates merit, please do not obstruct any petitions, official communications, or oaths of alliance involved, wherever they may be presented. Allow them to be carried out.

First, I petition for [name] to practice the teachings of the tradition. I earnestly request that a mysterious decree be issued to inform the Palace of Numinous Emptiness in Jade Purity, the Inner Court of the Celestial Immortals of Numinous Treasure, and all their offices and administrations. May they dispatch the Celestial Perfected and Holy Ones of the Great Numinous Treasure Teaching; Perfected Lords; the All-Responsive Great Generals of the Ten Thousand Administrations; the resplendent spirits of the various heavens; Spirit Kings; Jade Maidens and Jade Youths; Numinous Officials, generals, and clerks; and the divine beings who uphold the scriptures, teachings, and talismanic writings and have received official rank. Please also inform the Northern Dipper’s Mysterious Model Bureau, the Southern Bureau of Refinement through Trial, and the Upper Clarity Court of Yellow Registers, and dispatch the officials, assistants, clerks, and soldiers of the administrations responsible for memorials…

The Merit Officers, the Talisman Bearers, the local gods, and other divine beings divide and unite their divine Qi, descending as one into the altar sanctuary—the quiet place where disciples receive and practice the arts. They take up their posts throughout the sanctuary in accordance with the ritual seals, each overseeing its own affairs and assisting the teaching. May we together accumulate hidden merit through good deeds done in secret, and may inward visualization and the breath of communion respond to one another. Then nothing will be beyond deliverance, no wish beyond fulfillment, and every prayer will receive a manifest response.

First, I, your subject, acting for a certain person and following the prescribed forms, submit a petition requesting the issuance of the seal method for transmitting formal memorials, for use in presenting memorials and conducting official correspondence. I also request the use of the seal of the Office of the Great Lingbao Method and my own mind seal, to be entered together in the document and submitted with the memorial. I humbly ask that these be issued to the true offices and relevant bureaus of the Three Realms, to be handled in accordance with the rules.

First, I, your subject, acting for a certain person who bears a ritual register, respectfully supplement that register in accordance with the Jade Regulations, the standards governing the conferral of Daoist registers, and confer upon the disciple a certain office. May the disciple undertake its duties, preside over its affairs, and cultivate in accordance with the teaching, thereby fulfilling Heaven’s arrangement to extend grace and issue its mandate.

First, I, your subject, pray for the mysterious decree and humbly ask that the offices, spirit officials, immortal ministers, and generals and clerks who manage memorials under the Three Heavenly Gates be informed: from now on, whenever a certain person makes a request, any petition, memorial, formal report, or related document that must be communicated to the gate guards of Heaven, the attendant and protective gods, the demon kings of the Three Realms, the high officials of the Strong Wind, or other authorities, should be handled in due course. Do not allow the evil influences of the lower realm to interfere unlawfully. Please submit the documents on time, without delay or refusal, so that all the requested matters may receive instructions and be carried out.

First, I, your subject, acting on behalf of a certain matter, will respectfully open an altar, transmit the teaching, and conduct a Zhaijiao purification rite on a certain day, in accordance with the Mysterious Regulations governing Daoist ritual, to give thanks to Heaven for its grace. At that time, I humbly ask that its gracious light descend, that it look upon and witness the proceedings, and mercifully grant their fulfillment.

I, your subject, have respectfully copied this memorial and submit it to the Grand Mysterious Metropolitan Office beneath the Three Heavenly Gates for review. I humbly ask that it be forwarded to the Mysterious Bureau on duty that day and handled as I have requested. I await the imperial decree and submit this petition with reverence.

Dated [year, month, day], presented by the duly appointed official, a person of the surname [name].

Memorial to the Solar Palace

I, your subject, a person of the surname [name] and duly appointed official, bow twice and submit this memorial. I do not shrink from punishment; its contents are the same as those stated above.

I, your subject, have respectfully copied this memorial and submit it before the sacred presence of the Solar Flame Emperor Lord of the Solar Palace. I humbly ask that, in true compassion, he approve my request and specially issue a decree notifying the yang courts and yin administrations throughout the Three Realms and the Ten Directions, as well as the relevant authorities, to take note and carry out the matter.

May the sins of disciple So-and-so be removed and his evil roots eradicated, and may the relevant record be entered in the registers under the authority of the Immortals and Perfected Ones and included in the Purple Register, the register recording Daoist divine offices, meritorious deeds, and other matters. From this day onward, whether he prays for himself or on behalf of others to avert calamity and invite the gods to bestow blessings, aid the living and deliver the dead, or perform purification rites and accumulate merit, he is permitted to carry out these practices, provided he acts with devotion at the appointed times and thereby establishes communion with the divine.

Whether cultivating the Three Wonders, regulating the motions of the Five Latitudes—that is, the celestial bodies including the sun, moon, and five planets—writing Fulu (talismans and registers), or delivering the souls of the manifest and hidden realms, he may pray for the gift of the numinous roots of Yin and Yang and the true life-giving Qi of Water and Fire, to irrigate the Three Fields within the body—that is, the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers) in Daoist teaching. He may unite the practices of breathing and inner visualization, penetrate the mysterious Dao, and guide ordinary people into the realm of the sages. In all these ways, people may be delivered and their aims fulfilled. When a disciple is being invested with a ritual office, he respectfully awaits the scrutiny of Heaven’s grace and the clear examination of the rites. This act presumes upon the sacred authority, yet I, your subject, am truly fearful and ill at ease. I have therefore prepared this document and respectfully submit it in a memorial.

Respectfully submitted.

On [year, month, day], the appointed official, So-and-so, submits this memorial.

To the Imperial Lord of the Lunar Palace, the Pure Luminary of Great Yin; the Star Lord who Regulates the Measure of the Great Dipper; the Star Lord of the Three Harmonies and Flowery Canopy; the Star Lords of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions; and the Star Lords of the Twelve Houses:

The same format for a memorial to the Solar Palace is used for all the deities listed above.

Format for a Memorial to the Northern Dipper

The appointed official, your subject So-and-so, bows twice and submits this memorial:

Your subject does not shrink from punishment … (continue using the format given above.)

I respectfully copy and submit this memorial, solemnly presenting it before the Star Lords of the two exalted stars, the Northern Dipper and Ziwei, and before the Star Lords of the Nine Sovereigns of the Great Dao of the Central Heavens and Northern Dipper. I humbly beseech all the Star Lords, in their compassion, to grant what your subject petitions for and, in particular, to issue an edict transmitting orders to the Jade Court’s Mysterious Bureau, the governing offices of the Daoist divine realm. May they examine the offenses and sins committed by disciple So-and-so in his past and present lives, and pardon and forgive him, allowing him to reform himself.

I further pray that his name be marked in the Jade Register, the celestial roster, and his personal name entered in the Cinnabar Book, the register of merits and faults. I also pray that an edict be issued commanding the divine tiger sage and jade maiden envoys of the Northern Dipper’s Mysterious Pole, together with their accompanying officers and generals, to transform their forms, manifest in response, and descend upon a certain Jingzhi, a Daoist ritual site, to assist the teaching and accumulate merit together. In all acts of relieving suffering, delivering the dead, pursuing and capturing wandering souls, or using methods such as inner visualization and breathing to make images appear and forms become clear, I pray that auspicious responses be made manifest.

I further pray that this matter be proclaimed throughout the Three Realms and the Ten Directions, and to the jurisdictions concerned in both the world of the living and the underworld, so that all places may give their assistance. Wherever petitions, talismanic warrants, or official dispatches from disciple So-and-so, who has received his ritual office, seal, and Fulu, may arrive from this day onward, I pray that the gods carry them out in accordance with their instructions.

Yet I still fear that the disciple is only a mortal, with a body of flesh, a scattered mind, and deep impediments …

Through the wondrous and efficacious cavern talismans (Daoist talismans and registers), communicate with the true spirits and respectfully invite the true, primordial Qi of Yaoxian—the innate, original Qi received by Yaoxian—to irrigate the fields of the body, nourishing body and mind with true Qi. Remove impurity and obstruction, and awaken the inner workings of the Dao. Whenever the work concerns saving the living or delivering the dead, practice breath cultivation, refining the body, visualization, and other disciplines, thereby attuning to the mysterious principles and aligning with the Dao. In this way, nothing will be beyond deliverance and no wish beyond fulfillment. Let these results serve as proof of efficacy, and humbly seek a corresponding response.

I have presumed to trespass upon the majesty of the Heavenly Court, and my heart is filled with utmost trepidation. I respectfully prepare this memorial to report the matter and await the sacred decree. I submit this memorial with reverence.

On [year, month, day], your servant, a Daoist of the rank of [rank], surnamed [surname], submits this memorial.

Memorial to the Southern Dipper

Your servant, a Daoist of the rank of [rank], surnamed [surname] (as above), respectfully prepares this memorial and submits it before the throne of the True Lords, the Senior Ministers of the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper, and the Emperor Lord of the Vermilion Mound Fire Palace in the Southern Region. I humbly ask for your compassionate assent to the matters in this memorial, and especially for a decree to be bestowed and conveyed to the Mysterious Offices, the divine bureau that administers the underworld: pardon the disciple [name] for the offenses, intentional or unintentional, committed from ages past to the present, and enter his name in the register of the living, granting him a rank among the immortals.

I further ask that you notify the True Bureau of Refinement and Deliverance in the Nanchang Fire Palace, dispatching the immortal officers and their attendants responsible for refinement, deliverance, and transformation into life. May they divide and send forth divine Qi, descend upon [name]’s Jingzhi, the site where Daoist rites are performed, and assist the teachings and rites in rescuing the beings of the underworld. May every ritual practice manifest efficacy and proclaim the transformation wrought by the Dao, while all together accumulating hidden merit.

I have presumed to trespass upon your sacred authority, and my heart is filled with utmost trepidation. I respectfully prepare this memorial to report the matter and await the sacred decree. I submit this memorial with reverence.

On [year, month, day], your servant, a Daoist of the rank of [rank], surnamed [surname], submits this memorial.

Memorial to the Three Officials

Your servant, a Daoist of the rank of [rank], surnamed [surname] (as above), respectfully records this memorial and submits it before the thrones of the Celestial Official of the Upper Origin, Purple Tenuity Great Emperor, who bestows blessings; the Earth Official of the Middle Origin, Pure Void Great Emperor, who remits sins; and the Water Official of the Lower Origin, Cavern Yin Great Emperor, who releases people from adversity.

I humbly ask for your sacred compassion to grant the request in this memorial, and especially to bestow a gracious command, conveying it to the boundless divine realms, the offices of the Winding Springs, the Northern Capital of Luofeng, and the yin bureaus of the Three Palaces, Nine Offices, and one hundred and twenty departments. May all the divine officials responsible for examining life and death, Yin and Yang, and the registers of sin and merit be informed. Pardon the disciple [name]’s offenses at once, remove the roots of evil, record his good deeds, and raise his rank among the immortals; further, in accordance with the ritual office and seal he has received…

From this day onward, I humbly ask forgiveness for any rites of purification I establish, and any merit I accrue through them, to aid the living or deliver the dead—whether for myself or for others—and for any acts carried out in accordance with these rites. I fear that my Nine Generations of Forebears and Seven Generations of Ancestors, together with all my kin from past kalpas, still suffer within the cycle of rebirth and retribution because of their grave offenses. May they all receive pardon, escape the service of the underworld, and ascend to the Southern Palace, the celestial abode spoken of in Daoism.

If the matters for which I pray are granted and their response made plainly manifest, I fear I may have offended the sacred majesty. I am filled with utmost trepidation. I respectfully prepare this memorial and submit it for an imperial decree, awaiting its sacred command. I hereby present this petition.

On [year, month, day], the ordained Daoist disciple [name], holding the appropriate ritual rank, submits this memorial.

The Perfected Lord, Marshal-in-Chief of the Northern Pole, Tianpeng, titled the Heavenly Emperor of the Azure Heaven;

The Perfected Lord, Deputy Marshal of the Northern Pole, Tianyou, titled the Heavenly Emperor of the Cinnabar Heaven;

The Perfected Lord, Assistant Sage and Heir to Blessings and Guardian of Virtue of the Northern Pole, titled the Heavenly Emperor of the Bright Heaven;

The Perfected Lord, Protector of the Sage and True Warrior of the Northern Pole, responding with numinous power, titled the Heavenly Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven.

For all the deities listed above, the same memorial format is used as for the Three Officials: the Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water.

Memorial addressed to the Mysterious Master, the ancestral transmitter of the Daoist ritual lineage:

The ordained disciple [name], following the format given above, respectfully records this petition and submits it as a memorial.

Respectfully presented to the Perfected Lord, Holy Master of the Highest Clarity and Numinous Treasure, Lord of the Teachings in the Mysterious Center. May the venerable master mercifully look upon this petition and specially issue a gracious command, informing the relevant offices throughout the Three Realms and the Ten Directions, in the realms of the living and the underworld, so that all may know of it. May the appropriate offices be ordered to review the offenses and sins, committed knowingly or unknowingly, by the disciple [name] in past lives and this life. I pray that they be pardoned and that the disciple be permitted to reform.

With wholehearted devotion, I beseech the master’s grace. May the officials of the Great Numinous Treasure Rite be dispatched, sending forth responsive manifestations to descend together upon the disciple’s Jingzhi, the place where Daoists practice the rites and establish an altar. May they each take charge of their respective offices, assist in spreading the teachings, and deliver and transform both the underworld and the human realm, accumulating hidden merit together and proclaiming the Dao’s transformative power.

May my inner thoughts and outward breath correspond whenever I visualize the deities, allowing me to communicate with the perfected numinous beings and to manifest subtle, mysterious responses in secret. When I establish an altar and transmit the Dao, I respectfully invite the master to descend through grace, witness and oversee the rite, support later students, and guide those who come after, extending protection and recommendation to all and helping them fulfill their aspirations.

May the master expound the secret methods and awaken those clouded by ignorance and delusion, spreading the teachings in a way that accords unseen with my wishes. May my innate nature and wisdom grow, my heart become clear, and my understanding reach the mysteries of the Dao. May I receive the Daoist teachings transmitted by the master and proclaim their transformative power. May the immortal lineage of the teachings continue, may there be people to carry forward the Dao of Daoism, and may its sincere and unadorned way endure for generations.

I have offended the master’s dignity and am filled with utmost fear and trembling. I respectfully prepare this petition and submit it as a memorial, awaiting the Daoist command. I hereby present this petition.

On this day of this month, the disciple [name], holder of a Daoist ritual rank, respectfully submits this memorial.

With reverence, I address the Most High Great Sage and Celestial Master, the True Lord who supports the Origin, embodies the Dao, and presides over the Three Heavens and the Great Law of the Celestial Capital; the True Lord of the Jade Clarity, Master of the Lingbao Scriptures; the True Lord of the Highest Clarity, Master of the Lingbao Registers; the True Lord of the Highest Clarity, Master of Lingbao Salvation; the True Lord, Great Master of the Lingbao Purification Rite; the Perfected One of the Highest Clarity, Mysterious Unity, Yuluo Qiao; the Most High Perfected One of Mysterious Unity, Zhen Dingguang; and the Most High Perfected One of Mysterious Unity, Guang Miaoyin.

The format of this memorial follows the established precedent.

I, the disciple [name], respectfully report to the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice, a revered immortal of the Daoist tradition, and bow in homage.

In response to the petition of [person] of [place], I have compiled the foregoing matter into a formal memorial, to be submitted to the celestial court, communicated through the covenant of the Three Realms, and proclaimed throughout the Ten Directions. A list of the ritual offices, altar precinct, seals, and talismans and registers to be bestowed upon this person is attached to the memorial. I hereby submit this report.

I respectfully present this memorial before the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice. I earnestly ask the Perfected One, in compassion, to look upon it with care; to uphold the great vow of universal salvation and the purpose of the sacred masters in transmitting the teachings; to guide the ignorant and instruct later generations. I especially request that the disciple [name] be entered in the registers of the immortals and admitted to the Perfected One’s ranks of ritual office, so that he may proclaim the orthodox teachings of Daoism and expound the profound principles of Dongxuan, one of the Daoist scriptural canons; open the way to cultivation, enlighten the unawakened, and secretly transmit wondrous and mysterious formulas, enabling him to unite inwardly with the lineage’s heart teaching.

May the disciple [name] thereby awaken the wisdom of his innate nature, grasp the essentials of cultivating the Dao, and become proficient in talismanic diagrams and incantations, so that he may communicate with the true spirits. May his use of intention in performing rites accord with the mysterious Dao, and may he broadly deliver beings in the netherworld, leaving no one beyond salvation. May all who cultivate the Real and study the Dao achieve success in whatever they undertake; may they endure trials and demonic ordeals without injury to body or mind, and ultimately attain the wondrous perfection of form and spirit. The Dao does not fail those who seek it, allowing people of the Dao to encounter enlightened masters; people, in turn, can make the Great Dao flourish, ensuring that its highest principles are passed on without end.

I further pray that the honored masters issue their decree, commanding the divine offices of the Three Realms to grant approval and carry it out according to the statutes. Having presumed to address the masters’ august authority, I am both apprehensive and earnest. I respectfully submit this memorial and await the masters’ decree. I hereby present this petition.

On this day of this month, the disciple [name], holder of a Daoist ritual rank, respectfully submits this formal petition.

With reverence, I address the Perfected One of the Highest Clarity and Supreme Ultimate; the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate, Chongying; the True Lord of Divine Merit and Wondrous Deliverance, High and Illustrious Envoy and Grand Historian of the Immortals of the Nine Provinces; the Three Mao True Lords, who govern the destiny of Wu and Yue; the True Lord Wei, the Supreme Perfected One who governs the destiny of Southern Mount Heng; the Primordial Lady, Preceptor of the Dao of the Nine Heavens, Lady Chan; and the True Lords Wu and Huang, together with the eleven assembled immortals.

I respectfully submit this petition to the Heavenly Perfected Sovereign (the high Perfected who oversees the transmission of teachings and the initiation of others). I, the disciple So-and-so, respectfully make this appeal. I humbly ask you to look upon me with compassion, help one so poorly learned, and instruct those who have yet to understand the Dao. I also ask you to bestow a Dao name upon me, enter it in the Golden Register, and inscribe my name among the ranks of the immortals.

From this day forward, whenever I put the teachings into practice, deliver beings in both the netherworld and the human realm, cultivate my form through breath cultivation, or write Fulu (talismans and registers), please bestow the vital energy of the source of wisdom and guide it through my upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers), so that my incantations may communicate with the spirits, my inner visualization may accord with its practical application, and my practice may conform to the mysteries of the upper realm. May my hand also follow the proper rules as I write talismans. In all that I undertake, I will surely honor the teachings and dare not offend your authority. With utmost sincerity, I respectfully submit this petition.

On [year, month, day], the duly titled disciple So-and-so submits this petition.

To the Perfected Lords, Chief Ministers of the Golden Register Bureau of the Upper Origin, the Jade Register Bureau of the Middle Origin, and the Yellow Register Bureau of the Lower Origin: the format of the petition above is the same as the preceding text.

I respectfully submit this petition to the Immortals of the Three Caverns’ scriptures and registers (the immortals who oversee Daoist scriptures and ritual registers). I, the disciple So-and-so, respectfully make this appeal. I humbly ask the high sages and Perfected of the precious scriptures of the Three Caverns and the nine grades of ritual registers, the immortal hosts who guard and protect them, all the Perfected under the authority of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the cloud seal writings and celestial chapters, and all hosts of Perfected and sages to look upon me with compassion and issue a sacred decree. May it inform the guardians of the secret treasury of the Three Pure Ones and the orthodox teachings of the ten directions, along with the offices of the mysterious realm, to attend to the ritual rank, seal, and talismans granted to the disciple So-and-so.

From this day forward, whenever I perform rites for myself or for others—whether aiding the living, delivering the dead, conducting a purification retreat, reciting scriptures, writing talismans, visualizing spirits, or summoning and receiving true Qi (vital energy)—I humbly ask for aid in opening the ritual casket and unlocking the treasury of teachings. May true Qi descend and numinous light be bestowed, so that my recitation of scriptures accords with their profound intent, and my hand follows the proper rules as I write talismans. May my Zhaijiao (purification rituals) and Keyi (liturgies) also communicate with the true spirits, and may I grasp the oral instructions and accord with the mysteries in carrying out the rites. In all that I undertake, I will surely honor the ritual rules and dare not offend the sacred authority. With utmost sincerity, I respectfully submit this petition.

On [year, month, day], the duly titled disciple So-and-so submits this petition.

I respectfully submit this petition to the Limitless Perfected Great Spirits of the Ten Directions, who pervade the ten directions and reign supreme.

The contents that the person of rank and surname [as above] must submit are as follows:

I respectfully present this petition:

I humbly ask the Perfected Great Deities of the boundless realms in the ten directions, and the sacred kings of the flying heavens in the ten directions, to look upon this petition. I earnestly hope that all the holy ones will show compassion and take notice, especially having pity on me, a foolish and ignorant person. Please guide a student who comes after you and permit your disciple, [name], to be entered in the registers of the immortals, enrolled in the offices of the mysterious realm, and granted an official post.

From this day forward, whenever I perform rites such as morning cultivation or scripture recitation, for myself or for others, I earnestly ask the holy ones to bestow their numinous light, return in their chariots and descend with Qi, and send forth their spirits to attend the altar. Help me expound the true Dao, so that I may fully understand the intent and principles of the scriptures. Then, whether reading, proclaiming, or practicing visualization and cultivation, I may receive insight and understanding, respond and commune, and accord with the divine beings. May I grasp the subtle workings of stillness and silence, and penetrate the realm that is as minute as a millet grain, empty, still, and mysterious. May all living beings without exception be delivered and attain the fruits of the Dao, realize the True and Constant, and ultimately complete the Great Dao.

I presume to submit this petition only because my sincerity and earnestness are so profound. I respectfully present it here.

On [year, month, day], the person of rank and surname [as above] respectfully submits this petition.

Petition to the Perfected Lord, the Elder of the Nine Heavens:

The person of rank and surname [as above] respectfully presents this petition:

I humbly ask the Perfected Lord of the Nine Heavens who stores blessings and determines destiny, the Perfected Lord of the Nine Heavens who investigates and responds to the Primordial Origin and safeguards fortune, and all the Perfected Lords who attend the Primordial Origin in the Nine Heavens, to look upon this petition. I earnestly hope that all the holy ones will show compassion and take notice, and in particular issue a sacred decree to be conveyed to the offices of the heavenly administrations, permitting your disciple, [name], to be pardoned for past-life offenses and removed from the registers of sin. I earnestly ask Heaven to extend its grace, register me for an official post according to the Jade Statutes, and enroll me among the ranks of immortals.

I also earnestly ask that an official document be issued to notify the courts and administrations of Yin and Yang throughout the Three Realms and the ten directions, and the relevant offices, so that they may be informed and carry out these instructions. From this day forward, may your disciple, [name], receive a response and carry out every practice and ritual with success.

I presume to submit this petition only because my concern is so urgent. I respectfully present it here.

On [year, month, day], the person of rank and surname [as above] respectfully submits this petition.

Petition to the Perfected Lords of the Heavenly Administration:

I humbly ask the Perfected Lord of Great Blessings of the Heavenly Administration, the Perfected Lords of the Six Offices and Four Cycles of the Heavenly Administration, the Perfected Lords who oversee registers and reckonings in the Heavenly Administration, and all the Perfected Lords of the Heavenly Administration to look upon this petition. The four parties jointly prepare a single petition, in the format given above.

Petition to the Marshal of Lingbao:

The person of rank and surname [as above] respectfully presents this petition:

I humbly ask the Perfected Lord, Great Marshal of the Lingbao Rite, and the true immortals, spirit officials, generals, and clerks of the ritual department to look upon this petition. I earnestly hope that all the holy ones will show compassion and take notice, and immediately issue a sacred decree commanding the various offices, institutes, and bureaus under Lingbao, and their immortal officials…

The generals and officials under the jurisdiction of the ritual office should attend to the ordination and seal pattern received by the disciple, so-and-so, and carry out their duties accordingly.

By command of the Supreme Lord, at the appointed hour, manifestations of spirit will transform into Qi and descend to the disciple, so-and-so, at the Jingzhi—the ritual ground where a Daoist establishes an altar and performs rites. The gods will gather like clouds and take up their posts in their respective offices, assisting in presiding over the teachings and widely rescuing the realms of the dead and the living. The disciple may sit and call upon them or stand and summon them, receiving auspicious responses and aligning with the hidden commands of the talismans. When the disciple visualizes them inwardly, their divine workings will silently resonate. In this way, Daoist teachings will be spread, deep hidden virtue accumulated, and good works brought to completion. The disciple, so-and-so, presumes upon your authority with a heart of utmost sincerity and earnestness, and respectfully submits this petition.

On the [day] of the [month] of the [year], the duly ranked disciple, so-and-so, submits this petition for consideration.

Petition to the Three Perfected Lords under the Three Heavens, the revered gods who govern the Three Heavens:

The duly ranked disciple, so-and-so, respectfully submits this petition.

To the Lord of the Way’s Transformation of the Upper Origin, the Lord Who Protects the Righteousness of the Middle Origin, and the Lord Who Settles the Will of the Lower Origin:

We humbly ask the immortal officials under the Three Heavens who oversee documents and transmit memorials, and the holy and revered lords before whom they serve, to look kindly upon the disciple’s appeal and grant a sacred decree. May the gods guarding the gates of Heaven, the demon kings of the Three Realms, and the officials of the Nine Layers of Strong Winds—the celestial layers of astral winds—be notified of the ordination and seal pattern received by the disciple, so-and-so, and made aware of this matter.

From this day onward, whenever the disciple, so-and-so, practices the teachings and gives aid throughout the realms of the dead and the living, or pays court to the Heavenly Emperor, visits the gods, or seeks grace and a decree, all submitted memorials, petitions, and related documents should be permitted to pass directly through the layers of astral winds and reach the Heavenly Emperor’s palace. They should not be obstructed, detained, or returned, so that the disciple’s requests may be promptly approved and carried out. May this command also be conveyed to the divine offices throughout the Three Realms and the ten directions, for them to observe and obey. The disciple, so-and-so, presumes upon your authority with a heart of utmost sincerity and earnestness, and respectfully submits this petition.

On the [day] of the [month] of the [year], the duly ranked disciple, so-and-so, submits this petition for consideration.

Categorized memorials submitted to the Celestial Pivot Court, the celestial institution overseeing memorials and official documents:

The duly ranked disciple, so-and-so, submits a separate memorial in the same format as above.

The matter has now been reported to the Three Heavens’ Supreme Lords and the various Imperial Lords, and official dispatches have been sent to the true offices throughout the Three Realms, the divine institutions responsible for official affairs. We now intend to submit several memorials, all properly sealed. We humbly ask that they be forwarded in accordance with the proper sequence. They are listed individually below:

To His Majesty the Supreme Lord of Jade Clarity; His Majesty the Great Emperor of Highest Clarity; His Majesty the Great Emperor of Great Clarity; His Majesty the Jade Emperor, the August Lord of Heaven; His Majesty the Great Emperor of Heaven, Celestial Sovereign of the Gouchen Star Palace; His Majesty the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole at the Center of the Purple Tenuity; Her Majesty, the Sovereign Earth Deity of the Houtu Palace; and His Majesty the Supreme Lord of the Eastern Pole, the Azure Mystery.

Before the throne of the Great Emperor of Life-Giving of the Southern Pole in the Great Tenuity Heaven,

before the throne of the Heavenly Worthy Who Rescues the Guilty from the Ninefold Darkness,

before the throne of the Heavenly Worthy of the Numinous Treasure of the Ten Directions,

before the throne of the Great Emperor of Vermilion Mound,

before the throne of the Heavenly Worthy of the Three Mysteries of the Cavernous Abyss,

before the throne of the Great Emperor of Long Life, the True King of the Jade Clarity,

before the throne of the Supreme Emperor Who Gives Birth to the Spirits of the Nine Heavens through the Numinous Treasure of Spontaneity,

before the thrones of the Divine Lords of the Thirty-Two Heavens Who Deliver People through the Numinous Treasure,

before the thrones of the Emperors and Heavenly Lords, the Five Elders of the Five Directions,

before the throne of the Dao Lord of the Green Youth, the Senior Minister of the Eastern Florescence, Duke of Wood,

beneath the palace of the Primordial Lady, the Golden Mother of the Jade Tortoise Terrace of the Western Origin.

The above document has been carefully transcribed and is hereby respectfully submitted.

I humbly beseech the officials under the Three Heavens and the Office of the Celestial Pivot of Highest Clarity—the agency that oversees documents and the evaluation of credentials within Highest Clarity—to bestow their compassionate grace. Please present the memorials and documents delivered from the various offices in their proper order. If any characters are mistaken or any passages unclear, please correct them according to their meaning. I further ask that an edict be issued and announced to the earthly administrations of the Three Realms and Ten Directions, the offices of the underworld, and the relevant divine authorities, so that they may examine and recognize the ritual office and seal document received by your disciple, [name].

From now on, wherever official documents concerning covenants are delivered, please have them handled accordingly. When your disciple carries out the teachings in the future and offers aid to both the Yin and Yang realms, I humbly beseech the holy compassion to make this report without weariness. Do not allow the responsible officials to obstruct the matter, so that my petitions may be fulfilled and the work carried out swiftly. I am deeply fearful and earnest in presuming to address your august authority, and respectfully submit this petition.

On [year, month, day], [surname], of [rank], submits this petition.

Petition to the Sacred Emperor of the Eastern Peak:

Your disciple, [surname], of [rank] (as above), has carefully transcribed this document and respectfully submits it before the throne of the Sacred, Benevolent Emperor of Mount Tai, who is Equal to Heaven. I humbly beseech the Sacred Emperor to grant a compassionate review and issue a sacred decree, to be conveyed to the clerks of the offices of the Sacred Mountain, the Seventy-Five Bureaus, and the officials in the various departments responsible for examining Yin and Yang, life and death, guilt and blessing. Please also notify the offices of the Four Sacred Mountains; blessed lands and famous mountains; Jinglu, places for Daoist cultivation and ritual; administrative seats; the underworld of Fengdu; the Wind and Marsh Water Offices; the territories of the Divine Isles; the temples of the City Gods and local deities; and the jurisdictions of divine and numinous beings, including the camps of ghosts and spirits. Let them know of and recognize the ritual office and seal document received by your disciple, [name].

Please have them erase the record of my offenses and register my good deeds. From now on, whenever your disciple, [name], performs a Zhaijiao purification ritual or establishes merit for myself or another, wherever talismans, proclamations, official documents, or covenants are delivered, please have them all…

So that the matters concerned may be carried out in accordance with the instructions and not be obstructed: the disciple reflects that my Nine Generations of the Mysterious and Seven Generations of the Ancestors—the nine generations of forebears and seven generations of ancestors spoken of in Daoism—remain sunk in the netherworld, bound by sins accumulated over many lifetimes. I earnestly ask that their offenses be pardoned as well and that places be arranged for them to be reborn. Having offended the divine majesty, I am filled with dread and earnest supplication. I respectfully submit this petition.

On [year, month, day], the duly appointed [surname] submits this petition.

To the Southern Marchmount Emperor Who Directs Heaven and Reveals the Sagely Presence; the Western Marchmount Emperor of Golden Heaven Who Follows the Sagely Way; the Northern Marchmount Emperor Who Secures Heaven and Reveals the Primal Sagely Presence; and the Central Marchmount Emperor Who Reveres the Sagely Presence at the Center of Heaven:

The four petitions above are all to be written in the format given earlier.

Petition to the Water Bureau

Duly appointed [as above]. I respectfully copy this petition and submit it:

With reverence, before the Water Bureau’s Great Emperor of the Vermilion Grove and Fusang. I earnestly ask the Great Emperor, in compassion, to look upon this petition and issue a sacred decree, making it known to Yanggu, the Vermilion Grove, the Three Rivers, the Four Seas, the Nine Rivers, the Seven Marshes, the Four Waterways, the Five Lakes, and all relevant places, including streams and valleys, rivers and springs, dragon courts and caverns, dams and sluices, bridges, coastal waters, and winding springs. May they all be informed. I also ask that the offenses of the disciple [name] be removed, that my good deeds be recorded, and that the disciple [name] be given due assistance. From this day forward, whether acting for myself or for others, whenever ritual documents such as talismanic dispatches and covenant papers are involved, may I be permitted to carry them out without obstruction or defiance of divine authority. Filled with utmost sincerity and earnest supplication, I respectfully submit this petition.

On [year, month, day], the duly appointed [surname] submits this petition.

Petition to the Penglai Directorate of Waterways

Duly appointed [as above]. I respectfully copy this petition and submit it:

With reverence, before the Perfected One Who Assists the Teachings at the Penglai Directorate of Waterways. I earnestly ask the Perfected One, in compassion, to look upon this petition and issue a sacred decree, making it known to all offices under the Water Bureau, as well as every divine office that governs wind, clouds, thunder, rain, drought and flood, life and death, and the sources of streams, pools, and caverns. May they give due regard to the ritual office and seals conferred upon the disciple [name]. From this day forward, whether praying or delivering others from distress for myself or for others, whenever the disciple [name] undertakes ritual documents such as talismanic dispatches and covenant papers, may I be permitted to carry them out without refusal, obstruction, or defiance of divine authority. My heart is fervent and earnest in supplication. I respectfully submit this petition.

On [year, month, day], the duly appointed [surname] submits this petition.

Petition to the Great Emperor of Fengdu

Duly appointed [as above]. I respectfully prepare and submit this petition:

With reverence, before the Great Emperor of the Dark North Yin and Fengdu, the Mysterious Heaven. I earnestly ask the Great Emperor, in compassion, to grant the disciple’s present petition and supplication, and to issue a sacred decree making it known throughout the inner and outer palaces and caverns, in all places above, below, to the left and right, and to the Great Hells, the Avīci Hell, the administrative offices and case bureaus of the Ten Courts of the Underworld, the sealed gates of the Long Night Springs, and all related places…

The offenses committed by beings in the world in both the Yin and Yang realms, the blessings they receive, and the places where they go after death are all determined in accordance with the commands of the High God.

The ritual office and credential documents conferred upon disciple So-and-so are to be honored from this day forward. Whenever the disciple performs rites, puts the teachings into practice, establishes a fast and accrues merit, relieves the two realms of the living and the dead, or delivers distant ancestors beyond suffering, all documents and proclamations sent to the relevant authorities are to be carried out as commanded, without obstruction. The disciple fears that the Nine Generations of Mystical Ancestors and Seven Generations of Forebears—that is, distant ancestors and generations of the departed—may still be detained in the netherworld. The disciple respectfully asks that they too be mercifully pardoned, registered, and reborn in suitable places. Fearing that this request may offend the sacred authority, the disciple submits this petition with utmost reverence and sincerity.

Year, month, and day. Submitted by the ritual officer, of the surname So-and-so.

Petition to the Ten Officials, Ten Kings, and Ten Virtuous Perfected Lords of the Underworld

The petition follows the format above.

Petition to the August Lords of the Nine Layers of the Earthly Treasury

The ritual officer named above respectfully submits this petition before the sacred presence of the August Lords of the Nine Layers and Nine Earths of the Earthly Treasury. The officer respectfully asks the sovereign to show compassion and grant this petition, issuing a sacred decree in particular to notify the realms of Fengfan Gangwei and Shuodan Yujue, as well as the thirty-six levels above and below the earth, the deep and shadowed regions beneath the thick earth, the boundless realms of wind and marsh, and all other places of the netherworld. Let them examine and take heed: from this day forward, wherever the disciple’s ritual office and credential documents, talismans, proclamations, or official papers are delivered, they are to be carried out as commanded, without obstruction, so as not to offend the sacred authority. The disciple submits this petition with utmost reverence and sincerity.

Year, month, and day. Submitted by the ritual officer, of the surname So-and-so.

Petition to the Grand Year Deity

The ritual officer named above respectfully records this petition and submits it before the sacred presence of this year’s Grand Year Deity of Supreme Virtue. The officer respectfully asks the sovereign to show compassion and grant this petition, immediately notifying the fifty-nine official lords who serve as the Grand Year Deity for this cycle, together with all spirits and baleful forces under their authority. Let them be informed and take heed: from this day forward, wherever petitions and requests sent by disciple So-and-so are delivered, they are to be carried out as commanded, without refusal or suppression, so as not to offend divine authority. The disciple submits this petition with utmost reverence and sincerity.

Year, month, and day. Submitted by the ritual officer, of the surname So-and-so.

Shangqing Lingbao Great Rites, juan 28