《上清靈寶大法(一)》Vol. 45

The master said, “This document is a sacred decree of the Venerable Celestial One of Great Unity. It is a numinous text used to remove karmic offenses and relieve suffering.”

To carry out this method, draw the talisman on yellow silk nine inches high and write it in cinnabar. The outer wrapping and envelope may be made from the same yellow silk and inscribed in cinnabar. Alternatively, make a wooden tablet from catalpa wood, nine inches high, three inches six tenths wide, and three tenths of an inch thick, with its top decorated in blue. Write the talisman on the front and the petition on the back, then cover it with blue paper. You may also write the title on blue-green silk in cinnabar and seal it according to the prescribed procedure.

When writing the talisman, face east in the jing—the quiet chamber where a Daoist priest establishes an altar and performs rites. Burn incense and bow nine times, then kneel to present your petition. Visualize Great Unity (here referring to the Venerable Celestial One of Great Unity) in the Hall of Auspicious Light and a Hundred Treasures in the Azure Palace. Clouds and rosy mists of nine colors fill the hall. Great Unity wears a robe and mantle of crimson feathers and azure brilliance, patterned with dragons, and a crown of jade purity. The deity sits on a seven-colored golden lotus throne, supported by a nine-headed lion of five colors. Flames stream from the lions’ mouths and circle Great Unity, who sits amid the fire, surrounded by a nine-colored halo like a rainbow. A round disk of light then appears, like the sun rising above the head, sending out white rays as sharp as the points of swords and halberds. Beneath the throne are two smaller lotus flowers supporting Great Unity’s feet.

In the left hand, Great Unity holds a precious bell of blue-green crystal, shaped like a cauldron; in the right, a flowering branch of kongqing stone. The deity’s appearance is like gold and jade, and the gaze is compassionate and wise. The Perfected One of Great Benevolence stands on the left, and the Perfected One Who Relieves Suffering stands on the right. The King of Vajra Spirits, strongmen, heavenly soldiers, golden youths, and five female spirit officials attend on either side. Great Unity’s eighty-one divine lords and the officials and soldiers belonging to the Great Unity of the Five Directions stand guard as well. The practitioner visualizes themself clearly within clouds of five colors.

Next, silently receive the divine intent and recite the sacred name of the Venerable Celestial One of Great Unity eleven times. Visualize Great Unity ordering the two Perfected Ones on either side to open the Purple Yang Jade Coffer, take out the Treasure of Ninefold Radiance, reveal its dragon patterns and phoenix script, and bestow it upon the practitioner. At the same time, Great Unity commands nine dragon envoys to accompany it. After receiving the talisman, the practitioner bows nine times and visualizes Great Unity sprinkling sweet dew in the ten directions. Wait quietly for a short while, until you feel that heaven and earth are filled with the radiance of a hundred treasures and the mind and spirit suddenly forget the body. Only then dip the cinnabar brush and write the talisman, reciting the sacred name of Great Unity nine times…

Gather Qi from the East, hold it in your mouth, and blow it into the brush; then write with the brush. When you have finished writing, recite the sacred title of the Celestial Worthy nine times. Following the Jade Purity instructions, blow the Qi of the East into the talisman. Then, after the petition and beneath the Celestial Worthy’s name, write “Azure Mystery True Form Talisman for Breaking Fengdu” (the talisman of Azure Mystery who saves those in distress and breaks open the dark prisons of Fengdu). Pray according to the ritual for the Dispersal-Form Talisman, then recite in order the titles of the Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions, nine times each, for a total of ninety recitations. Gather Qi from the Ten Directions and blow it into the talisman. Recite the sacred title of the Celestial Worthy nine more times, then gather Qi from the East and blow it into the talisman again.

Next, pray over the incense and send off the talisman. If you perform the rite at an altar and read the petition aloud, invite the gods to descend as in the preceding ritual. After reading the petition, burn it, and pray that the Nine-Dragon Envoys accompany the talisman on its way.

Large Nine-Dragon Talisman

Small Nine-Dragon Talisman

The talisman text reads, in order:

“The sun rises in the East; the Azure Emperor, the Sun. To the left, the Mysterious Great One; to the right, Eternal Prosperity. Jade Emperor of the Nine Heavens; savior of the Ten Directions in times of distress. The Five Directions and Four Quarters: may souls leave the poisonous waters. The Nine-Dragon Azure Register; the saving light of distress. Let the courts of the underworld cease their interrogations; ascend to pay court to the Three Sovereigns. The orthodox Qi of the Three Heavens; the myriad Qi blended in harmony. A thousand spirits bow their heads before vast, azure Heaven.”

Nine-Dragon Talisman for Refining and Deliverance

The talisman text reads, in order:

“Eastern Florescence, Eastern Pole; the Azure Palace of the Nine Qi. The Immortal Terrace of the Nine Elders; the decree of the Celestial Emperor. The Great One, the Celestial Worthy; the talismanic command to save those in distress. The Nine-Dragon Envoys ride the Nine Dragons. The Five Directions’ Five Elders refine and nurture the souls of the dead. The Nine Heavens and Nine Qi; the Venerable Ones of the Three Treasures. Life-giving Qi follows the body; open the way and deliver the souls of the dead. The wise light of the August Emperor pours gently over the cold courts. Rulers of the Deep Springs, carry out the work of saving those in distress. If any resist and defy the command, send them swiftly to heavenly punishment; those who have done good and helped others shall have their names entered in the Upper Clarity. By decree of the Primordial Emperor, let the myriad spirits hear and obey. The offenses of those who have done good and the sins of the souls of the dead are forgiven according to this decree. By this talismanic command, deliver them across to the Southern Palace. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the command of the Supreme Emperor.”

Prayer Incantation

“By command of the Celestial Worthy. The Supreme Azure Mystery rides the Nine Dragons, using sweet dew to deliver those in distress in the dark realm and to bestow grace and refresh the souls of the dead. The boundless workings of transformation generate life-giving Qi, gathering in the cloud soul and bodily soul, so that all may be delivered, their forms made light and vigorous, and they may ascend to the immortal realm. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the command of the Azure Mystery Supreme Emperor.”

“Set the true Qi in motion and unite it with the numinous spirits; in obedience to the precious decree, summon the gods. The officials and attendants who guard the layered dark realms of the Six Heavens and the nine deep prisons of Fengdu, together with the gods of the underworld’s grotto heavens, the Three Officials, and the deities who govern the Nine Prefectures…”

By command, they oversee the gods, officials, troops and generals, and the rulers of the various prisons, delivering departed souls so they may escape the suffering of the Three Paths: the three realms of hardship—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals.

The Nine-Dragon Talisman of the Eastern Palace shines with light, opening up the hells in every place. Blue lotuses emerge amid the furnace coals; swords and blades turn into towering trees; the lake of fire becomes a cold pond; and boiling cauldrons of broth become springtime wetlands. It rescues departed souls from the long night and enables them to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Proclamation

The command of the Nine-Dragon Talisman of the Eastern Pole, Azure Mystery, for Rescuing Suffering is proclaimed to the Three Officials and Nine Offices, the sources of the Twelve Rivers, the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Great Rivers, the Nine Provinces and Eight Barbarian Regions, the Six Caverns and Ten Palaces of Fengdu, the Nine Dark Springs and Winding River Sources, the offices of the Five Paths, the tutelary officials of the Nine Provinces, the gates and hidden portals of the underworld, and all rulers of the great hells. All are to receive this talismanic command and deliver the departed souls of the deceased [name] and others, along with the sinful souls trapped and suffering in the yin court of the lower realm. Let them pass straight through the shadowy realm and be forever freed from the prisons of the underworld. Release them from suffering; open the gates of the Springs’ Court and turn danger into safety. Extinguish the flames, eliminate the harm of blades, and break their sharp edges. Raise them from the darkness beneath the earth and send them to be reborn in Zhuling, one of the immortal realms described in Daoism. Deliver the departed souls suffering in the Three Paths because of grievances carried over from past lives, and end their cycles of suffering. Let all be carried out in accordance with this proclamation.

Proclaimed on the [hour] of the [day] of the [month] of the [year] of the current sexagenary cycle.

The ritual rank-holder (minister), [surname and name], receives the edict and carries out its command.

The Greatly Compassionate One in the Eastern Pole Palace, the Celestial Worthy Taiyi Who Rescues Suffering (draw the talisman in its true form).

Inner envelope format, front:

Command of the Nine-Dragon Talisman of the Eastern Pole, Azure Mystery, for Rescuing Suffering. Respectfully sealed by the ritual rank-holder (minister), [surname and name], who carries it out.

Inner envelope, back:

Deliver the departed souls of the deceased [name] and others.

Outer envelope format:

The command of the Nine-Dragon Talisman of the Eastern Pole, Azure Mystery, for Rescuing Suffering is proclaimed to the terrestrial officials, underworld offices, and gods of the Three Realms, Ten Directions, and Nine Wilds. Respectfully sealed again by the ritual rank-holder, [surname and name].

The Precious Talisman of Shengde and Illumination of the Eastern Flower Green Palace of Donghua

Proclamation

The Precious Talisman of Shengde and Illumination of the Eastern Flower Green Palace, in the Eastern Azure Forest Palace of the Great Sovereign of Myriad Blessings above, is proclaimed to the Three Officials and Nine Courts, the one hundred and twenty bureaus, the examining officials of the Five Emperors, the Fengdu and Sacred Peak courts, the Nine Dark Springs of Quanqu, Mingling, the Great Gods of the Five Paths, the River Source Water Officials, and the rulers of the underworld gates in the boundless worlds of the Ten Directions. Deliver the departed souls of the deceased [name] and others, freeing them from hell, pardoning their sins, and clearing away debts arising from karmic grievances, so that they may be reborn in the Heaven of Great Sovereign Huangzeng in the East. Let all be carried out in accordance with this proclamation.

Proclaimed on the [hour] of the [day] of the [month] of the [year] of the current sexagenary cycle.

The ritual rank-holder (minister), [surname and name], receives the edict and carries out its command.

These proclamations are talismanic documents used in Daoist Zhaijiao rites for delivering the dead. They announce the commands of the gods, petition the offices of the underworld to release departed souls and relieve their suffering, and guide them toward rebirth in the corresponding heavenly realm.

The white slip on the right is one chi and two cun long and three cun and two fen wide. It is decorated in blue and inscribed in vermilion.

Written on the slip are the talismanic mandates of the Primordial Beginning: the Longevity Talisman and the Talisman for Deliverance from Suffering, both on the white slips of the Golden Register.

The master said: Above the Three Heavens are the supreme Jade Coffer of the True Ones’ Covenant, the Golden Register, the Jade Slips, and the true talisman for deliverance from suffering. This talisman is a numinous chapter in which the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning displays his might, and a manifestation of the Lord Above’s abundant grace. It is a ritual remedy for healing those sunk in ruin, a ritual teaching that awakens the ignorant, a ritual rain that washes the body and mind, and a ritual cloud that shelters all spirits. It is a torch that lights the darkness and a gateway that guides the dead onward.

This method was first presented in a petition by the Northern Emperor, the sovereign who rules the netherworld in the north. The Void Emperor, a revered Daoist deity, then expounded and taught it, bestowing deep grace. It can deliver beings throughout the Avici Hell, summon talismanic pledges from a thousand heavens, and break open the numinous writings of the netherworld beneath the nine layers of earth. Those who receive this method can leave the dark road directly and ascend to the heavens; those who practice it can restore the dead to life and raise them to the rank of Perfected Ones. It can help the living pass through the Three Calamities and Nine Afflictions, and remove for the dead the countless sins and karmic burdens of the Northern Capital, the netherworld’s seat. How could this be called merely a small help?

The Jade Register says: Quan Sheng inherited the ancestral transmission of the Dao and received the pure Qi of the numinous source of Great Origin. From formlessness he received Qi and took shape; he also received the protection of the spirits. Fortunate to behold the light of dawn, he failed to cherish his own life. As his Qi came into contact with external things, deluded thoughts arose, followed by worldly passions and desires. Spirits and ghosts seized the opportunity to disturb him, leaving him increasingly depleted and his circumstances ever worse. His Qi weakened and his Shen dispersed, making it difficult to return to his original state.

Five entanglements bind the dead and cause them to suffer in the netherworld. Some are trapped among the Five Sacred Peaks, great rivers, the Nine Netherworlds, the offices of city gods and local deities, or the sources of rivers in the underworld. Some take shelter in the shadows of lonely ghosts and attach themselves to evil things. Others wander the wilderness, possessing mediums and causing mischief through demons. Bound by deluded thoughts, the dead cannot awaken to their former lives. Drawn onward by their circumstances, karma, and affinities, body and consciousness separate; the mind follows the body in an endless cycle. The human realm is vast and profound, and its workings are difficult to fathom. The Most High, a Daoist title for the supreme revered deity, is compassionate and benevolent, and constantly saves and protects living beings. Therefore, he issued talismanic mandates so that every part of the netherworld might receive his grace: to quell fierce flames, relieve the torment of fiery mountains, and undo burdens from past lives; and to nourish the dead with heavenly grace, allowing them to be refined anew and restored to human form.

The Emperor of Men said: Human beings fall into ruin because they are controlled by the Three Corpses and Nine Worms, inner impurities said in Daoism to hinder cultivation and deplete body and mind. All of this is governed by the workings of the Five Phases, and so they enter the gate of the Five Sufferings and the cycle of rebirth. Thus the Great One first employs the light of the Three Qi to break the registers of the Nine Netherworlds, then uses the Qi of the Nine Stars to sweep away corpse impurities. When the Five Viscera shine within like the sun, Yin and Yang can restore the souls. Therefore one must write “the Qi of dangshi mingyan youzhi,” then arrange the stars of the Eight Trigrams, so that the mysterious forms each take shape, Heaven and Earth’s Yin and Yang join, and the Three Qi flow freely.

This talisman can guard and protect the Three Dantians (energy centers in the upper, middle, and lower parts of the body). Let the mind and spirit take the lead, harmonize Kan and Li (Water and Fire, symbolizing Yin-Yang), then pay homage above to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three highest deities revered in Daoism, and arrange the Nine Palaces, the directional system used in Daoist ritual.

When the True Qi is arranged and fills the space, all the deities come to listen with reverence. The Nine Hells, the depths of the netherworld, then collapse and vanish, and all things return to the blended One Qi, the primordial energy of Daoism. The One Qi circulates and can restore a corpse to life. This is why this curved edict must be written.

The Celestial Worthy says: “Yin spirits, the souls of the dead, are lost in attachment. Since they have already received the grace of the Dao and been delivered, they must still rely on the talisman for refining the form in the Cinnabar Heaven, which transforms the body and life. Through it, they generate a precious radiance and rise into a realm of brightness and Yang harmony. Those who cultivate the Dao should practice and use the light of the Three Dantians to guide in the Qi of the Nine Heavens. Thus, through the power of True Yang, the yin spirits’ awareness joins with the Supreme Reality. They pass through the cycles of rebirth without perishing, and can become immortals.

“The Celestial Worthy also says: Guilty souls are held in confinement, all under the jurisdiction of the Northern Dipper, whose star deities govern life, death, and the netherworld. Therefore, write the words ‘Supreme Seven Primordial Ones’ and ‘Nine Hells,’ then breathe into them the Qi of the Three Lights. Let their radiance shine in all ten directions, and let the Three Terraces, star deities corresponding to the Northern Dipper, shine brilliantly. Next, write the radiance of the mysterious celestial image to illuminate the Eight Prisons and the Five Sacred Mountains. The Great Gods of the Five Emperors, who oversee life, set their numinous power in motion. Then write a talismanic text joined to the brightness of the sun and moon, so that all who are reached by the Three Lights may have their names recorded in the Purple Register, the register of immortals. The Lord holds the talisman and bestows the method for granting life. The Heavenly Primordial Qi of the Flowery Court and Mount Tai pours into the Southern Dipper, and the Three Offices carry out the command. In this way, the souls of the dead beneath the Nine Earths, within the Nine Waters, and in the realm of the Nine Yin can all see the light.

“The master says: Without the innate capacity to accord with the Mysterious Dao, one may wear this numinous text and keep the Nine Precepts in one’s heart, yet still may not be taught the talisman for rescuing the suffering. Those who wish specifically to deliver departed souls must also be accomplished cultivators who possess the Seven Virtues and Nine Merits. This restriction does not violate the teaching of compassion. Rather, ghosts burdened by grave offenses cannot receive the Emperor’s gracious command on their own. If prisoners in the underworld receive a false pardon, it will only mislead the netherworld in vain. And if the deceased, while alive, were disloyal, unfilial, unchaste, corrupt, unkind, or uncharitable, and never accumulated merit by helping others, they do not qualify to ascend to the Southern Palace. Even if a notice is sent to the underworld officials, they will merely enter it in their records and allow the souls to undergo transformation according to their own karmic retribution. Without the power of the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the master—to rely upon, the efficacy of this talisman cannot extend widely.

“The master says: You already wear the Nine Dragon-Tiger Talisman. In keeping with the precepts, you should visualize in your heart the Register for Refining the True at Nanchang, the register for refining and delivering departed souls—that is, the Talisman of Long Life. It is a supreme numinous plan, a precious chapter of the Purple Tenuity. Write it in cinnabar-red characters on plain slips, gathering a glow like crimson clouds and bringing forth divine radiance. Use it to summon the Qi of Morning Splendor, and to protect and refine the Cinnabar Heart, nurturing the Red Child, a name in Neidan practice for the mind-spirit or infant-like True Qi.

“Anyone who receives the talisman should choose an odd-numbered day in a Yang month and prepare plain blue silk, nine inches long and two and a half inches wide. Write the seal script in cinnabar. When the talisman is complete, set up eight altars, fold the talisman, place it in a red cloth pouch one inch square, and hang it before the heart. After burning incense each day, go outside and face east. If it is windy, rainy, or overcast…”

At night, you may retire to sleep in a quiet place. Focus your spirit, still your mind, and relax your body. Face east and imagine red mist entering through the tip of your nose and flowing throughout your body, from top to bottom. Keep all distracting thoughts from the three palaces—the upper, middle, and lower centers of cultivation within the body. After maintaining this focus for a long time, click your teeth together three times, swallow your saliva three times, and softly recite the incantation:

“Siming, receive the refinement; the ministerial Fire becomes a celestial force. Liang is Heaven’s steward, responding through the radiance of flame. The pivot and its assistants support the stars, arrayed in mysterious patterns. Nurture the essence in great brilliance; the vermilion register shines with dazzling light. Refine and transform the divine talisman; within and without, all prosper. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and commands.”

After reciting the incantation, click your teeth together three more times and swallow three mouthfuls of saliva, then stop. After practicing in this way for three years, you may perform the other rites of the method. You will then be immune to storms, able to command light and reverse the sun’s shadow, and able to ride a flying carriage. The realm of Purple Void will look favorably upon you, and you may enter the lofty Jade Capital, the Daoist celestial abode of the immortals.

The Jade Register says: “Yang months” refers to the six yang months—Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, and Xu; “odd days” refers to Jia days. “The other rites of the method” means the remaining rituals included in this method. It does not mean that you must practice for three full years before you can begin carrying talismans, bowing, gazing into the distance, burning incense, and performing the rites outside. “Leaving the gate” here means walking out through the courtyard gate to perform the ritual, not leaving through the Xun gate—the southeast gate—in accordance with the ceremony for paying homage to perfected beings. “Pure and bright blue” does not mean that only white is called “pure”: Daoists also call clouds of purple, blue, and crimson the “Three Pure Clouds.”

The Jade Register also says: If someone in the world has relieved the poor, aided heavenly beings, observed the precepts, kept purification fasts, and made offerings to the Three Treasures, or has cultivated and nourished the spirit but has not yet completed their merits, then, after their lifespan ends and their spirit passes through Great Yin, the netherworld, a pardon may be granted as appropriate and the True Talisman for Deliverance from Suffering petitioned for. The Spirit Talisman of Long Life should then be petitioned for, so that the deceased may be entered in the registers of the imperial court and their spirit refined in the Office of Divine Fire.

If a deceased soul did not accumulate merits for heavenly beings during its life, it cannot be casually admitted to the Register of Refining the True, the official register for those who practice the refinement of the True. If it can behold the radiance of the divinities and be reborn in the world of the living, that is already a blessing.

The text further says: If a Great Offering is held to deliver the solitary souls of the Nine Depths, the ancestors of past generations, and members of the clan, and to entrust oneself to the Mysterious True Ones of Heaven and Earth, the ritual master should submit a memorial on their behalf to the Three Realms, the three tiers of the Daoist heavens, and report to the Mysterious Masters. The rite should then be reported to the Earth Bureau, the divine office that governs the underworld; only after this may talismans and registers be petitioned for.

The ritual method says: All wooden slips used for delivering souls should be made of cypress, nine inches long, two inches and four tenths wide, and two tenths of an inch thick. The Jade Register gives the width as two inches and five tenths and the thickness as four tenths of an inch. Cypress is chosen for its fragrant whiteness and its symbolism of vital energy. The Jade Register says that the Talisman for Deliverance from Suffering is made of catalpa wood, while the Spirit Talisman of Long Life is made of cypress. Nine inches symbolizes transcendence from the nine nether springs and ascent by riding the Qi of the Nine Yangs…

The slip is two cun and four fen wide, symbolizing the Qi of the Three Sections, Eight Radiances, and twenty-four divine beings. The Three Sections are the three Dantian in the upper, middle, and lower parts of the human body; the Eight Radiances are the divine images associated with the different parts within the body. Together they make up the twenty-four gods. The slip is two fen thick, signifying that Yin and Yang are complete and accord with the principles by which Heaven and Earth bring things into being. Its dimensions should be measured with an ancient jade ruler. Compared with today’s rulers, an ancient cun is two fen longer.

The instructions say: Whenever writing talismans, first burn incense in the Jing chamber, a pure, quiet room reserved for Daoist practice, and bow in prayer to make a formal declaration, thereby showing utmost sincerity. Recite the Dongzhang silently in your heart. Place the slip on an incense table facing east. Kneel facing northwest, then make a formal petition to the Most High Origin, the Daoist supreme deity Yuanshi Tianzun. Visualize Yuanshi Tianzun riding a five-colored lion with a jade-colored appearance, seated on a lotus throne atop a golden platform adorned with a hundred treasures. Golden light shines around him, and auspicious Qi issues from his mouth, descending onto the cinnabar and the wood of the slip. Then rise, face east, form the Zhen hand sign, and recite:

“Jade birth, long mulberry, cypress, empty passage, immortal cinnabar, radiant wood, the soul ascends to Heaven.

Qi shines upon the white slip; golden light arises naturally, enduring through endless kalpas, securing and calming the cold springs.

May the secluded soul be released and guided through, and preserved for long kalpas. Hasten, hasten, in accordance with

the ordinances of the Primordial Beginning, the Supreme Emperor.”

When the incantation is complete, draw in the vital Qi nine times. Visualize it transforming into the radiance of the sun, then blow it over the slip. If many slips are needed for a universal deliverance rite, they may be stacked on the table. In the same way, draw in Qi eighty-one times and blow it toward the slips, visualizing sunlight spreading everywhere without limit. Then dip the brush in cinnabar, form the Yuqing hand sign, silently recite the three hidden names of Heaven: Hong, Chengming, and Tiandiren. Begin writing, using the dispersed-form script.

The instructions further say: When writing a longevity talisman, use the same procedure for the formal petition as above. However, choose a Jia or Yin day to write the talisman, leave it outside overnight, and invite the spirits to descend; only then may it be used. The mnemonic says: “Wood at the beginning and metal at the head bring good fortune; the metal dragon’s passage brings greater access. Cinnabar light sets the fire in motion; lodging in the dew links one to the divine peak.” “Wood at the beginning” refers to a Jia day, and “metal at the head” to a Geng day. Accordingly, the Gengchen day is the most auspicious.

The Yuce says: Write the talisman on the front and the petition text on the back, in five lines altogether. Older editions have six lines; the sixth is the line of petition stating the cyclical year of the August Sovereign, Jia Shen, much like the present-day notation “Year of Jiazi.” It is now thought preferable to follow the older editions and include the year and month, making six lines. But since the celestial script lacks characters for the heavenly stems and earthly branches, and one does not dare to mix ordinary writing into the true script, the year and month are provisionally placed beneath the petition text and written on a separate line.

Write on the back of the bamboo slip, which has a blue-paper cover, following the talisman mandate of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, and issue a proclamation down to the boundless worlds of the ten directions. The proclamation is divided into two lines, written on either side of the title.

The ritual text says: If there are many slips to be used for universal salvation and the seal script cannot all be written in time, hollowed-out talisman templates can be made from thin sheets of gold or silver. Following ritual prescriptions, focus the mind in visualization, dip into pigment, and brush the talisman onto white slips using the template. This makes large quantities easier to complete without unduly exhausting one’s effort. If fellow practitioners are willing to help write the seal script, enduring the labor to fulfill the merit of saving the souls of the dead, that is better still than using talisman boards. If neither method is used, the talisman can instead be carved into a printing block, then printed in cinnabar on thin white paper and pasted onto the slip. Afterward, follow ritual prescriptions, focus the mind in visualization, dip the brush, recite the incantation at the talisman’s key strokes or structures, and retouch the talisman. This, too, can come close to the effect of writing the seal script by hand. But if the slips are printed carelessly and the ritual prescriptions are not followed, then all that effort is in vain.

The Jade Register says: Whenever one is to perform a ritual pardon for the dead, absolving a departed soul of its offenses, or confer a longevity talisman on a departed soul, one should consult the Heavenly Seal Script, the sacred Daoist script, and write the deceased person’s name. To save three or more people, one may write one person’s name on the slip and indicate the number of people, and so on; the remaining names should be listed in the memorial submitted to Fengdu. The memorial itself uses only the standard script common in the secular world, while the writing on the slip must use the Heavenly Seal Script. Its original forms must not be discarded at will, since these two scripts each follow their own rules.

In the passage in the True Annals where the Lady of Purple Tenuity answers Yang Siming’s questions about writing, she says: “Allow me to explain the origins of writing. The writings of the Three Origins and Eight Assemblies are used by the Sovereigns and by the perfected and pure immortals of the highest realms within the Supreme Ultimate. The luminous chapters of cloud script are the characters seen today in the talismanic writings of the spirits. Since the Hua and Ji periods, people have pursued only artifice and shortcuts. The characters they write have become polluted and licentious; abandoning the root for the branches, they borrow and counterfeit forms of writing. These are merely traces of clamor and filth, tending toward death. How could true immortals abandon the fundamental script and instead draw licentious, base characters with their own hands?”

The forty-seven characters in the longevity talisman, along with the proclamations of the two talismans, were formerly written in luminous cloud script. Later generations, unaware of the difference between sacred and secular writing, replaced it outright with characters common in the world. Does this not damage the true script of the immortals above, while violating the rules and restrictions below? From now on, the sacred scripts recorded in the various scriptures should be consulted and used to verify the old seal forms.

The proclamation of the present talisman for relieving suffering contains ninety-eight characters, including seven additional characters for writing the deceased person’s name…

The seal script used for this rite contains twenty-one characters, arranged in five rows. This is the “Longevity Talisman.” The document contains ninety-eight characters, with seven additional characters for writing the deceased’s name; each row is written in seal script with twenty-two characters, arranged in five rows. When writing the date of birth, do not use the character “Wei”; also avoid characters whose forms resemble “Shi.” The deceased is, after all, in a state of profound Yin. Using such characters would make the document look like a special pardon issued by the imperial court. The name of the departed soul written in any document must not exceed six characters. Take great care.

Talisman for Deliverance from Suffering

Ritual Text for Delivering the Souls of Emperors, Consorts, High Officials, and Generals

Lord Lingbao, Lord Tianbao, and Lord Shenbao—the deities of the Three Treasures of Daoism—manifest radiant transformation and preserve purity, reaching through to the truth. Houtu, the deity who governs the underworld and the land, gathers with them across the nine layers of earth in the imperial court. The Five Qi blend, and the sun and moon halt their courses. The Demon Kings recommend the souls, and the heavens record their names. The Three Primes and Six Cycles register life and bestow blessings. The Southern Dipper gathers and equalizes their lifespans. The Officers of Merit and Achievement serve under the command of the Pole Star. They forge bodies for the souls and refine their spirits. Above, the souls are overseen by the central authority of the Five Sacred Peaks; below, it governs human relations. Riding golden carriages and jade chariots, they pay court to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). The Nine Heavens turn; spirits arise at the Purple Gate. They are nourished and raised by Tuoluo, as Qi joins and clouds gather. The nine regions are secured and guarded. The souls of the dead in the netherworld regain their forms. They reach the splendid and exquisite immortal capital, receive the command, and carry it out.

Ritual Text for Delivering the Souls of Scholars and Commoners

The Qi of the Three Sovereigns—the primordial energy spoken of in Daoism—gathers; its forms manifest, and mystery coalesces. The radiance of the Nine Yangs shines, raising the dead from the dark night. Their sins and punishments are erased; the gate of deliverance is opened, and karmic ties from past lives are released. The Three Pure Luminants and the Six Distinctions become empty and still. The Way of Precious Mystery spreads and transforms, rescuing departed souls. The Five Elders open the charts and registers, blending pure Qi at the center. Daoist Guardian Cen refines the essence of the nine souls. Charts and registers are laid out all around, opening the way to deliver the heroic souls. The departed souls return and gather at the Dark Capital. Punishments cease for nine nights, and light unfolds through the netherworld. A special pardon is granted in Northern Feng, the Daoist underworld. They ascend the path among the high clouds.

Ritual Text for Delivering the Souls of Those Who Died Violently

Vast life-giving power shines with sublime clarity; it awakens to the original source and penetrates the emptiness. The Nine Perfected respond to the Primordial Beginning.

The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) unfold in their cycles, while the spirit portals, through which divine beings come and go, intertwine with one another. The Three Officials, who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, oversee all directions; six dragons draw the chariot and dance. Out of compassion for living beings, they offer aid.

They release the suffering of the Three Paths, where beings undergo hardship, and resolve enmities. They spread the laws of compassion, return the Qi of the Five Phases to its true origin, and use pure Qi to cleanse the dark realms.

Their majestic radiance shines far along the roads of the netherworld. Their wisdom is clear and tranquil; they deliver the dead and guide them toward the Southern Celestial Pivot.

Perfect to the utmost, clear and enduring, they shine upon the Nine Nights and remote places. They open the gate of deliverance in the netherworld’s spring-palace and let blessings illuminate Fengdu, the legendary capital of the underworld.

By this command, swiftly stride through the Great Void.

Deliver the dead and the souls of the netherworld, and bring peace to their scattered forms and spirits.

The Imperial Perfected Ones—the sovereign lords and perfected beings—unite, refine and nourish the spirits and souls, and infuse the womb. Their attendants on the left and right, together with the divine officials Sima, Dongyao, and others, guard the Nine Ramparts, the nine layers of the earthly realm.

The evil roots of sunken souls dissipate, the registers of the Purple Gate of the netherworld are set in order, and divine beings descend into the morning clouds. They open the gate of deliverance in the long night, allowing Yin Qi to pass through the road marked by Yang Qi.

The Three Zhang, divine offices or titles named in the scripture, oversee and command all. The netherworld rejoices as one; the Six Qi respond to one another, and sacred sounds proclaim the light. The gods in charge of fate, records, merit, and punishment, together with the divine officials of the Bright Lord’s Capital who govern the Three Spirits, each fulfill their duties.

They harmonize the Five Qi and bring the hundred gods together as one. Tan Song and Yan Yue receive the commands of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). The Office of the Nine Yangs presides over transformation and growth, sheltering and nurturing all spirits. The Way of Kun follows and supports, protecting within; the Qi of Great Brightness brings all things into harmony.

Receive the essence of Heaven. The august Jade Emperor joins with the Nine Hells, and the departed souls of Quanqu, the netherworld, are delivered.

The decree releases the netherworld’s gates to open. With urgency, in accordance with the laws of the Azure Mysterious One.

The above is the “Dissolution of Form” passage in the edition by Zhao Daosheng. In that edition, before “The Imperial Perfected Ones unite” at the beginning, three additional phrases appear: “The Primordial Beginning Supreme Emperor, the Most High Lord of the Dao, and the Most High Lord Lao.” The character “Perfected” is written instead as “Lord.”

Deliverance of the living body and dissolution of form:

The three souls return to their numinous essence, and green characters—the Daoist talismanic command or document for delivering the dead—allow the departed to return to life. The nine apertures open and flow freely, and the five inner palaces, the bodily or divine repositories and organs, receive numinous Qi. The gates of the ghosts are sealed off, and the imperial Way, the bright and upright Great Way, is made clear. The Three Platforms, a name for celestial officials, spread their radiance; the Six Forms, the patterns or ritual order of Heaven and Earth, unite and come to fulfillment. Yin and Yang are matched and joined, and the imperial Way reaches the primal spirit. The Great Demons of the Five Emperors guard the left and right, welcoming and escorting the departed.

This passage is a ritual text for a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual), specifically a rite for relieving suffering and guiding the dead to salvation. It includes several parts: verses, a proclamation, talismans and registers, and incantations.

Opening verses: Return to the source of primordial chaos and unite as one, moving in swift steps through the celestial realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). The nine generations of family and kin all ascend beyond this world; beneath the Three Lights—the sun, moon, and stars—they enter a realm of radiance. The physical body is delivered, and the realm where the dead reside is also transformed. The body merges with the natural Dao (the Way); the delivered body endures through countless kalpas. It no longer descends to the Nine Springs, the underworld, and the dark prisons can no longer hold it. The phrases that follow—“curving reflections,” “riding forth,” “the Emperor’s sanctuary,” and “Jade Void”—evoke the flow of divine light and the celestial Jade Void, the pure and empty realm where the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning dwells.

The True Talisman of the Nine Dragons for Relieving Suffering from the Eastern Florescent Palace: This is a talisman for relieving suffering from the Eastern Florescent Palace, the palace of Eastern Azure Florescence where the Celestial Worthy Who Relieves Suffering resides. It calls upon the power of the nine dragons to deliver the souls of the dead.

Proclamation: By the talismanic command issued by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, together with the Golden Register, a Daoist document for delivering the dead, the white tablet used to present petitions to the gods, and the true talisman for relieving suffering, notice is given to the Three Offices and Nine Courts in the boundless worlds of the ten directions; the 120 bureaus of the underworld; the investigating officials of the Five Emperors; the Ninefold Hells; the giant celestial warriors; the divine soldiers who enforce punishments; the Record Keeper, the Controller of Destinies, the Supervisor of Deeds, and the Enforcer of Death; the ox-headed jailers; and the great demons of the Three Realms. They are commanded to deliver the deceased from the hells, end the long night forever, let the deceased behold the light, wash away every sin, and resolve all enmities. By the merit of this talismanic command of the nine dragons, the deceased shall ascend to heaven. All are to carry out the command as proclaimed. At the end, the proclamation specifies the year, month, day, and hour when it is issued from the ritual altar. It is written in celestial seal script.

Blessing and talisman incantation: May the Supreme Sage of Primordial Beginning, the Jade Emperor, and the exalted spirits proclaim their commands and deliver both the dead and the living. May the wondrous precepts of the Golden Register protect the souls in the underworld; may the white tablet, jade talisman, and mysterious scripture of the Nine Perfected dissolve their transgressions and settle their debts of vengeance. The Perfected One Who Relieves Suffering removes their punishments; the boy who examines destinies records the deceased’s name in the register of those who ascend to life above. The mighty spirit who guards the precepts guides them to the Court of Blessings, freeing them from the Five Sufferings—the many forms of distress associated with birth, aging, illness, death, and suffering itself—and carrying them upward in a cloud chariot to the Heaven of Highest Clarity. The talismanic command of Primordial Beginning descends to the Deep Springs, the lowest reaches of the underworld, and pardons the sins and sufferings of the night courts behind the gates of darkness. The trustworthy Fish-Dragons, spirit messengers who convey documents through the underworld, proclaim the soul’s name. The delivered soul passes beyond the gates of the netherworld, attains rebirth through merit, and ascends to the Three Heavens. “Hasten, hasten, in accordance with the statutes and commands” is a conventional closing formula in Daoist incantations, meaning that the command must be carried out at once.

Ritual instructions: The ritual master performs the mudra of the Supreme Emperor, draws in the azure Qi (vital energy) of the East, and combines it with the three Qi of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning—three primordial forms of energy in Daoism. He blows this energy into the talisman to activate it.

Longevity talisman and concluding verses: The longevity talisman is used for the dispersal of form, allowing the soul of the deceased to dissolve and be reborn. The master then recites, “Primordial Beginning, Supreme Emperor; mysterious radiance surpasses all ranks; the true spirit of Yang on the left, the numinous spirit of Yin on the right; the transformed Origin is written in white; the stars fly through the vast heavens.” These words summon the spirits and set primordial energy in motion. Next, the master calls upon the Ninefold Hells to release the dead from their offenses, recites the sacred title of the Celestial Worthy three times, and prays that the divine pearl shine alongside the bright sun, that Heaven and Earth unite in radiance, and that the light reach every dark place in the underworld.

Yellow clouds gather and concentrate the numinous Qi, their forms blending in the realm of the Primordial Beginning. On the left is the Immortal Palace, clear as a wheel in the mysterious realm; on the right is the Great Immortal Palace.

The spirits of the True Ones of the Terrace: the Three Primordial Ones assemble above, rising through the nine nights; their grace extends to pardon the Five Sacred Peaks.

When writing the characters “Five Sacred Peaks,” first breathe out, blowing the clouds away, then set down the brush. When writing the characters “Eight Prisons,” do the same: breathe out, blow the clouds away, then set down the brush.

The Six Emperors oversee the welcoming; the Great One oversees destiny; Tiaokang receives the command.

The capital of the Taiji, the eight spirits of the womb gate. As you write this stroke, look between the Three Terraces. Draw in a mouthful of the yellow numinous Qi of the Venerable Star of the Great One, breathe out, and write “Capital of the Taiji.” Then lift the brush and seal it.

The Dark Mystery governs the directions and summons the Eight Numinous Lords. As you write this stroke, draw in the yellow numinous Qi of the Star of the Great One, breathe out, and write it beneath “The Dark Mystery Governs the Directions.” Then lift the brush and seal it.

Heaven, Earth, and humanity unite; the sun and moon unite. The Five Phases converge, and sun and moon shine together. The Lord of the Southern Pole records life. The Three Primordial Ones and the Four Beginnings, Yin and Yang united: the Jade Dawn issues an edict to the Upper Palace of Nanchang. In accordance with the laws and measures, swiftly deliver the departed soul to liberation.

The characters “Purple” and “Edict.” The Emperor-Lord of Nanchang, the Emperor-Lord of the Taiji who Records Life, the Emperor-Lord of the Purple Void and Cinnabar Origin, and the Great Emperor of Long Life gather essence and Qi and jointly govern the Imperial Court. When writing the stroke in the middle of “Through Rectitude,” finish reciting the final line, then click the teeth three times.

After writing the three characters “Bright,” “Radiant,” and “Luminous,” click the teeth three times. Quiet the mind and gather the spirit; draw in a long breath of the warm, perfumed Qi steaming from the southwest, then write the character “Lord.” The incantation is above.

The Three Officials, Northern Fengdu, and the Nine Layers of Earth; the profoundly Yin ninefold underworld and its nine waters—all appear in the light. The Lord of Great Yue is lofty as a hill; a flying dragon carries the document, and the Southern Dipper bestows life.

In the rite above, the cinnabar-colored Qi drawn into the tip of the brush is swallowed and stored in the Dantian below the navel. Wait for the departed soul to ascend the bridge. Then breathe out once more the original Qi within the Dantian, sending red light up to the heavens and conveying the soul five zhang away. The ritual master prostrates in obeisance, waits briefly, then rises and accompanies the soul in the carriage, placing it in the banner to be burned. This stroke is written in obedience to the Emperor’s command.

This is the proclamation of the “Register of Purple Tenuity, Flowing Gold, and Refining the True” from the Upper Palace of Nanchang. Whenever writing…

The Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning issues a gold-register white document and a numinous talisman of long life, commanding the Great Lord of Long Life, Lord Han, of the Southern Palace Above in the Vermilion Mound Fire Office, in the world of the Southern Cinnabar Heaven, together with the revered deities who govern destiny, keep the registers, extend life, increase one’s allotted years, and deliver beings from calamity, as well as the great gods who restore the body and revive the dead and oversee life and death, to carry out together the rite of delivering the deceased [name] to salvation.

May the deceased ascend to the court of flowing fire in the Vermilion Palace and undergo the rites of refining the substance with jade eyes and washing away the form with yellow blossoms, cleansing and refining body and spirit. Enter the deceased’s name in the purple register so that, transformed, they may be reborn. By virtue of this gold register and the merit of delivering a life, the deceased may ascend in rank at the appointed time. In all matters, proceed in accordance with this proclamation. It is issued in the year, month, day, and hour specified, at the ritual altar.

Heavenly Seal Script of the Proclamation

Incantation for Blessing the Talisman

The red-script jade writing of the Most High, the Enlightened Primordial Beginning, and the Five Emperors Who Oversee the True: remove and redeem all resentments and roots of sin from former lives, so that the deceased may be released and spared further punishment and torture. Let the hun soul ascend to the Nine Heavens and the po soul travel to the Vermilion Mound. Today we submit this petition above and pray that all the myriad spirits come to hear and receive it. With the dragon bearing the white document and the covenant binding the true numina, we earnestly ask that the wish be fulfilled. May it be sent swiftly by the courier routes of wind and fire.

The red-script jade writing of the Primordial Beginning Emperor dissolves the entanglements of the underworld, attesting that the deceased has been delivered to salvation and made a perfected being. Deities of Knife-Li, the Southern Pole, and the Floating Realm: command the deceased to undergo refinement in the flowing fire and protect their life. Divine lad Bana: cleanse the yin impurity, make the inside and outside clear, and reveal a form like a jade infant. May the deceased fly swiftly to the court of Chanli Cave-Yang. In all matters, proceed in accordance with the command.

Golden-Mouthed Edict of the Primordial Beginning Emperor

The Red Emperor at the sun’s center is titled the True Talisman of Cinnabar Radiance. He commands the immortal Jade Essence to protect life, so that its brilliance shines like a rainbow reflected in jade splendor and appears in the Upper Clarity. The life souls of seven generations of parents and relatives through the ages may all find peace. Transcend the resentments of former lives, and let calamities vanish in the depths of the netherworld. Young lord, take my talisman; the Great One dwells in the Purple Chamber. The threefold union of the Earth Origin delivers the souls of the dead from below and sends them above to the Jade Capital. Carry this out swiftly.

Edict of the Primordial Beginning Emperor

Format for the Cover of a Salvation-from-Suffering Talisman

(The true talisman for salvation from suffering is proclaimed to the boundless worlds in the ten directions.) [Official rank] [Surname], sealed.

Write on the back of the cover:

The souls of the deceased [names] and others, delivered from suffering.

Format for the Cover of a Long-Life Talisman

(The numinous talisman of long life is proclaimed to the world of the Southern Cinnabar Heaven.) [Official rank] [Surname], sealed.

Write on the back of the cover:

The souls of the deceased [names] and others, delivered to salvation.

Proclamation Accompanying the Salvation-from-Suffering Talisman, Delivered to the Celestial Immortals

The talisman-command of the Primordial Beginning … [The text here is the same as above, except that the two lines concerning the “Mighty Heaven’s Strongmen of the Ninefold Netherworld Prison” are changed to read, “The Celestial Immortals investigate and regulate the myriad Qi.”]

Chong Shen (the rest of the content is the same).

Petition for the Longevity Talisman to Confer the Way of the Celestial Immortal

“Primordial Beginning Talisman-Command …” (The text within is the same as in the original, except that the lines “By the Golden Register, grant deliverance from fate; at the appointed time, merit and virtue bring advancement” are changed to “The Primordial Sovereign’s vast transformation.”)

“Celestial Immortal rank and order: advancement is granted directly.” (The rest of the content is the same.)

Petition for the Distress-Relief Talisman to Confer Deliverance in One’s Present Life

“Primordial Beginning Talisman-Command … The Great Demon of the Three Realms, shield and protect the disciple [name], who has undertaken preliminary cultivation. The disciple has received deliverance and escaped dark, sunken depths, and has come to see the light. Amid the cycles of karmic conditions, food and clothing will be naturally provided in full, enabling the disciple to become a novice celestial being. In accordance with this petition and command.”

Petition for the Longevity Talisman to Confer Deliverance in One’s Present Life

“Primordial Beginning Talisman-Command … The Great Spirit Who Oversees Birth, shield and protect the disciple [name], who has undertaken preliminary cultivation. The disciple has received deliverance in this life and will endure for generations. Through the cycles of calamities and cosmic fortunes, the disciple will live as long as Heaven and forever escape the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties, transcend the Three Realms, and roam freely in Shangqing.”

Inner Talisman on the Distress-Relief Bamboo Slip

The talismans above are written in black on a red ground, use Zi script, and belong to the Northern Qi.

Inner Talisman on the Longevity Bamboo Slip

The talismans above are written in cinnabar on a yellow ground, use Wu script, and belong to the Southern Qi.

Postal-Messenger Talismans for the Jiao Dragon and Golden Dragon

The ritual master says: The Tai Xuan Capital Office has 120,000 Jiao Dragon postal messengers, responsible for transmitting commands, opening the gates of Quanqu, and granting pardons for offenses. Whenever a petition requests the Distress-Relief Talisman, one messenger must carry each talisman. There are also 250,000 Golden Dragon postal messengers, responsible for issuing talismanic commands, directing the demon host, and conveying messages to the celestial realm. Whenever a petition requests the Longevity Talisman, one messenger must likewise be assigned to each talisman.

If petitions are to be made for both kinds of bamboo-slip text, one should submit a memorial to the Primordial Venerable and the Jade Emperor, summon these postal messengers, and request that the corresponding number be dispatched according to the number of talisman slips being petitioned for. These two kinds of messengers belong to the command of Tianyou. They should first be reported to the Yuanjing Dantian Palace, though one may also report them together to the Four Saints’ Palaces. This is because Tianpeng presides over capturing souls, protecting the sacred and perfected, and rescuing those sunk in distress.

However, postal messengers look like strongmen. In the secular world, people often mistakenly depict them as child attendants. A further examination of the scriptures shows that when one upholds the Golden Register’s white slips, the Nine Perfected Ones’ wondrous precepts, the numinous Longevity Talisman, and the true Distress-Relief Talisman, the fate-inspecting child attendants, the mighty spirits who protect the precepts, the Five Emperors’ duty talismans, and the clerks of the Six Palaces will naturally accompany them, protecting the deceased who have received the precepts in accordance with the bamboo-slip text. Since this is so, there is no need for child attendants to carry the slips. The claim that postal messengers are depicted as child attendants is also a corruption that arose in transmission.

The Jade Tablet says that when one needs to command a Jiaolong (a messenger spirit official such as a Golden Dragon courier) to hurry and deliver an order, there is no need to write a separate document of authorization; using only the talisman for dispatch is enough. Since beginners in Daoist methods may worry that their cultivation is still shallow and they may not yet be able to reach the mysterious spirits, they may write a formal request to the pass office, commanding the day-duty Merit Officer (the celestial scribe on duty) to take it and summon the courier. Another method is to summon the courier official with a talisman first. Once he arrives, read aloud the command written on the jade tablet, then hand him the request to carry and deliver. This method is also acceptable: write the courier talisman in seal script at the end of the request, before the signature. Consider the matter carefully before acting, in the hope that the order will reach the Cold Bureau, which governs the underworld.

Another method is to bind fresh stalks of aquatic grass into the shape of a dragon official, with the appearance of a strongman, and place a talisman inside it so that it carries the jade tablet document on its back. This method also requires a separate petition giving advance notice, and the rite must be performed after purification.

If one does not report the matter to the High Mystery (the mysterious spirits of the upper realm) and request that a courier official be sent down, but instead issues and carries out the order on one’s own authority, it is like an amnesty decree in the human world: a subject cannot issue one at their own discretion.

Talisman for Summoning the Jiaolong Courier Official

Talisman text:

The Most High’s mysterious cavern penetrates all, its wisdom-light shines forth;

Its supreme decree commands the springs of darkness to be illuminated everywhere.

Light shines in the nether night; forever leave behind the Five Sufferings and sever the roots of the earth.

By the command of the Nine Dragons, who would dare not obey?

Speed through the Five Gates; the Three Officials pardon and absolve.

Let the Jiaolong carry the message: when the talisman arrives, hasten to pursue.

May the departed soul find peace and flourishing, awaken in nature, and let its spirit soar.

By the command of wind and fire, swiftly comply with Luofeng.

Write the talisman on yellow paper in black ink. Form the Jade Emperor hand seal, draw in the light of the North Star through the nose, and guide the brush in a circling motion as you visualize the writing. After focused visualization, burn the talisman to summon the courier official, who will then arrive. The North Star intended here is not Wuqu, the sixth star of the Northern Dipper, but the North Pole Celestial Pivot Star to the right of the Celestial Emperor.

The master said: The radiant energies each have their own kind; clear Qi and turbid Qi each return to their proper places. When gathering the Qi of the Three Luminaries and the Five Planets, always inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. The Qi of flourishing clouds and mist, however, should be inhaled through the mouth and circulated along with the fire Qi. When guiding and drawing in Qi, do not let the ears hear it; if the ears hear it, the radiant energy will not descend. Nor should you guide the Qi for too long, as excessive duration will throw the breath out of balance. The key is to focus the mind and gather the spirit, silently holding the visualization in awareness. In the deep and indistinct realm, guide the breath and unite with the spirit; then the guided and drawn-in Qi will respond to the intention and descend.

Text to the right of the summoning talisman:

On the right: summon one Jiaolong courier official from the Mysterious Capital and command him to carry and deliver the talisman-command of the Primordial Beginning and the true talisman for rescuing the suffering, to open the light and pardon transgressions. Let everything be carried out in accordance with this proclamation.

Choose the year, month, day, and hour according to the Grand Year cycle, and issue the command at that time.

Talisman for Summoning the Golden Dragon Courier Official (a talisman for summoning the Golden Dragon Courier Official)

(The command of the Supreme One of the Mysterious Capital: the Supreme One of the Mysterious Capital issues a command; reaching the hidden realms and opening their passes: access the netherworld and open its barriers; golden light shines everywhere: golden radiance illuminates all.)

(Light shines through the deep springs: radiance penetrates the depths of the netherworld; jade eyes refine the substance, yellow splendor washes away the form: sacred radiance refines the substance and purifies the body; the departed souls undergo refinement and ascend beyond the Three Heavens: the souls of the dead undergo refinement and are raised to the heavenly realms of the three worlds; the true wind spreads widely, and compassionate clouds receive them: the true wind blows far and wide, while compassionate clouds welcome the souls.)

(At the issuing of this command, the Golden Dragon bears the courier: as soon as the command is given, the Golden Dragon carries the messenger; wind and fire race together: wind and fire move swiftly; carry it out at once in accordance with the law: execute it immediately according to the decree.)

Write this talisman in cinnabar on blue paper. Following the Jade instructions, inhale through the nose the radiance of the Venerable Star, letting it circle the tip of the brush. Then write the talisman as described above and burn it to summon the courier official. When gathering Qi, face south and look up toward the Venerable Star in the north.

The Venerable Star lies below the end of the Dipper’s handle, among the lower platform stars. It is near the star Zhongwei and faces north. Four stars to its north form a shape like a military well; to its south is the Shaowei star, shaped like the Yuan constellation. The Venerable Star is yellow and bright, roughly south of the two stars Xuan and Ji in the Northern Dipper. To draw in the starlight of the Northern Pole and the Venerable Star, wait until late at night, when the sky is clear and the stars shine brightly. Only then can their true Qi be obtained.

Words for Summoning with the Talisman (text recited when summoning with the talisman):

Summon one Golden Dragon Courier Official from the Mysterious Capital. Have the official carry the command talisman of the Origin Beginning and the numinous talisman of longevity to the Southern Palace, to deliver the departed souls to salvation. Let everything be carried out in accordance with the command.

Choose the year, month, day, and hour according to the Grand Year cycle, and issue the command.

If the talisman is used first, recite the summoning text above. If the talisman is merely attached to a guanzi (memorial document), this text is unnecessary.

For the format of the guan document, see the section on memorials and petitions.

Shangqing Lingbao Dafa, juan 45.