《上清靈寶大法(一)》Vol. 48

This certificate is called the "Lingbao Ascension Left-Right Joint Tally of Authentic Certification" (Lingbao Shengtian Zuoyou Hetong Zhenquan). It is a talismanic tally (fuqi) issued by the Most High (Taishang), and it serves as the credential by which the souls of the dead ascend to heaven.

In making it, take two sheets of jade-green paper, each nine or ten inches high and sixteen or eighteen inches long. On the front of the left tally, write a single line of the "Great Brahman Hidden Script" (dafan yinyu) in four phrases, arranged in a circle around the center. The left tally uses odd numbers, so the number of characters should be odd. The proclamation text is written from the center outward toward both sides. On the back, following the model, write "True Script of the Inner Sounds of the Three Sovereigns" (sanhuang neiyin zhenwen) in seal script. On the front of the right tally, write the "Names of the Emperors of the Thirty-Two Heavens" (sanshi'er tian dihao) in a circle at the center, likewise in four phrases, making sixteen lines in all. The right tally uses even numbers, so the number of characters should be even. The proclamation text and the True Script on the back follow the same format as the front of the left tally.

When the Liandu (refining-and-salvation) rite is complete, read the tally aloud before the assembly and cut it in two down the middle. The two halves of the right tally are placed in a cypress box, or sealed inside and out with blue paper, and then handed to the Heavenly Gate Officials (tianmen li), to be sent together with the sealed petition (shenzhuang) and official dispatch (guanwen). The two halves of the left tally are given to the dead: one half to the principal soul (zhu hun) of the male spirit, and the other to the principal soul of the female spirit, for them to keep. The tally may be tied to the foot of a banner (fan) in a blue paper sleeve, or placed in the ascension palanquin. If only one person is being delivered, place the tally in a blue satchel (qingnang) and set it beside the straw substitute figure (caoza tishen) on either side, so that the soul wears and holds it as proof of its union with the Heavenly Gate.

Front of the Left Tally

To the Guardian Gods of the Heavenly Gates of the Three Realms:

The Lingbao Ascension Left Tally is issued herewith.

Ritual Office (fawei) of the subject, surnamed ___, having received the edict and acting according to the order.

Issued on the _ day of the _ month of the _ year, at the _ hour.

Let the souls of the Dao realm (daojing hunshen) receive deliverance and be reborn, and naturally follow the edict.

The deceased, named ___ and others, souls ascending and ascending to……

Yuanshi Lingshu Yuqing Zhongpian, compiled by the Most High, descending from the Three Heavens, ascending to……

The deceased, named ___ and others, souls ascending and ascending to……

Let the souls of the Dao realm receive deliverance and be reborn, and naturally follow the edict.

Issued on the _ day of the _ month of the _ year, at the _ hour.

Ritual Office of the subject, surnamed ___, having received the edict and acting according to the order.

Lingbao Shengtian Zuoquan Gaoxia (Proclamation of the Left Tally for Ascension to Heaven in the Lingbao Tradition)

Notify the guardian deities at the Gates of Heaven of the Three Realms (sanjie).

On the reverse of the left tally is written the Sanhuang Neiyin Zhenwen (True Script of the Inner Sounds of the Three Sovereigns), sixty-eight characters in all.

Obverse Format of the Right Tally

Notify the guardian deities at the Gates of Heaven of the Three Realms.

Lingbao Shengtian Youquan Gaoxia (Proclamation of the Right Tally for Ascension to Heaven in the Lingbao Tradition)

Fawei (the ritual rank of the practitioner), surnamed X, respectfully receives the decree and acts in accordance with the command.

Proclaimed in the Taisui year of..., in the month of..., on the day of..., at the hour of....

In accordance with the principle of the Dao realm, the following command is issued:

For the deceased persons So-and-so in Heaven and the human world, through the merit of this document, let them ascend to the Dao realm and rise into the boundless and profound realm of Shangqing. This profound principle must not be concealed. It should be proclaimed and spread, so that the divine perfected (shenzhen) descend and universally save.

The Supreme Honored One of Heaven, the Great Demon of Heaven, and the Numinous Spirit of Heaven, the nine sounds and ten sounds combining and transforming into hidden rhythms: this is the empty and natural numinous seal (lingzhang) of Heaven.

The personal taboo name of the Heavenly Emperor of the Colorless Realm, Yuzhen Fanxing Di, together with the celestial names of the Three Realms, are all concealed and not revealed.

The personal taboo name of the Heavenly Emperor of the Colorless Realm, Yuzhen Fanxing Di, together with the celestial names of the Three Realms, are all concealed and not revealed.

This is the empty and natural numinous seal of Heaven, containing hidden rhythms. The Supreme Honored One of Heaven, the Great Demon of Heaven, and the Numinous Spirit of Heaven, with the nine sounds and ten sounds combining, transform into script.

This profound realm of boundless Shangqing is difficult to explain fully. It should be proclaimed and spread, so that the divine perfected descend and universally save. For the deceased persons So-and-so in Heaven and the human world, through the merit of this document, let them ascend to the Dao realm.

In accordance with the principle of the Dao realm, the command is issued.

Proclaimed in the Taisui year of..., in the month of..., on the day of..., at the hour of....

Fawei, surnamed X, respectfully receives the decree and acts in accordance with the command.

Lingbao Shengtian Youquan Gaoxia (Proclamation of the Right Tally for Ascension to Heaven in the Lingbao Tradition)

Notify the guardian deities at the Gates of Heaven of the Three Realms.

On the reverse of the right tally is written the Sanhuang Neiyin Zhenwen (True Script of the Inner Sounds of the Three Sovereigns), sixty-eight characters in all.

Left Tally: Universal Salvation Proclamation

The numinous writings of Yuanshi Tianzun, the great Brahmanic hidden language, and the middle volume of the boundless sounds, written in jade script, are used to universally save all the deceased of the nine regions (jiuzhou) and their respective domains, the ten directions of the netherworld, the Three Realms and the Nine Obscurities, the Beidi Quanqu (Northern Emperor's Spring Bend), the Five Marchmounts, the Five Paths, the heavenly prisons and the hells, the Six Caverns and Ten Palaces, the River Source Wood Palace, and all the wandering souls within the Unintermittent Hell (wujian).

May all the deceased ascend to the Dao realm and fly to Heaven to record their merit. May the gods attend their persons, and may the demon kings recommend them, so that they become Perfected Immortals (shangxian). Through this great merit, may they travel throughout the Three Realms and ascend through the Golden Gate. In accordance with the principle of the Dao realm, the command is issued.

Proclaimed in the Taisui year of..., in the month of..., on the day of..., at the hour of....

Fawei, surnamed X, respectfully receives the decree and acts in accordance with the command.

Right Tally: Universal Salvation Proclamation

The hidden rhythms of the heavens and the hidden names of the heavens, proclaimed so that the divine perfected descend and universally save the nine regions and their respective domains...

To the Ten Roads Leading to the Netherworld in all ten directions, the Netherworld Realm, the Three Realms, the Nine Darks (the deepest parts of the netherworld), the Northern Emperor's Underworld Springs (the netherworld domain under the Northern Emperor), the Five Sacred Peaks, the Five Paths, the Celestial Prison and the Earthly Hells, the Six Caverns and Ten Palaces, the Wood Mansion at the Source of the River, and all the deceased souls in the Avici Hell, let all of them ascend to the realm of the Dao (Dao, the Way). Today, with joy, we celebrate the deliverance of these souls. Let them pass through each of the barriers and proceed to the Heavens. Eliminate the Three Evils, sever the roots of the Underworld, and let the souls fly across the Five Gates (the barriers of the netherworld), their names inscribed in the Supreme Mystery. Let the Demon King be responsible for examining and recommending them, so that the souls are unbound and enter directly through the Gate of Heaven. Carry out everything in accordance with this decree.

Issued in the year, month, day, and hour of the Taisui year.

The Ritual Officiant (Fawei) (Minister), surnamed ___, receives this decree and carries out its orders.

The above two proclamations are used in the Universal Deliverance ritual. When using them, one should carefully consider the content above and make appropriate substitutions.

Sealing Format for Issuing the Heavenly Gate Tallies

Inner Seal Format

Lingbao Ascension to Heaven, Left and Right Matching True Tallies (the credentials for the souls' ascent, in which the left and right tallies match), sealed respectfully by the officiant, surnamed ___.

Reverse of the Seal Cover

For the deliverance of the souls of ___ and others who have died.

Outer Seal Format

Lingbao Ascension to Heaven, Left and Right Matching True Tallies, proclaimed to the divine guardians of the Heavenly Gates of the Three Realms. Respectfully resealed by the officiant, surnamed ___.

If the two tallies are sealed together, use only the format above. If they are sealed separately, split the characters "left and right" and write them as "Left Tally" and "Right Tally" on each seal respectively.

Sealing Format for Delivering the Souls

Front Format

Lingbao Ascension to Heaven, Left Tally (or Right Tally), sealed respectfully by the officiant, surnamed ___.

Reverse Format

For the deliverance of the souls of ___ and others who have died.

There is also another practice: the secret names of the Thirty-Two Heavens are written directly on the front of the tally, and the proclamation is written on the back in sixteen lines. This manner has no special significance and need not be followed strictly.

If a soul does not possess this tally, the Earth Offices of the netherworld will not allow it to depart with its spirit intact; the Water Official will not allow it to depart with its corporeal soul and consciousness intact; the Fire Official will not allow it to depart with its numinous light intact; and the Five Sacred Peaks will not release the soul's registry. The gatekeepers of the Heavenly Gate will also shout and block it, preventing its advance. If it obtains this tally, it may ascend through the Heavenly Gate and be reborn in the Hall of Blessings.

In addition, two Taihou Talismans (fulu) are attached here:

Talisman Following the Left Tally.

Talisman Following the Right Tally.

Bestowing the Dao while wearing yellow, the Purple Mansion of all the ...

Supreme Covenant of the True Jade Coffer, Lingbao. Bestowing the Dao while wearing yellow, the True Proclamation of the Purple Mansion.

Reverently imagining the Divine Empyrean seal descending from the Central Heaven, the Jade Scroll and Numinous Writings issued from Crimson ...

Those who practice this method can ascend to the rank of true immortal (xian zhen pinji). Wearing this talisman confirms one's standing as an immortal. Moreover, the Sanqi Zushu (Ancestral Scripture of the Three Primordial Qi, a sacred text formed from the qi of the Three Origins) can deliver spirits from the dark night, and the Jiutian Baolu (Precious Registers of the Nine Heavens, celestial talismans) can relieve their suffering in the Yuanfei (the prison of the netherworld). Whenever spirits are due to return to their destiny and regain vitality, they depend on the grace that the Dao's methods bestow.

May the deceased, [Name], upon receiving and upholding this method, become a subject of the Great Dao, always dwell in the Hall of Blessings, and attain the fruit of wuwei (non-action). The rite of delivering the dead is now transmitted before the Yellow Altar and shall be faithfully upheld forever. When the talismanic command arrives, each of its decrees must be carried out in accordance with the ordinance.

Xuanke Lüling (Mysterious Regulations and Statutes)

Respectfully considered: the Dao is hidden and nameless, so its rising, sinking, and transformations cannot be fathomed. When qi condenses into form, bodies come into being, and the mechanism by which the dead return to form arises from this. Although conformity to heavenly principle is without error, it is nonetheless bound by the entanglements of karma. Now the deceased, [Name], has returned to the road of the netherworld, and his hun and po (the ethereal and corporeal souls) have scattered along the dark path. It is to be presumed that in life he committed faults, and that he has also accumulated transgressions over many lifetimes. Therefore the Luofeng Netherworld Office of Statutes (Luofeng xianfu) records his transgressions in the yang world and his merits in the yin world. It oversees the investigation and judgment of the Sanlu (the Three Paths: the realms of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals, the places of suffering), and it also holds the confinement and punishment of the Jiuyou (the Nine Dark Realms, the deepest and most remote regions of gloom). Considering the suffering the deceased has endured, how might his guilt be removed? It is only because his nature has been lost that he cannot transcend the darkness. Today is an auspicious day, so we petition together for the release of his guilt, that his hun and po may leave the courtyard of the long night and the suffering rooted in his sins may be extinguished. For him we clothe him in yellow robes and bestow the Dao talisman, so that he may transcend birth and death, attain Xiyi (the subtle realm of the Dao), and ascend to the true and wondrous Great Dao. Let all be carried out according to this proclamation.

Proclaimed in the year, month, day, and hour of the Grand Duke of the Year (Taisui), in the year of [Name].

The ministerial officer (Fawei) [Name], of the surname [Name], having received this decree, respectfully carries it out.

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (Heavenly Honored One of the Great Unity Who Rescues from Suffering) and Qingxuan Shangdi (Sovereign Emperor of the Azure Mystery)

Nanchang Shangsheng Huanglu (Nanchang Yellow Register of Ascending Birth)

Wushang Mengzhen Yukui Nanchang Shangsheng Huanglu (Unsurpassed Covenant of the True Jade Coffer: the Nanchang Yellow Register of Ascending Birth)

Since the opening of transformation in the Chiming era, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Yuanshi Tianzun, has surveyed the heavenly charts and observed the forms of clouds and vapors. The precious celestial writings and jade seal scripts (rare sacred talismanic script), condensed from qi, can grant the living supreme deliverance and lasting existence in the world, and can also aid the spirits in the netherworld. Relying on the protection of the Great Dao, we forever receive its profound grace. Now the officiant [Name], with a sincere heart, comes to the Mysterious Altar to petition that the rank of the Wushang Mengzhen Yukui Nanchang Shangsheng Huanglu be transmitted for the deceased, [Name], as an everlasting bridge for guiding the dead, and that he be given this register to hold as a treasured protection. Respectfully we invoke the Perfected Lords (Zhenjun) of Nanchang Ascending Birth to deliver him: the Perfected Lord of Refining the Hun, the Perfected Lord of Refining the Po, the Perfected Lord of Refining the Form, the Perfected Lord of Refining the Womb, the Perfected Lord of Refining the Spirit, the Perfected Lord of Refining the True, the Perfected Lord of Good Birth, and the Perfected Lord of Deliverance of Birth.

We respectfully invite the Perfected Lords (Zhenjun) of Nanchang to descend together: the Upper Life-Transforming Lord, the Life-Bestowing Lord, the Fire-Refining Lord, the Flowing-Fire Lord, the Life-Preserving Lord, the Root-Generating Lord, the Control-Guarding Lord, the Complete-Preserving Lord, the Life-Judging Lord, the Soul-Ferrying Lord, the Life-Protecting Lord, the Fortune-Bestowing Lord, the Longevity-Bestowing Lord, the Transmuting Lord, the Redeemer-of-Worldly-Karma Lord, the Compassionate Lord, the Primal-Formation Lord, the Qi-Moving Lord, the Realm-Transcending Lord, and the Ascending-to-Immortality Lord.

We humbly pray that all these Perfected Lords together bestow their vast grace, receive the soul of the deceased, [name], and allow him, after death, to ascend directly to the Southern Palace, where he may be transformed into a human being or into one of the host of the heavens, and where his spirit-soul (hunshen) may attain liberation and awakening. We earnestly beseech all the Perfected Immortals to descend and provide their protection.

Divine Talisman: White Tablet

The Supreme Thearch, through a divine decree, instructs the venerable officials of the heavens, the Left and Right Prison Lords and the Registrars, that they shall receive the soul of the deceased, [name], remove its great transgressions, close off the roots of evil, and enable its body and spirit to be elevated and delivered, so that it may proceed to the Heavenly Gate and attend upon the Supreme Thearch. May its merit and wisdom increase naturally, so that it may ride the dragon chariot in attendance and remain forever in accord with the True Dao of non-action (Wuwei). Let this command be carried out accordingly.

Divine Talisman: Vermilion Tablet

The Supreme Thearch, through a divine decree, proclaims to the chief deities of the Three Officials (Sanguan, the Celestial, Earthly, and Aquatic deities in Daoist belief), the Heavenly Prison, and the Underworld: receive the deceased, [name], and, in accordance with this decree, protect his body and his hun and po souls as they ascend to the imperial court. Resolve his karmic offenses and enmities, return him to unity with the Dao, and let his spirit ascend to the Jade Gate, where through refinement he will endure forever. Let this command be carried out accordingly.

Divine Talisman: Azure Tablet

The Supreme Thearch issues a divine decree written in vermilion script on jade, rising to the heavenly court and petitioning the compassion of heaven to pardon the sinful souls dwelling in the dark realms of the Three Realms. The deceased, [name], together with the spirits of his ancestors through all generations, shall have their registers of guilt erased and their roots of evil destroyed. Let them swiftly proceed to their place of birth, settle their bodies and minds, and ascend to the celestial realm. Let their forms be purified and refined into perfection, so that body and mind become clear and luminous, dispelling all darkness and obscurity, and at last they unite with the Dao and attain true realization. Let this command be carried out accordingly.

By decree of the Supreme Deity, the Eight Gates and Thirty-Six Prisons are opened, and the Officer of Law and Governor of Administration is commanded to come swiftly and pay respects to the Lord Emperor. He is to pardon a certain person's past transgressions and deliver the dead, lifting them up so that this person may ascend to the Three Heavens (Santian). The person is also to be restored to their rightful office, and their Primordial Qi (Yuanqi) shall enter the profound and mysterious realm. Everything shall be carried out in accordance with this command.

Divine Talisman of the Golden Tablet

The Divine Talisman of the Supreme Deity proclaims to the Wardens of the Prisons, the Officers of Prohibition, the Officers of Punishment, the Registrars, and the Offices of Penalty: open the road of deliverance for the dead, so that the deceased, a certain person, may refine their hun and po souls, purify their minds and spirits, and rise through the mysterious passes. Erase the charges from the register of sins. When merit is complete and fulfilled, they shall ascend to the true realm of the Three Heavens and return to the oneness of non-action (Wuwei). Everything shall be carried out in accordance with this command.

The talismans above are issued by command and shall be made known throughout the Three Realms (Sanjie), including the Boundless Divine Realm, the Palace of the Springs and Bends, and the Northern Capital of Luofeng, as well as the Three Officials (Sanguan), the Nine Offices (Jiushu), the Twelve Sources of the Rivers, and other places. For the deceased, a certain person, and for their ancestors, parents, and all generations of kin, remove the burden of guilt, erase the register of sins, extinguish the roots of evil, do not detain them, and let them be promoted at once. This matter is attested by the talismanic documents and conveyed by the Wind and Fire Postal Couriers.

Select an auspicious hour on a certain day, in a certain month of the Tai Sui year, and transmit the rite at the Yellow Register Great Offering Altar.

Officer of the Rank (Fawei) Minister of a certain surname, receives the decree and carries it out in accordance with the command.

Recommending Master

Supervising Master

Transmitting Master

Presiding Register: Elder Kehan Sizhang, True Lord of the Upper Palace of Nanchang

Ordination Register: Soul-Refining True Lord of the Upper Palace of Nanchang

Great Lord of the Southern Pole, Lord of Longevity

Yellow Register of Lingbao Longevity and Salvation of Life

Supreme Unsurpassed Yellow Register of Lingbao Longevity and Salvation of Life of the Dongxuan Scripture (Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Changsheng Duming Wushang Huanglu)

In the Great Ming, in a certain year, on a certain day of a certain month of the Tai Sui year, a certain person of a certain native place sincerely presents this petition. He comes before the Yellow Altar and requests the transmission of one grade of the Supreme Unsurpassed Yellow Register of Lingbao Longevity and Salvation of Life of the Dongxuan Scripture, to be entrusted to a certain spirit-soul who holds and receives it, so that they may cross the Three Realms and be lifted up to the Nine Heavens. Respectfully following the scriptural record:

Long ago, the Heavenly Worthy of Original Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), in the Palace of the Three Origins within the Mysterious Realm of the Nine Clarities, expounded the most subtle Dao together with the assembled great sages, teaching both the human and the heavenly realms. He established the standards for recording meritorious deeds and registered names in the Yellow Register, the Golden Ledger, and the Jade Tablets, which were set out in the realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). The Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering in the Ten Directions (Shifang Jiuku Tianzun) inspected each of the hells in turn, entered the Nine Gloomy Depths (Jiuyou), and rescued living beings from their suffering.

The Heavenly Worthy proclaims to the Fourfold Assembly: if you can uphold the Golden Register, the White Tablet, the Nine Perfected Precepts, the Talismans of Life-Prolonging, and the Talismans of Salvation from Suffering, you will be able to eliminate the grave karmic offenses of the Nine Gloomy Depths and have your names inscribed among the Nine Palaces. The Attendant Youths who Examine Destiny, the Majestic Spirits who Guard the Precepts, the Five Emperors' Duty Talismans, and the Six Palace Clerks will naturally...

Protect the departed souls who receive these precepts. Now I proclaim to you the nine true and wondrous precepts. Upholding the Golden Register and White Tablet (Jinlu Baijian), the written precepts and documents the initiate keeps, one can dispel calamity and relieve suffering, and its divine power is beyond measure. The assembled departed souls bow their heads and respectfully receive the admonitions.

The Heavenly Worthy (Tianzun) said: Respect and humility, and filial care for one's parents. Diligence in one's duties, and loyalty to the sovereign. Do not kill, and with compassion aid all living beings. Do not commit lewdness; rectify oneself and conduct oneself appropriately in the world. Do not steal; uphold righteousness and be willing to bear loss oneself. Do not give way to anger, and do not bully others with a violent temper. Do not deceive or flatter, and do not commit evil or harm the virtuous. Do not be arrogant or self-important, and do not treat the true Dao with contempt. Do not depart from the precepts, and devote yourself wholeheartedly to upholding them.

Divine Guardians of the Precepts: the Lord of Original Yi and Plain Essence (Yuanyi Taisu Jun), the Lord of the Purple Mansion of Great Flowery Brilliance (Taihua Zifu Jun), the Lord of the White Primordial Flower Without Hero (Wuying Baiyuan Jun), the Lord of Great Unity of Life Governance (Taiyi Siming Jun), the Lord of the Nine Ramparts of Fengdu (Fengdu Jiulei Guan Jun), the Lord of Fixed Registers of the Northern Archive (Beilu Dingji Jun), and the Lord of the Heavenly River and Eastern Well who Refines and Delivers (Tianhe Dongjing Liandu Jun), each delivering the departed.

Golden Register of the Nine Dragons for Rescuing from Suffering, from the Eastern Pole Azure Palace: The Yuanshi Tianzun (Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning) has issued a sacred mandate, ordering the Golden Register and White Tablet Talisman for Rescuing from Suffering to proclaim to the boundless worlds of the ten directions: the Three Officials (Sanguan), the Nine Offices (Jiufu), the One Hundred and Twenty Bureaus, the Five Thearch Examiners, the Nine Dark Hells, the Mighty Celestial Warriors, the divine soldiers who execute punishments, the gods of registration, life-fate, merit, and death, the ox-headed jailers, and the great demons of the Three Realms. They are to deliver the deceased, [name], freeing them from the hells, bidding farewell forever to the long night, and allowing them to see the light. They are to wash away all sins and karma and resolve all grievances. May the deceased, through the merit of the Nine Dragon Talisman, ascend and be born in the heavenly halls. All of the above shall be carried out in accordance with the sacred mandate.

To the officials of the One Hundred and Twenty Bureaus:

Golden Register of the Nanchang Purple Subtle Refining of True Flowing Gold: The Yuanshi Tianzun has issued a sacred mandate, ordering the Golden Register and White Tablet Talisman of Eternal Life to proclaim to the Southern Realm of the Vermilion Heaven, the Fire Palace of the Vermilion Hill, and the Upper Palace of Nanchang, as well as the Great Lords of Longevity, the Lords Han, the Lords Sima, the Lords of Life-fate, the Lords of Registration, and the venerable gods who extend life, increase years, and deliver from peril. They are to return the bones of the deceased, [name], restoring life to the dead, under the supervision of the great gods who oversee birth and death. They are to deliver the deceased to ascend to the courts of the Vermilion Palace and the flowing fire, refining the form, washing away the former body, recording the name in the purple register, and receiving transformation so as to be reborn. May the deceased, through the merit of this Golden Register that delivers life-fate, be promoted in due time. All of the above shall be carried out in accordance with the sacred mandate.

To the venerable gods who return bones and restore life, and the great gods who oversee birth and death.

The Lord of the Emperor ranks the destinies.

On the day of the rite, the souls of the deceased who are to be delivered should reverently proceed to the Huanglu Zhaitan (Yellow Register altar, the altar where the rite of deliverance is performed) and receive the one grade of the "Supreme Mysterious Numinous Treasure Unsurpassed Yellow Register for Longevity and Deliverance from Death." Once this register is received, it should be practiced according to the ritual regulations and used forever for the salvation and rescue of the dead. Those who revere this method, whether among humans or in the heavens, should all follow the statutes of the Mysterious Liturgy (Xuan Ke).

On the register itself, one fills in the Grand Duke of the year (Taisui), the year, month, and day, and the name of the Huanglu altar at a given place. The officiating master (Dushi), who conducts the rites of ordination and deliverance, signs with his rank, surname, and seal. The recommending master (Baoju Shi) and the supervising master (Jiandu Shi) are listed separately.

The "Supreme Mysterious Numinous Treasure Unsurpassed Yellow Register for Longevity and Deliverance from Death" is to be used only for formal rites of deliverance and may not be issued for any other purpose. Yellow silk may be used, written in cinnabar, with figures painted in colors and the name of the deceased noted beside them. For a formal rite, the Liuhuo Ting Fu (Fiery Pavilion Talisman) and the Huohuan Fu (Fire-Refining Talisman) should also be used. The diagram of the Huohuan Fu is drawn within the talisman pavilion, and the figures inside the pavilion are the images of the Huohuan Fu.

After the seals and signatures have been affixed, covers and linings may be made of green, purple, red, and yellow silk brocade, and fitted with register cords and axle-heads in the same style as the registers used in the ancestral altar (zongtan). This is the Huanglu Yi transmitted by Cai Zhixu. The Yutang edition calls it the "Golden Register," but it uses green silk and gold-written characters in place of the usual materials, while the rest of the format is the same.

The paper may be one chi and one cun in height, with two cun left blank at the top and one cun at the bottom, and the text written two cun nine fen from the edge of the paper.

The Great Methods of the Shangqing Lingbao, Scroll 48