《上清靈寶大法(二)》Vol. 11

Great Rites of the Numinous Treasure of Highest Clarity, Scroll Eleven: “Repenting of Transgressions and Acknowledging Faults” (A Modern Reading)

Source note: This section was compiled by the official in charge of legal affairs in the Southern Office of the Numinous Treasure ritual masters of the Cavern of Mystery, temporarily serving as the Right Assistant in the Palace of the First Beginning and governing the Golden Tower.

Repenting of Transgressions and Acknowledging Faults

The first priority in cultivating the Dao and seeking the truth is to commit fewer transgressions. If one does not repent and change, one grows ever more distant from the Great Dao.

Even if one practices Fulu (talismans and registers) and hopes to ascend to the highest Dao, how can one subdue ghosts and spirits if one behaves carelessly in daily life? How much more does this matter when one must submit memorials and petitions, deliver the dead from the underworld, and aid living beings in this world? The Bureau of Merit and Transgression records every detail without fail.

During the Eastern Jin, Xu Yuanyou (Xu Xun) lived in seclusion in the mountains and devoted himself to realizing the Dao. He was already approaching the state of a perfected immortal, yet the Three Offices’ Prohibitions, the celestial agencies that oversee merit and transgression, still sent Zhou Fang and others with red registers of offenses to admonish him. They said: “If you wish to learn the Dao, aspire to long life, and become a perfected immortal of Highest Clarity, you must keep your mind mysterious and dwell far from worldly distractions, act with reverence and utmost sincerity, and resonate with lofty spirits. Your worldly merits must also be commensurate; you must remain untouched by calamity and evil, plant the roots of hidden virtue, and extend compassion to those below. Only then can you tread the path of the perfected, seek the Way of the immortals, and have your name entered in the registers of the Azure Court.” From this we can understand that those who have not yet reached Xu Yuanyou’s level have even greater reason to learn to commit fewer transgressions and cultivate themselves.

Those who uphold the teachings and cultivate the Way, seeking immortality, should repent and acknowledge their past faults, and diligently accumulate merit in the days to come. Thus the Treatise on the Mysterious Canons says: “A transgression lies in failing to change and committing it again; merit lies in establishing good works without growing weary.” This is what it means to renew one’s De (Virtue/Power) day by day.

If you receive Heaven’s protection, your heart and words must be in accord. If you merely recite prayers of repentance and thanksgiving as part of a ritual, without examining yourself or feeling remorse; if you contemplate wrongdoing beforehand and commit it again afterward; if you adorn your outward appearance while your inner self deteriorates, then even if you weary your body, gaze at the stars and pay reverence to the moon, observe purification and uphold precepts, burn incense, and recite scriptures, it is all in vain.

Some speak grandly to deceive others, saying, “I do not accumulate offenses or commit evil, so why should I repent?” and thus reject the teaching of repentance. This too is a grave error born of extremism. One should calmly keep to the middle way, neither going too far nor falling short. What one must do is repent inwardly, recognize one’s faults and reflect on them, follow the scriptures and uphold the teachings, and perform the rites according to their prescribed rules.

In this way, one’s offenses may be struck from the registers kept by the Three Offices and Five Emperors, the celestial authorities in charge of merit and transgression, and one’s name may be entered among the immortals in the realms of the Ten Extremes and Nine Heavens. If you establish merit without slackening, your body’s ascension to the heavens will come in due course. Do not place obstacles in your own way; those who are resolute can often accomplish their aims.

Rite of Acknowledging Faults

Apart from the autumnal equinox and the final day of the year, one commonly enters a quiet chamber or a Daoist temple on the Three Primal Days (the Upper, Middle, and Lower Primal Days), the Eight Seasonal Nodes (Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice), one’s birthday, days marked by the sexagenary signs jiazi and gengshen, and other auspicious days…

[If the Rite of Acknowledging Faults continues with specific steps such as entering the quiet chamber, setting up an altar, and reciting scriptures, the translation should be supplemented from the continuation of the original text.]

This scripture describes the procedure for the “Repentance and Atonement” rite in the Lingbao tradition, along with the list of beings invoked in the offering recited during the “Incense Invocation.”

Preparation for Repentance and Atonement, and Ascending the Altar

In a quiet place, such as a mountain or marsh, first burn incense and devote yourself to reflecting on your faults and considering your misdeeds. Sit upright in silence beside the altar, recalling in depth all you have done throughout your life. When you think of the many wrongs you have committed without cause, tremble inwardly with unease and feel deep remorse, wishing you could lay open your heart and pledge never to repeat them. Now, ashamed and at a loss, you feel there is nowhere you can dwell in peace. So you shake out your robe and rise, composing both body and spirit, then ascend the altar and make your petition. If there is no permanent altar, set up an incense table, lay out the altar space and mats, recite the incantation and offer incense according to the indoor ritual, then proceed with the rite of repentance and atonement.

The order of repentance and atonement is set by direction: in the morning, begin in the east; at midday, in the south; at night, in the north. Repent in the five directions. In principle, one should establish the altar and kindle the incense burner according to the liturgical procedures, then bow after the third incense offering, following a pattern much like the natural court ritual. But in such matters, secrecy and simplicity are prized. For solitary morning practice, the procedure should not be overly elaborate. Therefore, only texts for repentance and atonement in the four directions are provided here; they may be expanded or shortened as circumstances require.

Incense Invocation (recited while offering incense)

Incense of the Dao, incense of De, incense of Wuwei (non-action), incense of purity and naturalness, wondrous incense of the Cavern of Truth, incense of Lingbao wisdom, incense that transcends the Three Realms, true incense of the Three Heavens—all fill the Jade Towers and the Jade Capital, reaching throughout the Dharma Realm of the entire cosmos. With the incense now being burned, I make offerings to: the Great Dao of empty, formless naturalness; the Heavenly Worthies of the Three Heavens; the August Jade Emperor; the Great Emperor of the Purple Tenuity of the North Pole; the Great Emperor, Heavenly Sovereign of Purple Tenuity; the Empress of the Earth, Sovereign Earth Deity; the Divine Lords of the Thirty-Two Heavens; the August Emperors of the Ten Thousand Heavens; the Star Lords of the Eleven Great Luminaries of Shangqing; the Star Lords of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper in the Central Heaven; the Divine Lords of the Three Offices of Heaven, Earth, and Water; the True Lords and Marshals of the Four Sages of the North Pole; the True Lords of the Five Lingbao Masters; the Star Lords of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions in the Four Directions; the Great Demon Kings, the Five Emperors of the Three Realms; the Flying Heavenly Spirit Kings without limit in the Ten Directions; the Great Emperor of Fengdu in the Northern Yin; the Great Emperor of Fusang in the East; the Sacred Emperors of the Five Sacred Peaks and Five Heavens; the assembled immortals and perfected beings who govern the registers of the named sacred mountains, grotto-heavens, and blessed lands; the spirit officials and officers of the generals in the registers of the Three Caverns and Four Supplements; and all the awe-inspiring spirits and divine officials throughout the Three Realms.

By the power of these clouds of incense, I extend my offerings everywhere. Jade blossoms scatter their radiance; the Nine Qi gather into smoke. Fragrant clouds billow and rise, passing straight through the heavens. The Golden Youth who attends the incense and the Jade Maiden who conveys the words report this petition before the Emperor, so that all matters I submit may be communicated as requested.

Your servant, holding the ritual office of [title], named [name], has now purified the body and cleansed the mind on this auspicious morning of abstinence, and prays…

Brief Explanation: “Reflecting on faults and considering misdeeds” means examining oneself and repenting. “Repentance and atonement” means confessing one’s wrongs to the deities of Heaven and Earth and asking for forgiveness. The “Incense Invocation” is the offering text recited while burning incense. It names the beings honored, using incense as a means of communication with the divine. Repentance and atonement in the four directions proceeds east, south, west, and north; the direction in which one begins depends on the time of day—morning, midday, or night.

Vernacular Interpretation

(First memorial: Prayers for the Emperor and the State)

With sincere hearts, we respectfully report to the Great Dao. First, we offer prayers above: may the ancestral spirits in the imperial temples, the altars of soil and grain, and the ancestral shrines descend from the highest heavens and bless all generations. May the reigning emperor’s foundations endure and the fortunes of the state flourish. May his sacred life last as long as Heaven and Earth, and may his moral teachings be in harmony with the transformations of creation. May people everywhere turn toward goodness, and may the hundred grains yield abundant harvests. May all who possess understanding awaken to the most true Dao, and may all beings, without limit, ascend together to a realm of honor and joy. May the Great Teaching flourish and the True Law spread. I dare to present this humble prayer, presuming to address the majesty of the throne. Below, your servant is trembling with fear and agitation, filled with earnest urgency and profound unease.

Your servant, [name], with single-minded devotion, takes refuge in and offers allegiance to the Lingbao Heavenly Worthies of the four directions and their intermediate points, above and below, and the ten directions; the Divine Lords of the thirty-two heavens; the Star Lords of the twenty-eight lunar lodges throughout the heavens; the Heavenly Perfected and Highest Sages; the True Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks; and all the immortals, divine officials, and numinous beings of the mountains, rivers, seas, grotto-heavens, and blessed lands.

(Next, perform the three prostrations; then face north. In nighttime rites, begin with the north.)

Perform three bows and kneel for a long time.

Your servant, [name and rank], with single-minded devotion, offers body, spirit, and life in refuge to the Supreme High Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the north and northeast; the Divine Lords of the eight northern heavens; the Perfected and Highest Sages of the north; the Star Lords of the Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Danger, Chamber, and Wall lodges; the Dark Emperor True Lord of the Northern Peak, Mount Heng; and all the true and numinous beings, immortals, and divine officials of the northern grotto-heavens and blessed lands, and of the mountains, rivers, and seas.

(Confession and vows)

Your servant has heard that the Great Dao extends its compassion and opens a path for repentance, while the Highest Perfected extend their transforming influence and open the gate for atonement. Without seeking a hearing and praying for grace, how could one be released from wrongdoing and escape punishment?

I humbly reflect that I am foolish and mediocre, low in station, and dull in nature. Yet I have been fortunate to receive the influence of the True Way and to live in an age blessed by the Dao. For a long time I have held the registers of the Daoist rites and have presumed to wear the robes and headgear of the priesthood, but I have failed to strive to establish merit. Instead, through idleness and delay, I have committed offenses. I have not known how to restrain myself or observed the disciplines of cultivation with care. I fear that the countless ancestors of my many generations have already passed away, along with the causes and conditions of my own former lives through a thousand births and accumulated kalpas, extending to this present life. In my dealings and schemes, and among the many members of my household, relatives, and kin, grave evils have been committed and deep offenses incurred—countless and boundless, too many to name or describe. They are recorded within the celestial offices and earthly bureaus, and entered in the palaces of the sun, moon, and stars. They will never be pardoned through all eternity, and no deliverance will come as long as Heaven endures. I fear that retribution will arrive and disaster will arise. Now I take refuge and begin by…

Notes for reading the original:

• Lingbao Heavenly Worthy: One of the Three Pure Ones revered by the Lingbao school; here worshipped together with the deities of the ten directions and the thirty-two heavens.
• With single-minded devotion, takes refuge and offers allegiance: To take refuge wholeheartedly and address the divine.
• Celestial offices and earthly bureaus: In Daoist belief, underworld agencies that record merit and transgression and administer rewards and punishments.
• Countless ancestors: Ancestors across generations and the causes and conditions of one’s own many past lives.
• The passage uses the forms of a memorial praying for the emperor and an invocation facing the four directions, followed by confession and petition. The final words, “Now I take refuge and begin by…,” appear to continue with a petition or invocation in the following text; the surviving volume seems to break off at the beginning of that invocation.

I lay out all my transgressions in full and pray that they be cleansed and erased. I respectfully beseech Heaven to grant its grace and pardon, to open the gates of compassion and mercy, and to send auspicious blessings through the myriad sages and bestow good fortune through the perfected beings. May I and my Nine Profound and Seven Ancestral Generations—nine generations of forebears and seven generations of ancestors—be pardoned for the grave sins and profound failings I have committed throughout my past lives and up to this day. May the roots of evil be destroyed and my faults removed from the registers, so that I may soon cultivate the true Way and encounter a genuine master. May I know peace and prosperity in this life and the next, and may those who practice the Dharma under my instruction live in peace and harmony. If they are lay disciples, may their relatives and in-laws likewise live in peace and harmony.

I also pray that the spirits of my ancestors, the souls of my teachers and friends, and my departed friends and family may dwell in peace and happiness for a long time, forever free and at ease. May all beings in the Six Paths, the Three Destinies—the different realms into which beings are reborn—and the Four Births—womb-born, egg-born, moisture-born, and transformation-born—receive deliverance and nurture. With utmost sincerity, I earnestly repent and pray.

Perform three bows, then face east.

Your servant, [name], invested with the rank of a ritual officer, sincerely takes refuge in body, spirit, and life, and takes refuge in the Limitless Supreme Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure (Taishang Lingbao Tianzun) of the east and southeast; the Eight Emperors of Heaven of the east; the exalted perfected ones and holy sages of the east; the Star Lords of the Seven Mansions—Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, and Ji; the True Lord, the Azure Emperor of Mount Tai in the Eastern Marchmount; and all the numinous spirits of the grotto-heavens and blessed lands, mountains, rivers, and seas of the east, together with the immortals and all the spirit officials of the east.

Your servant, [name], declares what has been heard (the ritual text is the same as above).

Then face south.

Your servant, [name], invested with the rank of a ritual officer, sincerely takes refuge in body, spirit, and life, and takes refuge in the Limitless Supreme Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure (Taishang Lingbao Tianzun) of the south and southwest; the Eight Emperors of Heaven of the south; the exalted perfected ones and holy sages of the south; the Star Lords of the Seven Mansions—Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, and Zhen; the True Lord, the Red Emperor of Mount Heng in the Southern Marchmount; and all the numinous spirits of the grotto-heavens and blessed lands, mountains, rivers, and seas of the south, together with the immortals and all the spirit officials of the south.

Your servant, [name], declares what has been heard (the ritual text is the same as above).

Then face west.

Your servant, [name], invested with the rank of a ritual officer, sincerely takes refuge in body, spirit, and life, and takes refuge in the Limitless Supreme Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure (Taishang Lingbao Tianzun) of the west and northwest; the Eight Emperors of Heaven of the west; the exalted perfected ones and holy sages of the west; the Star Lords of the Seven Mansions—Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, and Shen; the True Lord, the White Emperor of Mount Hua in the Western Marchmount; and all the numinous spirits of the grotto-heavens and blessed lands, mountains, rivers, and seas of the west, together with the immortals and all the spirit officials of the west.

Your servant, [name], declares what has been heard (the ritual text is the same as above).

Then turn toward the center.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of the Great Rites of the Shangqing Lingbao (II)

Holding the ritual rank of a minister, I, [name], sincerely take refuge and entrust my body, mind, nature, and life to: the Most High Lingbao Celestial Worthy of the Dao, without limit, above and below; the sovereigns of the Three Realms of Radiance, the Nine Heavens, the Great Luo, and the thirty-six heavens; the Five Elders, the Seven Perfected of the Northern Dipper, the rulers of the Celestial Court, the countless exalted Perfected, the true spirits of the ten lands in the Yin realm of Luofeng, the thirty-six Earth Emperors, the True Sovereign Huangdi of Mount Song in the Central Peak, all true spirits of the mountains, rivers, and seas in the grotto-heavens and blessed lands of the central region, and the divine immortals and spirit officials of the upper and lower realms.

What I, the minister, have heard and said is as above.

Next, return to one’s place and face the altar.

We, the ministers, sincerely bow our heads in reverence to the Supreme, boundless Great Dao.

We, the ministers, sincerely bow our heads in reverence to the revered scriptures of the thirty-six divisions.

We, the ministers, sincerely bow our heads in reverence to the Great Master of the Mysterious Center.

Next, make the petition and dedicate the merit.

Holding the ritual rank of a minister, I, [name], respectfully and devoutly petition the Supreme, boundless Great Dao and the High Emperor, the exalted Perfected and awe-inspiring spirits of the Three Realms, and all the saints of the ten directions. Now, having confessed my offenses and expressed remorse, I enter the quiet sanctuary to cultivate the Dao and refine the truth. I am able to state my plea and humbly pray for great pardon. I pray that the Underworld Court will erase my sins and the Immortal Court record my name; that I may encounter a Perfected in the Dao and study without demonic trials. How could I fail to strengthen my thoughts of goodness, deeply recognize my past errors, aspire to unite with the truth of the Dao, and rely forever on the subtle Qi? May the ten directions rejoice together, and may my nine generations of ancestors receive blessings. For these superior causes and conditions, I recite the immeasurable and inconceivable merit of the Lingbao Celestial Worthy of the ten directions.

Next, leave the chamber according to the usual rite.

The Natural Lingbao Morning Rite: First invoke the holy ones, then pay reverence to the ten directions, then perform three bows of repentance, and finally dedicate the merit and recite words of goodness. The present rite of expressing remorse to the Five Directions is an extension of the Natural Lingbao Morning Rite. It uses only the Five Directions because simplicity makes it easy to practice. It omits the chanting of jade-toned hymns because quiet concentration is valued for moving and reaching the spirits. Those who serve the Dao and cultivate the truth may follow this rite, whatever their rank in the ritual registers. If they practice it over a long period and deepen their sincere self-examination, their sins will be erased and blessings will arise; they will become Perfected and attain the Dao.

Section on the Merits of Hidden Virtue in the Five Categories

The scripture says: When the stars stray from their courses, the sun and moon lose their proper light, the seasons fall out of order, and Yin-Yang become imbalanced; when the ruler faces calamity, warfare breaks out repeatedly, epidemics spread, and the people suffer death and injury; when teachers and friends pass away—all these are occasions to perform purification rites, burn incense, and recite scriptures. This is the foundational principle of the scripture.

These are the specific methods for the “Five Grades of Practice.” A Lingbao altar should be established, and fellow cultivators and students gathered. Water should be drawn from nine clear springs and placed in vessels made of gold and jade—that is, the Nine Tripods. The names of the Nine Fields and the divisions of the Nine Provinces should be written down. Images of the sun, moon, and five planets, made of gold, jade, and quartz, should then be buried on the altar. Practice should be carried out with these ritual objects as its foundation, while the rites are expanded or reduced according to the calamities and omens observed. The altar grounds should be purified and arranged to accord with the wishes of the spirits. The five kinds of calamities and transgressions should be recorded and reported to the High Perfected to whom they belong. If one’s intention is wholly sincere and in harmony with the Dao, the five kinds of merit can be fulfilled, and one may ultimately hope to ascend. This is called “hidden merit”—merit unknown to others. If this practice is disclosed and outsiders learn of it, the merit will no longer be recorded. These practices prize secrecy and must not be told to outsiders.

Lingbao Altar

The altar should be built on clean, undefiled ground free of sand and stones. Do not choose a site that was once a battlefield, execution ground, prison, slaughterhouse, or place used for livestock production. The altar has three tiers. The bottom tier is square, nine feet on each side and one foot two inches high. The middle tier is octagonal, seven feet wide and one foot two inches high. The top tier is round, five feet wide and nine inches high. The sacred images and various offerings should be placed in order on the three tiers.

Altar Arrangement: Disordered Movements of the Stars and Irregularities of the Sun and Moon

This refers to celestial changes such as the five planets approaching or encroaching upon other stars, the Nine Luminaries departing from their regular courses, strange stars shining, comets appearing, and the order of the constellations becoming irregular. It also includes the sun turning blue or growing dim, the moon departing from its regular course, and the sun or moon being obscured or surrounded by a halo.

Top tier (the sacred images enshrined on the altar should be chosen according to the matter being prayed for):

Enshrine the Great Emperor of Heaven, the Lord of the Grand Tenuity, the Lords of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, the Perfected Lords of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, the Lords of the Eleven Luminaries, and the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice.

Middle tier:

Enshrine the Lords of the Three Platforms and Celestial Canopy, the Lords of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Three Officials, the Perfected Lords of the Four Sages of the North Pole, and the Divine Kings of the Flying Heavens of the Ten Directions.

Bottom tier:

Enshrine the Great Spirits of the Eight Trigrams, the Earth Officials of the Nine Provinces, the Great Spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Twelve Monthly Generals, and the Gods Who Preside Over the Twelve Double-Hours.

Altar Arrangement: Disorder in the Four Seasons and Imbalance of Yin-Yang

This refers to conditions such as autumn weather occurring in spring, frost falling in summer, thunder in winter, prolonged rain or drought, and disorder in the seasonal climate.

Top tier (the sacred images enshrined on the altar should be chosen according to the matter being prayed for):

Enshrine the Celestial Worthy of the Void Sovereign, the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, the Three Primordial Sovereigns and their Three Palaces, the Four Offices, the Great Emperor of Fusang, and the Divine King of Yanggu.

The Great Ritual of the Shangqing Lingbao (II): A Plain-Language Interpretation

The Great Emperors of the Five Marchmounts, the Earth Gods of the Nine Provinces, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, the Source Kings of the Four Rivers, and the Great Gods of the Eight Trigrams

Lower tier (altar positions)

The Great Gods of Wind, Clouds, Thunder, and Rain; the Earl of Wind and Master of Rain; the Twelve Monthly Generals; the spirits governing the twelve daily periods; and the local gods of the altar ground.

Suitable circumstances: disasters afflicting the ruler, or warfare and unrest in the four directions

This refers to calamities such as powerful ministers monopolizing authority, treacherous officials abusing power, bandits rising everywhere, rebellious ministers carving out territories, border peoples rebelling, and unrest along the frontiers.

Upper tier (sacred positions at the altar’s center, determined by the matter at hand)

The August Celestial High Emperor, the Great Emperor of the North Pole, the Emperor of Jade Void, the Celestial Worthies of Lingbao of the Ten Directions, and the Perfected Lords of Great Unity of the Ten Spirits.

Middle tier

The Emperors of the Thirty-Two Heavens, the Lords of the Eleven Luminaries, the Flying Heavenly Spirit Kings of the Ten Directions, and the Great Gods of the Nine Palaces.

Lower tier

The Sovereign Lords of Earth of the Nine Layers, the Great Gods of the Five Marchmounts, the Earth Gods of the Nine Provinces, the various divine generals of Great Unity, the spirits governing the twelve daily periods, and the local gods of the altar ground.

Suitable circumstances: an epidemic spreading, with deaths and injuries among the people

This refers to epidemic Qi that conflicts with the seasonal order and harms people; ghosts who have not received sacrificial offerings and use epidemic Qi to cause affliction; and successive outbreaks of evil illnesses that spread and poison the people. These include rogue practitioners’ sorcery, gu demons, spirits and monsters, demonic ghosts, chronic wasting illnesses such as malaria, and corpse-transmitted diseases. Such calamities cause people to die violent and untimely deaths.

Upper tier

The August Celestial High Emperor, the Celestial Worthies of Lingbao of the Ten Directions, the Celestial Worthy of Longevity and Preservation of Life, the Perfected Person of Wondrous Practice, and the Perfected Lords of the Three Officials and Four Sages.

Middle tier

The Generals of the Three Origins, the Great Generals Who Capture and Slay Epidemics, the officials and soldiers who deliver people from calamity in the scriptures and ritual methods of the Three Caverns, and the Great God of Medicine.

Lower tier

The heavenly soldiers and mounted officials of the Five Directions, the Earth Gods of the Nine Provinces, the revered spirit of Tai Sui, the Twelve Monthly Generals, and the local earth spirits governing the twelve daily periods.

Suitable circumstances: the death of a teacher or friend

Anyone from whom one has received even one valuable teaching is considered a teacher; all who have studied in the same lineage are considered friends. They have transmitted the Dao and continued its teachings, shared the same aspirations, and been as close as kin. Though their bodies are subject to life and death, after they pass away one should perform rites in their memory in accordance with proper ritual. As circumstances require, one may establish a Yellow Register (Huanglu) altar for commemorating the dead and guiding their spirits onward. The specific grades for their ascent and deliverance are described later in this text, so they are not repeated here.

Emblems of the Three Luminaries (the sun, moon, and five planets)

• Sun: Use gold; if unavailable, silver may be used instead. It should be about one inch in diameter and shaped like a round sun.
• Moon: Use jade; if unavailable, silver may be used instead. Its form and size are the same as the sun’s.
• Five planets: Use five-colored quartz, each piece as small as ….

Note: The original text lists the deities invited to the altar in three tiers—upper, middle, and lower—and distinguishes three types of occasion: warfare, epidemics, and the passing of teachers or friends. The final section on the “emblems of the Three Luminaries” describes the materials and specifications for the sun, moon, and five planets used in the ritual, which relate to the arrangement of the altar.

The Great Lingbao Method of Shangqing (II): A Plain-Language Interpretation

(Pellets) Bury each pellet in the upper layer of earth on the altar, nine inches deep. Place the Sun position on the left and the Moon position on the right, and set the Five Planets in their respective directions.

Music and offerings favored by the True Ones and stellar spirits above:

Pipa lutes and phoenix pipes (wind instruments); seasonal flowers and fresh fruit; mountain spring water and pure, clean food.

Grains in five colors (which may be dyed), green sandalwood, spikenard, sweet flag, fine tea, and large dates; five-colored banners and five-colored embroidered silk.

Music and offerings favored by the Great One

(On the altar, arrange the Ten Divine Great Ones according to their positions. The comet called the Bo Star in common usage is not one of these Ten Divine Great Ones.)

• True Lord Great One of the Five Blessings
• True Lord Great One of Junqi
• True Lord Great One of the Great Wanderer
• True Lord Great One of the Lesser Wanderer
• True Lord Great One of Heaven
• True Lord Great One of Earth
• True Lord Great One of the Four Spirits
• True Lord Great One of the Direct Talisman
• True Lord Great One of Chenqi
• True Lord Great One of Minqi

Offerings: bamboo bows, reed arrows, seals, armor, horses, soldiers without saddles, wooden knives, spears, swords, and halberds; red and black paper money, five-colored silk, seasonal flowers, fresh fruit, fine tea, and mountain spring water.

All these items favored by the spirits should be prepared with care and kept clean.

The Nine Tripod Vessels

(On the altar, the vessel for the second palace also serves as the placement for the central palace.)

In ancient times, tripods of gold, jade, bronze, or iron may not have been available. Clean, new pottery may be used instead, shaped roughly like a tripod and capable of holding water, with a lid placed on top. Write the names of the Nine Tripods in vermilion on the outside of each vessel, and the names of the Nine Provinces inside. Arrange them in the eight directions of the altar’s middle tier, following the Nine Palaces layout. The vessel for the fifth palace, the central palace, is placed beside the vessel for the second palace.

First pray and submit a memorial to the relevant Supreme Emperor, then present a formal notice to the true spirits of the Three Realms on the altar. Next, draw clear spring water from the nine directions and pour it into the Nine Tripods. The ritual master verbally presents the details of the matter, then covers the vessels with their lids. Set out a separate clean offering table, prepare the ritual implements, seasonal flowers, and fresh fruit according to what each spirit favors, and burn incense and light lamps as offerings.

In accordance with the method, gather fellow practitioners who observe the same purification fast, along with people of good conduct and pure practice. Their number is unrestricted. With united purpose and concerted effort, they should carry out the purification observance, keep the altar free of defilement, and conduct the rites by means of written petitions.

Note: “Ten Divine Great Ones,” “Nine Tripods,” “Nine Palaces,” and “Three Realms” are standard terms in Lingbao purification rites. The actual rites must follow the complete liturgy and a teacher’s transmission. This passage clarifies the text only; it is not guidance for practice.

Plain-Language Interpretation

1. The Difficulty of Reciting Scriptures with a Centered Mind

One must first summon the local earth deities and other gods to protect the ritual altar. Then, with a centered mind and sincere intent, one must concentrate with utmost care, following every detail of the ancient canon: chant the Wondrous Scripture of the Highest Rank for Deliverance, offer incense at the six appointed times, and recite the scripture ten times, so that one’s utmost sincerity reaches the Nine Extremities and a single thought resonates throughout the ten directions. This is not as easy as the ordinary recitation practiced by worldly people. If one is not the right person, has done no good deeds, lets the mind wander among worldly distractions, and recites the Supreme One’s text aloud, then even after many days and hours, and tens of thousands of repetitions, the task will remain difficult.

2. After Completing the Work, Observing the Cauldron and Interpreting the Signs

When the work is complete and De has been cultivated, open the nine cauldrons and inspect them. For example, if a cauldron holds water and is covered, the water remaining clear as before is normal. If it is slightly murky or shows some other unusual appearance, that signals a change in circumstances. If anything out of the ordinary is taken as an omen of evil, one may identify the region to which it pertains, but the danger and calamity will not thereby be fully dispelled. This reflects the sincere and unadorned approach of the ancients.

To make petty distinctions between the slightest differences—for example, claiming that red foretells one particular event and murkiness another kind of calamity—is close to the minor tricks of shamans. It misses the scripture’s greater purpose: above, to dispel disasters in Heaven; below, to avert earthly harms.

3. The Incense-Offering Ritual

The incense-offering ritual has its own established form. The exalted perfected beings enshrined at the altar are each assigned a separate place, arranged in order—for example, the Eleven Luminaries each occupy one of eleven positions. To combine several positions into one and write them as a single entry is not the ancient method.

4. The Scripture’s Meaning and the Natural Audience of Lingbao

The scripture says that when one performs a purification retreat, offers incense, and recites scripture, one should follow the methods for purification rites. To come closer to ancient practice, one may perform the Natural Audience of Lingbao; this also serves as the beginning of the purification rite.

5. Yunzhong’s Commentary: Five Ranks of Sacred Positions

Yunzhong comments: The scripture says, “The stars stray from their courses, and the sun and moon lose their light.” It also says, “The four seasons lose their order, and Yin and Yang fall out of balance”; “The ruler of the state faces calamity, and war breaks out on all sides”; “Pestilence spreads, and the people suffer death and injury”; and “A teacher or friend has passed away.” In each case, it says that one should perform a purification retreat, offer incense, and recite scripture.

In an old Lingbao ritual tradition, each sentence was made into a chapter, dividing the material into nine matters. A close reading of the scripture’s meaning shows that the first four statements each consist of two linked phrases, eight characters in all, and each pair is followed by the instruction to offer incense and recite scripture. The final statement, concerning the death of a teacher or friend, consists of only one phrase, yet it too is followed by the same instruction. Thus, the nine phrases are arranged under five headings. Accordingly, the text of the teachings transmitted by Master Yunzhong assigns five ranks of sacred positions within a single Lingbao altar. The heading concerning the death of a teacher or friend should follow the liturgical procedure for ascending deliverance; the other four ranks…

The sacred images or seats have already been arranged in order at the front. This is the arrangement of the Five Sections, ordered according to the sequence of the scripture’s sections. Everything must follow the liturgical procedures taught by the master.

Li Shaowei says: “Purification” here refers to formal rites such as the Yellow Register rites, large-scale Daoist ceremonies for praying for the state’s well-being, as well as the Five Documents Suppression rite, which uses documents corresponding to the five directions to protect a home and ward off evil. It does not refer to ordinary popular fasting. Presenting memorials three times a day—submitting documents and petitions to the heavenly court—is intended to move Heaven and Earth, bring down blessings, and avert disaster. The altar is round above, octagonal in the middle, and square below; this is the altar design of the Lingbao tradition. In ancient times, Lingbao also had a different way of constructing an altar: its walls were made of clay, and jade liquid was used in petitions to the Heavenly Emperor. That altar had the same shape as this one and accorded with the original Lingbao method. But its rites were performed throughout the year according to the seasons, not as a regular practice for ordinary people, and their purpose differed from that of rites conducted on a single occasion to avert disaster and counter calamity. For this reason, I have not dared to include them here.

The Tiantai method records this rite of averting and suppressing calamity in the “Section on Deliverance from Misfortune and Dispelling Disaster.” Its opening section describes the Fire-Bell seal inscription, invocations of Qi, and methods of prohibition and treatment, but gives no details of the oral instructions. The method in the Childlike Beginning Jade Register, however, does not appear in this sequence. There is also a practice of reciting scriptures on the days of the eight seasonal nodes and relying on the Nine Palaces to protect and avert calamity across the nine regions. This is merely a remnant of the practice, described in ancient books, by which scholars refined themselves through seasonal talismans. It was also mistakenly assumed that after reciting scriptures in the Nine Palaces, one should turn to face south, move toward the east, and make ten circuits. None of this reflects the original intent.

How strange! This Lingbao altar is called the “Altar of the Total Qi of the Three Heavens,” while the three-tiered square altar of the Yellow Register rites is called a Lingbao altar. There may be another basis for this distinction, but it still does not depart from the original Lingbao method. On the day of the Lower Origin (the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month), an altar is set up and nine cauldrons are arranged; clear spring water is brought to a boil and poured into them. The ancient liturgy did not use hot water, and most of the other procedures also differ from the ancient rites. The practice of setting up an altar for protection and suppression on the day of the Lower Origin, then judging what calamities may befall the nine regions by the amount of water in the nine cauldrons or by whether it takes on five colors, is a form of divination. It is carried out before signs of disaster have appeared, and thus misses the original purpose of “the lower being beautiful”—that is, the sound principle of preventing trouble before it arises. Still, it may be performed as a separate rite.

One does not realize that the scripture says all five of these practices should be accompanied by burning incense and reciting scriptures. The following chapter then states this general principle: whoever possesses this scripture and performs these meritorious acts on behalf of Heaven and Earth, the sovereign, and the people, will be recorded by all the heavens if, on a day of calamity, they sincerely undertake a purification rite, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times. The scripture’s meaning is that the cycles of Heaven and Earth also reach periods of decline and ending, and even the most sacred divine beings experience times of adversity and ease. When calamity is about to arise,

A Plain Language Interpretation of the Shangqing Lingbao Dafa, Volume Eleven

When disaster or an unusual event occurs, aid should be given according to the specific circumstances, and the calamity should be averted or dispelled in accordance with the prescribed rites and rules. The “five grades and nine categories” discussed here refer to the most serious and highest-ranking kinds of calamity. Establishing an altar and making prayers according to the nature and requirements of each category can bring great merit.

The idea of “preventing trouble before it arises, stopping disaster before signs appear” is certainly a good one. But if the matter at hand does not belong to this category and one still handles it according to routine practice, this seriously violates the scripture’s original meaning. In that case, the cultivation, liturgy, wording, and reasoning will all differ from what this text describes.

This book takes the original scripture as its foundation and ancient methods as its standard. It must therefore not depart from the scripture and present a different “method.”