《上清靈寶大法(二)》Vol. 17

Interpretation

The Great Methods of Shangqing Lingbao, Scroll Seventeen, Part Eight

(Compiled by Jin Yunzhong, Dongxuan Lingbao Dharma Master, Southern Bureau Investigating Officer and Keeper of the Scriptures, Acting Right Assistant Governor of the Vice-Yellow Youth Office)

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Rules for the Raising of the Banners

At the start of a retreat, a tall pole is set up in the open ground near the altar, and banners are arranged in advance to be hung from it. This announces the rite to Heaven above and proclaims it to the myriad spirits. It also informs the faithful and the unseen realm of the dates on which the retreat and its meritorious works will be performed, so that the visible and the hidden may witness together and spirits and gods may look on from afar. The ritual furnishings need not be overly elaborate. The ancient method uses two kinds of banner.

The Precious Banner for Transferring the Spirit

Make one banner from seven or forty-nine feet of crimson silk. Grind cinnabar and orpiment together and use the mixture to paint, on the head of the banner, the forms of the sun, moon, and Dipper, and on the body of the banner, the banner's name. On the left side, write the Three Heavens' inner taboo names; on the right side, write the Three Heavens' hidden taboo names. When a deceased soul sees this banner, its karmic obstructions are released and its spirit is transferred to the Southern Palace, the immortal realm where the dead are delivered.

The Numinous Banner for Returning Radiance

Make a banner from white silk and yellow silk, twenty-four or forty-nine feet long. On the body, write the complete name of the Azure Mystery. In the lower left, write "Taiwei Returning-Yellow Banner, Wuying Life-Numinous Banner." In the lower right, write "Summon the Night Mansion, Open to Deliver Souls Newly Given Life." On the left side, write "Vast and boundless within Fengdu" (and so on), and on the right side, write "Golden light of merit and virtue" (and so on). Hang the banner from a long pole below the altar and let the wind move it. When the unseen souls of the ten directions see this numinous banner and take refuge in it with a single thought, the karmic obstructions of past lives are extinguished at once. Even the great sins accumulated through worldly toil are wholly remitted, the souls ascend to the Southern Palace, the gates of hell open to peace, and the dead are given new life. The Sutra of the Three Paths also says that if one makes ten small banners and hangs them among forests, mountains, and rivers, one likewise attains this fruit.

The Senior Officiant's Petition for the Raising of the Banners

Dao incense, De incense, incense of Wuwei (non-action), incense of Wuwei purity, incense of pure self-so, wondrous Dongzhen incense, Lingbao wisdom incense, incense that transcends the Three Realms, and incense of the Three True Realms: we now burn these incenses and memorialize the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Jade Clarity Sacred Realm, the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Shangqing True Realm, and the Heavenly Worthy of Dao and De of the Taiqing Immortal Realm. We offer them together with the myriad spirits of the Three Realms and the holy beings of the void, making a universal offering. The incense is the scattered radiance of jade flowers and the condensed smoke of the Nine Qi. Its fragrant clouds weave densely and pierce straight through the Nine Heavens. May the Golden Youths who attend the incense and the Jade Maidens who carry messages convey my memorial to the Most High Dao Lord.

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Interpretation

Plain-Language Commentary on the Shangqing Lingbao Dafa (Great Method of Shangqing Lingbao)

The preceding memorial has already reported to the Heavenly Emperor, and all the requests it contains are wished to be carried out as petitioned.

Your servant, [name] (identifying oneself as the humble official in attendance), knows that one's talent and learning are shallow, and presumes to offend the vault of heaven, earnestly begging for compassion and for a gracious look at this foolish sincerity. Your servant has long held a place in the ranks without merit, yet harbors a wish to aid the world, and so dares to make this statement. Yesterday, at the request of [name] of [ancestral home], your servant arranged to hold the Great Yellow Register Ritual of the Supreme (Wushang Huanglu Dazhai). It aids the state above and brings wide blessings to the multitude below, lifts the Seven Ancestors and Nine Profound Forebears to higher realms, and rescues those in the Three Wretched Paths and the Ten Categories of beings. Gathering this merit, the ritual presents it on behalf of the deceased [name], so that their soul may be carried to a realm of goodness. Your servant has prepared a full account of the purpose, submitted it as a formal memorial, sent notices to the various offices, and informed the Three Realms. The ritual period is now fixed, and your servant will respectfully begin raising the spirit banners.

The Huanglu Chongke (rite section) governs and gathers all spirits and connects the Nine Mansions. As the supreme rank of the Dongxuan (Three Caverns) Way, its four supports and three vehicles interlock. Its benefits are boundless, and its cultivation follows fixed standards. Sacred sounds and precious names descend at the dawn of the Nine Heavens and Ten Ultimates, and colored threads and patterned silks are spread across the wondrous domain of the Five Paths and Three Wretched Realms. Beings who carry feeling receive deliverance, and the dim and shadowed are refreshed by blessing. We further hope that Heaven's creation will show pity and the grace of the Dao will extend its indulgence, that special mercy will be granted, and that our humble sincerity will be kindly observed. The incantations for raising the banner will now be respectfully proclaimed.

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The Huanglu rite opens salvation: the Three Realms and the ten directions, the four modes of birth and the six destinies, all gather together in this sacred arena. Spirits are transferred and souls relocated, and their memory endures for ten thousand kalpas. The body of the banner flutters in the wind, and wherever the wind reaches, each being goes according to its direction. Within the deep-shadowed mansions and the realms of nine nights, the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and those bound without end may all be liberated and ascend to heaven.

The Chime-Keeper raises the spirit banner: Heavenly Venerable Who Pardons Sins.

Above, the banner has been raised, and its merit is immeasurable. This good cause reaches widely to the Three Wretched Paths and benefits all kinds of beings. Those who see its radiance dispel their obstructions and afflictions, and those who gaze upon its form shed their karmic bonds. Entanglements are released and pursuits halted, the Nine Darkness night-mansions are thereby illuminated, and the misguided paths of the six destinies all return to peace.

We humbly pray that the imperial plan endures forever and the seas within are at peace; that wind and rain come in season and the grain ripens, that calamities are dispelled and the people rejoice; and that insects, grasses, and trees all fulfill their growth, while scaled and feathered creatures are spared untimely death. Gathering this small merit, it is offered on behalf of the ritual host [name] and to aid the soul of the deceased [name]: may they awaken to their past causes, soon transcend the dust of the mortal realm, have their grievances resolved and their defilements of sin cleansed, and, through this ritual merit—

(The incantation text for raising the banner follows below. The scripture here breaks off after "through this ritual merit.")

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Explanatory notes (for easier reading):

The Great Yellow Register Ritual (Huanglu Dazhai) is a large Daoist rite of salvation and blessing. Its name refers to the "yellow register," the document through which the rite is reported to the netherworld and the heavens.

Chongke (rite section) and Dongxuan Shangpin (supreme rank of the Dongxuan) are names for ritual categories and refer to the Dao's supreme stage. They suggest a link between the seen and unseen worlds and a rank of high attainment.

The Three Realms and ten directions, the Four Modes of Birth and Six Destinies, and the Three Wretched Paths and Ten Categories refer to heaven, the human world, the netherworld, and all quarters of the universe. The Four Modes of Birth are beings born from the womb, egg, moisture, and transformation, and the Six Destinies are the paths of rebirth. The Three Wretched Paths are the realms of suffering.

Spirit Banner (Lingfan) is a banner hung and waved during the rite. It symbolizes the spread of ritual power with the wind, carrying its influence to both the living and the dead.

Chime-Keeper (Zhiqing) is the person who controls the chime. Raising the banner is usually accompanied by the sound of the chime and the invocation of a Heavenly Venerable's name.

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Interpretation

Great Method of the Shangqing Lingbao (Numinous Treasure), Vernacular Commentary (II)

The scripture says that to reach the "shore of the Dao" (the Way), the state attained through cultivation, is a supreme karmic blessing. One should also contemplate the ineffable merit of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Supreme Heavenly Venerables.

I have read the Lingbao methods of the various schools in a general way, and they are largely alike. The banners they record come in only two kinds: the Banner of Transferring the Spirit (qianshen baofan) and the Numinous Banner of Returning to Yellow (huihuang lingfan). There are no others. The Tiantai Lingbao alone differs. Its method likewise records only two banner images, but it calls the Transferring-the-Spirit banner the Banner of Returning Radiance (huiyao fan), which is slightly different in form.

Recently, some have established a Banner of Announcing the Covenant (gaomeng fan), often inscribed with the august imperial titles of the Jade Emperor. Jiang's Standard Liturgy (Licheng yi) instead inscribes phrases such as "True Script Treasure Talismans of the Thirty-Six Sections of the Honored Scriptures of the Great Dao of Supreme Non-Ultimate" and "Supreme Sages of the Ten Directions." All of these express the purpose of announcing the covenant at the retreat. Such banners do not appear in the ancient Lingbao methods. Though they may have other scriptural bases, they are difficult to merge with the original Shangqing Lingbao method. I therefore record here only that they may be used in Jiang's retreat liturgy, following local custom. Beyond these, many banner styles have appeared in recent times. Those that lack a clear source but are reasonable in principle may still be used.

As for the so-called Life-Commanding Banners (minglingfan) and similar types, these are improper and obstruct principle. Some have made such banners because the Nine Heavens Scripture on the Generation of Spirits contains the phrase "the Taiwei Returning Yellow Banner, the Wuying Life-Commanding Banner." They do not realize that Wuying is the name of a deity, that "ming" means to summon and employ, and that "lingfan" is the banner used by spirits. The phrase means that the deity Wuying commands this numinous banner to gather and summon, not that "Life-Commanding" is the banner's name. Using it this way loses the original meaning. If one reasons by analogy from such examples, the Scripture on the Salvation of Humanity speaks of "Celestial Guardians leading the way and Great Marshals bearing banners." Could one then establish a "Banner Borne by Masters"? The Nine Chapters on the Generation of Spirits and the Scripture on the Salvation of Humanity are among the most ancient classics, and the banners carried by the great masters are hard for later generations to discern in outline. The banner that Wuying commands is also difficult to study in its form.

In general, when conducting a retreat, banners, flowers, and images are provided to complete the ritual and should not be omitted. Yet why must one establish many names to achieve spiritual response? If wealthy households wish to make additional banners and canopies, copy scriptures or incantations, or inscribe the august titles of the Heavenly Venerables as offerings of sincerity and reverence, this is permissible, though such practices need not be excessive. The two banner forms discussed above derive from the Lingbao scriptures.

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Interpretation

Plain-Language Commentary on the Shangqing Lingbao Dafa (Great Methods of Lingbao, Highest Clarity)

On the Liturgical Text for Raising the Banner (Jiefan)

Regarding the liturgical text for the banner-raising rite, the modern Vice Councillor Zhai once compiled a version, which is now included in Jiang's Lichengyi (Ritual Manual for Immediate Completion). It does not, however, fully follow the ancient Guangcheng liturgy. Recently, some regions have also added three or four incantation passages, but these are not recorded here individually.

At the very start of the banner-raising, although the rite has already begun, the invocation need not be overly elaborate. Yunzhong respectfully follows his modest understanding and sets down the banner-raising text below, for provisional use. Should a ritual practitioner who presides over the rite prefer a more thorough and refined literary style, he may select another text on his own.

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Chapter on the Ceremonial Protocols for Pacifying the Credentials (Zhenxin)

The Guangcheng Master's liturgy says:

Use sincerity to offer the heart, with material goods first. Since material goods may be relinquished, the heart follows suit. The sage's goodness responds and communicates, accommodating itself to the mind's intent. The high heavens and thick earth, the Mysterious Sages and Highest Perfected: without sincerity there is no communication, and without the heart there is no response. The utmost of communion lies in sincerity. There are thirteen golden dragons, each weighing one liang and measuring three cun six fen in length. Ten are used to pacify the ten directions, and three accompany the document sections.

The liturgy further says:

The Son of Heaven and the Empress use the highest-grade gold; dukes and ministers use the second-grade gold; commoners use silver, or copper gilded.

The dragon is the postal courier of the Highest Heaven, transmitting communion and response, so the dragon-rider comes first. Bearing the tablet means copying the credentials to the Three Officials (Sanguan), and pledging an oath means announcing the covenant to the Ten Utmost Realms. In the method of pacifying the credentials, the dragon comes first. Whoever is lacking is examined by the Yin Office bureau.

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Eleven Sections of Pacifying Colored Silks (Zhencai)

Ten sections pacify the ten directions, and one section serves as the life-credential:

Direction	Color	Quantity
East	Azure	Nine
South	Crimson (deep red)	Three
West	White	Seven
North	Black	Five
Above	Jade-green, three	Twelve
Below	Yellow, three	Twelve
Four intermediate directions	Yellow, one each	Twelve

The total for the ten directions comes to one hundred and thirty-six. The Son of Heaven uses the number in bolts (pi), the feudal lords use the number in zhang, and commoners use the number in chi.

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Life-Pattern Silk (Benming Wenzeng)

The Son of Heaven and the feudal lords use purple. Scholars and commoners determine the color by their life-sound (nayin), that is, their Five Phase affinity. The number of bolts, zhang, or chi is each increased by one beyond a person's years, to express the credential of extended life. The life-colored silk is placed on the central altar.

The liturgy says:

The patterned silk displays the colors of the Five Phases and images the qi of the ten directions. It descends the Ten Heavens, summons the Five Thearchs, communicates with the Perfected, and returns the credentials. It petitions for life and implores spirit, and it must not be lacking. Whoever is lacking is examined by the Xuandu Bureau of the Heavenly Office.

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Brief Explanation:

This passage records the specific regulations of the "pacifying the credentials" (zhenxin) rite of the Lingbao school of Daoism. "Pacifying the credentials" refers to the tokens used when swearing an oath and offering trust to the deities of the heavens. They include the golden dragons (couriers carrying vows), the five-colored pacifying silks (silks symbolizing the directions of the ten quarters), and the life-pattern silk (a token representing extended life). Different ranks of status use different materials and quantities.

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Interpretation

Shangqing Lingbao Dafa (II): A Vernacular Commentary

Paper, Brush, Ink, and Inkstone

(Ten sets, to pacify the ten directions; twelve sheets of paper for each direction)

The liturgy states: When establishing a purification retreat (zhai) and practicing the Dao, whether for the deliverance of countless ancestors and later generations of the dead, or for petitioning blessings, giving thanks for grace, averting calamity, or atoning for transgressions, the Four Offices and Five Emperors, together with the Three Realms and Ten Directions, must record merit and determine the assessment of offenses. Paper, brush, and ink should be used as registers to record merit and good works, serving as tokens presented to the ten directions, and they must not be lacking. If they are lacking, the Five Emperors of the Ten Heavens will not record the merit, and the Three Officials of the Nine Dark Realms will not remove the accusations against the dead. Whoever is lacking will be assigned to the Three Officials' bureau for assessment.

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Incense and Flowers

(Ten catalpa-wood trays, to pacify the ten directions)

The liturgy states: Incense functions through resonance, dispersing impurities and removing defilement. Flowers are valued for their freshness and purity, and they signify the sincerity and rarity of the offering. In petitioning for blessings and seeking the True, incense and flowers are the foundation. The incense used is agarwood, qian incense, or jiangzhen (descending true fragrance), and the flowers should come from fragrant woody plants. If real flowers are unavailable, flowers cut from five-colored paper may be used to pacify the ten directions, but they must not be omitted. Whoever is lacking will be assigned to the Yang Officials' bureau for assessment.

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Rice Offering

(Two hu or four dou)

The liturgy states: Rice represents sincerity and trustworthiness. The Heavenly Official uses it as the basis for increasing rank and stipend. Whoever is lacking will be assigned to the Heavenly Official's bureau for assessment.

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Oil Offering

(Two dou or four sheng)

The liturgy states: Oil is of yin nature, and within yin there arises yang. Oil is used to pacify the Yin Officials and to sustain the radiance of yang. Whoever is lacking will be assigned to the Yin Officials' bureau for assessment.

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Charcoal Offering

(One hundred and twenty jin)

The liturgy states: Charcoal is of yang nature, and within yang there arises yin. Charcoal is used to pacify the Yang Officials and to nourish the yin qi. Whoever is lacking will be assigned to the Yang Officials' bureau for assessment.

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Coin Offering

(Twenty-four thousand)

The liturgy states: The twenty-four thousand coins serve in place of the gold offering as a token of trust. They pledge the Three Realms and announce the covenant to the Ten Heavens. Whoever is lacking will be assigned to the Xuandu (Mysterious Capital) bureau for assessment.

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Catalpa-Wood Tablet

(Three faces, each one chi and two cun long, two cun and four fen wide, and two fen thick)

The liturgy states: A tablet (jian) is a record and also a proclamation. It records the merit of the world and announces the covenant to the Highest True. The upper and lower edges are square and level. The Son of Heaven uses jade for the tablet, since jade possesses nine virtues and embodies the sincerity of Heaven and Earth in ritual. Others use catalpa or cypress wood. The Five Phases of the cinnabar realm, the name of the state in the cinnabar writing, the year and month, the place where the retreat is held, and the names of the officiating masters are cast into famous mountains, great caverns, sacred springs, dragon lairs, or the retreat altar to proclaim the covenant.

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Note: The above describes the essential implements required for a purification ritual, their quantities, and their functions. If any item is lacking, the corresponding celestial bureau will record the lapse. Technical terms such as the Four Offices and Five Emperors, the Three Officials of the Nine Dark Realms, and the Xuandu bureau are understood according to the liturgical tradition of the Daoist Canon and have not been further elaborated.

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Interpretation

Plain-Language Interpretation

When the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water (Sanguan) preside over liturgies such as the Mingzhai (Illuminating Retreat) Keyi (liturgy), the matters must be reported to the upper realms. If anything is omitted or lacking, the Ninth Capital Bureau of the Earth Official is responsible for examining the matter.

Jade Discs (thirteen in total: ten to pacify the ten directions, each two cun and four fen in diameter and two fen thick, round, with a hollow at the center. The remaining three are used for casting dragon tablets. The Heavenly Official uses an azure disc that is round, the Earth Official a yellow disc that is square, and the Water Official a black disc that is six-pointed. These are also hollowed, and each is two and a half cun in diameter.)

Keyi* states: Jade possesses the virtue of chastity and purity, and it can form a covenant that moves the Supreme Perfected (Shangzhen). For this reason, jade is used as a token of trust. When casting dragon tablets, one should wrap them with green silk and gold knots as companions. The green silk stands in for cutting one's hair, and the gold knots stand in for smearing blood on the lips in oath, and together they inform the Three Officials. Whoever is lacking is to be examined by the Earth Official's Ninth Capital Bureau.

Gold Knots (twenty-seven in total, nine fen in diameter, ring-shaped. Nine are used for each tablet. The Emperor uses gold, while others use silver-plated knots. Green silk is wound around the gold knots, and they are cast together with the dragon tablets.)

The use of nine knots per tablet is found in the Lingbao scriptures (Lingbao jingfa). The remaining practices follow the Guangcheng Liturgy, and later generations have not dared to add to or alter them. Only the Guangcheng Liturgy does not record the talisman-writing of the Supreme Perfected on one face of the tablet, whereas the Lingbao scriptures inscribe seal-script characters on one side. Whether to follow one or the other depends on one's teacher's transmission.

Ceremonial Insignia Used Outside the Altar

A pair of jie (banners) is made of five-colored silk, arranged in five tiers above and below, and hung from the top of a pole. They bear gold dragons and phoenixes and are tied with ribbons. A pair of chuang (canopies) consists of a pearl canopy and pearl netting, with one octagonal tier, hung from a pole. Their wooden core bears a dragon on the left and a tiger on the right, and they are tied with ribbons. A pair of jing (pennants) resembles the jie but has no dragons or phoenixes. It has three tiers of ribbons, is made of five-colored silk, and is hung from a pole. A pair of zhu fan (pearl banners) is made of pearl brocade, jade pendants, and gold phoenixes, and is hung from a pole. A pair of Wuming fans (Five Brilliant Fans) is carved from wood and decorated with gold and colored pigments. The upper section depicts the sun, moon, and stars, the middle section the Five Sacred Peaks, and the lower section the seas and rivers. It stands on a wooden pole. A pair of crane wings is carved from wood in the shape of crane wings and mounted on a vermilion pole.

All of the above insignia follow the Guangcheng Liturgy.

Zhanghan (memorial case) is made of makeshift wood, measuring one chi and two cun eight fen in length and two cun eight fen in width. Three seal basins are cut at the center, top, and bottom, and a table accompanies it.

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Interpretation

Shangqing Lingbao Dafa (II): A Vernacular Commentary

Zhang'an (the altar table for displaying memorial documents): two chi two cun long and eight cun high, with curved legs, made of catalpa or cypress wood. If the dimensions or materials do not conform to the ritual norms, Daoist tradition holds that one will incur the loss of allotted years (duosuan, a reduction in lifespan and merit).

Dragon-head writing knife (for inscribing memorials): the blade is six cun long, forged from old iron and inlaid with half a liang of silver. The handle is shaped like a dragon's head. It is used in presenting memorials and in pacifying the registers, and must not be omitted.

Incense burners, tables, and mats: twenty sets in total. There is one set for the Three Treasures (usually referring to the offerings of incense, flowers, and lamps), ten sets for each of the ten directions, and one set each for the memorial tables of the Gaogong (high-ranking officiant) and the Dujiang (chief lector).

Six screens and six sets, plus one incense table outside the altar: these are the quantities required for a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) altar. Items used for other rites in other places are not included in this count.

Yunzhong (the author's self-reference) has examined the classics. The Zhenxin (pacifying tokens) and the Weiyi (ceremonial protocols) each follow fixed patterns. Today they are all practiced according to the Guangcheng Keyi (the liturgical norms of the Guangchengzi lineage), and the differences among regions are slight. The main variation lies in the talismans on the Three Slips (three types of ritual slips). The method that Yunzhong received from Master Gao (the teacher who transmitted the rite) derives from ancient ritual manuals, and its proclamation texts follow the old forms, while the seal script on the back of the slips follows the teacher's instruction. Those who transmit this method should follow it. If one has not received this method directly and has another line of descent, one should follow the instruction one has received. If the Three Slips bear other talismans whose source cannot be clearly identified, do not use them lightly. Their origins must be verified before they are employed.

Diagrams of the Altar and Curtain Patterns

The liturgical texts state that to honor Heaven and Earth and to communicate with the perfected spirits, one must build an altar to express the highest reverence, and that the altar's tiers and positions follow graded distinctions. This section deals specifically with the Huanglu Zhai (Yellow Register Retreat) altar and does not discuss other altar rites in general.

The lamps outside the altar, following the ranks of the Perfected Immortals and the rules of invocation, total one hundred and fifty-nine lamps. In earlier times, only the twenty-eight lamps of the twenty-eight lunar lodges were used, a simpler arrangement. Households of greater means today light lamps following the image of the twenty-eight lodges in the heavens, which is even better. The star chart of the twenty-eight lodges is listed below.

Diagram of the Lamps Outside the Altar

Star Chart of the Twenty-Eight Lodges

• Seven Eastern Lodges: from Jue to Ji, thirty-two palaces in all.
• Seven Northern Lodges: from Dou to Bi, thirty-five palaces in all.
• Seven Western Lodges: from Kui to Shen, fifty-one palaces in all.
• Seven Southern Lodges: from Jing to Zhen, sixty-four palaces in all. A star named Lieyue (the Battle-Axe Star) lies before the Jing lodge, which is why the total is sixty-four palaces.

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Note: "Yunzhong" is the self-designation of the author or commentator; "Master Gao" is the teacher from whom the lineage was received; "Three Slips" refers to the key ritual booklets of the Lingbao retreat rites; "duosuan" refers to the karmic consequence of violating ritual regulations, and its original sense is retained in translation.

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Interpretation

Asterisms and Lamps

The twenty-eight lunar lodges contain a total of 182 palaces. This diagram follows the Treatise on Astronomy and the design of the armillary sphere, and differs from recently published diagrams of ritual altars. Since printing blocks are replaced over time and woodblocks lose accuracy with age, the armillary sphere is used here as the standard.

There are two ways to arrange the lamps. If one lamp is lit for each lodge, there are 159 lamps in all. If the full celestial configuration is represented, there are 313 lamps, including those for the twenty-eight lodges and the other lamps on the altar. The scale may be adjusted to suit one’s means.

Offering incense and lighting lamps are the foremost acts of merit in a purification ritual. If other expenses are unnecessary and would detract from modeling the ritual on Heaven and Earth, it is better to spend generously on lamps and candles. This diagram has therefore been established through astronomical research, and those responsible for conducting the rite should study it carefully.

The Ritual Altar

The altar may be built of fine bricks or patterned stone, assembled temporarily from bamboo and wood, or raised from packed earth. It must conform to the prescribed rules and suit the formal presentation of petitions. It may also stand open beneath the sun, moon, and stars to express utmost sincerity, or take the form of a “Heavenly Treasure Terrace,” modeled on the realms above. Establishing the altar and performing the rite come first. At its center, arrange images of the Three Most High Ones, as if attending court at Jade Capital Mountain.

The altar has four tiers of railings above and below. The Gate of Heaven, Earth’s Gate, flying bridges, and other features should be made as finely as possible. They may be fashioned into auspicious lotus shapes, numbering eighty-one, seventy-two, or sixty-four according to the altar’s dimensions. Bamboo or wood may be used, or bound thatch may be shaped into figures; these too can serve as places for welcoming the perfected beings.

For the outer altar, use eight long railing sections, eight gate plaques, and sixteen pairs of mats. Place one plaque on each railing section. These represent the “Ten Qi,” so paired railings are not used to form gates. Instead, open a single gate at the Xun position (southeast) and close off the remaining sides with railings.

The Qi of the palaces in each direction and the colors of their inscriptions and plaques are as follows:

• Due east (Mao, Zhen palace): Qi of Dongqing — write in blue-green on a yellow plaque.
• Southeast (above Xun, Xun palace): Qi of [unclear term] — write in yellow on a black plaque.
• Due south (Wu, Li palace): Qi of Dongyang — write in vermilion on a white plaque.
• Southwest (above Kun, Kun palace): Qi of [unclear term] — write in yellow on a black plaque.
• Due west (You, Dui palace): Qi of Shaoyang — write in white on a blue-green plaque.
• Northwest (above Qian, Qian palace): Qi of [unclear term] — write in white on a black plaque.
• Due north (Zi, Kan palace): Qi of Dongyang — write in black on a red plaque.
• Northeast (above Gen, Gen palace): Qi of [unclear term] — write in yellow on a black plaque.

“Plaque” refers to the inscribed tablet or sign hung at an altar gate or in a particular direction. The colors of the writing and plaques are matched to the nature of the Qi and the direction, forming part of the ritual arrangement of the purification altar.

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Interpretation

[Plain-language interpretation]

Arrangement of the Central Altar

The central altar requires eight long banners and four gate plaques. Place one gate plaque between each pair of long banners to form a gate. Also prepare twenty short banners and twenty mats.

The four gates and their plaques are arranged as follows:

• Hai position (north-northwest): Heaven Gate — black plaque with blue writing
• Si position (south-southeast): Earth Gate — red plaque with yellow writing
• Shen position (west-southwest): Moon Gate — white plaque with yellow writing
• Yin position (east-northeast): Sun Gate — blue plaque with yellow writing

The long and short banners for these four gates are all placed outside the central altar. Only the Earth Portal and Heaven Gate are opened on the altar.

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Arrangement of the Inner Altar

The inner altar requires eighteen long banners and ten gate plaques. As before, place a gate plaque between each pair of banners to form a gate. Also prepare ten short banners and ten mats.

The ten gates and their plaques are arranged as follows:

Direction	Gate name	Gate plaque
East, Mao position	Gate of Azure Radiance and Primordial Yang	Blue plaque with vermilion writing
Southeast, Chen position	Gate of Nascent Yang and Generative Qi	Yellow plaque with white writing
Lower direction, Si position	Gate of the Ninefold Numinous Sovereign Essence	Red plaque with yellow writing
South, Wu position	Gate of Cavernous Yang and Great Radiance	Red plaque with yellow writing
Southwest, Shen position	Gate of the Primordial Sovereign and Lofty Dawn	Yellow plaque with white writing
West, You position	Gate of the Golden Palace of Communing with Yin	White plaque with black writing
Northwest, Xu position	Gate of the Nine Immortals’ Brahma Practice	Yellow plaque with white writing
Upper direction, Hai position	Gate of the Great Luo and Flying Mists	Black plaque with blue writing
North, Zi position	Gate of Yin’s Birth and Vast Numinous Power	Black plaque with blue writing
Northeast, Yin position	Gate of Numinous Communion and the Forbidden Heights	Yellow plaque with white writing

The ten gate plaques, eighteen long banners, and ten short banners are placed outside the inner altar. The ten gates would ordinarily require twenty long banners, but only eighteen are used here because there is a gate at each of the altar’s two corners, and each pair of gates shares one post.

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Three Altar Levels and Total Materials

This ritual altar has three levels and requires sixty-four banners in total: thirty-four long banners, each one zhang and three chi in length, and thirty short banners, each one zhang long. There are twenty-four gate plaques: five black, five yellow, three white, three blue, and four red. Mount them on backing in five colors. Carve the gate headers from wood and paint them with flying immortals and cloud forms, taking care to make them finely crafted.

Arrange the banners in three tiers, bound and secured with five hundred chi each of blue silk and crimson silk, to separate the altar from the mundane world.

Only one gate, on the southeast, is opened on the altar.

The Three Officials’ tent is set up east of the altar, and the Three Masters’ tent to its west. Each is furnished as a tent pavilion, with images and offering tables provided according to the prescribed form. The Three Officials preside over the review and assessment of the Three Origins.

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Interpretation

Masters of Scriptures, Ordination Registers, and Purification Rituals

The “masters who confer ordination,” such as masters of scriptures and masters of registers, together with the three masters who preside over purification rites, are the principal officiants in “opening the way” ceremonies—that is, rites of salvation and deliverance. Following the rules of their lineages and of visualization and mindful contemplation, the three masters take their assigned places on either side of the ritual altar.

Places for the Nine Ancestors, Five Emperors, and Others

The Nine Ancestors are given a place to the southeast of the altar, for the purpose of rescuing and elevating beings from the Nine Netherworlds and purifying the mysterious ancestors. Their place should be set at a distance, facing the ritual grounds from afar.

The Five Emperors were traditionally seated at five square tables inside the altar enclosure. Since the enclosure is narrow and there is little room for them alongside the three masters, it is more practical to set up a separate tent for them, facing the Three Officials and the Master of the Mysterious Center, with tables and offerings arranged for each.

The Grand Master Supervising the Purification Ritual is placed south of the three masters.

The Earth God is placed to the southwest of the altar and is responsible for conveying summons, presenting petitions, and communicating with the highest realms. Whenever a purification altar is established, the Earth God’s place is especially important. It should also be set at a distance, facing the ritual site.

The arrangements described above mainly follow the tradition of Master Guangcheng.

The Size of the Ritual Grounds and the Cords

According to the old ritual regulations, the outer altar measured three zhang and two chi across, and the inner altar two zhang and four chi across, with the outer altar enclosing the inner one. Today, the construction should be adapted to the available space.

The horizontal cords, or rows of cords, generally follow the standards of the Guangcheng ritual code. The long vertical cords can be fixed in length, while the short cords can be adjusted to suit the size of the altar.

In the Guangcheng ritual code, the Five Emperors’ seats are difficult to arrange directly on the five square tables in front of the altar. It is usually more convenient to set up a separate tent there. The usual arrangement is therefore one tent for the Five Emperors, one for the Three Officials, one for the Master of the Mysterious Center, one for the master who confers ordination through the scriptures, and one for the Grand Master Supervising the Purification Ritual.

In recent times, a tent for the Orthodox Unity Celestial Master has also been added, bringing the total to six tents.

The old Guangcheng ritual code places the Five Emperors first on the west side, the Master of the Mysterious Center first on the east side, the Three Officials second on the east side, the three masters second on the west side, and the Master Supervising the Purification Ritual third on the west side.

If the Celestial Master is added, the arrangement becomes: the Five Emperors first on the west, the Master of the Mysterious Center first on the east, the Celestial Master second on the west, the Three Officials second on the east, the three masters third on the east, and the Master Supervising the Purification Ritual third on the west. This still follows the old Guangcheng ritual code as closely as possible.

The three masters who confer ordination through the scriptures do not occupy the “Heavenly Gate” position, and no tent is set up for the Orthodox Unity Celestial Master. This is because the Orthodox Unity altar at Mount Longhu honors its patriarchs, who are called “masters.” Its purification rites have a dedicated ritual diagram, and follow the system of the three Orthodox Unity masters. As a result, its arrangements for the Celestial Master and the master who confers ordination through the scriptures differ from those in the Guangcheng ritual code.

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Interpretation

Plain-Language Interpretation

(Opening fragment)

Setting up screens, following the scriptures to arrange the ritual, and placing the Three Masters in the position of the Heavenly Gate—practices of this kind are in fact not part of the ancient tradition.

Positions for the Nine Generations of Ancestors

When performing a purification ritual according to Lingbao methods, one should follow the ancient ritual code of Guangcheng.

The “positions for the Nine Generations of Ancestors” are established so that the sponsor of the purification ritual may commend and deliver the souls of ancestors from nine generations past. The souls first pass through these positions before being elevated and delivered. When a group jointly sponsors a Yellow Register purification ritual, each household sets up its own positions for the Nine Generations of Ancestors. The ancient ritual code requires these positions to face the ritual site from a distance. If the hall is too narrow to accommodate them, adjustments may be made as circumstances require.

Position for the Local Earth Deity

In ancient times, when opening a petition at the ritual altar, one respectfully addressed Heaven. The rites were simple, but the proceedings were solemn. A separate position for the local earth deity had to be set up outside the altar, as the first point of passage for communicating with Heaven and Earth. Today, in addition to venerating the altar, people set up a separate ritual space and arrange the generals and officials of the ritual register, along with the deities of the local territory. Customs have changed, and this is no longer the ancient practice: since the local earth deity is already included among the positions, there is no need to set up a separate one.

Position for the Supervising Deity

In ancient times, when a purification ritual was established, troops and horses were summoned to guard the ritual grounds. The morning petitions were presented and their efficacy communicated through numinous response. In later periods, as ritual procedures varied in complexity and official documents became increasingly detailed, petitions were sent to ask the presiding City God or a principal deity of the local sacrificial tradition to supervise the ritual. A separate position should be set up in a corridor or doorway, with daily offerings of wine and fruit. When the altar is dismantled, the deity’s merits should be reported as well. Since this does not depart from ancient ritual, the sacred position may be arranged as circumstances permit.

Hall of the Divine Tigers

This is a ritual form from the Great Lingbao Method. In later periods, rites for summoning spirits sought to produce visible signs of efficacy, and this arrangement came into use. It should be established according to the ritual code in a clean room or hall, with the sacred positions arranged at the center as follows:

• Lady of the Mysterious Void of the Northern Dipper and Lady of Purple Primordial Taiyi
• The Divine Tiger, male, on the left: General He of the Jade Bureau
• The Divine Tiger, female, on the right: General Qiao Wuluan
• The Seven Jade Maidens, officials who guide souls and seize spirits
• The Upper Division Soul-Chasing Marquis Envoy; the Middle Division Soul-Chasing Wei Envoy; the Lower Division Soul-Chasing Zhang Envoy
• Prison Supervising Envoy General Liu; Soul-Gathering Merit Officer General Lu
• Soul-Ordering Divine General Taiyi; Soul-Aligning Divine General Liu
• Great Divine Tiger Soul-Chasing General Ma
• The subordinate officials, generals, clerks, and soldiers assigned to chase souls and seize spirits

Offer tea, soup, wine, and fruit to the sacred positions listed on the right, ensuring that the offerings are abundant and clean. Set up the Yang Radiance Passage-Opening Altar on the left, the Yin Spirit Soul-Seizing Altar on the right, and the Soul-Summoning Altar at the center.

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Interpretation

A Vernacular Explanation of The Great Lingbao Rites of Highest Clarity (2)

The Eight-Gate Altar (No unauthorized persons may enter or leave; conduct the rites at the altar according to the rules)

For details about the altar’s design, see “The Section on the Divine Tiger’s Capture and Summoning.”

The Hall of Refinement and Deliverance

The ritual liturgy was compiled by Master Guangcheng during the Dashun era of the Tang dynasty. At that time, rites of refinement and deliverance were not yet widespread. This liturgy became popular only in more recent times, so there is no single agreed format for arranging the sacred seats and the hall.

In the central Zhejiang region, people often set up a separate hall, arrange the sacred seats, and perform refinement and deliverance after holding an offering ritual. This is treated as entirely separate from the proceedings in the ritual precinct.

In several commanderies east of the Yangtze, the rites are held only before the seat of the Supreme Emperor within the ritual precinct. Another practice is to face the Supreme Emperor reverently and conduct the rites there, with the banquet tables facing one another in the corridor. Only the officials’ seats for refinement and deliverance are arranged, while offering tables are still set up, and the liturgy is performed directly before the Supreme Emperor. Since the seats of the Duke of Wood, the Queen Mother of the West, the Nine Heavens Supreme Emperors, and other divine rulers are already arranged in the ritual precinct, there is no need to set them up again.

In ancient times, there was no fixed arrangement for this kind of rite. Today, one should follow the transmission of one’s teacher. This book belongs to the Lingbao tradition. One of its practices is to set the seats for the officials and generals of refinement and deliverance on both sides of the ritual precinct, then hold the offering and perform the liturgy. When presenting a memorial and requesting Qi, for example, one performs the rite only before the seat of the Supreme Emperor.

If a separate room is established in a different place, seats for the divine emperors and perfected beings must be set up together in its center.

In ancient times, rules for presenting petitions to the court placed great importance on the altar. Since an altar is now established for purification rites, the ritual precinct is built and images are arranged precisely to prepare for the proceedings. Setting up yet another hall for refinement and deliverance outside the ritual precinct is excessively cumbersome. Refining and delivering the souls of the dead through human effort is indeed difficult. What one relies on is praying to the perfected spirits and asking them to send down the two Qi—the Yin and Yang energies—which may offer some aid to those sunk in darkness. Talismans serve as credentials for summoning Qi, and incantations are sounds from the celestial realm. Only then can one set in motion the divine Qi of the primordial unity and unite the life-giving fluids of the two forms. This is the essential foundation.

If one devotes oneself solely to ornamentation, continually adding strange innovations, arranging the altar in elaborate ways, and inventing diagrams and layouts, all of it is useless. Why not simply set a fire pool on the left and a water pool on the right before the Supreme Emperor’s seat within the ritual precinct, while the ritual master settles the Qi, gathers the spirit, and proceeds according to the liturgy? What is wrong with that? Must one resort to every kind of contrivance before the rites can be performed?

Palaces and temples vary in size; how much more so the homes of ordinary people. How could every household have spacious quarters and a separate place for each rite? If the site cannot be kept pure and clean, it will only obstruct the proceedings.

Note: Refinement and deliverance refers to a ritual assembly in which Daoist priests guide the souls of the dead onward and refine their form and spirit. The ritual precinct is the altar grounds where rites are performed. Here, the Supreme Emperor refers to the highest divine presence in the celestial realm, not the Christian God.

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Interpretation

Plain-Language Explanation

Arranging the Ritual Space

It is simplest to set up the altar and perform the liturgy within the Daoist temple. If the hall is spacious and quiet, the arrangements may also be adapted to suit the space. If performing the Divine Tiger rite (a ritual for summoning and gathering the souls of the dead), a separate hall must be set up. Its layout differs from that used for refining and releasing souls (rituals that use fire or water to refine and deliver the dead).

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Sacred Positions for Refining and Releasing Souls (the Names of the Venerable Deities Honored)

• The Azure Emperor of the East, the Red Emperor of the South, the White Emperor of the West, the Black Emperor of the North, and the Yellow Emperor of the Center—the Venerable Deities Who Deliver People from Death
• The Great Deity Sima, Director of Deliverance from the World, and the Lord Han, Elder Who Cherishes Life
• The Lords Who Administer Destiny and Record, and the Lords Who Extend Life and Increase One’s Years
• The Lord Who Delivers from Calamity and Raises to Life, and the Lord Who Molds Souls and Forges Spirits
• The officers, generals, clerks, and soldiers of the Fire Bureau of Zhulings, and the officers and clerks of the Nanchang Office for Receiving Souls to Be Refined
• The Great Deity of the Dragon’s Might and Cinnabar Heaven, and the Great Deity Who Restores and Reverses the Body
• The Great Deity of Radiant Splendor and Dark Essence, and the Great Deity Who Restores the Form and Transforms Beyond
• The Nine-Luminescence Fire-Bell Youth, and the Jade Maiden of Yellow Splendor from the Eastern Well
• The Lord of the Fire Pool (officers and generals of fire refinement), and the Lord of the Water Pool (officers and generals of water refinement)
• The officers, lords, generals, and clerks of the Great Lingbao Dharma Office
• The officers and lords of the Yellow Register Court for Ascension and Deliverance
• The officers, generals, and soldiers who oversee births in the Nine Heavens, and the officers and lords who assess destinies and deliver the living

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Scripture-Recitation Hall

This is the most important part of the purification ritual. In the ancient method, the foremost practices were entering the quiet chamber (presenting oneself before the deities in a secluded room) and reciting scriptures during the purification. These practices might continue for thirty-six or forty-nine days, beginning with the assembly of Daoist clergy to recite the scriptures. A Three Treasures position (for the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters) is set up in the purification hall.

In the quiet chamber, a seat is provided for the Senior Ritual Master (the priest who presides over the liturgy), and offerings are made to the Celestial Master or the founding master of the purification rite. The Daoist clergy stand in rows on either side. The ritual master performs visualizations and writes seal-script talismans there.

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The Grass Enclosure (the Walled City of the Dipper Rite)

The place where the hu (a vessel for food offerings used here in rites for feeding all souls) is set up may be enclosed with reeds or clean thatch to shelter it from wind and rain. The grass enclosure should be in a quiet place, away from the clamor of voices. Its size may be adjusted to the available space, but a more spacious area is preferable. A small city-like structure is made of thatch, with the food vessel set in the center and, if desired, purification dishes and offerings arranged around it. Cleanliness is the main concern.

All souls should first be delivered universally; only then can the spirit being specially commemorated receive blessings. Many ritual patrons do not understand this principle. Senior ritual masters, too, often fail to grasp the true purpose of the purification practice. They commonly follow the patrons’ wishes, urgently devoting their efforts to the particular soul being commemorated while neglecting the universal deliverance of souls. How foolish! In eastern Zhejiang, this practice is especially neglected. Students should give the matter deep thought.

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Interpretation

The Great Rites of the Shangqing Lingbao Tradition (II): Purification Offerings and the Record of Transmission

(A modern-language interpretation)

I. Purification offerings: ritual foods and dietary rules

Fruits

Fresh seasonal fruits must be clean and carefully selected. In a purification ritual performed according to the old rites, the fruit offerings are replaced each day. Pomegranates, sugarcane, and similar items are not used, nor are anything soiled with mud or filth. Clean fruits still attached to their branches are best.

Arrangement and recipients

Before the Supreme Lord and the Three Treasures, tea, broth, and fruit are arranged according to the prescribed form as offerings. Before the Six Curtains and the divine officers and spirits, prepare vegetarian ritual dishes and pure foods. All food offered above to the divine perfected ones and served below to the Daoist assembly must be clean.

Prohibitions

Butter, milk, clarified butter, curds, and similar foods are not used, as they are considered fleshly or rank. The skins, fur, claws, and nails of the six domestic animals, as well as “maternal pollution” such as blood from childbirth, must not enter the food. Cats, dogs, and other domesticated animals are forbidden from entering the altar enclosure and defiling it.

Daily practice during the main purification ritual

During the main purification ritual, tea is served each morning when the incense burner is lit. Broth is served after the Great Thanksgiving. People today often do not serve broth, so this may be judged according to circumstances.

Ritual vestments

The ranks of ritual vestments used when inviting a master are already covered in the Guangcheng Yellow Register Liturgy and are not repeated here.

II. The lineage of transmission, as recorded by Jin Yunzhong

Master Gao and the old texts

Yunzhong—Jin Yunzhong—records that the scripture master Master Gao traveled south from the capital. In the early Shaoxing era, he transmitted the Great Rites of the Shangqing Lingbao tradition in the Jianghuai region, relying on old books that had been passed down since the late Tang and Five Dynasties.

Master Gao retired to Xin’an. Over the years, he presided over countless Yellow Register rites, all of them strictly following the old canons rather than rites privately altered in later generations. The method takes the Scripture for Delivering People as its principal text, while its purification rites follow the Guangcheng liturgy.

The line of transmission

The method was first received from Master Tang, who transmitted it to Deputy Abbot Liu, who in turn transmitted it to Jin Yunzhong. Yunzhong’s practice thereafter followed the established canons throughout. The altar diagrams and curtain arrangements used today follow the methods set down by Master Gao and are largely the same as those in the Guangcheng liturgy.

Differences from printed editions of recent times

The Yellow Register altar diagram by Master Tian, printed in recent times, differs somewhat. Because its Six Curtains are different, the principal altar venerates and includes the three masters of the Zhengyi Celestial Master tradition; the Guangcheng liturgy does not include them.

The diagram of lamps outside the altar is arranged according to the Ritual of Lamps for the Golden Register. If there is no liturgical invocation, no lamps are set up. This follows Master Gao’s practice, which derives from Du Guangcheng’s liturgy.

Receiving the purification rites again

Yunzhong’s ordination master, Master Liu, received the purification rites again through a memorial presented at the Zhengyi principal altar of Jiang Jiusi. Jiang had presented the rites to Master Tian Jushi.

Master Liu, Yunzhong’s ordination master, personally received this instruction from Master Jiang: “I received the method from Master Tian. The memorial and oath of alliance follow in full the old rites of Guangcheng.”

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Interpretation

Fayunzhong now follows this procedure. It is the rule established by Lord Gao and the instruction passed on to him by Master Tian. As for the diagram of the ritual altar, although Lord Tian was renowned in his time and had devised it for the ancestral altar, once the covenant had been made before Heaven, he dared not discard the old arrangement in favor of the new diagram. To do so would violate the proper principle and bring blame upon his master.

Mr. Jiang Shuyu of Yongjia compiled the Ritual Regulations for the Yellow Register, Ready for Use. All six sections follow Du Guangcheng’s ritual manual, though their order differs somewhat. The Celestial Master and the Three Masters are placed above the Three Officials. Du Guangcheng’s manual, however, says that the Three Officials are positioned east of the altar and the Three Masters’ canopy west of it. It also says that the Five Emperors’ seats were formerly placed on a five-sided platform; if the altar space was too narrow, a separate canopy was set up north of the Three Masters’ position, level with the Three Officials. The Great Master of the Mysterious Center sat opposite them. In this arrangement, the Five Emperors’ canopy would be west of the altar and the Mysterious Master’s canopy east of it. Since the altar faces south, with its seats to the north, the statement that the Five Emperors are north of the Three Masters’ canopy and opposite the Mysterious Master makes the arrangement clear: the Three Officials’ canopy is east of the altar, and the Three Masters’ canopy is west.

In later times the Orthodox Unity Celestial Master was added, positioned below the Three Officials and above the Three Masters. The Celestial Master faces the Three Officials, while the Three Masters face the Director of Purification; there can be no doubt about this. From the Later Tang onward, in the Ritual for the Luo Heaven Offering and in the Diagram of the Three Thousand Six Hundred Sacred Positions, printed by imperial order during the Xuanhe era of the Song, the Five Masters’ rank is placed far below the Four Saints of the Three Officials. The Ritual for the Offering to the Three Hundred and Sixty Positions of the Numinous Treasure, also engraved in stone during the Xuanhe era at the Tianqing Abbey in Fuguang, likewise places the Three Officials above the Five Masters. This has been the case in both ancient and modern times. The Great Master of the Mysterious Center is now placed opposite the Five Emperors in accordance with Du Guangcheng’s manual. But placing the Celestial Master above the Three Officials seems questionable.

The altar diagram compiled by Yunzhong follows Lord Gao’s old arrangement, which he did not dare alter. Those who conduct the rites in later times may have other scriptural grounds for their practice; they may follow the teachings they have received. Yunzhong examined the ancient canons, and his findings accord with what his master taught him. Even if his arrangement differs slightly from recent ritual practice, he ultimately dares not violate antiquity or go against his master in order to follow current fashion. Others do not follow this precedent. Lord Gao’s name appears at the end of the volume.

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Interpretation

The seventeenth lecture in this volume, “Categories of the Lingbao Law-Enforcement Deities,” explains what “punishment” means in Lingbao ritual practice, how it differs from human courts and prisons, and lists the names of the related divine offices.

Categories of Law-Enforcement Deities and the Meaning of Punishment

In Lingbao ritual practice, the categories of law-enforcement deities concern punishing malevolent spirits and destroying demons through punitive force. “Punishment” here does not mean the penalties that human authorities impose on ordinary people. All offices of this kind belong to the Fengdu system, which governs punishment in the underworld and pursues and captures malevolent spirits. The Thunder Department and the Tianyou Court, by contrast, are celestial agencies responsible for enforcing the law, destroying evil, and carrying out executions.

Fengdu Punishment and the Thunder Department’s Executions

Fengdu’s role is chiefly to pursue and capture malevolent spirits; the Thunder Department’s role is chiefly to destroy them with thunder. The two have different duties, but both belong to the sphere of law enforcement.

The Five Directional Barbarian Kings and the Five Emperor Barbarian Kings

The Five Directional Barbarian Kings is a collective name for the Five Emperor Barbarian Kings. The Five Emperor Barbarian Kings are divided among the five directions, each with its own title:

• East: Azure Emperor Barbarian King of the Nine Qi
• South: Red Emperor Barbarian King of the Three Qi
• West: White Emperor Barbarian King of the Seven Qi
• North: Black Emperor Barbarian King of the Five Qi
• Center: Yellow Emperor Barbarian King of the One Qi

(Here, “Qi” refers to the primordial energy and colored Qi associated with each direction, corresponding to the five directions and the Five Emperors.)

The Four Barbarian Kings of Mount Fengdu

Mount Fengdu also has four Barbarian Kings:

• Barbarian King of Mount Fengdu
• Barbarian King of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Barbarian King of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Barbarian King of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Fengdu Offices of Punishment and Pursuit

The Fengdu Office of Punishment and the Fengdu Office of Pursuit are departments in the Fengdu system responsible for punishing and pursuing malevolent spirits.

The Four Offices of Mount Fengdu

Four additional offices are established at Mount Fengdu:

• Office of Pursuit of Mount Fengdu
• Office of Pursuit of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Office of Pursuit of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Office of Pursuit of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four True Officials of Mount Fengdu

There are also four True Officials:

• True Official of Mount Fengdu
• True Official of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• True Official of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• True Official of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Marshals of Mount Fengdu

And four Marshals:

• Marshal of Mount Fengdu
• Marshal of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Marshal of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Marshal of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Generals of Mount Fengdu

The four Generals are:

• General of Mount Fengdu
• General of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• General of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• General of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Messengers of Mount Fengdu

The four Messengers are:

• Messenger of Mount Fengdu
• Messenger of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Messenger of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Messenger of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Administrative Officers of Mount Fengdu

The four Administrative Officers are:

• Administrative Officer of Mount Fengdu
• Administrative Officer of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Administrative Officer of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Administrative Officer of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Clerks of Mount Fengdu

The four clerks are:

• Clerk of Mount Fengdu
• Clerk of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Clerk of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Clerk of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Soldiers of Mount Fengdu

The four soldiers are:

• Soldier of Mount Fengdu
• Soldier of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Soldier of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Soldier of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Troops of Mount Fengdu

The four troops are:

• Troop of Mount Fengdu
• Troop of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Troop of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Troop of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Ghosts of Mount Fengdu

The four ghost generals are:

• Ghost of Mount Fengdu
• Ghost of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Ghost of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Ghost of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Gods of Mount Fengdu

The four divine generals are:

• God of Mount Fengdu
• God of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• God of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• God of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Spirits of Mount Fengdu

The four numinous generals are:

• Spirit of Mount Fengdu
• Spirit of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Spirit of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Spirit of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Immortals of Mount Fengdu

The four Immortals are:

• Immortal of Mount Fengdu
• Immortal of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Immortal of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Immortal of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Perfected Ones of Mount Fengdu

The four Perfected Ones are:

• Perfected One of Mount Fengdu
• Perfected One of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Perfected One of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Perfected One of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Sages of Mount Fengdu

The four Sages are:

• Sage of Mount Fengdu
• Sage of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Sage of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Sage of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Lords of Mount Fengdu

The four Lords are:

• Lord of Mount Fengdu
• Lord of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Lord of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Lord of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Kings of Mount Fengdu

The four Kings are:

• King of Mount Fengdu
• King of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• King of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• King of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Emperors of Mount Fengdu

The four Emperors are:

• Emperor of Mount Fengdu
• Emperor of Mount Dai
• Emperor of Mount Luofu
• Emperor of Mount Gouqu

The Four Venerables of Mount Fengdu

The four Venerables are:

• Venerable of Mount Fengdu
• Venerable of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Venerable of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Venerable of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Masters of Mount Fengdu

The four Masters are:

• Master of Mount Fengdu
• Master of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Master of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Master of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Commanders of Mount Fengdu

The four Commanders are:

• Commander of Mount Fengdu
• Commander of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• Commander of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• Commander of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Generals of Mount Fengdu

The four Generals are:

• General of Mount Fengdu
• General of Mount Dai of Fengdu
• General of Mount Luofu of Fengdu
• General of Mount Gouqu of Fengdu

The Four Commanders of Mount Fengdu (Repeated Entry)

The text lists the four Commanders again, with the same titles as above.

The Four Perfected Ones of Mount Fengdu (Repeated Entry)

The four Perfected Ones are listed again, with the same titles as above.

The Four Sages of Mount Fengdu (Repeated Entry)

The four Sages are listed again, with the same titles as above.

The Four Lords of Mount Fengdu (Repeated Entry)

The four Lords are listed again, with the same titles as above.

The Four Kings of Mount Fengdu (Repeated Entry)

The four Kings are listed again, with the same titles as above.

The Four Emperors of Mount Fengdu (Repeated Entry)

The four Emperors are listed again, with the same titles as above.

The Four Venerables of Mount Fengdu (Repeated Entry)

The four Venerables are listed again, with the same titles as above.

The Four Masters of Mount Fengdu (Repeated Entry)

The four Masters are listed again, with the same titles as above.

The Four Commanders of Mount Fengdu (Third Occurrence)

The four Commanders appear for a third time, again with the same titles.

The Four Generals of Mount Fengdu (Repeated Entry)

The four Generals are listed again, with the same titles as above.

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Taken together, these categories form a complete register of the divine offices, Barbarian Kings, and Fengdu agencies associated with “punishing malevolent spirits through punitive force” in Lingbao ritual practice. When practitioners perform rituals, they invoke the appropriate beings according to these entries and use the corresponding talismans and liturgy. This is the function of the law-enforcement categories, not human justice.

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