《上清靈寶大法(二)》Vol. 21

The Rite of Talismans at the Altar: The Order of the Three Treasures at the Purification Altar

The Order of the Three Treasures at the Purification Altar

The Supreme, Limitless Great Dao (the highest Dao) and the revered scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections are placed on the left; the Great Master of the Mysteries is placed on the right.

The wording on these tablets of the Three Treasures comes from the purification liturgy written by Master Guangcheng. In practice, it originally consisted of only these seventeen characters, with no variations and no other wording. Recently, some people have altered it on their own and inserted their additions into Lu Jianji’s purification liturgy. For example, the phrase “At the third offering of incense, may the prayer reach the Three Realms” does not appear in the text of Guangcheng’s liturgy. Now they have added the names of the Three Venerable Ones of the Supreme, followed by references to the Three Treasures, assigned each to one of the Three Realms, and inserted this material arbitrarily into Lord Du’s purification liturgy.

How could the person who first did this ever be forgiven? Neither the world of the dead nor the world of the living can tolerate it; heaven and earth alike will be enraged. By slandering the worthy, disrupting the teachings, and deceiving the people, he has caused one of his own souls to fall—hardly something to pity. He has brought suffering upon nine generations of ancestors, which is truly lamentable. Severe punishment and calamity that stretches on, along with the spread of evil deeds, are all means of repaying the offense. This is not because the Great Dao lacks compassion; people bring disaster upon themselves. How could later students of the Dao fail to take this as a warning?

Three Offerings of Incense

At the first offering of incense, pray that it reach the Clear Heaven (Taiqing); at the second, pray that it reach the High Clarity Heaven (Shangqing); at the third, pray that it reach the Jade Clarity Heaven (Yuqing).

Then, respectfully straighten your body and stand upright, and silently recite the incantation:

Incense is the radiant splendor of jade blossoms; the Nine Qi gather into smoke. Fragrant clouds spread densely and rise straight to the Nine Heavens. The Golden Youth Who Attends the Incense and the Jade Maiden Who Transmits Words convey my petition and present it before the Heavenly Emperor. May every matter for which I petition be granted as I wish.

A note: Guangcheng’s purification liturgy reads, “At the first offering of incense, pray that it reach the Clear Heaven; at the second, pray that it reach the High Clarity Heaven; at the third, pray that it reach the Jade Clarity Heaven,” and ends there. Yet miscellaneous liturgies circulating in the world today say: “At the first offering of incense, pray that it reach the Jade Clarity Heaven, and make an offering to the unsurpassed Treasure of the Dao; at the second, pray that it reach the High Clarity Heaven, and make an offering to the unsurpassed Treasure of the Scriptures; at the third, pray that it reach the Clear Heaven, and make an offering to the unsurpassed Treasure of the Master.” Some people claim that this wording appears in Lu Jianji’s purification liturgy, unaware that Lord Lu originally advocated preserving the teachings…

They established standards that could be handed down for generations, examined the scriptures, and distinguished what had been genuine from what was false since ancient times. Through cultivation, practitioners could transcend the world of dust and take their place among the immortals. Ritual manuals were compiled; although few have survived, they were all based on the scriptures and composed with reference to ritual outlines. Later generations did not investigate their origins, and strange or outlandish claims were often attributed to the Jianji Zhai Ritual Manual.

By the Tang dynasty, this abuse was already widespread: deceiving later students and slandering the sages of old were grave offenses. For example, the Ritual Procedures in Brief says: “At the first pinch of incense, may its fragrance reach the realm of Jade Clarity, making offerings to the Wondrous Supreme Emperor, the Naturally Primordial Celestial Worthy, and the supreme Treasure of the Dao. At the second pinch of incense, may its fragrance reach the realm of Highest Clarity, making offerings to the Wondrously Existing Great Emperor, the August Sovereign Jade-Cosmic Lord of the Great Dao, and the supreme Treasure of the Scripture. At the third pinch of incense, may its fragrance reach the realm of Great Clarity, making offerings to the Most True Great Emperor, the Mysterious Primal Lord Lao of the myriad transformations of primordial chaos, and the supreme Treasure of the Teacher.” Here, the “Three Treasures” means the Treasure of the Dao, the Treasure of the Scripture, and the Treasure of the Teacher.

The book explicitly notes that this passage comes from Master Guangcheng’s ritual manual for purification rites. Yet Master Guangcheng’s writings have circulated widely, and from ancient times to the present, no one had ever encountered such claims in them at first. It is unclear where they came from. Moreover, Du Jun’s writings comprise forty volumes, amounting to some 230,000 characters. Even his discussions of the Three Supreme Venerables contain none of these titles. Nor does he ever assign the Three Treasures separately to the Three Venerables, with each Venerable presiding over one.

Jiang Jun was widely read and deeply versed in ritual teachings. If these claims came from obscure books or secret canons inaccessible to later students, that would be one thing. But if they came from Du Jun, that would be hard to believe: in promoting ritual practice and explaining its teachings, Du Jun never adopted a single strange or bizarre argument or phrase. Reading his books and examining his writings, one can imagine the kind of person he was. I cannot understand why he would be falsely accused of making such claims.

Perhaps Jiang Jun did not intend this at all, and an error occurred when his book was printed. Or perhaps the Du family rituals transmitted by Jiang Jun were copied by later generations without being checked and corrected. The Du family rituals had long since spread throughout the realm. If such content appeared only in the books kept in his own collection, how could these additions have come to appear in every household and everywhere else among the other copies?

The Supreme, Limitless Great Dao is the source of all Qi and the root of the transformations of all things. Heaven and earth, the myriad things, and every kind of living being are born from the Dao. The scriptures are the written words of the Dao, and teachers are its ministers; they too come from the Dao. Therefore, once the ritual altar has been established, the Limitless Great Dao… [The original text ends here unfinished.]

On the left are the honored scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections; on the right is the Great Master in the Mystery. In essence, the Dao was originally a single mass of Qi, without form or name. This One Qi divided into three, becoming the three Qi of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning. Within emptiness and stillness, the three Qi gave rise to the divine beings, and thus came the Three Exalted Ones of the Highest (the three revered deities of Daoism).

Though the myriad things and spirits change in countless ways, they all emerge from the Dao. The Three Exalted Ones of the Highest, however, are the Dao’s founding masters. When they established their teachings, they transmitted scriptures during the Longhan, Chiming, and Shanghuang kalpas. These were called the Cavern of Truth (Dongzhen), Cavern of Mystery (Dongxuan), and Cavern of Divinity (Dongshen)—the Thirty-Six Sections of scriptures. With the transmission of scriptures, the teachings arose; and both scriptures and teachings depended on masters to pass them on. That is why purification altars enshrine scriptures and masters together, and this is the origin of the liturgy for purification rites.

The Three Exalted Ones of the Highest all embody the Great Dao; the scriptures of the Three Caverns are all orthodox scriptures, and the teachings of the Three Vehicles are all transmitted by masters. It is reasonable, then, to enshrine the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning alone as the sovereign of the Great Dao and honor him as the Treasure of the Dao. Yet the three Qi and the Three Exalted Ones are originally one. If the Lord of the Dao of the Highest and the Most High Lord Lao were excluded, would that not imply that they had no Dao?

Some also hold that the Lord of the Dao of the Highest presides specifically over the scriptures, and therefore honor him as the Treasure of the Scriptures. But to assign the scriptures solely to the Shangqing lineage would be tantamount to saying that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the Most High Lord Lao have no scriptures. And because the Most High Lord Lao is revered as the teacher of the human and celestial realms, some conclude that he alone represents the lineage of masters. Others say that the Great Master in the Mystery is an emanation of the Most High Lord Lao. Such claims, in particular, should not be clung to rigidly.

This matter is mentioned only in texts such as the Records of Lord Lao. If we understand it according to these claims, then when Lord Lao appears as a Celestial Worthy, he is the Supreme Lord; when he takes on an emanated form to teach and transform beings, he is merely the Great Master in the Mystery, and we should not trace him back to his origin and give him another name.

The Scripture on the Dignified Conduct of Honoring the Master says that the three honored ones enshrined in the Celestial Treasure Pavilion are the Three Exalted Ones of the Highest: on the left are the honored scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections, and on the right is the Great Master in the Mystery. This likely means that scriptures can be seen in manifest form and masters have concrete bodies, while the Great Dao alone is formless and cannot be apprehended through visualization. The Dao opened up Heaven and Earth and governs the myriad things. It is the ancestral source of all kalpas and the root of the Three Powers: Heaven, Earth, and humanity. Therefore, the Three Exalted Ones of the Highest are enshrined, with scriptures supporting them and masters attending them. The principle is clear. How, then, can one say that the Lord of the Dao of the Highest is solely in charge of scriptures and the Most High Lord Lao solely in charge of masters?

Moreover, in the scriptures, the titles of the Three Exalted Ones are simply the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Lord of the Dao of the Highest, and the Most High Lord Lao. As for their other titles…

Therefore, the titles “Lord of the Heavenly Treasure, Lord of the Numinous Treasure, and Lord of the Divine Treasure” take their names from the Three Realms. The titles “Jade Clarity, Supreme Clarity, and Great Clarity” take their names from the Three Caverns’ scriptures. “Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen” follow the same system of naming. That is the matter.

Where do the titles for the Three Venerable Ones established in Jiang’s liturgy ever appear in the Guangcheng liturgy? Du Jun once served as Grand Academician at the Chongyuan Institute and was a high-ranking minister of the Tang dynasty. At the time, the Tang court honored Laozi as its ancestor and bestowed on him the title “Great Emperor of the Sacred Ancestor, Golden Palace, Wondrous Nonbeing.” When Du Jun compiled the Zhaijiao liturgies and rites for the Tang court, how could he have dared to remove the title decreed by the court and replace it with the doctrine of “the myriad transformations of primordial chaos”? Thus, Jiang’s liturgy is mistaken in claiming that the sacred titles of the Three Venerable Ones and the division of the Three Treasures both came from Du’s liturgy.

As for Laozi’s title “Emperor of Primordial Unity and Supreme De,” this was bestowed in the Song dynasty; it did not yet exist in the Tang. Moreover, the Three Treasures of the Most High arise by dividing the One Qi, the primordial energy of the cosmos, into three, and thereby begin to form the myriad things. Originally, they had no distinction of rank or importance, so how could they differ from one another? The principle distinguishing “wondrous nonbeing” from “wondrous being” is profoundly obscure and difficult to discern. It is hard to make doctrinal sense of the present claim that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning is the “Supreme Emperor of Wondrous Nonbeing,” while the Dao Lord is the “Supreme Emperor of Wondrous Being.”

In the second year of Guangming in the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang (881), Du Guangcheng submitted the Diagram of Primordial Unity of the Three Realms to the court. It states: “The Celestial Worthy is the root of the Ultimate Dao, born endowed with the nature of spontaneity. When dispersed, it becomes Qi; when condensed, it takes form. One cannot say that it is entirely nonexistent, nor that it truly exists; it is neither visible form nor empty nothingness. It has neither end nor beginning and continues without cease. Residing in the upper realm, it is the source of all heavens; residing in the middle realm, it is the root of the transformations of all things; residing in the lower realm, it is the honored sovereign to whom the transformations of all things turn. No suitable name can describe it, so it is provisionally called the ‘Celestial Worthy.’ People honor it as they look up to the heavens: the more they gaze upward, the higher and farther away it seems, and though they wish to climb toward it, there is no path. It is profound and remote, beyond inquiry by ordinary principles and beyond expression in words; one cannot ascend to it step by step, nor measure it by the span of a lifespan. It gives life to the myriad things but does not rule over them; it governs their transformations but issues no commands in words. It is supreme and unsurpassed, and so it is called the Celestial Worthy.”

This is Du Jun’s account. Since the Tang dynasty, the Diagram of Primordial Unity of the Three Realms has been engraved on stone and circulated in many places; people can all see it, and no one may secretly add to it, delete from it, or alter it. Du Jun’s account is so clear in its origins and development. How, then, could he have called Primordial Beginning “wondrous nonbeing” and the Dao Lord “wondrous being”?

People and things in this world have forms and substance, so they may be called “having being.” The ghosts and spirits of the underworld, by contrast, have neither form nor substance, so they may be called “nonbeing.”

If the Celestial Worthies of the Three Heavens (Daoist high deities) are said to “have being,” people still cannot see them or fully comprehend them. But if they are said to be “nonbeing,” they are the ones who bring forth Heaven and Earth and nurture the myriad things. Since ancient times, various scriptures and books, as well as the writings of Zhuangzi, Liezi, and the other masters, have neither insisted that they “have being” nor categorically declared them to be “nonbeing.”

Now, to define the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning as “wondrous nonbeing” means that he can no longer be said to “have being.” Would that not make the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning a ghost or spirit of the underworld? And to define the Dao Lord as “wondrous being” means that he can no longer be said to be “nonbeing.” Would that not make the Dao Lord not a Celestial Worthy at all, but an ordinary person?

How can one fail to understand this and still presume to say what the Three Worthies are? What is more, if this claim comes from Du’s liturgy—that is, the ritual texts compiled by Du Guangcheng—then it portrays Master Guangcheng as profoundly ignorant and shallow. Jiang’s book has already circulated widely. If later scholars have not seen Du Jun’s complete works, they will be misled. Could the consequences not be far-reaching?

If any scripture calls Primordial Beginning the “Supreme Emperor of Wondrous Nonbeing” and the Dao Lord the “Great Emperor of Wondrous Being,” those words could never have come from the Celestial Worthies themselves. They must be fabrications by people of the world. The guilt of the person who first invented them is beyond pardon. If someone says this without any basis and slanders Du Guangcheng, can they feel no shame? It is also unclear who added these lines to Du’s liturgy; Lord Jiang, too, was misled by that person.

As for the inscribed tablets of the Three Treasures placed on the altar for a Zhaijiao purification ritual, the versions of Du’s liturgy handed down by the various lineages all give three titles: “The Supreme, Non-Ultimate Great Dao,” “The Venerated Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections,” and “The Great Master of the Profound.” But when Jiang compiled the ritual, he wrote “The Supreme, Non-Ultimate Great Dao” in the center, “The True Writings and Precious Talismans of the Venerated Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections” on the left, and “The Great Master of the Profound, the Three Worthies Above, and the Multitude of Saints of the Ten Directions” on the right. Jiang did not cite his source, yet people claim that this wording comes from Lu’s liturgy. On examination, copies with this wording do exist in eastern Zhejiang; most versions circulated elsewhere, however, agree with Du’s liturgy. Moreover, the ritual texts in Lu’s liturgy are very old and contain many errors. In terms of doctrine, the wording should be “the Non-Ultimate Great Dao, the Three Worthies Above.” Thus a scripture says, “Above, there is no higher ancestral deity; only the Dao is itself.” This refers to the Three Worthies. Another passage in the scripture says, “The Venerated Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections…”

The sacred texts and precious talismans have already been displayed on the left, all within the scriptures. It seems unnecessary to add these four characters as well, though this point is open to discussion. But if “the Three Venerable Ones of the Most High” are also placed on the altar of the masters—the spirit tablets honoring the teachers—then are they not already the Three Venerable Ones referred to by the “Limitless Great Dao”? Is there some other Great Dao apart from the Three Venerable Ones? Moreover, the scriptures were originally proclaimed by the Three Venerable Ones. Now the scriptures are placed on the left while the Three Venerable Ones of the Most High are placed on the right, on the altar of the masters. This puts the Three Venerable Ones beneath the scriptures. If they are relegated to objects of veneration on the altar of the masters, the Great Dao seems to be left without a presiding authority. Besides, the Three Venerable Ones and the Great Dao cannot be divided into two separate paths. If the Great Dao is these Three Venerable Ones, then placing them on the altar of the masters as well is redundant. If the Three Venerable Ones on that altar are not the ones meant by the Great Dao, then there are two sets of Three Venerable Ones of the Most High.

The various scriptures may have other origins. Even if Dao, scripture, and master are counted together as three, that does not mean the Three Venerable Ones of the Most High and all the sages of the ten directions should be placed on the altar of the masters. If the scriptures’ origins have no connection with Zhaijiao (purification ritual), they should not be mixed into its liturgy. Since “the Limitless Great Dao of the Most High” is already established at the center of the ritual altar, the Three Venerable Ones of the Most High should not also be placed on the altar of the masters.

The scriptures Ritual Deportment for Paying Reverence to the Masters and others state explicitly that, during the ritual, one first visualizes the Three Venerable Ones of the Most High in the Heavenly Treasure Terrace, with the thirty-six divisions of honored scriptures on the left and the Great Dharma Master of the Mysterious Center—a master revered in Daoism—on the right. This shows that the Great Dao is formless and difficult to visualize directly, so one visualizes the Three Venerable Ones, with the scriptures as their support and the masters as transmitters. This arrangement also agrees with the wording on the spirit tablets, and is clear in both principle and practice, leaving no room for doubt.

If the Three Venerable Ones are now moved to the altar of the masters, the visualization prescribed in the scriptures can no longer be carried out, and the ritual cannot follow the original method of visualization. At the beginning of its visualization instructions, Jiang’s Rituals in Brief also quotes the Scripture on the Ritual Deportment for Establishing a Purification Altar: first visualize the Three Venerable Ones of the Most High, with the scriptures on the left and the master on the right. Yet Jiang’s other arrangements of the spirit tablets place the Three Venerable Ones of the Most High on the altar of the masters. Perhaps this school holds that one should visualize the Three Venerable Ones both at the position of the Great Dao and on the altar of the masters. In that case, everyone else visualizes three, while Jiang visualizes six—a remarkably thorough arrangement. If the Three Venerable Ones are visualized on the altar of the masters, then there is again no way to visualize them at the position of the Great Dao. Since the Three Venerable Ones have already been moved to the altar of the masters, Jiang should remove the passage in the Ritual Deportment scripture that instructs practitioners to visualize them there. Perhaps that would bring the arrangement into accord with…

The arrangement of the spirit tablets should be consistent and harmonious, with no contradictions, and should ultimately accord with reason. One should neither stubbornly insist on one’s own view nor, simply to oppose another’s position, cite other scriptures to dress up an unfounded claim. How could the Three Venerable Ones of the Great High (Daoist deities) stand on the same level as the Great Master of the Mysterious Center? There is no such principle in heaven or among humankind.

As for the arrangement of the tablets, if one follows what is written in the Du Yi—placing the thirty-six honored scriptures on the left and the Great Master of the Mysterious Center on the right—what is there that is obstructive, incomplete, unreasonable, or disrespectful? Why add more words or make unauthorized additions?

Yunzhong is not biased toward Du Guangcheng’s book or deliberately rejecting the views of other schools. It is simply that some of those views do not make sense; if followed blindly, they could mislead people, so they cannot be accepted casually. I had no choice but to point out what is unsuitable in them. This is not something I take pleasure in doing.

Yunzhong does not expect everyone to accept this view, nor would I dare claim that Jiang’s account is entirely free of problems. When Yunzhong received the transmission from three masters through a formal petition to the Heavenly Emperor, this was how it was transmitted. Examination of the scriptures also confirms it. I therefore follow the lineage I received and dare not alter it; I have also reported the matter to the Heavenly Emperor and dare not overstep. Here I am only stating the general idea for those who share my aims and honor this Way with me. I am not forcing anyone to follow it. Friends whose aims differ from Yunzhong’s need not adopt this view; those who have received the lineage of Jiang Zongxu should not take this path either. They may have other grounds for their practice.

Yunzhong believes that Jiang’s account has not yet been made reasonable. I do not dare accept it myself, much less falsely claim that the Du Yi records it this way. Yunzhong has traveled widely, seen many fine copies of the Du Yi, and practiced according to it for many years. None of them contains this account, so I strongly disagree with it.

My conscience is clear, and I have no doubts. Though heaven and the human world are far apart, scrutiny and retribution come swiftly. Anyone who practices this method should also use the visualization method involving the blue, yellow, and white Qi described above, and report it to the Heavenly Emperor, stating plainly that Yunzhong transmitted it. If anything in it is improper, Yunzhong is willing to accept responsibility. However, what Yunzhong received was indeed this transmission. It is neither my personal interpretation nor an unauthorized alteration of the writings of the ancients, so I should not be punished.

Burning the Talisman

After the methods above, once incense has been offered and the incantation silently recited, the practice is no longer performed. Now, at the three pinches…

After presenting incense, burn one True Text and one Talisman for Summoning the True and Calling the Spirits.

This ritual appears in the Lingbao Dafa. The True Text is a passage from the numinous writings of the Primordial Beginning. It belongs to the celestial script: after being carved and printed, it is stamped in cinnabar on pale yellow paper. As the True Text is about to be burned, visualize the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning seated upright within the Celestial Treasure Platform, his form like a pearl the size of a millet grain. When reciting the scripture, burn the True Text in sequence and blow its ashes away, while visualizing the True and Perfect Great Spirits, in countless ranks and stations throughout the boundless ten directions, descending from the sky. Burn and scatter the Talisman for Summoning the True and Calling the Spirits as well, visualizing the ritual supervisor and attendant officials—the deities who preside over and oversee the purification rite—and the True Spirits of the Three Realms riding in countless carriages and retinues, surrounding and serving the Three Venerables.

Imperial Altar Table

The Imperial Altar Table is the table placed before the Lord of Heaven. A separate table is set in the center; it is also called the “Cavern Table.” “Cavern” means passage or access, so the Cavern Table is where the True Spirits are reached and incense is burned. In a ritual precinct, it is placed before the Jade Purity; on an altar, it is placed before the Three Treasures. The Flower-Scattering Hymn says, “Incense smoke rises from the Cavern Table; the fragrance of Wuwei and De.” This refers to this table. In recent times, some people in distant regions have called the ritual table a Cavern Table. This is incorrect.

Incense at One’s Place

“Incense at one’s place” means presenting incense before the ritual table. At the beginning of a purification rite, the first act is to submit a petition to Heaven. The Daoist officiant respectfully faces the exalted True Ones and bows. Concerned that the order might be wrong when reciting, the officiant establishes the ritual protocol and stands upright. Since the scripture cannot be held in the hands, a ritual table is set before the position where the senior officiant stands; this is why it is called “one’s place.”

Since the Song dynasty, ritual tables used in most regions have been no more than narrow side tables, barely wide enough to hold the ritual texts. Incense is therefore burned in a handheld censer, while the officiant silently recites the invocation: the words of the petition are spoken aloud, and the Lord of Heaven is visualized in the heart. In the ritual instructions compiled by the Jiang family, the censer is placed on the ritual table, but this is generally impractical in different regions. Some places also have tables too narrow for it, and placing the censer at the edge of the table would be improper. A very large table would not fit in cramped ritual spaces. The old practice of presenting incense in a handheld censer at one’s place is therefore retained, as it is more convenient.

Invocation:

Form is made manifest through emptiness, and the heart’s intent is conveyed by incense. What the heart intends to reach does not depend on flame or smoke. May the petitions of your servants reach the Nine Heavens directly, and may the True Spirits descend to receive the offering, without the need for spoken words.

Another Invocation:

The Dao is cultivated through the heart, and the heart’s intent is conveyed by incense. The incense burns in the Jade Censer, while the heart visualizes the Lord of Heaven before it. May the True Spirits look down upon us; may the immortal banners arrive before the hall, and may the petitions of your servants reach the Nine Heavens directly.

The mantra that the master taught earlier is a secret mantra for ordinary use. When reciting it, one makes no sound, but holds it in mind and directs it toward the Supreme Lord. That is why it need not be spoken aloud.

Paying Reverence to the Masters

Whenever, during a liturgy, the chief lecturer (the person who leads the ritual recitation) initiates the bows, the high master (the Daoist who presides over the ritual and directs its rites) should close his eyes and visualize the following in accordance with ritual procedure: the Three Venerable Ones of the Most High (Daoist deities) are seated in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. To their left are the revered scriptures of the thirty-six divisions; to their right stand the Mysterious Central Great Master, the Ten Perfected Ones, the Five Emperors, and hosts of immortal attendants. The scene resembles the court assembly of the perfected beings on Jade Capital Mountain. Next, visualize the direction where the scripture master (the teacher who transmitted the scriptures) is, and bow inwardly three times, silently reciting: “May my master attain the Dao of immortality; may I, too, be raised up and delivered.”

Master Guangcheng said: “‘Jing’ means that which endures through time. The scripture master is the master’s own master, the root of the lineage. Because the teachings are transmitted through the master and their source is not forgotten, this teacher is called the scripture master.”

Next, visualize the direction where the register master (the teacher who transmitted the ritual registers) is, and bow inwardly three times, silently reciting: “May my master attain the state of a flying immortal and open the way of deliverance for me, so that my seven generations of ancestors and my parents may soon ascend to heaven. May I, too, attain the Dao, become perfected, and ascend to the realm beyond form.”

Master Guangcheng said: “‘Ji’ means to receive and to rely upon. The transmission of the true Dao and the study of Daoist methods pass through successive generations of masters and disciples. Thus, the register master is the master of the scripture master, the disciple, and the ordination master.”

Next, visualize the direction where the ordination master (the teacher who grants ordination to a disciple and admits them into the Daoist tradition) is, and bow inwardly three times, silently reciting: “May my master be raised up and ascend to the realm of the highest immortals. May my master open the way of deliverance for me, freeing me from the Five Sufferings and Eight Difficulties, placing my name in the register of immortals, and making me forever a perfected being.”

Master Guangcheng said: “‘Du’ means to advance and ascend. The ordination master enables me to rise from an ordinary body to the ranks of the Dao. From an ordinary person, I cultivate until I become a perfected being; for this I must rely on my master. Therefore, the ordination master is also my master.”

The scripture master, register master, and ordination master are all indispensable. One cannot cultivate the Dao without a master. Even learning a single method or one formula depends on transmission from a master. How much more so for a Daoist who wears scriptures and registers, practices the Great Rites, presides over Zhaijiao purification rituals, and delivers people and spirits to salvation—how could such a person be without a master?

In ancient times, ritual registers were transmitted by a master who personally held them. From the middle period onward, Daoist ordination altars (ritual platforms for transmitting registers and conducting rites) were established. Individual masters were no longer permitted to preside over ordinations, so the altar itself became the source of transmission when scriptures were passed on and registers received. To inherit the cultivation of Lingbao methods and petition to receive the rites of purification, one should visualize and pay reverence to the Three Masters according to the method one has received. If, in addition to receiving registers, one has also studied and practiced scriptures under someone, one should pay reverence to that master as well.

It is not acceptable to forget the master who transmitted the methods simply because one has received scriptures. The scriptures are the offshoots of the Dao, while the methods are the application of the scriptures. The transmission of the scriptures should truly be regarded as the foundation, while the person who transmits the methods...

If one does not take the Three Masters (the three venerable teachers who transmit Daoist teachings) as one’s teachers and models, one’s learning may become misguided. Magic arts originate in the scriptures; apart from the scriptures, they do not count as orthodox methods. Those who study other books and miscellaneous methods outside the orthodox teachings also fall outside the prescribed rules for performing ritual at the altar.

Incantation for Guarding Spirits in the Five Directions

Each line of the incantation has four characters. The opening line for the East is “Nine Qi, Blue Heaven”; for the South, “Southern Cinnabar Heaven”; for the West, “Heaven of Seven Qi”; for the North, “Northern Mysterious Heaven”; and for the Center, “Yellow Center, Ordering Qi.”

Some people see the character “direction” in the lines for the South and North, then add it to the lines for the East, West, and Center as well, changing each line to six characters when reciting it. The phrasing of the ancient scripture varies from line to line. How can one presume to add characters? Those with understanding should correct this practice.

When practicing visualization to regulate body and mind, however, one truly envisions the orthodox Qi of the Five Directions, not the Three Pure Clouds. The three names combine to generate the Nine Qi; when the Nine Qi disperse, they undergo countless transformations. Broadly speaking, they can be grouped into five Qi: in heaven, they appear as the Five Planets; on earth, as the Five Sacred Mountains; within the human body, as the five viscera; among the myriad things, as the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); and in human affairs, as the five constant virtues. This incantation is used to envision and summon the orthodox Qi of the Five Directions, drive away demonic influences, and make the ritual space solemn and pure.

The Qi of the East belongs to Wood and corresponds to spring and the Azure Emperor; the other four directions follow the same pattern. Accordingly, the troops and horses of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions are commanded by their corresponding deities. To summon them, one envisions the true Qi of each direction in an instant. The Qi of each direction has its corresponding color, and within it are officers and soldiers who answer the incantation and come to guard the ritual altar.

The recently circulated “Five-Direction Spirit-Guarding Talismans” do not belong to the system of the Lingbao methods of the Dongxuan Cavern, so they are not used here. Here, only the Spirit-Guarding Incantation transmitted by the former masters is followed. This incantation comes from the Scripture on the Essentials of the True Writings and also appears in the Brief Text of the Golden Register.

Sounding the Ritual Drum

Master Guangcheng said: “The ritual drum’s function is to rectify the spirit and Qi within and to destroy demonic spirits without. It is the first thing to do when conducting a ritual. Clicking the teeth on the left is called the Heavenly Bell; clicking them on the right is called the Heavenly Chime; clicking them in the middle is called the Ritual Drum. Each set consists of eight clicks. Perform three sets, for a total of twenty-four clicks, corresponding to the twenty-four deities of the body’s Three Sections and Eight Radiances. The Ritual Drum destroys demonic spirits outside and summons the deities within the body; these twenty-four clicks are by no means arbitrary.”

The Ritual Furnace

The Supreme Original Three Qi (Sanqi) of the Three-Footed Mystery, the Most High Lord Lao (a revered Daoist deity), summons forth from the body of your servant the Three-Five Merit Officers, the left and right official envoys, the dragon-mounted post officers who carry incense at the rear left, the incense-attending Golden Boys, the message-bearing Jade Maidens who scatter flowers, the Five Emperors’ Direct Talismans, and the incense officials on duty for the day—thirty-six of each. Once these deities have come forth, they put their robes in order and make their formal report here, informing and petitioning the gods. The local Earth God and the true officials and deities of this district should also come forward.

Your servant now respectfully burns incense and performs the Dao. By command, your servant is conducting a Yellow Register Great Retreat (Huanglu Zhaijiao ritual) for a certain person, for the state, and for the family, praying that Heaven grant the state enduring fortune, so that the country may prosper and the people live in peace. All sincere intentions have been set down in the memorial. May the Most High’s true and upright life-giving Qi (Qi) from the ten directions descend and flow into the bodies of your servant and the others, so that the matters petitioned by your servant may quickly ascend and reach the presence of the Perfected Truth, the limitless Great Dao, and the August Jade Emperor of Heaven.

This text was established by Lu Jianji and Du Guangcheng. In some places it differs from other versions. Although Master Guangcheng took the Golden Register’s concise text as his foundation, he also consulted the scriptures and proclamations of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), and his examination and verification were quite thorough. This “Incense Burner Opening” rite belongs to the standards of the Dongxuan Cavern and should no longer be altered at will.

Only formulations such as “The Most High Mysterious Origin Fivefold-Spirit Lord Lao summons forth from the body of your servant…” are used in the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school’s Incense Burner Opening rite, which belongs to the Dongshen Cavern and differs from the text here. Recently, some people have used other editions as a basis for changing the wording without authorization. For example, they changed the original, “The thirty-six come forth; those who have come forth arrange their robes and make their report here to the local Earth God,” to “The thirty-six come forth; now summon the local Earth God to come forth quickly and make the report.” This is a serious violation of the old standards. The thirty-six summoned are all deities within your servant’s body. They array themselves before and behind, and are responsible for informing the Earth God and conveying the sincere intentions. The Earth God, in turn, carries out the duties of his office. The text must not be changed to summon the Earth God to hurry forth and make the report.

Jiang’s Licheng Ritual Manual also contains some omissions in its account of the Incense Burner Opening rite and does not entirely agree with other texts. For example, after “Three-Five Merit Officers,” the Golden Register’s concise text does not include “left and right official envoys”; another edition omits the four words “incense officials on duty for the day” after “Five Emperors’ Direct Talismans.” There are many other differences as well. Guangcheng’s liturgy is used as the standard because those variant texts, along with the liturgies of Celestial Master Zhang Wanfu and others, predate Master Guangcheng. Master Guangcheng edited, revised, and corrected these texts, then issued them publicly, so they should be followed.

As for the phrase “in the presence of the Perfected Truth, the limitless Great Dao, and the August Jade Emperor of Heaven,” Master Guangcheng has already examined and settled it fully; there is no…

The Great Dao (the supreme Way) encompasses the three kinds of primal Qi: the Mysterious Origin, the Beginning Origin, and the other primal Qi. When these three kinds of Qi gather, they manifest as the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing); when they disperse, they become primal Qi. Taken together, they are the Great Dao. Primal Qi is the forebear of the Qi of all things and the source of Heaven and Earth. It is supreme and without equal.

What lies above physical form is called “Heaven.” Since Heaven has form, how could it be without a ruler? Thus, the August Celestial Emperor, ruler of the heavenly realm, is Heaven’s sovereign. The source of what is reached through sincere fasting and purification is the Great Dao, while the August Celestial Emperor governs and rules the heavenly realm. Therefore, the prayer text says: “We respectfully invite the Most True, Infinite Great Dao and the Jade Emperor of Heaven to be present before us.” This encompasses both the source of all things and their sovereign, and may be said to be complete.

Recently, some have added the words “Supreme Emperors of the Infinite Great Dao and the Three Pure Ones” to the prayer text. Jiang’s compilation, The Established Ritual Forms, also briefly discusses the matter: modern practitioners added words such as “the august sages of the Three Pure Ones” out of attachment to visible forms, contrary to the standards of ritual liturgy. Yet this book still does not explain the reasoning behind the ritual language in a systematic way that would dispel people’s doubts. Since Lu Jianji of the Jin dynasty, there was Zhang Qingdu in the Tang dynasty, and later Guangcheng compiled the ritual methods. For hundreds of years, no one altered their wording. Even now, the main text for “Opening the Incense Burner”—the ritual of burning incense, making invitations, and opening the ritual altar—still retains these strange expressions without correction. This is something practitioners of the Dao should take deeply to heart as a warning.

Commanding the Demons of Destiny

The senior ritual master turns to the left, stands at the Ghost Gate, one of the ritual’s directional points, and faces west. The assistant ritual master stands at the Gate of Heaven and faces east. The senior master clicks his teeth three times and swallows the saliva in his mouth.

Then he visualizes inwardly: the sun and moon are on his face. They enter through his nostrils and reach the Cavern Chamber, the inner palace where the Golden Flower Palace is located, at the space between his eyebrows. They then recede three fen inward, forming the paired Dantian. Moving three fen farther inward, to the bones, they become the Tower and Gate. Penetrating seven fen deeper, there is a blue door on the left and a purple door on the right.

From the space between the eyebrows, moving inward three cun, is the Dantian Palace, also called the Mud Pellet Palace. Four cun farther inward is the Flowing Pearl Palace; five cun inward is the Jade Emperor Palace. One cun directly above the Bright Hall, the palace within the forehead, is the Heavenly Court Palace. One cun directly above the Cavern Yang Chamber is the Utmost Truth Palace; one cun directly above the Dantian is the Mysterious Elixir Palace; and one cun directly above the Flowing Pearl is the Great Sovereign Palace. These names appear in the Great Cavern Perfected Scripture.

Wuchengzi cites the Instructions on the Nine Palaces, which says that five cun inward is the Jade Emperor Palace; it also says this is the Golden Flower Palace. The Nine Palaces are all square, each measuring one cun. The Golden Flower Palace is in the Cavern…

On the south side of the room, radiance appears behind the crown of the head and suddenly transforms into a circular image of light in nine colors. The image gradually draws into the Jade Pillow (where the back of the head meets the neck), shining through the ten directions as it moves in a circling, revolving motion with me. At this time, recite the secret mantra silently, without letting your ears hear its sound. To violate this requirement is a fault, so be sure to exercise care.

The secret mantra says:

“The Yellow Center sets the Qi mechanism in motion, cuts off the traces of demons and evil spirits, examines and punishes violent and unruly spirits, and puts an end to evil people.

The Most High has issued an order: the chamber of the Most High urgently summons the Northern Emperor to proceed to the Jade Palace.

Receive the commanding authority and proclaim to the Demon King: the Five Qi (five kinds of Qi) are abundant and flourishing, in accord with Heaven’s mandate.

Only by concealing the Jade Text in secret can it prosper; the fortunes of the Three Heavens are bright, while those of the Six Heavens come to an end.

How worthy!”

I have carefully examined the liturgy of “commanding the demons,” and found it recorded in fasting rites since ancient times. The liturgies compiled by Lu Jianji, Du Guangcheng, and others all follow ancient ritual methods. The rite of commanding the demons was performed at all three morning audiences; there is indeed no doubt about this. Jiang’s Completed Ritual Manual says that the Yellow Register Ritual compiled by Zhao Daosheng commanded the demons only at the midday audience. This follows the practice of the Zhenghe Golden Register and is also an ancient method. However, the sequence in the Imperially Composed Fasting Ritual for the Golden Register Daoist Liturgy of the Xuanhe Era has the demons commanded at all three morning audiences, with the altar-dispersal liturgy performed only after the Buxu and the offering ritual. This was compiled by Yang Jie. Other ritual manuals prescribe holding a hand censer and burning incense during the liturgy, using the principle that “form appears from emptiness, and mind appears from form,” so that the incense bears the mantra and gives it voice. This differs somewhat from the practice of holding a jade censer, visualizing the Nine Heavens in the heart, and silently reciting the mantra. When the Daoist teaching flourished, ritual methods were examined with great precision; accordingly, most of the Imperially Composed Golden Register Ritual Texts follow ancient methods.

Jiang’s Completed Ritual Manual also quotes Zhang Qingdu as saying: “Before the Celestial Worthy expounded the scriptures, the Demon Kings of the various heavens roamed through the vast emptiness, watching and waiting, displaying their might and unleashing their poisonous harm. After the Celestial Worthy expounded the scriptures, the Demon Kings were converted. Therefore, before the assembled saints go forth, the Demon Kings must first be ordered to clear the way.” Jiang also says: “The scripture states that the Demon Kings respectfully received the command, and were thus able to pay homage to the various heavens.” Therefore, before the Buxu, one should first visualize and command the demons.

After careful examination, I believe this passage describes how, after the Celestial Worthy expounded the scriptures, the Demon Kings were converted, received the sacred command, and swept away all inauspicious influences. When the Heavenly Emperor is about to go forth, commanding the Demon Kings to clear the way ahead is one interpretation. But using this meaning directly to prove that the demons must also be commanded before the Buxu does not provide sufficient grounds. If the Heavenly Emperor is about to go forth, the Demon Kings should first be commanded to clear the way; then the “incense of the ten directions” mentioned earlier should already visualize the Three Venerables dwelling in…

Moreover, when the sacred beings are invited at the ritual altar, prayers are read aloud, and bows and acts of repentance are performed, these rites should all take place before the Lord on High. The Demon King has already been stationed at the altar. As soon as the Lord on High arrives, the Demon King should sweep away dust and impurities and perform his duties. How, then, can one say that the Demon King is summoned only for the Step into the Void ritual? The matter is probably not as that account describes.

The order of the court ritual is as follows. First, the Senior Adept, who presides over the Zhaijiao purification ritual, offers incense as a sign of respect and to convey sincere intent. Next comes the opening of the incense burner, through which the ritual’s purpose is reported to the deities. The Senior Adept then summons the local territorial deities through his own spirit, and reads the formal document. After this, each participant announces their ritual rank: the Senior Adept and the assembly state their titles and names. They then join in a sincere appeal to the gathered saints, explaining why the Senior Adept has been commissioned to preside over the purification rite. Up to this point, everything said during the rite is the Senior Adept’s prayer. Once the reason for undertaking the rite has been stated, the ritual prayer addressed to the deities is read aloud to convey the wishes of the officiants.

With the officiants’ wishes now expressed, the merit of the court ritual should then be dedicated: first, blessings are invoked for the emperor, and prayers offered that the whole realm may receive good fortune; then the nine generations of ancestors are guided to salvation, along with the living. This is the purpose of offering incense three times. All the requests being made are already included in the prayers.

When seeking salvation for the deceased, one must take account of the sins they accumulated during life. When praying for the safety of the living, one must also be mindful of their past wrongs. However often blessings and favors are sought, if sins remain recorded throughout the Three Realms and charges are still entered in the registers of the heavenly and earthly courts, how can subtle grace descend, or records of wrongdoing be erased? For this reason, one bows to the Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions, repents and seeks pardon in each direction, and asks the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and seas to forgive transgressions and remove names from the registers of sin.

All these rites take place within the purification altar. The officials of the Three Realms merely investigate the relevant circumstances. They are there only to guard the assembly in advance, while the gathered gods protect the ritual.

The next part of the rite takes its model from the palaces of the Jade Clarity Heaven: the Xuandu, Yujing, Golden Towers, Seven-Treasure Mysterious Terrace, and the Upper Palace of Ziwei. The sacred assembly of the various heavens pays court there three times each month. Beginning with the Subtle Tenuity Heaven, every heaven pays homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning. (See the Great Method of the Numinous Treasure.)

Master Guangcheng says: The ten poems of Step into the Void come from the Scripture of the Numinous Treasure’s Xuandu and Yujing Mountain. They are poems in which the sacred assembly of the Ten Directions circles Yujing Mountain and sings of the Way of cultivating the Real. The scripture says that when a purification rite is held and the Way is cultivated through ritual practice, four Heavenly Emperors arrive in flying-cloud green canopied carriages and ride in radiant jade chariots, while perfected beings and jade maidens lead the way, carrying flower banners.

After the phoenix song, everyone follows the white cranes of the celestial realm—an image of heavenly music and immortal birds. They listen to the roar of song, like a lion’s, and solemnly burn incense and scatter flowers. Blossoms drift down from the sky. The assembly gazes in reverence, bows, circumambulates the ritual space, and watches and listens to the teaching.

At this time, whether the matter concerns them or not, assessments of guilt and merit, the transfer of documents, and petitions for an edict and whether it has been granted should all take place as they circle in Buxu—a Daoist rite of chanting while walking, as though treading through clouds. The divine, perfected beings of Heaven, the great gods, come down from the sky in limitless numbers, from both near and far. Thus the rite first summons the host of demons and purifies Heaven and Earth; its effects are not confined to a single altar.

In this ritual method, the Gaogong (the Daoist priest presiding over the rite) employs a secret practice to wield divine light and reverently proclaim the Dao’s command. By order of the Most High, the priest summons the Northern Emperor and commands him to announce the decree to the demon kings, investigate and subdue fierce spirits, and cut off the roots of evil influences. The Daoist ritual text appears in radiant clarity, and the Qi of the Three Heavens becomes bright and clear. The teaching of the orthodox Way spreads, and the Way of the immortals flourishes. The roots of evil are sealed off, the path of ghosts vanishes, Yin Qi declines and disperses, and the Qi of the Six Heavens—the domain that rules ghosts, spirits, and Yin influences—comes to rest. Within Heaven and Earth and in all four directions, Dao Qi fills the world, rising to the Nine Heavens and spreading throughout the vast universe. Countless sages can come from the sky to watch and listen to the sounds of the teaching.

The Most High’s command can be proclaimed, and such a response brought about, because the Gaogong regulates the breath through inhalation and exhalation, cultivates embryonic breathing within, and stills the mind and gathers the spirit, so that the Mudball Palace—the upper Dantian in the head—shines with penetrating clarity. Then, with the slightest movement of thought, divine light appears and blazes forth. Empowered by the Most High’s talismanic commands and incantations, the demon kings obey and carry out the Heavenly Emperor’s will, clearing everything within and beyond Heaven and Earth. Near and far alike become still and pure, and the gathered sages descend from the sky to listen to Buxu.

This does not take place only within a single altar, nor is it limited to the perfected beings who took part in the preparatory purification. For this reason, the rite is performed after confession and repentance, and after paying obeisance in the four directions, but before scattering flowers and performing Buxu.

The liturgy begins by establishing the teaching in accordance with the scriptures. Once the circling performance of Buxu is complete, the prescribed sequence calls for obeisance to the scriptures. The text says that the heavenly demons honor and protect those who revere the scriptures; in every generation, such people receive great blessings. This is because people have reached this point by receiving the scriptures, upholding the precepts, reciting the Dao, and dispelling desire. The text thus praises the scriptures’ merit and pays obeisance to them.

The next passage says that when the Way of the scriptures flourishes and spreads, families and states prosper. Through unceasing practice, one can enter the Mahayana Way, raise up one’s ancestors of seven generations, and oneself transcend the ordinary and ascend as an immortal. The assembly therefore pays obeisance again. Cherishing the scriptures, contemplating the meaning of the Dao, and following their teachings in the cultivation of immortality ultimately bring one into the company of the Dao. By steadfastly cultivating the body, one can pass beyond the realms that are difficult to escape and be spared the torments of hell. Since all these merits come from the scriptures, the rite concludes with three bows. This is the meaning of the three invocations of obeisance to the scriptures.

From the purification rite through the recitation of the scriptures, may I hear the scriptures and understand…

Those who cultivate the Dao practice the true Way, wear Fulu (talismans and registers used in Daoism to communicate with the spirits and carry out rites), and conduct religious services according to prescribed rules. Their aim is to save and deliver beings in the heavens and the human world. Today, the ritual officiant presiding over a Zhaijiao rite repents of transgressions, bows toward the ten directions, and prays to the upper realm for blessings. After praising merit and bowing to the scriptures, the officiant gives thanks and bows to the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters). The officiant then again declares the ritual rank, respectfully faces the gates of heaven, and performs a general confession and thanksgiving. This rite of “great thanksgiving” is directed not only to the spirits of the ten directions but also to numinous authorities such as mountains and rivers, which is why it is called “great.” The rite then proceeds through the making of vows, mindful visualization, and restoration of the incense burner; its ritual sequence is thereby complete.

Some, like Zhao Daosheng, claim that “summoning the demons” (a Zhaijiao rite that summons and subdues demon kings to purify the altar) involves only inner visualization and the cultivation of inner landscapes. This is tantamount to saying that the Most High Lord Lao acts only within the Mudball Palace (the upper Dantian in the head). The perfected beings reside inside the body, and the summoning of demons takes effect only within it. Such an understanding misses the scriptures’ purpose and mistakes the basis of the rite. It is as mistaken as silently paying homage to the Supreme Lord and reporting the affairs of the rite only to the upper Dantian.

The Mudball Palace is said to contain nine palaces, and the human body to be home to the myriad spirits; these teachings certainly exist. From the Dao of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) and the Heavenly Treasure tradition through the three vehicles of the Numinous Treasure and Divine Treasure teachings, texts speak of cultivation and visualization within the body. Some focus exclusively on inner cultivation; others join inner and outer practice. When a ritual master sits upright in a chamber and refines body and spirit within, that is inner cultivation. When the master ascends the altar, pays homage, and performs the Zhaijiao liturgy, human sincerity reaches and moves the Supreme Lord. When the master submits memorials and petitions and sends the spirit forth to pay audience with the Emperor, consciousness leaves the body to approach the lofty heavens.

Paying homage to the perfected beings, repenting of transgressions, performing the Dao rites, and burning incense subdue the Five Qi and purify the altar. Gathering the Three Essences and keeping the Great Dao in mind serve to summon the demon kings and purify the six directions. Chanting the “Steps into Emptiness” with the Jade Capital as the ritual realm likewise joins inner and outer practice, allowing each to respond to the other. How, then, can anyone claim that summoning the demons depends entirely on practice within the body?

Others say that Yang Qi arises at the Zi hour and ends at the Wu hour, while Yin Qi arises at the Wu hour and ends at the Zi hour. Because Yin and Yang alternate, they claim, the rite of paying homage and summoning the demons must be held at the Wu hour. This claim, too, has no basis in the scriptures. It was invented by those who cling to explanations confined to the body.

If the Jade Emperor and the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) never leave my body, and the thousands of perfected beings and myriad spirits all reside within it, why ascend the altar, establish a Zhaijiao rite, copy documents, and set out each matter in turn? Today, the ritual officer reads the written petitions aloud before the assembly. Does that mean that because I know what is in the Mudball Palace, heaven knows it too? If so, memorials, petitions, written texts, and all Zhaijiao rites could be abolished. This would be entirely contrary to the intention of the sage masters who established the liturgies to deliver people.

The twenty-seven grades of Zhai rites and the forty-two ranks of Jiao rites each have their own levels and distinctions, separating one category from another. Can they all be treated as one…

Focusing only on inner cultivation while neglecting scriptures and registers, purification, and liturgies—the rituals of Daoism—is inappropriate. Harmonizing Metal and Wood, bringing Kan and Li into accord—using images of water and fire to describe the harmonizing of body and mind—and ultimately achieving the congealing of lead and the descent of the dragon and subduing of the tiger—terms for the concentration of Jing and Qi and the regulation of Yin-Yang—do indeed belong to inner cultivation. But that does not mean one may therefore abandon rituals such as establishing an altar and conducting a purification retreat, which are needed to propagate the teachings and attend to worldly affairs. Those who study the Dao, whether they cultivate inwardly or practice external alchemy, should understand the origins and development of these practices. Those who uphold the teachings and perform liturgies should also understand their purpose and foundations. Only then will they avoid turning the principles that guide cultivation upside down or confusing them.

To say that the “Demon-Commanding Spell” is entirely an inner practice, and that the demon kings and gods are all within one’s own body, is a hard interpretation to sustain. For example, the Scripture of Pacing the Void says: “In every moment, bowing and rising, visualize the Most High, and let the radiance of the Flowering Light appear in the Dantian. Look left and summon Yuyi, the god of the sun; gaze right and bring along Jielin, the goddess of the moon. Practice the Brahma conduct six times, and renew your virtue day by day in the cultivation of the Dao.” This means to keep the Most High constantly in mind and cultivate according to the ways of the sun and moon, so that one’s virtue gradually advances. This is inner cultivation, and its effects also become visible outwardly.

The scripture also says: “Heaven gives birth to those of transcendent talent, who delight in reciting the Wondrous and Subtle Chapter.” This means that without intelligence surpassing that of ordinary people, one cannot grasp the Wondrous and Subtle Chapter, understand its passages, or penetrate its subtle principles. It also says: “Inhale the Qi of expansive emptiness and supreme harmony; exhale and inhale the essence of flowing rosy clouds. Through embryonic breathing, still the hundred gates; probe deeply into the three hidden methods. The Mudball Palace, the inner-cultivation site in the head, shines clear; the vision is thereby fulfilled, and the immortal of Golden Florescence is made.” This means to grasp the profound intent of scriptures and revelations, put it into practice through breathing methods, still the body’s apertures through embryonic breathing—a fine, continuous breathing practice—and follow secret methods until the Mudball Palace shines clear. In the end, one becomes a perfected immortal and unites with the Dao. This shows that inner alchemy can enable a person to become a perfected immortal: the achievement is attained within oneself, not from outside.

When cultivation reaches this degree, the demon kings of heaven will submit in reverence and obey. The practitioner will do more than intercede on behalf of cultivators; they will also be able to ascend to the courts of the heavens. The scripture therefore says: “The demon kings respectfully serve; thus one can go before the heavens.” All who attain this state do so through purification and the accumulation of merit. The scripture concludes: “All begins with purification: accumulate merit and form bonds from past lives; ascend in flight beyond the Great Void, taking the exalted immortals along as companions.”

To fly through space refers to ascending and rising lightly; it does not happen only within the body. If the demon kings were only inside the body and the heavens were only above the head, then the demon kings would merely obey within the body, and paying homage to the Heavenly Emperor would take place only inside the Mudball Palace. Even if one achieved some cultivation in this way, when one’s allotted lifespan ended, one would be no more than a ghost lingering beside one’s corpse…

Immortals cultivate the Mudball Palace, the part above the head that governs consciousness and spirit. This serves as a visualization method for beginners, but the practice does not end there. To ascend into a lofty and wondrous realm and serve the Three Heavens, as Daoism calls them, is to attain the Dao of immortality.

Practicing within the body and rising lightly through the celestial realms: this is the meaning expressed in the Scripture of Walking in the Void (Buxu Jing). Today, when rites are performed at a Zhaijiao altar and demons are summoned to receive commands, one first visualizes the sun and moon entering the nose, then allows the light of the Grotto Chamber—the spirit chamber within the brain—to become manifest. This is because the scene within the Mudball Palace has not yet appeared on its own, so visualization is used to carry out the rite.

I have not truly become an immortal and cannot immediately command demon kings to do my bidding. Therefore, I establish the rite by invoking the command of the Most High. These ritual procedures are closely connected with the meaning of the first chapter of the Scripture of Walking in the Void. That is why the tenth chapter says, “Scatter flowers and state my wish; hold the tally and summon the demon kings.” It means the same thing.

The state described in the scripture, which manifests naturally after one becomes an immortal, is not the same as temporarily summoning beings through ritual at the altar. If fetal breathing—the Daoist inner cultivation method of regulating the breath and concentrating the spirit—has been mastered, and the scene within the Mudball Palace has become clear, then there is no need to visualize the sun and moon: light will naturally shine in all ten directions. There is no need to recite secret incantations: the demon kings will naturally obey.

However, anyone who reaches this state will certainly not personally ascend the Zhaijiao altar or make a name for themselves in the mundane world. These ritual rules are explained in detail here because they belong to the regulations of Zhai rites and therefore need to be made clear.

The Great Method of the Highest Clarity Numinous Treasure, volume 22