《上清靈寶大法(二)》Vol. 26

There are many paths to immortal cultivation, but the foremost is to accomplish merit, do good deeds, and relieve the suffering of the world. Therefore, those who practice the registers (fulu) and observe the liturgy (keyi) should diligently study the teachings and the standards of ritual procedure. Since one has not yet attained the Dao or can communicate directly with spirits, whenever one makes a petition, one must rely on written documents and proclamations to convey it. Yet the wording must be reasonable, accord with the proper form of the liturgy, and leave nothing lacking.

If memorials presented to the court still follow fixed formats, how can one write carelessly or treat the Supreme Sovereign of the High Heavens and the Ultimate Lord of Wuji with disrespect and profanation? The officiant of a purification ritual (zhaijiao) is responsible for conveying petitions and expressing sincerity, so that prayers may ascend to the heavens and aid those in the netherworld. Since one studies the liturgical teachings, one should also understand the craft of composing such texts. Moreover, the Great Yellow Register Offering (huanglu dazhai, a major large-scale zhaijiao ritual of Daoism) concerns both the human realm and the heavens, and its success depends on how the Gaogong (the officiant who presides over the rite) conceives and phrases the petition. If the text is composed improperly, and one simply follows worldly habit in a careless report, the logic will be obstructed and it will be difficult to move the divine. In the liturgy, before any action one must first perform guanzou (formally informing the spirits and reporting to them). Therefore, memorials and proclamations each have their own function within the rite and must not be omitted.

Memorial Format

List the fawei (ritual rank) of the officiant: "Your minister, surnamed X, in utmost awe and trepidation, kowtows twice and respectfully submits this memorial."

"Your minister has already set forth the purpose of this petition and respectfully presents this transcribed memorial."

"Before the jade steps of the Sovereign of X: Your minister reverently prays for heavenly grace to approve the matter reported and to issue a special decree for its implementation. Your minister has offended the majesty of Heaven and is overcome with fear. Awaiting punishment, your minister respectfully submits this memorial."

"On the day of X, in the month of X, in the year of X, the undersigned, listing their ritual rank, your minister surnamed X submits this memorial."

Few people today use this memorial format, and it is especially unfamiliar in central Zhejiang. The lineage of the master Yunzhong has long followed it, but only in memorials addressed to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the August Lord of Heaven (Haotian Shangdi), and the Celestial Emperor of the North Pole. This is because the Three Pure Venerables are the Three Qi of Xuan, Yuan, and Shi, the fundamental primordial qi that constitute all things. The Three Qi are the source of the transformations of the myriad things and the ancestral origin of the Three Realms. Heaven and Earth are born from them, and Yin and Yang are initiated by them. Formless, nameless, and beyond conception, they are honored with the title "Venerable," which is only a provisional way of naming them.

The August Lord of Heaven is the sovereign of all the heavens, governing all spirits. The Great Emperor of the North Pole corresponds to the Xuan Qi. The Great Emperor of Heaven (Tianhuang Dadi) presides over the myriad stars and serves as the pivot of the celestial realm, corresponding to the Yuan Qi. If one considers their visible forms, the Great Emperor of Heaven ranks below the star Gouchen.

Above the Purple Tenuity Enclosure (Ziwei Yuan), in resonance with the Primordial Qi (Shi Qi), lies a place beyond the Three Realms and within the Six Extremes, and nothing is more exalted than it. For this reason, a memorial submitted here should follow broadly the opening conventions of the zhang biao (formal petition) and should not adopt the ordinary courtesies of the mundane world, lest it commit profanation. The request within the memorial should also not be elaborate. It is enough to ask that the Heavenly Realm issue an order for its implementation. As for requesting a jiao (offering ritual) for prayer, one need only write before the Supreme Thearch: "May heavenly grace examine and record this matter."

When affixing the yellow paper to the front of the memorial, place it to the right of the position for the official title. The lines of text on the yellow paper should match the spacing of the memorial body, and the paper's placement should be level with the characters "Shang Yan" (respectfully submitting). The body of the memorial is written in odd-numbered lines. Behind the memorial, write beside the yellow paper: "Begging that it be transmitted to the appropriate True Office for issuance and implementation." Affix this to the right of the year and month, aligned with the upper edge of the yellow paper, and then stamp it with a seal, in a form resembling the memorials of the mundane world.

Inner Cover

"To the Jade Steps of the Heavenly Venerable So-and-so, submitted respectfully and sealed by the minister of such-and-such ritual rank, surnamed So-and-so."

Square Envelope

"The memorial is respectfully submitted to the Tianshu Yuan (Office of the Celestial Pivot) beneath the Gate of the Three Heavens for presentation." The square envelope may also read: "The memorial is respectfully submitted to the Tianshu Yuan beneath the Gate of the Three Heavens for delivery." In addition, a separate document titled "Petition for Introduction" (yinjin zhuang) must be written for the Tianshu Yuan. If only one document is sent, the petition for introduction is enclosed within the memorial's envelope. If there is more than one memorial, the items are listed individually in the petition, and a separate envelope is presented to the Tianshu Yuan. This is similar to how, in the mundane world, a separate document is submitted to the Chancellery when presenting a memorial.

Petition to the Tianshu Yuan

Minister of such-and-such ritual rank, surnamed So-and-so:

Because of such-and-such a matter, a memorial has been written and presented to the Heavenly Court, and therefore this petition is submitted.

The following is respectfully reported:

The Presiding Perfected Lords of the Tianshu Yuan beneath the Gate of the Three Heavens are implored, in their compassion, to grant special permission for its transmission and implementation. The petitioner, having offended the majesty of the divine, is apprehensive and uneasy, and respectfully submits this petition.

Year, cycle year, month, and day, submitted by the minister of such-and-such ritual rank, surnamed So-and-so.

Examination of the Daoist canon shows that among the lords of the Heavenly Realm, some names can be verified, while others cannot be known. Unless one has thoroughly penetrated Jade Clarity or personally attended court at the Golden Gate, one should not rely on personal conjecture to invent the names and ranks of the spirits. Therefore, in documents to the Celestial Bureau and the provincial offices, one refers only to the "Presiding Perfected Lord," so as to avoid transgressing taboos. The authoritative scriptures do not record these names, and the incantation books circulating among the people cannot serve as reliable grounds. The divine ranks above, including the Heavenly Venerables, Heavenly Emperors, Daojun (Lords of the Dao), Yuanjun (Primordial Lords), and Tianjun (Heavenly Lords), should likewise be addressed with this same caution.

Accordingly, the titles of honor given in the formal scriptures should follow patterns such as "Dao Lord of the Upper Palace of the Purple Subtlety, Illustrious August" for a Dao Lord (Daojun), and "Mother Yuan Lord of the Qi of Ten Thousand Origins" for a Yuan Lord (Yuanjun). These titles correspond to those of the Heavenly Emperors, and the memorial must follow the matching form.

The form of the memorial generally follows the style of secular documents. Some ritual manuals circulating in recent times have freely invented names and ranks for the Supreme Perfected (Shangzhen, the divine beings of the higher realms), in great variety. I will not list them here, since none of them appear in the scriptures. For example, calling the Celestial Master (Tianshi) a "Celestial Lord" (Tianjun), or calling the "Pursuing Soul Jade Maiden" a "Yuan Lord," seriously disrupts the ritual canon. Practitioners must not follow such errors out of superstition. Take this as a warning.

Memorial Format

Presented by the ritual official of rank, surnamed so-and-so.

To the right, your minister respectfully follows the intent received and humbly submits this memorial:

To Your Majesty, the August Emperor of such-and-such, your minister earnestly hopes that Your Majesty will grant the petition here presented, and especially instructs how it should be carried out. Your minister has presumed upon Heaven's majesty, and trembles with fear beyond words. Respectfully submitted in this memorial.

Dated the such-and-such day of such-and-such month of the such-and-such year, presented by the ritual official of rank, surnamed so-and-so.

The attached tie-slips (tiehuang), which are affixed before and after the memorial to add supplementary matters, are all handled according to the common format. When using the secular administrative format, the name of the palace to which the memorial is addressed should be chosen accordingly. If the scriptures do not record a palace, one may not invent a palace name on one's own. Some people wish to deceive the laity by using expressions different from others, without realizing that this profanes the divine lords of Heaven and invites heavenly punishment. Ignorant people who copy such practices only mislead later students further, and so one should follow the ancient institutions.

Secular memorials follow one format: first the official title and rank are written, then the matter is recorded, and the body of the text is introduced with the character "right" (you). Recent Daoist practice has adopted this format, following secular document conventions entirely.

Memorial in the Secular Format

Presented by the ritual official of rank, surnamed so-and-so.

In accordance with the format, the intent of the memorial is stated according to the matter presented, and it ends with the words "respectfully reported."

To the right, the matter your minister presents is ……, and how should it be carried out? Your minister earnestly hopes that the True Compassion will grant the petition. This document is respectfully submitted, awaiting imperial decree.

Dated the such-and-such day of such-and-such month of the such-and-such year, presented by the ritual official of rank, surnamed so-and-so, in memorial.

Another form also exists in the secular style:

Presented by the ritual official of rank, surnamed so-and-so.

To the right, your minister states the intent of the memorial, and respectfully submits this document, humbly presented in memorial.

Dated the such-and-such day of such-and-such month of the such-and-such year, presented in memorial by the ritual official of rank.

The tie-slips before and after these memorials are handled according to common usage. However, within secular document formats, the titles of the Imperial Lords to whom Daoist memorials are addressed are not uniform, and their transmission is difficult to verify. In recent times, the two forms above have been commonly used, with the names of the sacred positions added. This is also one way of following the secular document format.

The basic principles are largely the same, with only minor differences. Most documents follow the format of secular official correspondence, and it is enough that they accord with ritual propriety (lizhi).

For the celestial perfected above, including the Palaces of the Sun and Moon, the Five Planets and Four Luminaries, the Northern Dipper, the Three Officials, the Four Sages, the Five Masters, the Superior Assistants of High Heaven, the Jade Emperor's noble ministers, and the offices of the Celestial Bureaus and the upper realms, one should use petition documents such as the shenzhuang.

I have said before that the documents used in Zhaijiao (purification rites) to proclaim and transmit, as well as those presented to the gods to report and petition, carry great weight and must not be treated lightly. Recently, some people have used the zoudu for the Seven Primes, the Five Masters, and the perfected of the upper realms, and even used the zouzhuang for the Taixuan Capital Chancery. Imitating the ranks and titles of the recent imperial court, they devise forms of address on their own and casually treat the High Perfected (gao zhen) as subordinates. This is truly profane.

Take Xuanzhong Fashi as an example. Although he is the master of the Keyi (liturgical) teachings, his rank in the heavenly hierarchy is still that of a minister. Some believe he is an incarnation of Lord Lao who carries out the teaching, but no such basis can be found in the extant canon. Even if he truly was Lord Lao, who divided his primordial qi and transformed his form, he should not be honored as a sovereign on that account. When Lord Lao dwells in Taiqing as the original qi (shi qi), he is called Tianzun. When he incarnates to transmit the teaching, he is called "Xuanzhong Fashi," a minister among the three realms.

Lord Lao established his teaching before heaven and earth and guided living beings through countless kalpas, and these deeds cannot all be listed. When he served as Keeper of the Pillar (zhuxia shi) under the Zhou dynasty, he concealed his true name and changed his title, lodging among people with the aim of saving them, and he did not cling to rank. At that time he was merely a minister of Zhou. Later, he crossed the pass in a purple qi, rode a green ox back to the celestial gates, concentrated his spirit at the highest heights, and took his place in Taiqing. Only then does calling him Heavenly Emperor or Supreme Emperor accord with his rank.

Thus, when he divided his form to descend and serve the Zhou house as a minister, he did not regard low station as shameful. When his primordial qi returned to high heaven and he presided over the upper realms, he did not take pride in his lofty position. These titles should be determined by the transformations of miaoyou and miaowu (wondrous existence and wondrous nonexistence), following the form in which he manifests. If he is called "Daode Tianzun," he is the sovereign of heaven, and the zhangzou (memorial) should be used. If he is called "Xuanzhong Dafashi," he is a minister of heaven, and the shenzhuang should be used. To identify Xuanzhong Fashi directly with Lord Lao now is not appropriate.

Some also call Xuanzhong Fashi "Jinglao Tianzun," which is especially absurd. Dao, jing (scripture), and shi (master) are the Three Treasures (sanbao). The Dao cannot originally be named, and the teaching is established through the jing. Once the scriptures are established, the teaching cannot be transmitted without a master's lineage. Therefore, within the Zhaitan (ritual altar), one should honor the source (zongben).

Thus, the Dao has its own rank and title, scriptures have their own rank and title, and masters likewise have their own rank and title. Because the master is one of the "Three Treasures" (Dao, scripture, and master), one may not therefore call the master the Supreme Lord (Shangdi). The Luotian jiao (Luotian offering rite, a purification ritual for sacrificing to the heavenly spirits) already had its divine seats arranged in earlier times, and these were supplemented during the Song dynasty. At that time, the Daolu Yuan (Daoist Registry Office, the agency that managed Daoist affairs) examined and fixed them by consulting ritual codes, and the seats of the Five Masters were originally placed below the Three Officials, the Four Sages, and the assembled perfected.

As for the Zhengyi Tianshi (Celestial Master of Orthodox Unity), one must not add titles to him carelessly. Examining his life, he was born during the reign of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han, in the Tianmu mountains of the Wu region, where later generations established a Daoist temple in his honor. In the second year of the Yongshou era at the end of the Han, he ascended to immortality in Shu. The Taishang school's Envoys of the Five Emperors conferred on him the position of Celestial Master, calling him the Perfected of Orthodox Unity, and caused him to face the Nine Clarities and to serve as minister to the Three Realms. These records appear in his own biography and in the scriptures, and they are clear and credible.

The Zhaijiao keyi (liturgical rules of the purification ritual) takes the Celestial Master as its foundation, and setting up a separate altar for him is a matter of ritual propriety. In ritual documents, it is acceptable to submit petitions and memorials to the Heavenly Emperor. But how could one use the word "memorial" both for presenting a document to the sovereign and for presenting one to a subject? And how could one raise the Celestial Master to the same rank as the Jade Emperor?

On the day the Celestial Master ascended, his title was only "Perfected." It was not until the Song dynasty that he was granted the title "True Lord Zhengying Jingying," which was already an extremely high celestial honor. Some people also call him the "Heavenly Lord" (tianjun). But the Heavenly Lord is equal to the Heavenly Emperor. The Qingwei, Baotian, and Yuyu heavens contain the Lingbao, Dachi, and Shenbao, who are the Three Qi Heavenly Lords, and the Ancient Master of the Eastern Green Spirit, along with the Heavenly Lords of the western, southern, northern, and central quarters, all of whom hold honored positions. How could the Celestial Master stand alongside them?

The Celestial Master transmitted and understood the scriptures, and he thoroughly studied the Nine Streams and the hundred schools. After his merit and practice were complete, he received the mandate to ascend to heaven. The boundary between ritual propriety and rank was originally very strict. Yet today, foolish people in the world flatter him and, in memorials, call the Celestial Master the "Heavenly Lord." How could this not provoke anger? I fear such documents cannot possibly reach the heavens, yet ignorant people dare to write them, which is truly alarming.

The titles and ranks of the Supreme Perfected are not something ordinary people can fully know. Using them according to ancient ritual codes is the proper course. If one persists in ornate exaggeration, calling Perfected Lords "Perfected" and Perfected "Heavenly Lords," or even carelessly elevating envoys in their titles, then one seriously violates the prohibitions of the heavens. Among the male Perfected of the upper realms, the most honored is called the "Lord of the Dao" (daojun), and among the female Perfected, the most honored is called the "Lady Yuan" (yuanjun). Both belong to the class of the Heavenly Venerables. Yet today the world only knows how to fabricate titles recklessly and to inflate them excessively, even to the point of calling women...

Some people falsely claim they can summon the Lord of the Dao (Daojun), yet the titles they use appear nowhere in the scriptures. They call themselves "Mou Zhen" (So-and-so Perfected), declare that a certain person in a certain office holds some post, and say that someone governs the provinces of the heavens. Whenever something suits their own inclinations, they presume to promote or demote the Heavenly Upper Sages of the celestial bureaucracy (tianchao), and they boast that their titles are unlike any others. Alas, people in the world may be deceived, but can Heaven be deceived?

The heavenly realms have divided offices and strict order, surpassing the human world in this respect. For this reason the immortal scriptures state that "the upper realms are like government offices," and that not even the smallest detail may be offended or overstepped. Yet ordinary people dare to arrange things carelessly and to profane the heavens. Yunzhong has also seen some who act in this way, and retribution has not been absent for them. Still, many people have not yet taken warning.

Today, those who serve under the perfected lords of the upper realms use "shenzhuang" (petitions submitted to a superior to state matters). Some argue that since they style themselves as subjects (chen), they should write memorials (zouzhang), and that since they use shenzhuang, they should not style themselves as subjects. Yunzhong privately holds that in the Three Dynasties period, the feudal vassals (peichen) of each state called their own ruler "chen," and also called the Son of Heaven "chen." Later, enfeoffment was abolished in favor of commanderies and counties, and the realm was unified, so people no longer see the ritual of vassals referring to themselves as subjects. As for the forms of memorials and petitions in the human world, no clear textual evidence survives from before the Qin and Han. Yet a document presented by a vassal to his own ruler surely would not dare to follow the same ritual as one presented to the Son of Heaven.

Moreover, the distinction between ruler and minister is a great constant between heaven and earth. Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, King Wen, King Wu, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius established their teachings to admonish the world and later generations. The distinction between ruler and minister, the affection between father and son, and the righteousness between husband and wife were all established in accordance with the Dao of Heaven.

Looking at the celestial patterns, the sun, moon, and stars were already formed at the beginning of creation, and before the sages appeared, the order of ruler and minister in the heavens was already fixed. The North and South Poles face each other at the axis of the sky, like a pivot. The sun, moon, and myriad stars revolve with the motion of heaven, and only the two poles remain still, which is why the heavens can turn. The North Pole lies within the Purple Forbidden Enclosure (Ziwei Yuan), the star region where the Heavenly Emperor dwells, and it is always visible and never hidden. The Jinshu (Book of Jin), in its treatise on astronomy, states that the five stars of the North Pole lie within the Ziwei Yuan, and that the Pole Star is the most honored of the Beichen (Northern Pole stars). One star in the mouth of the Gouchen (Hook Array) is called "Tianhuang Dadi" (Great Heavenly Emperor), and it lies beneath the Gouchen. Today it appears that the status of Tianhuang Dadi is equal to that of the Pole Star, making it the sovereign among celestial phenomena. Above it lie the Huagai (Canopy) and Gouchen asterisms, and on its left and right it is encircled by stars such as Shangcheng (Upper Assistant) and Shangwei (Upper Guard).

The seven stars of the Northern Dipper, beginning with Dougui (the Dipper's Bowl), stand in front and govern a role like the throat and tongue. They regulate the four seasons, weigh the Yuanqi (the primordial Qi, the root from which Heaven and Earth first arose and all things were transformed), convey and carry out the commands of the Heavenly Emperor, and record and oversee the affairs of the Three Realms.

Beyond the Dipper lie three star enclosures, Tianshi Yuan (Heavenly Market Enclosure), Taiwei Yuan (Supreme Palace Enclosure), and Ziwei Yuan (Purple Forbidden Enclosure). Each has its own Imperial Throne, but they are only offices belonging to Ziwei Yuan. The myriad phenomena of the heavens, together with the sun, moon, and stars, are all united under the Northern Pole. The Northern Chen (the Pole Star) dwells at the center of the celestial order, and the multitude of stars circles around it. This is what the saying means. When the sage looked up at the heavens and examined the regulated patterns of celestial motion, he also tested his conclusions against an order that was already established. Was it not the case that, even before the sage appeared in the world, Heaven already had its distinction between ruler and minister?

If the Imperial Thrones in Tianshi Yuan and Taiwei Yuan cannot be placed alongside the Northern Pole, how much less can the two dim stars within the Middle Dipper, which merely have a throne set up within the Dipper? In recent times, some reckless people have relied on books such as the Pangtong Tu (Diagram of Universal Connection), the Wuwei Jing (Scripture of Non-Action), and the Beidou Lu (Register of the Northern Dipper). They have presumptuously changed the names of the stars and fabricated the Xuanji Fa (Method of the Jade Pivot). They honor the seven stars of the Middle Dipper and the two throne stars within the Dipper as equal to the Heavenly Emperor, and when submitting documents and memorials they handle everything according to the protocol of the Jade Emperor. Such practice violates the established canon, and it is truly difficult to describe in full.

In ancient liturgy there was already a Dou Jiao (Dipper Offering), in which jiao is the general name for Daoist offering rites. Holding a jiao does not mean that the one receiving the offering is thereby exalted as the Supreme Lord. Because a matter belongs to the Dipper's palace, the seven true lords of the Middle Dipper are invited together and a special jiao is held to pray, expressing the purpose of the petition. How could the existence of a dedicated jiao raise the true lord of the Middle Dipper to the rank of Heavenly Emperor?

Some Daoist texts call the Dipper the "Grand Marshal of Heaven" (tian zhi taiwei) or the "Supreme Lord of Heaven" (tian zhi shangdi). These titles refer to its governing function. Compare how the Eastern Peak was granted the title "Tianqi" (Equal to Heaven): this means its merit can match Heaven's, not that the Eastern Peak's deity is itself the Jade Emperor. The ancient liturgy contains forty-two kinds of jiao, and among them the Dingjia Generals (Dingjia zhi jiang) and the Eight Scribes (Ba Shi zhi shen) each have their own jiao. If we cling to the notion that "a dedicated jiao means the deity must be honored as Supreme Lord," then should the Dingjia Generals also be elevated to Great Emperors?

Above the stellar realm, the realms of the Nine Clarities (Jiu Qing) and the Ten Ultimates (Shi Ji) are not recorded in the Confucian classics, and the patterns of celestial order are difficult to exhaust. Yet the Sandong Zhengjing (Orthodox Scriptures of the Three Caverns) and the Sifu Zhendian (True Canon of the Four Assistants) describe them in great detail. The Three Qi (Xuan, Yuan, and Shi) condensed into form and became the most exalted among the Three Realms. Below them are Haotian (Vast Heaven), the Northern Pole, and Tianhuang (Heavenly Sovereign), which correspond to the Three Qi above and govern all the heavens as lords of the celestial realm. This is the orthodox account. I now proceed according to my master's transmission, consult the relevant texts, and handle the matter in accordance with proper regulations.

The first grade of memorial is meant to ensure that worldly ceremonial forms are not used in a way that would offend the heavenly realms.

Let me outline the regulations for the zhangzou (formal petitions). In antiquity, prayers and reports to the divine were mostly submitted through the zhangzhang (bai zhang, "presenting a petition"). Today the zhangwen (zhang wen, "petition text") can no longer be used freely, so one sometimes has to use the zoudu (zou du, "memorial tablet"). This is only a continuation of the lingering sense of the zhangwen and is not a proper zhang format. Most people do not understand this form. Some handle matters using only the usual format and do not use it at all, which may also count as proceeding with simplicity.

From this grade onward, for every Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun), Heavenly Emperor (Tiandi), and Heavenly Lord (Tianjun) named in the canonical liturgical texts of the ancient keyi (keyi, "liturgy"), the first-grade zouzhuang (zou zhuang, "memorial document") is used. This format was established after Daoism became an institution in the medieval period, modeled on the memorial forms of the secular world. Secular memorials do not record the sacred seat (shengwei, "sacred position"), because the world has only one sovereign. However, the manifestations and appearances of the Heavenly Venerables and the Supreme Emperors are too numerous to count. Since the petitions now follow only the deities named in scripture and liturgy, and the seats addressed differ, it becomes necessary to write the sacred seat into the memorial.

If a title is not recorded in the canon but is merely a saying circulating in recent folk arts, it does not fall under this rule. For example, there are many claims that calling "Xuanzhong" a Heavenly Venerable, or calling a Heavenly Venerable a Celestial Master (Tianshi) or Heavenly Lord, should not be taken lightly as a basis. If the addressee is not a Heavenly Venerable, Heavenly Emperor, Daojun (Daojun, "Lord of the Dao"), or Yuanjun (Yuanjun, "Lady of the Origin"), the shenzhuang (shen zhuang, "petition document") is used uniformly, and the seat must be the most honored position, such as that of a Supreme True Lord (shang jing zhenjun). For beings of extremely high rank, such as the venerable deities within the Ziwei Enclosure (Ziwei yuan, the region of the celestial sky where the Purple Tenuity stars reside), as well as the Four Sages of the Upper Assistance, the High True Officials of the Heavenly Ministries, the Three Officials and Five Masters, and the sun, moon, and stars, the same procedure as the first-grade memorial applies.

The memorial text refers to the petitioner as "chen" (chen, "minister"), because those who perform the rite may not yet be able to transcend the Three Realms and directly become subjects of the Golden Gate (Jinque, the celestial palace). Even one who attains the Dao and realizes perfection may only receive registers in a cave-heaven, shed the physical form, and ascend into the empty and mysterious realm. Therefore, when facing the assembled True Ones of the higher realms, one should also call oneself "chen," just as a minister of an ancient feudal state addresses the Son of Heaven. If one does not use the memorial form, it is like a vassal who dares not honor his own lord as the Son of Heaven.

Suppose the officiant has high cultivation and profound virtue and reputation, and is truly able to ascend, going directly up to the Nine Clarities (Jiuqing, the highest celestial realms in Daoist cosmology) and serving the Three Realms as a minister. Then, when facing the assembled higher True Ones, he need not call himself "chen," nor follow the ritual rules of a vassal. This depends on each person's own attainment. In my view, the judges of the earthly realm should not presume to place themselves in this grade, yet it cannot be said that no such person exists in the world, so Yunzhong (Yunzhong, the author) does not dare to comment rashly.

As for the use of the biao (biao, "formal memorial")...

In the presence of one's master, using the ritual forms of later ages meant for rulers, and calling one's document a "biao" (a memorial presented to a senior or sovereign to state matters), is not proper according to ritual propriety. One should instead follow the ancient system. In ancient times, memorials submitted to the crown prince were called "jianwen" (letter-paper), and the Wenxuan (Selections of Refined Literature) and other ancient books also record their formats. Therefore, before one's master, "jian" should replace "biao."

If one ignores distinctions of rank, disregards the statutes and formats, and treats the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Jade Emperor (Yudi), the Five Masters (Wushi), the Four Sages (Sisheng), the Three Officials (Sanguan), and the Seven Origins (Qiyuan) as one and the same grade, uniformly using "zouzhuang" (a memorial for reporting affairs upward), then, I fear, ritual reason will not hold together either among humans or in the heavenly realms. Among the various Daoist law manuals, some stipulate "zouzhuang" for the Five Masters and the Seven Origins. This may simply be a momentary oversight from failing to examine the matter carefully, but it should not be allowed to disturb proper ritual order.

I, Yunzhong, am merely a junior. Fortunately, I have received the transforming teaching of the true Dao, yet because my karmic connection is shallow and my burden of wrongdoing is heavy, I have not met a true high master, nor have I studied the teachings and the keyi (liturgical rules), so my understanding is narrow. I do not raise these objections deliberately, nor do I seek to deceive the world and steal a reputation. It is only that ritual reason is at stake, and I truly cannot bear to remain silent while assenting to mistaken and absurd claims.

Before heaven and earth had separated, the great Dao was undivided, bamboo-slip writing had not yet arisen, and there was no way to distinguish names and categories. Since the middle ages, the keyi and statutes have gradually grown richer, and rites were established in response to worldly conditions, so a system of memorials for reporting and stating matters came into being. Once writing has been established, one should act according to the articles of the keyi. Shallow people of later generations sometimes hold that it is enough to follow what the master transmitted, and sometimes that it is enough to handle matters as in the old custom. Yet if confusion is passed down layer by layer, can one still insist that the master's transmission is necessarily correct? If an old custom's format conflicts with ritual reason, can one still copy it unchanged?

Arrogant deceivers further say: "To cultivate the Dao, one need only connect through spirit-intent, and the Dao will respond through the heart; there is no need to be bound by writing." By this reasoning, if one could truly send out one's yuanshen (primal spirit) to wander, meet the Heavenly Emperor, and worship the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerable (Yuanshi Tianzun) in peace, then reporting memorials could be discontinued and biao documents abolished. But as long as affairs have not left the realm of form, and the yuanshen has not yet ascended to the mysterious, empty, and still realm, to boast boldly, cover up faults, and gloss over errors will surely make one fall into a benighted and deluded kind of person.

The format of reporting and memorializing bears on status and names, and must not be treated lightly. In the human world, to treat a minister as a ruler is to throw the realm into disorder. Before high perfected beings, to treat a minister as a ruler is surely to throw the heavenly realms into disorder as well. To throw the realm into disorder is an unpardonable crime; to throw the heavenly realms into disorder, could it instead be without guilt? Heaven and humanity share one principle, and the dark realm corresponds to the human world by the same reason. Even among ordinary people, one should not carelessly break the rules of the heavenly realms, and the order of the heavens likewise must not be disturbed. If one measures the mind by such conduct, how should its guilt be judged? If a person establishes himself and acts on this basis, then as a minister one is disloyal, and as a son one...

The ancient ministers and traitors who monopolized power and sold out the state for personal gain were often the first to be honored, which encouraged the schemes of powerful officials. Such people disregarded facts, disregarded ritual propriety and righteousness, and deceived and flattered with calculated intent. If they behaved this way even in the netherworld, their conduct in the human world can be imagined.

Practitioners who by good fortune received a lu (register, a credential conferring ritual rank and techniques in the Daoist tradition), and who by chance passed down a method for expelling evil, then presented to Heaven scriptures that did not conform to the canonical standards, in order to curry favor. Observe how they conduct their affairs, and one can see what kind of people they are.

Because the rite of submitting memorials to the gods is a highly valued part of the jiaofa keyi (teachings, methods, and liturgy), Yunzhong had to set out the relevant rules in full detail. What Yunzhong says may reach Shangdi (the Lord on High) and may also be declared to the assembled perfected deities and spirits. This is not born of private interest, nor of biased or arbitrary speech, nor of self-righteousness that suppresses others, nor of forming factions to seek reputation. The thousand spirits and myriad numina are arrayed in clear order, and the myriad phenomena of Heaven and Earth stand plainly displayed; all of them will clearly discern Yunzhong's sincere intent.

Format for Memorials to the Upper Realm

The minister of the so-and-so surname, bearing ritual rank, respectfully relies upon the matters reported and considers it necessary to submit the following report for hearing:

Respectfully submitted herewith.

Your Divine Honor, the so-and-so holy spirit, respectfully entreats you, with a sincere and compassionate heart, to grant approval of this petition and to carry it out with favor. Your minister has offended divine majesty and is inwardly fearful and uneasy, and respectfully submits this report.

On such-and-such year, month, and day, the minister of the so-and-so surname, bearing ritual rank, presents this document.

Memorials to the Lower Realm

For the deities of the lower realm, namely the Great Emperor of Fengdu, the Great Emperor of Fusang, the Grand Lords of the Five Marchmounts, the Holy Emperors of the Five Marchmounts, the Divine King of Yanggu, the lords of the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, the Water Emperor of the Nine Rivers, the Lord of Mount Tai, the Six Heavens of the Underworld, the Ten Caverns and Fengdu Palace, as well as any deities who govern a ritual office, have received enfeoffment, and are entered in the formal sacrificial canon, a petition (shenzhuang) should be used. The petition should first state the governing office, the designation, and the date, followed by the title of the addressed deity. Alternatively, the title of the addressed deity may be written directly before the petition.

Format for Memorials to the Middle and Lower Realms

To the Lingbao Great Ritual Office:

This office has ascertained that a matter reported from a certain place must be submitted for hearing as follows:

Respectfully submitted herewith.

Your Divine Honor, the so-and-so holy spirit, respectfully entreats you, through your sacred compassion, to grant approval of this petition and to carry it out with favor. Respectfully submitted herewith.

On such-and-such year, month, and day, the minister of the so-and-so surname, bearing ritual rank, presents this document.

Among the deities of the middle and lower realms ranked lower in position, as well as the Fengdu palace, the various offices of the Springs and Bends, the Nine Provinces altar officers, the City Gods (Chenghuang), the deities listed in the sacrificial canon, Lord Taisui (Taisui Guanjun), the Divine Tiger General (Shenhu jiang)...

Officials who handle official documents should all follow the prescribed document formats, sign with upright and orderly handwriting, and affix their signatures with care, without carelessness or impropriety.

For example, when dealing with the City God (Chenghuang), the protective deity of a prefecture or county, the Dharma rites of the Heart-Mind Methods (Tianxin Zhufa) typically use the formal public dispatch (gongdie). This is because the Dharma Master relieves the multitudes and benefits all beings, so the affairs carried out should be open and solemn. Moreover, the Middle Realm also contains exalted deities such as the Great Emperor of Fengdu (Fengdu Dadi) and the Holy Emperor of the Eastern Peak (Dongyue Shengdi). Since their ranks differ in height, the documents addressed to them must also be distinguished.

In later times, some arrogant practitioners wrote their signatures very large and spoke with disrespect, while some timid ones even submitted petitions (shenzhuang) to the City God. Both excess and deficiency fall short of ritual propriety. Two formats of the dispatch are listed here.

First Dispatch Format:

Dispatch from the Lingbao Great Law Office to the Spirit [Name] above

This Office, based on the matters reported from [place], must issue a document for handling,

and hereby issues this dispatch, requesting that the aforementioned matter be examined and handled as appropriate (omitted below). Respectfully issued.

Dispatched on [year, month, day]

Signed by the Dharma rank, surname, and signature mark

For deities of lower rank in the Middle and Lower Realms, such as those listed in the state sacrificial registry (jisi) but not yet granted a title, the orthodox spirits of mountains and rivers that have not yet received a designation, and the lower-ranking generals and officials of the Dharma rites (fazhong jiangli), or the subordinate branch spirits of the shrines of more venerable deities, the next-lower format is used. This dispatch omits "above" at the beginning and ends only with "thus dispatched" (gudie), indicating a lesser degree of courtesy.

However, even for deities listed in the sacrificial registry who lack a title conferred by the reigning dynasty, if they are ancient sage emperors, worthy kings, loyal ministers, or martyrs who held high status in life and are still worshipped today, a petition (shenzhuang), a document presented upward, should be used rather than the dispatch in every case. For example, there are temples such as the Great Yu Temple in the Yue region, which enshrine ancient sage rulers. How could they be treated with disrespect? The wording should be chosen according to the particular circumstances.

Second Dispatch Format:

Dispatch from the Lingbao Great Law Office to the Spirit [Name]

This Office, based on the matters reported, must issue a document for handling,

and hereby issues this dispatch, requesting that the matter be examined and handled as appropriate (omitted below). Thus dispatched.

Dispatched on [year, month, day]

Signed by the Dharma rank, surname, and signature mark

For deities of lower rank in the Middle and Lower Realms, as well as the generals and officials subordinate to this Office, a tie (tie) may be used. For example, in a Heart-Mind Methods rite, the troops borrowed from a mountain temple belong to this category.

The Three Caverns and Four Supplements (Sandong Sifu), the traditional classification of Daoist scriptures and registers, originally had fixed rank regulations. Today, however, the many Dharma manuals and lineages are numerous and scattered, and the names of the generals and officials have become endlessly varied, with many no longer falling within the system of the Three Caverns and Four Supplements. As for their rank and status, since they do not belong to the orthodox hierarchy of ranks...

The specific use of legal directives should be carefully considered by the person performing the ritual arts.

Tie-style (format for a written notice)

A notice from the Bureau of the Great Lingbao Method, addressed to a deity:

On the basis of the matter reported to us, this Bureau now needs to issue a document to inform you:

The notice reads as follows… This notice is hereby issued.

Issued on the [day] of the [month], [year].

State the ritual rank and surname, and add a signature mark.

The Merit Officer and the bureau’s clerks and soldiers use guan documents (official papers for transmitting matters between offices).

When issuing guan documents or yin documents, never invent the names of Merit Officers; this point must be emphasized repeatedly. At the end of a guan document sent out, do not write phrases such as “If you disobey…”. The ritual judge—the person presiding over the ritual and wielding ritual powers—relies entirely on the Merit Officer to convey documents. Ritual procedures for Zhaijiao (purification rituals) and altar ceremonies, both ancient and modern, place great importance on the Merit Officer. Since the ritual judge cannot ride through the air on Qi, who else could they rely on without a Merit Officer?

Treating the Merit Officer carelessly or disrespectfully, or writing phrases such as “If you disobey…”, violates the altar regulations. If someone really does disobey, how does the ritual judge intend to punish them? It is enough to write something like “Please transmit this promptly; do not delay” after the guan document.

In recent times, some deceitful people and those seeking novelty out of curiosity have relied on their own conjectures to fabricate ritual books, alter ancient writings, and embellish old precedents. Some have taken talismans and incantations from other books, adding, deleting, or inventing material at will, devising new names, making their own seals, and forging heavenly statutes and altar regulations. Their devices are numerous, confusing people and disrupting their judgment. As a result, rules and standards have become lax, and documents have been carelessly and incorrectly written. Some people then show disrespect toward the sacrifices and slight the orthodox deities; they fail to distinguish matters of greater and lesser importance, and handle the exchange of official documents improperly. The resulting problems are too many to count. Those of sound judgment should investigate these rights and wrongs closely.

Guan-style (format for a guan document)

A guan document from the Bureau of the Great Lingbao Method, addressed to a deity:

On the basis of the matter reported to us, this Bureau now needs to issue a guan document:

The foregoing guan document is entrusted to [deity] for implementation. This guan document is hereby issued.

Issued on the [day] of the [month], [year].

State the ritual rank and surname, and add a signature mark.

For household gods of fate and land gods set up in people’s homes—deities of lower rank who can be directly instructed—use a zha document.

The Bureau of the Great Lingbao Method:

On the basis of the matter reported to us, this Bureau now needs to issue an instruction:

The foregoing zha document is entrusted to [deity], who is ordered to examine the circumstances and follow these instructions in particular. This zha document is hereby issued.

Issued on the [day] of the [month], [year].

State the ritual rank and surname, and add a signature mark.

For land gods along the route, as well as for petitions (official reports) sent by the City God temple or submitted by mountain deities, a guan document is not suitable. Instead, use a yin document and entrust it to the land god to pass along.

A yin document from the Bureau of the Great Lingbao Method:

This Bureau now sends a certain document to a certain place and needs to issue an instruction…

Memorials to the local earth lord and the earth gods of various places are to be delivered in turn for handling. Record the year, month, and day, the ritual rank and title, and the name, and affix the signature.

The forms for transmitting guanwen (official notices between offices of equal rank) and shenwen (petitions submitted to superiors) are, in general, like this. In antiquity, Fulu (talismans and registers) and magical arts relied on the scriptures and sacred revelations, while the transmission of documents followed the conventions of secular correspondence. Our teachers handed down these rules, and they have been observed for a long time. One should therefore follow the old canons as closely as possible and not show disrespect or neglect proper form. The wording must weigh gravity and lightness with care, striking the right measure, and the phrasing must not contradict the nature of things. Only then can the netherworld and the human world respond to one another, and sincere devotion may hope to reach upward.

If the ritual ranks do not accord with the old institutions, and the composition is coarse and shallow, or if the names and ranks of the Supreme Perfected (Shangzhen) of Daoism are altered without warrant, or the offices and affiliations of the spirits of the Three Realms are arbitrarily changed, the cause is most likely a fondness for the strange and novel, adopted merely to display cleverness for a moment. For example, calling the palace of the Northern Dipper the "Jade Gate of the Nine Dawns" and the like is an arbitrary honor based on fancy. Likewise, calling the palace of the sun "Yuyi Palace" borrows an alternate name from the scriptures. Many similar cases exist, and all are improper.

The Huanglu Zhai (Yellow Register Retreat), a major Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and Keyi (liturgy) for making manifest the netherworld and aiding the human world, has long been held in high regard. Here I have briefly compiled a set of formats for memorials, petitions, and official tablets, to be used when a Zhaijiao is held. As for the gravity of the rite and the manner of composing the documents, including how much detail to give, the Gaogong (Senior Officiant) who presides over the Zhaijiao should decide according to the circumstances. There is no fixed rule. The various written memorials and tablets used from the advance announcement through the dismissal of the altar are all listed below.

Whenever one is about to receive the Huanglu or submit a petition or memorial of prayer, one should first choose an auspicious day and make an announcement.

Announcement to Haotian Shangdi (Lord on High of the Vast Heavens):

Ritual Officer [Surname] respectfully memorializes:

Your servant has examined the petitions submitted by persons of [prefecture, department, county, and native place], who request that a Huanglu Great Retreat (Wushang Huanglu Dazhai) be established at a certain place. They pray that the state, the altars of soil and grain, and the honored spirits be raised up into the Shenxiao Heaven. They wish that the reigning emperor may live as long as heaven and earth, that the realm may be at peace, and that the people may be tranquil. They further pray that all beings in the Three Paths and Five Ways may be elevated, and that the dead of the Nine Earths and Six Heavens may be delivered and saved.

This gathering of merit is undertaken specifically to honor and liberate the ancestors and deceased relatives of [name], and to pray for the peace of the five marriage kin and six clans. Your servant has received this sincere petition and dares not refuse it. The date has been chosen and the altar will be opened to conduct the Zhaijiao. The detailed matters will be reported separately in a formal document. Here I respectfully present the memorial in advance.

We humbly pray that the Supreme Lord of the Vast Heavens, the Jade Emperor, who opens the heavens, holds the talisman, governs the calendar, and embodies the Dao while containing the True (Taishang Kaitian Zhifu Yuli Hanzhen Tidao Haotian Yuhuang Shangdi), will graciously receive the respectful petition of your servant.

Respectfully petitioning the heavenly court for its compassionate consideration, I ask that the request be granted so that I may carry out this task under the mandate. I also ask that the matter be announced to the responsible offices of the Three Realms, so that they may give it their attention and act accordingly. When the altar is opened and the retreat begun, wherever these documents are delivered, I ask that they be followed as well. I, your servant, have transgressed against the majesty of heaven and am filled with dread and unease. With utmost sincerity, I respectfully submit this memorial.

Dated the day of the month and year, the undersigned servant, holding the rank of Fawei (Ritual Officiant), respectfully presents this memorial.

This memorial is submitted in the form of a yinjin zhuang (introductory memorial) and presented to the Tianshu Yuan (Court of the Celestial Pivot).

The undersigned Fawei officiant:

Now, for the sake of a certain person, a Wushang Huang Lu Da Zhai (Great Retreat of the Supreme Yellow Register), a large-scale Zhaijiao (purification ritual), is being established. According to custom, a memorial must first be presented to the Haotian Jinque (Golden Gate of the August Heaven), the palace where the Celestial Sovereign dwells. Therefore, a formal petition must be submitted.

I respectfully submit this petition to the Tianshu Yuan (Court of the Celestial Pivot) under the Sanqing Men Xia (Gate of the Three Heavens). I humbly request that the Zhuzai Gao Zhen (Exalted Perfected Lord) grant compassion, present the matter to the Celestial Court on my behalf, and permit it to proceed according to custom. I respectfully submit this memorial.

Dated the day of the month and year, the undersigned Fawei officiant respectfully presents this.

Preliminary Memorial to the Ministry

The undersigned Fawei officiant:

In accordance with the matters stated above, a date has been chosen for opening the altar, and I now register and submit a preliminary memorial to the Celestial Court. According to regulations, the Tianque (Celestial Gate) must first be notified, and so I respectfully present this report.

I respectfully submit this petition to the Sanqing Men Xia Taixuan Du Sheng (Ministry of the Great Mystery Capital, under the Gate of the Three Heavens). I humbly request that the Zhuzai Gao Zhen (Exalted Perfected Lord) compassionately present this to the Celestial Court on my behalf and permit me to carry out the work. Please also issue a decree informing the responsible Zhenshi (Perfected Officials) of the Three Realms, so that they may act according to regulation in support of the opening of the altar and the establishment of the retreat. Wherever these documents are delivered, I ask that they be followed. I, your servant, have transgressed against the majesty of heaven and am filled with dread and unease. I respectfully submit this memorial.

Dated the day of the month and year, the undersigned servant, holding the rank of Fawei, respectfully presents this.

Preliminary Memorial to the Tongchu Fu (Palace of Primal Youth)

The undersigned Fawei officiant:

In accordance with the matters stated above, I respectfully submit this petition in accordance with regulations.

I respectfully submit this to the Sanqing Fu Jiao Fu Xuan Da Fa Tianshi Zhengyi Jing Ying Zhenjun (Celestial Master of the Great Dharma, Supporter of the Teaching and Assistant of the Mystery, True Lord of Orthodox Unity, Stillness and Response), the Zhenwu Lingying Yousheng Zhenjun (True Lord Zhenwu, Spiritually Responsive and Protecting the Sage), the Yisheng Chuqing Baode Zhenjun (True Lord Who Assists the Sage, Nurtures Blessings, and Preserves Virtue), the Tianyou Fu Yuanshuai Zhenjun (Deputy Marshal Tianyou, True Lord), and the Tianpeng Du Yuanshuai Zhenjun (Chief Marshal Tianpeng, True Lord). I humbly request that the Zhenjun (True Lords) grant compassion and approve this application, present it to the Celestial Court on my behalf, request a decree, and command the responsible Zhenshi (Perfected Officials) of the Three Realms to act in accordance with regulation. I also ask permission to write and issue talismans and decrees, and to be granted Lingbao guanshu (Lingbao ritual officials). I, your servant, have transgressed against the majesty of the Zhenjun and am filled with dread and unease. I respectfully submit this petition.

Dated the day of the month and year, the undersigned Fawei officiant respectfully presents this.

Preliminary Memorial to the Sanguan (Three Officials) (The scripture here lists only the title and the signature format; the remaining text is not recorded.)

The undersigned Fawei officiant

This is a set of formats for petitions and official notices used in Zhaijiao (Daoist purification and prayer rituals, including rites for the dead). In order, they address the Three Officials, give advance notice to the Five Masters, and notify the local soil deities and City Gods in each prefecture.

The closing section of the petition to the Three Imperial Lords: In accordance with the reasons set out above, a petition must be submitted. It respectfully addresses the Imperial Lord of Water of the Lower Origin, the Imperial Lord of Earth of the Middle Origin, and the Imperial Lord of Heaven of the Upper Origin, collectively known as the Three Origins and respectively governing the deities of the water realm, the underworld, and heaven. It humbly asks that the three Imperial Lords, in their profound compassion, approve this petition and issue special orders to the Nine Offices and 120 Bureaus of the Three Origins—the administrative bodies under their authority—as well as to all relevant places in the Ten Directions and Three Realms, so that they may cooperate as required. It also respectfully asks permission for the petitioner to carry out this undertaking and bring the ritual to a successful completion. The petitioner has presumed upon the Imperial Lords’ dignity and is filled with trepidation; this petition is submitted with due respect.

The petition giving advance notice to the Five Masters: The petitioner, a named official holding a Daoist rank, submits a petition for the same reasons set out above. It respectfully addresses the Perfected Lords who are Masters of Ordination, Registers, and Scriptures of the Lingbao tradition—three revered masters who respectively confer ordination, enter names into registers, and transmit scriptures—as well as the Perfected Lord of Pure Response, Celestial Master of Orthodox Unity, Great Master who Supports the Teachings and Assists the Origin of the Three Heavens—that is, Celestial Master Zhang—and the Great Master of the Mysterious Center, one of the Five Masters. It humbly asks that these revered masters examine the petition with compassion, as Heaven itself would.

The notice notifying the soil deities of the nine prefectures: The Office of the Great Lingbao Rite issues a formal notice to the soil deity of a particular prefecture, specifying the relevant celestial region and prefecture. Based on a petition submitted by a person from a particular place, the Office states that the ritual is being held for a deceased person. The person was born at a specified hour, day, month, and year, and died at a specified place, day, month, and year. A request has now been made to hold a Supreme Lingbao Yellow Register Great Retreat, a large-scale ritual for delivering the dead, for a specified number of days and nights, in order to guide the deceased toward rebirth. The Office cannot decline the request set out in the petition. In addition to recording it and reporting it to the celestial court, the Office must issue this notice. It asks the local soil deity to examine the matter and immediately send notices to the soil deities of all prefectures, informing the famous mountains and great rivers throughout the realm, the City Gods, and the shrines, historic sites, and sacred altars recorded in the sacrificial registers. They are to review and record the sins and blessings of the living, weigh the merits and faults of the deceased, govern souls, and preside over the paths of the underworld. Every place concerned must cooperate as required. All recipients of this document must comply, and are asked to attend the ritual altar, work together, and provide assistance so that the good work may be brought to completion. Upon receiving this notice, act promptly as directed. This notice is hereby issued. The document concludes with the date and the signature of the named official holding the appropriate rank.

The opening of the notice to the local City God: The Office of the Great Lingbao Rite issues a formal notice to the presiding City God of a particular prefecture. For the same reasons set out above, the Office must issue this notice and asks the City God to examine the matter and immediately order the famous mountains, great rivers, and various shrines within its jurisdiction to cooperate in the ritual.

For the sacrificial documents addressed to the City God of a prefecture or county, the closing format is the same as in the preceding text.

A document that informs the gods in advance during a Yellow Register rite, a Daoist purification ritual, may be written roughly as follows. If greater detail is desired, additions may be made separately. When submitting a petition to the gods, one should judge how to proceed according to the circumstances at the time.

In recent times, however, people have often submitted documents to the so-called “Office of the City God of the Whole Realm.” Yet a thorough search of the classics and precedents turns up no basis for this. Even where the Song dynasty established its capital, the City God was known only by the title King Who Protects the Sage of This Prefecture. Now that the court resides in Qiantang, it has merely established a temple to the City God of Lin’an Prefecture and bestowed on him the title King Who Manifestly Upholds the Correct.

“City” means the walls of a prefecture, county, military district, or garrison; “moat” means the defensive ditch outside the walls. The City God oversees the affairs of a particular city and is a deity of a single commandery. To claim now that there is a “City God of the Whole Realm” is untenable: the realm is so vast that no single city and moat could enclose it all. Even the Great Wall built by Qin Shi Huang, extending east from Lintao and north to the Liao River, encircled only the northeastern region. Since no single city and moat were built to enclose the realm as a whole, the title “City God of the Whole Realm” is inappropriate.

The name “City God” arose because, after a city and its fortifications were built, a deity was appointed to oversee them. Where no such city exists, it is difficult to establish a corresponding deity. The court has no temple to a City God of the Whole Realm, and Daoist texts contain no record of one. It is therefore sufficient to submit documents to the Nine Provinces’ Altars and Land Deities, who oversee local altars and matters of the land, and to send official communications within each deity’s jurisdiction.

Recently, some have identified another deity in the underworld whose responsibilities seem similar and taken that deity to be the City God of the Whole Realm. They fail to understand that the term “City God” cannot describe a deity who governs the entire realm as though one city enclosed one moat. If someone insists on following custom and submitting documents to this deity, that is not impossible; but no such deity exists in the underworld, and no such temple exists in the world of the living.

Moreover, the liturgical regulations of the Yellow Register rite are solemn and weighty. The deities who record merit and fault are present as witnesses. From the moment the gods have been informed in advance, not a single talisman or character may be used carelessly. If one does not investigate what is right and wrong, yet openly applies seals, signs documents, and sends out official notices and proclamations, how can one fail to exercise careful scrutiny? If there is sound evidence and this deity truly exists, failing to send documents to them may violate established rites. But if the deity does not exist, and one perpetuates an error and acts falsely merely for appearances, how could one escape punishment in the underworld?

These words are addressed to people who are learned in the ways of antiquity and possess sound judgment. The ignorant and vulgar, who do not seek learning, will surely mock them in private. Scholars should also…

Examine and verify these, and carry them out according to this method.

If the rite is a private one performed for a single person to deliver the dead, use this memorial text when opening the altar.

The officiant of the Fayi (Dharma Rank), your servant, respectfully submits this memorial:

Your servant respectfully relies on the petition of a certain person to deliver, on their behalf, the late so-and-so. The deceased was born on such-and-such a day of such-and-such a month in such-and-such a year, at such-and-such an hour, and died on such-and-such a day of such-and-such a month in such-and-such a year. As of now, some number of days have passed. Where the deceased has ascended or sunk is not yet known. The family, sincere in their intent and earnest in their wish, have established the Wushang Huanglu Dazhai (Great Retreat of the Supreme Yellow Register) and will hold it for a certain number of days and nights. They pray that it will report upward on behalf of the state, bestow blessings broadly upon the world, and deliver the living beings of the Five Paths and Three Evil Destinies (wutao santu). They also pray for the peace of the Nine Provinces and the Four Seas, and that the accumulated merit of this rite be devoted specifically to lifting up the deceased so-and-so, freeing them from birth and death and granting them deliverance.

Your servant, in accordance with the petition, earnestly and devoutly does not dare to refuse. Apart from the days already chosen, the altar already set up, and the rites already performed in sequence, your servant has first copied out this statement and respectfully submits it (remainder omitted).

This memorial is to be forwarded in due time, level by level, through the Upper Realm Gongcao (Merit Officer, a celestial clerk who conveys documents and handles affairs in the heavens) and the Duty Overseers and other responsible officials.

Shangqing Lingbao Dafa (Great Methods of the Shangqing Lingbao), Volume 27