《上清靈寶大法(二)》Vol. 27

Opening and Colophon: This is the opening section of Volume Twenty-Eight of the Shangqing Lingbao Dafa (Great Methods of Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity). It concerns the formats and contents of the memorials, petitions, and dispatches that the officiating master submits to the gods and the various offices before the Huanglu Dazhai (Great Retreat of the Yellow Register) is established. The volume is attributed to the Dongxuan Lingbao Fashi (Ritual Master of the Cavern of Mystery Numinous Treasure) and the Nancao Zhifa Diǎnzhě (Director of Records and Statutes of the Southern Office), a ritual officer who manages liturgical documents and enforces ritual discipline.

The Second Memorial: Memorials were addressed in turn to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Supreme Deities of Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing. They were then sent to Haotian (the August Heaven Jade Emperor), Beiji (the Great Emperor Ziwei of the Northern Pole), Tianhuang (the Great Emperor Gouchen of the Gouchen Constellation), Diji (the Earth Deity), and Dongji (the Great Emperor Qinghua of the Eastern Pole). Next, formal reports were sent to the Tianshu Yuan (Office of the Celestial Pivot), the Yinjin (Office of Introduction), the Tiansheng (Office of Heavenly Inspection), the Xuanshi (Mysterious Masters), and the Three Officials (Heaven, Earth, and Water), as well as the Three Masters, the Five Offices, the Underworld Office, the Water Office, and the Eastern Peak. Finally, dispatches notified the Community Lords of the Nine Provinces, the City God of the local commandery, and the officers serving in the rite.

The Substance of the Memorial to Yuqing: The undersigned Dharma-position disciple (name) states: For a long time I have held an unworthy post among the spiritual offices of the Daoist community, and I have no particular merit to my name. Since my duty is to promote the Dao, I ought to aid the age, and so I presume to present my earthly sincerity, which I now send up to the heavenly court. Following the petition submitted by (names), I have received their request to establish a Huanglu Dazhai, a great rite for delivering the souls of the dead and rescuing them from the netherworld, for the sake of securing peace for the nation and for their households. Its aim is to deliver the dead from the underworld and to aid the living. Their request is earnest and sincere, and I dared not refuse it. I have already reported it to the heavenly court on a prior date (month and day).

Moreover, the liturgy of the Huanglu rite is exceedingly solemn. I am small in body and dull in capacity. I do not understand the seasons and their order, yet I have mistakenly been assigned the duty of presiding over this rite. I fear that demonic obstacles may not be removed, so that neither the living nor the dead will receive salvation. This rite is meant to deliver the dead on a broad scale, so the responsibility is truly heavy. If I do not first memorialize and request that the instructions be issued, I fear the gates of the netherworld will remain blocked. For this reason, I must record this petition and submit it.

The Request: I humbly beseech the compassion of the Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi Tianzun, the Primordial Lord of Vacuous Nature, to pardon the grave transgressions I have accumulated over many lifetimes and in this one, so that the rite may proceed without demonic obstruction and may be carried out smoothly. I further request that the matter be transmitted to the Taixuan Capital Office, that my application be examined, and that a reply be issued with all speed. I have offended the majesty of the Dao, and I wait in fear and trembling for judgment. I respectfully submit this petition.

Dating and Addressees: The document is dated with the year, month, and day of the Grand Duke (Taisui), and it is presented by the undersigned Dharma-position disciple (name). In order of precedence, the addressees are: Shangqing Taishang Daojun (the Supreme Lord of the Dao of the Highest Clarity, also known as the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable of the Dongxuan Cavern); Taiqing Taishang Laojun (the Supreme Lord Lao of the Greatest Clarity, also known as the Dao-and-Virtue Heavenly Venerable of the Dongshen Cavern); Haotian Yuhuang Shangdi (the August Heaven Jade Emperor Supreme Lord); Zhongtian Ziwei Beiji Dadi (the Great Emperor Ziwei of the Northern Pole in the Central Heaven); and Gouchen Xingong Tianhuang Dadi (the Great Emperor Gouchen of the Gouchen Constellation Palace). After these, the petition to the single Earth Deity follows.

Chengtian Xiaofa Houde Guangda Houtu Huangdi Qi (the August Earth Spirit who receives the Mandate of Heaven, models herself on the earth, and extends universal salvation through her deep and abundant virtue; the text marks a lacuna here, indicating a missing passage).

The Deliverance Master (Dushi) says: "For memorials addressed to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Jade Emperor (Yudi), one may use the 'Memorial of Introduction' (yinjin zhuang). If it is the Northern Polar Celestial Emperor, then..."

The Celestial Emperor belongs to the realm of the stars, while Houtu, who accords with the Way of Heaven and presides over the earth, belongs to the terrestrial realm. These three categories of memorials should not be sent to the Gate of the Three Heavens. This was also Mr. Jin's momentary oversight, as he did not examine the matter thoroughly.

All seven of the above memorials use the same format. They should be submitted through the "Memorial of Introduction" to the Tianshu Court (Court of the Celestial Pivot). The character zi may be omitted from the memorial. When signing the seat of rank, the letter-case (fanghan, the wrapper enclosing the memorial) must be marked in yellow and inscribed: "Memorial submitted to the Court of the Celestial Pivot at the Gate of the Three Heavens for presentation."

Memorial to be announced to the Eastern Polar Azure Palace:

From the ritual officer (Fawei) minister surnamed X, respectfully memorialized:

The contents of my memorial are the same as the Jade Clarity memorial, which I respectfully transcribe as follows:

Reverently I beg Your Majesty, the Taiyi Jiuku Heavenly Venerable of the Eastern Polar Azure Palace (the august deity who dwells in the Azure Palace of the East Pole and delivers beings from suffering), to bestow your Dao compassion, to pity and receive this memorial, to make a great vow and broadly spread the light of mercy, illuminating the Three Realms and the ten directions. May all the darkness and gloom in the celestial prisons, the hells, the yin realms, and the netherworld bureaus be fully opened and illuminated. I further request that you dispatch flying celestial spirits to first order the lords of the netherworld to swiftly conclude the case records of all souls detained and awaiting hearing, and to release them.

I also request that the beings who should be delivered be sent to the retreat altar, and that the wandering and flying spirits scattered between heaven and earth throughout the nine regions, along with all souls without masters or kin dwelling in the Five Paths and Three Evil Destinies, be ordered gathered in every place to await together. On the day the Nine Dragon Talismanic Decree (decrees bearing the Nine Dragon mark) arrives, they shall be sent to the altar to receive the grace of the Dao teachings.

Your minister has offended the majesty of the Dao, is overwhelmed with fear, awaits punishment, and respectfully memorializes this.

Letter-case:

(Memorial respectfully submitted to the Eastern Polar Azure Palace)

From the ritual officer (Fawei) minister surnamed X, respectfully sealed.

Again I report to the Heavenly Office:

From the ritual officer (Fawei) minister surnamed X, respectfully memorialized:

Your minister is of mediocre endowment, yet has received the transforming teaching of the Great Dao. Unable to clearly understand the seasonal conditions and the order of ranks, I am day and night fearful, not knowing how best to exert myself in service. I vow to strive to deliver all beings, even if only to slightly repay the grace I have received. Recently, in accordance with the relevant decrees and in response to the earnest petitions of many people, I dared not withhold a reply. I have therefore reverently followed the statutes, selected a date to hold the ritual, and announced it in advance on a certain day of a certain month.

Furthermore, the Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhai, a retreat rite used by Daoists to deliver the dead and pray for blessings and relief from calamity) has extremely solemn regulations. Yet your minister is merely a common person of shallow learning, and I fear that to shoulder so heavy a charge is beyond my strength. I also intend to prepare the relevant fulu (talismans and registers) and to hand over the various talisman affairs in advance to the appropriate offices...

Having judged the case of the guilty soul (the transgressions borne by the deceased) and dispatched it on schedule, how could the soul be sent on its way early if the decree is not carried out? For this reason, the petition must be submitted again in writing.

Respectfully submitted:

Before the throne of the Lofty Perfected, Lord of the Provincial Office of the Great Mysterious Capital under the Gate of the Three Heavens (Santian), we humbly beseech You, in Your compassion, to memorialize Heaven on this matter and request an imperial decree to be issued to the heavenly prisons, the hells, and the Yin bureaus of the Underworld in all three realms and ten directions. We ask that the responsible officials be ordered to immediately complete the trials of the various guilty souls now held and receiving rites of deliverance, and that those among them who should be released be promptly transferred to the ritual altar (zhaitan).

For the lone spirits throughout the Nine Prefectures, and those in the Five Roads and the Three Paths, we also ask that the gods responsible for them, including the City God officials, the Earth Altar officers, and the neighborhood spirits, be ordered to gather them and await the performance of the rites of deliverance. Your servant has offended Your sacred majesty and is anxious and afraid, and respectfully presents this memorial.

We submit the petition once more to the Five Offices:

The Dharma-position minister, [name to be filled in], respectfully submits:

Your servant's virtue and ability are shallow, and having received ... (here the wording is the same as in the petition presented to the Provincial Office).

Respectfully submitted:

To the Great Dharma Master of the Three Heavens who Upholds the Teaching and Assists the Primordial, to the Perfected Lord of Spiritual Response and Protection of the True Warrior, to the Perfected Lord who Aids the Sage and Preserves Virtue, to the Vice-Marshal of the Celestial Dao, and to the Chief Marshal of the Heavenly Ridge, the Perfected Lord (all these petitions follow the same format as the one presented to the Provincial Office).

We submit a petition to the Great Dharma Master of the Mysterious Center.

We submit petitions to the Perfected Lords who are Masters of Lingbao Deliverance, Lingbao Registers, and Lingbao Scriptures.

We submit petitions to the Lord Emperors of the Lower Primordial Water Office, the Middle Primordial Earth Office, and the Upper Primordial Heavenly Office.

These three petitions are all written in the format presented to the Heavenly Provincial Office.

We submit once more to the Earth Office (Difu):

The Lingbao Great Dharma Bureau, having received the directive, judges that this matter cannot be set aside. Apart from recording it and reporting it to Heaven, to await an imperial decree for its execution, we, in accordance with the Yellow Register Statutes (the rules governing the Daoist rites of zhaijiao for the dead), note that this matter concerns both the netherworld and the human world and should therefore be widely carried out as deliverance, to accomplish merit. For this reason, we must record and submit this written petition.

Respectfully submitted:

Before the throne of the Great Emperor of the Northern Yin Fengdu, we humbly beseech Your sacred compassion to issue orders to the six heavens, the ten caverns, the five sacred peaks, the nine netherworlds, the Springs and Bends, the Gates of the Underworld, the Yellow Springs prison, and the relevant offices of the forty-two bureaus of the Central Primordial Earth Office, commanding their subordinate officials to immediately examine and verify the testimony of the guilty souls now under interrogation.

To settle and relieve the deceased multitudes who are due for deliverance, and the wandering spirits of the dead throughout the Nine Provinces:

All beings within the Five Paths and the Three Passages, and the myriad kinds born from the womb, from eggs, from moisture, or by transformation, whether or not they have living kin, including all who died in the past or have already transformed, and all lonely ghosts with no one to depend on, are to be gathered and escorted here by the City Gods, Local Earth Officers (shelling), and District Overseers of each place. They shall receive the heavenly grace, in keeping with the Supreme Thearch's virtue in giving life and nurturing all things. This is respectfully reported.

Dated the day of a month in the year of Taisui, submitted by a person of the stated ritual rank and surname.

We further notify the Waterworks:

To the Lingbao Great Office of the Law:

This Office, relying on the matters stated above (the content is the same as the document sent to the Underworld), hereby submits this register for record.

We respectfully report to the Water Palace, Emperor Fusang Dongxia, and earnestly request that the Emperor extend his compassion and specially order the Nine Rivers, the Four Great Rivers, the Eight Seas, the Five Lakes, and the waterways, together with the Dragon Court of the Water Realm, the sources of streams, deep pools and caves, abysmal waters, the Waterprisons, the Three Offices of the Lower Primordial, and the Forty-Two Bureaus under their jurisdiction, to carry out the relevant duties. (The specific matters are the same as in the Underworld document.)

We further report to the Eastern Peak:

To the Lingbao Great Office of the Law:

This Office, relying on the matters stated above (the content is the same as the document sent to the Underworld), hereby submits this register for record.

We respectfully report to Dongyue Tiantai Rensheng Emperor (the closing content is the same as in the Underworld document).

Circular to the Local Earth Officer:

The Lingbao Great Office of the Law sends this notice to the Local Earth Officer of a certain prefecture:

This Office has received your document and considers the matters presented to be sincere and proper, and therefore to be carried out. Apart from having already registered and memorialized the matter to the Celestial Court in due order, this Office holds that, since the purification rites (zhai fa) must be solemn and the liturgy (keyi) must be carried out with proper regulation, the matter should be announced throughout the Three Realms and handled according to the established rules. We therefore issue this circular.

You are to examine this matter carefully and immediately forward notice to all City Gods and divine officers who govern local affairs across the land. This includes the custodians of ancient sites and numinous graves, the Underworld offices of the altars of soil and grain, the spirit halls of the netherworld, the water sources beyond the city, the roads, villages, valleys, and forests, and the other regions under their care. Order the officials under them to swiftly examine the evidence, conclude the case files, and grant relief to the spirits of the dead who linger in the dark realm, are detained in the districts, and still await review and verification, and who have not yet been released from their offenses.

At the same time, all beings who are due for deliverance, the wandering spirits roaming the fields, and the lonely ghosts and unanchored souls of the Five Paths, the Three Passages, and the myriad beings of the Four Births shall, upon receipt of this document, be gathered together and forwarded in turn to receive the merit of the rite, and be delivered at the appointed times. When the work is complete, report to the Court, and record merit according to the regulations.

This circular is respectfully issued.

Dated the day of a month in the year of Taisui.

Dispatch to the City God of this commandery (the tutelary deity who guards this commandery):

A dispatch from the Lingbao Great Dharma Office (Lingbao Dafa Si) to the presiding official of the City God of a certain prefecture.

This Office, relying on [matters handled, format as in the preceding document], respectfully requests that you carefully examine the circumstances and their origins, and promptly instruct the counties, towns, villages, markets, mountains and forests, streams and valleys, ancient sites, numinous altars, soil-and-grain altars, and other places within your jurisdiction that should take part in the offerings to act [as in the preceding text].

Dispatch to the official of the Lingbao Tongchu Palace (Tongchu Fu):

A dispatch from the Lingbao Great Dharma Office submitted to the Lingbao official of the Tongchu Palace.

This Office, relying on [matters handled, the same as in the Earth Commander's dispatch], respectfully requests that you carefully examine the circumstances and their origins. In accordance with the liturgical regulations of the Scripture of the Numinous Treasure of the Cavern of Mystery (Dongxuan Lingbao Jing), you shall immediately lead your clerks and soldiers to the retreat altar, station there, carry out the commands of Heaven, distribute talismans and registers (fulu), arrest demons and spirits, summon the hun and po souls, copy memorials, and submit petitions. Your reach extends through the Three Realms (the heavens, the earth, and the waters), upward to the Nine Empyreans and downward to the netherworld, the Water Palace, and the dark regions of the underworld. Wherever these documents arrive, responses should follow according to what is felt. The aim is to bring the retreat to a complete conclusion, with merit reported according to law.

We respectfully issue this dispatch.

The above documents are to be handled as follows. If the report goes to the Upper Realm (the heavens), it must be relayed to the Duty Talisman Deity (Zhifu) and the Daily Duty Officer of the Upper Realm. If a petition is sent to the netherworld or to the Mountain Palaces, it must be relayed to the Merit Officer of the Middle Realm, and the local deities of the district are to be informed as well. If a written petition is sent to the Water Palace, it is forwarded step by step through the Zhifu of the Lower Realm.

This, in broad outline, is the procedure for re-reporting in the Yellow Register Retreat (Huangli Zhai), a Daoist retreat ritual. If one is to report the retreat to the Celestial Court, it is enough to memorialize the Upper Realm, with no need to report again to the Middle or Lower Realms. If the retreat date is still distant, the report may be repeated up to three more times after the initial notice.

Here the third memorial document is drafted for use when needed. If the retreat date is near and has already been fixed, there is no need to use the re-reporting documents described above. After the preliminary report, one may issue the third memorial document directly as the re-report. The details must be weighed according to the gravity of the matter and the nearness of the retreat so that the choice is fitting. Piling up documents merely for appearance, in excessive profusion, only wastes effort. Those of discernment should choose the method that suits the occasion.

Third Memorial:

Memorial to the Jade Clarity, Upper Clarity, and Grand Clarity Heavens, the Heavenly Emperor of the Northern Pole of the Vast Heaven, Houtu, and Dongji:

Report to the Tianshu Bureau of Heavenly Pivot, the Taixuan Capital Ministry, the Tongchu Five Palaces, the Xuanshi, the Three Masters, and the Three Officials:

Dispatch to the Officials and Commanders:

The three memorials addressed to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) share the same format.

Holder of the Dharma Position, your minister, surnamed [X].

This document presents a memorial petition for the Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhai), a major Daoist ritual for the salvation of deceased souls. The officiating priest, adopting the humble stance of a subject, reports the ritual arrangements to the deities. It describes how a devotee, grieving the loss of a family member, has requested the performance of the "Supreme Numinous Treasure Yellow Register Grand Retreat," a multi-day ceremony spanning several days and nights.

The ritual primarily involves: erecting an altar and employing various Daoist talismans (fulu) imbued with spiritual power, including nine specific charms designed for soul salvation—such as the Primordial Decree of Commands, Golden Register White Slips, Longevity Numinous Talisman, and True Talisman for Deliverance from Suffering. These talismans are to be dispatched to the hells and netherworlds across the Ten Directions and Three Realms (the Daoist cosmological framework encompassing the entire universe). Their purpose is to absolve the souls suffering in the Three Paths and Five Ways (different tormented states in the underworld), particularly the deceased and their ancestors spanning nine generations of paternal and seven generations of maternal lineage (jiuxuan qizu).

The priest petitions four supreme deities: the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the highest Daoist divinity), the Jade Emperor of the Vast Heaven (Yuhuang Shangdi), the Great Emperor of Eastern Salvation (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun), and the Great Emperor of the Northern Dipper (Ziwei Dadi). The petitions seek permission to utilize the aforementioned talismans, commanding the various hells to release the souls so they may attend the ritual altar to receive deliverance.

Phrases such as "daring to impose upon celestial majesty" (ganmao tianwei) and "trembling in fearful anticipation of judgment" (zhanli daizui) recur throughout—standard expressions of reverence in Daoist memorials to convey deference toward the divine. The document concludes with the signature of the presiding high priest (gaogong fashi), marked as "Your servant of such-and-such ritual rank, [Surname]."

Your servant, So-and-so, who holds ritual office:

Your servant has already submitted the earlier memorial and now respectfully copies out the petition once more for presentation.

Humbly petitioning beneath the jade steps of the Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (Taiyi Lord of Salvation from Suffering, the deity who presides over the deliverance of the dead) of the Eastern Ultimate Azure Palace, we beg that in compassion he grant what your servant has memorialized, and specially command the Flying Celestial Spirits to issue the Nine Dragon Talismanic Mandate (the Nine Dragon Fulu and imperial decree), to be carried to the infernal passes of the ten directions and the three realms.

Third memorial of petition to the Bureau of the Celestial Pivot: the letter of introduction, in the same format as before, following the form of the first submission.

Third memorial of petition to the Taixuan Capital Office.

Your servant, So-and-so, who holds ritual office:

Your servant is of mediocre capacity. Though graced by the transforming favor of the Great Dao, I have yet to comprehend the principles of the changing cycles of fate, and I presume to stand among the ranks of the immortals, fearful and cautious day and night, not knowing how to repay this favor. I vow to diligently carry out acts of salvation, so that I may perhaps repay in some small measure the kindness I have received.

Your servant previously received a petition from a certain person of a certain village and district, stating that a certain relative of theirs was born on such-and-such year, month, day, and hour, and died on such-and-such year, month, day, and hour. The petitioner requested that a Huanglu Dazhai (Yellow Register Grand Retreat), a large-scale Daoist Zhaijiao (purification and offering ceremony), be held. The petition prays for national peace and a prosperous age, for the deliverance of souls in the netherworld and the aid of beings in the visible realm, and for the accumulation of abundant merit, which is to be dedicated to the salvation of the aforementioned deceased.

Your servant has, in accordance with the Fa lineage, set up an altar and arranged the space at a certain location, displaying the divine images and laying out the ritual implements. Beginning on a certain day, the altar will be opened through the night to summon the wandering souls. From dawn on a certain day, for three consecutive days, nine rounds of ritual will be performed, including audiences with the Perfected, penitential confession, incense offerings, and recitation of scriptures. Unobstructed offerings of food will be widely distributed to the wandering souls, universally delivering the ten categories of lost souls while specially dedicating salvation to the aforementioned deceased. Your servant further requests that the Refining of Qi (Lianqi Liandu) and the transmission of talismans and precepts be performed on behalf of the deceased, that they may be enabled to pass into a new life. On a certain day, a Clear Offering for the High Perfected of the Three Realms will be held, with rites performed at the three hundred and sixty stations, in order to make manifest the heavenly grace.

As the ritual draws near, your servant intends to proclaim and enact the Yuanshi Talismanic Mandate, the Golden Register and White Tablet, the Talisman of Long Life, the True Talisman of Deliverance from Suffering, the True Talisman for Escape from Birth and Death, the Nine Dragon Talismanic Mandate of the Eastern Ultimate Azure Palace, the Treasure Register of Pardon and Ascent to Heaven by Supreme Imperial Decree, the Original Methods of the Lingbao Yuanshi Talismanic Mandate, together with the various grades of spirit talismans and the Hunyuan Divine Tiger Jade Tablets. These are to be dispatched throughout the ten directions, the three realms, and the infernal offices of the netherworld, to pardon the deceased, their nine generations of ancestors and seven forebears, and the deceased kinsmen, as well as the souls lingering in the netherworld across the four seas, nine provinces, the three evil paths, the five destinies, and the ten categories of the four modes of birth. Thus released from the underworld, they shall together come to the altar for the rite. For this reason, your servant again respectfully submits this memorial.

The foregoing has been respectfully reported.

Respectfully submitted in writing to the Exalted Lord-Perfected presiding over the Taixuan Capital Office, under the Gate of the Three Heavens, for your gracious consideration.

With utmost sincerity and a compassionate heart, I once again respectfully memorialize the Heavenly Court on this matter. I humbly request that a sacred decree be issued throughout the Three Realms, and that the officials who record the dead in the Yin Bureau of the netherworld be instructed as follows: wherever this affair touches on a domain under their jurisdiction, they are to carry out their proper duties, open the locks and gates, and pardon and absolve the souls of the dead who bear offenses.

I further beseech that corresponding generals and officers be dispatched from the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen), the Four Assistants, and the canonical scriptures and fulu (talismans and registers) system, along with the methods they contain. I also request that the Lingbao officials, the Divine Tiger spirit-soldiers who pursue souls and seize spirits, and the pursuing generals and officers of the various methods I perform receive the same command. I again request that the Flying Divine Spirits and Immortals of the Ten Directions, the postal officials of the Mysterious Capital Golden Dragon Relay and the Jiaolong Relay, the Guardians of the Three Realms and Four Quarters, the Messengers who transmit memorials and the Talisman Guardians, the Officers of Merit, the Jade Youths and Jade Maidens, the Supervisors of the Fast, and the perfected spirits of a thousand chariots and ten thousand horsemen be placed under my direction within the office. They are to issue orders and proclaim talismanic decrees, summon the dead and gather their souls, convey the divine will and carry up sincere hearts, and guard the altar of the fast, so that this petition may be answered and blessings may reach both the hidden realm and the human world. I have offended the majesty of the gods, and I am overcome with trepidation. I respectfully submit this statement.

Third Memorial to the Five Offices

I, [Name], holding the rank of Dharma position, respectfully submit this statement based on the foregoing matter. The details are as stated earlier, and the composition follows the abbreviated memorial format.

The above is respectfully submitted to the honored deities, the Celestial Master (Tianshi), Zhenwu, Yisheng, Tianyou, and Tianpeng. The wording is the same as the abbreviated memorial.

Third Memorial to the Mysterious Master

I, [Name], holding the rank of Dharma position, respectfully submit this statement based on the foregoing matter. The details are as stated earlier, and the composition follows the abbreviated memorial format.

The above is respectfully submitted to the Great Dharma Master of the Mysterious Center. I humbly request the Master's compassionate regard. The wording is the same as the abbreviated memorial.

Third Memorial to the Three Masters

I have observed that in the rites of the Yellow Register Retreat (huanglu zhai, a ritual for delivering the dead), many deities are commanded, and any error or omission would not escape punishment. A junior disciple like me, who dwells in the dust of the world, has shallow learning and was born in a degenerate age. Without relying on the grace of my teachers, I cannot make this petition reach the heavens and receive a response. I have previously stated this matter, as detailed earlier, and now I must once more submit it in writing.

The above is respectfully submitted to the Perfected Lords Lingbao Dujun, Lingbao Ji, and Lingbao Jing. I humbly request the Masters' compassionate regard. The wording is the same as the earlier memorial.

Third Memorial to the Three Officials

I, [Name], holding the rank of Dharma position, had shallow karmic connections in my early years, yet for a long time I received the protection of true masters. Presumptuously, I took on the office of the registers and was assigned to a department devoted to the salvation of all beings. At the outset I made a vow and a covenant, and if I now fall short, I deserve to be punished. Therefore I again state my intent and humbly beg the numinous ones for compassion. I have previously presented this matter, praying that the dead may ascend to the realm of the Dao, beyond the cycle of rebirth…

On the basis of the reasons and procedures set forth in the document, I, respectfully leading the Dharma assembly that has observed the fast together, have established an altar and arranged the sacred images in a certain place. We have prepared the offerings and set out the ritual, chosen a night for opening the altar, and will complete the fast and all related rites by a certain day. Apart from the separate memorials already submitted to the Heavenly Court and the talismanic mandates already issued for delivering the deceased souls, summoning and seizing them, and carrying out the rites, I now record the relevant circumstances and report them.

Respectfully submitted to:

The Three Officials, the Sovereign of the Lower Primordial Water Official, the Sovereign of the Middle Primordial Earth Official, and the Sovereign of the Upper Primordial Heavenly Official (the Three Officials of Daoism, who govern respectively water, earth, and heaven).

I humbly request that you, in your compassion, grant this petition and specially order the bureaus under your authority in the ten directions, the three realms, the Three Primordials and Nine Palaces, the twenty-seven offices, and the one hundred and twenty departments to respond to the mandates in accordance with the regulations. Wherever the mandates arrive, may the spirits of the dead be immediately seized and their detention and interrogation be swiftly lifted, so that they are no longer held back. May they heed the summons and proceed to the altar to receive the rites of purification and deliverance.

At the same time, I humbly ask that you pardon me and my fellow Dharma assembly for the many transgressions we have committed from former lives up to the present one, so that we may carry out the rites without obstruction from demonic hindrances, and so that our good karmic connections may be fulfilled, and both the netherworld and the human world may receive grace. This is truly a gift that delivers the dead and benefits the living. I presume to bring these matters before your divine majesty, and I tremble with dread as I respectfully submit this report.

Third Dispatch: Notification to the Officers and Generals

A dispatch from the Great Law Office of Lingbao, submitted to the Senior Lingbao Officials and the Five Offices of Tongchu Officers and Generals (the divine clerks and officers who receive dispatches and are dispatched under the Lingbao liturgy).

Based on the matters set forth above, this Office has already recorded the document and submitted it to the Heavenly Court, requesting the issuance of the mandates. Now, as the day of the fast draws near, it is necessary to swiftly gather all the homeless ghosts and wandering spirits throughout the world, as well as the soul of a certain deceased person who has been held back for deliverance, so that they may proceed to the altar on time and await disposition. For this reason, this dispatch is issued.

Please verify and carry out the earlier petitions and directives, and then notify the officials, lords, and generals under the jurisdiction of the Three Caverns and the Four Supplementary Scriptures and Registers (Sandong Sifu Jinglu), so that they may carry out the summoning, refining and delivering of souls, transmitting of mandates, and submitting of memorials. Also inform the spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Great Rivers (the systems of spirits of the five famous mountains and the waters of the four directions) in the ten directions and three realms, who are responsible for supervising the fast and for attending to duties. They are to deploy the divine troops and spirits, transport divine breath, guard each office, deliver documents, and protect the ritual. They must also relay mandates, proclaim orders, present petitions, copy out memorials, seize the dead, summon their souls, and ensure that the netherworld and the human world are informed and cooperate.

Once the fast and purification rites are complete, the merit achieved must be reported and recorded in a memorial to the Heavenly Court. Upon receipt of this dispatch, please carry it out immediately in accordance with the order.

Respectfully issued as a dispatch.

Reverently I look up to the Three Clarities Heavenly Venerable, whose honorific title is "Dongzhen Yuanshi Tianzun of Void-Nonbeing and Natural Spontaneity" (Xuwu Ziran Dongzhen Yuanshi Tianzun), the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

The three Venerable Lords revered in Daoism are the Highest Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun, also called the Heavenly Venerable of Dongxuan Lingbao), the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun, also called the Heavenly Venerable of Dongshen Daode), and the Heavenly Venerable who represents the teachings of Dongzhen. The "Three Qi" (sanqi) are the three primordial vital energies that make up the Great Dao. The Great Dao has no name in its original state. Only when the three qi gather and take form does it appear as a "Heavenly Venerable" (tianzun), and this designation is adopted reluctantly, out of necessity.

The titles "Highest Lord of the Dao" and "Most High Lord Lao" appear in ancient scriptures. Daoist teachings fall into three categories, the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), so the names of the three Venerables largely stop there. The more recent Tianxin Zhengfa (Correct Method of the Heavenly Heart) names the Jade Clarity Supreme Emperor, the Highest Clarity Great Emperor, and the Great Clarity Great Emperor. It borrows the secular custom of honoring rulers and uses the word "emperor" (di) to express sovereign authority. Beyond these, invented titles or deliberately novel names risk appearing disrespectful.

Deities Addressed in the Memorials, Petitions, and Notices of the Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhai)

A "memorial" (zou) is a document presented to a supreme deity, a "petition" (shen) is a report submitted to the relevant divine offices, and a "notice" (die) is a written order sent out. The Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhai) is a Daoist offering of purification (zhaijiao) performed to deliver the dead, pray for blessings, and avert misfortune. The following lists the beings addressed by the ritual documents.

The memorials are addressed to the Jade Clarity, Highest Clarity, and Great Clarity heavens; the Lord of Vast Heaven (Haotian Shangdi); the Northern Pole Heavenly Sovereign (Beiji Tianhuang); the Empress of Earth (Houtu); the Eastern Pole; the Southern Pole; Mu Gong, the Father of Wood; Jin Mu, the Mother of Metal; the Supreme Emperor of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Shangdi); the Supreme Emperors of the Thirty-Two Heavens; and the Five Elder Celestial Lords.

The petitions are addressed to the Master Office (Shizhi), the Supplementary Office (Buzhi), the Tongchu Mansion (Tongchu Fu), the Unified Office for Prayers for Clear Weather (Qiqing Huayi), and the Heavenly Bureau (Tiansheng). They are also addressed to the Northern Dipper, the Sun Palace, the Moon Mansion, the Lady of the Nine Emperors (Jiuhuang Furen), the Five Planets, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Southern Dipper, the Xuanshi, and the Five Mansions of Tongchu. Other recipients include Immortal Ge (Ge Xianweng), Perfected Xu (Xu Zhenjun), the Heavenly Officials, the Earthly Officials, the Five Emperors who supervise the retreat, the Investigating Envoys, the Two Perfected Ones of Great Compassion who rescue from suffering, the Director of Fate of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Siming), the Horse Marshal of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Sima), the Demon Kings of the Three Realms, the Yellow Register Court, the Upper Palace of Nanchang, the Three Primes Generals, the Tianshu Court, the Guiding Officials, and the Great Demon Kings of the Five Emperors.

The notices are addressed to the spirit kings and the officers and clerks under their command. The memorials, petitions, and notices described above must also be reported to the Upper Realm's Gongcao (the spirit clerks who handle the routine transmission of documents), to the Daily Officials and the Hourly Officials (the spirit clerks on duty for the day and the hour), and to the relevant administering deities.

The documents further involve the infernal and local divine realms, including Fengdu, the Chancellor of the Eastern Peak, the Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Mansion of Mount Tai, the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, the Jingzhi, and the Nine Ramparts. They also list the palaces Zhujuevin Tiangong, Taisha Liangshi Zongtian Gong, Mingchen Naifan Wucheng Tiangong, Tiansheng Zuiqi Tiangong, Zongling Qifei Tiangong, and Gansi Lianwan Lü Tiangong, along with the perfected lords Taisu Miaoguang Zhenjun, Yinde Dingxiu Zhenjun, Dongming PuJing Zhenjun, Xuande Wuling Zhenjun, Zuisheng Yaoming Zhenjun, Baosu Zhaocheng Zhenjun, and Shenbian Wanling Zhenjun.

The above deities, including the Perfected Lord of Unsurpassed Correct Measure (Wushang Zhengdu Zhenjun), the Perfected Lord Feimo Yanqing, the Perfected Lord of the Five Transformations and Awe-Inspiring Numen, the Upright Director of the High and Bright Office of Fengdu, the Perfected Lords of the Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern Bright Offices of Fengdu, the Northern Dipper of the Ghostly Officials, the Great Chen Officials of Prohibition, the Middle Chen Officials of Prohibition, the Attendant Chen of the Emperor of Fengdu, the Ghostly Official of Life-Fate of Fengdu, the Palace of the Elder of Fengdu, and the Northern Capital Palace of Fengdu, all report by means of a shenzhuang (a petition submitted upward).

The above deities, including the Fengdu Bianshengfu, the Fengdu Five Paths Capital Office, the Fengdu Quanqu Office, the Fengdu Northern Heaven Gate Attendant Lang, the Fengdu Northern Tanfang Hou, the Fengdu Southern Tanfang Hou, the Fengdu Mingling Great Spirit, and the Fengdu West Bright Lang, all list their statements by means of a diwen (a memorandum for notification and transfer). The preceding shenzhuang and diwen are together handed over to the Middle Realm Gongcao (the clerk responsible for relaying documents).

The diwen of the above deities, including the Nine Continents Earth Commander, the Earth Gods of the Prefectures and Counties, the Taisui Earth Palace, and the Elder of Haoli, are handed to the Earth Gods along the route, who relay them from place to place.

The above deities, including the Water Emperor of the Hanjiang of Yanggu in the Water Palace, the Water Emperor of the Chujiang, the Water Emperor of the Xiangjiang, the Water Emperor of the Zhejiang, the Water Emperor of the Wujiang, the Water Emperor of the Yangzi River, the Water Emperor of the Chuan River, the Water Emperor of the Songjiang, and the Water Emperor of the Jingjiang, all report by means of a shenzhuang.

The above deities, including the Great Lord of Yuanguang Abundant Virtue of the Eastern Sea, the Great Lord of Hongli Abundant Benefit of the Southern Sea, the Great Lord of Guangrun Abundant Moisture of the Western Sea, the Great Lord of Guangze Abundant Grace of the Northern Sea, the Lord of Guangyuan Source of the Jiang Canal, the Lord of Lingyuan Source of the He Canal, the Lord of Changyuan Source of the Huai Canal, the Lord of Qingyuan Source of the Ji Canal, the Water Palace on Madang Mountain, the Water Palace in Caishi Mountain, the Water Palace below Jin Mountain, the Great Spirit of Qingcao Lake, the Great Spirit of Pengli Lake, the Great Spirit of Danyang Lake, the Great Spirit of Xieyang Lake, and the Great Spirit of Tai Lake, use diwen. The preceding shenzhuang and diwen are together handed over to the Lower Realm Gongcao (the clerk responsible for relaying documents).

The Seven Imperial Petitions presented by Yuqing:

I, your servant, a certain person holding a Dharma rank, respectfully report:

I was born into the common world, my nature is shallow and my capacity meager, and I am merely a junior student who has not studied the Way deeply. Fortunately, I have received the blessings of merit accumulated in past lives, and I have been graced with the Numinous Registers (lingzhang, Daoist certificates of Dharma registers and talismanic commands). Yet I have not yet established merit, and my faults have already come to light. Only by rescuing those who are manifestly visible and delivering the lost souls of the dark netherworld might I be able to make amends and atone for my faults. Therefore, not measuring my own strength, I presume to present this petition to the Heavenly Court. Moreover, since I have received a sincere request, how could I refuse to act? I respectfully rely on the petition (touci, a formal request submitted for action) of a certain person from a certain village and lane, and I request that the corresponding Zhaijiao (purification ritual) be performed as a Chongjian (rite of building merit).

This is a memorial presented to the Heavenly Venerables (Tianzun) during the "Supreme Numinous Treasure Yellow Register Great Fast" (Wushang Lingbao Huang Lu Da Zhai). It explains the purpose of the fast and humbly requests that the deities descend to witness the rite.

The aims of the fast are as follows: to pray for blessings on the sovereign, that the state may be at peace and the household may dwell in tranquility; to deliver the nine generations of ancestors and the six kinds of kin, and to universally relieve the beings of the Five Paths (heaven, human, animal, hungry ghost, and hell) and the Three Evil Destinies (hell, hungry ghost, and animal realms), gathering together all manner of good karmic connections. A special rite of deliverance is also to be performed for the deceased spirits of a certain person, while prayers for the peace of the living members of a certain household are offered at the same time.

The memorial continues: apart from the memorials already submitted separately in the order prescribed by the ritual, I now respectfully lead the Daoist priests of this lineage (Fa Liu, the assembly of practitioners who transmit the lineage of the Dharma). In accordance with the liturgy (Keyi), we establish the altar and select a night of a certain month and day to open the ritual field (daochang). Beginning at dawn on a certain day, three days of proper fasting will be observed, with worship and memorials offered in nine periods each day. The rite summons the spirits of the deceased being memorialized, together with the living beings of the nine continents and four seas, the four modes of birth (birth from the womb, from eggs, from moisture, and by transformation), and the souls lingering and sunk in the Five Paths and Three Evil Destinies. These beings are invited to partake of the offered food, to receive refinement and deliverance, to attain their proper rank, and to be freed from the cycle of rebirth so that they may be born anew. When the fast is complete, a Clear Offering (qingjiao) will be held to give thanks to the spirits of the three hundred and sixty celestial positions.

The intent behind all this is that no drowning spirits remain at the barriers of the netherworld, and that the people of the human world may all ascend to the realm of longevity. Therefore, at the risk of my life, I again respectfully copy out this memorial and submit it.

The memorial is addressed to "the Primordial Heavenly Venerable of Dongzhen, the Void and Natural," and it humbly asks that the Venerable, in compassion, permit this servant to open the rite of deliverance. It further requests that the memorial be issued to the relevant true officials (zhensi), the deities charged with overseeing such matters, so that they may carry it out, bestow their grace, and bear witness to the fast. This servant trespasses against the majesty of heaven, trembles with dread, and stands fully accountable; respectfully submitted.

Two further memorials follow, addressed to the "Heavenly Venerable of Dongxuan, the Supreme Lord of the Way" of the Upper Clarity (Shangqing) and to the "Heavenly Venerable of Dongshen, the Way and Virtue" of the Great Clarity (Taiqing), the Supreme Lord Lao. Both follow the same form as the first. Together, these three are known as the "Three Memorials to the Three Pure Ones" (Sanqing).

Four other memorials are addressed to the Jade Emperor of the Vast Heaven (the sovereign deity who governs the Mandate of Heaven and regulates the calendar), the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole of the Purple Subtle Central Heaven, the Heavenly Emperor of the Gouchen Palace of the Stars, and the Earth Spirit of Hou Tu (the earth deity who bears the Way of Heaven and whose virtue is vast). These four follow the same form as the Three Pure Ones, except that the address to the three heavenly sovereigns uses the term "heavenly compassion" (tianci), while the address to Hou Tu uses "imperial compassion" (chenci). A further petition of introduction is to be submitted to the Heavenly Pivot Office (tianshu yuan), the celestial bureau of records, in the same form as before.

The final memorial is to the Celestial Hall of the Eastern Pole. It records the ritual position (fawei) and the name of this servant. In keeping with the form of the memorials to the Three Realms, the closing once again copies out the memorial and presents it respectfully to "the Taiyi Saving-from-Suffering Heavenly Venerable of the Azure Palace of the Eastern Pole." It humbly asks that the Venerable, in compassion, grant this request and specially issue decrees to the flying celestial beings of the ten directions without bounds, to the Youths Who Save from Suffering, and to all the subordinate officers, generals, clerks, and soldiers, that they may follow the already issued decree, descend to this altar.

Nine Dragons Talismanic Mandate (Jiulong Fuming, the mandate upheld by the Nine Dragons) governs matters that extend throughout the Night Mansions and Dim Passes of the ten directions and three realms, and to every office responsible for examining, adjudicating, and verifying culpability. Wherever a pass or gate relating to the dead is opened or closed, all matters should be carried out in accordance with the mandate: pardoning transgressions, dissolving grievances, and delivering and recommending the souls who are bound up in them. This continues until the wandering spirits and swift-winged spirits of the four seas and nine continents, the three paths (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), and all kinds of beings, together with every solitary soul, leave their places of suffering, come together at the ritual altar, receive heavenly grace, and are ferried upward in due time. I presume to bear the awesome power of the Dao, and my heart is filled with the utmost trepidation. I willingly accept my guilt and respectfully submit this memorial.

Southern Pole Memorial (presented in a square letter to the Southern Pole Imperial Palace)

Your servant, a member of the ritual office, surnamed [X]:

Considering my own shallow virtue and deep transgressions, I am greatly grieved by my own defilement and meagerness. I did not expect to be fortunate enough to live in this flourishing age and to receive the grace of the Mysterious Gate's ford and bridge. I have not yet met a true master, nor have I any path to serve in return. I dare only to diligently deliver the dead, so as to make slight amends for my past transgressions. In accordance with the prescribed form, I respectfully record and submit this memorial:

I respectfully beseech the Great Emperor of Long Life of the Southern Pole to graciously grant my petition and specially issue a decree to the Vermilion Fire Palace of the Southern Cinnabar Heaven World, dispatching Officers of Refinement and Deliverance, along with their generals and clerks, to attend the ritual altar. They are to govern and refine the souls who are to be delivered, together with the Five Paths, the Three Paths, the Four Modes of Birth, and all the hidden souls among the myriad kinds of beings. Let them ascend to the courts of the Vermilion Palace of Flowing Fire, have their names registered in the Purple Register, and, having been delivered, receive new life. May the blessings of this offering reach universally to the netherworld and the human world, so that both realms rejoice together, the world is at peace, and all kinds of beings are revived.

I presume to bear the awesome power of Heaven, my heart is filled with the utmost trepidation, and I willingly accept my guilt. I respectfully submit this memorial.

Separate Memorials to Mu Gong and Jin Mu

Those who call Mu Gong the Great Emperor Donghua of the Cinnabar Forest are referring to another deity, not to Mu Gong. Those who call Jin Mu Lord Danhuang Daojun are likewise referring to a different divinity. Among male immortals the most honored is called Daojun (Lord of the Dao), and among female immortals the most honored is called Yuanjun (Lady of the Origin); sometimes she is also called "Ancestral Mother Yuanjun of the Myriad Qi." Although this one is a female immortal, she is also a different person and is not Jin Mu. The placement of the divine seats in the ancient Luotian jiao (Grand Offering to the gods of the heavens) can be consulted for confirmation. The proclamations and memorials in this scripture should not have their titles arbitrarily altered according to secular usage.

Mu and Jin are the fundamental ancestors of Yin and Yang, and they are also the divine offices to which the refinement and deliverance rites belong.

Memorial to Mu Gong (presented in a square letter to the Supreme Minister Palace of the Eastern Florescence)

Your servant, a member of the ritual office, surnamed [X]:

I presume, forgetting my own lowly station, to ascend presumptuously to the high heavens, and still I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you not...

Memorial of the Ministerial Official to the Eastern Florescence

Your servant has respectfully examined the matters set out above and, at the risk of his life, presents this memorial.

I humbly request that His Majesty the Dao Lord Mugong Qingtong (Mùgōng Qīngtóng Dàojūn), High Minister of the Eastern Florescence (Dōnghuá Shàngxiàng), a venerable deity of the Eastern Florescence lineage, graciously grant approval of this memorial, take pity on your servant's limited learning, and assist in bringing the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) to a meritorious completion, so that its grace may reach both the netherworld and the human realm and bless the world below. Your servant has set a date to erect the altar and begin the Liandu Hunyi (liándù húnyí, the ritual of refining and delivering souls), a Daoist rite of salvation performed for the deceased. I earnestly beseech you to secretly bestow the essence of the heavenly phenomena, and in particular to grant pure Yang vital breath, to refine and deliver the souls of the listed dead, together with the wandering spirits of the Three Paths and Five Ways (the different destinations in the netherworld) and of the myriad beings of the Four Births (every kind of life according to its mode of birth). May their nine orifices be reopened, their limbs and channels be remade, their inner and outer natures be made clear and their bodies and minds illumined, may they return to their original nature and gather their spirit, come back to their root and regain life, rise to a good realm, and ascend together to the land of immortals. May the dark regions also see the light again and heaven and earth be at peace.

Your servant has offended the majesty of the Dao, and his heart is seized with the utmost dread. He is prepared to await judgment, and respectfully makes this report.

Memorial of the Golden Mother (Presented in a Square Casket to the Western Spirit Turtle Gate)

Submitted by the Ritual Official of Rank, surnamed ___.

Your servant, in accordance with the matters set out above, at the risk of his life, presents this memorial.

I humbly request that Her Majesty the Primal Lady Jinmu of the White Jade Turtle Terrace, the Nine Spirits and Supreme Perfected Golden Mother (the honorific title of Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West), graciously grant approval of this memorial, take pity on your servant's limited learning, and bring the Zhaijiao to its merit. Your servant has set a date to erect the altar and begin the Liandu Hunyi. I earnestly beseech you to secretly dispense the Lingjin of the Western Gate (the spiritual and marvelous fluid of the western immortal realm), and in particular to bestow the pure Yin subtle breath, to refine and deliver the souls of the listed dead, together with all the wandering spirits of the Five Ways, the Three Paths, and the myriad beings of the Four Births. May their nine orifices be reopened, their limbs and channels be remade, their inner and outer natures be made clear and their bodies and minds illumined, may they restore their original nature, gather their spirit, return to the root and restore their destiny, rise to a good realm, and ascend together to the land of immortals. May the dark regions also see the light again and heaven and earth be at peace.

Your servant has offended the majesty of the Dao, and his heart trembles with dread. He is prepared to await judgment, and respectfully submits this memorial.

Memorial to the Supreme Emperor of the Nine Heavens

Submitted by the Ritual Official of Rank, surnamed ___.

Your servant presumes to lay bare his sincere heart and humbly petitions the Celestial Court for its discerning review. Your servant is an ordinary, ignorant person with a defiled and mortal body. By grace he has received and holds the numinous talismans, and his duty is to proclaim and transmit the teachings of the Dao and to ferry the myriad beings across to deliverance. Whenever there are petitions or pleas, how could your servant dare not submit them? In accordance with the matters set out above, your servant respectfully presents this memorial:

I humbly request that His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor of Infinite Longevity of Yudan (Yùdān Wúliàng Shòu Tiānd), the Heavenly Emperor of Infinite Longevity of the Yudan Heaven, graciously grant approval of this memorial, and in particular issue a decree instructing the immortal officials under his command to review and act upon it.

May the merit of the Zhaijiao rites be brought to completion, demonic obstacles cease to arise, blessings reach throughout the world, and benevolence spread widely across families and states.

We pray that the original, wondrous Qi of the primordial source—bestowed by the Emperor and the True Sages, and bringing life to all things—descend and be bestowed upon the ritual altar,

to infuse, refine, and deliver the deceased souls recommended for salvation, such as so-and-so, together with all solitary souls among the Five Paths, the Four Births, the Three Destinies, and the myriad kinds of beings. May they turn back to their bones and regain the breath of life; may their forms and shadows appear, and their spiritual awareness gather; may they bathe in the subtle and wondrous streams of grace, deepen their Dao nature, understand their origins, and recover their original life, so that all may smoothly attain new birth. I, your servant, have offended Heaven’s might and am filled with utmost trepidation. I respectfully submit this petition.

The nine petition forms used for the Nine Heavens above follow the same format. Only the sacred title addressed and the Qi invoked need to be changed, following the wording of the “Chapter on Generating Spirit.”

The Emperors of the Thirty-Two Heavens (write here the sacred title addressed in each of the thirty-two petitions, following the Scripture on Saving Humanity).

Your servant, of the rank of the Dharma office, named So-and-so:

I humbly set forth my small intention, offending the High Heaven. I reflect that I was born in the age of decline, with little talent, yet shamelessly received the nurturing care of Heaven and Earth and was fortunate to serve the Great Dharma. My virtue is slight and my offenses grave, yet I presume to proclaim and spread the Great Dao, hoping thereby to contribute what little I can and make up for my shortcomings. I respectfully submit this petition in accordance with… (fill in the reason as above).

We humbly beseech Your Majesty, the Emperor of Taihuang Huangceng Heaven, to extend your compassion and grant my request. Bestow special grace and shine down upon the ritual altar, discerning what takes place there. Grant and dispatch the official youths, officers, and spiritual attendants under the jurisdiction of the Dongxuan registers of the Dharma, that they may undertake their duties in accordance with the liturgy and bring the merit of the Zhaijiao rite to completion.

We further pray that the light of Lingbao wisdom be bestowed, following the creative transformations of Heaven and Earth, to deliver the deceased souls recommended for salvation, such as so-and-so, and all sentient, conscious spirits among the Five Paths, the Three Destinies, the Four Births, and the myriad kinds of beings. May they dispel darkness and delusion, receive nourishment and sustenance, and depart from gloom; may they dwell in the vast realm of generative transformation, bring forth numinous fluids, and establish their roots. May they receive the Qi of their ancestral source; though in the indistinct darkness of the underworld, may their forms appear, and may they respond to primordial Qi and gather their spiritual awareness. May no deceased soul remain sunk or stranded along the roads of the underworld, and may peace prevail throughout the human world. May grace extend to families and states, and blessings reach across China and the four quarters.

I, your servant, have offended Heaven’s might and am filled with utmost trepidation. I respectfully submit this petition.

On the day, month, and year of the cyclical year So-and-so, your servant of the rank of So-and-so submits this petition.

Great Method of the Shangqing Lingbao Tradition, juan 28