《上清靈寶大法(二)》Vol. 35

“The Chapter on the Divine Tigers’ Summoning and Capture”

The Scripture of the Great Scarlet Gold Code of Lingbao says: The Lord of Azure Yang dwells in the Palace of Vital Breath. The Eastern Dipper, which governs lifespan and its allotted count, has a Lord of the Count; the Lord of Cinnabar Spirit dwells in the Palace of Nourishing Light. The Western Dipper, which governs the recording of names, has a Lord of Recorded Names; the Lord of Primordial Qi dwells in the Palace of Scarlet Flames. The Southern Dipper, which governs birth and the generation of life, has a Lord of Highest Birth; the Lord of Great Abyss dwells in the Palace of Hidden Extinction. The Northern Dipper, which governs death, has a Lord of Falling into Death; the Lord of Central Harmony dwells in the Palace of the Northern Dipper’s Dark Pattern. The Central Dipper has a Great Dipper Lord who oversees all spirits and dwells in the Central Dipper’s Palace.

All living beings receive a single breath of Great Subtlety—the vital energy of the heavens—and are born. The Spirit in Charge of Destiny determines lifespan and its allotted count, and records them in registers. Lifespans differ in length: the greater measure is called a “lifespan,” and the lesser a “count.” One count is equivalent to three days; 120 counts make one lifespan, and twelve lifespans make one cycle. Great merit and virtue can add years to one’s life; small acts of goodness can add to one’s count. Great evil and major crimes bring a reduction in lifespan; lesser evil and minor offenses bring deductions from one’s count. There are nine grades each of adding years, prolonging life, taking away years, and reducing one’s count. These matters are all administered by the divine offices under the Lord of the Eastern Dipper.

The Lord of the Greedy Wolf Star in the Palace of Yang Brightness oversees the registers of the Spirit in Charge of Destiny. When men and women first take on separate forms and enter the cycle of birth, their names are recorded. The Lord of the Western Dipper records their good and evil, merits and faults; these records fall under the authority of the Lord of the Great Gate in the Palace of the Central Origin.

The Holy Mother protects the chamber of gestation and determines a person’s status, wealth, and poverty at the time of birth. The place in the world where a person is born is also governed by the Star Lord of Storehouse, who belongs to the Palace of Yin Essence under the Lord of the Southern Dipper.

The Lord of Falling into Death of the Northern Dipper governs a person’s merits and faults, sins, and lifespan throughout life, until their stipend is exhausted, their life comes to an end, and their soul enters the underworld. These matters fall under the authority of the Star Lord of Literary Song in the Northern Pole Palace.

From the moment a person is born, their name and allotted count of life are recorded. The Central Dipper’s Great Dipper Palace oversees all matters concerning the prolonging of life and death. The palace determines the destinies of the souls and spirits of the Four Births and Six Realms in the ten directions of the world. It has seven divine tigers, whose duties are directed by Lady Taiyi. Below them, seven Jade Maidens keep the registers, administer life and death, and command the souls.

The first is the Jade Maiden who lifts the hun soul and captures the po soul, and governs the mysterious office of reversed birth. Her name is Jiang.

The second is the Jade Maiden who governs the souls of those who die from illnesses such as wind leprosy, epilepsy, gu poisoning, dysentery, miasmic fevers, and malaria. Her name is Zhang.

The third Jade Maiden oversees the souls of those who died from exhaustion, consumption, or paralysis. Her name is Zhao ▲.

The fourth Jade Maiden oversees the souls of those who died during an epidemic. Her name is Li ▲.

The fifth Jade Maiden oversees the souls of those who died from causes such as terror, execution by hanging or beheading, suicide by hanging, drowning, jumping into fire, or self-harm. Her name is Xu ▲.

The sixth Jade Maiden oversees the souls of those who died from poisoning, harmful spells, the ravages of war, violating the laws of the state, or attacks by wild animals. Her name is Bu ▲.

The seventh Jade Maiden oversees the souls of those who died from various illnesses. Her name is Ying ▲.

These seven Jade Maidens are responsible for recording and determining the souls, names, and surnames of those who died from illness or sudden, unnatural causes. In addition, the Divine Tiger Great Sage of the Mysterious Bureau takes in these souls and decides whether to release or detain them. All matters of life and death, release and detention, fall under his jurisdiction.

The masculine Left Jade Bureau governs the hun soul. Its official is called Xuanbo, and his name is He ▲. The feminine Right Martial Luan governs the po soul. Its official is called Qiao ▲.

Each of these two Great Sages has twelve thousand officials who capture souls and hun spirits. Among their officials are also three Soul Pursuit Envoys. They carry the Northern Dipper’s Mysterious Mandate Jade Talisman of the Great Unity—a jade document bestowed by the northern star deities and used to pursue and capture souls. They gather the souls of all who have died in deep darkness, from illness, or by sudden, unnatural causes throughout the ten directions, the three realms, and the nine lands. They also summon the souls of those suffering in various prisons, who long for their ancestors and departed kin, so that all may attend together beneath the Great Sage.

The upper division’s Soul Pursuit Envoy is named Si ▲ Zhong; the middle division’s is named Wei ▲ Xia; and the lower division’s is named Zhang ▲ Shang.

Long ago, the Perfected of the Western Mountain, Liu Gen, encountered the Great Unity Jade Maiden and received the methods of the three envoys. After mastering them, he left the relevant ritual text in the Bilu Cave of Longhu Mountain, where it remains to this day. Later, the Celestial Master of Zhengyi received an edict from the Mysterious Primordial Golden Gate, transmitted by the Outer Lodge of the Three Heavens. He had the text copied into his department’s records and inscribed again in the cave.

The inscription is written in seal script and contains forty-two characters. It is said to have been written in cinnabar on blue paper; once burned, it enables the Divine Tiger Bureau to make the souls of the dead appear.

The inscription reads:

The Northern Heaven, Tianyi, bestows a blessed mandate; the Divine Tiger sets the document down in writing. The Great Unity’s purple talisman is a precious ritual charter. The Northern Dipper’s mysterious method is concealed in Longhu Mountain; those who obtain it should seek out the Bilu Cave on the western cliff. The duty of summoning and directing souls belongs to the Mysterious Bureau; matters of life and death, release and detention, are entrusted to your charge.

The radiance of the sun, moon, and stars shines in all eight directions. Iron traces, golden light, and the precious radiance of the Terrace Charter blaze with power, illuminating the Three Heavens. Water of Kan and fire of Li stir one another, transforming Yin and Yang; the hun and po return to their beginning, while spirit and Qi flow unceasingly. The eight gates open through the hidden realm, beyond harm and death. Once summoned, the spirits arrive and cannot hide.

This talisman is called the “Charter of Iron Traces and Terrace Radiance.”

The right-hand section records a secret and precious method transmitted by spirits. By mastering it, one can restore the bodies of the dead and transform them into celestial immortals and divine beings.

The souls of the dead follow the light to the ritual altar, leaving behind the underworld and karmic retribution. To summon the souls of those who have fallen into the Avīci Hell, write a cinnabar text on plain blue silk, seven inches long and seven inches wide. Take twenty-four zhu each of Fushen and Fuling, add one sheng of water, and boil several times. Place the resulting liquid in the Eight Gates Soul-Summoning Altar. Raise the soul-summoning banner and chant the “Dipper Hymn” to call the souls.

Eight Gates Soul-Summoning Altar

“Dipper Hymn”

Yin and Yang shift and turn, while kalpas succeed one another without end. Life and death cycle back and forth: who is foolish, who wise? Reincarnation has no end, and Heaven’s mysterious workings are beyond measure. Living beings have not escaped the Three Realms and remain bound by wondrous transformations.

Kui and Gui belong to the Eastern Dipper; Xi and Piao turn toward the west. Bi and Xing belong to the Southern Dipper; Bi and Xi face north. O spirits of Yin, vast and dim; O souls of Yang, shadowy and drifting. When Heaven and Earth are bright, the myriad ghosts lie hidden; when Heaven and Earth grow dark, the myriad ghosts appear. Yin and Yang turn, and ghosts and spirits receive their offerings.

O deity Taiyi, why is your summons so long delayed? Whether one arrives early or late, there are laws, commands, rewards, and punishments. Take pity on me, who call in anxious uncertainty, and come beneath my banner. I grant you a numinous text, so that you may return to Shangqing, the Daoist realm of pure and empty immortals.

Hold the soul-summoning banner in the right hand and form the Tianhuang mudra with the left. Face northeast, chant the “Dipper Hymn,” and raise the banner to summon the souls; there is no set limit to the number of times. After a while, the banner droops down to the ground, and the souls arrive. Seeing the luminous text on the altar, the spirits vie to enter it. If the souls wish to eat, the ritual master sprinkles water with a willow branch to purify the altar, performing a rite of salvation. Once the spirits’ awareness is moistened by the text’s sacred fluid, they can be freed from suffering and regain their bodies. Their flesh and skin form anew, and their awareness is transformed and opened; their speech becomes clear and their forms distinct.

Talismans on the Soul-Summoning Banner

Great Kui Chief Inspector Talisman

Make the banner from sun-patterned silk, divided down the middle into two panels. Cut each panel to make a banner top one chi and five cun long, a banner body two chi long, and hand and foot sections three chi and five cun long. Make a two-headed banner. On the front, write the previously mentioned “Taiyi Talisman for Returning to Form” in cinnabar, then write the deceased person’s surname beneath it. On the back, write the “Great Kui Chief Inspector Talisman,” with the names of the Three Souls and Seven Po beneath it.

Upper Messenger Talisman and Middle Section

(The Middle Section’s Hou Messenger wears a purple embroidered robe and a red forehead band. Write the talisman on yellow silk.)

〔Talisman missing〕

Middle Messenger Talisman and Lower Section

(The Lower Section’s Wei Messenger wears a red embroidered robe and a yellow forehead band. Draw the talisman on crimson silk.)

〔Talisman missing〕

Lower-Rank Messenger Talisman; Upper-Rank Talisman (the Upper-Rank Zhang Messenger wears a green embroidered robe and a red forehead band).

(The forehead band is made of blue-green silk and painted with a design.)

The talisman is missing.

The three talismans on the right are for the Soul-Tracking Messengers. Make them from blue-green, red, and yellow silk, respectively, each nine inches long. Paint the messengers’ likenesses in five colors, write their true-form talismanic characters below, and write their surnames in cinnabar. Place these talismans together with the Hun Yuan Jade Dispatch (a talismanic document used in Daoist ritual to convey commands) and the travel permit, then burn them in a blazing fire.

With the talisman in hand, the messenger can ascend to the Nine Heavens of Purity and descend to the Nine Earths, reaching the Ten Directions and Three Realms, the Northern Capital of Luofeng, the prisons of the Ninefold Darkness, and the abodes of the immortal officials. The messenger opens checkpoints and clears the roads to pursue and retrieve the departed soul, bringing it directly to the ritual assembly. There is nowhere the messenger cannot reach. When sending the messenger, step into the Dipper formation and recite the incantation:

“Taiyi Ziyuan Lord, Tianyi Northern Mandate, by command of the divine tiger halberd: speed through the Dipper, and follow as one wherever the jade dispatch goes. Essence and radiance of the Ten Directions, all gathered in a single breath.”

Recite this incantation seven times. Then spray a mouthful of water onto the ashes, fan them toward the Ten Directions, and pray:

“Messenger [name], hasten to the place where the deceased is. Follow the path of death and retrieve the soul of [name]. Quickly bring it to the ritual assembly, to receive the merit of salvation and ascent through the Numinous Treasure.”

Form of the Northern Dipper Taiyi Dark Mystery Divine Tiger Jade Dispatch

(There is another format, in which the purification ritual is prepared before the stars. The original commentator says that the meaning of the text leaves lingering doubts, so they have already adopted this format, judging that it should be followed. The ritual platform is now solemnly prepared, and the date for summoning the departed souls has been set. In principle, the souls should be pursued and guided toward salvation. The jade dispatch used for this purpose should be addressed to the relevant divine offices. However, instead of writing the deceased person’s name and dates beneath the stars, write their name, dates, and hour beneath the star governing them. No matter how long ago the person died, they may be referred to as “the deceased persons named below.”)

“By command of Tianyi Northern Mandate, the Taiyi Ziyuan Divine Writ of Dark Mystery, the Hun Yuan Jade Dispatch, is hereby issued to the heavenly offices and earthly bureaus of the Three Realms and Ten Directions; the mountains, rivers, and peaks; the springs, winding waters, and gates of the underworld; the Northern Capital of Luofeng; the Six Caverns and Ten Offices; the Three Origins and Nine Bureaus; the one hundred and twenty departments; the land of Yu Jue; the regions of darkness; the great prisons of the earth; the territories of the Nine Provinces; the City Gods and local land officials; the hamlets, fields, and burial mounds; the Yellow Springs and Hao-li; and the rulers of the sources of the twelve rivers. Pursue and retrieve the souls and spirits of the deceased persons named above, and make them leave their respective abodes directly and hasten to the Numinous Treasure’s Mystery Altar to pay homage to the high…”

The Lord Sovereign receives a special gracious decree, and the Divine Tiger carries it out by command. All the gods respectfully obey.

The proclamation is issued at [hour] on [day] of [month], [year].

I, [name], holding the rank of ritual master, issue this order for execution.

The above document is to be written in vermilion on plain white silk or a jade tablet. The names in the document and the name on the cover are to be written in black ink.

Inner Cover

Divine Tiger Jade Tablet, to summon and seize the soul of the deceased [name]. I, [name], of the stated rank, respectfully seal it.

Square Casket

The Divine Tiger Primordial Unity Jade Tablet is hereby issued.

I, [name], of the stated rank, respectfully seal it.

Directions for Life and Death in the Ten Directions and Three Realms

Seven Jade Maiden Talismans

These seven authentic Jade Maiden talismans are used by the Northern Dipper’s Mysterious Model Bureau to summon and seize Jade Maidens. Jiang Rengui is appointed chief keeper of the registers of life and death for people of high and low status; all other personnel are to proceed in the same manner.

Emissary Hu [name] of the Yang Radiance Altar (wearing a crimson robe and green boots, with a yellow headscarf, and holding a jade staff)

Yang Radiance Passage-Opening Altar

(Write in vermilion on yellow paper, and place the talisman spell at the center of the altar: “Raise the soul and seize the po. Execute swiftly. Urgently, in accordance with the statutes.”)

This altar rite is used chiefly to summon and seize the souls of deceased grandparents, parents, ancestors of past generations, recently deceased in-laws, and all other family members.

Emissary Liu [name] of the Yin Spirits Altar (wearing a black robe and green boots, with a yellow headscarf, a jade belt, and a staff)

Yin Spirits Soul-Seizing Altar

(Write in vermilion on blue-green paper, and place the talisman spell at the center of the altar: “Divine Tiger, seize the soul of [name] and return it to their body. Urgently, in accordance with the statutes.”)

This altar rite is used chiefly to summon and seize the souls of those who died of illness, met violent deaths, died young, took their own lives, had bodily impairments, were imprisoned, or have long been trapped in the netherworld.

For both altars, spread two measures of fresh, clean sand on the ground. The altar space should be six chi square, or three chi and six cun square. Spread the sand finely and evenly, leaving it clean and level. Form the Heavenly Sovereign seal with the left hand and the Jade Clarity mudra with the right, then write the talisman in the same way with the middle finger. Set the title of the prison emissary in the center, and write the name of the prison in front. Sink the Divine Tiger soul-summoning talisman into westward-flowing water, then sprinkle the altar space with water vapor.

According to this rite, the various kinds of departed souls will reveal their true forms and be able to interact and converse with the living. Everything will be clear enough to ask about one matter at a time. If the living weep in grief, the souls will go away; if they welcome them joyfully, the souls will appear in full form, indistinguishable from the living, visible to everyone and coming and going as usual. The souls summoned and those sent away must still be treated with respect. When summoned or dispatched, they will respond as a shadow follows its form and an echo answers a sound.

This passage describes two types of Daoist ritual talismans (fulu) used for summoning souls and healing purposes. The first is called the "Divine Tiger Soul-Summoning Talisman," while the second is the "Divine Tiger Tranquil Rest Talisman."

When using the Divine Tiger Soul-Summoning Talisman, it must be written with black ink on white silk, stamped with the Celestial Emperor Seal (a Daoist ritual implement), while forming the Jade Purity Hand Seal (a mudra gesture) and invoking the Qi (vital energy) of the Northern direction. The Daoist priest chants incantations over water, then sprinkles it around the altar and room perimeter, causing the deceased's spirit to manifest immediately. The talisman bears the command of the Great Sage Divine Tiger (a guardian deity), along with the names of fifteen Soul-Summoning Officers of the Divine Tiger (underworld officials), and the titles of spirit-retrieving emissaries Zhang Xin, Wei Da, Hou Di, and others.

The Divine Tiger Tranquil Rest Talisman requires vermilion ink on yellow silk. First, it must be submerged in flowing water, while the priest ingests another talisman personally. For those deceased less than three years, the talisman can be burned to ashes and held in the hand. After chanting mantras, the priest exhales toward the northeast direction, then sprays talisman-infused water on walls to summon the spirit. For victims of sudden violent death, demonic attacks, or fatal illnesses who passed within three days, cover the corpse with a red banner matching the body's length. Write this talisman with cinnabar on seven-inch white silk, burn it during specific rituals, and the deceased may temporarily return to consciousness.

Crucially, practitioners must maintain mental serenity during rituals, avoiding anger or selfish intentions. However, the scripture clarifies these methods don't apply to those whose heavenly mandate (tianming) has naturally expired—such cases require separate petitions to the celestial bureaucracy.

This scripture documents two important ritual practices from the Lingbao tradition (a major Daoist school) of the Shangqing lineage: the Celestial Sovereign Hand Seal (Tianhuangjue) and the Divine Tiger Gangchu Soul Ascension Rite (a ceremony for liberating deceased souls).

The Celestial Sovereign Hand Seal is formed as follows: The index and middle fingers press the base of the thumb, while the thumb then presses the middle joint of the middle finger. The remaining three fingers spread and curve backward, resembling the ladle and bowl of the Big Dipper constellation. This mudra connects with two hidden emperor stars in the Northern Dipper (Daoism recognizes seven visible and two hidden stellar deities in the Dipper). It can summon thunderbolts, halt rainfall, command dragon spirits, pacify thunder's fury, subdue fierce beasts like tigers and leopards, and even dispatch deities while capturing malicious ghosts.

The Divine Tiger Gangchu Soul Ascension Rite constitutes a complete ceremony for guiding departed souls. The procedure involves: First crafting a straw effigy resembling the deceased's appearance using clean straw, dressing it in the person's clothing, inserting the Great Brahma Hidden Words (esoteric Daoist incantations) into the abdomen, and placing a Heavenly Ascent Talisman upon its head. The straw figure is then hung from a steelyard hook without touching the ground. After balancing the scale beam, it's placed beside the soul altar outside the gate. The ritual master instructs an acolyte to hold a white soul-summoning banner while reciting Dipper Scriptures (texts related to the Northern Dipper) to summon the spirit. When the scale hook suddenly dips downward with increased weight and the banner similarly droops heavily, this signals the soul's arrival. Next, using fragrant water decocted from the Radiance Chapter scripture, the master sprinkles purification with willow branches before inviting the assembly to chant the Great Brahma Hidden Words, guiding the soul through ritual bathing. The soul is then led before the Three Treasures (Dao, Scriptures, and Master) to receive talismanic precepts, completing the purification offerings.

Subsequently, a Soul-Gathering Altar is prepared: Selecting three purified chambers with flawlessly white paper-covered walls. Three chi and four cun from the rear wall, two altars are constructed from pure yellow earth—the Yang Brilliance Passage Altar and the Yin Soul Capturing Altar. The master forms the Celestial Sovereign Seal with the left hand and the Jade Purity Mudra with the right, using the middle finger to draw talismanic patterns according to Fulu (talismanic) conventions. A white paper tablet inscribed "Prison Envoy" stands at the altar center, while a yellow tablet bearing the altar's name is placed before it. Before both altars at the grotto table (offering stand), positions are established for the Soul-Gathering Generals and Officers, adorned with fresh flowers, clear tea, wine, fruits, and incense candles, performing the Threefold Offering Rite (initial, secondary, and final offerings). Finally, two acolytes bearing banners approach the altar, completing the ceremony by installing the banners upon it.

The ritual master first swallows the “Secluded Stillness Talisman,” then burns another talisman to ash and scatters it with a breath over the place where the ritual altar stands. He beseeches the Divine Tiger officers and generals and the Jade Maidens to pursue, seize, and summon the relevant generals and troops, and at this moment to lead all the departed souls together to the altar so that they may appear clearly.

Next, he places the “Soul-Seizing Talisman” in water, then sprinkles the talisman water toward the four directions and between the two ritual altars. After that, he burns the official summons for the prison messengers, along with the documents used by the Divine Tiger generals and their attendants, including the papers for money and horses. The ritual master burns all the talismanic commands and carries out the rites for seizing and summoning souls. He then screens the altar with a blue curtain for a short while, before allowing the deceased’s relatives to enter one by one and gaze at the souls from a distance, through partitions on all four sides. The souls appear just as they did in life.

When the time comes to deliver the souls, two young boys hold banners and lead them away from the altar, back to their respective places.

The ritual master has a Divine Tiger seal carved from purple maple wood. Each side of its face measures one cun and nine fen. He keeps it in a five-colored pouch, hanging it behind his elbow, then summons the divine generals and performs the rites.

The two great sages of the Divine Tiger are depicted in the attire of ancient lords: they wear felt caps and pale red robes, red shoes, swords and brocade sashes, and hold registers in their hands. The seven Jade Maidens wear garments with purple sleeves, their hair arranged in looped buns. They wear phoenix crowns, red shoes, feathered skirts, and ornaments of carved jade, and hold the registers of life and death.

The upper-ranking messengers wear purple, the middle-ranking ones red, and the lower-ranking ones green. All wear embroidered robes, caps with wings rising toward the heavens, red headbands, jade belts, fish-tail knives, and green boots.

Presenting the jade petitions, praying to the divine generals, and performing the three offerings. The Daoist assembly performs the rites and purifies the altar with sprinkled water. The chief ritual master burns talismans, transforms his own body and spirit, and summons the divine generals.

The Bureau of the Great Lingbao Ritual issues an urgent dispatch summoning the divine generals: General He, the male Divine Tiger who pursues souls on the left; General Qiao, the female general who governs souls on the right; the seven Jade Maidens who govern souls; the three divisions of soul-pursuing Marquis Zhang; the three messengers of Wei; General Ma, the great general who pursues souls; Yangyao, who opens the passes; Yinling, who seizes souls; and the divine officers and generals who gather, match, arrange, and raise souls. It also summons the officers, attendants, and troops of the various bureaus who pursue souls and seize spirits; the black capital’s dragon-and-thatch relay messengers; the merit officers of the Six Paths; the soul-summoning messengers of the Three Realms; the boys who guide departed souls; the elders of Wormwood Village in the Yellow Springs; the divine lords who govern the local altars of the nine provinces; and the local gods who oversee each district. They are all called to oversee and protect the ritual altar.

The ritual master declares that, by the mandate of Heaven, he holds the gods of the upper realm in mind. He transmits talismanic commands to summon and order the officials, generals, attendants, and troops who pursue and seize souls, directing them to hasten to the altar and respectfully receive the official summons.

I respectfully declare: I have heard that within the Millet Pearl in the First Azure Heaven, one of the celestial realms of Shangqing, the myriad perfected beings proclaimed the scriptures ten times. All the perfected beings received the wondrous, mysterious laws and made them known and widespread. Thus the Great Law was put into practice, and procedures were established for transmitting commands and issuing talismans, together with rites for the divine tiger to seize souls. White tablets were bestowed, and the Three Realms all followed them; red writs descended, bringing illumination to the Nine Earths. Through successive kalpas, beings were saved and delivered; at all times, all things were aided and relieved.

Now that sincere prayers have been offered, the ritual texts should, as is proper, be recited and copied. In response to the matter requested, this office has recorded a memorial to the heavenly court, submitted a report to the underworld, notified the City God and the local earth deities, and sent documents to the numinous offices of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Great Rivers. Talismans are now issued and jade documents transmitted, to be sent throughout the netherworld and submitted to the relevant offices for review and action. This requires the aid of divine power, so that the departed souls held back in disorder may be transferred and delivered. Since the spirits have graciously descended on clouds, a modest offering has been prepared to express our reverence. Facing the divine radiance, we present the first offering.

First Offering of Wine

We respectfully pray: During the Red Radiance era, the Primordial Heavenly Lord revealed the profound mysteries; the Great Dipper of the Central Dipper, one of the deities of the Northern Dipper, governs the pivotal mechanisms of the mysterious laws. The forces of Yin and Yang, of firmness and yielding, can reach through the Three Realms and Nine Netherworlds. The light of the sun and moon, together with the dark Yin spirits of the netherworld, can summon a thousand souls and ten thousand spirits. May blessings therefore extend without limit. We pray for pardon from the Three Heavens; may the laws make their standards clear and bring vast good fortune down upon the world.

To bring aid to both the netherworld and the human realm, talismans and documents must be issued together. Relying on the divine ones’ gracious arrival, we present the second offering.

Second Offering of Wine

We respectfully pray: Entrust the commands to the courier officials of the Spring Palace, so they may deliver them according to the talismanic text; issue a purple writ of command in the underworld, so that it may reach and move those below. We ask the underworld offices of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Great Rivers to cease their investigations and confrontations, and the netherworld administrations of the Ten Earths and Six Heavens to bring forth their light. Wherever a summons is sent, the summoned will surely come; no place is too distant to reach.

Were divine might not especially far-reaching, how could the response be so manifest? If the sinking souls can be rescued, how could we fail to report and record the merit? So that the divine retinue need not wait long, we respectfully complete the rite of the third offering. Our sincerity has reached this point; we respectfully ask the assembled spirits to witness and accept it.

Final Offering of Wine

We respectfully pray: The teachings have established procedures, and ritual services have their corresponding rules. To perform the rite of seizing souls requires written orders and proclamations, and depends on the swiftly transmitted power of the most numinous spirits; only then may the commands take effect. A time limit is set for summoning the souls in the netherworld, in the hope of an immediate response. The official documents for recalling the departed souls are now read aloud and presented one by one. We again pray that the spirits upon the altar will receive them.

Reading the Official Notices and Talismans

The High Merit Daoist ritual master steps the Dipper and treads the constellations, following prescribed steps to imitate the movement of the stars, while holding talismans and performing the rite.

The official document sent earlier has already been proclaimed to all the spirits. They should receive the command and carry it out.

In accordance with the liturgy revealed by the Nine Extremes—the ninefold heavenly realm described in Daoism—its teachings extend throughout the Ten Directions. Now, following the prescriptions of the scriptures, we seek to rescue the dead who have sunk into the underworld.

Summon and pursue the souls of the dead, bringing them out of darkness: up to the Three Realms and down to the Nine Springs. All the offices that examine and record cases among the 120 bureaus, the places that assess and weigh deeds in the 36 regions below, and the gods listed in the registers of the City God, local communities, territories, mountains and rivers, numinous immortals’ palaces, and sacrificial rites—all officials responsible for recording sins and blessings, governing souls, or stationed in places such as Haoli, the Yellow Springs, and the cold waters of the netherworld—are to search according to their duties and summon the dead at the appointed time. We earnestly ask the spirits to assist, so that the divide between the underworld and the human world may be bridged. This matter must be carried out urgently and answered without delay.

We respectfully see the spirits back to their appointed places.

Dedication of merit.

Proclamation of the Divine Tiger for Urgent Summoning

During a Daoist ritual, the senior officiant, the Gaogong, faces the palace and presents this memorial:

I, your servant, whose title and position are as follows, respectfully bow twice, burn incense, and make this report:

We respectfully invite the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) of the highest realm, the supremely compassionate Celestial Worthy of the Great Luo and the Eight Extremities, the Heavenly Emperors and high perfected beings of the formless worlds of the Thirty-Six Heavens, the Celestial Worthy Who Relieves Suffering of the Eastern Pole, the Jade Assistant Grand Ministers, the perfected beings of the Heavenly Council, the Lords of the Northern Dipper in the Central Heaven, the Three Officials and Four Sages, and the Five Masters of Lingbao: may you look down upon this matter, take note of it, and extend heavenly grace.

I have heard that the wondrous wind of spiritual teaching reaches all beings and brings limitless benefit and rescue. The light of the true teaching spreads, and thus the souls of the dead may ascend in accordance with the prescribed rites. This matter ought to be reported, and I dare not withhold it from the heavenly court. Earlier, in response to a petition from a certain place, I established a ritual altar to pray for aid for a certain deceased person, so that they might enter a blessed realm. Knowing my own limits and that I am unworthy to join the ranks of the immortals, I nevertheless accepted this sincere request. I therefore consulted the Daoist scriptures, reported to the heavenly court, and respectfully requested that talismanic decrees be sent down and proclaimed throughout the underworld to seek out the soul of the deceased.

Now the appointed date has arrived, and the hour for summoning the soul is at hand. The departed should therefore come to the ritual altar to receive deliverance. I accordingly issue this proclamation once more, urging and supervising the officials and troops of the underworld so that the authorities in every region will obey the laws of Heaven. We earnestly ask the compassionate powers of the Dark Realm to issue another decree and give strict orders to their officers and generals, informing every bureau: obey the talismanic decrees already issued and heed today’s command; open the passes and clear the roads, pardon offenses and release the souls of the dead, and come swiftly to answer the summons. When the barriers of the underworld are clear and unobstructed, all may receive the grace of the Dark Realm.

I have presumed to address the authority of Heaven and am filled with dread. I respectfully submit this report.

Let the officers and generals carry out this dispatch.

Now incense is offered, and we respectfully summon the divine tiger marshals He and Qiao to pursue and gather the departed souls; the Jade Maidens of the Seven Offices, together with the officials and soldiers of the Three Departments who pursue, summon, and gather souls; the divine generals who gather and identify souls; General Ma, the great commander who pursues souls; the two messengers who gather and pursue souls at the Yin Gate; the Yin-Yang officials and commanders who pursue souls and gather their spirits, along with the pursuing and gathering clerks and soldiers of every office; the Elder of the Yellow Springs, the Elder of Haoli, the Generals of the Five Roads, the messengers of the Merit Office, and the orthodox gods who govern this local district.

We respectfully invite all the gods to ride their spirit staffs and divine chariots, fly forth from the Immortal Palace of the Northern Dipper, and, in accordance with the Mysterious Ritual Regulations of the Lingbao tradition, come together before the altar to carry out the written summons. May the gods manifest their power and respond without delay, swiftly make spiritual contact, guide the departed souls to the Great Void, and descend upon the ritual altar.

The High Priest raises his hands in the scattering-flower rite and makes this further petition:

We respectfully declare that the Golden Statutes and Jade Ordinances—the sacred precepts and codes—are solemn, exalted, and clear. We follow the mysterious ritual laws and cultivate with diligence. We have reported the affairs of the human world to the Nine Clarities and Three Heavens, the Daoist realms of the highest heavens, and have requested orders from the Six Caverns and Nine Netherworlds, the Daoist realms of caverns and the underworld, to deliver and rescue the souls bound to this matter, freeing them from their sinking in the netherworld.

Now the true talismans have descended, the jade documents have been issued, the ordinances proclaimed, and the written announcements made clear. Since this matter concerns the netherworld, the ritual law has its own numinous offices to oversee it. We now open the route to the Yin realm and ask the gods to exert their divine power, hasten the relevant bureaus, and strictly order their clerks and soldiers to verify names and check places of origin, search for and assemble the souls, and bring their souls, bodies, and spirits into proper accord. May the summons reach throughout the Three Heavens and Nine Earths, the Six Directions and Four Quarters, gathering them all. We await the arrival of the departed souls. We now respectfully read aloud all the documents.

After the petition is read aloud, it is burned.

We respectfully declare that the Heavenly Court is remote and the netherworld deep; the road through the clouds is far and faint, and even looking upward cannot bridge the distance. Only utmost sincerity can reach and move the gods. The documents have just been read aloud, and we trust that all the most divine beings will turn their attention to us and respond. Relying on their divine power, may they act swiftly and gather the souls in an instant; make the ritual statutes clear, proclaim their commands with solemnity, commend good deeds, and bring the merit of the purification rite to completion. We ask that the departed souls to be rescued be hurried at once to the altar, with paper money and horses—offerings burned in the rite—to aid them, transformed into a wind-and-fire relay post for swift transmission.

The presiding officiant pronounces the dedication of merit.

The Great Lingbao Method of Shangqing, scroll thirty-six.