《上清靈寶大法(二)》Vol. 39

The Great Method of Highest Clarity and Numinous Treasure, juan forty, part four

(Compiled by Jin Yunzhong, Numinous Treasure ritual master of the Cavern Mystery, official in charge of legal rites in the Southern Bureau, and deputy assistant administrator of the Right Wing of the Provisional Office of the Child Beginning)

The Closing of the Altar and the Performance of Offerings, Part Two

During a Yellow Register Great Retreat—a large Daoist purification ritual—offerings are made to the perfected spirits assigned to the three hundred and sixty positions, in acknowledgment of their grace. Their names and brief descriptions were listed in the previous juan. The order and rank of the various divine positions follow the Diagram of the Great Net Offering and also refer to the arrangement of offering positions promulgated by the court during the Xuanhe era. They were not devised arbitrarily according to worldly preferences. The names of the High Perfected, the perfected beings and immortals of the upper realms, likewise follow their original sources. Honorific titles granted by courts of past dynasties are included only after verification.

For example, the Great Demon Kings of the Five Emperors of the Three Realms and the Divine Kings Who Fly Through the Heavens of the Ten Directions are important divine officials in the scriptures of the Numinous Treasure tradition, and therefore should each have a position of their own. The Five Old Lords are mentioned in Daoist texts, but accounts of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions differ across time. Commentaries on Daoist scriptures often refer to them collectively as the “Five Emperors,” without distinguishing among them, which only adds to the confusion.

The Scripture on the Salvation of Humanity says that the Five Old Ones lead the assembled immortals, while the immortals guard their carriage. In his commentary, Li Shaowei cites the Scripture of Original Practice, identifying the Old One of the Azure Numinous Essence in the East, at the Peaceful Treasure Forest, as the Azure Emperor, surnamed Yan, with the taboo name Kai and the courtesy name Lingwei Yang; the Old One of the Vermilion Numinous Perfection in the South, at the Brahma Treasure of Prosperous Yang, as the Red Emperor, surnamed Dongfu, with the taboo name Yan and the courtesy name Chibiao Nu; the August Old One of the Bright Numinous Essence in the West, at the Seven Treasures Golden Gate, as the White Emperor, surnamed Shangjin, with the taboo name Changkai and the courtesy name Yaopo Bao; the Mysterious Old One of the Five Numinous Essences in the North, at the Gloomy Cavern and the Northern Single Peak, as the Black Emperor, surnamed Jie, with the taboo name Linghui and the courtesy name Yinhou Ju; and the Original Old One of the Primal Numinous Essence in the Center, at the Jade Treasure, as the Yellow Emperor, surnamed Tongban Yuanshi, with the courtesy name Hanshu Niu.

Thereafter, the Azure Emperor protects the hun soul, the White Emperor attends to the po soul, the Red Emperor nourishes Qi (vital energy), the Black Emperor circulates the blood, and the Yellow Emperor presides at the center and commands the myriad spirits. In his commentary on the Eastern Scripture, Wu Yueyan says that the Azure Emperor of the East is named Lingwei Yang, the Red Emperor of the South Chibiao Nu, the White Emperor of the West Baizhao Ju, the Black Emperor of the North Yeguang Ji, and the Yellow Emperor of the Center Hanshu Niu.

Li Shaowei further comments that these five are called the “Five Old Supreme Emperors,” and that each receives a mandate in the form of a red-script talisman. In the heavens, they govern the immortals who guard the five directions; on earth, they govern the Five Sacred Peaks; in the human body, they govern the five organs. Although this account comes closer to…

Earlier explanations have not yet clearly distinguished the principles involved. Let us now examine the heavens. In the Taiwei Enclosure, an ancient name for a group of stars, there are five stars: one in the center and four arranged on either side. They are called the “Seats of the Five Emperors,” that is, the imperial seats within the Taiwei Enclosure. The Treatise on Astronomy in the Book of Jin says that the five are Ling Weiyang, the Azure Emperor of the East; Chi Biaonu, the Red Emperor of the South; Bai Zhaoju, the White Emperor of the West; Ye Guangji, the Black Emperor of the North; and Han Shuniu, the Yellow Emperor of the Center.

There are also five stars in the Purple Tenuity Enclosure, called the “Inner Seats of the Five Emperors.” The Treatise on Astronomy says this is where the Celestial Emperor resides.

The five planets correspond respectively to the five directions, the four seasons, the Five Phases, and human virtues. The Jupiter of the East governs spring and belongs to Wood; it corresponds to a person’s appearance and, among the Five Constant Virtues, to benevolence. Mars of the South governs summer and belongs to Fire; it corresponds to sight and to ritual propriety. Venus of the West governs autumn and belongs to Metal; it corresponds to speech and to righteousness. Mercury of the North governs winter and belongs to Water; it corresponds to hearing and to wisdom. Saturn of the Center governs all four seasons and belongs to Earth; it corresponds to thought and to trustworthiness.

Confucian classics discuss only phenomena observable in the heavens. Daoist texts go further, speaking of the Five Elders, the High Emperors, and assigning them family names and personal names. Yet Daoist texts call figures such as Ling Weiyang five deities, and also identify the five imperial seats in the heavens with those same five deities. Their names and titles are tangled, and the underlying principles have not been fully explained.

If we bring the Confucian and Daoist classics together and offer a unified explanation based on their underlying principles, then the Five Elders, the High Emperors, are the source of the Five Qi—the five fundamental forms of vital energy that constitute all things in Heaven and Earth—and the origin of the Five Phases. When the Five Qi appear in the heavens, they are the five planets; they may also manifest as the Seats of the Five Emperors. After Heaven and Earth separated, the Five Qi gathered and took shape as the Five Sacred Peaks. Once the mountains had formed, spirits were appointed to govern them: these are the emperors of the Five Sacred Peaks. The yearly cycle and the establishment of the four seasons likewise have spirits who govern the seasons; these spirits are the Five Emperors. Further down, in the realm of things, the Five Qi take the form of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth; in the realm of affairs, they are the Five Emperors; and in the human body, the five internal organs. All derive from the same system of Five Qi, but correspond to different things. We must not cling to the names and conflate them.

Lin Shichen’s Yuge says that the emperors of the Five Sacred Peaks are the Celestial Emperor. When people submit petitions to Heaven, they refer to themselves as “your servant,” for they and Heaven and Earth are originally one body. This, too, is the meaning…

The Five Qi (the five primordial forms of vital energy) all come from a single source. For this reason, some have wanted to regard the Five Sacred Peaks as the Five Heavenly Emperors. Lin Shichen was a man of outstanding insight, but his view may simply have leaned, by chance, toward one particular interpretation. The Five Elders are the root of the Five Qi. They dwell at the center of Heaven, at the gate of wondrous existence and wondrous nonexistence, and share one body with the Celestial Worthies. As rulers of the mountains, however, they are called the Mountain Gods. It is not unreasonable to say that these five divine beings are called the “Five Elders” in Heaven and the “Five Sacred Peaks” among the mountains.

Moreover, from the common people to all the myriad things, none fails to receive the primordial ancestral Qi (the vital energy that is the source of all things). Only through the division of this one Qi does each acquire its own nature, life, and spiritual awareness. But this does not mean that one can simply call a person the Primordial Celestial Worthy. The Five Emperors share a single, undivided origin, yet the Five Qi manifest in different ways in their actual functions.

Thus, in Zhaijiao (purification rituals) and their liturgies, when the ritual is conducted, one visualizes both the troops and officers of the Five Sacred Peaks and Five Emperors, and those of the Five Directions and Five Emperors. Are the Five Elders, the High Emperors, really deities who command troops and officers? For this reason, the purification altar is called the “Curtain of the Five Emperors”; since ancient times it has not been called the “Curtain of the Five Elders.” The altar must record merits and faults and assess sins and blessings. This can hardly be the responsibility of the Five Elders in the center of Heaven. If we use a shorter name that does not hinder the ritual, what would be wrong with calling them simply the Azure Emperor of the East, the Vermilion Emperor of the South, the White Emperor of the West, the Black Emperor of the North, and the Yellow Emperor of the Center? It is acceptable to regard these Five Emperors as the Five Elders; what harm is there in calling them only the Five Emperors, as is done today? If one holds that the Five Emperors and the Five Elders are not the same, then calling them only the Five Emperors is also entirely appropriate. Why insist on just one interpretation?

In principle, it is best to name them according to where the Five Qi are found: in the center of Heaven, they are called the “Five Elders, the High Emperors”; in the celestial sphere, the “Seats of the Five Emperors,” along with the Five Directions and Five Stars; in the divine hierarchy, the “Five Emperors of the Five Directions”; among the mountains, the “Holy Emperors of the Five Sacred Peaks”; and within the human body, the “Divine Lords of the Five Zang Organs.” This is both reasonable and practical. To insist that all these titles be traced back to a single source, and to call the Divine Lords of the Five Zang Organs the Five Elders, the High Emperors, is something even a three-foot-tall child knows is inappropriate.

I have offered a brief explanation in the “Section on the Six Curtains: Giving Thanks and Bidding Farewell.” The present list of ritual positions includes the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, then lists the Five Emperors of the Five Directions once again. Later readers may not understand the reason for this, so I have explained it in detail here. Earlier Confucian scholars discussed the matter at length, but few reached a firm conclusion. Fellow members of the tradition may examine it more closely. If there is …

Whatever one has seen for oneself, to treat it as a certain and indisputable pronouncement and use it to explain the doubts of later generations is especially rare. In addition, some people have recently taken it upon themselves to alter the titles of the High Perfected (a Daoist honorific for exalted perfected beings and immortals), changing, for example, Celestial Master (Tianshi) to “Heavenly Lord of Orthodox Unity” and Xu Jingyang to “Chancellor Envoy of the Celestial Pivot.” There are many such practices, involving every kind of deception and profanation. These people are beyond reproach; learned and discerning scholars should join together in condemning them.

Ritual for the Dispersal of the Altar after the Ancient Yellow Register Great Retreat and the Performance of the Sacrificial Offering

In ancient times, there was no rite of arranging divine images and presenting offerings inside the ritual hall. Ritual services were performed only on the altar. Accordingly, when conducting a sacrificial offering—setting up an altar to worship the gods—blue silk and red mats were laid outside the altar, along with seasonal fruits and offerings for the ritual banquet. After the memorial was presented and the dragon offering cast, the spirits were summoned and the offering performed.

In later times, although ritual services were still performed on the altar, divine images were also set up, spirit tablets installed, and offerings arranged inside the ritual hall. After the offering ceremony ended, the offerings remained in the hall. Following the ancient method, one may perform the liturgy on the altar, then summon the spirits and conduct the offering after presenting the memorial. The ritual is performed on the altar, while the Threefold Offering—three presentations of wine and gifts—is made in the hall. This, too, is acceptable.

Another method is as follows: after presenting the memorial and casting the dragon offering, put away the incense burner, go outside to a quiet room for a short rest, then return, enter the altar, burn incense, recite the liturgy, summon the spirits, and conduct the offering. Next, conclude the precepts and assume the office, chant the Hymn of the Three Paths and Five Sufferings, circle the altar once, then go outside to send off the spirits and burn the ritual objects. The ceremony is then complete. Afterward, dismantle the altar and clear away the seats.

Nowadays, while chanting the Hymn of the Three Paths and Five Sufferings and circling the altar, people bustle about posting the lower gate placard. This is quite contrary to ritual protocol. The ritual site is arranged according to the celestial patterns and the contours of the earth; gates are established and placards hung to make the rules of the ceremony visible. Once the purification ritual is over, these should be removed along with the rest of the ritual site. Why the haste to post the lower gate placard? This practice disrupts the dignity of the ceremony and causes people to move about in confusion. It is certainly inappropriate. Moreover, the hymn’s content is simply a statement of sin and blessing, together with reverence for the teachings of the scriptures; it is not a rite for posting the lower gate placard. Please examine this carefully.

The master stands at the front of the assembled ranks. The chief officiant, the Daoist who leads the purification ritual liturgy, burns incense and chants the Hymn of Praise to the Dao.

Enter through the Earthly Gate and ascend to the Heavenly Gate. Pay homage in turn to the incense of the ten directions above, the incense at the imperial altar table, and the incense at one’s own station. The assembly bows to the master. The master performs the prescribed visualization and then recites the Incantation of the Five Stars according to the rite.

Strike the ritual drum and initiate the incense offering, invoking the spirits. Each person states their ritual rank.

Stating the ritual rank: “I, your servant, and the others today specially burn incense, wishing to dedicate this merit above for the ancestral spirits of the imperial lineage, the reigning emperor, civil and military officials, ministers, assistants, and all officials, as well as the seven generations and nine ancestral lines of the fasting disciple so-and-so, and the disciple’s living family members … We, your servants, three …”

The original text breaks off after “We, your servants, three.”

May our teachers, our nine generations of ancestors, the people of all lands, all living beings, and the dead in the netherworld return their bodies, spirits, and lives to the boundless Supreme Lord of the Numinous Treasure in the ten directions. We pray that the Celestial Worthy grant them pardon and release them from the grave sins committed in past lives and this life, so that they may no longer fall into the Three Evil Paths—hell, the hungry ghosts, and animals—or suffer the Ten Kinds of Suffering, the Eight Hardships, and the Nine Calamities. May body and mind attain the Dao and become perfected; may they travel through the void, ascend to heaven in daylight, serve the Lord of the Dao, and roam freely in the supreme Golden Tower and its natural palace adorned with seven treasures, forever united with the Great Dao. May the matters for which we pray rise before the boundless, utterly true Great Dao.

We bow in repentance toward the ten directions.

We, the assembled ritual practitioners, sincerely return our bodies, spirits, and lives to the boundless Great Dao and the Supreme Lord of the Numinous Treasure in the ten directions. We repent on behalf of the ancestral temple’s departed spirits, the reigning emperor, the princes, dukes, ministers and court aides, the civil and military officials, the disciples taking part in this purification ritual, and ourselves. We also repent on behalf of the Three Teachers and nine generations of ancestors; relatives within and beyond our families, living and dead; relatives by marriage; rulers of the netherworld; souls suffering in the underworld; wandering dead and souls sunk in distress; all sentient beings and every living creature.

From the beginningless past until today, beings have committed sins through the actions of the body: raising a hand or taking a step in violation of the precepts and failing to follow the scriptures. They have sinned through the activity of the mind: their thoughts have lacked focus, their emotions have surged, their intentions have been confused, and distracting thoughts have raced without rest. They have sinned through speech: discussing good and evil, using ornate but empty words to conceal faults, and misleading others with flattering speech. The grave offenses accumulated through the three actions of body, mind, and speech are piled high as mountains; the transgressions of the Ten Evils are deep and vast as the sea. Now, through this act of repentance and atonement, we beseech that they all be cleansed away.

We beseech the revered spirits of the ancestral temple to journey far to the Purple Pole of heaven. May the sacred line of succession endure, the nation be at peace, and the emperor’s life last as long as the Five Sacred Mountains and shine as brightly as the sun and moon. May the princes, ministers, and civil and military officials loyally assist the emperor’s work and spread the teachings of the Dao. May the ancestors of the donor’s household and of ourselves, from past generations and across seven generations, along with our teachers, friends, and mentors, shed their mortal forms, ascend to the Southern Palace, and have their souls cleansed. May beings in the Three Paths and Six Realms escape the depths of the netherworld and reach the shore of blessed joy.

May we enter the realm of the highest immortals, meet the Dao, and unite with the true spirits. May our spirits return to stillness and enter deeply into nature; may our nature and life unite with the Great Dao, meet through its subtle principle, and attain Wuwei (non-action). We bow and offer thanks to the supreme and utterly true Three Treasures: the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers.

Recite the scriptures, make three invocations, and bow three times.

As the procession circumambulates, gather in the true text; the assembled officers respond in unison to the chant.

The presiding ritual master holds the true text, burns incense, clicks his teeth twelve times toward heaven, and then recites the incantation.

When performing the rite of pacification in the main section of a document specifically devoted to recommending the souls of the dead, recite this incantation:

Supreme, most true, great and holy exalted one (the highest of the true sages and revered deities), bestows teachings and transforms beings, setting Qi in motion and extending throughout the thirty-two heavens. The Eight Assemblies and Nine Lights (sacred luminous Qi symbolizing the generation of Heaven and Earth in Daoist scriptures) naturally form talismanic script, which is used to pacify Heaven and Earth and protect the cycles of calamity.

The talismanic command of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning is proclaimed to the Three Officials (of Heaven, Earth, and Water), commanding that it be transmitted down to the Nine Earths and up to the Three Heavens, and proclaimed in between to the seas, peaks, and famous mountains and rivers. Today it is proclaimed above to all the spirits, so that they may all hear it.

We cultivate purity and practice the Dao, delivering the souls of the dead. We ask the Three Officials and Nine Offices to remove the roots of sin, so that the departed may forever escape the source of the Three Souls and Five Sufferings (the hardships endured by the dead), enjoy blessings in every life, and have their names entered in the cinnabar register (the register of immortals). May their spiritual awareness rise to Heaven and be naturally refined; may the living and the dead alike receive deliverance, enduring through countless kalpas.

An edict descends from the Nine Heavens, carried by messengers of wind and fire.

The officiants bow twice, then burn the true text together with the memorial.

When praying for peace and well-being in the times of the nation and its people, protecting the human realm, dispelling disasters, and overcoming calamities, while also attending to both the living and the dead, recite this incantation when using a Red Script (a talismanic text written in vermilion) to pacify the times:

Primordial Heaven above, the Three Luminaries shine brightly. The Four Radiances (the luminous scenes of the four directions) illuminate all, and the four quarters are clear and bright. The movements and measures clash with one another, and the stars shift in their courses. The Five Divisions are disordered, the Three Cycles are out of sequence, and the world cannot be at peace.

We invite the deities of the Five Dipper constellations and the luminous true lords of the Seven Stars to descend. The secret name of the Great Dipper’s leader is Jade Essence; the Lady, Imperial Consort, bears the courtesy name Nurturing Infant. She oversees the Mysterious Pass and sets the heavens in motion.

Now a calamity has occurred, showing an ill omen. With reverence, we submit the true text in red script to the heavenly court. We let down our hair, confess our offenses, bare our sincere hearts, and humbly ask for attention, praying that the constant norms of the Dao be restored. May Qi no longer run rampant and out of order, and may disasters no longer arise without restraint. We burn the true text, sending its smoke to the Jade Court.

May the gods above who oversee and relieve calamities proclaim this to all spirits, clearing the Qi of the Three Passes and extinguishing disasters in the Nine Netherworlds. May Yin-Yang be harmonized and the realm be at peace. We respectfully ask that a golden dragon serve as messenger, with the message carried by messengers of wind and fire.

The officiants bow twice, then burn the true text together with the memorial.

Once again, the ritual ranks are proclaimed (the ritual announcement of the names and ranks of participants and the honored deities):

Proclaiming the ritual ranks: I, [name], together with the officiants of this altar, respectfully submit this petition with sincere reverence:

To the Supreme Dao without Limit, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Lord of the Dao, the Most High Lord Lao, the Supreme Mysterious Elder, and the Celestial Worthies of Lingbao of the Ten Directions; to the great and holy beings who have attained the Dao, the most true lords and elders, the thirty-six divisions of revered scriptures, the great masters of the Mysterious Realm, the true lords who are Celestial Masters, the High Ministers and High Chancellors, the Four Offices and Five Emperors, the numinous palaces of the Five Sacred Peaks, the famous mountains and grotto abodes, the officials of the Three Realms, and all true spirits. We, [name] and the others, have long had an affinity with the Dao…

We personally encountered the Heavenly Worthy of Correct Transformation as he proclaimed and expounded the teachings. He declared the precious instructions and sacred diagrams of the Three Caverns—the Daoist canon and system of teachings—so that the people might be safe and healthy, the state secure, and all might have the opportunity to realize the true and wondrous Dao. We were granted permission to receive methods of cultivation and practice. Their essential purpose lies in establishing merit and benefiting all, both in the netherworld and among the living. We should spread the sacred teachings and widely deliver gods, humans, and all beings. No one who sincerely turns toward the Dao should be neglected. Now that we are carrying out the directives of the law, how could we fail to submit a report? We shall respectfully read aloud and present this closing altar memorial, the Green Memorial burned at the end of a Zhaijiao purification ritual.

Memorial:

What is stated in the memorial is indeed earnest and sincere. It should be submitted in the hope that it will move the spirits. With united hearts and utmost sincerity, we have examined the scriptures and ritual regulations of the immortals, and consulted the written records in the Yellow Registers, the documents and rosters used in Daoist purification rituals. We respectfully conduct a ritual according to the Dark Registers for the officiant, a certain person, at a certain place in a certain prefecture and county, following the patterns of Heaven and Earth and Yin-Yang. The lamps and candles, incense and flowers, golden dragon, colored silk, and tokens of the person’s birth destiny have been prepared as signs of our devotion. On a certain day and at a certain hour, we opened the altar and held a purification rite, burning incense and performing the Dao. We repented the sins of the netherworld, lit lamps to renew the light, and sent its radiance throughout the Three Realms, down to the Nine Earths and up to the heavens. We sought to aid the living, deliver the dead, and pray for blessings upon family and state.

After three days and five nights of ritual observance and recitation of the scriptures, the merit was complete at the hour of the Pig on a certain day, and the ceremony came to an end. The lotus lamps were extinguished and the jade chimes fell silent. The immortals’ carriages returned to the upper realm, while the current of the teaching spread through the lower realm. The golden dragon rose up, carrying the merit of the purification rite to the heavenly court. May the sacred grace proclaim compassion, deliver the spirits of the dead in the netherworld, and reward merit according to one’s deeds, so that its benefits reach the divine officials of every department.

The inner and outer perfected officials I bear within me, the officers and soldiers of the Three Caverns, and the troops and mounts of the sun, moon, and stars, the Five Emperors, the Five Sacred Peaks, the Three Rivers, and the Four Seas have all rendered service. The incense attendants—the golden youths and jade maidens who scatter flowers—as well as the Five Emperors’ talisman officers and the flying-dragon cavalry who carry messages and submit reports, have also earned merit. We should now prepare a separate memorial on yellow silk with red writing, report these achievements, and request advancement.

Our study of the teachings is not yet complete, and we may have erred in our conduct and bearing. Our actions may have violated the ritual codes or failed to accord with the prescribed forms. We fear that the Four Departments may investigate us and the Five Emperors may seize us. We humbly ask for pardon. Take pity on us and forgive what we have not yet come to understand; do not impose guilt or punishment.

At the beginning of our purification rite, we respectfully invoked the Ten Precepts of the Highest Wisdom. Now that the ritual has ended, we respectfully take leave of the heavenly palace and return. The merit of the Zhaijiao purification rite I have performed is complete. I respectfully submit once more a memorial on yellow silk with red writing, placing it upon my jade table and asking that the document be reviewed.

Present the memorial before the throne. Place a dragon-headed blade to secure it on the left side of the sacred seat, and a vermilion brush on the right. Then read the memorial aloud.

The high master, the ritual officiant, returns to his place and kneels. After sealing the memorial, he dispatches messengers to present it:

I solemnly dispatch the true officials of the five parts of my body—divine officers who protect body and mind and assist in ritual practice—together with one junior clerk and twelve clerical assistants. I formally command the merit officers and the flying-dragon mounted messengers to put their robes and headwear in order, don their caps and belts, and let their tassels hang down. Grind the inkstone, prepare the ink, and take up the brush. Wear your swords and arrange the documents. Write for me without delay on yellow silk and in a vermilion memorial, and deliver the memorial to the Celestial Bureau, the heavenly institution that oversees official documents and administration.

If the memorial contains wrong or missing characters, if its wording is reversed, or if its sequence is out of order, command the clerical assistants who relay messages and the junior clerks familiar with the business to take up the dragon-headed paper knife and the sharp, long-bristled brush. Let them make corrections whenever needed, so that the supervising superiors do not return the memorial. Hold your breath, raise and deliver the memorial, and send it straight up to the Great Dao of the Three Heavens without limit, before the Most High. Proceed with the utmost care; do not delay or linger. Pass through each checkpoint in order, then submit the memorial level by level through the offices on the right. Let all the officials and lords handle each matter in turn: let the requested matter be carried out, those to be delivered from suffering be rescued, those summoned be brought to attend, the illnesses to be treated be cured, the evil forces to be destroyed be eliminated, the decrees to be proclaimed be put into effect, the positions to be advanced be elevated, the wishes to be fulfilled come true, and the things sought be obtained.

If any official in the lower realm deliberately obstructs the way, intercepting my memorial and preventing it from reaching its destination, have that official confined in a nearby prison and sentenced according to the law, thereby making clear the ordinances of Heaven. I respectfully await the wondrous grace and response.

The high master hands the memorial to the Daoist assembly and places the collected true documents on the ritual table, where documents and ritual implements are laid out for the Zhaijiao purification ritual. They burn them together. The supervising ritual master, responsible for overseeing the purification rite, delivers the memorial, while the ritual procession guides the ceremony to the Gate of Heaven. Once there, they burn the memorial and recite the words for its offering by fire. The high master bows and presents the memorial, following the ritual rules and visualizing the prescribed scene. When he rises, he declares, “I respectfully submit this report above.”

Reciting the Mountain Tablet

The high master lifts the Mountain Tablet, a jade tablet or wooden slip used in the purification rite to present petitions to the heavenly realm, and fumigates it with incense. He clicks his teeth nine times, then recites the “Incantation of the Mountain Tablet”:

The Supreme One opens the light of the Primordial Beginning. The Lord who watches over the true realm and the Five Elders govern the red writings and vermilion texts. The roots and beginnings of Heaven and Earth govern the Qi of the Three Origins, summon the gods, and urge the immortals and perfected ones to ascend. The lofty heavenly command proclaims itself throughout the ten directions, to the sun, moon, and stars; the sacred mountains of the Five Marchmounts; the spirits of the netherworlds above and below; the divine officials who inspect life and death and govern the registers of names; and the gate officials of the three portals in the southern upper realm.

Please register the name of the retreat’s patron, so-and-so, on a jade tablet and inscribe it in the vermilion record. Erase the charges against them, so they may be entered among the ranks of the Emperor’s ministers. The patron, so-and-so, has taken refuge in the Great Dao, established a Zhaijiao purification ritual, and accumulated merit through cultivation. They seek to deliver and redeem their ancestors across nine generations, together with all departed souls who suffer. Now that the ritual practice is complete, we respectfully follow the rites of the sacred mountain and present this jade tablet for delivery. We pray that the charges be erased and all souls released from suffering, so that enemies and kin alike may leave the Three Evil Paths.

May the hun and po souls ascend to the nine heavens, may deliverance from life and death be attained, and may they endure through countless kalpas. Today we respectfully submit this petition above:

May all the gods hear it. We respectfully use a dragon tablet—a petition tablet made in the shape of a dragon or decorated with dragon designs—to convey an oath document to the relevant True Officials, and pray that they carry out the matter as petitioned.

Let the document be conveyed by a golden dragon.

Next, read the water tablet. After burning incense, the High Priest reads the water-tablet incantation according to the method described earlier.

The Five Elders of the Primordial Beginning, the Utmost True Ones of the Ten Directions, and the numinous immortals of Mount Taihua:

By command, the red numinous script proclaims that nowhere in the netherworld is beyond its hearing. We petition the nine heavens above and ask that jade writings be bestowed. We petition in the middle the sun and moon, the Five Planets, the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, the Five Sacred Peaks, and the numinous mountains of the four directions. We petition below the rivers and seas, the twelve springs, the Water Emperors of the nine courts, and the great gods of the netherworld.

Today we respectfully present all our prayers to the gods. The retreat sponsor, So-and-so, has established a purification rite and practices the Way, praying on behalf of the living and the dead for release from the accumulated grudges and roots of sin of seven generations of ancestors. We respectfully cast the jade tablet into the Water Court, praying that this matter reach the hearing of Heaven and that the names be entered in the Water Court’s registers, so that the dead may ascend to Heaven and be delivered from the cycle of life and death.

May all the gods hear it. We respectfully use a dragon tablet to make this matter known to the Water Officials, and ask that they carry out what has been petitioned.

Let the document be conveyed by a golden dragon.

Next, read the earth tablet. After burning incense, the High Priest reads the earth-tablet incantation according to the method described earlier.

When Heaven and Earth were opened, the myriad energies divided and gave rise to the numinous. The commands of the Three Offices—the Daoist system of the Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water—reached everywhere, and the Ten Directions were made clear.

The Five Elders of the Primordial Beginning govern life and death. With cinnabar writings, red script, and the primordial essence of the Most High, they proclaim their message throughout the spirits of the nine lands beneath Heaven. Today we respectfully petition all immortals: the retreat sponsor, So-and-so, has established a purification rite and practices the Way, praying on behalf of the living and the dead. We ask that the names be cast into the Earth Court, that the Great Sovereign of the Earth Court erase their penalties, and that the memorial tablet be presented to the Celestial Palace. May the records of sin be removed from the registers, allowing the body to ascend and share in the numinous power of Heaven and Earth. May the decayed bones of the nine generations of ancestors and their kin be restored to flourishing life, and may their hun and po souls ascend to the Southern Palace to receive deliverance in the immortal court.

Today this command is proclaimed. May all the gods hear it. We respectfully present a white tablet as an expression of utmost sincerity, and ask that they carry out what has been petitioned.

Let the document be conveyed by a golden dragon.

Raise and recite the hymn for casting the dragon.

May we obtain the True Dao and ascend to the Purple Court, the celestial palace where immortals dwell.

The High Priest begins the ritual proceedings, establishes the altar, and performs the offering rite.

We, your servants, respectfully and with utmost sincerity submit this petition once more to the Most High, the Boundless Great Dao; the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning; the Lord of the Dao, Most High; the Most High Lord Lao; the Supreme Mysterious Elder; the Celestial Worthies of the Numinous Treasure of the Ten Directions; the great saints who have attained the Dao; all the Utmost True Ones; the Lords and Elders; the venerated scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections; the Great Masters of the Mystery; and all True Gods throughout the Three Realms who respond to prayers and manifest their numinous presence.

We have heard that the tablets and texts of the Yellow Register rite—the Daoist liturgy for establishing a retreat to deliver the dead—follow the regulations of the Mysterious Capital. Their numinous chapters are treasured in secret and held in reverence; their ritual rules are solemn and their prohibitions strict…

With reverence, we pray that disasters above be dispelled and calamities below be averted, so that the family and the state may be at peace, and the sovereign secure.

May all the gods widely bestow their grace, bringing blessings to every living being in the world. We, your servants, have reverently carried out a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), praying for blessings, averting calamities, and delivering the departed. With sincere devotion, we present our words in prayer. The ceremonial implements have now been set out, the altar arranged, and the rites upon it completed. The ritual observances have received divine protection, and the grace bestowed is profound. May the state share in peace and all under Heaven rejoice in harmony. May the departed in the netherworld receive the blessings of the Zhaijiao, awaken to peace, and find that even the cold reaches of the underworld have been made auspicious through compassionate grace.

Today, the sponsor of the purification rite, a certain person, has received great kindness yet has no way to repay it. As the altar rites now conclude, we respectfully perform a Jiao offering rite, presenting offerings and prayers to the gods. We look up in gratitude to the true spirits for their compassion, and offer a small token of thanks for the labor of the divine officers and attendants who carried out the rites. We look up to the light of the spirits and once again earnestly beseech the gods to descend. I and the sponsor and others look up to the sacred realm of Heaven with the utmost reverence, and now respectfully submit this petition.

Rites of Inviting the Holy Ones, Paying Homage, Presenting Tea, and the First Offering

I respectfully and sincerely address the exalted Worthies of the Great Dao, the Supreme Emperors of the Myriad Heavens, the Great Sages of the Ten Directions, the numinous immortals of Heaven and Earth, the Sovereign Lords of the Sun and Moon, the Four Offices and Five Emperors, the Three Terraces and the Northern Dipper, the gods of the mountains, peaks, rivers, and seas, all the perfected beings of the Lingbao tradition, the officials of the Three Realms, and every true spirit present at this Jiao altar.

Through the blessings left by our forebears, we were born into the present age. We have also been fortunate enough to receive sacred texts and cultivate the profound teachings. The merit we have established is as slight as dust and dew, while our transgressions are as weighty as mountains. We ought therefore to discipline ourselves and cultivate diligently. Yet the teachings allow us to save living beings, support the state, and establish merit. When people come to take refuge and seek help, we should not refuse them.

Now the sponsor has sincerely expressed a vow and earnestly undertaken the purification rite, praying for the deliverance of the departed so that they may again find peace in the netherworld. The sponsor also prays for pardon, confesses past faults, and seeks to dispel offenses; asks blessings for the state; and wishes that all living beings may benefit. The merit of this Zhaijiao has been brought to completion, and no demonic obstacles have arisen. This is entirely due to the true spirits’ responsive protection, and to the holy beings, officials, and register officers and soldiers within and around the altar, who have together brought this great grace to completion and enabled the prayers to be fulfilled.

Yet if there have been lapses in our morning and evening practice, shortcomings in the rites when building the altar, deficiencies in the offerings, or failures to observe the altar’s rules; if our conduct has been improper or our gestures and bows discourteous, thereby offending the true spirits or violating the precepts, we now confess all of this together in this Jiao rite. We earnestly ask the gods to direct their offices to investigate and record these matters, remove the charges, and pardon these faults.

Relying on the gods’ faithful protection and grace, we earnestly ask that blessings for the future be bestowed upon us. We respectfully invite all the perfected beings to witness this rite and present the second cup of wine as a sign of our sincerity. If any of our words have been disrespectful or have offended the divine presence, we are deeply afraid. I, the sponsor, and the others bow our heads in trepidation and prostrate ourselves twice.

The Second Offering Rite (the ceremony of presenting wine for the second time)

With sincere hearts, we respectfully invoke the boundless Great Dao, the supreme sages and exalted perfected ones, the spirits of mountains and rivers, the officials of the netherworld, the overseers of Yin and Yang, and all the mighty spirits belonging to the Three Realms.

I have heard that the supreme sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the revered gods of the Five Emperors, and the true spirits between Heaven and Earth govern the hidden offices of the netherworld, assist the workings of creation, and bring forth the myriad beings. Through the Dao of Wuwei (non-action), they bring all things to completion. Their merit and virtue encompass Heaven and Earth, and their divine workings are unfathomable. Their grace extends throughout the netherworld and the human realm: they secretly protect the nation and quietly aid all living beings. No disaster is beyond their power to resolve, and no misfortune beyond their power to dispel. Whenever prayers are offered, the gods surely behold and protect those who make them.

We respectfully ask the gods to witness and record the merit of this Zhaijiao (purification ritual). May the seven generations of ancestors of the ritual patron, a certain person, their distant kin, and the deceased members of their relatives by marriage, through rites of deliverance, escape suffering and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, where they may roam freely in the celestial realm of the Azure Vault, no longer endure hardship, and have clothing and food in natural abundance. May the deceased teachers, friends, mentors, lay relatives, and fellow members of the Daoist community of the ritual patron ascend to perfection and advance in rank; may those still living realize the fruits of the Dao and become immortals.

May the entire clan, relatives, and living family members of the ritual patron be freed from calamities and the burden of offenses. May their true Qi (vital energy) be abundant within, and may divine officials guard them from without. May their lives be prolonged and their blessings and longevity increased. May the gods protect them wherever they go. After death, may they enter the Northern Palace or the Southern Dipper, be reborn toward goodness, and ascend to Heaven. Wherever they may be, may the local divine offices always watch over and protect them.

May the emperor enjoy boundless longevity, the nation flourish, all under Heaven live in peace, and warfare cease. May all the departed souls in the long darkness of the netherworld attain birth in Heaven, and may all beings under Heaven together enter a state of long life and peace.

Our learning in the Daoist arts is not yet complete, and our cultivation of the Dao has not yet reached fulfillment. We fear that we may have violated the profound regulations, and that the memorial we submit may not reach its destination. We earnestly ask the gods to receive this Blue Petition swiftly, so that the true writings of the Nine Heavens and the numinous texts may bring universal deliverance to the netherworld, spread the mysterious Dao, and let its grace descend upon both the netherworld and the human realm. May the living and the dead alike receive blessings and honor, and turn danger into safety. The rites of prayer and thanksgiving are now complete; may the gods respond swiftly. The Jiao ceremony is drawing to a close, and we respectfully present the three offerings. The ritual patron and I are deeply grateful and bow in reverence.

Memorial Report for the Final Offering Rite

With sincere hearts, we respectfully invoke the exalted perfected ones of the Three Realms, the sages of the Ten Directions, and all the true spirits assembled at the Jiao altar. Our Zhaijiao observances have been carried out and the Jiao ceremony is complete. We now respectfully acknowledge any disorder that may have occurred during the rites and offer our humble sacrifices. We earnestly ask the gods to show forbearance and protection, and to forgive the errors arising from our ignorance, so that blessings may flow to all beings and grace extend throughout the four directions.

Humble people in the mortal world cannot remain in the presence of the immortals for long. The utterly true gods and immortals are lofty and beyond fathoming, dwelling in the upper realm of the Jade Palace. May the true gods of Heaven guide the departed and lead them up to the heavenly palace.

Rulers of the sacred peaks and great rivers, the spiritual officials, and the deities who govern the perfected spirits and the armies of the Three Realms: may each return to their own office and station.

May the Heavenly Bureau register the duties of the assembled gods and record their merits. May the local earth deities and the City Gods likewise preside over the rites according to their offices. Through the blessings gained from this purification ritual, may all beings receive the gods’ protection. We bow in reverence before the steps of Heaven and, united in purpose, respectfully escort the gods on their way. We, your subjects, are reluctant to part and turn our hearts in devotion; our feelings are deeply sincere.

Hymn for Sending Off the Gods

The hidden and distant, empty and still, beyond form and image.

Next, chant the Hymn for Returning the Precepts, then proceed in order to the position of the chief lecturer, who delivers the teachings and directs the ritual proceedings.

The Celestial Worthy, greatly compassionate, proclaims the precepts and saves living beings.

Next, sing the text for returning the precepts and perform three bows. In turn, everyone goes before the ceremonial table to hand in the duty registers, documents recording divine offices or ritual duties. After three bows, they withdraw and return to their places.

Handing In the Duty Registers

From the time I first established the ritual altar until I presented the petition to the gods, those dispatched were the merit officers and messengers, the Three-Five Perfected Officials, and the divine functionaries of my own body’s hundred joints. Now these divine functionaries return to my body, entering through the Gate of the Many Mysteries: those on the left return to the left, and those on the right return to the right. The merit officers on duty shall lead, inspect, and escort them, ensuring each returns to its proper place without confusion. When they are summoned again in the future, they shall come as before, as a matter of course.

Restoring the Incense Burner: perform three bows.

Everyone proceeds in a circumambulation, chanting the eight hymns of the Hymn of the Three Paths and Five Sufferings, and circles the altar three times, walking in the manner of “Pacing the Void,” a ritual walk performed while chanting in Daoist purification rites.

“The Three Powers and all things…” (the following is omitted)

“O worthy one, carefully observe these precepts…” (the following is omitted)

“Sin and blessing are not determined by another…” (the following is omitted)

“Sexual desire and jealousy are the roots of calamity…” (the following is omitted)

“The doctrine of destiny across lifetimes has its truth…” (the following is omitted)

“Human life has its end…” (the following is omitted)

“Studying the Dao of immortality is an urgent matter…” (the following is omitted)

“The worthy one delights in following the scriptures and precepts…” (the following is omitted)

Next, chant the Hymn for Dismantling the Altar.

The vast void contains all things.

Descend through Heaven’s Gate and emerge through Earth’s Portal.

Rites for Leaving the Altar

After the rites are complete, go before the master’s canopy to offer thanks and read the text of gratitude. Older ritual manuals did not include a prepared statement for seeing off the master, and the texts preserved in the liturgical books are incomplete. To avoid disorder in speaking on the spot, the following sets out remarks for addressing the six canopy supervisors of the purification rite, along with other texts. This is intended to make the full ritual sequence complete; if the wording is still unsuitable, revise it as needed.

First go to the three canopies on the west side and pay respects to the presiding ritual master. Offer incense before him. The chief officiant, the Daoist leading the rites, and the purification officials each perform the bows and kneel to deliver their remarks.

The one presenting the petition, holding the ritual rank of …, respectfully bows with joined hands and sincerely addresses:

Perfected Lord, Great Master of Lingbao who oversees the purification rite:

I consider that there is no matter more urgent than rescuing the beings of Heaven and humanity…

The success of our prayers for blessings through the purification rite, and the spread of the teachings, truly depend on the grace of our revered Master. That we are now able to carry out the Zhaijiao rites with sincere devotion is a gift of the Master’s tolerance and protection. Our modest wishes have been fulfilled, and the blessings we have received from the spirits are boundless.

Yet our abilities are dull and our learning shallow, so when listing items and copying documents, we cannot help but make careless mistakes. We also often fall short in following the liturgy and observing its rules. We now present this document to confess our faults, troubling you again and again; we are deeply ashamed. We respectfully read it aloud and earnestly ask our revered Master, in compassion and mercy, to look kindly upon us and grant us special forgiveness.

Read the Apology Document Aloud

We have presumptuously presented this document before the spirits. May they show understanding toward those who came later to study and extend their generous favor. The purification period lasted five days, and the rites continued for nine days of ceremonies. We have accumulated a thousand failings and ten thousand offenses. We earnestly ask that they all be cleansed, pardoned, and dispelled, and that our good deeds be recorded and the spirits’ protection bestowed generously.

The liturgy is complete and the work is done; the seats are cleared and the altar grounds dismantled. The immortals’ procession does not linger: its colorful banners are already arrayed as it ascends into the heights. The spirits’ carriage has set out, and we cannot follow the immortals as they depart on cranes. All those gathered for the rites join in praise and sincerely bid them farewell.

Perform the rites for sending off the purification ceremony and the Master, and recite the “Hymn of the Cloud Chariot”

Next, speak before the Celestial Master.

The ordained disciple So-and-so respectfully bows and sincerely submits this petition:

Great Master of the Three Heavens, who supports the teachings and assists the Mysterious—Celestial Master of the Great Dao—I respectfully report to you: This Zhaijiao rite was offered in earnest prayer, and the ceremonies at the altar are now complete. Your Dao grace reaches far and wide; we have truly been sustained by your protection. I know myself to be reckless and foolish, with little talent and shallow learning, yet I have received your deep compassion and aid. Our abilities are dull and our learning limited. Though we did our best to carry out the rites at the altar, we fear that we did not always conform to the rules and thus incurred failings. We are ashamed and cannot evade responsibility. We therefore present this document to confess our faults and respectfully ask you to look upon us with compassion.

Read the Apology Document Aloud

We have now stated our petition in this document. May you show understanding toward those who came later to study and forgive our grave failings. We earnestly ask you to issue an order to the Office of Examination, which investigates faults, to erase them from the register of offenses, and to inform the Office of Assessment, which evaluates merit and fault, so that the merit of the Zhaijiao rites may be recorded. Your grace is engraved in our hearts, though we have no way to repay it. We imagine the spirits’ arrival in the distance, yet they seem to be before our eyes; now we have seen the ritual carriage ascend into the sky. All those gathered at the altar join in praise and sincerely bid them farewell.

Perform the rite for sending off the purification ceremony, as before

Next, speak before the canopy of the Five Emperors.

The ordained disciple So-and-so respectfully bows and sincerely submits this petition:

Azure Emperor of the East, Red Emperor of the South, White Emperor of the West, Black Emperor of the North, and Yellow Emperor of the Center, I respectfully submit this petition to you all: In praying to Heaven and Earth, we have reverently followed the prescribed articles of the liturgy. Now the prayer rites have been completed…

The various duties involved in conducting a Zhaijiao purification ritual truly depend on the discerning oversight of the gods who examine and record our deeds, and on completing the rites according to the ceremonial forms of the Nine Courts, so that all beings under heaven may receive grace and relief. These auspicious conditions have truly come from the Son of Heaven’s favor. Thinking of how inadequate our virtue is, we feel ashamed and can only bow our heads and take refuge.

Yet we are ordinary people, and what we have learned has come only through oral instruction. When we step onto the ritual platform to preside over the rites, our understanding of the true scriptural rules is insufficient, and we are bound to commit some transgressions. Although the purification rites have now been solemnly completed, we still fear that we cannot escape the resulting offenses. We therefore state our intentions sincerely, respectfully present this petition of confession, and presume to ask for enlightened scrutiny and record.

Reading the Petition of Confession

The petition of confession has been read and received under enlightened scrutiny. May we be spared punishment for our errors and violations of the liturgical regulations, and may the inquiry and reckoning be suspended for now. We earnestly ask not to be entered in the registers of those subject to investigation and fault-recording, but instead to be entered in the books that erase offenses and record good deeds and merit, so that we may be fortunate enough to leave our names in the ritual assembly.

The rites are over, and the divine procession is about to depart. We attendants cannot catch up, and can only gaze from afar as the pure procession recedes. The ritual assembly joins in praise and bows sincerely in farewell.

Conduct the purification rite as before.

Next, proceed to the three canopied tents on the eastern side and first address the three ritual masters.

The disciple, whose ritual office is listed as follows: [name], respectfully bows and submits this sincere petition:

To the Ancient Masters of the Numinous Treasure Scriptures, Registers, and Transmission—the revered deities who preside over the scriptures, registers, and transmission in the Numinous Treasure lineage:

The disciple understands that the liturgical rules and rites of the purification ritual can be widely transmitted only through the clear instruction of the masters, and that the practice of purification and cultivation can be brought to completion only through their protection and support. Our sincerity reaches Heaven, and grace descends upon the human world. Even if we were to be reduced to dust, we would count it an honor, and will remember this kindness forever.

Yet our abilities are meager and our learning incomplete, but we have presumed to undertake duties such as reading and copying the texts. By good fortune, we have completed the rite of deliverance. Though the work is done, our faults are grave. We therefore set forth our transgressions in a petition of confession, respectfully present it, and ask that they be examined and recorded.

Reading the Petition of Confession

We respectfully submit the petition above to express our sorrow and sincere appeal. We earnestly ask you to uphold the liturgical teachings and pardon our errors: erase our faults from the registers of offenses in the Three Primal Offices, and enter the merit of the purification rites in the books of merit of the Nine Extremes.

The reports of the Immortal liturgy have concluded, and the Brahma-toned chants have fallen silent. The cloud chariot cannot remain in the human world, and its feathered canopy is about to ascend the heavenly road. Our mortal bodies cannot follow the divine procession; we can only gaze from afar as it recedes. The ritual assembly joins in praise and bows sincerely in farewell.

Conduct the purification rite as before.

Next, proceed to the canopied tents of the Three Officials and address them.

The disciple, whose ritual office is listed as follows: [name], respectfully bows and submits this sincere petition:

To the Lord Emperors of the Heavenly Official of the Upper Origin, the Earthly Official of the Middle Origin, and the Water Official of the Lower Origin—the Three Officials, who respectively govern Heaven, Earth, and Water and preside over granting blessings, pardoning offenses, and dispelling afflictions:

The disciple understands that recording good deeds and registering merit are duties of the Three Primal Offices; that establishing a purification rite and cultivating …

The five-day Zhaijiao (purification ritual) has now come to a successful close. The good fruits of its completion are truly owed to the far-reaching grace of Heaven. Without the power by which Heaven and Earth bring forth and transform all things, how could mere mortals accomplish this through their own efforts? Yet our endowments are meager, our learning meager, and our experience limited. We therefore made many omissions while conducting the rites, and may not have fully conformed to the proper methods, inviting punishment from the unseen realm. We now pray for forgiveness. We set forth our petition in advance, asking for pardon, and respectfully present this document for review and record.

Read the document aloud

Now that this document has, by good fortune, reached the divine beings, we earnestly ask that the laws of the Mystery Gate be applied with some leniency, and that our faults be erased from the register of offenses. May the celestial offices record the merit and virtue of this Zhaijiao, so that the blessings of propagating the Dao may spread far and wide, and the protection of the tranquil, hidden realm may be boundless. The rites are over, and we can no longer detain the gods’ jade chariot. Their divine procession is about to ascend into the clouds; we can only gaze up at the heavens. The ritual assembly chants in unison, and with one heart and sincere reverence, bows to see them off.

Then speak before the Mystery Master

Your humble servant, holding the ritual rank of [title], bows respectfully and makes this sincere petition:

Great Master of the Mystery: We reflect that the laws of the Mystery Gate have been carried out, and that the Zhaijiao has fortunately been completed. The divine beings’ protection has descended everywhere, allowing the unseen realm and the human world alike to share in blessings and celebration. On careful reflection, we have been fortunate indeed to receive this grace; all of it depends on the life-giving kindness of Heaven and Earth. Yet our endowments are slight and our learning shallow. Though we did our utmost to conduct the rites, we could not avoid mistakes and breaches of ritual procedure. We bow our heads in shame and humbly hold ourselves in check, earnestly asking your forgiveness. We therefore presume to present this document, hoping that your true compassion will look upon it kindly and enter it into the record.

Read the document aloud

What we have held in our hearts has now been conveyed to the divine beings. We earnestly ask that they extend their gracious pardon widely, and release us all from unending punishments for our offenses. May our good works be recorded in the Three Realms, and may the blessings of the Zhaijiao spread throughout the ten directions. The dusty, turbid world cannot detain the divine procession for long; the gods are about to return in their spirit chariots to the distant and mysterious heights. We are reluctant to part and our sincerity runs deep, yet we cannot follow. Your grace has been profound, and our gratitude cannot be fully expressed. The ritual assembly chants in unison, and with one heart and sincere reverence, bows to see them off.

Then offer words of farewell before the deity overseeing the altar

Your humble servant, holding the ritual rank of [title], respectfully reports while burning incense:

Deity overseeing the altar: The smooth conduct of this ritual depended on your assistance in upholding the teachings and your observance of the prescribed rites in directing the sacrifice. The altar precinct was kept orderly and pure through the local earth deities, each fulfilling their duties and diligently providing protection. Now the great Zhaijiao has come to a successful close, and the rites honoring the immortals and perfected beings have been completed. Throughout, the arrangements, protective attendance, summons to the divine beings, and transmission of commands all depended on your sustaining efforts. You have labored long in guarding the altar. Your service has already been reported to the celestial court, and a petition has been made for your promotion in the ranks of the immortals. Now that the Zhaijiao is complete and the divine procession is about to depart, you should return to your appointed place and resume your spiritual…

The officiant who presides over the purification rite then continued the observance, praying for the deities to descend.

The ritual proceeded to the burning of offerings such as spirit money, paper horses, and memorial petitions.

The invocations were consigned to the flames, hymns of praise were recited, and all the merits of the rites performed beforehand were dedicated to sentient beings.

Reverently, it was said: “The sacred writings known as the Red Script proclaim profound teachings, whose power to save and deliver the people is without limit. The esoteric rites of the Yellow Registers, used to deliver the souls of the dead, can save people on a boundless scale. Today, the purification official, so-and-so, sincerely undertakes this act of deliverance and resolves to cultivate through purification, inaugurating the supreme Great Purification Rite of the Yellow Registers of the Numinous Treasure, which lasts five days and nights. During this time, petitions are offered to Heaven and Earth, memorials presented and formal petitions submitted, incense burned and lamps lit, scriptures recited and the Way enacted, in prayer for peace in the state and in households, and for the protection and benefit of the living and the dead. A thanksgiving offering is then performed, and the altar is dismantled and the assembly dismissed.

“Such a solemn, meritorious undertaking and such extensive wholesome affinities have now, by good fortune, been brought to completion. We humbly pray that the state be secure and all under Heaven at peace; that the spirits of the nine generations of ancestors ascend to a favorable realm, and that relatives and household members receive blessings. May the souls of the dead be delivered through this rite and receive its merits, understand the causes and conditions of their former lives, and forever leave behind the realm of delusion, reaching at last the pure land. May the spirits in the Three Paths—the three realms of suffering, hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—be spared the toil of forced service, and may the dead in the nine depths of the netherworld be released from the suffering of confinement and entanglement. May all beings endowed with consciousness be revived, and may all who receive an inborn nature and take bodily form in this world gain benefit and relief. This is the highest of affinities.

“With reverence, we recall the inconceivable merits of the Great Sage Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Lord of the Dao, the Most High Lord Lao, and the Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions.”

The High Merit Master, the ritual specialist presiding over the Daoist purification rite, returned to the quiet chamber, offered incense, and congratulated the others on the rite’s completion.

The ritual position was vacated, and the ceremony came to an end.

Reverently, it was said: “The Dao cannot be fully expressed in names, so teachings were established through the scriptures. The scriptures, too, cannot fully express the Dao; as times change, auspicious gateways to the teachings are opened. The Primordial One Qi, the original Qi of the cosmos, divides into the three Qi of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning.

“The Qi of Mystery corresponds to Clear Tenuity Heaven, the realm of Jade Purity. During the Kalpa of the Dragon Han, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaimed the twelve divisions of the Dongzhen scriptures and transmitted them in this heaven. These scriptures are called the ‘Heavenly Treasures.’

“The Qi of Origin corresponds to Yu-yu Heaven, the realm of Highest Clarity. During the Kalpa of Yan-kang, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaimed the twelve divisions of the Dongxuan scriptures, which the Lord of the Dao transmitted in this heaven. These scriptures are called the ‘Numinous Treasures.’

“The Qi of Beginning corresponds to Great Red Heaven, the realm of Great Clarity. During the Kalpa of Chi-ming, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaimed the twelve divisions of the Dongshen scriptures, which Lord Lao transmitted in this heaven. These scriptures are called the ‘Divine Treasures.’

“By the time of the Kaihuang era, the scriptures of the Three Caverns—Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen—had spread widely and were passed down to teach the human world. From the age of the High Sovereigns onward, various scriptures continued to circulate. The scriptures of the Three Caverns would at times vanish and reappear, be preserved or scattered.”

Only above Xuandu Jade Capital, the celestial city of the immortals in Daoist belief, could all thirty-six divisions of the scriptures be assembled, amounting to more than 1,842,000 scrolls. In the human world, some scriptures were often available while others were missing. Later works were passed down first, while earlier ones fell into obscurity. From the creation of Heaven and Earth and the rise of Daoist teachings onward, the Three Caverns scriptures were never all present in the human world.

At the end of the Qin dynasty, the Three Mao Perfected Ones—Mao Ying, Mao Gu, and Mao Zhong, three Daoist immortals—practiced and transmitted the Supreme Way, and the teachings of Dongzhen first began to take shape. During the Xingning era of Emperor Ai of the Eastern Jin, Lady Wei of Mount Heng entrusted the many Great Cavern scriptures to Yang Siming, and they gradually spread. Ge Xianweng of Eastern Wu received scriptures from Xu Laile, leading to the wide circulation of Dongxuan texts. The Celestial Master of Zhengyi met Lord Lao at Heming Mountain, and the teachings of Dongshen were thereby propagated. These were the principal sources through which Daoist scriptures spread.

Other scriptures appeared in different books, while some were recorded in historical works. Some were transmitted to particular people; others circulated in response to the conditions of their time. Their appearance and disappearance followed no fixed pattern, and when they would be concealed or revealed was difficult to predict.

Between the Song and Qi dynasties, Lu Jianji, with his exceptional learning, revitalized the teachings that venerated the Void Emperor, widely promoted Daoist scriptures, and opened new channels for the transmission of Daoist methods. He distinguished the categories of the Nine Heavens of Purity and the Three Caverns, set out the different classes of the Five Methods and Four Supplements, and examined the authenticity and relative quality of the scriptures. At that time, only 18,000 scrolls of scriptures and revealed texts remained. The figure of “thirty-six divisions and 18,000 chapters” cited in later accounts is the number Lu Jianji established through his collation and cataloguing.

Thereafter, conflict between north and south led to the loss of scriptures. Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou established the Tongxuan Monastery and gathered Daoist texts; at that time, about 10,000 scrolls were still collected. By the end of the Sui dynasty, warfare across the land had plunged the Central Plains into turmoil. Some scriptures were burned, others destroyed, and Daoist teachings steadily declined.

During the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, the realm was at peace. The court made some effort to gather and restore the texts, but in the end recovered only a little over 7,000 scrolls. The Tang work Qiongjing Gangshou was compiled during this period. Before long, warfare drew near, the emperor was driven into exile, and Daoist temples and monasteries fell into disrepair everywhere. Later, Master Guangcheng again faced troubled times, yet did his utmost to search for scriptures and collect scattered texts. Comparing his findings against the Kaiyuan catalogue, he discovered that fewer than half of the texts from that time still survived.

Master Guangcheng therefore drew on the Three Caverns scriptures and consulted the Zhaijiao liturgies compiled by Lu Jianji and Zhang Qingdu. Weighing ancient and contemporary practice and determining what was appropriate in each matter, he compiled a new forty-volume Huanglu Zhaike, a manual of rites for Daoist Huanglu purification ceremonies. The work was compiled with great care and precision, and conformed to ancient regulations. This shows that although a great many scriptures had already been lost by that time, more had survived then than remain today.

This matter truly had a great impact. After the book was completed, its author reported it to Heaven and prayed for a sign that it would prove efficacious.

Nearly four hundred years have passed since then, and to this day people do not dare lightly to question the book. Those who have followed its rites and practices over the years have, for the most part, witnessed responses and received results; examples of this are too numerous to count.

After the Tang dynasty, the upheavals of the Five Dynasties period led to the loss of seven or eight tenths of Daoist texts. During the era of regional division, some areas made great efforts to collect and publish the scriptures. Some built splendid Daoist temples; others located the Daozang, the collected canon of Daoist texts. Yet these efforts often amounted to little more than gathering and arranging the scriptures available locally, so errors and inconsistencies were common.

After the Song dynasty unified the realm and brought stability, Emperor Zhenzong ordered the chancellor Wang Qinruo to collate Daoist texts. But it was difficult to distinguish excellent material from inferior material, and authentic works were mixed with forgeries. Such problems were ultimately unavoidable. During the Xuanhe era, Emperor Huizong promoted ritual methods and Zhaijiao practices, and Daoism flourished for a time. Yet the canonical scriptures still could not be thoroughly checked and corrected one by one. After the Jingkang upheaval, the court moved to Qiantang, in the area of modern Hangzhou. Warfare between north and south cut off communication, and Daoist texts became especially incomplete.

When Master Guangcheng compiled the ritual manuals for Zhaijiao, he served in the Hanlin Academy and also held the post of director of the ritual tradition. He could consult and obtain texts from the court’s collections, the provincial government libraries, the holdings of Daoist officials in the two capital cities, and the imperial archives of both capitals. He was therefore able to gather materials widely. His writings and teachings were all grounded in the scriptures, which is why people throughout the realm and in later generations have followed them.

Although Daoist canons in various places are now numerous, few texts are free of errors. Private collections and copies passed down among ordinary people are even less reliable as evidence. Some people happen to obtain a few fascicles of scriptures but cannot even tell whether they are genuine; nevertheless, they imagine that no one can surpass them. They use these texts to assert their superiority over their peers and attack the ancients. In discussion, they even pick and choose freely among Master Guangcheng’s ritual manuals. Though they do not openly declare them mistaken, they criticize them in private and alter them at will. They think that possessing a secret edition makes them superior to Master Guangcheng, yet they fail to realize that he had the power of the court behind him when he searched for and collated texts. Surely that far surpasses what any single household could collect from its limited holdings.

Lu Jianji compiled ritual books around the transition between the Song and Qi dynasties, and Zhang Qingdu also lived before Master Guangcheng. Guangcheng’s book never leaves out the teachings of these two predecessors: where Zhang Qingdu had already addressed a matter, Guangcheng says so; elsewhere, he follows Lu Jianji’s account.

The Jizhi Ke may be said to be complete in its coverage, from the grandest matters to the smallest, attending to details of every scale. As for later scholars today who wish to pass judgment on it, I fear their claims may not withstand the test of time. Nor can we be sure that the scriptures held in private collections remain as complete as they once were.

The Lingbao liturgies compiled today all follow ancient methods, while the Huanglu liturgies follow the ritual methods of Master Guangcheng. Although this may not conform to popular custom, it can be done without shame before spirits and gods.

The rites of closing the altar and establishing the jiao differ somewhat from local custom in eastern Zhejiang. Jiang’s Huanglu Licheng Yi (“Ready-Made Rites for the Huanglu”) adopts ancient ritual methods for the most part and cites scriptures as its authority, but some practices refer to more recent rites. For example, first closing the altar and removing the seats, then presenting the written petitions and documents requesting a jiao, and holding the jiao separately afterward—this is a custom of recent times. Jiang’s ritual manual adopts this practice in accordance with eastern Zhejiang custom, but does not say which scripture it derives from.

The ancient ritual method is as follows: perform the bows, present a memorial reporting merit, read the formal petition, and offer the three documents of sacrifice to the mountains, rivers, and earth. Then summon the deities and establish the jiao. These rites are performed together, after which the master is escorted and the seats removed. Only Lu Zhenguan, following the Zhengyi ritual code, places the jiao in a Huanglu retreat after the bowing and presentation of the memorial, and then escorts the master and removes the seats. The principles upheld by the Zhengyi school differ from those of other ritual methods, and Lord Lu also established his procedures on the basis of ancient rites.

In Jiangdong and Jiangxi, people follow the ancient methods without finding them unusual. But in eastern Zhejiang, those methods conflict with local custom. Jiang’s Licheng Yi has already been published, and its account accords with local practice in eastern Zhejiang, so people naturally find that approach easier to accept. Yet this book is a manual intended for use throughout the realm. I dare not adopt a practice that alters ancient methods and blurs the distinctions between different periods. Perhaps in the future a learned person who honors ancient institutions will offer a fair judgment on this matter; it will not easily be forgotten.

The phrases “escorting the master” and “expressing thanks for transgressions” after the jiao rites are spoken petitions delivered by the Gaogong, the ritual master who presides over the Zhaijiao. Ancient ritual methods do not record such details, but they are indispensable when conducting the rites at the altar. I have carefully arranged these spoken petitions in the preceding text for use in the ritual, so that their order will not be confused in the moment. This does not mean adopting recent rites and mixing them with ancient scriptures.

The rites for opening the observance, establishing the altar, and conducting the nine-day formal retreat, along with their related ritual texts, are all found in Master Guangcheng’s retreat liturgy, so they are not repeated here.