《上清靈寶大法(二)》Vol. 7

An Inner Refinement of the Five Sprouts

The Five Sprouts correspond to the Five Qi—the five fundamental energies of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. In the celestial signs, they are the Five Directional Emperors, the Lords of the Five Directions. In the scriptures, when Qi condenses into writing, it becomes the True Script of the Five Sprouts. In the five directions, they correspond to the Five Honored Ones, the titles of the emperors of the five directions:

• East: Azure Emperor Lingwei Yang
• South: Red Emperor Chibiao Nu
• West: White Emperor Baizhao Ju
• North: Black Emperor Ye Guangji
• Center: Yellow Emperor Hanshu Niu

In heaven, they correspond to the Five Planets; on earth, to the Five Sacred Peaks; in human affairs, to the Five Constant Virtues—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness; among all things, to the Five Phases; and in the human body, to the five organs. Practitioners of the Way of the Numinous Treasure and the method of the Inner Chamber—a practice of inner visualization—ingest the true, vital Qi of the five directions to refine and transform the ordinary physical body.

The Method of the Five Sprouts

Invite the Five Emperors and Five Youths to descend into the ritual body, and wear the True Script so that their spirits reside within the five organs, forming the foundation of the essence of the Five Sprouts. Practice during the Four Tones, the cultivation times corresponding to the Qi of the four seasons and their seasonal divisions.

Azure Sprout of the East (Wood, Spring)

On the day of the Beginning of Spring, enter a chamber at cockcrow. Face east and bow nine times, sit upright, and click the teeth nine times. Visualize the Azure Emperor—one of the Five Directional Emperors, who governs spring and the generative Qi of the east—nine inches tall, wearing a crown of blue jade and a robe of blue feathers woven from the nine Qi. He rides a chariot drawn by an azure dragon, carries an azure banner, and descends with ninety thousand officials, including Jia and Yi, the Elder of the Hu. In an instant, he transforms into blue Qi like clouds, which covers your body and enters through your mouth, descending into your liver. Then visualize the Planet Jupiter, which governs the east, shining brightly in the east and illuminating your body. Open your eyes, recite the incantation nine times, and swallow the twelve characters of the True Script of the East.

Incantation:

Azure Heaven of the Nine Qi, primal essence of the Beginning. August Elder, revered spirit, clothed in blue feathers. Commanding the celestial officials, you make the Year Star shine bright. Your radiance spreads and fragrance flows, refining and nourishing my form. Above, I partake of the morning glow; I ingest and draw in the essence of Wood. Firmly nurture the Azure Sprout; preserve and protect my aged years. My organs and bowels brim full; jade fungus grows of itself. Prolong my life for countless ages; restore my face to that of a child. The Five Qi mingle as one, joining me with heaven and earth.

The twelve characters of the True Script of the East (the scripture gives their specific forms, which are omitted here)

Ingesting the Azure Sprout of the East

The Azure Sprout is nourished with morning splendor—the dew and pure Qi formed from the flowers at dawn.

On the Day of the Beginning of Summer

On the day of the Beginning of Summer, at the hour of the cock’s crow, enter a room and face south. Bow three times, then sit upright. Click the teeth three times in succession, and visualize the Red Emperor. (The Red Emperor governs summer and the generative energy of the south. His appearance, retinue, and other details are the same as in the practices for the Beginning of Autumn, the Beginning of Winter, and the other seasonal nodes described below.)

Visualize the Red Emperor as three inches tall, wearing a red jade crown and a robe of red feathers woven from the Three Qi. He rides a vermilion dragon in a jade carriage, carries an earthen-colored banner, and descends with three hundred thousand divine officials from the Bing and Ding directions, including Yue Lao. In an instant, red Qi spreads like clouds and envelops your body. It enters through your mouth and descends directly to your Heart Palace (the heart). Then visualize Mars shining brightly in the south and illuminating your body. Open your eyes, recite the incantation three times, and swallow the twelve characters of the South’s True Script. The incantation says:

“Three Qi of the cinnabar heavens, numinous child of the vermilion palace, Supreme Emperor of the Primordial Beginning, riding with attendants upon a red dragon. Red-feathered flying robes, radiant brocade mantle; divine officials driven forth to turn the Yin-Yang of the Dao. The Three Qi pour forth their brilliance, irrigating my crimson palace (the heart). The Red Child guards and steadies me, refining the sprout and adorning my appearance. At dawn I feast on vermilion radiance; jade mushrooms fill me to the brim. I turn back and halt the years of calamity; even my decayed bones become youthful. May I endure as long as Heaven and Earth and enjoy life without end. My body gives birth to Water and Fire, transforming in a hundred ways.”

The twelve characters of the South’s True Script: (These are the twelve characters in the incantation above, used for ingestion.)

For ingesting the Southern Vermilion Cinnabar, drink water from the Cinnabar Pool, accompanied by visualization and the incantation.

On the Day of the Beginning of Autumn

On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, enter a room and face west. Bow seven times, then sit upright. Click the teeth seven times in succession and visualize the White Emperor. (The practice is the same as the section on the Red Emperor at the Beginning of Summer.)

Visualize the White Emperor as seven inches tall, wearing a white jade crown and a robe of white feathers. He rides a white dragon in a jade carriage, carries a plain white banner, and descends with seven hundred thousand divine officials from the Geng and Xin directions, including Xuan Lao. In an instant, white Qi forms like clouds and covers your body. It enters through your mouth and descends directly to your Lung Palace. Then visualize Venus shining brightly in the west and illuminating your body. Open your eyes, recite the incantation seven times, and swallow the twelve characters of the West’s True Script. The incantation says:

“Seven gates in golden clouds, vast radiance over the splendor of the west; within them is the Sovereign of Plainness, the home of the Primordial Beginning. Riding with attendants upon a white dragon, the Seven Qi rise in majesty. They wander at the Jade Gate and scatter their essence through vermilion mists. The Metal Star pours forth its brilliance; fragrant mushrooms rain down in abundance. The mysterious depths transform my body and nourish my white sprout. Bright stones shine with fresh light, undestroyed through ten thousand kalpas. Take them with flowing springs; feast on supreme harmony. The Emperor of the Nine Heavens grants me jade radiance, preserves my years and keeps my whiteness youthful, spreading a radiant countenance. May I endure as long as Heaven and Earth, and share the distant span of the Three Lights.”

The twelve characters of the West’s True Script: (These are the twelve characters in the incantation above, used for ingestion.)

For ingesting the Western Bright Stone, use flowing springs and the Qi of supreme harmony as the means of taking it, accompanied by the incantation and visualization.

The Great Lingbao Rites of Shangqing (II): A Plain-Language Interpretation

Drinking the Spirit Liquor of the Bright Stone

Outline of the practice: On the day Beginning of Winter, enter a room at cockcrow, face north, and bow five times.

Click the teeth together five times. In the mind, visualize the Black Emperor, five inches tall, wearing a dark jade crown and a blue-green feathered robe, riding in a jade carriage drawn by a black dragon. He holds aloft a black banner and leads five hundred thousand officials of the Ren and Gui directions as they descend. In an instant, black Qi forms like clouds and shines like a meteor, covering your body. It enters through the mouth and descends straight to the kidneys. Then visualize the Water Star shining down on you from the north. Open your eyes and recite the incantation five times, then swallow the twelve characters of the northern true script.

Incantation:

The dark heavens of the north: the five Qis disperse their numinous power. Above is the great spirit, the Primordial Essence of the First Elder. Riding a dragon and raising a banner, it wanders through the dark realm to the upper capital. This is called Primordial Auspiciousness; festive clouds spread and flourish. Flying lingzhi mushrooms stream down, pouring abundantly in all directions. Mysterious and wondrous Jade Maidens irrigate my body. May the palace of the kidneys be filled and firmly guarded; may tender shoots that were withering grow strong. May the five inner organs receive the true, connecting above with the spirits. May the Five Elders descend and receive me, so that the immortal Way is soon accomplished. Transform water and fire; wear blue-green garments. Fly through the vast sky and wander to the Purple Court. May my longevity match the Three Luminaries, and endure for ages without end.

The twelve characters of the northern true script (for ingestion)

Drinking the Jade Syrup of Mysterious Nourishment

Outline of the practice: Enter a room regularly on the four days of the spring and autumn equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices. Bow twelve times toward the five directions.

Click the teeth together twelve times. In the mind, visualize the Yellow Emperor, one foot and two inches tall, wearing a yellow jade crown and a five-colored feathered robe, riding in a jade carriage drawn by a yellow dragon. He holds aloft a yellow banner and leads one hundred and twenty thousand officials of the Wu and Ji Earth positions as they descend. In an instant, yellow Qi forms like clouds, covering your body. It enters through the mouth and descends straight to the spleen. Then visualize the Saturn shining down on you from the center, and open your eyes to recite the incantation twelve times.

Incantation of the sixteen characters of the central true script:

The great mountain at the center: primordial Qi circles and roams. Above is the Primordial Elder, who commands the four numinous beings. Riding alongside the yellow dragon, dressed in a five-colored feathered robe, he sets the Way in motion through the nine heavens and turns the celestial pivot. The seven stars shine brightly; their radiance streams out and scatters its light. Fragrant jade blossoms and lingzhi mushrooms flow, overflowing and circling through the air. They cleanse and irrigate my body, making the palace of the lungs shine open. Nurture the sprouts and partake of essence; may the myriad spirits all return. Regulate the Hun and restrain the Po; refine the eight awesome powers into immortality. May inside and out be utterly clear, and life endure without decline. Communicate with the true and reach the numinous; ascend into the Great Subtlety.

The sixteen characters of the central true script

At the center, Wu and Ji, exalted and radiant (a notation for the true script or its sacred name)

Notes for Understanding

• Beginning of Winter; the equinoxes and solstices: Beginning of Winter marks the start of winter. The equinoxes and solstices are the spring and autumn equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices. In ancient times, these divided the seasons and determined when ritual practices were performed.
• Clicking the teeth; mental visualization: These are Daoist visualization practices. The practitioner uses the mind to picture deities descending and Qi entering the corresponding organs—for example, northern black Qi entering the kidneys and central yellow Qi entering the spleen.
• True script: Secret characters or incantations believed to possess numinous power. They are recited and swallowed according to the ritual procedure, with swallowing understood as an act of mental visualization.
• The Five Elders, the First Elder, and the Primordial Elder: Names of deities associated with the five directions or the center, corresponding to the Five Phases, the five organs, and the cardinal directions.
• The kidney, spleen, and lung palaces: These correspond respectively to the kidneys, spleen, and lungs, and are associated through the Five Phases with the north and water, the center and earth, and other such correspondences.

The Great Method of the Shangqing Lingbao (II): The Regular Practice of Ingesting — A Plain-Language Explanation

Ingest the vital essence and Qi of Mount Tai, and drink sweet spring water

(Center) Ingest the vital essence and Qi of Mount Tai, and drink sweet spring water.

When the incantation is complete, take in Qi and swallow saliva according to the number assigned to each direction, then ingest the true script.

After reciting the incantation, take in Qi and swallow saliva the prescribed number of times for each direction, then ingest the true script.

The Regular Practice

Each day, at cockcrow when the first light appears, face east. Knock the teeth together the number of times assigned to that direction. Rub the palms together until warm, then rub the face the prescribed number of times. Begin reciting the incantation in the east, proceed through a full circuit, and stop.

East: Green Sprout

Ingest the Green Sprout and drink the Dew of Dawn.

Move the tongue three times along the inside of the upper teeth, beneath the tongue, and across the lips. Rinse the mouth, fill it with Jade Spring, and swallow nine times. Then draw in Green Qi and swallow it nine times, letting it settle and protect the liver.

South: Vermilion Elixir

Ingest the Vermilion Elixir and drink from the Cinnabar Pool.

Move the tongue three times along the inside of the lower teeth and across the lips. Rinse the mouth, fill it with Jade Fungus, and swallow three times. Then draw in Red Qi and swallow it three times, letting it settle and protect the heart.

Center: Wuji, Ang-ang, Mount Tai

Ingest vital essence and Qi, and drink sweet spring water.

Move the tongue along the inner and outer surfaces of the upper and lower teeth, and across the lips. Rinse the mouth, fill it with Jade Spring, and swallow. Then draw in Yellow Qi and swallow it twelve times, letting it settle and protect the spleen.

West: Luminous Stone

Ingest the Luminous Stone and drink the Spirit Fluid.

Move the tongue along the outer surfaces of the upper teeth and across the lips. Rinse the mouth, fill it with Jade Fungus, and swallow seven times. Then draw in White Qi seven mouthfuls, letting it settle and protect the lungs.

North: Dark Nourishment

Ingest the Dark Nourishment and drink Jade Syrup.

Move the tongue three times along the inside of the lower teeth and across the lips. Rinse the mouth and fill it with Jade Fungus. Then draw in Black Qi and swallow five mouthfuls, letting it settle and protect the kidneys.

When all this is complete, knock the teeth together thirty-six times, swallow Qi thirty-five times, and recite the general incantation:

“White stone, rugged and sheer; springs well up along the way.

The grotto is like jade syrup: drink it, and you will live forever, your lifespan extended.”

When the incantation is finished, move the tongue along the upper and lower teeth and the center of the mouth, fill the mouth with Jade Fungus, and swallow three times. Draw in Qi twenty-five times, gather the Qi, and swallow it. The entire method is complete.

I have often observed that the Way of Lingbao was hidden at the beginning of the Great Undifferentiated Void and began at the origin of the primordial chaos. Its depths are inexhaustible, and its wonders cannot be fathomed. Only from the Middle Ages onward were teachings established and writings handed down. The orthodox scriptures contain all the myriad methods, and when their practice is perfected…

The Way of Lingbao arose at the beginning of the Great Undifferentiated Void, at the dawn of primordial chaos. Its depths are inexhaustible, and its wonders cannot be fathomed. Only from the Middle Ages onward were teachings established and writings handed down. The orthodox scriptures contain all the myriad methods, and when their practice is perfected…

Note: This is a regular practice involving the ingestion of substances associated with the Five Directions, swallowing saliva, and drawing in Qi. It begins at cockcrow facing east. According to the prescribed counts—east (nine), south (three), center (twelve), west (seven), and north (five)—the practitioner knocks the teeth together, rubs the face, moves the tongue, rinses the mouth, and draws in Qi. Each direction’s Qi is used to settle and protect the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, or kidneys. Afterward, the practitioner knocks the teeth together thirty-six times, swallows Qi thirty-five times, recites the general incantation, and draws in Qi twenty-five more times. Terms such as Green Sprout, Vermilion Elixir, Luminous Stone, Dark Nourishment, Jade Spring, and Jade Fungus refer to substances for ingestion associated with the Five Directions, as well as images of the fluids in the mouth.

The Method of the Five Sprouts and the Orthodox Tradition of Lingbao

To put the matter into practice, practitioners must still awaken to the Method of the Five Sprouts themselves: gather the generative Qi from the five directions—east, south, west, north, and center—and refine the essence within the five organs—the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Qi is subtle and elusive, so it is not easy to obtain directly. One must therefore use the recitation and ingestion of true scripture—chanting and taking in the genuine texts—to summon it: Qi gathers into a text, and that text is used to draw in Qi. Establishing purification rites and offering rituals, presenting petitions and copying memorials, directing Qi and writing talismans, driving out demons and dispelling delusions—all begin with this method. Refining away yin gloom, dispelling Yin and nurturing Yang, one brings oneself into accord with the radiance of the Three Lights—the sun, moon, and stars. But if one treats the five organs of the human body merely as physical things to be refined, they are ultimately impure and do not constitute the Orthodox Way.

As for methods such as “visualizing the liver emitting green Qi and the lungs emitting white Qi,” these are methods of visualization and refinement, not the Five Sprouts. The original meaning of the Five Sprouts is to draw down generative Qi from the East, gather the morning splendor of the Wood Palace—the eastern realm associated with Wood—and let it flow down to nourish the myriad bodies, including the embryo-body and the Dharma-body, while stabilizing and refining the liver and its organs. The five Qi of the five directions refine the five spirits of the five organs. If one borrows them for a long time without returning them, who could say they are not truly present? Through prolonged refinement, a person’s Qi joins with Heaven’s Qi, and a person’s spirit joins with the spirit of the Dao. This, too, is a path of refining the spirit.

The true texts of the Five Sprouts compiled today are all concealed in the Upper Scriptures, such as the foundational Shangqing and Lingbao classics, and differ from ordinary methods. Only those who penetrate their meaning deeply may then practice them diligently.

Critique of the Forty-First Section of the Tiantai Method

The forty-first section of the Tiantai Method, “Praying for Blessings and Repenting of Faults,” says that Lingbao has red writings and ancestral Qi, which are the celestial Lingbao; when they enter the human body, they produce five-colored lingzhi. It then broadly identifies the green sprout of the East with the liver, the vermilion cinnabar of the South with the heart, the bright stone of the West with the lungs, the dark nourishment of the North with the kidneys, and the central Wu and Ji with the spleen. It instructs practitioners to curl the tongue and gather saliva, swallow it in the directions, take the head as Mount Tai, and swallow Qi at the twelve double-hours. This is called a method of changing the bones and transforming the form. Yet it gives neither invocations nor true texts; it merely appropriates the meaning of the Five Sprouts and relocates the explanation elsewhere. It also speaks of swallowing Qi and fluids, Fire responding to Water, and the morning as a diagram of child, mother, and spouse, piecing together scattered discussions from elixir texts without presenting them in full. It calls these things the celestial Lingbao, yet directly equates the Five Sprouts with the five organs. None of this teaching can be used as an Orthodox method.

Section on Cultivation and Recitation in the Three Palaces

The supreme teaching that saves people shines with luxuriant radiance. Above, it dispels calamities in Heaven; below, it wards off disasters on Earth. Outwardly, it aids all beings; inwardly, it refines the hundred spirits. At the entrance to its practice, single-minded concentration comes first.

The method of reciting a scripture begins with keeping its images in mind. First regulate the breath so that Qi flows smoothly and the voice is clear and even. Visualize the Three Qi—the energies of Heaven, Earth, and humanity—rising and mingling, with the hundred spirits arrayed in their ranks. Only then can one cultivate the self inwardly and respond outwardly to the myriad things. When the mouth makes no sound and the ears hear none, this is called silent recitation. Throughout the practice, one keeps the images in mind according to the ancient method.

Enter the quiet chamber, burn incense, settle the mind, even out the Qi, and gather the light inward for inner vision, allowing no distracting thoughts to intrude. Sit upright, without leaning or slouching, so that the “road of the ox cart”—the pathways through which Qi moves, such as the Governing Vessel—remains unbent, and the “Qi of the Dragon and Tiger”—the two Yin-Yang energies—flows continuously. Then recite the scripture. According to the importance of the matter, use recitation by the inner and outer spirits, by the mind, or by the Qi. These are the methods of the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers). There is also recitation with a specific intention, each method serving its own purpose: to deliver someone from hardship and avert disaster, or to pray for blessings or give thanks and confess one’s faults. In each case, regulate the Qi with a sincere heart. Whether securing blessings for the emperor, praying for rain or fair weather, helping the times and saving living beings, raising the stagnant and restoring the departed, or universally delivering wandering souls, whenever the matter is urgent one should enter the chamber and silently recite the divine text before performing a memorial petition and Zhaijiao ritual according to the liturgy.

The order of visualization is set out in detail in the section on reciting, upholding, and visualizing, and it follows the proper method throughout. Recite the preface once at the beginning; from the second recitation onward, recite the scripture itself. Ten recitations make one complete cycle. When finished, summon the divine officials to take their places and let the hundred spirits guard their stations. Silently present the depths of your heart, then leave the dwelling and ascend in spirit. (This belongs to the fourth section.)

The relevant passages in each Lingbao scripture included in this collection have already been briefly described. Only the Tiantai ritual text places “inner recitation” at the end of its fortieth section, “Deliverance from Hardship and Averting Disaster.” There it instructs practitioners to write the sacred script a thousand times for each of the following exalted spirits: Taiyi Siming, Taokang, Wuying, and Baiyuan. Another account divides inner recitation among the three Dantian, but gives only the names, not the substance of the practice: it says to recite in the upper Dantian in the first month, the middle in the seventh month, and the lower in the tenth. It also says that all the spirits recite together, and that one should pray with a sincere heart through Zhaijiao rites, recording the offering in a written petition and claiming simply to recite one thousand scrolls of the Dongjing scripture internally for presentation to the perfected and for the benefit of the dead. Yet this overlooks the fact that the Great Cavern of Perfect Truth Scripture, or Dadong Zhenjing, has thirty-nine chapters, each containing two talismans, and belongs to the Cavern of Perfect Truth division. The forty chapters in the rites of the Scripture for Delivering Humanity explain how that scripture is to be used. In ancient times, people understood that a single scroll of the Scripture for Delivering Humanity secretly contained the mysteries of the Dongjing; they did not treat the Scripture for Delivering Humanity itself as the Dongjing and present it before the Highest Emperor.

Can the text of the Scripture for Saving Humanity be used as a “Dong Jing”? Another account claims that this method is so profoundly mysterious that disciples often give up all their possessions to support their master before they can receive its teachings. Its followers therefore believe that ordinary people cannot even hear of it, and call themselves “those of the Highest Way.” The method is roughly as follows: visualize yourself as a withered tree, wholly consumed by a great fire; let harmonious Qi transform you into a perfected being; draw Shen inward to the Upper Field and the Palace of Great Abyss; perform the steps of the Dipper and carry out the rites; then recite the Primordial Ancestor’s Qi Dong Jing. As for refining and delivering the dead, they treat the Upper Field as the residence of the Celestial Emperor, the lungs as the Eastern Well, and the red heaven within the head as the source of fire; the kidneys are the true water, and the winding passages are the Nine Hells, where the thousand hun souls and ten thousand po souls are all delivered.

The so-called “Primordial Dong Jing” transmitted from elsewhere is merely an expedient text assembled by taking a passage from the Scripture for Saving Humanity. The Tiantai lineage keeps its teachings secret and practices its own rites, which resemble the Sanskrit spells of the Shakyamuni lineage: forty-eight phrases totaling 176 characters. Their petitions to the Supreme Deity from within the Niwan (Upper Dantian) and other such acts all take place within the body. They offer sacrifices and pay court to the perfected beings without kneeling, on the grounds that the Celestial Emperor never leaves the Niwan. They fail to understand that in the ancient method, “not attending upon the Purple Spirit” referred to those who practiced while walking or sitting and did not sleep. It does not apply to those who perform the liturgy and uphold the teachings. Moreover, while one remains bound to the secular world, turning things upside down within the Niwan is more serious than kneeling.

Silent recitation does appear in the ancient method; calling it “inner recitation” today is incorrect. The claim of “the myriad spirits reciting” has no basis in the sources. Each of the Three Fields has its own presiding deity; assigning them respectively to the seventh, first, and tenth months is also incorrect. They do not understand that recitation by the heart, by Qi, by Shen, and aloud are distinct practices, or that visualizing the spirits and contemplating the perfected beings is not what Tiantai calls “the myriad spirits.” In the ancient method, silent recitation meant reciting the entire scripture, whose contents are extensive; only by clearing Shen and refining Qi could one commune with the perfected spirits. If one now silently recites only a passage from the scripture, there is no need to rename it the Dong Jing. But to discard the scripture’s original text and compose something else, calling it Sanskrit and claiming it as evidence, is utterly false and absurd.

Commentary: The Scripture for Saving Humanity originated in high antiquity. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Truth wrote its text in the correct sounds, and it was translated inwardly and rendered in the script of the world during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. Only after Emperor Ming dreamed of a golden figure did the scriptures of the Shakyamuni lineage enter China, and Sanskrit then came into use. Yet today they take the Shakyamuni lineage… [the remainder is missing].

Plain-Language Interpretation

Some people claim that a certain passage from a scripture is the text about the “ancestral Qi” in the Scripture for Delivering Humanity. Even a child three feet tall would hear this and laugh. When they perform rites at an altar, they sit upright and look inward, claiming that a “heavenly book” appears within a golden light, often showing only a single character. The ritual master says that this is the only character he can see, that he does not understand its meaning, and that he dare not reveal it. Afterward, however, he uses that character to judge good or ill according to whatever matter he has to deal with at the time. He claims that dozens of meanings can be hidden in the strokes of that one character. Most accounts follow this pattern.

Their ritual manuals begin with phrases such as “a Jing name appears in the light.” From the outset, this is already demonic delusion and grotesquerie. If, during inward recitation, one sees characters appear in the light, the practice may develop further until one reaches the point of “summoning ghosts and spirits into the Jing precinct to conduct affairs.” This is precisely the gradual progression from “treading on frost to reach solid ice”: with one improper thought, every path and byway leads step by step into deviance, and there is no telling what one might eventually do.

Therefore, the methods for carrying out rites through recitation formulas should be kept secret and not divulged carelessly. Yet if their workings are concealed entirely, students will have no way to enter the practice, and it may again descend into false and deviant ways. So the mysteries are embedded in this text, for students to understand and attain through their own insight.

The Three Dantian and the Mysterious Pass: The upper Dantian is the Niwan, the middle Dantian is the Crimson Palace, and the lower Dantian is also said to be one of the Mysterious Passes. In cultivation, there are divine recitation, mind recitation, and Qi recitation. Reciting words aloud so that the ears hear their cadence is clear recitation; reciting without speaking or hearing a cadence is silent recitation. Since silent recitation can differ according to whether it involves the mind or Qi, it also has names such as intention recitation.

Example method: Take the body as the Primordial Beginning. Sit in emptiness, floating upon a five-colored lion; let inner and outer realms shine through, as though dwelling in the light of a blazing sun, and recite according to the method. Each practice has its own purpose.

“To regulate and rectify the cosmic order, dispel celestial calamities, protect and stabilize the emperor, and extend the fortunes of the state”—one category uses one’s parents as the occasion, seeking long life and added years, requesting blessings and dispelling faults.

“To seek forgiveness and blessings for others or oneself, preserve life and prolong one’s days, avert calamities and overcome misfortune”—this is another category.

“To aid the nine generations of ancestors, extend compassion to all souls, rescue and release the beings of the dark realms, and conduct all forms of memorial offering”—this is another category.

“To summon and direct, and to gather, govern, and put into effect”—this is another category.

There are further types that cannot all be described here.

Chapter on Illuminating the Hidden and Subtle (the fifth of the Eight Weft texts; also treated in detail in the Complete Compendium of the Lingbao Jade Mirror).

A Vernacular Interpretation of the Great Rites of the Numinous Treasure of Highest Clarity (Part Two)

[Secret Names at the Opening]

“Red Apricot,” “Ink Black,” “Grinding the True,” “Sock Wax,” “Numinous Treasure,” “Bringing Forth Life,” and “Turning Alone” are secret terms or names of ritual objects used in ceremonies. Their precise meanings must be checked against the complete liturgical manual.

Han Ming Gong Du Cheng Qie Jiao Zheng Ju Hun She Du Gong Ju Hun Zhao Ba Fang Jie Ji Shi Zhe, Tian Di Shen Qi Wan Ling Tong Gui, He Tian Di Chi

First form the hand seal of the “Three Paths and Five Sufferings,” recite the incantation, then draw Qi from the southeast and blow it onto a mirror.

Once the mirror is prepared, begin with the Qian position (northwest) and use a brush to mark one point in each of the eight directions, making eight points in all, while reciting:

I respectfully summon Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui, the eight directions, to gather and subdue the unrighteous, evil ghosts and bring them into my mirror to reveal their forms. Hasten, in accordance with the statutes and commands.

Then draw Qi from the eight directions and blow it onto the mirror. If you observe the sun and moon together for ten consecutive days and follow the practice as prescribed, you can evoke the spirits and Qi without effort. Forms of people, ghosts, or spirits will then appear in the mirror.

Moving the Scene and Illuminating with Light

In accordance with the primordial beginning’s statutes and commands and the Lord of the Dao’s edict, summon:

• The Youth of Sunlight, the Youth of Moonlight, the Youth of Starlight, and the Youth Who Opens the Light

Set the Three Lights, the Mysterious Dipper, and the essences of the sun and moon in motion, transforming them into the divine light of the Six Supernatural Powers. This light shines through the ten directions. The myriad scenes and thousands of perfected beings can all be moved before one’s eyes and made to appear in form, so that one may divine people and objects. Even signs of events that have yet to unfold can be understood through spiritual resonance. This is a method of commanding by edict.

Traditional procedure:

Recite the incantation, draw a breath of Qi from one of the Three Lights—the sun, moon, or stars—and blow it onto a brush or fingertip. Dip cinnabar (or a cinnabar-colored finger) in sesame oil and draw a talisman in the palm. (The original talisman diagram is missing.)

Have the person blow again, then recite the incantation, draw Qi, and blow it out. Repeat this three times. A beam of light will appear, enabling one to see through the realms of the hidden and the manifest, as well as events of the future that have not yet come to pass.

The Precious Mirror of the Immortals’ Offices for Penetrating the Mysterious

(Repeat the secret names from the opening: Red Apricot, Ink Black, Grinding the True, Sock Wax, Numinous Treasure…)

Procedure:

First recite the incantation and draw the master’s heart seal in the air. With the left hand, grasp a portion of the air and gather it into the palm. Draw Qi from the Five Directions and blow it into the palm. Have the person blow, then press down. Repeat this three times. Three colors—red, yellow, and white—should appear in the palm. Then recite:

I respectfully summon the talisman emissaries who call forth the perfected and summon the numinous. Hasten down swiftly.

Next, draw Qi from the Heavenly Gate and blow it out. Two talismans, the color of cinnabar, should appear in the palm (corresponding to the talisman method used at the altar). Then recite:

Divine winds blow and resound; jade characters ring like jade chimes.

Draw Qi from the southeast and blow it out; the two talismans should be seen moving. Then recite:

I respectfully summon the Youth Who Opens the Way in the East to descend swiftly for me.
(The incantations for the east, south, west, north, and center are the same; only the names of the directional youths differ.)

Next, draw Qi from the Five Directions and blow it out. Once the youths of the Five Directions have appeared, they may be summoned and gathered one by one, and the rite performed according to the prescribed method.

Notes:

• Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui are the directional positions of the Eight Trigrams, used here to gather and subdue evil ghosts from the eight directions.
• The Three Paths and Five Sufferings refers to a Daoist hand seal associated with hell and suffering; here it is the name of a hand-seal technique.
• The Six Supernatural Powers include abilities such as divine sight and divine hearing; here the term refers to the effects attributed to the reach of divine light.
• The Heavenly Gate usually refers to the northwest or the space above the head, and is one of the directions from which Qi may be drawn.
• Several talisman and heart-seal diagrams in the text are missing. To perform the rites, consult a complete version and follow the transmission from a teacher.

Manifesting Forms (the Heaven-and-Earth Qi-Blowing Method)

Heaven and Earth send down true Qi, and the Sun and Moon join as one form. Whether in the heavens, beneath the earth, or somewhere else, blow Qi according to the usual method to make it appear.

Formula for Quickly Delivering the Souls of the Dead

Whenever you conduct a ritual to deal with ghosts and malign spirits, make sure that both the living and the dead benefit. First recite the Prison-Breaking Incantation:

Supreme Mysterious Origin, Most High Lord of the Dao, command me to wield the talisman and illuminate the nether prison, so that guilty souls may depart and be freed. With all haste, in accordance with the statutes and commands.

This incantation comes from the Scripture of the Ninefold Pure Ones’ Brahma Chant. Facing the Gate of Heaven, recite it silently nine times.

Next, summon the souls of the dead and enable them to leave their suffering swiftly. First recite the Water-Refining Incantation:

What has withered shall flourish again; what has perished shall live again. May they be born in Heaven and receive anew the numinous essence. By the command of the Nine Heavens, may they return to the womb and be reborn as infants. May accumulated defilements be swept away, and may stiffened corpses come back to life.

Take a vessel of water and, facing due north, click your teeth nine times. Visualize three Jade Youths and seven Jade Maidens, swallow your saliva seven times, and recite the incantation seven times. Sprinkle the water toward the souls of the dead.

Then recite the Fire-Refining Incantation:

The radiance of the Sun and Moon circles through the Cavern of Yang. Flowing fire enters the vessel and refines away the dark glow. Defilements of the corpse are destroyed; the myriad Qi blend in harmony. May they leave the Five Sufferings directly and ascend to Heaven.

Take a vessel of fire and, facing due south, click your teeth three times. Visualize as before, exhale Qi three times, and recite the incantation nine times. Take the true form of Mount Fengdu, burn it to ashes, and then recite:

By the talismanic command of the Primordial Beginning, the demons are restrained and made to obey. May the souls of the dead be protected and raised up, and conveyed according to their rank to the Southern Palace. May Mount Feng be reduced to ashes, and may the Three Officials release their sentences. May bonds and offenses be pardoned, and may they receive transformation and be born anew. May they be refined and delivered according to their rank, and ascend to the blessed abode.

When you finish reciting, press your tongue against the roof of your mouth and visualize yourself as the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Silently recite the hidden words once, hold golden light in your mouth, and form the Jade Clarity Mudra with both hands. Blow toward the northeast onto the paper, then release the mudra. The souls of the dead can then ascend to be reborn in the Vermilion Palace, receive refinement according to their rank, and be reborn in the blessed abode.

From the start of this volume’s precepts for practicing this method, through the sections on the Primordial Guideline, the Circulating Manifestations, Entering the Sanctuary to Pay Homage to the Origin, Recitation and Visualization, Numinous Jade Tablets and Chapters, the Radiance of the Three Mornings, the Upright Qi of the Five Phases, the Inner Refinement of the Five Sprouts, and Recitation in the Three Palaces, all provide the foundation for practitioners’ cultivation and visualization, ingestion of substances, and summoning of numinous beings. Once inner practice is complete, one must also aid others outwardly: healing illness, dispelling malign influences, rescuing the hidden and helping the manifest. These are the foremost duties in establishing merit.

Plain-Language Interpretation

Some people focus only on “how to perform the ritual” without first understanding the overall structure of the Great Lingbao Method (Lingbao Dafa). Lingbao’s primary concern is opening a path for the dead and rescuing their souls. It also has a separate set of ritual ranks and procedures specifically for expelling harmful influences and treating illness. In fact, Lingbao is a major method of the Middle Vehicle, a system of cultivation and ritual practice between the Upper and Lower Vehicles. It benefits both the living and the dead, and applies to nearly every matter.

The visible and hidden realms follow the same principles; humans and ghosts are not fundamentally different. When receiving a petition and first taking up a case, one must carefully assess its nature. If a demon or malign spirit is intruding violently upon the living, defying Heaven and acting without the Dao, with circumstances that admit no pardon, then it is right to record the matter in a memorial to the Highest Mystery and report it for acknowledgment, so that its form and its kindred or continuance may be extinguished. But if a ghost is stranded in the underworld, burdened by grievance and injustice; if hungry ghosts and destitute souls have no support or descendants to make offerings; if they are lost and have no way to be reborn; or if they cling to the human world and linger among the living, their Yin Qi afflicting people and causing illness, then the matter must be treated differently.

When a living person is afflicted by a haunting, one must first investigate the sufferer’s bodily condition and Qi, and then trace the source of the haunting. This is beyond the reckless guesses of charlatans, fraudulent exorcists, and their ilk. The next step is the method of illumination and inquiry: examine the actual signs and investigate the spirit’s name. Do not trust false claims; pursue the matter through to its beginning and end. If the circumstances call for compassion and the soul has sunk into the netherworld, follow the ancient rites for rescuing and delivering the dead: hold the spirit steady and the mind calm, silently recite the Lingbao scriptures, and open the way for deliverance according to the prescribed form. Then burn the true-form document of Mount Feng (Fengshan Zhenxing), used in Fengdu Mountain and the underworld, or issue one or two talismanic commands for transcendence, dispatching the appropriate officials, officers, and soldiers to the proper bureau, where the soul may be reborn according to its karma. This is the most complete course of action.

Even wealthy households may undertake great acts of merit and establish elaborate purification rites, yet the spirits they summon may show little response, and deliverance may remain uncertain. How difficult, then, to expect to rescue a soul in an instant, within a single scripture or incantation! Establishing a purification rite, issuing formal documents, and summoning a soul are not matters to be taken lightly. First, the presiding ritual master must be thoroughly versed in the ritual teachings and fully understand their principles. Next, the documents and memorials must conform to established precedents. The master must also be wholehearted in the purification, inwardly and outwardly of one mind, and must establish the altar and complete the proceedings without omitting any prescribed rite. Finally, the soul to be delivered should retain its spiritual awareness, have lived a disciplined life, and not be burdened with grave offenses. Only then might prayer reach its mark, allowing the soul to appear and receive deliverance. If even one or two parts of the rite are obstructed, the response may be distant and faint.

When a ghost’s affliction reaches the living, the ghost must either be carrying an unaddressed grievance or lack support and offerings. Once the reciprocal claims have been settled and recorded in the underworld, the ghost is no longer held there. If the living person’s understanding is not clear, however, they may remain confused and unaware.

The Great Method of the Shangqing Lingbao, Volume Seven: A Plain-Language Interpretation

When wandering spirits and baleful influences spread, and demons and malign forces stir recklessly, the ritual officiant—the Daoist priest who presides over the liturgy—can instruct and admonish through reason, guide through Daoist methods, and act in accordance with the teachings of the High Perfected Ones, the perfected immortals of the upper realms. Supported by solemn stillness and wholehearted concentration, the officiant can, through the rhythms of breathing, deliver souls from darkness. This is no empty claim.

The living may be spared the burden of illness, while the dead may escape the suffering of sinking into stagnation and despair.

If a family is not poor, yet the departed have not been delivered, it is difficult to carry out this ritual method in full. In that case, one may perform the purification rites and observe the prescribed practices independently.

In The Lingbao Jade Mirror, compiled at Tiantai, one section is placed under “Righteous Qi of the Five Phases” but also mixes together various incantations. As a result, it contains no specific entry on “speedily delivering departed souls,” making the deeper meaning of the ancient method difficult to discern. I therefore begin with the older ritual procedures and try to clarify their underlying structure. We should understand that when the ancients treated illness and dispelled malign forces, their aim was to benefit both the realms of the living and the dead. Those who study the Dao should give this careful attention.

—The Great Method of the Shangqing Lingbao, Volume Seven