《道門科範大全集》Vol. 19

This passage describes the opening sequence of the Daoist "Wenchang Zhulu Baizhang" ritual ceremony. The Star Lord Wenchang presides over scholarly honors and official emoluments, and this ritual is primarily performed to pray for success in scholarly pursuits and official careers.

At the commencement of the ceremony, the Daoist priests ascend the ritual platform according to prescribed protocols. The presiding High Priest (zhutan daoshi) leads the assembly in paying respects to the founding masters while silently practicing cunxiang (visualizing deities through focused intention). The High Priest then recites the "Weiling Zhou" (Guardian Spirit Incantation), a protective chant for the ritual space that invokes the Five Stars of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth each guarding their respective directions: the Water Star dispels calamities, the Wood Star brings prosperity, the Fire Star (Yinghuo) eliminates disasters, the Metal Star (Taibai) wards off military conflicts, and the Earth Star (Zhenxing) stabilizes all directions to ensure familial and national flourishing.

The priest visualizes his name being inscribed on the jade tablets of the celestial realm, his soul ascending through the great void to wander through the ten directions of immortal paradise. At this moment, five-colored clouds form a celestial canopy to summon divine beings, while thousands of spirit officers are mobilized to guard the immortal dignitaries. The priest then strikes the ritual drum twenty-four times, symbolizing the opening of communication through the Three Realms.

The High Priest performs the "Falu" (Kindling the Furnace) ceremony, reverently inviting the supreme Daoist deities—the "Three Original Qi of the Formless Three Heavens" (namely Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun) along with Taishang Laojun to descend. Simultaneously, he summons the guardian generals within his body: the Three-Five Merit Officials, Left and Right Messenger Officers, Incense-Bearing Dragon Riders, Golden Boy Incense Attendants, and Jade Maidens of Flower Scattering—thirty-six of each deity—all arrayed in solemn attire, prepared to convey the supplications.

The priest declares the purpose of tonight's ritual platform ceremony, praying that the ten directions of immortal truth may bestow the Dao-Qi (primordial energy), enabling his sincere heart to reach the celestial courts. Finally, he respectfully invites in sequence: Yuanshi Tianzun, the Jade Emperor, the Purple Tenuity Emperor, the stellar officials of the Great Tenuity Enclosure, the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, with special emphasis on inviting the Eastern Wall Star Lord (who governs literary fortunes), the Wenchang Star Lord, and the Three Platforms Star Lords. Through these layered invocations, the entire opening ceremony constructs a sacred space for communication between humans and deities.

This scripture belongs to the Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual) tradition, serving as a penitential prayer where Daoist priests seek divine forgiveness for transgressions and pray for wisdom through incense offerings.

The text begins by invoking numerous Daoist deities, including the Star Lord of Advancing Virtue (Jinxian Xingjun), the Perfected of Flourishing Culture (Wenchang Zhenren, patron of literary success), and the Sacred Emperors of the Five Sacred Mountains (Wuyue Shengdi, mountain deities). Through the incense ritual, priests dedicate merits to ancestors of past dynasties, rulers and ministers, teachers and family members, extending blessings to all living beings.

The confession follows, acknowledging how our originally luminous nature becomes obscured by worldly desires. Specific transgressions are enumerated: insincerity in serving parents, indecisiveness in actions, indulgence in selfish desires, glossing over faults with clever words, and forsaking righteousness for profit. Particular mention is made of those who violate their teachers' instructions with harsh words and actions, or slander the true Dao (orthodox Daoist teachings) with shallow understanding.

The prayer culminates in beseeching the Supreme Limitless Dao (the highest principle in Daoism) to absolve sins from this and past lives, seeking deliverance from the Three Wretched Realms (hell, hungry ghosts, and animal rebirth - the three negative karmic paths) and the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities. The supplicant prays for enlightened wisdom, that all words and deeds may accord with the Dao.

The recurring phrase "gui shen gui shen gui ming" represents the ritual formula for complete surrender of body, spirit, and life to the Dao, while "chang fang chan fang" refers to the directional orientation during penitential rites. The entire scripture embodies the Daoist cultivation principle of eliminating karmic obstacles through repentance to achieve union with the Dao.

This passage describes the repentance and blessing segments within a Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual). The general meaning is as follows:

Human conduct is often tainted with hidden malevolent thoughts—concealing virtuous deeds while boasting of wickedness, excusing one's shortcomings while flaunting strengths, even blaspheming deities and disrespecting elders, bullying others to assert dominance. Such actions accumulate transgressions of the "three karmas" (evil deeds of body, speech, and mind) and the "six roots" (senses of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and consciousness), all recorded by the Three Officials and Nine Bureaus (Daoist institutions overseeing human morality) and the Five Emperors and Four Departments (various divine authorities).

Now, through the Lingbao Immortal Liturgy performed in sacred purity, devotees repent before the assembled saints and perfected ones, seeking divine absolution to eradicate past sins and sever future karmic retribution. This renewal purifies body and mind, restoring the original purity of one's innate nature. They implore the deities to illuminate collective awareness, enabling sincere veneration of the Three Treasures (Dao, scriptures, and masters). Through the ritual master's mediation, all petitions offered during the zhaijiao may receive divine response, with blessings extending to both the living and the spirit world.

The text then enumerates invocations to supreme Daoist deities including the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), the Dao Lord of Jade Capital (Yuchen Daojun), the Ancient Lord of Chaotic Origin (Hunyuan Laojun), and the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi), alongside stellar deities like the Star Lord of Rank and Emolument (Silu Xingjun). The scripture extols the Dao's formless and nameless nature, identifying it as the source and ultimate destination of all creation. The deities employ the Dao's profound mysteries to assist heaven and earth in nurturing all beings, while participants express gratitude for this grace, seeking through ritual to dispel ignorance and receive celestial guidance.

Finally, the ritual master declares their sincere commitment to conveying the devotees' petitions, preparing to recite the formal supplications. This passage exemplifies Daoist religious practice—using repentance and blessing ceremonies to purify body and mind while establishing communion with the divine.

This passage describes the deity-invocation and blessing-seeking segments within a Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual). The high-ranking priest (gaogong) conducts sincere prayers within a purified altar space, communicating with deities through incense offerings.

The priest first expresses heartfelt supplications, trusting that the deities will perceive this sincerity. The rising incense smoke from the burner ascends to the celestial realms, creating visions of descending immortal processions. The altar is solemnly arranged with precious thrones and scattered jade blossoms, evoking a sacred atmosphere.

The ritual then respectfully invites the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing - the supreme triad of Jade Pure, Upper Pure, and Great Pure), the Ten Directions Heavenly Worthies, and the Great Master of Mysterious Center (an important Daoist patriarch) to descend. The priest petitions these deities to show compassion by dispatching guardian spirits, city gods (chenghuang, local protectors), and earth deities to jointly protect the ritual space. This divine protection clears away demonic disturbances, allowing the priest to concentrate fully on divine communion.

Following this comes the "Twelve Vows" ceremony segment, where the priest engages in shen-keeping (spirit visualization through focused meditation) while offering incense again. Incense officials, dragon-tiger deities, and other divine messengers assist in conveying these petitions to the supreme deities including the Three Pure Ones and the Jade Emperor.

The ceremony concludes with the priest leading participants away from the main altar to the Six Chambers Hall (liumutang, a specialized ritual space in Daoist temples) for subsequent procedures. The entire ritual exemplifies Daoist religious practice of standardized liturgy for divine communication.