《道門科範大全集》Vol. 63

This is a record of the opening ceremony for the Zhenwu Dadi (also known as Xuantian Shangdi) jiao ritual in Daoism, compiled by Zhong Li, a disciple well-versed in the scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen). The ceremony primarily consists of the following stages:

First, the ritual master leads the participants in preparing the altar according to established procedures. Referring to themselves humbly as "your subject so-and-so," they reverently light three types of incense: Dao incense (special ritual incense), De incense (symbolizing virtuous merit), and Wuwei (non-action) natural incense (representing the Dao's spontaneous harmony). With utmost devotion, they perform ceremonial bows to the assembled deities.

Next follows the invocation of deities. The principal spirits summoned include: Zhenwu Lingying Yousheng Zhenjun (Zhenwu Dadi, the important Daoist guardian deity), his parents King Jingyue and Queen Shansheng, along with the Four Saints of the Northern Dipper (Tianpeng Yuanshuai, Tianyou Fuyuanshuai, Yisheng Zhenjun, etc.). Also invited are the thunder deities (Marshals Deng, Xin, Zhang, Gou, and Bi), the stellar lords of Xu and Wei from the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, as well as guardian generals like the Black Tiger Deity and Liu Tianjun. Local deities such as City Gods (Chenghuang) and Earth Gods (Tudi), along with the Three Realms Messengers (celestial officials responsible for communication), are also included in the summons.

The ritual master declares: During this auspicious hour of cosmic clarity, having purified themselves through bathing and changing into clean robes, they prepare to receive the deities with the highest reverence. The assembly prostrates in deep veneration, expressing their most sincere devotion.

The ceremony then proceeds to the document dispatch phase. The master recites incantations while sprinkling purified water to cleanse the ritual space. The scripture emphasizes: Though the Dao of Heaven is lofty and inscrutable, sincere devotion will surely elicit response. Through incense offerings and prayers, they seek to communicate with the Four Duty Officers (annual, monthly, daily, and hourly deities), requesting them to convey human sincerity and guide the deities to descend and bear witness.

Note: The jiao ritual is a crucial sacrificial ceremony in Daoism, with the "Yousheng Jiao" specifically dedicated to Zhenwu Dadi. The entire ceremony emphasizes both internal and external purification, employing incense burning, incantation recitation, and document dispatch to establish communication with the divine realm.

This passage describes the ritual for inviting the Gongcao Messengers (divine officials responsible for delivering messages in Daoism) during a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) ceremony. The four Gongcao respectively oversee the transmission of messages for the year, month, day, and hour. During the ritual, the Daoist priest devoutly invites them to descend upon the altar.

The Gongcao Messengers possess extraordinary abilities, capable of traversing thousands of miles instantly to deliver messages between the celestial palaces of the Jade Capital and Golden Court. They ride cloud chariots and wind-steeds, moving with the swiftness of a breeze. The presiding priest (jiaoguan) declares himself a cultivator of orthodox methods through virtuous karmic connections, offering incense morning and night in hopes of moving the deities through sincere prayer. As auspicious clouds rise and immortal winds swirl, the priest unfurls the scripture (the "emerald-case" Daoist texts) to earnestly express his wishes, beseeching the deities to lend their ears.

The next phase involves reading the formal petition (a Daoist document). Though the mortal and divine realms are separated, an auspicious time is chosen to respectfully invite the exalted perfected ones to descend. The priest implores the Gongcao Messengers to relay his requests: that the matters prayed for may be fulfilled, calamities averted, and endeavors successfully accomplished.

The final section introduces Zhenwu the Great Emperor (supreme martial deity of the north). As an incarnation of Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), he corresponds to the sixth star of the Big Dipper, Wuxu (the Martial Star). Among northern constellations, the Xu and Wei stars form a serpent, while the Shi and Bi stars form a tortoise—their combined image creates Zhenwu's iconic turtle-snake form. In heaven, Zhenwu wears a dark jade crown and black robes, counted among the Four Saints of the North Pole alongside Tianpeng, Tianyou, and Yisheng. When descending to earth, he appears with disheveled hair and bare feet, wielding a demon-subduing sword. He commands numerous divine generals including the Six Ding Jade Maidens and Eight Killer Generals, attended by thunder gods and rain masters. Special mention is made of Zhenwu's frequent manifestations in Shu (modern Sichuan), where Xuanwu County was renamed to avoid naming taboo during the Song Dynasty.

This scripture records the miraculous manifestations of Zhenwu Dadi (the Great Emperor of Perfect Warrior, also known as Zhenjun), an important Daoist deity, in the Chengdu region of Sichuan. From the Han to Sui dynasties, this area was under Chengdu's jurisdiction until being reassigned to Jiaozhou in the third year of Wude era (620 CE) during the Tang dynasty. The county preserves numerous sacred traces of Zhenwu—backed by towering mountains housing Daoist temples both atop and below their slopes, while facing a great river where natural rock formations resemble the shapes of a tortoise and snake (symbolic creatures of Zhenwu Dadi).

In recent times, though no resident Daoist priests remained and the site had been converted into a Jinxian ritual ground, Zhenwu's numinous power continued to manifest frequently, delivering divine messages in Chengdu. During the early Song dynasty, a Chengdu resident named Li Tanhui constructed a pavilion to worship Zhenjun, who descended to impart the Five Dippers Scripture (Wudou Jing)—a text later widely circulated. Another devotee named Du Ming also received frequent divine revelations through his sincere worship.

During the Xianping era (998-1003) of Emperor Zhenzong's reign, when the Wang Jun rebellion erupted, rebel soldiers arrested Du Ming. As he stood before their leader, Du suddenly uttered mysterious words that prompted his release. His grateful family later donated all their wealth to build a hall at Sanbao Yuan in Tianqing Temple, enshrining Zhenjun's statue with painted depictions of his divine attendants, commemorating their deliverance. During the Lantern Festival celebrations after the hall's completion, as crowds thronged the newly decorated space, Du Ming assigned his younger brother to tend the ritual chime and incense lamps. That night, the brother's voyeuristic peeping at women through gauze windows angered Zhenjun, who nearly struck him blind.

In the fifth year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1012), Zhenjun proclaimed through revelation: "Heavenly Marshal (Tianpeng) comes as guest, while I act as host"—after which celestial immortals frequently descended. One day during Du Ming's incense offering, Zhenjun commanded him to summon Daoist Master Han Daochong of the Mingji lineage, declaring: "Having manifested here for years, I shall now move to the Eastern Capital (Luoyang) to protect the emperor. Maintain your faith." Thereafter, Zhenjun's voice ceased. A decade later, miraculous tortoise-snake apparitions at Beijing's Sacred Water Temple perfectly fulfilled this prophecy.

Towards the end of Emperor Huizong's Chongning era (1102-1106), Chengdu scholar Ji Tang tutored students at Shengshou Temple's Liu family. Zhenjun revealed that Ji's name had been erased from celestial records (Tiancao) for unfilial conduct—a prediction fulfilled when he died destitute abroad. During the Jingkang crisis (1126-1127) when the capital fell, Zhenwu reappeared in Chengdu. Court official Yang Guang, whose daughter suffered demonic affliction, hosted a Four Saints Ritual (Sisheng Jiao) at Yuju Temple where Zhenjun manifested anew.

This scripture expounds seven essential precepts to observe when conducting Daoist zhaijiao (purification rituals). The narrative begins with the manifestation of a celestial being called "Zhenjun" (True Lord, an honorific title for high-ranking Daoist immortals):

A government official dreamed of Zhenjun descending before him—the deity's countenance radiated benevolence and his voice resonated with crystalline clarity, treating the man as an honored guest. Upon awakening, the official led his entire household in devoutly performing jiao rituals (Daoist sacrificial ceremonies), thereafter deepening his reverence for the Daoist tradition.

The text particularly emphasizes that divine offerings must never be approached with irreverence or defilement. When preparing for zhaijiao, one must comprehend these seven precepts from the outset:

First: Never resort to heterodox paths or improper methods when seeking blessings. Maintain purity of body and mind, wholeheartedly aligning with the orthodox Dao.

Second: Uphold loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness. Serve elders with reverence, treat others with compassion, and constantly remember Daoist teachings.

Third: Liberate ancestors across generations and wronged deceased relatives. They may have fallen victim to the Six Heavens Demonic Forces (malevolent spirits in Daoism) and been denied their natural lifespan. Assist their deliverance through proper rituals.

Fourth: On days when Zhenjun descends, memorial documents must avoid taboo characters (such as "告" [petition] or "乞" [beg]), nor should inferior spirit money be burned. Only specially prepared oil-polished paper should be used.

Fifth: Observe fasting on Zhenjun's descent days—abstain from meat, particularly forbidden items like black carp, Yuntai vegetables, coriander, purslane, garlic, and seven-star fish. Ensure no such odors cling to one's person.

Sixth: Women under fifty must not approach the sacred altar. Servants or children with bodily odors are likewise prohibited from the divine presence. Maintain ritual purity when making offerings.

Seventh: When facing the deities, never spit or urinate toward the northern direction. Absolute cleanliness must be preserved.

The text concludes by explaining that Zhenjun descends to the human realm on Jiazi days, Gengshen days, and the 3rd, 7th, 13th, 17th, 23rd, and 27th of each lunar month—acting under the decree of Tianzun (the Supreme Daoist deity)—to receive sacrifices and scrutinize human virtue, vice, and spiritual cultivation.

This scripture records the standardized procedures and invocations for conducting Daoist purification rituals (Zhaijiao). It first emphasizes that all participants must observe the "Seven Northern Precepts" (fundamental Daoist commandments) to discipline body and mind, avoiding transgressions that might incur divine displeasure. Only through such purification can the deities descend to receive offerings.

The text then details the ritual sequence: The presiding Daoist priest (referred to as "your servant") must reverently petition various sacred beings. The invoked deities include: the Supreme Ultimate Great Dao (highest Daoist divinity), the Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures (canonical Daoist texts), the Great Master of Mysterious Center (primordial Dharma transmitter), the Five Perfected Lords of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao school patriarchs), the Perfected Lord of Supreme Mystery (Celestial Master Zhang Daoling), and various immortals from the Jade Capital Mountain (Daoist celestial realm).

The priest humbly acknowledges his mortal limitations in presiding over such solemn ceremonies, expressing concern that his inadequate cultivation might offend the divine. He therefore earnestly beseeches the patriarchs to descend to the ritual platform, infusing him with authentic Qi (primordial energy) to ensure the ceremony's successful completion and the descent of all celestial beings.

The invocation concludes with the formal phrase "respectfully submitted for your attention," preparing to transition into the "merit dedication" (turning virtue toward all beings) phase. The entire passage exemplifies the meticulous liturgical standards (Keyi) of Daoist rituals, demonstrating the priest's devotional reverence and humble self-reflection before the divine.