《洞玄靈寶課中法》

This passage from the Dongxuan Lingbao Kezhong Fa explains the Daoist ritual method of summoning different divine Qi (vital energies) based on one's birth date and time. Here's a modern interpretation:

First is the standard opening format for the ritual:

"On [specific date], the personal destiny information of practitioner [Daoist title and name]: born on [birth date and hour], under the jurisdiction of [specific celestial realm] (determined through Five Phases' tonal correspondence, e.g., Wood destiny belongs to the Azure Heaven), governed by [specific Celestial Lord] (e.g., those born in Jiazi or Bingzi years belong to Jinshang Heaven). The ritual will now be performed within the corresponding Qi realm (passed down through the master's lineage)."

The correspondences between directions and celestial emperors:

Azure color in the East corresponds to the Green Emperor

Vermilion color in the South corresponds to the Red Emperor

White color in the West corresponds to the White Emperor

Black color in the North corresponds to the Black Emperor

Yellow color in the Center corresponds to the Yellow Emperor

Time periods and their corresponding primordial Qi realms:

Yin (3-5am) and Mao (5-7am) hours correspond to Nine Heavens and Nine Qi

Si (9-11am) and Wu (11am-1pm) hours correspond to Three Heavens and Three Qi

Shen (3-5pm) and You (5-7pm) hours correspond to Seven Heavens and Seven Qi

Hai (9-11pm) and Zi (11pm-1am) hours correspond to Five Heavens and Five Qi

Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei hours (transitional periods between seasons) correspond to One Heaven and One Qi

The text then details specific summoning correspondences for different birth times:

Each two-hour period has three corresponding Qi Lords to summon, for example:

Zi-hour births summon the Central Mysterious Three Qi Lords

Mao-hour births summon the Superior Primordial Three Qi Lords

(Other time periods follow similar patterns)

Special notes:

Those born in Yin, Shen, Si, or Hai months (first months of seasons) receive summoning from the Transformation Qi Lords of Qingwei Heaven

Those born in Zi, Wu, Mao, or You months (mid-season months) receive summoning from the Protection Qi Lords of Yuyu Heaven

Those born in Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei months (final months of seasons) receive summoning from the Register Qi Lords of Dachi Heaven

Finally, the summoning correspondences based on Heavenly Stem-Earthly Branch combinations:

For example, those born in Jiazi to Wuchen years are summoned by the Great Solar Lord of Taiqing from Qingwei Heaven

Those born in Jiayin to Wuwu years are summoned by the Communicating Solar Lord of Taiqing from Qingwei Heaven

(Other combinations follow similar principles)

These summoning methods can be used both for gathering divine Qi and for performing talismanic rituals (Fulu) to exorcise evil spirits.

This scripture passage records the celestial summoning system corresponding to birth years and months as documented in the Dongxuan Lingbao Kezhong Fa (Ritual Methods from the Numinous Treasure Cavern Mystery). The content is divided into two main sections.

The first section explains how birth years corresponding to specific Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (such as Jiaxu or Jisi) determine which celestial realm (Great Scarlet Heaven [Dachi Tian], Pure Subtlety Heaven [Qingwei Tian], or Yu's Abundance Heaven [Yuyu Tian]) will send deities to summon the individual. For instance, those born between the years of Jiaxu and Wuyin are summoned by the "Great Yin Lord of Primordial Beginnings from Great Scarlet Heaven," while those born between Jisi and Guiyou years are summoned by the "Great Solar Lord of Primordial Beginnings from Pure Subtlety Heaven."

The second section details the summoning deities corresponding to the twelve zodiac years (Rat, Ox, etc., based on the Earthly Branches) and birth months. For example:

• Those born in the Year of the Rat (Zi) are summoned by the "Great Northern Deity, Lord of Double Brightness"
• Those born in the Year of the Horse (Wu) are summoned by the "Great Southern Blazing Solar Lord of Fiery Radiance"
• Those born in the first lunar month are summoned by the High Yi Lord, while those born in the second month are summoned by the Middle Yi Lord

The scripture mentions the "Green Armor Register" (Qingjia Lu) and "Scarlet Armor Register" (Chijia Lu), which are Daoist documents recording practitioners' information, while the "Primordial Destiny Scarlet Register Rites" (Yuanming Chilü Ke) refers to related ceremonial protocols. This summoning system reflects the Daoist cosmological view that connects human birthdates with the divine realm, serving as an important identity authentication method in ancient Daoist cultivation practices.

(Note: The Great Scarlet Heaven, Pure Subtlety Heaven, and Yu's Abundance Heaven are three of Daoism's Thirty-Six Heavens; "Lord" [Jun] is an honorific for high-ranking deities; "Register" [Lu] refers to credential documents bestowed upon Daoist disciples.)

This scripture explains the summoning methods for two types of Daoist ritual talismans (fulu) - the "Primordial Destiny Crimson Register" and the "Upper Numinous Official Register" - which are used to invoke deities according to one's birth month:

[Primordial Destiny Crimson Register Section]

Those born in the ninth month invoke the "Lower Rong Sovereign"; the tenth month summons the "Upper Di Sovereign"; the eleventh month calls the "Middle Di Sovereign"; and the twelfth month invokes the "Lower Di Sovereign". If the exact birth year is unknown, men use the "Nine Lower Sovereigns Summons" while women employ the "Great Yin Lower Sovereign Summons".

The text then details the corresponding deities by month:

• First month: Lower Great Mysterious Clear Subtlety Central Radiance Five Qi Sovereign
• Second month: Mysterious Principle Jade Penetrating Qi Sovereign
• Third month: Cloaked Central Mysterious Radiance Qi Right Official Doubled Light Sovereign

...

Through all twelve months with respective summons. If the birth month is unknown, the twelfth month's invocation is used universally.

[Upper Numinous Official Register Section]

The four cardinal directions correspond to seasonal months:

• First to third months: Eastern "Yi Sovereigns" (upper/middle/lower)
• Fourth to sixth months: Southern "Man Sovereigns"
• Seventh to ninth months: Western "Rong Sovereigns"
• Tenth to twelfth months: Northern "Di Sovereigns"

Finally, birth hours correspond to stellar deities:

• Zi hour (11pm-1am) births align with the Greedy Wolf Star (son of the Black Emperor, corresponding to Void-Surmounting Heaven)
• Chou hour (1-3am) births relate to the Giant Gate Star (son of the Yellow Emperor, corresponding to Upper Bright Seven Luminaries Heaven)

(Note: Terms like "Rong Sovereign" and "Di Sovereign" are Daoist deity titles, while "Greedy Wolf Star" and "Giant Gate Star" belong to the Big Dipper's stellar pantheon, with parenthetical celestial realm names. This fulu summoning system embodies Daoist cultivation principles that synchronize spatiotemporal orientations, astral phenomena, and divine correspondences.)

This scripture primarily discusses the ordination system (Fulu) of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition (also known as the Celestial Master tradition) in Daoism, along with the corresponding stellar deities associated with the twelve Chinese zodiac signs.

Regarding the zodiac-stellar deity correspondences:

• Those born in the Year of the Tiger (Yin) fall under the jurisdiction of the Lúcún Star Lord, belonging to the system of the Green Emperor (Eastern Celestial Sovereign).
• Rabbit (Mao) year natives are governed by the Wénqǔ Star Lord, also under the Green Emperor's system.
• Dragon (Chen) year individuals are under the Liánzhēn Star Lord, belonging to the Yellow Emperor (Central Celestial Sovereign) system, corresponding to the Heaven of Clarity and Serenity (Guān Míng Duān Jìng Tiān).
• Snake (Si) year people are governed by the Wǔqǔ Star Lord, under the Red Emperor's (Southern Celestial Sovereign) system.

(The remaining zodiac signs follow this pattern, each having corresponding stellar deities and Celestial Sovereign systems.)

Explanation of the Fulu ordination system:

The Daoist registers serve to discipline one's temperament, rectify faults, and sever evil tendencies, assisting practitioners in progressing from ordinary humans to sages. Just as students must begin with elementary education, Daoist cultivation also starts with basic Fulu.

These registers record the profound Qi of celestial realms and the titles of various deities, serving as credentials for practitioners. The scripture states that those who fail to attain Daoist rank during their lifetime will descend to become low-level spirits after death.

Novices cannot immediately receive advanced registers; they must begin with foundational "Three-Five Grades" Fulu. Ancient perfected individuals often attained immortality by cultivating just one or two register grades—the key lies in sincere practice rather than accumulating numerous grades.

The Zhengyi tradition features 24 register grades corresponding to the 24 vital energies of heaven and earth. For instance, the "Zhengyi Three-Five One Hundred Fifty Generals Register" comprises upper and lower grades: the upper called "Superior Immortals" and the lower "Superior Numinous Beings," both representing important guardian deities within the human body.

"Zhengyi" (Orthodox Unity) represents orthodox Daoist methods capable of subduing heterodox practices; "Hundun" (Primordial Chaos) symbolizes humanity's original state; "Yuanming" (Primordial Life) denotes the fundamental essence of existence. These concepts form the core philosophy of Zhengyi Fulu.

(Note: The "Green Emperor," "Red Emperor," etc. refer to the Five Directional Celestial Sovereigns in Daoism; "Lúcún," "Wénqǔ," etc. are names of the Big Dipper's Seven Star Lords; "Heaven of Clarity and Serenity" belongs to the Thirty-Six Heavens in Daoist cosmology.)

At the moment when human life first takes form in the womb, it resembles the primordial chaos of heaven and earth at creation. What we call "original destiny" refers to the fundamental life energy inherent in every person from birth. Those who understand how to cultivate this fundamental life energy may attain the state of a realized Daoist adept (Zhenren).

The principles and methods for cultivating original destiny are profoundly subtle, requiring direct transmission from master to disciple before the ritual altar, through which the disciple comprehends the origins and manifestations of this primal life force. In truth, all cultivation methods ultimately revolve around our own being, which can be understood through two aspects: externally, the Orthodox Unity (Zhengyi) tradition establishes its practice space in the celestial "Imperial Han Dipper Palace" representing the heavenly realms; internally, it involves cultivating the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (three major energy centers in the body). These three Dantian contain three types of primordial Qi that can transform into 1,200 manifestations and 12,000 spiritual radiances.

Thus, mastering the generative patterns of these three primordial energies and understanding the six fundamental numerical principles allows yang energy to transform into dragon chariots and yin energy to become jade maidens, freely traversing the void. The scripture further states: the movement of Qi follows the transformations of the spirit (Shen). When spirit is present, Qi coalesces; when spirit dissipates, Qi scatters. This Qi refers to the vital energy of the twenty-four body deities (according to Daoist belief, each body part has corresponding guardian spirits). Qi and spirit can mutually transform—dispersed Qi becomes clouds and mist, while concentrated Qi forms physical substance; projected outward it achieves immortality, conserved inward it returns to primordial unity. Ascending, it condenses into the Three Origins (heaven, earth and water officials); descending, it generates all things. In stillness it constitutes our physical form; in movement it manifests as our consciousness. Therefore all spiritual transformations after attaining the Dao originate from within ourselves.

When practitioners reach certain stages of attainment, yin energy naturally dissipates while yang energy naturally descends. When no yin energy remains within, the nine heavens above contain no yin forces; when no yang energy remains below, the nine earths beneath contain no yang forces. This constitutes the fundamental principle of Zhengyi Daoist practice.