《朝真發願懺悔文》

Interpretation of the "Liturgy of Purification and Vows for Audience with the Divine"

Purification of Speech (Chant for Cleansing Verbal Karma):

(Recite three times) I vow to abandon deceitful words, flattery, slander, gossip, and harmful speech. Henceforth, may my words align with the Dao, promote virtue (De), and resonate with the divine.

Purification of Action (Chant for Cleansing Physical Karma):

I renounce all defiled actions—killing, stealing, and licentiousness—and cultivate compassion, integrity, and righteousness. Through this purity of body and mind, may I commune with the divine and receive the protection of the celestial guardians and all benevolent spirits.

Purification of Mind (Chant for Cleansing Mental Karma):

May my heart-mind become as clear and unstained as the Dao itself, recognizing greed, anger, and delusion as false distractions. When thoughts settle into emptiness, I will attain the formless realm of the Great Canopy Heaven (Daluo Tian), the highest celestial plane in Daoist cosmology.

Incantation for Offering Incense (Prayer with Burning Incense):

Though the divine is boundless and ever-changing, sincerity can bridge the gap. Through this rising smoke, I convey my devotion. May its fragrance pervade the Great Canopy Heaven, inviting the immortals to descend and bear witness to my prayers.

Invocation of the Divine Messengers (Welcoming the Celestial Officials):

With reverence, I invite the Divine Messengers (Gongcao) and local earth deities (Tudishen). May you traverse the celestial courts and underworld realms, delivering my earnest supplications to the sages and worthies.

Invocation of the Sacred (Welcoming the Pantheon of Deities):

We devoutly pay homage to:

• The Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)
• The Nine Luminaries of the Northern Dipper
• The Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) and the King Father of the East (Dongwanggong)
• The Deities of the Sun, Moon, and Stars
• Our Destiny Guardians (Benming Shen)
• The Three Officials (Sanguan Dadi)
• The Four Saints (Sisheng Zhenjun)
• The Patriarchs of All Ages
• The Thunder Ministry Generals
• The Underworld Officials

And all immortals of the Ten Directions.

We humbly beseech your descent to this sacred altar, granting compassionate guidance to practitioners seeking the Supreme Dao.

Dedication of Merit (Turning Merit Toward All Beings):

The merit of reciting these scriptures is immeasurable. May it be dedicated to all sacred beings throughout the cosmos. I pray the deities witness my sincere repentance, dissolving karmic obstructions as countless as the sands of the Ganges.

Confession and Vows:

We repent for the transgressions accumulated through countless cycles of rebirth—entangled in sensory desires, we have committed acts of anger, ignorance, envy, harsh speech, falsehood, killing, theft, and lust.

We have disobeyed parents, betrayed teachers, disrespected heaven and earth, scorned the winds and rains, and denied the law of cause and effect—thus enduring endless suffering in samsara.

All this stems from losing our true nature and clinging to delusions.

(Note: The translation preserves Daoist cosmological concepts like "Great Canopy Heaven" (Daluo Tian) and "Three Officials" (Sanguan Dadi) while rendering the devotional tone with liturgical gravity. Technical terms like "Gongcao" (Divine Messengers) and "Benming Shen" (Destiny Guardians) are contextualized naturally.)

This Litany of Confession and Vows Before the Divine is a Daoist devotional text where practitioners confess transgressions and express their spiritual resolutions to the deities. The core message can be understood as follows:

We ordinary beings often indulge in the illusory pleasures of the six senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects), drowning in the river of desire. Now that we've been fortunate enough to obtain human form and encounter the true teachings of the Dao (the Way), this is an exceedingly rare opportunity. If we continue indulging as before, we'll ultimately lose our true nature, falling into wretched rebirths or even animal realms. Therefore, we must deeply contemplate the suffering of such downfall, awaken with pure resolve to take refuge in the divine, and sincerely repent.

We beseech the deities to pardon our ignorance, absolve our transgressions, dissolve karmic obstacles, and dispel demonic hindrances. May we encounter wise teachers who reveal the true principles of the Dao (the Way), diligently cultivate so virtuous thoughts take root, and at life's end maintain clear awareness to be reborn in favorable realms—recovering past-life memories and ultimately realizing supreme enlightenment.

The text then presents twelve great vows:

1. May the nation be peaceful and people prosperous, with favorable weather

2. May the true Dao (the Way) flourish and teachings spread widely

3. May the wicked reform and evil spirits return to righteousness

4. May the world know harmony with empty prisons

5. May deceased souls be liberated and grievances resolved

6. May all truth-seekers attain genuine realization

7. May ancestors and kin across generations attain deliverance

8. May teachers, friends, and fellow practitioners realize the Great Dao (the Way) together

9. May all beings increase in wisdom and blessings

10. May slaughtered creatures be reborn in favorable realms

11. May we abstain from killing and sexual misconduct

12. May we eradicate greed and hypocrisy, speaking and acting with integrity

The conclusion reaffirms the practitioner's commitment: to cultivate humility and patience, treat others with compassion; to reject false views and associate with virtuous friends; to develop wisdom for universal salvation. May we permanently sever deluded attachments and return to the Dao (the Way). Even through countless kalpas (eons), these vows shall remain unshaken. With reverence, we bow to the "Three Supreme Treasures" (Dao [the Way], Scriptures, and Teachers), grateful for divine protection.

The closing "Thanksgiving" section expresses gratitude for the deities' guardianship and prays for continued blessings from the Great Dao (the Way). This confession liturgy embodies the Daoist practitioner's pursuit of self-reformation and compassionate service to the world.