《許真君玉匣記》

Preface to The Jade Casket Records of Perfected Lord Xu: A Vernacular Interpretation

This Jade Casket Records was composed by Perfected Lord Xu Xun of Jingyang (present-day Zhijiang, Hubei), one of the Four Great Celestial Masters (Tianshi) in Daoism. In his time, the Perfected Lord employed Daoist methods to aid the people—transforming tiles into gold to help them pay taxes, inscribing talismans (fulu) into water to cure diseases, slaying a giant python in Shangliao, and exterminating a venomous sea monster in Jiangxi. His merit (de) was boundless. Even after ascending to immortality with his entire family, he remained deeply concerned with delivering salvation to the world.

Observing how people inadvertently violated cosmic taboos during rituals, thereby inviting continuous misfortune, he reflected: The Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) embodies compassion. When commoners perform purification rites (zhaijiao) to repent and seek blessings, their ignorance of prohibitions instead brings calamity. Moved by pity, the Perfected Lord personally consulted the celestial archives, meticulously analyzing the fortunes and misfortunes associated with each heavenly stem and earthly branch day. He compiled this text to circulate in the mortal realm, enabling those with affinity to understand how to attract good fortune and avert disaster during prayers and exorcisms. This compassionate intention aligns perfectly with the benevolence of Lord Lao.

Recently, the Daoist practitioner Ni Shouzhen of Suzhou obtained this text from an extraordinary individual. To share its wisdom widely, he resolved to have it printed and distributed, requesting that I compose this preface.

It must be understood that while human fortunes and misfortunes are ordained by heaven, those unversed in the Dao (Way) cannot discern their patterns. Only sages can face them with equanimity; only the virtuous comprehend their laws. Ordinary people, unaware of taboos, may transgress celestial decrees. Even when seeking repentance and remedy, they risk further violations. Ni Shouzhen’s selfless dissemination of this text to help others attract blessings and avoid calamity constitutes vast merit (de). If sincere seekers faithfully follow its guidance to dispel misfortune and invoke blessings, auspicious rewards will naturally follow.

Written on the first day of the fourth lunar month, summer of the guichou year (1433 CE)

By Wu Zijin of the Ploughpen Studio

Special note: The text mentions that wuzi and wuchen days are permissible. However, according to The Jade Decree of the Divine Empyrean and The Celestial Code of Nüqing, the six wu days (including wuchen, wuyin, etc.) prohibit incense offerings and prayers. As Perfected Lord Xu surely had authoritative sources, discerning practitioners should carefully select auspicious dates.

Interpretation of the Jade Casket Records by Perfected Lord Xu

Perfected Lord Xu (one of the Four Great Celestial Masters in Daoism) observed that when people sought blessings, fulfilled vows, submitted memorials, or conducted purification rituals (Zhaijiao, Daoist sacrificial ceremonies), some encountered misfortune while others received good fortune. Some families, intending to pray for blessings, instead suffered calamities—even to the point of ruin. Unable to understand the reason, the Perfected Lord consulted the celestial archives and discovered that the presiding priests had focused only on the "Five Blessings" while neglecting the movement patterns of heavenly stars in the "Six Jia Cycles" (an ancient calendrical system dividing days into ten-day periods). These stars sometimes resided in the underworld and sometimes in the human realm; performing rituals at the wrong time could invite disaster.

Thus, the Perfected Lord recorded these auspicious and inauspicious patterns and compiled them into the Jade Casket Records, entrusting them to high-ranking Daoist masters to report to the celestial court. The methods in this book transcend the boundaries between heaven, earth, gods, and spirits—simply by observing the positions of the stars in the Six Jia Cycles, one could foresee fortune or misfortune. The specific patterns are as follows:

Examples of Auspicious Days

• Jiazi and Yichou days: The gods are in the earthly realm. Praying for blessings, fulfilling vows, or seeking children during these days multiplies blessings tenfold. If the inauspicious star Ketu is in the heavens, it paradoxically brings great fortune.
• Dingmao, Wuchen, and Jisi days: The gods are in the earthly realm. These three days are especially potent for submitting memorials, summoning souls for salvation, conducting rituals for offspring, or dispelling misfortune.
• Renshen day: The gods temporarily remain in the underworld. Submitting memorials on this day yields tenfold blessings.

Warnings of Inauspicious Days

• Bingyin day: The gods are in the heavens. Praying for blessings, fulfilling vows, sacrificing to mountains and rivers, or performing soul-substitution rituals (magical rites to transfer another’s fate) will instead invite disaster.
• Gengwu and Xinwei days: The gods are in the heavens, while the underworld sees the descent of the "Prayer Chariot Stone" (an ominous entity). Praying on these days may cause illness in the household.
• Bingzi, Dingchou, and Wuyin days: The gods disrupt celestial order. Praying during these three days may provoke sudden calamities—even bloodshed.

Special Timeframes

• Guiyou day: Suitable only for sacrifices to the River Earl and Water Officials; all other prayers will bring misfortune.
• Jiaxu and Yihai days: The gods are absent from the human realm. If one must pray for blessings, they must make a vow at the doorstep during the Chen hour (7–9 AM) to avert disaster.

(Note: Terms such as "the Prayer Chariot Stone transporting sand to the shore" may be metaphors for celestial anomalies or underworld activities—their exact meanings have been lost to time.)

The Jade Casket Records of Perfected Lord Xu describes the positions of deities on specific days and corresponding ritual taboos:

On Jǐmǎo and Gēngchén days: All deities descend to the underworld. Prayers offered these days will bless descendants with prosperity and honor. Those born on Tianze Birthdays (auspicious days) particularly receive forty-four days of great fortune.

On Xīnsì day: Deities are busy moving stones in heaven to build pagodas. Prayers this day will instead invite misfortune, causing three generations of descendants to suffer poverty and separation, with increased risk of legal disputes.

On Rénwǔ and Guǐwèi days: Deities remain in heaven. Prayers take two years to manifest but will cause household heads to die, crops to fail, and invite quarrels. Ritual offerings are strictly forbidden—violations may trigger drownings or fires.

On Jiǎshēn and Yǐyǒu days: Deities descend from heaven to the human realm. These days are supremely auspicious for prayers, sacrifices, vow fulfillments, and submitting memorials (Daoist petitions), multiplying blessings tenfold to dispel calamities.

On Bǐngxū and Dīnghài days: Similar to above, deities visit the human realm, making prayers and sacrifices highly favorable.

On Wùzǐ and Jǐchǒu days: Deities move between heaven and earth. Prayers and gratitude offerings are permitted, but cursing heaven or earth brings irreversible catastrophe.

On Gēngyín day: Deities audit virtue/transgression ledgers in heaven. Prayers risk drowning deaths and severely harm spiritual teachers (practice guides).

On Xīnmǎo day: Deities reside in the underworld. Minor vows and soul salvation rites for ancestors are permissible but ineffective.

On Rénchén and Guǐsì days: Deities review life/death registers in heaven. Prayers trigger illnesses, harm neighbors, and damage teacher-disciple bonds.

On Jiǎzǐ day: All deities collectively descend to the human realm. Most auspicious for submitting memorials, thanking earth deities, and praying to the Birth-Register Perfected Lord (fertility deity), multiplying blessings tenfold—especially benefiting descendants.

On Yǐwèi day: Deities remain in heaven with minimal prayer efficacy.

On Bǐngshēn, Dīngyǒu, and Wùxū days: Deities compile life/death registers before the Jade Emperor’s throne, recording human virtues/transgressions. Absolutely avoid prayers or sacrifices.

On Jǐhài day: All deities ascend to heaven...

This scripture discusses the auspicious and inauspicious days for making offerings and prayers, belonging to the Daoist art of date selection. Here's a plain explanation:

The Jade Emperor dispatches deities to the human realm or the underworld on specific days. Different dates yield varying effects for rituals:

Gengzi and Xinchou days: Deities remain in heaven. Prayers during these times may invite epidemics, with potential calamities occurring within ten years.

Renyin and Guimao days: Ideal for recording vows and fulfillments. Offerings to heaven-earth and the six domestic animals (horses, cattle, sheep, chickens, dogs, pigs) bring great fortune.

Jiachen day: Deities dwell in celestial palaces - extremely inauspicious for prayers.

Yisi day: Deities descend to human and underworld realms. Vow fulfillments prove especially efficacious here, with water deities granting tenfold blessings.

Bingwu day: Deities stay in heaven, absent from earth - highly inauspicious for prayers.

Dingwei day: Deities reside in the underworld - perfect for vow fulfillments and submitting memorials (zhangbiao), bringing great fortune.

Wushen day: Deities inhabit neither human nor underworld realms. Prayers may harm family heads and teachers - extremely inauspicious.

Jiyou day: Celestial Amnesty Day (when heaven grants pardons). Ideal for seeking blessings, farming, and sericulture - highly auspicious.

Gengxu and Xinhai days: Deities remain in heaven. Minor prayers bring moderate fortune, but submitting memorials invites misfortune.

Renzi and Guichou days: Deities stay in celestial palaces. Prayers may reduce household members and damage crops - highly inauspicious.

Jiayin and Yimao days: Deities descend to human and underworld realms. Perfect for submitting memorials, vow fulfillments, gratitude rituals, longevity prayers, and disaster relief - extremely auspicious.

Four days from Bingchen to Jiwei: Deities remain in heaven. Offerings invite calamities harming livestock - all four days prove highly inauspicious.

Gengshen day: The Five Blessings descend together. All deities visit the human realm as the Jade Emperor opens heaven's gate. Ideal for conducting two-year Water-Land Rituals (shuilu fahui, ceremonies for crossing over souls) and submitting memorials - extremely auspicious.

Xinyou day: Deities descend to human and underworld realms by the Jade Emperor's command - highly inauspicious for prayers.

Renxu and Guihai days: The Six Deities reach exhaustion. Prayers lead to isolation and poverty - extremely inauspicious.

Final note: These fortune indicators follow the sixty-day Jiazi cycle (ancient stem-branch dating system) and remain trustworthy.

(Note: "Submitting memorials" refers to Daoist ceremonies presenting documents to deities. "Six domestic animals" indicates horses, cattle, sheep, chickens, dogs and pigs. "Water-Land" denotes salvation rituals for deceased souls.)

This passage is from The Jade Casket Records of Perfected Lord Xu, discussing the selection of auspicious dates and avoidance of inauspicious ones. Perfected Lord Xu (one of Daoism's Four Great Celestial Masters [Tianshi]) inquired of the Jade Emperor about so-called inauspicious days like "Crimson Mouth and White Tongue" (associated with disputes) and the "Four Slaughter Deities" (four malignant influences).

The Jade Emperor replied: There's actually no need to overly concern oneself with these so-called inauspicious days. Whenever celestial and earthly deities descend to the human realm, and when the underworld's blessing deities come to assist—such days are supremely auspicious regardless of any conflicting malignant influences.

After hearing this, Perfected Lord Xu reverently bowed in gratitude and recorded this teaching to circulate in the world, enabling Daoist practitioners to follow this guidance.

(Supplementary note: Daoist tradition holds that certain dates are governed by baleful deities, termed "Crimson Mouth and White Tongue Days" or "Four Slaughter Days," which are conventionally avoided for important matters. Here, however, the Jade Emperor clarifies that any day graced by the descent of divine blessings becomes auspicious, rendering such taboos unnecessary.)