《懺法大觀》Vol. 2

The Great Compendium of Repentance Rituals (Chanfa Daguan) is a vital Daoist liturgical text compiling repentance ceremonies corresponding to various deities. Comprising six volumes, each section contains specialized repentance methods dedicated to specific Daoist divinities.

The first volume focuses on the highest Daoist pantheon, including repentance rituals for the Mystic Ancestor of Purple Palace (a primordial deity), the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) - the Celestial Treasure of Jade Purity (Yuanshi Tianzun), the Numinous Treasure of Supreme Purity (Lingbao Tianzun), and the Divine Treasure of Grand Purity (Daode Tianzun). It also contains precious repentance texts for Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), the Wooden Father of Eastern Florescence (Donghua Gong, the Eastern King), and the Golden Mother of Western Florescence (Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West).

Volume two presents repentance rituals for the Jade Emperor (Yu Huang Shangdi, the supreme administrative deity), the Earthly Empress (Houtu Shangdi), and the Three Luminaries (sun, moon, and stars). Volume three assembles ceremonies for the Mother of the Dipper (Doumu Yuanjun), the Celestial Worthy Who Saves from Suffering (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun), and the Three Officials (Sanguan) of Heaven, Earth, and Water who bestow blessings, grant absolution, and resolve misfortunes respectively.

Volumes four through six contain repentance methods for additional major deities: the Thunder Sovereign Who Responds to Primal Qi (Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun), the Perfected Warrior Emperor (Zhenwu Dadi), the Great Emperor of Eastern Peak (Dongyue Dadi), the Imperial Lord of Culture (Wenchang Dijun), Ancestor Lü (Lü Dongbin), the Saintly Emperor Guan (Guan Yu), and the Three Mao Perfected Lords (founders of the Maoshan tradition). The collection concludes with specialized repentance rites for celestial physicians, water palace deities, and other domains, forming a comprehensive system covering the principal Daoist pantheon.

These repentance methods are employed by Daoist practitioners during cultivation or by devotees seeking blessings. Through specific ritual protocols, participants confess transgressions and seek divine forgiveness. Different repentance rituals correspond to distinct divine functions - for instance, the Taiyi Jiuku ritual liberates deceased souls, while the Three Officials' rites separately petition for blessings, absolution, and deliverance from calamities.