《太上玄門功課經》

The Scripture of Daily Practice from the Supreme Mysterious Gate is a vital classic for Daoist cultivation. This scripture emphasizes that studying golden texts and jade scriptures (precious Daoist texts) is the essential path to entering the Dao, while reciting scriptures and incantations forms the foundation for attaining immortality. Only through such practices can one return to humanity's original pure nature and comprehend the natural Dao (the Way).

A true cultivator resides in a Daoist temple (monastic community), offering incense and paying respects daily, diligently practicing without pause for three thousand days and nights, never slacking through the twelve double-hours. When bowing to the sacred in morning and evening rites, one must do so with sincere devotion from the heart. By earnestly praying for the nation and all living beings, one will surely attain the blessings of immortality. The term "daily practice" (gongke) refers to examining one's cultivation through scripture recitation. Practicing these disciplines means refining oneself with the classics of ancient sages. Chanting the golden texts and jade edicts (sacred scriptures) of the saints allows one to awaken to their true nature and original heart.

Without liturgical teachings (keyi, Daoist ritual norms), the Great Dao cannot be propagated; without persistent scripture recitation, it is difficult to nurture one's vital energy (qi). The scriptures carry the heart-method and true transmission of past sages, while the incantations contain the profound methods of ancient immortals. Sincere recitation leads to understanding the scripture's meaning, and earnest practice verifies the Dao's principles. Understanding the meaning aligns one with the Dao, and verifying the principles manifests spiritual power (shen). Cultivating both inner and outer aspects—this is the standard of temple life and the ladder to immortality.

Without the collective practice of the temple, it is difficult to nurture the virtue (de) of the community; without this ladder, how can one hope to become a transcendent immortal beyond the mundane world? If one sincerely seeks the Dao, they must remain vigilant and introspective throughout the twelve double-hours of the day. Even while living in the secular world, they can transcend worldly dust; free from disputes and entanglements, they directly reach the state of wuwei (non-action). Roaming freely between heaven and earth, entering and exiting the realm of emptiness, they attain true liberation, surpassing the cycles of life and death. With no distracting thoughts in the heart, yet infinite wondrous function arises—directly transcending the three temporal realms of past, present, and future.

For such a practitioner, maintaining a single thought of utmost sincerity is enough to escape the sufferings of the three wretched paths (hell, hungry ghosts, and beasts), stepping onto the path of longevity and leaving behind the sea of suffering and confusion. In the heart, there are no past transgressions requiring repentance, nor future troubles to dread. A righteous heart creates no evil karma, and sincere intent invites no calamity. Without evil karma, one ascends immediately to the heavens; without calamity, one escapes the torments of hell. Such merit is lofty beyond measure, and virtue (de) vast beyond bounds.

In accord with the vow-power of Xuhuang (the Daoist supreme deity), when disasters are averted, disasters dissolve; when blessings are prayed for, blessings arrive. No request goes unanswered; every sincere feeling necessarily connects. One recites the various immortal scriptures and the precious titles of the assembled gods and perfected beings. Hence there are incantations for purifying the heart, purifying the mouth, and purifying the body. Pacifying Heaven, pacifying Earth, and pacifying the spirits each have their own procedures. All have a sequence of before and after; none oversteps its rank or falls into disorder. Although this is a daily liturgy performed in the hall, it is in truth a great rite for praying for the fortune of the state. Recited morning and evening, day and night, one forgets fatigue. One continues until three thousand merits are perfected and eight hundred good deeds are complete. Only then is this the highest undertaking of renunciants and the virtue of a great person.

Lazhujian Zhongguan (a Daoist temple) gathered fellow Daoists, carved and printed scripture editions for distribution, and donated them to circulate in the four directions, so that all who cultivate the Dao under Heaven may follow the rules and, in accordance with the teaching’s Keyi (liturgy), believe in and uphold them. This is the preface to the present Jing (scripture/classic).

All who recite the Jing must observe fasting and precepts, wear neat robes and caps, make the heart sincere and settle the Qi (vital energy), click the teeth (kouchǐ, a Daoist action for gathering the spirit before recitation), utter the sound, and only then recite the scripture. Do not be frivolous or converse and reply; be upright and reverent. Let no thought transgress the teaching of the Jing; pray according to your wishes, and response will naturally come. First chant the Buxu (Pacing the Void, a ritual chant of the Daoist altar), then recite the scripture and incantations.

Taishang Morning Altar Liturgy Jing: the assembly mounts the altar, stands in ranks according to order, and the scripture leader recites. Linlang (the jade-like sound of celestial music) resounds; the ten directions are solemn and clear; rivers and seas are silent; mountains and peaks swallow the mist; all spirits tremble and submit; the assembled immortals are summoned. The sky holds no turbid Qi; the earth holds no monstrous or dusty atmosphere. Profound wisdom penetrates with clear illumination, vast and mysterious, mystery upon mystery. Raise the title and chant: Daluo Sanbao Tianzun (Celestial Worthy of the Three Treasures of the Great Luo).

Wherever the numinous sound reaches, sins are extinguished and transgressions dissolved; when the precious name is proclaimed, danger is supported and distress relieved. Now there will be a gatha for opening the altar and expounding the teaching; I respectfully ask the assembled Daoists to respond in unison. Mounting the altar, the assembly together raises the Buxu chant, praying for the state and inviting auspiciousness, exhausting our humble sincerity. On that day we once set forth our heartfelt wishes within the golden palace (the palace of the heavenly court); today we burn incense mist in the jade censer. May the imperial realm be firm and secure, the rivers and mountains magnificent; may the imperial way long endure and flourish, bright as the sun and moon. May all people look up to days like the golden age of Yao and Shun, may harvests be abundant, and may all share the joy of great peace. Ever Pure and Ever Clean Tianzun (Celestial Worthy); recited by the scripture leader.

The true mind, pure and clean, takes the Dao (the Way) as its root, like the precious moon in the middle heaven. Sweeping away the clouds of delusion, without a single speck of obscuration, a single wheel of light fills the great void. The superior medicine (a Neidan [internal alchemy] term referring to Jing [essence], Qi [vital energy], and Shen [spirit]) is within the body—namely Shen, Qi, and Jing. Everyone possesses it originally and completely, neither lacking nor exceeding. If one can know the way of mixing and returning the wind (a Neidan term for blending Shen and Qi and reversing the wind), then the yellow sprout (the sign of the nascent internal elixir) in the golden tripod (the vessel of cultivation in the Dantian [energy center]) will grow day by day. The whole ritual assembly, each person reverent, faces one another with deepest respect.

When reciting scriptures before the Emperor, one must follow the law and ritual according to protocol, with the scripture leader intoning them. Before the precious scripture has been unrolled, one first recites divine spells such as those for purifying the heart-mind and purifying the mouth; all those present should recite and uphold them.

The Spell for Purifying the Heart-Mind is an incantation for purifying the mind. The star lord of the Most High Spirit Brilliance responds to circumstances without ever pausing, drives out noxious influences, binds ghosts and specters, protects life, and sustains the body; it makes wisdom clear and pure and the heart-mind peaceful. The three hun souls endure long, and the seven po souls are not lost or overthrown. By the law and command, let this be swiftly carried out.

The Spell for Purifying the Mouth is an incantation for purifying the mouth and tongue. Danzhu, the mouth deity, spits out filth and removes turbid qi; Zhenglun, the tongue deity, connects the qi of life and nourishes the spirit-qi; Luoqian, the teeth deity, drives out evil and protects the true; Huben, the throat deity, together with the qi deity, guides the fluids; Danyuan, the heart deity, enables me to penetrate the true Dao. Through visualization of the spirit-qi and refinement of the fluids, may Dao-Qi (qi, referring to prenatal vital energy) remain ever present. By the law and command, let this be swiftly carried out.

The Spell for Purifying the Body is an incantation for purifying the body. Lingbao Tianzun (one of the Three Pure Ones of Daoism) calms and protects the body, causing the disciple’s hun and po souls and five viscera to abide in profound tranquility; the Green Dragon, White Tiger, and other escorts are arrayed in dense ranks, while the Vermilion Bird and Dark Warrior guard my body. By the law and command, let this be swiftly carried out.

The Spell for Pacifying the Earth God is an incantation for calming and securing the earth deities. Yuanshi Tianzun (one of the highest Daoist deities) pacifies the four directions and universally proclaims to all myriad spirits: the true officers of mountains, peaks, rivers, and waterways, the earth deities, and the deities of the left and right altars of soil and grain must not recklessly cause alarm. Turn toward the upright Dao, so that inside and outside become clear and pure; each settles in its place and guards the household. The Most High issues the command to search out and seize evil spirits; the Dharma-protecting divine kings guard those who recite the scripture. Taking refuge in the Great Dao, one attains yuan, heng, li, zhen (prosperity, success, benefit, and steadfastness). By the law and command, let this be swiftly carried out.

The Spell for Purifying Heaven and Earth and Dissolving Impurity is an incantation for purifying heaven and earth and removing defilement. Heaven and Earth naturally operate, and impure qi disperses. Within the cavern, mysterious and empty, radiant light shines brilliantly toward Taiyuan, the Great Origin. The mighty spirits of the eight directions cause me to accord with nature. The Lingbao talismanic command is universally announced to the nine heavens. Deities such as Qianluo Dana and Donggang Taixuan (names of spirits invoked in the spell) cut down demons and bind evil, saving and transforming thousands upon thousands of people. The Zhongshan divine spell is the Yuanshi Jade Text; reciting it once dispels illness and prolongs life. It patrols the Five Peaks, and the Eight Seas hear of it; the demon kings bow their heads and guard my altar and carriage. Baleful impurities disperse, and Dao-Qi remains ever present. By the law and command, let this be swiftly carried out.

The Incense Offering Spell is an incantation for addressing the incense. The Dao is learned through the heart; the heart transmits through incense. As the incense burns in the jade censer, the heart abides before the Emperor. The true spirits look down, and immortal banners approach the altar. May your servant’s petition be reported and reach directly to the nine heavens.

The Golden Light Spell is an incantation for invoking golden light. Heaven and Earth take the mysterious as their ancestor; the myriad qi are their root and foundation. Having cultivated broadly through myriad kalpas, I attest to my spiritual powers. Within and beyond the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm), only the Dao is supreme. The body possesses golden light, which covers and illumines my person. Looked at, it is not seen; listened for, it is not heard. It encompasses Heaven and Earth and nurtures the myriad beings.

This scripture contains the core tenets of Daoist cultivation, divided into several key sections:

First, it describes the miraculous phenomena experienced when reaching advanced stages of practice: After reciting the scripture ten thousand times, the cultivator's body radiates light, with deities from the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, Realm of Form, and Realm of Formlessness) coming to offer protection. The Five Directional Emperors (Green Emperor of the East, Red Emperor of the South, etc.) personally welcome the practitioner, while ten thousand spirits pay homage. At this stage, the cultivator can command thunder's power, making ghosts and demons tremble in fear. Within their body resides the hidden thunder deity, with the Five Qi (energies of the five organs) circulating vigorously, surrounded by golden protective light.

Next comes the Mystical Origin Incantation, recounting the scripture's precious origins: At the dawn of creation, the Celestial Sovereign (Tianzhen Huangren, a Daoist deity) personally transcribed these profound texts and spiritual talismans (Fulu). These sacred words possess miraculous power—healing chronic illnesses, liberating departed souls, and aiding ascension to immortal realms.

In the Taishang Laojun's Scripture on Constant Purity and Stillness, Laozi elucidates the nature of Dao (the Way): The Great Dao has no form yet gives birth to heaven and earth; it lacks emotion yet governs the sun and moon; it bears no name yet nourishes all things. Dao encompasses the unity of opposites—clarity and turbidity, movement and stillness. The characteristics of heaven/earth and male/female all originate here. The human heart naturally prefers purity, but becomes disturbed by desires. Eliminating desires brings natural mental clarity, causing the Six Desires and Three Poisons (greed, anger, delusion) to vanish.

The cultivation method involves the practice of "observation": Inner observation of thoughts (revealing the mind's inherent emptiness), outer observation of form (realizing the body's insubstantiality), and distant observation of phenomena (understanding worldly illusions). Through progressively dismantling attachments, even the concept of "emptiness" must ultimately be released to reach the true stillness of profound serenity. This state of purity constitutes genuine attainment of Dao—though "attainment" is merely expedient terminology, as fundamentally nothing is acquired.

Finally, it distinguishes between levels of practitioners: Superior cultivators avoid worldly contention, while inferior ones delight in debate. Those with superior De (Virtue/Power) don't cling to virtuous appearances, whereas those with inferior De conspicuously display their virtue. Such clinging precisely becomes an obstacle to cultivation.

This is called Dao and De. The reason sentient beings cannot attain the True Dao is that they possess a deluded mind (a mind of false discrimination). Once a deluded mind exists, it disturbs one’s own heart-mind and Shen (spirit). When the heart-mind and Shen are disturbed, one becomes attached to the myriad things. Attachment to the myriad things gives rise to greed and craving. Greed and craving are affliction. Affliction and deluded thought cause distress of body and mind. Thus one suffers defilement and humiliation and wanders through birth and death. Constantly sunk in the sea of suffering, one forever loses the True Dao. The True and Constant Dao is naturally attained by those who awaken. Those who awaken to this Dao are forever pure and still.

Immortal Master Ge (Ge Xuan, commonly called Immortal Lord Ge) said: “When I attained the True Dao, I had recited this scripture ten thousand times. This scripture is practiced by heavenly beings and is not transmitted to those of lesser capacity. In the past I received this scripture from Donghua Dijun (the Emperor Lord of the Eastern Flower, a Daoist deity). Donghua Dijun received it from Jinque Dijun (the Emperor Lord of the Golden Gate, a Daoist deity). Jinque Dijun received it from Xiwangmu (the Queen Mother of the West, the leading Daoist female immortal). This lineage of the Queen Mother of the West was transmitted orally from mouth to mouth and was not recorded in writing. I now write it down and record it in the world. Those of superior capacity comprehend it and ascend to become heavenly officials. Those of middling capacity practice it and are ranked among the immortals in the Southern Palace (an immortal bureau). Those of lesser capacity who obtain it enjoy long life in the world, roam through the Three Realms (the Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm), and ascend into the Golden Gate (the gate of immortality).”

Zuo Xuan Zhenren (a Daoist Perfected One) said: “Those who study the Dao and recite this scripture will receive the protection of the good deities of the Ten Heavens (the heavenly realms of the ten directions), who will support their bodies. Then jade talismans (Fulu) guard the heart-mind and Shen, and the Golden Liquid (a Daoist term for refining the body) cultivates the physical form. When both form and Shen reach wondrousness, one unites in truth with the Dao.”

Zhengyi Zhenren (the Orthodox Unity Perfected One, a Daoist Perfected One) said: “For a household that possesses this scripture, those who can comprehend and understand it will not be invaded by disasters and obstacles. The assembled sages protect their gate, and the spirits ascend to the higher realms to pay homage to the high Perfected. When merits and practice are complete and virtuous conduct is accomplished, one resonates with the Emperor Lord. If one recites without retrogressing, the body rises into purple clouds.”

The Scripture of Constant Clarity and Stillness as Expounded by Taishang Laojun: the classic in which Taishang Laojun (Most High Lord Lao, a supreme Daoist deity) expounds the Dao of constant clarity and stillness. The Wondrous Scripture of Ascending to the Mystery, Eliminating Disasters, and Protecting Life, from the Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao corpus: a wondrous scripture in the Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao section whose functions are ascending to the mystery, eliminating disasters, and protecting life.

I bow my head and take refuge in the Dao of all wonders. With utmost sincerity I reverently honor the Two Mysterious Perfected Ones (the holy assembly of Mysterious Perfected Ones whom we revere). Now, focusing the whole mind single-mindedly, I reflect upon what is in my heart and gain a rough understanding of the causes and origins of this scripture. Emptiness and form, form and emptiness—neither has a fixed self-nature. Existence and nonexistence, nonexistence and existence—form and emptiness are equal and uniform. The wind of wisdom comes from the divine power of the Celestial Worthy. It sweeps clean the realm of the mind, leaving no dust behind. I only pray that the divine light will constantly protect and bear witness to the person who guards the mind today. What does guarding the mind today attain? Without losing the ordinary body, one obtains the Dao-body.

At that time, Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, one of the highest Daoist deities) was in the Seven Treasures Forest, within the Palace of Five Radiances, together with the limitless holy assembly. He emitted limitless radiance. It illumined limitless worlds. He observed the limitless sentient beings undergoing limitless suffering, turning about in the world, transmigrating through birth and death, and drifting without stability.

Sentient beings drift with the waves in the river of affection and love (the river of love), are tossed and rolled by the sea of desire (the sea of desire), sink and stagnate in sounds and forms, and are deluded about existence and nonexistence; in emptiness they cling to nonexistence, in existence they cling to emptiness, in the formless they cling to form, and among nonexistence, no-nonexistence, existence, and no-existence they grasp layer upon layer. They discriminate and cling between existence and nonexistence, end and beginning; benighted and unclear, they cannot enter the gate of the Dao themselves and ultimately fall into confusion.

The Heavenly Worthy (Tianzun) told them: You sentient beings cling to existence out of what is “not existence,” cling to nonexistence out of what is “not nonexistence,” cling to form out of what is “not form,” and cling to emptiness out of what is “not emptiness”; you take what is not existence as existence, what is not nonexistence as nonexistence, what is not form as form, and what is not emptiness as emptiness. Emptiness is just emptiness, and emptiness has no fixed mark of emptiness; form is just form, and form has no fixed mark of form; form is right here emptiness, and emptiness is right here form. If one can know that emptiness is not a fixed emptiness and know that form is not a fixed form, this is called illumined understanding. Only then does one begin to penetrate the wondrous sound, recognize the Dharma of no-emptiness, observe penetratingly without obstruction, and enter the gate of all wonders; one naturally understands and awakens, departs far from the net of all doubts, does not cling to the view of emptiness, purifies the six faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), and cuts off all evil obstructions. I will therefore speak for you this wondrous scripture, named Protecting Life, which saves and delivers sentient beings, is taught in the world, and is circulated and recited. Then there are the Flying Heaven Divine Kings, the Vajra Who Breaks Evil, the Dharma-protecting Spirit Youths, the Perfected Ones Who Save from Suffering, and the Golden Essence Fierce Beasts (all protective deity hosts of Daoism), each leading hundreds of billions of multitudes; all guard and attend this scripture, protect it wherever it may be, ward off disasters and misfortunes, support the declining and endangered, and deliver all sentient beings far from all defilements and attachments. At that time the Heavenly Worthy spoke a verse: Though looked for, I am not seen; though listened for, I am not heard; being far from all kinds of extreme views—this is called the wondrous Dao.

This scripture title, The Supreme Dongxuan Lingbao Wondrous Scripture of Ascending to the Mystery, Eliminating Disasters, and Protecting Life, indicates that this is a wondrous scripture within the Supreme Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery) Lingbao (Numinous Treasure)—a Daoist scriptural designation—whose purpose is ascending to the mystery (Shengxuan, entering the wondrous) and eliminating disasters and protecting life. The True Scripture Spoken by the Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy on Averting Disasters and Deliverance from Misfortune is a true scripture spoken by the Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy (a revered Daoist deity) and used for averting disasters (through sacrificial rites) and delivering from misfortune.

At that time the Heavenly Worthy was in the land of Chanli (the name of the land in the scripture), and together with countless thousands upon thousands of great true immortals of the Great Dao, all the Heavenly Worthies, and all dragons, gods, and ghosts, they came to assemble, bound by my teaching and commands. In the world, if there are good men or good women who encounter yearly disasters and monthly misfortunes, or encounter the calamity of the roaming city and red rat (a kind of calamity), or encounter the calamity of heaven’s net and earth’s web, or encounter the calamity of life exhausted and allotted span ended, or encounter the calamity of lingering illness, or encounter the calamity of falling into water and waves, or encounter the calamity of tigers, wolves, and vipers (poisonous snakes), or encounter the calamities of water and fire, robbers, weapons and soldiers, and childbirth (giving birth), or encounter the calamities of mountains and forests, trees, and the altars of soil and grain (land and state), or encounter the calamities of earth, stone, and bridges, or encounter the calamities of poison and curses, they need only, now, before the Jade Emperor Heavenly Worthy and the true sages of the Great Dao, repent and perform expiation and apotropaic rites, so that the disasters and misfortunes within their bodies may be delivered and dissolved one by one, with no obstacles left. I command all heavenly deities and divine kings to descend with sacred power and Dao power; by the power of this scripture and the power of grace, guard the disciple who receives the scripture and Dharma.

After reciting this scripture, one can resolve all kinds of calamities and hardships, including the cosmic disasters of Yangjiu Bailiu (referring to cyclical catastrophes in heaven and earth's operation), the Three Declines, Eight Difficulties, Nine Calamities, and Five Sufferings. With sincere prayer, all wishes will be fulfilled—whether traveling or staying at home, peace and smoothness will prevail, and all aspirations will be realized. Hearing of this scripture's efficacy fills people with boundless joy, inspiring wholehearted faith and practice.

The Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy's Scripture for Dispelling Disasters and Overcoming Calamities and the Peerless Jade Emperor's Heart Seal Marvelous Scripture both teach that the foundation of cultivation lies in the three supreme medicines: Shen (spirit), Qi (vital energy), and Jing (essence). These three exist within the human body in a state between presence and absence. During practice, one must maintain emptiness while preserving substantial Jing and Qi—results will manifest swiftly. Through breath regulation methods, efficacy arises within a hundred days. Twelve years of serene cultivation lead to ascension to the celestial realms. Those who understand this principle grasp it easily, while the ignorant find it hard to practice.

Cultivation must align with the rhythms of heaven and earth, with inhalation and exhalation kept pure. Qi circulates within, seemingly absent yet unbroken, like deeply rooted trees. Every person possesses Jing, Qi, and Shen—only when these three unite can one attain the true Dao; otherwise, it is mere illusion. At advanced stages, the primordial spirit can penetrate stone, fly and transform, enter water without drowning, and walk through fire unharmed. Spirit relies on the body, while essence flourishes through breath—evergreen like pine and cypress, never withering.

Shen, Qi, and Jing share the same nature: gathered, they form substance; scattered, they return to emptiness. When the seven orifices interconnect, each emits radiance like sun and moon illuminating the Golden Court (the body's inner landscape). Upon attaining the Dao, one preserves it eternally—the body grows light, infused with the Great Harmony Qi, bones crystalline like fine jade. Achieving Neidan (internal alchemy) grants spiritual communion; failing this leads to collapse. Within the body, the elixir is neither white nor blue. After ten thousand recitations, its profound principles become self-evident.

The Jade Clarity Edict states: "With utmost sincerity, take refuge and bow. Above the Three Realms (Desire, Form, and Formlessness), the Brahma Qi (primordial energy) pervades the supreme heaven of heavens, where stand the Jade Lofty Terrace and the Jade Mountain's Upper Capital. In those distant golden palaces, solemn and pure, the Mysterious Origin's single breath predates chaos itself. Within the treasure pearl lies infinite mystery—it illuminates the Three Lights (sun, moon, stars), gives birth to myriad celestial worlds, and governs countless heavenly immortals who rotate the stars, cycle the calendars, and uphold the Five Constants (the Five Phases' operational laws)."

The towering Great Model is the sovereign master of the ten thousand Daos; in the Daluo Jade Clarity realm is Yuanshi Tianzun (Primordial Celestial Worthy), of emptiness and naturalness and the utmost truth and wondrous Dao—one of the highest honored deities of Daoism.

Eulogy of Shangqing: With utmost sincerity, I take refuge and bow in homage. Dwelling in the Shangqing realm, he is titled Lord Lingbao; transformed and born in the ancestral kalpa, he possesses ninety-nine thousand and more streams of brahmic Qi (vital energy; prenatal original Qi); the Red Book radiates brilliance, revealing six hundred and sixty-eight true texts; through the chaotic red script he opens the Nine Heavens, and according to the era-reckoning Dongyu jade calendar he divides the Five Kalpas; the heavenly warp and earthly weft—how sublime, the root of creation; the pivot turns Yin and the mechanism moves Yang—transcendent, he is the ancestral source of thunder; the greatly compassionate and greatly vowed, greatly sage and greatly merciful Yuchen Daojun, Lingbao Tianzun, one of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing).

Eulogy of Taiqing: With utmost sincerity, I take refuge and bow in homage. Following localities, he establishes teachings; passing through kalpas, he saves living beings; he is teacher of emperors, teacher of sovereigns, teacher of kings; borrowing names and changing titles; establishing the Way of Heaven, the Way of Earth, and the Way of Humanity; hiding his sacred body and manifesting mortal form; commanding one thousand two hundred official lords; encompassing trillions of layers of brahmic Qi; his teachings circulate through ancient and modern times; he authored the Daode Jing (Scripture of the Way and Its Virtue), about five thousand words; he governs and holds Yin-Yang; he commands thunder to employ the number of nine and five; the greatly compassionate and greatly vowed, greatly sage and greatly merciful Taishang Laojun, Daode Tianzun (the Daoist ancestral founder).

Eulogy of Miluo: With utmost sincerity, I take refuge and bow in homage. The Supreme Miluo Heaven of No Higher, the realm of wondrous existence and mysterious truth; the vast and distant Purple Gold Palace, the Taiwei Jade Clarity Palace; the limitless and supreme holy honored one, expansive and empty yet emitting light; silent and vast without origin or source; the mysterious and wondrous Dharma model that encompasses the ten directions; the clear, still, and silent Dao of true constancy; vast and boundless divine power; the Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, Mysterious Vault Supreme Emperor (the heavenly emperor revered in Daoism).

Eulogy of the Heavenly Emperor: With utmost sincerity, I take refuge and bow in homage. In the Purple Micro imperial pole, the Gouchen heavenly palace; amid the treasure garden of nine lights, above the mysterious capital of the Five Qi; embodying and receiving the Primordial Sovereign, he assists and governs mysterious transformation; commanding the two poles and jointly governing the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity); presiding over the balance of weapons and war; extensively spreading great De (Virtue/Power); regulating the courses of the stars in their revolutions; not allowing the constant order to lose its norm; the celestial phenomena are towering, and the true origin is vast and boundless; the greatly compassionate and greatly vowed, greatly sage and greatly merciful Gouchen Shanggong Heavenly Emperor Great Thearch, one of the Four Sovereigns of Daoism.

Eulogy of the Star Lord: With utmost sincerity, I take refuge and bow in homage. The Daluo heavenly gate, the Purple Micro star palace; honored in the high position of the North Pole, directly above the center of heaven; in Buddhism titled Golden Wheel Blazing, in Daoism titled Jade Dipper Mysterious Honored One; the jade mechanism and jade balance make the Seven Governors (sun, moon, and five planets) uniform; he commands the heavenly warp and earthly weft and the sun, moon, and constellations.

Governing the movement of the four seasons along the Yellow Path (the ecliptic, the way of the sun and moon); the Ziwei Enclosure (the Purple Micro star region) is the master of all phenomena; governing all the heavens; possessing the virtues of great compassion, great vows, great sageliness, and great loving-kindness; he is the sovereign teacher of all stars, the Primordial Sovereign of the Limitless, the Great Emperor of Purple Micro of the North Pole in Central Heaven.

The Houtu Eulogy (Precious Eulogy of Houtu). With utmost sincerity, I take refuge and bow in reverence. She dwells in the Nine-Blossom Jade Palace and the Seven-Treasure Imperial Chamber; she receives the Heavenly Mandate and is endowed with its appointed time; she holds the authority of Yin-Yang; the Dao is revered in her, and she embodies its vast and luminous embrace; her De is stored in soft compliance and beneficial steadfastness; she models herself on the root of Haotian (Great Heaven); she nurtures the beauty of Kun Yuan (the Primal Origin of Earth); she spreads and gives form, so that the myriad things come into being; she extends the benevolence of the motherly Dao; mountains, rivers, and watercourses rely on her; all mountains and streams depend on her; she possesses the virtues of great compassion, great vows, great sageliness, and great loving-kindness; she is Houtu, the Imperial Earth Deity who receives Heaven and emulates the Dao.

The Shenxiao Eulogy (Precious Eulogy of Shenxiao). With utmost sincerity, I take refuge and bow in reverence. In the High and Supreme Shenxiao Palace, the Palace of Concentrated Spirit and Radiant Illumination, he gathers the primordial ancestral Qi (the innate original Qi) and divides into true forms; he responds to the wondrous Dao of void and nonbeing and opens transformation; he resides above the Nine Empyreans and governs all the heavens; he encompasses the center of the ten directions and presides over the myriad transformations; he proclaims golden talismans (talismanic mandates) and sheds light to save beings from suffering; he bestows gracious blessings and shelters and nurtures the myriad people; his grace is vast as Qian Yuan (the Primal Origin of Heaven); his benevolence spreads through vast kalpas; he possesses the virtues of great compassion, great vows, great sageliness, and great loving-kindness; he is the Jade Purity True King, the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole, the Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial Sage Who Unifies Heaven.

The Eulogy of the Northern Five Patriarchs (Precious Eulogy of the Northern Five Patriarchs). With utmost sincerity, I take refuge and bow in reverence. The Great Dao opened the way before them, and the Mysterious Origin expounded and spread the teaching; their teaching has been transmitted from ancient times to the present, and one received the posthumous title Donghua (Eastern Flower); he guided a general of the Han house, who hid on Mount Zhongnan and attained the immortal Dao; wherever he passed, he converted and saved beings, always transcending the cycles of kalpas; he manifested constantly in the dusty world; he inspired the worthy ones of the Tang dynasty to awaken to the secret methods of immortality; with flying swords and the selling of medicine, he warned and transformed people without adhering to fixed means; the chancellor of the golden court possessed lofty standards and resolutely declined the precious seal, showing courageous resolve; in cloud garments he ascended, unifying the ancestral lineage of North and South; Heaven again brought forth outstanding heroes, and the Dao spread throughout the four seas; he sent forth seven golden lotuses and propagated the immortal lineage in the ten directions; the principle of long life covers past and present, and the wondrous Heavenly Dao descends upon the earth; they expanded the ultimate Dao, broadly saved the deluded and confused, and with compassion relieved suffering; the Quanzhen Patriarch, the Great Dao Emperor Lord of the Eastern Flower Purple Palace Who Assists the Origin and Establishes the Ultimate (Donghua Emperor Lord); the Emperor Lord Zhengyang Who Opens Awakening, Transmits the Dao, and Hands Down the Teaching (Zhongli Quan); the Emperor Lord Chunyang Who Expounds the Correct, Warns and Transforms, and Sincerely Protects (Lü Dongbin); the Emperor Lord Haichan Who Enlightens Awakening, Expands the Dao, and Purely Protects (Liu Haichan); the Emperor Lord Chongyang Who Opens Transformation for Complete Perfection and Assists the Ultimate (Wang Chongyang); the Heavenly Worthy of the Five Patriarchs Who Expound the Dao.

The Eulogy of the Southern Five Patriarchs (Precious Eulogy of the Southern Five Patriarchs). With utmost sincerity, I take refuge and bow in reverence to the Southern Five Patriarchs.

He clarified the true Daoist method and spread its transforming influence in the South; the Nine Emperors (the Nine Emperor Star Lords of the Northern Dipper) descended at Tiantai; the lineage was deeply connected with Patriarch Liu (the Liu-surnamed patriarch revered by the Southern School); he gathered the immortal marvel of the jade flower; he composed the alchemical book Wuzhen (Awakening to Reality); he entrusted the Daoist method to Xinglin (Shi Tai); before long he compiled the book Huanyuan (Return to the Origin); the lineage was connected with Jizu (a mountain name); Yu Yan’s (a Daoist scholar) book Dansui (Marrow of the Elixir) was completed; the True Man stood firm in the faithful ground of Huizhou; his awakened nature surpassed the ordinary, and his bearing was handsome and free; the daogui (medicine spoon, standing for elixir pills) entered his mouth; his wondrous transformations were inexhaustible; in his palm he deployed thunder and rain; beyond the world he revived the common people; his De shone forth in the South Sea; he obtained a heroic standard like fine jade; the Daoist method spread throughout distant and desolate regions; he fully enjoyed the numinous subtlety of the Dharma words; he left traces at Longhu Mountain and Luofu Mountain; there were Daoist books at Wuyi and Yulong; wherever he passed, he taught and transformed in many ways; the true writings were composed in full; he was the foremost crown among the immortals; he gathered the exemplary models of former generations; his vows were vast, profound, and extensive; the compassionate, benevolent, and holy patriarch Wuzhen Ziyang Zhenren (Zhang Boduan); Xinglin Cuixuan Zhenren; Daoguang Zixian Zhenren; Niwan Cuixu Zhenren; Qiongguan Ziqing Zhenren; the Heavenly Worthy of the Five Patriarchs Who Complete the Dao (the honorific title for the Five Patriarchs’ accomplishment of the Daoist method).

In the Dao, the One Qi of Prior Heaven (primordial Qi) is foremost; in the world appeared the Seven Perfected (the Seven Masters of Quanzhen); they comprehended teachings that transcend the Five Phases; they obtained the secret of the ninefold Reverted Elixir (Neidan cultivation); like sweet springs moistening all things, they caused the decayed to return to spring; with golden bones and immortal bearing, receiving four-word instructions, they awakened to the Great Dao; in Weizhou they displayed transformations; sitting for ten years, they became perfected; ink traces on the wall were extraordinary; the snow bamboo and moonlit pine had wondrous, strange postures; at Sanjing there were records of many lifetimes; for a time, the merit of their manifest transformations shone forth; six years at Panxi; seven years at Longmen; with their Daoist practice complete, they were known to the rulers of the age; they were granted elixir talismans and held the powers of the immortals; they discoursed on mysterious principles on a stone; a canopy flew in the sky; the Yuan sovereign repeatedly summoned them to ask about the Dao; sweet rain came on schedule to relieve the people; in their early years they thoroughly investigated the sayings of the Changes and the Dao; in their later years they formulated the secrets of immortality; the hexagram diagrams were thereby elaborated; the ultimate Dao was greatly accomplished; Qingjing Sanren (Sun Bu’er) explored the mystery and attained the Dao; on the immortal road to Penglai, she alone sustained it through a hundred million kalpas; compassionate, she relieved suffering; the Quanzhen Patriarch, Perfected Lord Danyang, Who Embraces Unity, Practices Wuwei, and Universally Transforms; Perfected Lord Changzhen, Who Concentrates Shen, Embodies Mysterious Stillness, and Harbors De; Perfected Lord Changsheng, Who Assists Transformation, Honors the Mysterious, and Illumines De; Perfected Lord Changchun, Complete in De, Spiritually Transforming, Brightly Responsive, and Governing the Teaching; Perfected Lord Yuyang, Who Embodies the Mysterious, Extends Great Compassion, and Universally Saves; Perfected Lord Taigu of Vast Tranquility, Who Penetrates the Mysterious and Reaches the Wondrous Ultimate; Primordial Lady Qingjing, Profoundly True, Mysterious and Empty, Who Accords with Transformation; the Heavenly Worthy of the Seven Perfected, Who Evolve and Transform; the Puhua Pronouncement (a proclamation in praise of the universally transforming divine perfected); with single-minded devotion, I take refuge and pay homage (sincerely taking refuge and bowing in reverence).

In the Palace of Responding to Origins of the Nine Heavens (a celestial palace of the Thunder Bureau), the Supreme Jade Clarity King (the highest divine king of the Jade Clarity realm) spreads his teaching and transformation throughout the ten directions. When discoursing on the Dao (the Way), he sits cross-legged on the Nine Phoenixes (the Nine Phoenix Throne). Above the Thirty-Six Heavens (the celestial hierarchy), he reads the precious registers and examines the jade books (precious scriptures and registers). One thousand five hundred kalpas (extremely long cosmic cycles) ago, he established the true authority of his rank and greatly flourished his teaching and transformation. Raising in his hand the golden-radiance ruyi (a ritual implement), he proclaimed the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot. Those who do not submit are reduced to fine dust. He issues commands as swift as wind and fire. With a pure mind he propagates great vows; with the power of wisdom he subdues all demons. He oversees the Five Thunders (the divine office of the Thunder Bureau). He directs his mind throughout the Three Realms (the realms of desire, form, and formlessness). He is the father of all living beings and the teacher of the myriad spirits. Great Sage, Great Compassion, Supreme Sovereign, Supreme Dao (the unsurpassed, perfectly attuned to the ultimate Dao): the Heavenly Worthy of Universal Transformation through Thunder Sound, Responding to Origins of the Nine Heavens (a high deity of the Thunder Bureau).

The human mind is mostly scattered, yet when a single thought returns to sincerity, all becomes pure and true. Wishing to seek the unsurpassed Great Dao, the assembly turns their minds to invoke the Heavenly Worthy. The assembly turns their thoughts and recites “Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Heavenly Worthy.” When the turning of thought is complete, they return to the altar. The assembly kneels and recites.

The scripture has just been recited. In every thought they maintained sincerity and reverence. A thousand perfected immortals cupped their hands and listened to receive it. Ten thousand sages and true beings resonated and communed in spirit. They united with the Qi (vital energy) of Responding to Origins. The Heavenly Worthy of Universal Transformation divided his body and manifested transformations. The Nine Heavens issued a command. The Three Realms comply and carry it out. Disasters and calamities are eliminated; karmic offenses are repented. Blessings and protection are sought, and life is prolonged. When merit and practice are perfected, one receives verification in the Great Dao.

Repentance Text of Patriarch Qiu (Qiu Chuji, founding patriarch of the Longmen lineage of Quanzhen (Complete Perfection)). The power of merit from reciting the scripture is vast and inconceivable. We dedicate it to all holy assemblies throughout the ten directions. We vow to reveal our true minds and seek repentance, so that karmic obstacles as numerous as the sands of the Ganges may all be eliminated.

We repent that from distant kalpas down to this present life, we have borrowed fire, wind, earth, and water (the Four Great Elements) to take form. Clinging to fragrance, taste, form, and sound, we come into contact with dharmas. We give rise to greed, anger, and jealousy; to harsh speech and false words; to killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. We indulge our feelings and desires. We defy and insult our parents. We betray our rulers and teachers. We do not respect the gods of heaven and earth. We curse the wind and scold the rain. We do not believe in the karmic retribution of offense and blessing. We obscure principle and deceive our own minds. Thus karmic retribution confronts us, and we rise and sink. We turn repeatedly in cyclic existence, endure all kinds of suffering and affliction, without cease. All this comes from a single mistaken thought, which obstructs and deludes our self-nature. We falsely take the illusions of the six dusts (form, sound, fragrance, taste, touch, and dharmas) as real and sink into the river of craving. Now that we have obtained a human body and are blessed to draw near the orthodox teaching, is this not a fortune from a thousand lives? Having encountered it once, we should reflect on our own minds and early seek liberation from the world. If we drift as before, we will ultimately lose our original nature. Once we fall onto the dark path, we will become other kinds of beings (animals and the like). Therefore, contemplating the suffering of sinking into degradation, we give rise to a pure mind.

I take refuge in and make offerings to the sacred true spirits, and especially seek repentance; I beg that You have compassion on my ignorance and pardon my transgressions; may vengeful enmities and retributions be resolved, and demonic obstacles to cultivating the Dao be eliminated.

What I hope for is this: that my destiny encounter a time of prosperity and my name be recorded in the immortal registers and the Dantai (Cinnabar Terrace, the roster of the immortal Dao); that I meet a clear teacher and personally hear the Supreme Dao; that I diligently cultivate wondrous practice and increase the roots of goodness; that within the Mysterious Gate (Xuanmen, the Daoist tradition) I exhaust sincerity and keep integrity, nurturing mind and spirit in the realm of true cultivation; and that when in the future my lifespan ends and I depart this world, my original mind and self-nature not fall into confusion, but that I be born directly into a family that practices the ten good deeds, able to understand past-life causes and effects; and that I again realize the Supreme Vehicle and attend upon Xuhuang (the Supreme Void Sovereign, the highest honored deity of Daoism). Further, I pray:

May the state be stable and secure, the people ample and prosperous, the four seasons harmonious, and the harvests abundant. May the true ethos of the Daoist gate be greatly proclaimed, and the teaching and edification of the Dao flourish and spread. May the fierce and evil turn into the worthy and good, and demons and malign forces return to the right path. May weapons and punishments find no place to be used, and prisons stand empty. May those sunk in stagnation be raised up, and enmities be reconciled and dissolved. May those who study the Mysterious Dao enter the Dao and become true. May all ancestral kin from kalpas past be delivered. May teachers and friends through successive lives together realize the Dao of true permanence. May all relatives and karmic connections increase in blessing and wisdom. May all living beings I have harmed be born early among humans and gods. May I abstain from wine, meat, fish, and pungent foods, and may beings not kill one another. May I keep myself upright and avoid sexual misconduct. May I completely break through stinginess and greed and entirely remove a dangerous, harsh, and unkind heart. May my speech be free of deceit, and my conduct value sincerity. May I place myself in softness and weakness, be tolerant and forgiving of others, and inwardly restrain anger. May I have a compassionate heart and a humble spirit, and revere all. May I not fall into borderlands among the uncivilized, nor follow false views. May I make friends with immortal companions and gather to dwell in the realm of purity and emptiness. May my wisdom become bright and open, and my spiritual powers vast and expansive. May I widely practice skillful means and universally aid all beings. May I forever cut off deluded attachment, and may all return to the Supreme Dao. The kalpas of dust may come to an end, but my vows are inexhaustible; may the above vows be repeated three times.

Reverently I gaze upon the Imperial Perfected; may the Imperial Perfected graciously consent to save and deliver me. I take refuge with my life, bow, and give thanks; I take refuge in the unsurpassed Xuhuang and the Three Treasures of Ultimate Truth.

May everyone have blessings and auspiciousness; may the sun and moon, the two luminaries, shine together; may the three kinds of farmers be content and joyful in their proper work; may the four seasons be peaceful; may the shrines and sacrifices of the five directions be firmly secured; may heaven and earth and the four quarters be clear and pure; may the seven stars shine down; may the eight nodes be tranquil; may the Nine Springs open in peace; may the ten kinds of sentient beings be born and flourish; may blessings remain with the faithful; and may the Great Dao flourish and spread.

I pray that all divine light shine universally and that all sages and holy ones preserve their grace.

The Taishang Xuanmen Gongke Jing (Daily Liturgy of the Supreme Daoist Gate; the Daoist morning altar liturgy).

All sentient beings rely on good deeds; all true fruits of attainment are made real; all under heaven rejoices together; the four seas share the same spring. Hearing the Jing (scripture/classic) and awakening to the Dao (the Way), one may have one’s name inscribed in the Southern Palace immortal mansion (the Southern Palace is an immortal mansion; this sentence is repeated three times). The merit of reciting the Jing is inconceivable. The heavens and earth turn with wondrous, numinous workings; the sovereign’s lifespan equals heaven’s. The great Dao is compassionate; the myriad beings are transformed and nurtured, harmonious, joyful, and luminous. All merit accumulated from constant worship and recitation relies entirely on compassion as its guide. I look up to the immortal retinues hidden in the mysterious void; the true spirits of the Dharma divisions constantly protect. On the first and fifteenth days of each month, add the longevity blessing text; on ordinary days, use only the Lingguan divine incantation (the Wang Lingguan incantation).

I respectfully invoke the awe-inspiring Huoluo General (a subordinate general of the Lingguan). I also respectfully invoke the Great Lingguan of Dutian Who Investigates and Punishes (Wang Lingguan), and the Great Thunder Lord Huoche Sanwu (the name of a thunder-rite divine general). By the command of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing: Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing), they subdue ghosts and spirits. Holding golden whips, they patrol the world; clad in golden armor, they manifest awe and power; with green boots and wind-borne sashes, they protect their bodies; with fire-lit eyes, they illumine heaven and earth. In an instant they ascend to the Three Heavens to audience with the High God; in a moment they descend to the Nine Earths to save living beings. Three thousand generals with silver teeth and phoenix beaks; a million troops with tiger heads and pixiu bodies. Moving with fire and wind, they guard before and behind; piercing mountains and shattering rocks, they seize evil spirits. They pray for clear skies and rain to relieve the world; through possession and yuan’guang (round light), a spirit-communication method, they comprehend affairs and intentions; they cure illness and drive out evil as swiftly as lightning; they gather pestilence and capture poison, subduing all demons. They fly through clouds and mist, filling the void; they command thunder and cause crashing peals. The great demons of the Three Realms (the realms of desire, form, and formlessness) all fold their hands in submission; all heterodox paths of the ten directions take refuge. I now invoke you; may the honored deities descend and greatly bestow thunder-power for protection. Taiyi Thunder-Sound Responsive Transformation Heavenly Worthy (a high deity of the thunder department).

The earth god of the Jing altar is most efficacious. Ascending to heaven and reaching earth, emerging from darkness and entering the underworld, report on my behalf without delay. On the day merit is accomplished, let my name be recorded in the Shangqing (Highest Purity) immortal realm. The merit of constant recitation of the Jing is offered upward. Under the protection of the high perfected, may there be peace below, blessings bestowed and disasters dispelled; together relying on good merit, may attainment be realized. To the unsurpassed Dao, all faithful bow and worship, sincerely invoking. The Heavenly Worthy of Constant Purity and Constant Stillness, with inconceivable merit.

Here ends the Taishang Morning Altar Gongke Jing. When recitation is complete, the assembly pays homage in the Three Refuges (taking refuge in the Dao, the Jing, and the master). The four kindnesses and three pardons (the teaching of repaying kindness and pardoning offenses) all return to the great treasury of numinous texts. The eight difficulties and nine dark realms (beings in suffering and the underworld) all enter the Yuanshi pure ocean (the pure Dharma-ocean of Yuanshi Tianzun, the Celestial Worthy of Original Beginning). May this merit be dedicated as a transfer of merit.

The Taishang Xuanmen Gongke Jing (Scripture of Daily Liturgical Practice of the Supreme Mysterious Gate) is the scripture recited and upheld in the daily liturgy of the Supreme Mysterious Gate. Through virtuous conduct, one adorns the boundless world: above, one repays the Fourfold Grace (the grace of parents, sentient beings, the sovereign, the Three Treasures, and so on); below, one relieves the suffering of the Three Paths (hells, hungry ghosts, and animals). Teachers and parents, together with all in the Dharma realm, are regarded as one family: may the living increase in blessings and longevity, may the departed soon transcend and ascend, and may the pure assembly present here, one and all, take refuge and bow.

On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, one performs the ritual section “Reverencing the Four Graces and Three Pardons”; on ordinary days, one stills distracting thoughts, takes refuge and bows with sincere mind, and performs the “Small Three Refuges” rite.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and bow to the Three Treasures of the Supreme Dao (the Way), Jing (scripture/classic), and Teachers; to the many heavens of the ten directions; to the ten-direction lands numbering nine billion nine hundred million ninety-nine thousand; to the pure True One, the non-dual Dharma gate that saves beings throughout the kalpas; to the original teacher and founder of the teaching; and to the Heavenly Worthy who constantly abides in the ten directions (as shown in the plates in the scripture).

On the first and fifteenth days, one recites the longevity blessing text.

Prostrating ourselves, we declare: The high and distant azure sky—through the ascent of precious incense, we make our prayers heard on high. The vast and boundless Daluo Heaven—looking down upon our sincere hearts, we bow upward. Reverently we light the true incense and make devout offerings.

We make offering to the Heavenly Worthies of the Three Treasures of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) of the Three Pure Realms of the Great Canopy of Emptiness and Naturalness; to the Four Sovereigns and Four August Emperors in the White Jade Capital; to the High and Supreme Nine Shenxiao Celestial Sovereigns; to the Heavenly Worthies of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao) of the Ten Directions; to the gods of all heavens and the celestial queens and Primordial Ladies; to the hosts of perfected of the Southern Asterism, Northern Dipper, and Milky Way; to the Three Officials, Five Elders, and Four Sage Perfected Lords; to the Great Emperor of Fusang; to the deities of the Five Sacred Peaks; to the Five Patriarchs and Seven Perfected of the Southern and Northern lineages who founded the teaching of the Mysterious Gate; to the immortals and spirits past and present who attained the Dao in famous mountains and grotto palaces; to the Ten Kings, Perfected Lords of the Underworld; to the Great Emperor Who Subdues Demons in the Three Realms; to the true officials who inspect and investigate as they pass through the clouds and sky; to the divine troops and attendants of the jeweled courts who aid the Dao; to Tai Sui, City Gods, Earth Gods, and other deities; and to all efficacious spirits that respond at the Dharma feast—all alike receive universal offering through the true incense.

Now we report: According to the case of so-and-so, incense-offering cultivating disciple of such-and-such temple in such-and-such province, prefecture, department, and county of the Great Qing realm, on the occasion of such-and-such year, month, and day, we reverently lead the pure Daoist assembly to ascend the precious hall, chant the immortal scriptures, praise the holy names, invite and make offerings to the high perfected, respectfully pray for great blessings, and upward offer prayers for His Imperial Majesty the present emperor: the mountain-call (an ancient rite of loud acclamation to the emperor), “Ten thousand years!”; a second mountain-call, “Ten thousand years!”; again the mountain-call, “Ten thousand times ten thousand years!”; three calls.

May the sovereign, together with the multitude, gaze upon the honored deity of the North Pole; with a stick of bright incense, may we forever pray for longevity like the Southern Mountain. I humbly pray that the imperial palace be secure and the court forever clear and enlightened. The eight directions acclaim the enlightened ruler who possesses the Dao (the Way); the four seas delight in a civilizing teaching free from anxiety. May warfare cease forever, and may the realm be stable and peaceful. A thousand auspicious omens shine everywhere; the myriad people dwell in peace and enjoy their work. Further, we pray that the incense offerings of this Daoist temple continue far into the future and that the Daoist teachings flourish. May those who cultivate the truth encounter the True Dharma and meet no demonic obstacles on the path as they advance in the Dao.

I humbly reflect that I, disciple so-and-so, and others, from former lives through to this present life, have perhaps been entangled by the Three Karmas (evil actions of body, speech, and mind), or sunk and obstructed by the Six Roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind). Right and wrong have been as vast as the sea; views of self and other have towered like mountains. Our original nature has lost its tranquil and pure truth, and our mind-spirit no longer illumines the harmonious and refined essence. We have not known the rites of repentance and disaster-averting on the Five La and Three Primes (Wula and Sanyuan, Daoist fast days), nor do we understand the rituals of repentance on the Four Beginnings and Ten Rectitudes (Sishi and Shizhi, fast days valued in Daoism). If we do not rely on the light of grace shining down, how can demonic obstacles be forever cleared away?

The Daoist Dharma has a karmic affinity with sentient beings and delivers innumerable people. Like a rushing source flowing into the immortal lineage, it continues unbroken and never lets the true tradition fall. Again we pray for us, your humble servants, together with our masters and disciples, fellow students, parents, and clan relatives, and for all people under heaven, the donors (dānapati, patrons) and the faithful. May the ground of the mind be empty and bright, and the heaven of nature luminous and clear. May kalpa adversities be escaped and misfortunes be averted. Dwelling peacefully in this dusty world, may our every action always meet with auspiciousness.

Again we pray for deliverance from such sufferings as weapons and warfare, the Eight Calamities (eight kinds of disaster), innocent slaughter, death by famine, death by freezing and hunger, and dying on the road after leaving one’s village and native place. May the deceased transcend to the realm of emptiness; may the living enjoy a land of peace and bliss.

Relying on the power of the Dao as a supreme wholesome cause, we single-mindedly invoke the inconceivable merits and virtues of the Ten-Thousand-Age Heavenly Worthy of the Mysterious Capital (Xuandu, the Daoist immortal capital). Here ends the Taishang Xuanmen Zaotan Gongke Jing (Supreme Scripture of the Morning Altar Liturgy of the Mysterious Gate).

Reprinted edition of the Daozang Jiyao (Essentials of the Daoist Canon), a comprehensive collection of Daoist scriptures. The Supreme Mysterious Gate Scripture of Evening Altar Daily Liturgy (a Daoist evening liturgy classic). The Supreme Mysterious Gate Daily Liturgy Scripture. The great assembly ascends the altar, stands in ranks in proper order, and the scripture leader intones. The Great Dao penetrates the deep, mysterious, and void. Wherever earnest intention arrives, nothing fails to resonate. Cultivating the physical form, one enters immortal perfection; thus one accomplishes a diamond-indestructible body. Transcending the sufferings of the Three Realms (the Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm), one is liberated from the Five Sufferings of hell (various kinds of suffering). All take refuge in the Supreme Scripture and Dharma. With a quiet mind they recite and bow their heads in worship. The scripture leader intones: Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Great Unity Who Saves from Suffering, a Daoist deity of salvation). Wherever the wondrous, numinous sound reaches, offenses are eliminated. When the precious name is proclaimed, he supports those in danger and saves them from suffering. There will now be gathas chanting the scriptures and expounding the teaching. I humbly request the assembled Daoists to respond in unison. The Saving-from-Suffering Tianzun is wondrous and unfathomable, difficult to seek out. Clad in rosy-cloud garments, he has practiced for many kalpas. Five-colored auspicious clouds arise beneath his feet; a nine-headed lion roams before him on the path. Sweet dew (ganlu) in his alms bowl is constantly sprinkled; the willow branch in his hand knows not the passing of spring and autumn. Where a thousand places pray to the Master, in a thousand places he descends. In the river of love (the river of desire and affliction), he constantly serves as a boat to ferry people across. The merit of reciting the scripture is inconceivable; lonely souls and lingering spirits are soon delivered upward. With incense they make offerings to the Saving-from-Suffering Tianzun of the Ten Directions. Various forms of ignorance (wuming, the affliction of not understanding the truth) are the root of suffering. When the root of suffering is completely removed, the root of goodness remains. Relying solely on the awe-inspiring power of the sword of wisdom, one leaps out of the gate of samsara and the Five Sufferings. The Dao, with no-mind (a mind free of attachment), saves and transforms sentient beings. All expedient Dharma-gates are means of cultivating truth. If one turns toward the ground of sage wisdom and perfect penetration, one is a person who will be born into heaven and attain the Dao. The great assembly in the ritual arena, each person reverent, respectfully faces the Dao and recites the scriptures according to the Dharma. Before the precious scripture is opened for recitation, first recite the Mysterious Accumulation Demon-Subduing Divine Spell. The assembly should recite it carefully. Gatha for Opening the Scripture (the verse before opening the scripture). Utterly still, it returns to the No-Source (the fundamental origin). Towering in the void, it has passed through vast kalpas. The Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery) text, suddenly opened wide—who can fathom its profundity and distance? Once one enters the path of the Great Vehicle, who still calculates how many years and kalpas? Originally neither born nor extinguished; if one wishes to attain transformation-birth, one relies on the lotus. Transcending the paths of the Three Realms, with a compassionate mind one unties the snares of the world. The Zhenren (Perfected) possesses supreme virtue and in life after life becomes an immortal. The Supreme Cavern Mystery Numinous Treasure Wondrous Scripture on Saving from Suffering. At that time, the Saving-from-Suffering Tianzun filled the worlds of the ten directions. Constantly with his awe-inspiring spiritual power, he rescues all sentient beings and enables them to leave the wrong paths. Sentient beings cannot perceive or know this, like blind people who cannot see the sun and moon. I originally dwell in Taiwu (Great Nonbeing); I rescue, deliver, guide, and lead them to the boundless. Auspicious clouds unfold, giving rise to growth and transformation.

Auspicious vapors fill the doors and gates, shutting the gate of death Qi (vital energy). It begins first from the Mysterious Primordial Beginning Qi, thereby linking auspicious omens and responding to karmic conditions, rescuing beings from all sins and delivering them from all calamities.

Boundless and distant, it ascends to the source of immortality; vast and unimpeded, it is naturally pure and still. All this depends on the power of the Great Dao (the Way), by which all kinds of demons and spirits are subdued. In the sky, how blazingly bright is the light, called the Niwan Immortal (Niwan refers to the Dantian, the energy center, in the brain); purple clouds cover Huanglao (Huanglao refers to the divine reality within the Huangting, the Yellow Court), and this is called the Lord of the Three Treasures. Again, one takes the original Qi of Heaven to govern the Hun and Po souls of the Nine Heavens; the various wondrous deities who save from suffering are adept at manifesting when they save beings from suffering. In Heaven all is blended without distinction; the heavenly Qi returns into one body, and all become persons of spontaneity.

The person of spontaneity has another distinct body, originally within the empty cavern; the traces of the empty cavern are not real traces—the whole body is emptiness. First, entrusting to Qi, one stands; second, following Qi, one is born; third, one accomplishes the myriad dharmas; fourth, one gives rise to light. Thirty-six in Heaven above, thirty-six on Earth below; the Taixuan (Great Mystery) is boundless and limitless. How subtle and wondrous is the Dadong Jing (Great Cavern Scripture)! Taking refuge in the Supreme Venerable can eliminate all sins.

In the East, the Heavenly Worthy (Tianzun) of Jade Treasure and Imperial Supremacy; in the South, the Heavenly Worthy of Mysterious Truth and Ten Thousand Blessings; in the West, the Heavenly Worthy of the Great Wondrous Ultimate; in the North, the Heavenly Worthy of Mysterious Highest Jade Throne; in the Northeast, the Heavenly Worthy of the Supreme Sage Who Delivers Immortals; in the Southeast, the Heavenly Worthy Who Loves Life and Delivers Destinies; in the Southwest, the Heavenly Worthy of the Great Numinous Void Emperor; in the Northwest, the Heavenly Worthy of Boundless Great Hua; above, the Heavenly Worthy of Jade Emptiness and Bright Emperor; below, the Heavenly Worthy of True Emperor and Cavern Spirit.

The Dao said: The Heavenly Worthies of the ten directions are as numerous as sand and dust; they transform and travel through the worlds of the ten directions, universally saving and delivering gods and humans. Gathering Qi, they accumulate merit and virtue, and with one voice rescue sinners. Sinners are truly pitiable; I now proclaim the wondrous scripture. Reciting without cease and taking refuge without pause, one enjoys great blessings in Heaven, and in Hell there is no sound of suffering. The fire-shade (hellfire) becomes cool and refreshing; the sword trees transform into qianlin (auspicious trees). Ascending to the Zhuling Prefecture and entering the Kaiguang Gate below, one is delivered from the difficulties of the Three Realms and goes straight up to the Heaven of Yuanshi (Primordial Beginning). Thereupon the Flying Divine Kings and immeasurable countless multitudes gazed up at the venerable countenance and spoke this verse:

The Heavenly Worthy proclaims the scriptural teachings, guiding drifting beings; diligently cultivate and learn Wuwei (non-action); awaken to the true Dao, and it will naturally be accomplished. Neither deluded nor reckless, without self and without namelessness; reciting aloud the lines on sin and blessing, after ten thousand repetitions the mind’s impurities become pure.

At that time, when the Flying Divine Kings and all the assembled immortals had finished this verse, they bowed their heads to the Heavenly Worthy, received his words, and withdrew.

The Most High Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery) Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) Wondrous Scripture of Deliverance from Suffering.

This scripture records the scene where the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity in Daoism) expounded essential cultivation methods to the assembled immortals at Mount Jade Capital (Yujingshan, a Daoist celestial realm). The Celestial Worthy revealed: To attain the Dao (the Way) and ascend to heaven, one must first establish a foundation through fasting and precept observance. Only by relinquishing external temptations, purifying distracting thoughts, and maintaining right mindfulness can the five viscera and six bowels achieve harmonious circulation, remove blockages from the 360 joints of the body, and cleanse the ten evil karmic obstructions along with 180 types of afflictions.

During cultivation, practitioners should guide the primordial harmonious Qi (vital energy) to nourish the entire body, achieving purity and radiance in the internal organs through inner observation. When one reaches the state of internal-external clarity and silent non-thinking, natural attunement with the Dao occurs. Specific methods include: dietary moderation, subduing inner demons (ghostly corpses), stabilizing the six sense faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), and calmly observing the eight consciousnesses (a Buddhist concept referring to deep layers of awareness). Ultimately, one empties the five aggregates (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness) to realize the wondrous state of the three primordial energies (Jing-essence, Qi-vitality, and Shen-spirit), thereby naturally attaining the Dao and ascending to immortality.

Upon hearing this, the assembled immortals praised it as the supreme scripture never before revealed, summarizing its essence with a gatha verse: The true Dao resides in profound darkness and silent stillness—its substance serene and unmoving, transcending distinctions of form and mind. This constitutes the fundamental purpose of cultivation.

The latter section shifts to the Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun, an important Daoist deity) expounding teachings from the Seven Treasures Platform, presenting contrasting visions of the Hall of Blessings and the hell realms: virtuous practitioners enjoy blissful freedom in the blessed halls, while evildoers suffer torment in the underworld. Through these vivid contrasts, the text emphasizes karmic retribution and exhorts people toward virtuous conduct and Daoist cultivation.

These guilty souls endure every kind of suffering day and night. They have completely lost human form; their limbs and bodies are ulcerated and decayed. When hungry they swallow fierce fire; when thirsty they drink molten copper. They tread on mountains of knives and carry iron rods on their backs; their whole bodies bleed, and their cries of lamentation rise to the edge of heaven. At that time in the Dharma assembly there was a Zhenren (Perfected One) named Guangxin, who rose from his seat, bowed his head, came forward, and reported to the Lord of the Dao: “I do not know what offenses these wretched souls committed in life that they must undergo such suffering.” The Lord of the Dao said: “These sufferers, while in the world, did not revere the Three Luminaries (sun, moon, and stars), insulted divine principle, committed the Ten Evils and Five Rebellions (ten grave offenses and five cardinal sins against human relations), were disloyal, inhumane, unkind, and unfilial, injured and destroyed the lives of the myriad beings, and killed sentient creatures. When their blessings were exhausted and their lifespans ended, they were bound to receive this suffering.”

Then Zhenren Guangxin felt compassion and wished to rescue and lift them up. He hoped that by the Lord of the Dao’s wondrous power and majestic light, they might be permitted to be opened and delivered; and that, receiving the Lord of the Dao’s golden words, he might broadly establish essential methods and expound for sentient beings this Jing (scripture), entitled “Resolving Grievances and Uprooting Offenses,” causing it to circulate in the world and benefit both the living and the dead. “If there are good men and faithful women who with single-minded devotion enter quietude, observe fasts, burn incense, and practice the Dao, and who during the six periods (the six periods of day and night) recite and recollect this Jing, I shall protect such persons according to their wishes, causing grievances and enmities from former lives to be delivered through these blessings, and hidden souls and suffering spirits each to transcend and ascend.”

Zhenren Guangxin rejoiced, bowed again, and in detail proclaimed this wondrous cause, uttering a praise: “Great indeed is the Lord of the Great Dao, who constantly and universally bestows immeasurable merit and virtue, makes a boat in the sea of birth and death, and ferries sentient beings across beyond Luofeng (Fengdu, where ghosts dwell). The retribution of offenses is no longer encountered; blessings connect with the dark realm. How can his wondrous function be measured? How can praise exhaust it?” At this time, as Zhenren Guangxin and the assembled saints and multitude finished hearing the teaching, each bowed their heads, took refuge, believed, received, and practiced it. Taishang Daojun, the Supreme Lord of the Dao, spoke the Wondrous Jing of Resolving Grievances and Uprooting Offenses.

The Pronouncement of Doumu (Mother of the Dipper): With single-minded heart, I take refuge and pay homage. In the great light of great wisdom in the western land of India, the Dharma King and Teacher of true emptiness and wondrous function, the supreme sovereign, the Mysterious Origin Mother of Heaven: where golden light flashes, sun and moon conceal their radiance; when the precious pestle whirls, ghosts and spirits pale. She reveals numinous traces in the dusty world and guards the sacred carriage in Jambudvipa (the human world). If sentient beings in trouble call her name, the Great Being follows the sound and comes to rescue them from suffering. Great compassion and great vows, great sage and great mercy, Holy Virtue Queen of Great Light, Marici-deva (the Sanskrit name of Doumu), Great Sage, Primordial Heaven Doumu Yuanjun.

The Pronouncement of the Three Officials: With single-minded heart, I take refuge and pay homage.

Only the three sages share a single Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) source. In the past they received the heavenly mandate amid distant kalpas and received commendatory titles of immeasurable rank. The three palaces of Ziwei (Purple Micro), Qingxu (Pure Void), and Dongyin (Cavernous Yin) are the dwellings of the Three Primes. They comprehensively oversee the merits and transgressions of sentient beings, bestow blessings, pardon offenses, and release from adversity. They universally save both the living and the dead. Their Dao methods are unsurpassed throughout the heavens, and their grace extends throughout the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm). They possess great compassion and great vows, great sageliness and great mercy. They are the Three Primes, Three Ranks, and Three Officials Great Thearchs, the responsive Heavenly Worthies within the Three Palaces and Nine Bureaus.

Xuantian Pronouncement: With wholehearted sincerity, I take refuge and bow in reverence to the Dharma-transmitting Teaching Lord of the Hunyuan Six Heavens (a level in the Daoist celestial hierarchy), who cultivates truth and awakens to the Dao, saves deluded and benighted beings, and universally removes disasters and obstacles for sentient beings. He has eighty-two kinds of emanations and is the ancestral teacher of the Three Teachings. Greatly merciful and compassionate, he saves from suffering and distress. He is the Chief Overseer of the Three Primes; the Roaming Envoy of the Nine Heavens (a divine office); the Great General of the Left Tiangang (Heavenly Dipper) and the Right Wall of the Northern Pole; the one who guards Heaven and assists order; Zhenwu (True Martial), the Numinous and Responsive; the one whose blessings and virtue extend auspiciousness; the kind, compassionate, upright, and fierce; the True Lord Who Assists the Cycles; the Fortune Deity Who Governs the World; the Preceptor-Minister of the Jade Void; Xuantian Shangdi, Great Thearch of the Dark Heaven; the Emanation of the Golden Portal; and the Heavenly Worthy Who Sweeps Away Demons.

Celestial Master (Tianshi) Pronouncement: With wholehearted sincerity, I take refuge and bow in reverence to the one originally dwelling in the southern region and tracing his distant origins to the Shu capital. He first obtained the Yellow Emperor’s Nine Tripods Elixir Book. Later, at Yuju (a place name and administrative seat), he served Laozi twice. From a thousand scrolls of scriptures he obtained the essentials of cultivation, and in a single session he perfected the practice of exhalation and inhalation. The Fulu (talismans and registers) were all perfected. He received the Mengwei (Covenant Power) Dharma grade and the Jielin secret formula. Right and evil were clearly distinguished. At the Blessed Court he exerted himself in refining and transformed it into a salt spring; his virtue completed the Great Elixir, and his Dao equaled the Seven Governors (the sun, moon, and five planets). Great compassion and great vows; great sageliness and great mercy: the Great Dharma Celestial Master of the Three Heavens who Supports the Teaching, Assists the Primal, and Embodies the Dao; the Supreme Minister of Tai Xuan in the Thunder Directorate; the Great Dharma Lord of the Capital Heaven; Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Chongxuan Shenhua Jingying Xianyou Zhenjun; the Great Thearch of Infinite High Brightness of the Six Directions; the Heavenly Worthy Who Subdues Demons and Protects the Dao.

Patriarch Lü Pronouncement: With wholehearted sincerity, I take refuge and bow in reverence to the Inner Minister of Jade Purity, the Chosen Immortal of the Golden Portal, who manifests as the teacher of the Three Teachings, controls the Dharma, and issues the commands of the Five Thunders. Awakened from the yellow millet dream (through which Lü Dongbin became enlightened), he forgot worldly fame and achievement. The radiance of his precious sword surges forth; he sweeps away monsters and prodigies from the human world. For the four kinds of birth and six destinies (viviparous, oviparous, moisture-born, and transformation-born, and the beings of the six paths), whenever there is sincere resonance, his response is certain and true. Throughout the Three Realms and ten directions, no petition goes unanswered. At the head of Yellow Swan Creek he left sacred traces; in the Jade Purity Hall he refined cinnabar. Mountain cliffs preserve his Dao image; cloud caves reveal his immortal traces. He expounds and promotes the Dharma gate and its incense offerings, and serves as ladder and boat (guidance) for the heirs of the Mysterious Gate. Great sage and greatly merciful; greatly benevolent and greatly filial; the founder who opened the mountain and initiated the teaching; the Numinous-Response Patriarch; the Supreme Minister of Heavenly Thunder. His honored title is Lingbao Zhenren (Perfected of the Numinous Treasure).

The Taishang Xuanmen Gongke Jing is the daily recitation scripture of the Daoist Mysterious Gate.

The honorific Xieyuan Zanyun Chunyang Yanzheng Jinghua Fuyou Dijun Xingxing Miaodao Tianzun is the title of Lü Dongbin (Chunyang Dijun). It means “the Imperial Lord who harmonizes the primal Qi, assists cosmic transformation, unfolds and rectifies pure Yang, warns and transforms, and grants protection; the Heavenly Worthy who promotes and practices the wondrous Dao.”

The Pronouncement of Zhenjun Sa is the pronouncement text of Zhenjun Sa (Sa Shoujian, patriarch of Daoist thunder methods). “Zhi xin gui ming li” means to take refuge and bow with a sincere heart.

His ritual lineage spread through the western lands, and his deeds were made manifest at Longxing. He gave away wealth, compounded medicines, and relieved living beings. He accumulated good deeds and merit and cultivated the Supreme Dao. He received the teaching decree of the Iron Master (an honorific for his master and lineage). He presided over the secret thunder-method texts in the Jade Bureau (a celestial office). He wore a hundred-patch demon-subduing robe. He held the Five Brightness ghost-subduing fan. Proclaiming transformation on behalf of Heaven, he practiced such arts as incantations over dates and writing talismans. Within a foot’s length he wielded wind and thunder. Beneath the Dipper’s gang qi (the martial Qi of the Northern Dipper), he cut down demons and spirits. His Daoist methods were integrated with Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate), and his fruition was ranked among the prenatal. Like pine, bamboo, and a wild crane, he roamed freely according to his nature. Near and far, like a solitary cloud, he always attained freedom. Everywhere he expounded and spread the teachings, becoming a master of the ten thousand methods. Everywhere he established ritual altars, serving as a model for later generations. Sovereign of the Capital Heaven, the Supreme One-Yuan Elder Sa Zhenjun.

The Pronouncement of Wang Lingguan is the pronouncement text of Wang Lingguan (the Daoist protector deity). “Zhi xin gui ming li” means to take refuge and bow with a sincere heart.

Commander-in-Chief of the Prenatal, Spirit Lord of the One Qi. The Great Lingguan of the Capital Heaven who inspects and punishes. The impartial fierce divine officer-general of the Three Realms. With golden eyes and red hair, he is called the Thunder Lord of the Three-Five Fire Chariot. With phoenix beak and silver teeth, he commands a million fierce divine generals (brave divine soldiers). He soars through clouds and mist and commands thunder. He sends rain and clears the sky, expels evil, and heals illness. For twelve years he observes faults. Commissioned by the Jade Emperor, he accumulates merit and moves countless beings. He vows to assist the Patriarch. Supremely firm and courageous, he saves the dead and the living. Everywhere he expounds the teaching and opens altars. The Huoluo Fierce Officer, the Three-Five Fire Chariot, the Taiyi Thunder God of Responsive Transformation, Heavenly Worthy.

The Pronouncement of Salvation from Suffering is the pronouncement text of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (the great deity who saves from suffering and delivers the dead). “Zhi xin gui ming li” means to take refuge and bow with a sincere heart.

In the Qinghua Realm of Long Joy and the Wondrous Adornment Palace of the Eastern Pole, in the Seven-Jewel Fragrant Qian Forest and on the nine-colored lotus throne, ten thousand perfected beings surround and guard him there. Amid hundreds of billions of auspicious rays is the Heavenly Treasure Worthy of Jade Clarity. He responds and transforms as the Mysterious Origin and Beginning. Through vast kalpas he extends compassion, saves the great thousandfold world, and opens the Dharma gate of sweet dew. With the true body of the wondrous Dao and the auspicious form of purple gold, he goes wherever capacities call and responds to every invocation; his vows are boundless. Great Sage, Great Compassion, Great Pity, Great Vow. He manifests names throughout the ten directions and universally saves living beings. Through countless kalpas he has saved immeasurable people. Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, the Qingxuan Emperor, Who Hears Sounds and Responds.

The Presiding Altar Intonation is sung by the presiding ritual master. The river of love and desire has a thousand waves; the sea of suffering is ten thousand fathoms deep. If you wish to escape the suffering of samsara, the assembly should turn their thoughts to the Heavenly Worthy. The assembly leaves the altar and turns their thoughts to the Heavenly Worthy. They invoke the holy name of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun. After proceeding to the place of solitary souls and completing the food offering, they return to the altar and kneel in recitation.

This passage depicts a compassionate and sacred figure in Daoism (Qinghua Miaoyan), who manifests countless benevolent forms, dwelling in the Western Paradise (Changle) while seated upon a golden lotus throne. His radiance of wisdom penetrates all obstacles, illuminating the dark underworld like sweet dew nourishing all beings, pervading the entire void. Even decayed bones may regain vitality, as he delivers lost souls from suffering, liberating them from the sea of afflictions.

Following this is an invocation to various deities for dispelling calamities: The Celestial Official (Tianguan) is beseeched to avert celestial disasters, the Earth Official (Diguan) to remove terrestrial misfortunes, and the Water Official (Shuiguan) to quell water-related perils. The Five Thearchs of the Directions eliminate calamities from all five regions, while the Four Sages avert seasonal misfortunes. The Southern Dipper Star Lord (Nandou Xingjun) relieves karmic adversities of one's destiny, and the Northern Dipper Star Lord (Beidou Xingjun) removes all misfortunes. These seven primordial lords possess vast spiritual powers, capable of rescuing sentient beings from suffering. Should anyone encounter sudden peril, sincerely reciting these deities' names will bring peace and attract manifold blessings.

Those who recite these invocations will harmonize with the Five Phases (Wuxing), their Three Hun-Souls (Sanhun) stabilized, and malevolent forces unable to invade. Pure Qi (Zhenqi) descends from all directions, and countless blessings naturally gather. By making offerings to the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, one may transcend the Eight Calamities (Bajie), maintaining bodily and mental purity across lifetimes. Virtuous deeds are like shadows within light, and spiritual responses echo like sounds in valleys. The Three Primordial Officials (Sanyuan—Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, Xiayuan) jointly protect, while all sacred beings observe clearly, ensuring freedom from calamities and perpetual serenity of the Dao-heart (Daoxin).

The "Eulogy of Repayment" section expresses gratitude toward parents: Grateful for the Mysterious Heavenly Sovereign's (Xuantian Shangdi) manifestation in the world, taking pity on us embodied beings. Parents endure ten months of pregnancy and three years of nursing, laboring tirelessly. Now as parents age, I recite scriptures seeking impartial dissolution of greed, anger, and other defilements, bowing to the Celestial Thearch as my teacher to repay parental kindness. May living parents enjoy longevity and departed ancestors swiftly ascend. Special praise is given to the True Martial Emperor (Zhenwu Dadi) in his eighty-two manifestations—he is the Lord of Repayment, the Holy Protector True Martial, and the Divine of Worldly Blessings, who ultimately delivers beings from suffering.

Concluding are twelve auspicious vows: First, may winds and rains be timely; second, may the five grains abound; third, may the emperor enjoy long life; fourth, may the nation know peace; fifth, may the people dwell in comfort; sixth, may blessings, longevity, and health prevail; seventh, may disasters vanish; eighth, may floods and fires be avoided; ninth, may wisdom be attained; tenth, may cultivation lead to perfection; eleventh, may all deities grant protection; twelfth, may the deceased transcend. These vows extend to all living creatures, including birds, beasts, and even the smallest insects.

All enemies and creditors (referring to sentient beings with whom one has formed enmity in past lives), all male and female lonely spirits, and all suffering spirits in the Cold Forest among the four kinds of birth and six destinies (viviparous, oviparous, moisture-born, and metamorphic are the four kinds of birth; heavenly beings, humans, asuras, hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals are the six destinies)—after hearing the scriptures and receiving the teachings, may all soon be delivered and elevated. (This passage is recited three times.)

The Qinghua Savior Lord, the Compassionate Worthy Taiyi (that is, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, who dwells in the Eastern Realm of Qinghua Chang Le), manifests a golden body through an emanation body of Yuqing (Jade Purity, the realm transformed by Yuanshi Tianzun), broadly opens the Dharma gate of sweet dew for the great thousandfold world, and receives and guides sentient beings. May they forever leave the ford of the river of love (a metaphor for the river of desire and affliction); may sentient beings be guided to forever leave the river of love.

May all afflictions arising from the three obstacles (the obstacle of affliction, the obstacle of karma, and the obstacle of retribution) be extinguished, and may we attain wisdom, clarity of mind, and awakening. Universally I vow that all disasters and hindrances be entirely removed, and that in life after life we may always practice the unsurpassed Great Dao. May the four kinds of kindness (the kindness of parents, of sentient beings, of rulers, and of the Three Treasures) and the three realms of existence (the realms of desire, form, and formlessness, that is, sentient beings of the three worlds) all receive benefit, and may I roam freely and at ease among the Ten Continents and Three Isles (the paradises where immortals dwell).

I dedicate the merit of reciting the scripture to the dragon deities of the Four Bureaus (the Heavenly Court, the Underworld, the Water Bureau, and the Yang World), and I pay respects and give thanks to the Three Treasures of Dao, Jing (scripture), and Teacher. The merit and virtue obtained from the scripture just recited are boundless; I pray for favorable weather and peace and happiness for the people. May this merit be universally extended to all sentient beings; may reciting the scripture protect peace, eliminate disasters, and increase blessings and longevity.

The local earth deity of this place is most efficacious, able to ascend to heaven and reach the earth, to enter and exit the dark and the bright. Report on my behalf to the Heavenly Court without delay or hindrance. On the day merit is accomplished, may my name be recorded in the immortal register of Shangqing (Supreme Purity, one of the highest Daoist paradises).

The merit of the scripture just recited is offered upward to the High Perfected (high deities), and downward it protects peace, bestows blessings, and removes disasters. Together may we rely on this good merit to realize the unsurpassed Great Dao. May all sentient beings sincerely believe, receive, and pay homage; with single-minded devotion they invoke:

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, who possesses inconceivable merit and virtue. (The main scripture’s spoken passage, that is, the exhortation after reciting the scripture.)

Since we have recited the words of the scripture, we should understand its meaning. Each person should reflect within and early seek deliverance from the suffering of the world. Human birth is hard to obtain, and the true Dharma is the hardest to encounter. We should only contemplate the suffering of impermanence (the ceaseless flow of all things and the brevity of life). Each person should arouse a pure Dao-mind, sweep away all delusive thoughts, remove the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion, repent the offenses committed in the past, pursue correct practice today, and vigorously arouse a heart of diligence. Each should take refuge and pay homage.

With single-minded devotion, I take refuge and pay homage:

In the Holy Realm of Qinghua and the Upper Palace of the Eastern Pole (the dwelling place of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun), you manifest names throughout the ten directions to save sentient beings, and within hundreds of billions of lights we behold your wondrous form. With a nine-colored lotus as the compassionate ferry to the other shore, and a sprig of willow opening the Dharma gate of sweet dew, ninety-nine thousand nine hundred trillion holy beings of the same name and title follow behind with banners, canopies, and jeweled parasols, guiding beings. Greatly compassionate and greatly merciful, you respond to calls and hasten to those who feel you.

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun.

Lingbao Tianzun of the Ten Directions.

Tianzun of Rebirth According to Vows.

(After bowing once to each of the above Tianzun, perform three more salutations; then divide into rows, bow to one another, and the ritual is concluded.)

Here ends the Evening Altar Liturgy Scripture.

A complete Shishi (food-offering ritual) was performed during the session. The assembly recited the holy name of the Heavenly Worthy and proceeded to the Hanlin (Cold Forest) site—the place in the Shishi ritual ground where orphaned spirits are summoned. After arranging themselves in rows and standing, the presiding scripture master intoned the opening chant. By talismanic mandates (fuming)—the commands of Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers)—the message was transmitted and announced. The light of grace shone throughout the Nine Springs. The three hun-souls paid homage to the Supreme Emperor; the seven po-souls heard the numinous scripture. They escaped the long night of the Three Paths (evil destinies), and the offenses of the Five Sufferings (all sufferings) were all released and resolved. The waves of the sea of karma were calmed. Those who heard the Dharma were reborn among humans and heavens.

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (the Daoist deity who rescues from suffering and delivers souls). In the Palace of Azure Flower and Wondrous Adornment at the Eastern Pole (the abode of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun), purple mist and rosy radiance penetrated the great void. A thousand lotus flowers set off the precious throne. Nine-headed lions emerged from the clouds. The Cinnabar Terrace of the Southern Pole opened its precious caskets. The Northern Dipper’s mysterious prohibitions broke open Luofeng (the Fengdu hells). We pray only that the Heavenly Worthy bestow light and save from suffering. We bow our heads in worship of the compassionate countenance. The merit of Shishi is inconceivable. May orphaned spirits and lingering souls soon transcend and ascend. With incense we make offerings to the Heavenly Worthies Who Save from Suffering in the ten directions.

The jade instructions (Daoist ritual formulas) responded and transformed into sweet-dew Dharma food. It was universally offered to ghostly spirits as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. May they all be filled and abandon stinginess and greed; may they be transformed and reborn among humans and heavens, born in pure places. “You assembled ghosts and spirits, I now offer you this supply. A single grain pervades the ten directions, for ghostly spirits as numerous as Ganges sands to use.” In the palace of eternal bliss, spring knows no night. The sweet dew is universally offered to relieve all beings. Dust is suddenly stilled, and they return to the true path.

The assembly of Dharma practitioners intoned the Wuchu Jing (Five Kitchens Scripture; a Daoist scripture title, symbolizing Dharma food that nourishes wisdom). The one Qi (vital energy) harmonizes with the Great Harmony. Attaining the one Dao, all is peaceful and secure. Harmonize without clinging to a single harmony. The mysterious principle penetrates the mysterious and wondrous realm. Do not use the mind’s intent to fathom intent, nor seek thoughtlessness. Have intent without clinging to intent. This method should be upheld in this way. Do not let the mind cling to the mind, nor dwell in the total severance of clinging. The mind is present, yet do not fixate on the mind. In the real, guard the abyss of the real. Cultivate and govern the mind and will while detaching from will. Accumulate cultivation without departing from it. Have resolve without clinging to the resolve to cultivate. Past karmic actions cannot be known or grasped.

All foods are Qi condensed into Qi; they are not lasting, fixed condensations. Qi returns to original Qi; as they are taken and used, they should disperse accordingly. We invoke the Spirit Kings Who Transform Food and the Minor Officials Who Transform Food—the divine officials in the Shishi Keyi (liturgy) who transform Dharma food—to transform this Dharma food so that it fills heaven and earth and becomes the food of the natural heavenly kitchen. May it be universally offered to all hungry and thirsty spirits and souls, and may all receive the taste of sweet dew. We invoke Dongwanggong (the King Father of the East), Xiwangmu (the Queen Mother of the West), these Daoist deities, and Taiyi Tianzun (the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering) to send down sweet dew. The immeasurable food of the Three Heavens fills the Dharma realm, relieving those who are hungry and thirsty within it. Those who are hungry and empty within immeasurable pure bodies are filled; those afflicted by heat and distress obtain coolness. All hungry and thirsty beings are delivered.

Those who thirst for salvation ascend together to the realm of ultimate bliss.

The Jiuku Gao (Pronouncement on Salvation from Suffering) is a pronouncement in praise of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Universal Salvation from Suffering). Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun dwells in the Qinghua Changyue Realm—the Eastern Pure Land of the Celestial Worthy of Salvation from Suffering—and in the Miaoyan Palace of the Eastern Pole, where there is a Fangqian Forest formed of seven treasures and a nine-colored precious lotus throne, surrounded and guarded by myriad true sages. Amid hundreds of billions of auspicious rays, the Tianbao Zun of Yuqing (the Tianbao deity of the Yuqing Realm) responds and transforms into Xuan, Yuan, and Shi—the three primordial qi of Daoism—and through long kalpas extends compassion and salvation, opening the sweet-dew Dharma-gate for the great thousandfold world. With the true body of the wondrous Dao and the auspicious marks of purple gold, he appears in response to the capacities of sentient beings, and his vows are boundless. He possesses the qualities of great sagehood, great compassion, great pity, and great vows; in the worlds of the ten directions he manifests names and forms to universally save sentient beings, and through countless kalpas he saves immeasurable beings, going to respond wherever his name is called. This is Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, Qingxuan Shangdi (the Supreme Emperor of Azure Mystery).

Within the vast Fengdu—the dwelling place of ghostly souls in the underworld—and beneath the many-layered Vajra Mountains—the mountains of the firm hells—the boundless radiance of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) penetrates and illuminates the afflictions and suffering in the fire pools. The ancestors of seven generations and all the dark souls—their bodily forms follow the fragrant clouds and jeweled banners; by the power of concentration and wisdom, lotus flowers arise, and ascending to rebirth, their spirit-consciousness is forever at peace.

The Wangsheng Zhou (Incantation for Rebirth) is a spell for delivering the souls of the dead so that they may be reborn in a good place. In the Cold Court—the cold forest of the underworld—there is much sorrow and suffering; turn the mind back and revere Yuanhuang, a honored Daoist deity. The Lingbao talismans in the charge of Nüqing, a deity, and the talismanic writings of the Azure Emperor of Zhongshan—within a single thought one ascends to the Taiqing Realm, silently reciting and contemplating the Dao of Taiwu. Merit is bestowed downward upon the Nine Dark Regions, and one gradually undergoes transformation and is born in the Purple Void wonderland.

After the youth has finished offering food before the Cold Forest, he recites: The carriages of the emperors of the Five Directions move gracefully along, floating into the Gate of the Mysterious Above, roaming in the Yellow Flower Wilds, and turning the spirit back to rest at the height of exalted joy. They gather the luminous scenes flying through the sky, yet many former souls do not follow along. Taiwei turns back the yellow banner; Wuying, a deity, commands the numinous banners, gathering the dead souls in the Long Night Mansion—the underworld—and opening deliverance for souls about to receive rebirth.

The true scriptures just chanted and the empowered spell-food all rely on the precious registers of the heavens and the secret chapters of Yuqing; their grace pervades the Three Realms, and their fame is heard throughout the ten directions. This food is transformed into the flavors of the heavenly kitchen, and this water is transformed into sweet-dew nectar. Those who eat it are released from the transgressions of ten thousand kalpas; those who drink it are washed clean of the dust and defilement of many lives. Yet there is still concern that your original nature is dull as wood, that your desires cling, that you oppose the true Dao and lose the heaven of your original nature. Therefore the Yuanshi Dharma King, the compassionate teaching lord, proclaimed this Scripture of Rebirth in Heaven and Attainment of the Dao, so that you may suddenly awaken your mind-ground and be transformed into thorough penetration of the root of your original nature. You souls present at the altar should all the more turn your minds toward the Dao. Those who have accumulated goodness should further resolve to advance; those who have done evil should quickly amend their past transgressions. Make vows and fix your intention to turn toward the one Great Vehicle, and you will surely be reborn amid all that is good. With true awakening, awaken to deluded thoughts; extend from benefiting oneself to benefiting others; then grace reaches the Four Graces—heaven and earth, parents, ruler, teachers, and so on—and good conduct supports all beings, fully realizing the benefit of goodness.

The sentient beings of the Dharma realm (fajie, the world of sentient beings), having received the immeasurable grace of the sages and worthies, each rely on this Dharma food to be born into the immortal realms. They prepare money and precious registers (talismanic documents), reverently burn and recite them; whether using the precious registers or burning paper money, when this is finished they chant again.

Receiving the talismanic command of Yuanshi (the Primordial Beginning), at the appointed time they ascend and are promoted. The hosts of the Cold Pool of the Northern Capital (the cold, bitter region of the underworld) guard their bodily souls, subdue demons, and guarantee their recommendation, ferrying them into the Southern Palace (the place of refining and salvation). The souls of the dead receive refining and are immortalized into perfected people; in life after life they receive salvation, and kalpa after kalpa they long endure. They turn with the kalpas and share the years of Heaven. Forever they pass beyond the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties (all the sufferings of evil destinies); they transcend and ascend to the immortal realms, roaming carefree in Shangqing (Highest Clarity).

The succoring refinement of the Three Yang (yang qi) is the supreme wondrous affinity. Relying on sacred power, may all beings be universally saved. I humbly pray that the Wind-and-Thunder Copper Pillars (instruments of hell torture) turn into a cool, pure land; that the freezing cold and boiling cauldron (the ice and boiling-water hells) transform into a Seven-Treasure Jade Pool; that the land beneath Mount Luofeng (the underworld mountain) become Penglai and Langyuan (immortal paradises); and that the Iron Enclosure and Avici (hells) become grotto-heavens and immortal lands. May the Three Paths cease from suffering; may those in the Eight Difficulties transcend and ascend. May deceased ancestors, teachers, friends, and kin quickly dwell in the land of happiness and soon ascend the path of humans and heavens. May friends who cultivate perfection and companions of the rosy clouds, and good people who hear the Dharma, awaken to the true primal source of their original nature and understand the essential wonder of the mysterious pass. May the Four Kindnesses (all kindnesses) be universally repaid; may the Three Realms (sentient beings of the three realms) be equally benefited. May all sentient beings together reach the shore of the Dao.

Sincerely invoke the following Tianzun (Celestial Worthies): Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Great Unity Who Saves from Suffering; the deity who saves from suffering); Fengdu Bazui Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Fengdu Who Removes Sin; the deity who extracts beings from underworld sins); and the Celestial Worthy of Measureless Limit in the Ten Directions (the deity of immeasurable measure pervading the ten directions), who possesses inconceivable merit. The vows of Jiuku Tianzun are profound and weighty; sweet dew sprinkles open the gates of hell. So that lonely souls may ascend into the immortal realms, the assembly returns to the altar and invokes the Tianzun. Shengtian Dedao Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy Who Is Born in Heaven and Attains the Dao; the deity who saves people to ascend to heaven and attain the Dao); after the assembly invokes the Tianzun, they return to the altar. The accompanying food-bestowal keyi (liturgy) of the hall is concluded.

The offering keyi (liturgy). During the intoned chant, invoke Xiangchu Miaogong Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Offerings from the Fragrant Kitchen; the Tianzun who receives offerings). I have heard: to offer water, incense, and flowers, one need only rely on a single sincerity to petition; to light lamps and present vegetarian treasures, one presents ten kinds of offerings to express devotion. Looking up, I contemplate the Great Dao and gaze afar; looking down, I examine refined cultivation and pray. Please look upon these sunflowers and beans (humble offerings); please accept these duckweed and artemisia (simple sacrificial offerings). Reverently I exhaust a heart of awe; cautiously I present sincere intent. Now, as noon approaches, I present fragrant delicacies. Those to be welcomed are as follows. Welcoming the immortal carriage, I humbly pray as follows: may the Seven-Treasure High Perfected (high-ranking deities) lean upon their tables and ride dragons and luan-birds to descend; may the Supreme Sages of the Nine Empyreans (the highest deities) mount their carriages and drive cranes to come down.

The hosts of true beings of the stars and constellations in Heaven universally descend upon the ritual assembly; the Three Officials Great Emperors, the Four Sagely True Lords, and all the master true beings together descend upon the Xuan altar (the Daoist Zhaijiao ritual altar); the celestial deities and marshal-generals of the various bureaus in charge of Fulu (talismans and registers) and Keyi (liturgy), riding cloud chariots and wind horses, float through the air, overseeing the altar and protecting the Daoist Dharma; the Sagely Emperors of the Five Peaks and the true spirits of the Water Bureau, driving pure Qi and riding the wind, surge forth from beneath the earth to guard the Jade altar (an altar adorned with fine jade); the true spirit of Houtu comes joyfully, and the sage assemblies of the palaces of the ten directions gather in full ranks to welcome their descent; the deities of the City God temples arrive with a heroic martial aura, while the True Officials of Tai Sui and other presiding deities respectfully and carefully keep to their duties; talisman envoys, merit officers, attending deities, and others establish the altar and arrange the divine images; the responsive true spirits, with wind horses transmitting messages in an unbroken stream, come wearing high crowns and broad sashes, looking down upon the vegetarian feast and accepting the offerings; the assembly of Dharma devotees applies sincere hearts and chants praise with voices clear as jade.

(Incense) The pure, fragrant incense of Dao and De is offered upward to the Void Sovereign (the supreme deity of Daoism); gazing afar at the descent of the sacred carriage, which sends down auspicious light; may blessings be upon the present sage and enlightened sovereign, with boundless longevity.

(Flowers) In the immortal gardens the hundred flowers grow and are presented to the high and bright deities; tender reds and fresh greens display the moods of the human world; as flowers bloom in the four seasons they are brought as offerings, and the hundred blessings grow lofty and abundant.

(Lamps) The shadows of silver lamps are bright and luminous, shining upward to the vault of Heaven; brilliantly illuminating, the silver lamp bowls emit their light; the ritual sponsor piously comes to light the lamps and present offerings, gathering blessings and welcoming auspiciousness.

(Water) Water is ladled out and offered to the high true beings, washing away the dusty impurities of the world; the hundred rivers and myriad seas naturally flow with moisture; bathing in the flowered pond and being able to wash the hands and rinse the mouth, blessings and emoluments arrive together.

(Fruit) Marvelous fruits of extraordinary color are offered upward to the deities; the offerings are solemnly set out, surpassing the legendary ping fruit; since ancient times banquets have been arranged and sacrifices displayed, bestowing blessings and extending felicity.

(Tea) Flower buds and tender tips produce new tea, like white snow and yellow sprouts; Lu Tong (the Tang poet who loved tea) since ancient times has steeped and drunk the numinous sprouts; Zhaozhou (Zen Master Zhaozhou, famed for “eating tea”) and Guolao (Zhang Guolao) can know the flavor of tea—tea comes from the immortal household.

(Vegetarian Feast) The cloud kitchen (a lofty kitchen) prepares the fragrant vegetarian feast, whose wondrous use is marvelous; hundred flavors and rare delicacies are offered upon the jade terrace; these pure grain offerings in sacrificial vessels can cause blessings to come from Heaven (the original text writes “calamity,” a graphic error).

(Treasures) Myriad treasures, wondrous and adorned, are offered upward to all the heavens; they nourish the common people toward prosperity, vast and boundless; the radiance of the Dharma sea and numinous mountain universally manifests, releasing from offenses and eliminating faults.

(Handkerchiefs) Handkerchiefs are made of Shu brocade and Wu damask, local products offered under a fine name; embroidered with round flowers, longevity characters, and meander patterns; with grain harvests abundant and sericulture smooth, the seasons harmonious, the Five Blessings come together.

(Money) Money and treasures are offered to the true spirits, and sincere hearts reach the heavenly court; matters sought are satisfactory and the future enduring; doing good sends down auspiciousness—do not be stingy—and blessings and longevity are long and great.

This scripture presents the complete liturgy of the Daoist Evening Altar Service (a nighttime cultivation ritual), consisting primarily of two components: the offering ceremony and purification practices.

At the commencement of the ritual, Daoist priests reverently arrange offerings while reciting scriptures to express their devout intentions. Upon completing the scripture recitation, they carefully return the sacred texts to their ornate cases (langhan) while reading aloud the memorial documents (formal prayer petitions) dedicated to the deities. These petitions are then burned before the incense burner, symbolizing the transmission of their prayers to the divine realm.

The offering ceremony incorporates several mantras. The first explains the significance of making offerings (gongyang): through these devotional acts, the living may obtain happiness, the deceased may ascend to celestial realms, and all beings may ultimately be reborn in the Pure Land (an ideal spiritual realm) where material needs are effortlessly met. Special mention is made of offerings to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the highest Daoist deities) and numerous perfected immortals (xianzhen, realized adepts).

The second offering mantra further elaborates on the symbolic meaning of the sacrifices: millet grains (traditional ritual grain) are placed in the precious tripod (incense burner) to create fragrant smoke that permeates the ten directions, nourishing all divine beings throughout the Dharma Realm (the cosmos). Each mantra concludes by invoking the sacred name "Heavenly Worthy of Marvelous Offerings from the Fragrant Kitchen" (Xiangchu Miaogong Tianzun), praising the inconceivable merits of devotional offerings.

The purification section contains two mantras. The first, the "Jiazhai Mantra," petitions for physical well-being: may celestial vitality (tianling) flourish, preserving the primordial Qi (Taixuan zhiyi), while the five viscera's spiritual energies remain tranquil. Practitioners invoke "Heavenly Worthy of Longevity and Life-Preservation" (Changsheng Baoming Tianzun) to seek extended lifespan. The second mantra, recited at the ritual's conclusion, encourages cultivators to maintain sincere diligence in practice, ultimately attaining realization and perfection (zhen, Dao-realization), while invoking "Heavenly Worthy of Boundless Blessings" (Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun).

The text concludes by identifying this as the complete liturgy of the "Evening Altar Service Scripture of the Supreme Mystic Gate." Through offerings, mantras, and divine invocations, the entire ritual facilitates communication between humans and deities, bestows blessings, dispels misfortunes, and supports dedicated spiritual cultivation.