《靈寶文檢》Vol. 14

The Lingbao Textual Catalogue, Volume Three: A Plain-Language Guide to the Contents

This text is the table of contents for the third volume of the Shangqing Lingbao Textual Catalogue, included in the Daoist Canon Collection. It lists the names of the various jiao, large Daoist ritual assemblies, recorded in this volume, along with the deities and celestial offices invoked in each.

Great Jiao for the Nine Sovereigns

Star Lords, the Southern Polestar, the Venerable Emperor, the Dipper Mother, the Nine Sovereigns, the deity of one’s birth destiny, the Great Luminaries, the Azure Net, the Celestial Secretariat, the Five Masters, the Three Officials, the Four Sages, the Eastern Peak, officials and generals, deliverance from calamity, the Qingtan and Tuolu deities, ritual messengers, the Great Void, the City God, and the deity who governs destiny.

(The Nine Sovereigns are the deities of the nine stars of the Northern Dipper. The Dipper Mother is the Primordial Sovereign Mother of the Dipper. The Great Luminaries are the Sun, Moon, and five planets. The Celestial Secretariat is a celestial office for documents. The Three Officials are the Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water. The Eastern Peak is Mount Tai, which governs the underworld. The City God and the deity who governs destiny are associated with local protection and the span of one’s life.)

Jiao for Praying for Safety and Protection from Illness

The Vast Heaven, Star Lords, the Thunder Venerable, Dongyuan, the Great Luminaries, the Northern Dipper, the Three Officials, the Celestial Secretariat, the Five Masters, the Four Sages, Kuangbei, the Eastern Peak, officials and generals, the City God, the White Tiger, the Great Void, deliverance from calamity, the Celestial Physician, the Office of Pestilence, illness, curses, release from enmity, debts arising from past wrongs, swift retribution, the Earth God, the six classes, banners of the six classes, and the ritual of presenting petitions and guiding the gods.

(Praying for safety and protection from illness means seeking peace and the removal of disease. The Thunder Venerable and Dongyuan are often associated with thunder rites and the Water Bureau. The Three Officials are the Great Emperors of Heaven, Earth, and Water. The Celestial Physician, the Office of Pestilence, and the deities of illness govern medicine and epidemics. The ritual of presenting petitions and guiding the gods is the stage of the rite in which invocations and official documents are submitted to summon the deities.)

Jiao for Dedication and Pacification by the August Sovereign

The Northern Polestar, the Thunder Patriarch, the Celestial Secretariat, the Nine Earth Foundations, Marshal Yin, the Great Void, the Earth Bureau, the City God, and the Earth God.

(Dedication and pacification refers to establishing an altar to protect a residence and bring stability to an area. The Northern Polestar often refers to the Great Emperor of the Purple Tenuity Palace and Northern Polestar. The Thunder Patriarch is the ancestor of the Thunder Bureau. The Nine Earth Foundations and Marshal Yin are commanders associated with thunder rites or protective rites. The Earth Bureau governs the underworld beneath the earth.)

Jiao for Praying for Offspring

The Vast Heaven, the Northern Polestar, the Nine Heavens, the Great Luminaries, the Celestial Secretariat, the Five Bureaus, the Five Masters, the Three Officials, the Celestial Bureau, the Eastern Peak, officials and generals, the City God, the deity of descendants, and the Earth God.

(Praying for offspring means seeking children and the continuation of the family line. The Five Bureaus and the Celestial Bureau are celestial offices responsible for documents and the review of deeds. The deity of descendants governs the bearing of children.)

Jiao for Repaying Grace and Fulfilling Vows

The Three Pure Ones, the Vast Heaven, the Northern Polestar, Houtu, the Celestial Emperor, the Three Masters, the Great Luminaries, the Northern Dipper, the Southern Dipper, the Three Officials, the Celestial Secretariat, the Five Bureaus, the Five Masters, the Celestial Bureau, the Eastern Peak, the Water Bureau, officials and generals, the Great Void, the City God, the fulfillment of vows, and the village shrine.

(Repaying grace and fulfilling vows means thanking the gods for their blessings and honoring one’s vows. The Three Pure Ones are the exalted deities of Jade Clarity, Highest Clarity, and Great Clarity. Houtu is the mother of the earth. The Southern Dipper governs longevity. The Water Bureau governs the underworld in the waters. The fulfillment of vows and the village shrine are associated with keeping vows and the deities of the local community.)

Jiao for Reporting Thanks to Heaven and Earth

The Seven Sovereigns, Taiyi, the Three Officials, the Celestial Secretariat, Fengdu, the Eastern Peak, the Water Bureau, officials and generals, the City God, the Three Realms, the Great Void, and the village shrine.

Reporting thanks to Heaven and Earth means making a report to the gods of Heaven and Earth and offering thanks. The Seven Sovereigns are seven celestial emperors revered in Daoism. Taiyi refers to deities such as the Celestial Worthy of Salvation from Suffering. Fengdu is the city of ghosts governed by the Great Emperor of Fengdu. The Three Realms are Heaven, Earth, and the human realm.

Purification Jiao for Peace (Added)

This volume also adds a category called the Purification Jiao for Peace; its ritual names appear in the text of that section.

A purification jiao is a rite centered on cleansing and averting calamity. “For peace” means praying for safety and well-being at home and in body and mind.

Note: In the catalogue, “Great Void” is used for a term that, judging from context, refers to the Great Void, a Daoist term often associated with emptiness and levels of the celestial realm. “Release from enmity” and “debts arising from past wrongs” refer to resolving grievances and debts from former lives. “Dedication and pacification” means securing the altar and bringing peace to the surrounding area. The names listed under each jiao are generally those invoked when petitions are submitted and official documents are dispatched during the rite. The specific ritual procedures and full texts appear in the respective sections.

A Vernacular Interpretation of the Lingbao Wenjian

The Zhai Ritual to Avert Calamity and Give Thanks for Fire

This section lists the deities honored in a Zhai ritual to avert calamity and give thanks for fire—a Daoist ritual held to dispel the misfortune of fires and give thanks to the Fire God.

Part One: Principal Deities and Celestial Generals

Part Two: Ritual Procedures

Part Three: Deities Specifically Invoked in the Zhai Ritual of Thanks for Fire

Overview

This scripture passage is a liturgical list of deities for a Zhai ritual to avert calamity and give thanks for fire. It serves as an “invitation list” for the ceremony.

The ritual’s purpose is to address a fire or the threat of one. Daoist priests set up an altar and perform this ceremony, reverently inviting the deities of Heaven and the underworld, along with the gods of Water and Fire, to descend and dispel the calamity of fire, subdue baleful fire influences, and offer thanks for divine protection.

The list is organized into several groups: celestial deities, such as the Three Pure Ones, Haotian, the various heavens, and the Nine Celestial Lords; stellar deities, such as the Northern and Southern Dippers, the Dipper Mother, the Fire Star, and the deities of Water and Fire Virtue; deities of the underworld and Water Palace, such as the Eastern Peak, Dongyuan, the Water Palace, the City God, and the Earth God; and ritual procedures, such as raising banners, supervising the altar, sending off the boat, and requesting water.

This is a typical format in Lingbao school ritual documents, used by ritual masters at the altar to check the deities being invited and ensure that the liturgy is complete.