《心香妙語》Vol. 6

This passage is taken from Chapter 3 ("On Illnesses") of Wondrous Sayings of the Heart's Incense, primarily documenting the catalog of Zhaijiao (Daoist purification rituals) performed for various diseases and epidemics. The content is divided into two parts: "Proclamations" and "Memorial Texts," both serving as templates for prayer documents used in different contexts.

The "Proclamations" section meticulously lists over twenty types of ritual constructions (Jianjiao) for specific situations. These include prayer ceremonies for illnesses afflicting parents, spouses, children, siblings, and other relatives, as well as thanksgiving rituals (Choutian) to repay celestial favors after recovery. Particularly noteworthy are the specialized rites not only for common ailments but also for specific conditions like wind-stroke (possibly referring to paralysis), eye diseases, malaria, foot ailments, and collective sacrificial activities for plague prevention and eradication.

The "Memorial Texts" section corresponds to the content of the proclamations but focuses more on standardized formats for various documents. It includes templates for prayers addressing specific illnesses like "wind ailments" (likely referring to stroke-related conditions) and "eye disorders," as well as methods for conducting prayers at the onset of disease.

These contents reflect the Daoist tradition of "medicine and Dao sharing the same origin," where religious rituals are employed to treat illnesses, prevent epidemics, forming a complete system of liturgical practice (Keyi). It is particularly significant that the text frequently mentions "the Mysterious Emperor" (Zhenwu the Perfected Warrior) and "Mount Yang" (possibly referring to a specific Daoist sacred site), indicating these rituals' close connection to particular deity cults.

This scripture records various Daoist ritual names for seeking blessings, averting disasters, fulfilling vows, and delivering the deceased. They are primarily divided into two categories: healing illnesses/dispelling misfortunes and delivering departed souls.

The healing rituals include: "Thanksgiving to Heaven After Eye Disease" performed upon recovery from eye ailments, "Thanksgiving to Heaven After Foot Disease" following foot illness recovery, and the "Malaria Ritual" for treating malaria. There's also the "Protecting Childbirth" ritual, "Fulfilling Vow for a Son" after bearing a male child, and "Thanksgiving for a Daughter" after the birth of a girl.

For plague prevention, there's "Preventive Plague Aversion," the "Plague Period Zhaijiao" ceremony held during epidemics, and "Thanksgiving After Plague" post-epidemic. Special rituals include "Sending Off the Plague Talisman" to dispatch plague deities, and the unique "Post-Plague Talisman Dispatch" specifically for delivering those who died of epidemic diseases.

Soul-deliverance rituals are collectively called "Memorial Offerings," involving posted proclamations and recited petitions. For deceased fathers, there are varying scales like "Delivering Father from Nine Hells" (Nine Hells referring to the underworld), "Yellow Register Memorial for Father" (the grand Yellow Register Zhaijiao rite), and "Lingbao Rite for Father" (Lingbao school ritual) - with corresponding versions for mothers. Simultaneous parental memorials are called "Dual Parent Memorials," with specialized rites for grandparents, children, sons-in-law, uncles, and even unique deliverance ceremonies for deceased Daoist priests.

These names reflect Daoism's systematic approach to resolving worldly difficulties through Keyi (liturgical) rituals - from healing diseases to dispelling plagues and delivering souls - forming a complete religious service system. Different grades of Zhaijiao (Daoist ceremonies) address varying needs, embodying the tradition's doctrinal principle of "delivering the world and saving humanity."

This is a memorial register used in Daoist salvation rituals, listing deceased individuals of various statuses requiring posthumous rites. The term "荐" (jian) specifically denotes Daoist ceremonies performed to bless departed souls.

The register categorizes the deceased by familial relations: grandparents each receive two consecutive salvation rites (denoted as "连二" meaning two in succession), male deceased three rites ("连三"), and female deceased two rites. Special mention is made of repentance rites ("礼忏疏" lican shu - Daoist confessional documents) conducted for a deceased woman of the Zhou family.

Additional records include special circumstances: a wife who died during middle-aged childbirth requires two rites presided by her husband; husbands, brothers and sisters each receive two rites. Notably, the document records the exceptional case of "a father causing his son's death" - a domestic tragedy where the younger brother performs rites for the elder. The register concludes with salvation rites for livestock (an ox), reflecting the Daoist belief in the spiritual nature of all beings.

These varying scales of ritual observance demonstrate how ancient Daoism accorded different levels of importance to familial relationships and manner of death. The numerical notations "连二" (two in succession) and "连三" (three in succession) likely indicate either the duration in days or number of ritual sessions, with higher numbers representing more elaborate ceremonies.