《雅宜集》Vol. 6

This is the table of contents for Volume 3 of The Yayi Collection, documenting the compilation of Daoist liturgical documents edited by Ming dynasty Daoist priest Chen Fuhui (Daoist name Zhongyuan) and his disciples. These texts primarily record formal document templates used in various Daoist ritual activities, showcasing the rich content of Ming dynasty Daoist zhaijiao (purification rituals) ceremonies.

The collection contains multiple categories of Daoist documents: disaster-relief and blessing petitions (such as petitions to City Gods for averting calamities, or白虎牒 for curing illnesses), funeral rituals for salvation (like memorials to City Gods for the deceased or soul-summoning petitions), temple construction documents (such as bell-casting furnace consecration petitions), and deity worship texts (including Mount Tai offering documents requesting imperial attendants or petitions to summon the Twelve Guardians of Mount Tai). Here, "牒" refers to official memorials submitted to higher deities, "申" denotes reports from lower deities to their superiors, while "状" indicates correspondence between parallel divine institutions.

Particularly noteworthy are the series of Mount Tai worship documents (related to Mount Tai offerings) and the specialized Treasury Official documents for "preemptive rituals" (ceremonies conducted during one's lifetime). The final section includes "overall ritual instructions" (都意) for specific ceremonies, containing specialized texts for occasions like temple construction or deity statue consecrations.

These document formats reflect the deep integration of Ming dynasty Daoism with folk beliefs—particularly the incorporation of popular deities like City Gods, the Mount Tai pantheon, and Treasury Officials into formal Daoist liturgy. Each document strictly follows the "petition-report-memorial" bureaucratic structure characteristic of Daoism, demonstrating its normative features as an institutionalized religion.

The Yayi Collection records several proclamations (official notices posted for Daoist rituals) related to Zhaijiao (purification rituals) activities. The first is titled "Proclamation for the Xuanyuan Assembly" (Xuanyuan refers to the Yellow Emperor, revered as the progenitor in Daoism), concerning a Jianjiao (Daoist blessing and disaster-averting ritual) held during the construction of water conservancy projects at Dujiangyan.

Following this are two proclamations for the Celestial Lantern Ritual during the Shangyuan Festival (the 15th day of the first lunar month). The Celestial Lantern Ritual is a Daoist blessing ceremony where lanterns are lit to pray for heavenly favor.

Another notice, titled "Proclamation for the Lingyan Assembly’s Pilgrimage to Danjing Mountain," documents a ritual held at Lingyan Mountain to pay homage to Danjing Mountain (a sacred Daoist site).

The Nanyuan region has two proclamations: one for a ritual celebrating the birthday of the River-Taming King (a water deity), and another for the Shangyuan Festival, which simultaneously honors the Heavenly Official (one of the Three Officials in Daoism, responsible for bestowing blessings) and conducts a Jiao ritual.

The final notice pertains to an apology ritual to the Fire God Yinghuo (a Daoist deity of fire) after a fire disaster in May, as well as a Chaodu Zhaihui (a Daoist ritual for the salvation of the deceased) held for a deceased monk at Longtan Temple. These proclamations reflect the close connection between Daoist practices and various aspects of folk life, particularly in rituals for blessings and disaster aversion.