The Eight Great Daoist Incantations
The general source of the Eight Great Daoist Divine Incantations is“The Morning and Evening Scripture for Daily Daoist Practice of the Xuanmen”(abbreviated as the “Morning and Evening Practice Scripture”).
| Name of the divine incantation | Main effects | Primary target of effect |
|---|---|---|
| Mind-Purifying Divine Incantation | Calms the mind and dispels distracting thoughts | A person’s spirit and soul |
| Mouth-Purifying Divine Incantation | Eliminates verbal karma and purifies vital energy | A person’s speech and breath |
| Body-Purifying Divine Incantation | Purifies the physical body and steadies the five organs | A person’s body and the five organs |
| Incantation to Pacify the Earth Deities | Summons and dispatches the earth deities to protect the altar area | The surrounding land and local deities |
| Incantation to Purify Heaven and Earth | Drives away impurity and purifies the space | The entire environment of practice |
| Golden Light Incantation | Protects the body and wards off evil; all gods pay homage | The practitioner’s inner and outer protective golden light |
| Incantation for Offering Incense | Conveys one’s wishes and reaches the hearing of Heaven | Communication with the spirits when burning incense |
| Mysterious Nurturing Incantation | Opens the treasury of scriptures and helps one understand profound principles |
The meaning of the scripture to be recited |
The Eight Great Daoist Incantations – Mind-Purifying Divine Incantation (Calming the soul and stabilizing the spirit) Supreme Celestial Star, responding and transforming without pause; expel evil and bind demons; preserve life and protect the body. Wisdom is bright and pure; the mind and spirit are peaceful and calm. The three souls endure forever; the seven spirits do not perish or fall.
The Eight Great Daoist Incantations – Mouth-Purifying Divine Incantation (Eliminating verbal karma, sweeping away turbid qi) Vermilion Mouth Deity, expel filth and remove foulness; Tongue Deity Zhenglun, connect life and nourish spirit; Luo Qian Tooth Deity, repel evil and guard the true; Throat Deity Huben; Qi Deity draws forth saliva; Heart Deity Danyuan, let me communicate with the true; contemplate the spirit and refine the fluids; the Dao qi endures forever.
The Eight Great Daoist Incantations – Body-Purifying Divine Incantation (Removing impurity and calming the spirit) Spirit Treasure Heavenly Venerable, comfort the body and form; disciple’s soul and spirit; the five organs and the mysterious darkness. Azure Dragon and White Tiger, ranks and formations in profusion; Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise, attend and guard my body.
The Eight Great Daoist Incantations – Incantation to Pacify the Earth Deities (Stabilizing the field and increasing energy) Primordial Beginning, pacify and settle; universally proclaim to all spirits. True officials of the mountains and rivers, spirits of the earth deities. Left altar and right grain, do not recklessly startle; return to the right path, within and without clear and pure. Each in its proper place, prepared to guard the altar hall. The Supreme One has commanded: search out and capture evil essences. Dharma-protecting divine kings, safeguard the recitation of scriptures. Take refuge in the Great Dao; primal, pervasive, beneficial, and steadfast. Take refuge in the Great Dao; primal, pervasive, beneficial, and steadfast. Take refuge in the Great Dao; primal, pervasive, beneficial, and steadfast. Take refuge in the Great Dao; primal, pervasive, beneficial, and steadfast.
The Eight Great Daoist Incantations – Incantation to Purify Heaven and Earth (Gathering righteous qi, dispersing impure qi) Heaven and earth are natural; impure qi disperses. Within the cave, mysterious emptiness shines bright and vast. The divine powers of the eight directions make me natural; Spirit Treasure talismanic decree, universally proclaimed to the Nine Heavens. Qianluodana, Donggang Taixuan, cut down demons and bind evil; deliver countless spirits. Incantation of the Central Mountain, Jade Text of the Primordial Beginning. Recite it once, and it drives away illness and prolongs life. Move in accordance with the Five Sacred Mountains; the Eight Seas will hear of it. The demon kings bow their heads; true sages protect the pavilion. Fierce impurity disperses; the Dao qi endures forever.
The Eight Great Daoist Incantations – Golden Light Incantation (Protecting the body and ensuring peace, Golden Light Incantation) The Mysterious Origin of Heaven and Earth, the root of all qi; cultivate extensively through countless kalpas, and attest to my divine powers. Within and beyond the Three Realms, only the Dao is revered. The body possesses golden light, covering and illuminating my body. Seen, yet not visible; heard, yet not audible. It encompasses heaven and earth and nourishes all beings. If received and upheld ten thousand times, the body will have radiance. The Three Realms will attend and guard; the Five Emperors will oversee and welcome. All gods pay homage; command thunder and lightning. Ghosts and demons lose their courage; spirits and apparitions lose their form. Within there is thunderclap; the Thunder God hides his name. Profound wisdom interpenetrates; the five qi surge upward. Golden light swiftly appears, covering and protecting the true person. Hurry, hurry, as by the decree and command of the Jade Emperor, descend with light.
The Eight Great Daoist Incantations – Incantation for Offering Incense (Purifying body and mind, inviting protection) The Dao is born from the heart; the heart is conveyed through incense. Incense is lit in the jade burner; the heart dwells before the Emperor. True spirits look down; immortal banners arrive at the railing. Let this minister report and convey it, directly reaching the Nine Heavens.
The Eight Great Daoist Incantations – Mysterious Nurturing Incantation (Correcting the mind and entering the Dao, ascending directly to the Great Void) Cloud-seal script in the Great Void, at the beginning of the vast kalpa. Now far, now near; sometimes sinking, sometimes floating. Wandering among the five directions, more than one zhang in length. The Heavenly True Emperor writes it with a brush. Thus unfolds the cavernous chapters, then writes the numinous talismans. The Primordial Beginning descends; the true text is revealed. Brightly, it exists; darkly, it is absent.