八大咒

BA DA ZHOU

The Eight Great Incantations

净心神咒

Jing Xin Shen Zhou

Purifying the Heart Spirit Incantation

太上台星

tai shang tai xing

Supreme Terraces of stars

应变无停

ying bian wu ting

Respond and transform without stopping

驱邪缚魅

qu xie fu mei

Expel evil and restrain demons

保命护身

bao ming hu shen

Protect Life-Destiny and guard the body

智慧明净

zhi hui ming jing

Wisdom is bright and clear

心神安宁

xin shen an ning

The Heart Spirit is peaceful and tranquil

三魂永久

san hun yong jiu

The Three Hun^[1] are everlasting

魄无丧倾

po wu sang qiong

The Po^[2] are not dying nor declining

^[1] The Three Hun (魂) are Ethereal Souls that correspond to Heaven. They are considered as the non-physical part of the person that continues to exist after the cessation of physical life.

^[2] The Seven Po (魄) are Corporeal Souls that correspond to Earth. They are considered to be more dependent on the physical life, and may transform at the death of the physical body.

净口神咒

Jing Kou Shen Zhou

Purifying the Mouth Spirit Incantation

丹朱口神

dan zhu kou shen

Dan Zhu^[3] the Mouth Spirit

吐秽除氛

tu hui chu fen

Spits out filth and eliminates miasmas

舌神正伦

she shen zheng lun

The Tongue Spirit Zheng Lun^[4]

通命养神

tong ming yang shen

Connects to Life-Destiny and nourishes the Spirit

罗千齿神

luo qian chi shen

Luo Qian^[5] the Tooth Spirit

却邪卫真

que xie wei zhen

Repulses evil and guards the Truth

喉神虎贲

hou shen hu ben

The Throat Spirit Hu Ben^[6]

气神引津

qi shen yin jin

Qi and Spirit guide the fluids

心神丹元

xin shen dan yuan

The Heart Spirit Dan Yuan^[7]

令吾通真

ling wu tong zhen

Commands me to connect with the Truth

思神炼液

si shen lian ye

The Thought Spirit Lian Ye^[8]

道炁常存

dao qi chang cun

The Qi of the Dao perpetually exists

^[3] Dan Zhu (丹朱), « Cinnabar Vermillion » is the name of the Mouth Spirit

^[4] Zheng Lun (正伦), « Upright Relations » is the name of the Tongue Spirit

^[5]Luo Qian (罗千), « Canopy of Thousands » is the name of the Tooth Spirit

^[6] Hu Ben (虎贲), « Valiant Tiger » is the name of the Throat Spirit

^[7] Dan Yuan (丹元), « Cinnabar Origin » is the name of the Heart Spirit

^[8]Lian Ye (炼液), « Refining Fluids » is the name of the Thought Spirit

净身神咒

Jing Shen Shen Zhou

Purifying the Body Spirit Incantation

灵宝天尊

ling bao tian zun

Ling Bao^[9] Heavenly Worthy

安慰身形

an wei shen xing

Consoles the bodily form

弟子魂魄

di zi hun po

The disciple’s Hun^[10] and Po^[11]

五脏玄冥

wu zang xuan ming

The Five Zang-Organs’^[12]Profound Mystery

青龙白虎

qing long bai hu

Azure Dragon, White Tiger^[13]

队仗纷纭

dui zhang fen yun

Contingents numerous and diverse

朱雀玄武

zhu que xuan wu

Vermillion Bird, Mysterious Warrior^[14]

侍卫吾真

shi wei wu zhen

Serve and protect the True Me

^[9]Ling Bao Tian Zun (灵宝天尊), the Heavenly Worthy of Divine Treasure, is the second of the three highest deities of the Daoist pantheon, the Three Purities (San Qing 三清). He serves as the revealer of sacred Scriptures to help suffering humanities.

The Three Purities (San Qing 三清) are originally three superior Heavens, called Jade Purity (Yu Qing 玉清 ), Highest Purity (Shang Qing 上清), and Great Purity (Tai Qing 太清), located immediately below the Great Canopy Heaven (Da Luo Tian 大罗天). The Three Heavens are further associated with the three highest deities of the Daoist pantheon, and with specific sets of scriptures classified as the Three Caverns (San Dong 三洞).

^[10] Ethereal Souls (See note 1)

^[11] Corporeal Souls (See note 2)

^[12] In Chinese medicine physiology, the five Yin organs are called Zang (脏) and the six Yang viscera are called Fu (腑). The Five Zang-Organs are considered as more internal to the body, and are the Liver, the Heart, the Spleen, the Lungs and the Kidneys. The Six Fu-Viscera are considered more external, and are the Gallbladder, the Small Intestine, the Stomach, the Large Intestine, the Urinary Bladder, the Triple Heater (San Jiao 三焦).

^[13] Azure Dragon (Qing Long 青龙), White Tiger (Bai Hu 白虎), Vermillion Bird (Zhu Que 朱雀 – also translated as Red Sparrow), and Mysterious Warrior (Xuan Wu 玄武), are Spirits that are represented as animals, and take on the role of guardians of the four cardinal directions, respectively the East, the West, the South and the North. They are associated with the four quadrants of the sky, each comprising seven of the twenty-eight constellations.

^[14] See note 13

安土地咒

an tu di zhou

Pacifying the Earth Incantation

元始安镇

yuan shi an zhen

Yuan Shi^[15] pacifying and suppressing

普告万灵

pu gao wan ling

Universally announces to the Ten Thousand Divinities

岳渎真官

yue du zhen guan

To the True Officials of the Mountains and Rivers

土地祇灵

tu di qi ling

To the Divinities of the Earth

左社右稷

zuo she you ji

On the left to the Deities of Soil, on the right to the Deities of Grains

不得妄惊

bu de wang jing

Do not be presumptuous or frightened

回向正道

hui xiang zheng dao

Turn back toward the Upright Dao

内外澄清

nei wai cheng qing

Inside and outside clear and pure

各安方位

ge an fang wei

Each of them peacefully in position

备守家/帝/坛庭

bei shou jia/di/tan ting

Prepare and guard the court of the home/Sovereign/altar

太上有命

tai shang you ming

Tai Shang^[16] is in command

搜捕邪精

sou bu xie jing

Searching and seizing evil essences

护法神王

hu fa shen wang

The ‘Protector of the Law’ Spirit King

保卫诵经

bao wei song jing

Guards and defends the chanting of the Scriptures

皈依大道

gui yi da dao

Return and rely^[17] on Great Dao

元亨利贞

yuan heng li zhen

Primal, prosperous, favourable, steadfast

^[15] Yuan Shi Tian Zun (元始天尊), the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning, is the first amongst the three highest deities of the Daoist pantheon, the Three Purities (San Qing 三清); he represents the cosmic and creative aspect of the Dao.

^[16] Tai Shang (太上), the Most High, designates as a whole the three highest deities of the Daoist pantheon, the Three Purities (San Qing 三清).

^[17] Gui Yi（皈依）is commonly translated as ‘Taking Refuge’, especially in the context of Buddhist Scriptures.

净天地神咒

jing tian di shen zhou

Purifying Heaven and Earth Spirit Incantation

天地自然

tian di zi ran

Heaven and Earth are Suchness^[18]

秽气分散

hui qi fen san

Impure Qi disperses

洞中玄虚

dong zhong xuan xu

The Center of the Cavern, Mysterious Void

晃朗太元

huang lang tai yuan

Dazzling bright Great Origin

八方威神

ba fang wei shen

The Eight Directions’ mighty Spirits

使吾自然

shi wu zi ran

Enable me to be Suchness

灵宝符命

ling bao fu ming

Ling Bao^[19]’s talisman commands

普告九天

pu gao jiu tian

Universal announcement in the Nine Heavens^[20]

乾罗达那

qian luo da na

Qian Luo Da Na

洞罡太玄

dong gang tai xuan

The Cavern Big Dipper Great Mystery

驱妖缚邪

qu yao fu xie

Expels demons and ties up evil

敕鬼万千

chi gui wan qian

Orders myriads of ghosts

中山神咒

zhong shan shen zhou

The Central Mountain Spirit Incantation

元始玉文

yuan shi yu wen

Yuan Shi^[21]’s Jade Script

持诵一遍

chi song yi bian

Uphold and chant once

却病延年

que bing yan nian

To dispel illness and prolong one’s years

按行五岳

an xing wu yue

According to its circulation the Five Sacred Mountains^[22]

八海知闻

ba hai zhi wen

And the Eight Seas know and listen

魔王束首

mo wang shu shou

The Demon King’s head is bound

侍卫吾轩

shi wei wu xuan

Serve and defend my altar

凶秽消散

xiong hui xiao san

Inauspicious filth is dispersed

道炁常存

dao qi chang cun

The Qi of the Dao perpetually exists

^[18] Suchness designates what is such by itself, reality as it is,. 自然 Zi Ran in Chinese literally means what is ‘so of itself’, and is often translated as ‘nature’, ‘natural’ or ‘spontaneous’.

^[19] See note 9

^[20]Jiu Tian (九天), the Nine Heavens, are represented in Daoism in a vertical and hierarchical arrangement, and are said to constitute a stage in the progressive differentiation of the Original Qi (Yuan Qi 元气 ) as it gives birth to the cosmos. They constitute a finer subdivision of the heavens of the the Three Purities (San Qing 三清). First the three deities produce the Mysterious (Xuan 玄), the Original (Yuan 元), and the Initial (Shi 始); then each of these three Qi divides itself into three, resulting in nine Qi that constitute the Nine Heavens.

^[21] See note 15

^[22] Wu Yue (五岳), the Five Sacred Mountains, were important sites where Daoists lived and Daoist institutions formed. They were perceived to be potent sites of refined Qi, that were populated by transcendent beings, filled with numinous herbs and minerals used to concoct elixirs.

The Five Sacred Mountains are Tai Shan (泰山) in Shandong in the East; Heng Shan (衡山) in Hunan in the South; Hua Shan (华山) in Shaanxi in the West; Heng Shan (恒山) in Shanxi in the North; and Song Shan (嵩山) in Henan in the Center.

祝香咒

zhu xiang zhou

Incense Prayer Incantation

道由心学

dao you xin xue

The Dao is studied from the Heart

心假香传

xin jia xiang chuan

The Heart is transmitted throug the incense

香焚玉炉

xiang fen yu lu

Incense burns in the jade furnace

心存帝前

xin cun di qian

The Heart is kept before the Sovereign

真灵下盼

zhen ling xia pan

True Divinities gaze down

仙旆临轩

xian pei lin xuan

The Immortals’ banners approach the Altar

弟子关告

di zi guan gao

The disciple’s prayers

径达九天

jing da jiu tian

Directly reach the Nine Heavens^[23]

^[23] See note 17

金光神咒

jin guang shen zhou

The Golden Radiance Spirit Incantation

天地玄宗

tian di xuan zong

Heaven and Earth Mysterious Ancestors

万炁本根

wan qi ben gen

The root of the Ten Thousand Qi

广修亿劫

guang xiu yi jie

Wide cultivation throughout hundred million aeons

证吾神通

zheng wu shen tong

Evidence of my spirit connection

三界内外

san jie nei wai

Within and without the Three Realms^[24]

惟道独尊

wei dao du zun

The Dao alone is supremely revered

体有金光

ti you jin guang

The body has a Golden Radiance

覆映吾身

fu ying wu shen

Covering and shining on my form

视之不见

shi zhi bu jian

Looking without seeing

听之不闻

ting zhi bu wen

Listening without hearing

包罗天地

bao luo tian di

It encompasses Heaven and Earth

养育群生

yang yu qun sheng

It nurtures all lives

诵持万遍

song chi wan bian

Chant and uphold it Ten Thousand times

身有光明

shen you guang ming

The body has a bright radiance

三界侍卫

san jie shi wei

The Three Realms^[25]are served and defended

五帝司迎

wu di si ying

The Five Sovereigns^[26] are in charge and welcoming

万神朝礼

wan shen chao li

Ten Thousand Spirits prostrate and hold a ceremony

役使雷霆

yi shi lei ting

Employing the service of the thunderclap

鬼妖丧胆

gui yao sang dan

Ghosts and demons lose courage

精怪忘形

jing guai wang xing

Evil Spirits forget their forms

内有霹雳

nei you pi li

Within there are thunderbolts

雷神隐名

lei shen yin ming

The Thunder Spirit hides its name

洞慧交彻

dong hui jiao che

The Cavern Wisdom is delivered thoroughly

五炁腾腾

wu qi teng teng

The Five Qi ascend and rise

金光速现

jin guang su xian

The Golden Radiance is fast to manifest

覆护真人

fu hu zhen ren

Covering and protecting the Realised Ones^[27]

^[24] San Jie (三界), the Three Realms, designate the Realm of Desire (Yu Jie 欲界), the Realm of Form (Se Jie 色界), and the Realm of Formlessness (Wu Se Jie 无色界); also referring to the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth and Humanity (Tian Di Ren 天地人).

^[25] See note 25

^[26] Wu Di (五帝), the Five Sovereigns or Five Emperors, are the manifestations of the Five Phases (Wu Xing 五行, often translated as Five Elements) and rule the Five Directions (Wu Fang 五方), represented by the Five Sacred Mountains (Wu Yue 五岳). They are invoked notably to avert calamities.

^[27] The term Zhen Ren (真人) designates one who has attained the Dao, and denotes one of the highest states in the Daoist spiritual hierarchy. It is alternatively translated as “True Human,” “Real Human,” or “Perfected ».