What Liturgies Does Taoism Have?

Chiyang Daoren, Eastern Taoism

1. What Does the Taoist Term “Keyi” (Liturgy) Mean?

Ke can be understood as action. In the Shuowen (Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters), ke carries the senses of procedure, article, text, and grade. In the Shuowen, “procedure” (cheng) has the sense of rule; Xun Qing said, “Procedure is the standard of things.” In the Yulü, ke is likewise glossed as procedure, so ke means a set form. The common saying “reciting the rules from the book” means performing the rites in accordance with a set procedure.

Yi means the etiquette and forms of statutes and institutions—procedures, set forms, rites, and ceremonies—as in the common phrase “performing the rites according to form.”

The rules and procedures by which Taoists perform ritual services—different forms laid down for different rituals—and the performance of a ritual according to the standard of a given form are called “conducting affairs according to the ke.” The common saying “reciting the rules from the book” is a synonym for this. Taoists call such a “base text” a “liturgical manual,” and the base text for a particular ritual service is called “such-and-such liturgy.”

Taoist liturgy (also called holding a daochang ritual, or performing a ritual service) is divided into liturgies for the living and liturgies for the dead.

1. Liturgies for the living. For example: celebrating longevity and festivities, praying for blessings and averting misfortune, dispelling calamity and resolving hardship, driving away illness and prolonging life, praying for peace and safety, and thanking the gods and fulfilling vows.

2. Liturgies for the dead. For example: delivering the souls of ancestors, delivering the deceased to rebirth, and refining and deliverance with food offerings for the dead.

Believers can, according to their own needs, go to Taoist temples and monasteries to have a Taoist liturgy held for themselves, either as a dedicated service or as a joint service (combined with others), and can also take part in various ritual services.

2. Taoist Liturgies for the Living (Daochang Rituals and Ritual Services)

(1) Regular Temple Liturgies

1. Liturgy of Heaven and Earth

2. Liturgy of Invoking the Generals

3. Liturgy of Birthday Blessing

4. Liturgy of Celebration

5. Liturgy of Welcoming Joy (the God of Joy)

(2) Liturgies of Prayer and Exorcism

1. Liturgy of Celebration for the Dipper Mother

2. Liturgy of the Nine Sovereigns

3. Liturgy of Lamp Lighting (for the living)

4. Liturgy of Aligning with the Stars

5. Liturgy of Receiving Longevity

6. Liturgy of the Great Brahma Dipper Dedication of Merit

7. Liturgy of Averting Life-Passes and Offering to the Generals

8. Liturgy of Averting Life-Passes and Delivering from Malign Influences

9. Golden Register Liturgy of Receiving Life

10. Liturgy of Receiving Life and Repaying the Debt

11. Liturgy of Receiving Life and Welcoming the Treasury

(3) Liturgies for the Birthdays of Deities and Immortals

1. Liturgy of the Three Pure Ones

2. Qingwei Liturgy of the Jade Emperor

3. Liturgy of Presenting the Great Memorial

4. Liturgy of the Three Primes

5. Liturgy of the La Sacrifice

6. Liturgy of Salvation from Suffering

7. Liturgy of Guanyin

8. Liturgy of the Thunder Patriarch (the Heavenly Worthy of Thunder)

9. Liturgy of Wenchang

10. Liturgy of the Dark Emperor

11. Audience Liturgy of Wong Tai Sin

12. Liturgy of Mazu

13. Liturgy of the Holy Mother

14. Liturgy of the Dragon King

15. Liturgy of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak

16. Liturgy of the Founding Celestial Master

17. Liturgy of Patriarch Lü

18. Liturgy of Patriarch Qiu

19. Liturgy of the Seven Perfected

20. Liturgy of Lord Guan, the Holy Sovereign

21. Liturgy of All the Perfected

22. Holy Assemblies of All the Perfected: (1) Holy Assembly of the Sun; (2) Holy Assembly of the Moon; (3) Holy Assembly of the Fire Emperor; (4) Holy Assembly of the Star of Longevity of the South Pole; (5) General Holy Assembly; (6) Holy Assembly of the King of Medicine; (7) Holy Assembly for Dipper Worship.

(4) Liturgies Specific to Taoist Public Monasteries (Conglin)

1. Liturgy of the Prior's Installation

2. Liturgy of Opening the Bell and Drum of the Monastery

3. Liturgy of Sealing Sacred Contents into an Image

4. Liturgy of Consecration

5. Liturgy of Releasing Living Beings

6. Liturgy of Welcoming the Phoenix Carriage

7. Liturgy of Offerings

8. Liturgy of Receiving Office in the Taoist Community

9. Liturgy of Receiving Office at the Altar

10. Capping Ceremony Liturgy

11. Liturgy of Transmission and Conferral of Registers

12. Liturgy of Celebrating a Wedding

(5) Rites of the Ordination Altar

1. Liturgy of Welcoming the Abbot into the Monastery

2. Liturgy of Welcoming the Five Masters

3. Liturgy of Welcoming the Two Masters

4. Liturgy of Requesting the Precept Robes

5. Liturgy of Requesting the Masters to Set Out

6. Liturgy of Opening the Altar and Announcing to the Masters

7. Liturgy of Invoking the Generals at the Hall of Marshal Wang Lingguan

8. Liturgy of the Threefold Invitation to the Precept Master

9. Liturgy of the Abbot Ascending the Platform

10. Liturgy of Receiving the Dharma Lineage

11. Liturgy of Praying Over and Tying the Precept Banners

12. Liturgy of Transmitting the Robe and Bowl

13. Liturgy of the Alms Bowl and Universal Thanksgiving

14. Liturgy of Expounding the Precepts of Initial Perfection

15. Liturgy of Expounding the Precepts of the Central Pole

16. Liturgy of Expounding the Precepts of the Heavenly Immortals

17. Liturgy of Returning to the Altar and Thanking the Seats

(6) Other Liturgies

1. Liturgy of Opening the Altar

2. Liturgy of Requesting Water

3. Liturgy of Sacrificing to the Stove God

4. Liturgy of Purging Defilement

5. Liturgy of Raising the Banner

6. Liturgy of Thanking the Banner

7. Liturgy of Inviting the Gods

8. Liturgy of Thanking the Gods

9. Liturgy of Consecrating Water and Sealing the Altar

10. Liturgy of Setting Up the Altar and Announcing to the Masters

11. Liturgy of the Great Offering to Heaven

12. Liturgy of the Lesser Offering to Heaven

13. Liturgy of the Formal Announcement to the Three Primes

14. Liturgy of Repaying the Four Kindnesses

15. Liturgy of Thanking the Earth and Opening the Altar

16. Liturgy of Thanking the Earth of the Five Directions

17. Formal Audience Liturgy of the Earth Sovereign

18. Liturgy of Purifying a Residence

19. Liturgy of Summoning the Generals and Dispatching Warrants

20. Liturgy of Pacifying Demons

21. Liturgy of the Celestial Bureaus

22. Liturgy of the Great Dedication of Merit

3. Taoist Liturgies for the Dead (Daochang Rituals and Ritual Services)

(1) Common Liturgies for Delivering the Dead

1. Liturgy of Relieving Orphaned Souls

2. Noon Audience Liturgy of the Jade Emperor

3. Noon Audience Liturgy of the Three Primes

4. Liturgy of Deliverance at the Six Hours

5. Liturgy of Repaying Kindness in Nine Turns

6. Liturgy of Settling the Grave

7. Liturgy of Summoning the Soul

8. Liturgy of Settling the Spirit Tablet

9. Qingxuan Liturgy of Relief and Refinement with Food Bestowal from the Iron Pot

10. Patriarch Sa's Liturgy of Food Bestowal from the Iron Pot

(2) Other Liturgies of Relief and Deliverance

1. Formal Audience Liturgy of Salvation from Suffering

2. Liturgy of Salvation from Suffering Before the Spirit Tablet

3. Liturgy of Transferring the Case Through the Ten Kings

4. Liturgy of the Ten Kinds of Repaying Kindness

5. Liturgy of Dispatching the Summoning Warrant

6. Liturgy of the Heavenly Physician

7. Liturgy of the Lesser Heaven

8. Liturgy of Opening the Road Through the Underworld

9. Liturgy of the Divine Porters and Strongmen

10. Liturgy of Crossing the Bridge

11. Liturgy of Bathing

12. Liturgy of the Deceased Soul's Audience

13. Liturgy of Dividing the Lamps

14. Liturgy of Petitioning the City God

15. Liturgy of the Great Opening of the Directions

16. Liturgy of the Lesser Opening of the Directions

17. Liturgy of Breaking the Prisons of the Nine Abysses

18. Liturgy of Breaking the Prisons of the Five Directions

19. Liturgy of Refinement and Deliverance by Water and Fire

20. Liturgy of Refinement and Deliverance of the Nine Heavens

21. Liturgy of Floating River Lanterns

22. Blood Lake Liturgy of Announcing to the Masters

23. Blood Lake Liturgy of the Pass Generals

24. Blood Lake Liturgy of the Three Petitions

25. Blood Lake Liturgy of the Six Acts

26. Blood Lake Liturgy of Special Pardon

27. Blood Lake Liturgy of Welcoming the Perfected

28. Blood Lake Formal Audience Liturgy

29. Blood Lake Liturgy of Thanking the Perfected

4. Liturgies of the Three Audiences

1. Salvation Liturgy of Setting Up the Altar

2. Salvation Liturgy of the General Audience

3. Salvation Liturgy of the Morning Audience

4. Salvation Liturgy of the Noon Audience

5. Salvation Liturgy of the Evening Audience

6. Morning Audience Liturgy of Rebirth According to Vow in the Ten Directions

7. Noon Audience Liturgy of Rebirth According to Vow with Presentation of Offerings

8. Evening Audience Liturgy of Rebirth According to Vow with Repentance

9. General Audience Liturgy of Giving Birth to the Spirits

10. Morning Audience Liturgy of Giving Birth to the Spirits

11. Noon Audience Liturgy of Giving Birth to the Spirits

12. Evening Audience Liturgy of Giving Birth to the Spirits