Chiyang Daoren, Eastern Taoism
What talismanic culture has handed down to this day is the Eastern wisdom of the unity of heaven and humanity, and what it continues is Taoism's original aspiration to save the world and benefit people.
1. Talismanic Materials: In Accord with the Nature of Things, in Harmony with Heaven and Earth
The cinnabar, pine-soot ink, peach wood, and other materials commonly used in drawing talismans are not chosen at random; they take into account medicinal properties, numinous qualities, and cultural symbolism, an ingenious combination of Taoist ritual and traditional medicine.
Cinnabar is a mercury sulfide mineral, sweet in taste and cool in nature. It calms the spirit and settles fright, detoxifies and wards off evil, and can tranquilize the mind and draw in toxic evils. It is used both for writing sacred talismanic script and as a top-grade substance in alchemy, and its vermilion color symbolizes the yang qi of the sun and can dispel dark evils and ghosts.
Aged pine-soot ink is pungent in taste and neutral in nature; it stops bleeding, reduces swelling, and clears the internal organs, and old prescriptions often used it to stop bleeding and treat sores. Its color is deep black, corresponding to the northern Kan water and the qi of the dark abyss, and it can restrain yin turbidity.
Peach wood has since ancient times been an immortal wood. The whole plant can be used as medicine: it invigorates the blood, detoxifies, dispels pestilence, and kills parasites. The earliest peach-wood charms were carved on peach boards to drive away evil and bring in good fortune, a tradition of belief that has continued for a thousand years.
Taoism's use of natural materials such as cinnabar, ink, and peach wood to draw talismans both expresses sacred ritual and quietly accords with the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, showing Taoism's fundamental aspiration that the Taoist teachings never depart from daily use and serve to save the world and benefit people.
2. Ritual Procedure: The Sequence of Writing Talismans, Reaching the Numinous Through Qi
Drawing a talisman has its own regular ritual procedure. The whole presupposes a pure body and mind and sincere reverence that can move the numinous to respond. In order one completes the stages of purifying body and mind, reporting to the masters and perfected beings, transforming into the deity and uniting the qi, consecrating the ritual implements, respectfully requesting the ritual decree, writing the talisman, empowering it with the secret instructions, pacing the stars and drawing in qi, binding the sha and fixing the numinous power, opening the talisman's orifices, stamping the seal to confirm its authority, burning incense to empower it, and dispatching the talisman into action. Throughout, visualization, incantations and formulas, and pacing of the stars assist one another; what matters is a sincere heart and ample qi and the mutual response of heaven and humanity, fully displaying the true Taoist meaning that “a talisman has no fixed form; it is made numinous by qi.”
3. The Essentials of Talismans: Rooted in Inner Refinement, Virtue in Accord with Heaven's Heart
The outward structure of a talisman and its form in brush and ink merely build the ordinary path of communication between humans and the gods; an orthodox lineage of transmission, attainment in the inner refinement of the primordial spirit, and virtue in accord with heaven's heart are the core foundation that determines whether the talismanic method is efficacious.
4. Orthodox Transmission: The Channel for Reaching the Numinous, the Foundation of Ritual Practice
In practicing talismanic rites, the first priority is an orthodox lineage and teaching transmitted orally and from heart to heart. Only with an orderly succession of teachers and a pure lineage can one open the channel of information and energy linking one to the gods of heaven and earth and the Patriarchs of past generations and gain the orthodox authority to perform the rites. Without transmission, even if one knows the diagrams and texts by heart and has mastered the rituals, it is like opening a lock without a key or issuing orders without credentials: spirit and qi do not accord, and none of the methods work.
Orthodox transmission is not only continuity in ritual; it is also the oral, heart-to-heart transmission of the secret instructions of the Taoist methods, the wondrous uses of the Heavenly Mainstay, and the summoning and dispatching of divine generals. It is the precondition and guarantee for talismanic methods to reach the numinous.
5. Inner Refinement of the Primal Spirit: One Point of Numinous Light, the True Source of Talismanic Power
Patriarch Sa Shoujian's Formula of the Inner Heavenly Mainstay points straight to the core: “One point of numinous light is itself the talisman; people waste their ink and cinnabar in vain. The superior person who gains it diligently guards it in secret; even flying immortality lies only in the work.” The “one point of numinous light” spoken of here is precisely the human primordial spirit, the true source and core of a talisman's efficacy.
The primordial spirit comes from the realm of the Great Void. It is an existence of prior heaven, neither born nor dying, the primordial divine nature with which a person is born, the naturally pure numinous light of prior heaven, completely different from the conscious spirit formed by the thoughts and attachments of later heaven. It is also called the “true intention,” the “true nature,” or the “original face,” and it resides in the Niwan palace.
The primordial spirit is the most direct and fundamental path of communication with the gods of heaven and earth. Only by diligently practicing inner refinement through orthodox methods for laying the foundation such as seated meditation and the elixir path, strengthening the primordial spirit and filling oneself with inner qi, can one widen the energy channel of resonance between heaven and humanity, improve the efficiency of transmitting information, gather and call upon the true qi of prior heaven, and turn yin and yang and the Five Phases, thereby achieving the effects of dispelling calamity and resolving hardship, praying for blessings and suppressing sha, and saving the world and delivering people.
As the Taoists say: “If one can merge one's own essence and spirit with the essence and spirit of the One Qi, and match one's own creative transformation to the creative transformation of the Five Phases, then the Taoist methods become wondrous.” Apart from the inner refinement of the primordial spirit, all talismanic methods are water without a source and a tree without roots.
6. Virtue in Response: The Heart in Accord with Heaven's Heart, Heaven and Humanity Resonating Together
The efficacy of talismanic methods ultimately comes down to virtue. The Tao takes compassion as its heart and saving the world as its foundation. The higher the practitioner's virtue and the purer and clearer their mind, the more they can accord with heaven's heart and reach the realm of the unity of heaven and humanity. Then their own numinous light resonates at the same frequency as the prior-heaven energy of the cosmos, their communion with the Patriarchs and gods becomes smoother and more real, and when they draw talismans and perform rites, the spirits naturally revere them and the ghosts submit, and the talismans' numinous power is made manifest.
If one's intentions are not upright and one's virtue is lacking, then even with transmission and attainment, spirit and qi turn away and heaven and earth do not protect one; not only will the rites fail, but one will easily bring blame and disaster upon oneself.
7. The Uses of Talismans: The Tao in Daily Use, Saving the World and Benefiting People
Talismans and incantations complement each other: the incantation is the voice of the sincere heart, the talisman the numinous token of the covenant. Together they are called the two pillars of Taoist ritual arts. Upholding the core Taoist teaching of valuing people and life and saving the world and benefiting others, they are widely applied at many levels, in the livelihood of society, the state and nation, and individual cultivation. Taoism holds that talismans can settle the state, harmonize yin and yang, safeguard the fortunes of the nation, and bring rain, averting calamity, and throughout history talismanic methods have been revered for protecting the people and bringing peace to the four quarters.
In the livelihood of society—from marriage and childbirth, settling a household and prospering a business, to seeking learning and wealth, farming, weaving, and trade, to birth, aging, sickness, death, and the deliverance of the departed—people can rely on talismans for spiritual comfort and positive guidance.
Healing with talismans and incantations is an important branch of traditional medicine, combining qigong, medicinal, physical, and psychological therapies to stop bleeding and reduce inflammation, calm the spirit and settle fright, and dispel illness and cure disease, benefiting countless ordinary people.
In Taoist cultivation, talismans are used for inner refinement and preserving the spirit, entering stillness and nourishing qi, and communicating with the numinous and cultivating perfection: preserving a talisman in mind to enter stillness, swallowing a talisman to nourish the primal essence, wearing a talisman to protect the body. Through the talismanic covenant one connects with the Great Tao and tempers the foundation of nature and life.
Celestial Master Zhang Yuchu said in his Xianquan Collection: “Talismans and registers are many, and all serve to bless the state and enrich the people, bring peace to the family and protect oneself.” The essence of talismans has never been a mysterious art for the curious, but a practical vehicle through which Taoism cherishes all living beings, follows what is so of itself, and pursues harmony, carrying the cultural core of punishing evil and promoting good, supporting the upright and dispelling evil, and the unity of heaven and humanity.
8. The Transmission of Talismans: Guarding the Orthodox and Passing On the Flame, Ever New Through the Ages
Through a thousand years, talismanic culture has seen rise and decline. It preserves ancient lineages of transmission, yet amid the tide of popularization it faces tests such as misunderstanding, superstitious interpretation, and breaks in transmission.
Today, orthodox lineages such as the Zhengyi talismans of the Mansion of the Celestial Masters, the Shangqing talismans of Maoshan, the thunder-rite talismans of Qingwei, and the talismans of the Lüshan school hold fast to the tradition of transmission from master to disciple, standardized liturgy, and inner refinement as the foundation. Many eminent Taoists and scholars work deeply on organizing texts, researching lineages, and rescuing secret manuscripts, safeguarding the orthodoxy, integrity, and sacredness of talismanic culture.
As an important part of China's fine traditional culture, Taoist talismanic culture should hold to the fundamental principles of upholding the orthodox, discarding the false and keeping the true, and clearing the source, and deeply explore the cosmic philosophy, wisdom of life, folk belief, love of family and country, and ethical values it contains. On the foundation of passing on orthodox lineages, organizing classic texts, standardizing liturgical practice, and promoting inner refinement and the cultivation of virtue, it should draw out its contemporary meaning of harmony with nature and saving the world and benefiting people, and promote the creative transformation and innovative development of Taoist talismanic culture, so as truly to bring into play the wisdom, power, and usefulness of Taoism.