Chiyang Daoren, Eastern Taoism
The Lingbao talismanic formulas are an important representative of the Taoist talismanic tradition.
I. The Difference Between Taoist Talismans and Registers
Talismans and registers are a form of ritual art in Taoism, also called “talismanic characters,” “ink registers,” or “cinnabar writing”; the term is a combined name for talismans and registers.
A talisman is a symbol or figure written on yellow paper or silk, with winding strokes, like a character yet not a character, like a picture yet not a picture.
A register is a secret text recording the names of heavenly deities among the talismans, generally also written on yellow paper or silk.
The talismans and registers made by Taoists take characters and symbols carrying symbolic meaning and, through a certain focused intention, incantations and formulas, pacing of the stars, and ritual form, endow them with inherent power. They are tokens that convey the will of the heavenly deities, with which one can summon spirits and indict ghosts, subdue demons and suppress evil, heal illness and remove calamity.
Talismans and registers consist of two parts: the talismanic script can communicate between spirits and humans, while the register records the names of the immortals and heavenly officials of heaven and their assistant clerks.
The process of making talismans and registers joins the characters with a person's essence and qi. They were copied by heavenly perfected beings and divine powers and first transmitted to the world; hence they have many effects, such as summoning and indicting ghosts and spirits and settling the five directions.
II. Requirements for Making Lingbao Talismanic Formulas
The Lingbao talismanic formulas are the system of talismans, registers, incantations, and formulas passed down for a thousand years in the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) school of Taoism. At its core it stresses the four-in-one unity of “talisman, incantation, seal, and ritual,” and it centers on saving the world and delivering people and on fasts and offerings (zhaijiao). It is not merely graphic script but a method of inner cultivation with outward expression that combines visualization of the spirits, circulation of qi, and hand seals, taking as its fundamental principle “the way of the immortals values life and delivers people without measure.”
The key to the Lingbao talismanic formulas lies in whether there is a complete lineage of teachers and a foundation of inner refinement, not merely in learning to copy the outward appearance of the characters.
The secret of the Lingbao talismanic formulas is that “without qi there is no talisman.” Merely being able to draw lines and write characters is only theory on paper; the core must follow this logic: the “nine stages” of orthodox talisman writing.
In the traditional Lingbao lineage, drawing a talisman is never a matter of simply picking up the brush and writing; it must follow the rules:
1. Purifying the body and invoking the numinous: First recite the incantations for purifying the mouth, body, and heart to sweep away stray thoughts; this settles the mind.
2. Burning incense and reporting to the sages: Report to the Patriarchs and the presiding deities, explaining the reason for writing this talisman, observing the principle that “sincerity of heart brings a numinous response.”
3. Consecrating the ritual implements: Recite consecrating incantations over the brush, ink, paper, inkstone, and water one by one, turning ordinary objects into ritual implements.
4. Transforming into the deity and generating the generals: Visualize the ancestral qi within your own body circulating and transforming, and divine generals being born within the talisman; this step depends on one's foundation in inner refinement.
5. Writing the talisman with a fiery brush: Let the brush fall like wind and cloud, in rhythm with the breath, completing the head, body, core, and foot of the talisman in one continuous flow.
6. Drawing qi into the talisman: Gather the qi of the Three Lights (sun, moon, and stars) or of the five directions and infuse it into the talisman; this is also called “binding the sha.”
7. Releasing the mechanism and manifesting: Visualize golden light bursting forth and the power of the talisman made manifest.
8. Stamping the seal and completing the command: Only when the ritual seal is applied (such as the seal of the Lingbao Bureau of the Great Law) is the matter settled.
9. Thanking the sages and sending off the spirits: Dedication of merit and thanks after the ritual is complete.
The Four Parts of a Lingbao Talisman
For ease of understanding, the structure of a Lingbao talisman can be broken down as follows:
- Head of the talisman: connects the Three Realms and summons the myriad spirits. It usually begins with taboo-name characters such as the Three Terraces, the Three Treasures, or the Jade Emperor.
- Body of the talisman: states the matter and carries the command. It interweaves cloud seal script, stars and constellations, and taboo-name characters of the generals and marshals of the Thunder Department.
- Core of the talisman: settles the talisman's numinous power and gathers the ancestral qi. It holds the core secret characters (such as gang, sha, and ling); as the saying goes, “Draw a talisman without knowing its key, and ghosts and spirits will laugh at you.”
- Foot of the talisman: commands and dispatches and fixes the direction. It is annotated with “Swiftly, swiftly, as the law commands!” or with the corresponding Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches or the directions of the lunar mansions.
III. Making Lingbao Talismanic Formulas According to the Ancient Transmitted Methods
A friend who studies Taoist culture once visited Mount Gezao in Jiangxi (the ancestral seat of the Lingbao school) and recorded a scene in which an abbot and ritual master presided over a Yellow Register Fast, a ritual assembly for delivering the dead.
When writing the “talisman for delivering the dead,” the master strictly followed the way of inner refinement of ten turns returning to the numinous in the Lingbao Jade Mirror: first sitting in seated meditation and regulating the breath, visualizing the Lingbao ancestral qi of prior heaven in the lower elixir field (dantian) passing up through the Niwan palace, then descending to the Lower Origin palace, and only after ten cycles burning incense and consecrating the brush. Combined with the incantation “Lingbao issues the talismanic command; the jade satchel sends down the divine scriptures,” the whole liturgy was solemn and flowing, and participating believers reported feeling deeply peaceful and calm.
This example shows that when the Lingbao talismanic formulas exist apart from inner cultivation and liturgy, they lose their soul; formulas handed down in orthodox transmission are a twofold vehicle of culture and spiritual sustenance.
IV. How Do Lingbao Talismanic Formulas Differ from Zhengyi Talismans?
The Lingbao talismanic formulas lean more toward fasts and offerings and the deliverance of all beings; their style is compassionate and their talismans rounded in form. The Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school (the Way of the Celestial Masters) in its early period leaned toward expelling evil and guarding homes, with a martial tone. Though the two later merged to some extent, the Lingbao school has long been known by the saying “all the liturgies under heaven come from Lingbao.”
V. Learning to Make Lingbao Talismanic Formulas Requires a Lineage
Copying the technique alone is acceptable, but where reciting incantations, binding the sha, and drawing in qi are involved, the old texts state clearly: “Without a true transmission, do not use it lightly.” Without a teacher's guidance in inner refinement and visualization of the spirits, it is very easy to learn only the form and lose the spirit. It is advisable to approach it from the perspective of cultural study; for deep cultivation, seek an enlightened teacher.
VI. Does the Nine-Character Mantra in the Lingbao Talismanic Formulas Belong to the Lingbao School?
Yes. “Lin bing dou zhe jie zhen lie qian xing” first appeared in the Lingbao scripture Scripture of the Chapters on the Generation of Spirits in the Nine Heavens. It was later absorbed by Maoshan and other schools and was transmitted to Japan in the Tang dynasty, a sign of the influence of Lingbao culture.
VII. Must Lingbao Talismans Be Drawn with Cinnabar on Yellow Paper?
In traditional ritual, talismans for delivering the dead and resolving grievances are mostly written in vermilion on yellow paper, symbolizing yang and nobility; some say that different kinds of talismans may also use blue or white paper. The core lies in “sincerity of heart + ritual + inner qi,” and materials are an aid, but orthodox ritual assemblies generally keep strictly to cinnabar on yellow paper to conform to ancient practice.
VIII. Is There Still a Direct Transmission of Lingbao Talismanic Formulas Today?
Yes. It survives at Mount Gezao in Jiangxi, in parts of Fujian (where the Lüshan school absorbed Lingbao liturgy at its base), in Taiwan, and among householder Taoist priests in folk society, and the fasts, offerings, and ritual services of many Taoist temples still follow the Lingbao liturgical framework.