Daoist Regulations

The 10-volume Established Taoist Rules ( 《道門定制》 Daomen Dingzhi ) contains the inscription "compiled by Lü Yuansu, the Daoist in Xishu" and "edited by Hu Xianglong, the True Hermit in Zhuling". Lü Yuansu, literally named Pu'an, was a Daoist from the West of Sichuan in the Southern Song dynasty. The book has two parts. The former part, or vol.1-5, was compiled in the Wushen Year of the Chunxi Era (1188) with the title "Collection of Established Rules". The latter part, or vol.6-10, was compiled in the Xinchou Year of the Jiatai Era (1201) as a supplement to the former part. At the beginning of this collection of rituals, Lü Yuansu says in the preface that, for Daoist offerings, fasting, and petitions, ancient people only used talismans, registers and red seals; and the other memorials and documents were later additions in accordance to worldly ceremonial rites and regulations, causing the loss of simplicity and impropriety of uses. Lü collected rites and regulations from his predecessors' books, and revised them to make them "simple without omissions and detailed without redundancy." The first five volumes deal with Memorials ( 表狀 Biaozhuang ), Appeals ( 請狀 Qingzhuang ), Presentations ( 獻狀 Xianzhuang ), Petitions ( 章奏 Zhangzou ), Ritual documents ( 文牒 Wendie ), Written Petitions ( 書奏 Shuzou ), Intentions ( 詞意 Ciyi ), Petition Styles ( 章詞體 Zhangci Ti ), fonts ( 字體 Ziti ), petition writing ( 書章法 Shuzhang Fa ), and Communication Documents ( 疏關 Guanshu ), etc. Also listed are some talismans and declarations such as the 1200 ranks of holy saints, the Inner Hidden Writs of the Three Emperors ( 三皇內隱文 Sanhuang Nei Yin Wen ), the Perfect Writs of the Five Directions ( 五方真文 Wufang Zhenwen ) and the General Communication Documents of the Yellow Register Ritual ( 黃籙都疏 Huanglu Dushu ). Volumes 6-8 describe the rituals for setting up altars, guarding residences, guarding tombs, making sacrifices, killing evil, prayers for rain, etc. Volumes 9-10 record the holy seats of Wenchang, residence protectors, tomb protectors, and chthonic deities; and invitations for deities, petitions for the great offering to the nine dark hells, petitions for saving and promoting souls, and all kinds of Spirit Tablets ( 神牌 Shenpai ), Precept Certificates ( 戒牒 Jiedie ), and Placards ( 榜文 Bangwen ), etc. The book is collected in the Orthodox Oneness section of the ''Daoist Canon of Zhengtong Era. The Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of the Four Repositories'' records this book as 11 volumes in Yuan-Dynasty print. Slightly different from the version in the Daoist Canon, it may have been revised by somebody in the Yuan dynasty. 道門定制