Discourses on Divine Thunder Rites 冲虚通妙侍宸王先生家话

Compiled and explained by Wang Wenqing of the Northern Song Dynasty, edited and collected by his disciple Yuan Tingzhi. One scroll, included in the Zhengyi Section of The Daozang.

The author Wang Wenqing was a famous Taoist priest in the late Northern Song and early Southern Song dynasties. Emperor Huizong of Song bestowed upon him the title “Master Chong Xu Tong Miao” and appointed him to the imperial position of Attendant Chen of the Two Palaces.

Discourses on Divine Thunder Rites

Wang Wenqing was highly proficient in the Shenxiao Thunder Arts. This book consists of forty questions about the Thunder Arts raised by his disciple Yuan Tingzhi, with answers provided by Wang himself.

It first explains the origin and transmission of the Thunder Arts. Wang Wenqing claimed that he obtained the “Scriptures of Void Roaring Wind and Rain” at the Qingzhen Cave in Jinling, and later encountered the Perfect Master Wang the Fire Master, who transmitted to him “the Way of Flying Spirit to Visit the Emperor.”

It then discusses the principles of summoning wind and rain, invoking deities, and commanding thunder. It emphasizes that inner cultivation is the essence of the Thunder Arts; merely relying on external talismans, formulas, and memorials does not constitute the true art of commanding thunder.

It proclaims that if practitioners can sit in stillness and silently attend the court of the deity, and practice it for a long time, their spirit, qi, and essence will naturally coagulate and unify: “Above all, one can cast off the mortal form and ascend to the origin; next, one can achieve longevity and everlasting vision; furthermore, one can summon clouds and bring rain, command thunder and lightning, save people and benefit all beings—there is nothing one cannot accomplish.”