Liu Zhu (六祝, Liù Zhù, lit. "Six Prayers") names six categories of formal prayer and petition in the Zhou state ritual system. From the regular seasonal harmony prayer (顺祝) to the crisis petition (笑祝), each of the six forms addressed a specific need and occasion. A dedicated office of invocators (祝, zhù) specialized in composing and reciting these petitions. Recorded in the Zhouli (周礼), the Liu Zhu directly informed the Taoist practice of celestial memorials (奏章) in the Zhengyi tradition.
六祝 Liu ZhuSix Prayer TypesZhouli 周礼Zhou Petition 祝文Celestial Memorial 奏章
Key Takeaways
• Liu Zhu (六祝, Liù Zhù) names six categories of formal prayer in the Zhou state ritual system, recorded in the Zhouli (周礼) with commentary by Zheng Xuan (郑玄).
• The six types: 顺祝 shún zhù (harmony), 年祝 nián zhù (harvest), 吉祝 jí zhù (auspicious), 化祝 huà zhù (transformative), 瑞祝 ruì zhù (omen response), 笑祝 xiào zhù (crisis petition).
• The Zhou state maintained a dedicated office of invocators (祝, zhù) who specialized in composing and reciting these petitions according to the specific occasion.
• In the Zhengyi tradition, the six-petition structure directly informs the Taoist practice of celestial memorials (奏章, zòu zhāng) addressed to the celestial bureaucracy.
Definition
Liu Zhu (六祝, Liù Zhù, lit. "Six Prayers") classifies the six standard forms of prayer and petition in the Zhou state ritual system. The term is recorded in the Zhouli (周礼, "Rites of Zhou") with authoritative commentary by Zheng Xuan (郑玄). Each of the six petition types addressed a specific need and occasion — from regular seasonal prayers to crisis petitions — and was composed and recited by the dedicated office of invocators (祝, zhù) in the Zhou state ritual apparatus.
Classical Sources
The Zhouli (周礼) records the six prayer categories:
"顺祝、年祝、吉祝、化祝、瑞祝、笑祝。"
"Harmonizing prayer, harvest prayer, auspicious prayer, transformative prayer, auspicious-sign prayer, and petition prayer."
Zheng Xuan (郑玄) provides the authoritative interpretation of each category, explaining the specific occasions and needs each petition type addressed. The Liu Zhu passage is part of the Zhouli's systematic account of the Da Zhu (大祝, "Grand Invoker") official's duties — the same official who oversaw the Liu Qi (六祈) prayer categories — reflecting the comprehensive nature of the Zhou state's petitionary ritual system.
The Six Prayer Categories
顺祝 Shun Zhu — Harmony Prayer: The regular seasonal prayer for harmony, compliance, and the smooth unfolding of natural and human affairs. The most fundamental of the six forms — the baseline petition that accompanied all regular state sacrifices, asking that Heaven and Earth remain in harmonious alignment with the human realm.
年祝 Nian Zhu — Harvest Prayer: Prayer for bountiful harvests and agricultural abundance. Offered at the spring planting and autumn harvest seasons, petitioning the agricultural deities and ancestral spirits to ensure the year's crops. The most practically urgent of the six forms for an agrarian civilization.
吉祝 Ji Zhu — Auspicious Prayer: Prayer for general good fortune, blessing, and the continuation of auspicious conditions. Offered when auspicious signs appeared — unusual natural phenomena, successful campaigns, or other positive omens — to give thanks and petition for the continuation of good fortune.
化祝 Hua Zhu — Transformative Prayer: Prayer for transformation, change, and the resolution of difficult situations. Offered when the state or community needed to shift from an unfavorable condition to a favorable one — petitioning the divine powers to effect the necessary transformation.
瑞祝 Rui Zhu — Omen Response Prayer: Prayer offered in response to auspicious omens — unusual celestial phenomena, the appearance of sacred animals, or other signs of divine favor. The Rui Zhu formally acknowledged the omen and petitioned for its positive fulfillment.
笑祝 Xiao Zhu — Crisis Petition: The most urgent of the six forms, offered in times of severe difficulty — epidemic, drought, flood, military defeat, or other crises. The crisis petition directly addressed the divine powers responsible for the calamity, seeking relief and restoration.
Zhengyi Tradition Parallels
In the Zhengyi tradition, the Six Petitions directly inform the Taoist practice of petitionary memorials (奏章, zòu zhāng). The Zhengyi liturgical canon preserves the six-category structure, adapting the classical petitions into formal written memorials addressed to the celestial bureaucracy. Each type of Taoist ritual — from grand communal jiao to individual talisman petitions — corresponds to a classical Liu Zhu category: the grand jiao corresponds to the Shun Zhu and Nian Zhu; the crisis ritual corresponds to the Xiao Zhu; the omen-response ceremony corresponds to the Rui Zhu.
The history of Taoist fasting and offering rites traces how the Liu Zhu's petition taxonomy was absorbed into the Taoist liturgical framework. The Zhengyi school's systematic use of written celestial memorials (奏章) — formal petitions addressed to specific celestial officials — is the direct descendant of the Zhou state's Liu Zhu petition system.
Primary Sources: Anonymous, Zhouli (周礼), Warring States period. With Zheng Xuan (郑玄) commentary. — Chen Yaoting (陈耀庭), compiler, Encyclopedia of Taoism (道教大辞典), Shanghai: Shanghai Cishu Chubanshe, entry "Liu Zhu" (六祝).
