The Fu Zhai Wei Yi Jing 太极真人敷灵宝斋戒威仪诸经要诀

Referred to in abbreviation as The Scripture on Fasting Rituals and Etiquette, it is one of the ancient Numinous Treasure Scriptures of Taoism, probably compiled in the late Eastern Jin Dynasty and early Southern Dynasties.

It was already recorded in Lu Xiujing’s Catalogue of Numinous Treasure Scriptures.

Consisting of one scroll, it is included in the Ritual Etiquette category of the Cave Mysterious Section of the Daoist Canon.

The text is pseudonymously attributed to the Supreme Ultimate True Person Xu Laile, who transmitted it to Ge Xuan, the Left Immortal Lord of the Supreme Ultimate, and Ge Xuan’s disciple Zheng Yin wrote it down. In reality, it was likely compiled by Ge Chaofu (the grandnephew of Ge Hong), a Taoist priest at the end of the Jin Dynasty.

The main content of the scripture is to expound the fasting rituals and etiquette of the Numinous Treasure Taoist school during the Six Dynasties, along with discourses on the essential instructions for practicing Numinous Treasure fasting methods. First, it lists the six fasting months and ten fasting days; second, it sets out the rituals for submitting petitions when initially establishing a fast, the texts for three wishes while holding incense, the prayer texts for the ten directions, and the method of reciting scriptures in rotation; third, it miscellaneously describes matters such as establishing a fast, receiving teachings, and rotating scriptures, including lighting lamps, presenting gifts to masters, titles of various masters, official positions in fasting ceremonies, ten virtuous thoughts during fasting, dietary matters for long-term fasting, and home-based fasting periods.

The book extols the nobility of Taoist scriptures and Numinous Treasure fasting methods, claiming that those who believe in the Dao, venerate the scriptures, and observe fasts can ascend to immortality in broad daylight, bring blessings to their seven generations of ancestors, and accumulate profound merits and fortunes. Lu Xiujing of the Southern Dynasties, when formulating Taoist fasting and sacrificial rituals, was greatly influenced by this book.