Rituals of the Celestial Master’s Sees (Part One)
Originally attributed to Zhang Bian, the thirteenth-generation descendant of the Celestial Master and military advisor to the Prince of Wuling during the Liang Dynasty.
This text was originally appended to Rituals of the Sequence and Legal Credentials for Receiving Talismans, and is presumably a composite compilation by Daoist priests during the Ming Dynasty.
The text first lists the names of the Twenty-Four Sees of early Celestial Master Daoism, such as Yangping See and Lutang See, along with their corresponding Five Elements orientations, associated astral constellations, and geographical locations. It also elaborates on the official titles of the Twenty-Four Qi Dao Officials and Libationers (both Yin and Yang).
The above content is pseudonymously attributed to the Supreme Lord, who transmitted it to the Celestial Master Zhang Daoling. Next, the text enumerates the names and locations of the Four Auxiliary Sees (including Ganghu See and Baishi See) and the Eight Affiliated Sees (including Liyuan See and Lili See).
This part is falsely ascribed to Zhang Daoling, who passed it down to his successor, Zhang Heng. Further on, the text lists the names, locations of the Eight Mobile Sees (including Emei See and Qingcheng See), as well as the titles of sixteen Dao Officials and Libationers. These are claimed to have been established by the third-generation master, Zhang Lu.
Appended at the end of the text are sixteen Benming Talismans (Talismans of One’s Birth Destiny).
This work represents one of the earliest extant sources documenting the establishment of religious sees in Celestial Master Daoism.
Catalogue of Lost Scriptures from the Daoist Canon records a text titled Zhengyi Scripture of Methods: Rituals of the Three Masters for Establishing Sees and Official Positions (One Scroll), which is suspected to be the same as this book.
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