Zhengyi Scripture of Methods: Chapters and Official Ranks
Author unknown. Compiled approximately during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
Originally one of the fragmentary scrolls of Zhengyi Scripture of Methods—a classic text of early Celestial Master Daoism—the book is also known as Scripture of One Thousand and Two Hundred Official Decrees.
It records the names of 1,200 Heavenly Officials that Zhengyi Daoist priests invoke when submitting memorials to heaven, classified according to the specific diseases and disasters each Official is in charge of resolving.
- Scroll 1 contains 24 entries, including Summoning the Earth Lord, Troops Subduing Monsters, Governing the Blessing of Dwellings, and Handling Official Affairs.
- Scroll 2 includes 26 entries, such as Subduing All Spirits and Goblins, Curing Epilepsy, Treating Eye Diseases, and Instant Relief from All Toxins.
- Scroll 3 lists 11 entries, like Governing the Cutting of Grass and Subduing Grave Ghosts at Funerals.
- Scroll 4 comprises 16 entries, including Governing Sericulture, Governing Livestock, Governing Fishing and Hunting, and Governing Trade and Markets.
The text holds that all disasters and illnesses are caused by the harassment of evil spirits or the wrongdoing of malicious people, and that each type of calamity and disease is governed by a corresponding deity. Therefore, when people suffer from disasters or illnesses, they should submit a memorial to heaven to invoke the relevant Heavenly Officials to subdue ghosts, eliminate demons, cure diseases and dispel misfortunes. For instance, the entry Summoning the Earth Lord states: “If a patient suffers from extreme emaciation and is at the brink of death, one should invoke Heavenly Official Yang Zhijun, along with 120 officials and 120 attendants under him, to jointly treat the illness; if a chronic illness plagues a household, one should immediately summon 120 officials and generals under Lord Xuyu to heal the patient”, and so forth. All other entries follow a similar pattern.
This book is of considerable reference value for studying the relationship between early Celestial Master Daoism and folk beliefs.
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