The Numinous Treasure Eightfold Seasonal Rite FULL NAME IS
The Ritual of Evening Opening for the Dongxuan Lingbao Eight Festivals Retreat
Author unknown; presumably a Taoist text from the Tang or Song Dynasty, it is included in the Zhengyi Section of the Daozang.
The Eight Festivals Retreat is one of the six retreat methods of the Taoist Lingbao Sect, first mentioned by Lu Xiujing in the Southern Dynasties. It is used to repent for sins committed against the Supreme Mystery and in one’s past and present lives, transcend the deceased, and pray for blessings and disaster relief for oneself.
This text records the evening opening ritual of the Eight Festivals Retreat. Held on each of the eight solar terms (Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, Winter Solstice), the retreat lasts for one full day and night, with Taoist rituals performed three times a day (morning, noon, and evening).
Its ritual procedures are roughly similar to those of the Jinlu (Golden Register) and Huanglu (Yellow Register) retreats, but differ in the memorial texts and precepts recited.
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