San Qi San Li: Three Declarations Three Bows in Taoist Liturgy 三启三礼
Paul Peng三启三礼 San Qi San Li
Three Declarations Three Bows in Taoist Liturgy · 齋仪三跪陈词、三跪作礼之礼
🔑 Key Takeaways
- 三启三礼 (San Qi San Li) is the Taoist jiao rite of three kneeling declarations with formal bows, each addressing a different level of the celestial hierarchy.
- 启 (qǐ) means to kneel and present a formal statement; 礼 (lǐ) means the ritual bow of respect — together naming the defining act: kneeling declaration followed by formal bow.
- The three declarations address in sequence: the Three Pure Ones (三清), the Four Emperors (四帝), and the departmental spirits (各司神灵).
- Recorded in the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (灵宝领教济度金书), Song dynasty Lingbao liturgical encyclopedia.
- Performed at the opening of the main jiao ceremony after preliminary purifications — the formal announcement that the ceremony has begun.
Definition · 定义
三启三礼 (San Qi San Li, Sān Qǐ Sān Lǐ) is a Taoist liturgical rite in which the officiating priest kneels three times to make formal declarations (启, qǐ) to the celestial deities, each followed by a ritual bow (礼, lǐ). The character 启 (qǐ) means to kneel and present a formal statement or announcement; 礼 (lǐ) means the ritual bow of respect that acknowledges the recipient's authority. Together they name the defining act: a kneeling declaration followed by a formal bow, repeated three times to address three levels of the celestial hierarchy.
三启三礼 belongs to the opening announcement (开坛宣告) category of Taoist jiao liturgy — performed at the beginning of the main ceremony after the preliminary purifications have been completed. Its function is to formally announce the ceremony's commencement and purpose to the assembled celestial audience, establishing the ritual's official status in the celestial realm.
— 《灵宝领教济度金书》
The Three Declarations · 三启内容
The three declarations of 三启三礼 address the celestial hierarchy in descending order, from the highest to the departmental level:
The first kneeling declaration is addressed to the Three Pure Ones (三清, Sān Qīng) — the highest deities of the Taoist celestial hierarchy: the Jade Pure One (玉清天尊), the Supreme Pure One (上清灵宝天尊), and the Grand Pure One (太清道德天尊). This declaration announces the ceremony's existence and purpose to the supreme celestial authorities, seeking their blessing and witness.
The second kneeling declaration is addressed to the Four Emperors (四帝, Sì Dì) — the celestial emperors who govern the four directions and the cosmic order beneath the Three Pure Ones. This declaration announces the ceremony to the administrative tier of the celestial hierarchy, seeking their authorization and support for the ritual's petitions.
The third kneeling declaration is addressed to the departmental spirits (各司神炁, gè sī shén líng) — the functional spirits who govern specific domains of celestial administration: fate, merit, salvation, and the various departments responsible for responding to human petitions. This declaration notifies the relevant departments of the ceremony's specific requests and invites their active participation.
Protocol and Sequence · 礼仪程序
三启三礼 is performed at a precisely defined moment in the jiao liturgical sequence — after the preliminary purifications (洁坛, jié tán) have been completed and the altar space has been ritually cleansed and consecrated, but before the main offering sequence begins. This positioning reflects the rite's function as a formal opening announcement: the space has been prepared, the celestial audience has been assembled through the preliminary rites, and 三启三礼 formally declares the ceremony open.
The Zhengyi canon specifies the exact wording of each declaration, the precise posture for the kneeling, and the form of the bow that follows each declaration. These specifications reflect the understanding that the celestial bureaucracy operates according to formal protocols — and that ritual communications must meet the same standards of correctness to be received and acted upon. The formal procedures of the jiao ceremony within which 三启三礼 operates are documented in the Taoist ritual process.
Zhengyi Taoist Connection · 正一道传承
三启三礼 is an essential component of all major Zhengyi jiao ceremonies (正一道大齋). The Zhengyi transmission preserves both the text of the three declarations and the understanding of their function — the priest who makes the declarations does so as the representative of the entire sponsoring community, whose collective intent gives the declarations their formal force in the celestial realm.
The rite's emphasis on correct protocol — the precise sequence of kneeling, declaration, and bow, repeated three times to address three levels of the hierarchy — reflects the Zhengyi school's broader commitment to ritual correctness as the foundation of liturgical efficacy. A specific example of the grand jiao ceremony within which 三启三礼 is performed is documented in the Huo Jiao fire protection ritual (火齋), while the historical development of the offering tradition is traced in the history of Taoist fasting and offering rituals.
Anonymous. Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (灵宝领教济度金书). Song dynasty. Zhengtong Daozang.
Chen Yaoting (陈耀庭). Encyclopedia of Taoism (道教大辞典). Shanghai: Shanghai Cishu Chubanshe. Entry: '三启三礼' (San Qi San Li).
