Jade Mirror of Lingbao灵宝玉鉴
- Author / transmission
- Anonymous
- Period
- Yuan · Compiled by a Lingbao Daoist of the Yuan dynasty, around the early 14th century; the compiler is unknown.
- Canon division
- Methods Subcategory of the Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery) Section
- Collected in
- Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, Dongxuan Section, Methods (Fangfa) category
- Category
- Ritual Protocol (Keyi)
- Fascicles
- 43 scrolls
Synopsis
The Jade Mirror of Lingbao is a compendium of Lingbao retreat and offering ritual essentials compiled in the Yuan dynasty, in 43 juan, its title "Jade Mirror" likening the work to a clear mirror for the practitioner of ritual. The work is divided into sections — general introduction, altar ritual, inviting the officials, memorials, talismanic mandates, visualization, transformation into the deity, summoning, refinement and salvation, salvation, feeding the hungry ghosts, salvaging the dead, and giving thanks — each section gathering the talismans, incantations, secret methods of visualization, and document formats needed for retreat and offering ritual, together with numerous diagrams (altar diagrams, talisman diagrams, and seal patterns). Its content centers on Lingbao ritual method while also incorporating Thunder Rites and internal cultivation, holding that one should "practice ritual outwardly while refining the true qi inwardly," and represents the mature form of Yuan-dynasty Lingbao ritual. Its record of specific operational detail is extremely thorough, making it an important source for the study of Yuan–Ming Daoist ritual practice, talismans and seals, and the theory of Refinement and Salvation; most Ming–Qing ritual manuals follow it.
Key Ideas
- A compendium of Lingbao retreat and offering essentials by section
- Talismans, incantations, visualization, and document formats recorded together
- Combining internal refinement of the true qi with outward ritual practice
- Numerous altar and talisman diagrams
Structure
43 juan, divided into sections such as general introduction, altar ritual, memorials, talismanic mandates, refinement and salvation, and feeding the hungry ghosts.
Editions
- Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era edition
- Zhonghua Daozang, vol. 41
Full Text & Online Resources
Related scriptures
Great Rites of Shangqing Lingbao (Jin Yunzhong), Golden Book of Salvation according to the Lingbao Tradition, Corpus of Daoist Ritual (Daofa huiyuan)- 任继愈主编《道藏提要》
- Judith Boltz, A Survey of Taoist Literature, 1987