Taoism Eight Great Spiritual Mantras

八大神咒 Ba da shen zhou

1. Spiritual Mantra for Purifying the Mind

淨心神咒 Jìng xīnshén zhòu

太上台星，應變無停。Tài shàng tái xīng, yìngbiàn wú tíng

驅邪縛魅，保命護身。Qūxié fù mèi, bǎomìng hùshēn.
智慧明淨，心神安寧。Zhìhuì míngjìng, xīnshén ānníng.
三魂永久，魄無喪傾。Sān hún yǒngjiǔ, pò wú sàng qīng.
急急如律令。Jí ji rú lǜlìng

Tai Shang (Lao Jun) of the Star Terrace

Never cease to respond to transformations
Eradicate all demons by binding them with magic charms
Protecting a person’s body, he defends life
His wisdom is pure and illuminating
And brings spiritual peace to the mind
Forever eternalizing the Three Heavenly Spirits
And so defeating and causing all the Earthly Spirits to flee.
These mandates I will expediently follow

2. Spiritual Mantra for Purifying the Mouth

淨口神咒 Jìng kǒu shén zhòu

丹朱口神，吐穢除氛。Dān zhū kǒu shén, tǔ huì chú fēn.

舌神正倫，通命養神。Shé shén zhènglún, tōng mìng yǎngshén.
羅千齒神，卻邪衛真。Luó qiān chǐ shén, què xié wèi zhēn.
喉神虎賁，炁神引津.心神丹元，令我通真。Hóu shén hǔbēn, qì shén yǐn jīn. Xīnshén
dān yuán, lìng wǒ tōng zhēn.
思神煉液，道氣常存。Sī shén liàn yè, dào qì cháng cún.
急急如律令。Jí ji rú lǜlìng

Dan zhu (cinnabar elixir), the spirit of the mouth

Expelling the unclean and eliminating ill vapors
Zheng Lun (Correct Order), the tongue spirit
 Enhances life and nourishes the spirit
Luo Qian (A Thousand Gatherings), Spirit of the Teeth
Guards the True by sending away demons
Hu Bi (Bright Tiger), the Spirit of the Throat
Entices the saliva of Qi and spirit
Dan Yuan (Primordial Elixir), the Spirit of the Heart
Decrees my penetrating the Truth
Lian Ye (Refining the Secretions), the Spirit of the Mind
Eternally keeps to the Tao of breath
These mandates I will expediently follow

3. Spiritual Mantra for Purifying the Body

淨身神咒 Jìng shēn shén zhòu

靈寶天尊，安慰身形。Líng bǎo tiānzūn, ānwèi shēn xíng.

弟子魂魄，五臟玄冥。Dìzǐ húnpò, wǔzàng xuán míng.
青龍白虎，對仗紛紜；朱雀玄武，侍衛我真。Qīnglóng báihǔ, duìzhàng fēnyún; zhūquè
xuánwǔ, shìwèi wǒ zhēn
急急如律令。Jí ji rú lǜlìng

Heavenly Worthies of the Numinous Treasury

Calming and comforting the body form
And its disciples Hun and Po
Dark and mysterious are the Five Viscera
The Green Dragon and White Tiger
Engage in chaotic battle
The Vermilion Bird and Mysterious Warrior
Attend to and guard my True (Self)
These mandates I will expediently follow

4. Spiritual Mantra for Claming the Earth Deities

安土地神咒 Ān tǔdì shén zhòu

元始安鎮，普告萬靈。Yuánshǐ ān zhèn, pǔ gào wàn líng.

岳瀆真官，土地祗靈。Yuè dú zhēn guān, tǔdì zhī líng.
左社右稷，不得妄驚。Zuǒ shè yòu jì, bùdé wàng jīng.
回向正道，內外澄清。Huí xiàng zhèngdào, nèiwài chéngqīng.
各安方位，備守壇庭。Gè ān fāngwèi, bèi shǒu tán tíng.
太上有命，搜捕邪精。Tài shàng yǒu mìng, sōubǔ xié jīng.
護法神王，保衛誦經。Hùfǎ shén wáng, bǎowèi sòng jīng.
皈依大道，元亨利貞。Guīyī dàdào, yuán hēnglì zhēn.

The Primordial One calms and guards

By universally requesting a myriad of spirits
And true officials of Yue and Du
Paying respect to Earth Gods
Earth God on the left and God of Grains on the right
Have no false fears, I return to the Correct Way
Everything is fixed in their respective positions
And the Shrine Hall is prepared and guarded
Having a mandate from Tai Shang (Lao Jun)
All nefarious spirits are seized and captured
Protecting the law of the Spirit Kings
Protecting the recitations of the Scriptures
Seeking refuge in the Great Tao
Originating, persevering, advantageous, and resolute.

5. Spiritual Mantra for Cleansing Heaven and Earth

淨天地神咒 Jìng tiāndì shén zhòu

天地自然，穢氣分散，Tiāndì zìrán, huìqì fēnsàn,

洞中玄虛，晃朗太元。Dòng zhōng xuánxū, huǎnglǎng tài yuán.

八方威神，使我自然。Bāfāng wēi shén, shǐ wǒ zìrán.

靈寶符命，普告九天；Líng bǎo fú mìng, pǔ gào jiǔtiān;

乾羅達那，洞罡太玄；Gān luó dá nà, dòng gāng tài xuán;
斬妖縛邪，度人[殺鬼]萬千。Zhǎn yāo fù xié, duó rén [shā guǐ] wàn qiān.

中山神咒，元始玉文，持誦一遍，卻病延年；Zhōngshān shén zhòu, yuánshǐ yù wén, chí

sòng yībiàn, què bìng yán nián;
按行五嶽，八海知聞；Àn xíng wǔyuè, bā hǎi zhī wén;
魔王束手，侍衛我軒；Mówáng shùshǒu, shìwèi wǒ xuān;
凶穢消散，道炁常存。Xiōng huì xiāosàn, dào qì cháng cún.

急急如律令. Jí ji rú lǜlìng.

The naturally-just-so of Heaven and Earth

Disperses all filthy vapors
Within the grotto of the Mysterious Void
The Supreme Origin is dazzlingly bright
Courageous spirits of the eight directions
Bring to pass the naturally-just-so

And the talismanic decrees of the Numinous Treasury

Qian Luo Ta Na in the Pole Star’s grotto of the Ultimate Mystery
He executes evil beings and binds up demons
Crossing over tens of millions of people

Chanting to the spirits of Central Mountain

The Jade Writings of the Primordial One
Uphold and recite it once
And it will prevent disease and prolong life
He travels over the Five Mountains
And is heard over the Eight Seas
Bound are the hands of the Demon King
Attending to and guarding my carriage
Eliminating and dispersing malevolent filth
The Qi of Tao will merge and exist eternally
These mandates I will expediently follow

6. Golden Light Mantra

金光神咒 Jīnguāng shén zhòu

天地玄宗 Tiāndì xuánzōng，万气本根 Wàn qì běn gēn;

广修万劫 Guǎng xiū wàn jié，证吾神通 Zhèng wú shéntōng，
三界内外 Sānjiè nèiwài，唯道独尊 Wéi dào dú zūn，
符有金光 Fú yǒu jīnguāng，罩护吾身 Zhào hù wú shēn，
视之不见 Shì zhī bùjiàn，听之不闻 Tīng zhī bù wén，
包罗天地 Bāoluó tiāndì，养育群生 Yǎngyù qúnshēng，
受持一遍 Shòu chí yībiàn，身有光明 Shēn yǒu guāngmíng;

三界侍卫 Sānjiè shìwèi, 五帝司迎 Wǔdì sī yíng，

万神朝礼 Wàn shén cháolǐ, 役使雷霆 Yìshǐ léitíng，
鬼妖丧胆 Guǐ yāo sàngdǎn，精怪亡形 Jīngguài wáng xíng，
内有霹雳 Nèi yǒu pīlì，雷神隐鸣 Léishén yǐn míng，
通慧交彻 Tōng huì jiāo chè，五气腾腾 Wǔ qì téngténg，
金光速现 Jīn guāngsù xiàn，覆护真人 Fù hù zhēnrén，
急急如律令 Jí ji rú lǜlìng。

The mysterious ancestor is heaven and earth, myriad Qi is the primordial origin,
Through deep cultivation of ten thousand of kalpas, my spiritual penetration is confirmed,
Throughout the Three Realms internally and externally, the Tao is the only Worthy,
Tao’s body has the Golden Light, reflecting on my body,
Look at it – it cannot be seen, listen to it – it cannot be heard,
Embracing heaven and earth together, it nourishes all living beings,
Recite and uphold this mantra 10,000 times, and the body will be brightly illuminated;

The Three Realms will guard and protect, the Five Sovereigns will come to greet,
Myriad deities will pay obeisance, servicing the thunderbolt,
Ghosts and demons will tremble in fear, evil spirits will lose their forms,
Sound of thunder is heard internally, revealing the hidden name of Thunder God,
Complete wisdom will be transmitted, the Five Qi will soar,
A Golden Light will manifest, to protect all practitioners,
These mandates I will expediently follow.

7. Incense Offering Mantra

祝香神咒 Zhù xiāng shén zhòu

道由心學，心假香傳。Dào yóu xīn xué, xīn jiǎ xiāng chuán.

香爇玉爐，心存帝前。Xiāng ruò yù lú, xīn cún dì qián.
真靈下盼,仙旆臨軒. Zhēn líng xià pàn, xiān pèi lín xuān.
令臣關告,逕達九天. Lìng chén guān gào, jìng dá jiǔtiān.
急急如律令. Jí ji rú lǜlìng

The Tao is learnt in the heart

And the incense passes on the (wishes of the) heart
The Jade Urn is warmed by the incense
The heart resides before the Sovereign
The True Immortal watches from above
The banner of the immortals arrives before the carriage
Informing that the reports of people are closed
Directly communicating with the Nine Heavens
These mandates I will expediently follow

8. Mysterious Gathering Mantra

玄蘊咒 Xuán yùn zhòu

雲篆太虛，浩劫之初．Yún zhuàn tài xū, hàojié zhī chū.

乍遐乍邇，或沉或浮．Zhà xiá zhà ěr, huò chén huò fú.

五方徘徊，一丈之餘．Wǔ fāng páihuái, yī zhàng zhī yú.

天真皇人，按筆乃書．Tiānzhēn huáng rén, àn bǐ nǎi shū.
以演洞章，次書靈符．Yǐ yǎn dòng zhāng, cì shū língfú.

元始下降，真文誕敷．Yuánshǐ xiàjiàng, zhēn wén dàn fū.

昭昭其有，冥冥其無．Zhāozhāo qí yǒu, míng míng qí wú.
沉疴能自痊，塵勞溺可扶，Chénkē néng zì quán, chén láo nì kě fú,
幽冥將有賴．由是升仙都．Yōumíng jiāng yǒulài. Yóu shì shēng xiān dū.

The Cloud Seal of the Great Void

Existing since the beginning of the Great Kalpa
Suddenly near and suddenly distant
Perchance sinking or perhaps floating

Moving back and forth through the Five Directions

Of the numerous solitary elders
The True Heavenly Emperor
Writes in his book with brush
To reveal the Seal of the Grotto
And the Book of Divine Talismans

The Primordial One descends

To bravely teach the true texts
Illuminated when existing, obscure when empty
Serious illnesses can be self-healed
Supporting those drowning in toil and earthly dust
Assistance will come for those imprisoned in desire
Bringing ascension into the Immortal Realms

[End of book]