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Livia Kohn
DOUMU: THE MOTHER OF THE DIPPER
Introduction
The goddess Doumu 4- f.J:, the Mother of the Dipper, is a Daoist stellar
deity of high popularity. Shrines to her are found today in many major Daoist
sanctuaries, from the Qingyang gong. jf.i;inChengduA lllthrough Louguan
tttfL plearXi'an iN~)to Mount Tai *
t1Jin Shandong. She represents the
genninal, creative power behind one of the most central Daoist constellations,
the Northern Dipper, roler offates and central orderer of the universe, which is
said to consist of seven or nine stars, called the Seven Primes or the Nine
Perfected. 1
The Mother of the Dipper appears in Daoist literature from Yuan times
onward, there is no trace of any scripture or material associated with her in
Song sources or libraries. 2 Her major scripture, the Doumu jing4- f.J: ~I
(translated below), survives in both the Daoist canon of 1445 and in a Ming-
dynasty manuscript dated to 1439. The goddess can be seen as part of a
general tendency among Daoists of the Ming to include more popular and
female deities into their pantheon, which in turn is related to the greater
emphasis on goddesses in popular religion and Buddhism at the time. 3 In
I Edward Schafer calls them the Nine Quintessences (1977, p. 233).
2 Van der Loon (1984) has no entry on any te;-.."t regarding her worship.
3 A prominent example of a popular goddess at the time is Mazu ~ 111 or Tianfei f:. 9(.. who
was also adopted into the Daoist pantheon. On her development, see Wädow 1992: on her
Daoist adoption, see Bohz 1986. Another popular goddess with Daoist overtones of the same
period is Bixia yuanjun ~ i1 j(; ;g-, the daughter of the god of Mount Tai. On her legend and
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Fig. 1 - Weituo, the protector of scriptures
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addition, her elevation is also linked with the increased influence of Tantric
Buddhism on later Daoism, because she is a Daoist counterpart of the Indian
goddess and Tantrie bodhisattva Mariei, an offspring of Brahma and
personification of light, who serves as the roler of fates and plays a role in
various dhärani sutras in the Buddhist eanon. 4 In addition to this Buddhist
origin of the goddess, she also has forerunners among Daoist female deities or
eonsorts ofthe Dipper, who appear in texts from the middle ages, making her a
faseinating and potent eonglomerate of powers and religious traditions.
The following is a first study of the nature and evolution of the Daoist
goddess Doumu as she is represented in her key seripture, the Doumu jingo
The goddess will be examined in relation to the tradition al veneration of the
Dipper, the Tantrie goddess Mariei and her myths, various divine Dipper
consorts, and in regard to forms ofworship that evolved around her. Before all
that, however, let us take a closer look at the manuscript of the Doumu jingo
The Doumu jing
The manuscript was found in the late 1960's as one of eleven Ming-
dynasty texts contained in the interior of a wooden Buddha statue. The statue,
whieh had made its way to an art dealer in Hamburg, Germany, was subjected
to unexpected moisture due to a flood of the river EIbe and began to dissolve in
its parts. It was then obtained by Mr. Wemer Burger, who in turn passed it on
to Professor Herbert Franke (Münich) for eritical scholarly examinatioll.
Franke describes its various manuscripts in a short article. 5
worship, see Naquin 1992. Among Buddhist goddesses, the outstanding examp1e is Miaoshan
~. ~. Her legend and development is studied in Dudbridge 1978.
4 The dhärani sutras are nos. 1254-59 in vol. 21 ofthe Taishö canon. See Franke 1972, p. 63.
Tantric influence on Daoism since the Tang is also evident in the increase in the number of
Maricf dhärani sütra or Molizhi tian pusa toluoni jing '*
deities and in the more martial gods occupying a central position (see Davis 1994). A special
(
flJ J( 'J:..:g: Pi pt Il Jt, *.~ T. 125.
21.259-60) is ascribed to Amoghavajra (Bukong 1- ~) and thus presumably dates from the
eighth century (see Nakamura 1981, 1280).
5 See Franke 1972. The manuscripts are now collected in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
(Munich) and are available in microfilm. The Doumu jing manuscript has the acquisition
number 4L.sin.C229. I am indebted to Dr. Ute Engelhardt for obaining and sending me a
microfilm copy of the manuscript.
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Yingzong ~ *,
All texts found in the statue date from the reign of the Ming emperor
i.e., around the middle of the fifteenth century. The Doumu
jing is among the earliest (1439), others go back to the 1450's. Franke divides
the texts into three groups: Buddhist prints, Buddhist handwritten scroIIs, and
Daoist texts. Six texts belong to the first category. There is first an illustrated
copy the Lotus sutra, followed by three Guanyin -U -f dhärani sutras that
claim to be efficacious in difficulties and the healing of diseases. A work with
thirty-two poems encouraging Buddhist devotion and a woodblock print of a
standing Buddha complete the first group. The second group, handwritten
Buddhist materials, has three works: an apocryphal dhärani text that promises
aid in all situations of life, an abbreviated Nirväna Sutra, and a copy of the
Heart Sutra with introduction and commentary. All these are said to be
efficacious in the management of daily life, providing protection and support in
difficuIt situations. Many begin with a dedication that wishes the emperor
many ten thousand years of life, contain relevant woodblock illustrations, and
often conclude with a picture of Weituo ~ rt:, the protector of holy scriptures
(see Fig. 1).6
The two last texts found in the statue are Daoist works. First, the Sanyuan
jiewei yansheng jing .::. Je M- ~ ~ ::i ~~ (Scripture of the Three Primes to
Dissolve Dangers and Extend Life) focuses on the three rulers of the Daoist
other world who dissolve sins, grant good fortune, and aid in the prolongation
of life. The text consists of fifteen pages and can be divided into eight sections.
It begins with a woodblock illustration of the judges of hell, then presents
incantations for purification, followed by four prayers for protection to the
mIers ofthe other world. Next come apreface to the main text, the text proper
(also in DZ 1442), a concluding poem, and a colophon which specifies the date
(1450) and informs us that the sponsor ordered the text's printing to ensure the
salvation ofhis ancestors. It concludes with an illustration ofWeituo.
The Doumu jing is listed last in Franke's description. It, too, matches the
overall intellt of the other ten texts in that it is an invocation-based text that
serves to grant protection and support to the faithfuI. Like the majority of texts
in the statue, it begins with good wishes for the emperor and ends with an
image ofWeituo for the scripture's protection. It also has, before the scriptural
part, a detailed illustration ofthe key elements ofthe text (see Fig. 2).
6 See Don: 1914, vol. 7, p. 206.
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Shown here, from right to left, is the Dipper Mother, her head surroWlded
by a glowing halo, seated on the jeweled throne and attended by three ladies-
in-waiting, two at her back, one closer to her side. She faces the nine stars of
the Dipper, beginning with the two senior stars, clearly marked with name
'*
Emperor of Purple Tenuity 'ffi ~ *- *.
plates as the Great Emperor Celestial Sovereign Ä .i :Je and the Great
They wear formal, embroidered court
robes and elaborate headdresses and hold audience scepters in their hands.
Behind them follow the seven lords of the Dipper, so marked in a sm all name
plate at the top of the page. They, too, are dressed in formal garb and hold
audience scepters, hut their headdresses are merely small crowns. Slightly
behind them, above in the picture, are the two additional stars Fu and Bi,
secondary emanations of the two Great Emperors. They are seen only in their
upper bodies and wear helmet-like headgear. One final figure, above the first
three of the seven lords, holds a sacred scripture in a gesture similar to that of
Weituo. He is dressed in martial garb and has a more barbarian and violent
expression. Not named in a matching plate, we can surmise that he is a
guardian figure in the service of the Dipper lords.
The manuscript then presents the text of the Doumu jingo This can be
divided into three major parts: apreface on the technicalities of reciting the
scripture and venerating the goddess; the scripture's text; and a concluding
encomium and mantra for the goddess.
The first part or preface has three seetions, a technical set of instructions
on recitation (p. 1), a laudatio for the goddess which clearly refers to her Indian
origins (p. 2), and an incantation in her honor ( p. 2-3). It is Wlique to this
manuscript, with the exception of the laudatio, which is also fOWld in a Doumu
ritual as documented in the Xiantian doumu zougao xuanke 7t Ä -+ -*
f.J: %
-t H (Mysterious Rites of Petitioning the Dipper Mother of Former Heaven,
DZ 1452,
The second part is the scripture proper. It is also, with very minor
character variants, contained in the Daoist canon (DZ 621). Revealed by Lord
Lao, it contains the empowerment of the goddess as an executive of the Dao. It
can be divided into seven sections. First, it describes the goddess's actions in
the world, listing the numerous emergencies and problems that she will
alleviate and describing her as the physician of the Wliverse (p. 3-4). Next, it
shows her role among the stars, characterizing her as being the essence of
water and having the Dipper for her po or material soul (p. 5). A third section
lists several of her tides, such as Goddess Dipper Mother of the Brahma
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-.- ;,
:\1: 1,; ,;
. i·
'i•; .I'!!'r ~\.'l:,. \\.~~
i:~
" \.Daumu: the Mather af the Dipper
Energy of Central Heaven; it notes that each title indicates a different function
and power ofthe goddess (p. 5).
The fourth part focuses on the myth of the origin of the Dipper, retelling
how the Dipper Mother bathed in the Flowery Pond ~ ~ and was impregnated
by nine lotus flowers, then gave birth to nine sons. After seven days and nights
on earth, she took them up to heaven, where she created divine residences for
them and empowered them, with various mantras and dhäranis, to become the
rulers of the universe (p. 6). This part is an abbreviated retelling of the more
elaborate myth contained in the Beidou bensheng zhenjing ~t +'*-
1. ~~
(Perfeet Seripture of the Original Life of the Northem Dipper, DZ 45). In a
yet more abbreviated form it is also found in the ritual text Xiantian doumu
zougao xuanke (DZ 1452, 15b). Part five deseribes the stars of the Dipper,
giving their eanonieal names and listing their powers (p. 7). Part six outlines
the effects of the proper worship of both the Dipper and its Mother, ineluding
the delights of ascension to celestial immortality (p. 8). And the last and
seventh part coneludes the scripture with a formal prayer and dhärani to the
Dipper Mother (p. 9).
The manuscript goes beyond the Doumu jing in the Daoist canon by
providing a third part, a concluding encomium for the goddess. This has four
short sections, beginning with a paragraph of praise, which notes that "her
majestic radiance is glorious and grand, her wondrous appearance full and
strong" (p. 10). Then there is an invocation, which calls upon her by eight
different titles (p. 11). These two seetions also appear in the ritual text
Xiantian doumu zougao xuanke as part of the petition to the goddess (l2a).
Next follows a note on the proper conclusion of the text's reeitation, whieh in
turn leads to the final mantra Dm, Marfcf swäha (p. 11).
The text as a whole eontains instruetions on the proper recitation and
empowennent of the text, several effieacious prayers and invocations of the
goddess, as weIl as mythical information on her deeds and celestial stature. It
is a comprehensive and integrated work that, especiaIly with the vivid
illustration in the beginning, provides a strong and lively presentation of the
goddess and the ways ofher worship.
The Dipper
The Northem Dipper is a major constellation in the northem sky, 10cated
elose to the Northstar that has served travellers for centuries as a elear
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indicator of direction. It is prominent as a heavenly guide and appears in the
mythology of many peoples, i.e., as the Great Bear among the ancient
Israelites, Arabs, and Romans, and as the Great Chariot among the Greeks. 7
Also known as fera major or the "great beast," its main story in Western
mythology is associated with the nymphe Callisto, a daughter of Lycaon and
princess of the Greek state of Arcadia. Serving in the entourage of Artemis,
the goddess of the hunt, she attracted the lustful attentions of Zeus who
appeared to her in the shape of Artemis. When Callisto turned up pregnant,
Zeus's wife Hera took revenge by having her pulled apart by the hair, then
transformed into a big, ugly bear, and banished into the sky. This, then, is the
Great Bear of the ancients, a female deity at heart. g
The Chinese have seen the same constellation less as an animal and more
as a vehicle or device. Sima Qian 5] .~ l! in his Shiji!i:. ~c.(Historical Records,
dat. 104 B.C.E.) notes that
the Dipper is the carriage of the emperor; it is placed in
the center, ... govems the four cardinal points, separates
the yin and the yang, and deterrnines the four seasons. 1t
balances the five agents, arranges the divisions [of time]
and the levels Iof space), and sets the various measures 9
Similarly other early sources, and notably also the apocrypha of the Han
dynasty, describe the Dipper as part ofthe entourage and governing mechanism
sky and mIes all from bis palace of Purple Tenuity (Ziwei '*
of the Celestial Sovereign (Tianhuang 7:.. !), who resides in the center of the
{It), often also
simply called the Purple Palace (Zigong 'Jk '3).10 In human beings, this palace
is located in the heart, the center of the human body. 11
The color purple represents the heightened and intensified dimension of
yellow, the symbolic color of the center. Purple is a symbol of unlimited
7 Benhamouda 1972, p. 52-53.
8lbidem, p. 53.
9 Robinet 1989, p. 178; 1993, p. 212.
See Hirohata 1965. p. 38; Yanagizawa 1967.
*
10
11 Baopuzi {I' =f (Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplieity, DZ 1085), eh. 18; see
Ware 1966, p. 302.
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power, totality, unity, and the return to the cosmic Dao, and as such considered
highly sacred. It was worn only by the highest aristocrats in ancient times. 12 A
combination of black (great yin) and scarlet (great yang) in the palace of the
center (yellow), it is created as an empowering and salvific color and
represents the dynamic, yang aspect of the center, while yellow is its passive,
yin dimension. 13
In medieval Daoism, the Dipper was especially important in the practices
of the Highest Clarity (Shangqing L ~) school. Here it was seen as an
embodiment of the central powers of the universe which governed the human
life span and afterlife, serving especially as the agency that would eradicate an
adept's name from the registers of death and enter it into the ledgers of life. 14
Playing such an important role, the Dipper was invoked for protection,
visualized to descend into the adept's body for inner illumination, and used as a
celestial set of stepping stones in an ecstatic excursion to the heavens.
Protection through the Dipper was achieved through invoking the names of its
stars and by visualizing them descend and arrange themselves surrounding the
adept. 15 Making the Dipper shine brightly in one's body was reached by seeing
its stars enter into one's three cinnabar fields. Traveling ecstatically to the
Dipper involved a practice known as "pacing the net" (bugang-}Y" 1E),16 during
which adepts visualized themselves traveling among the stars in a set rhythm of
steps, which corresponded to the "three primordial energies and nine stars" and
reenacted "the union of yin and yang."I7 A formal ritual accompanied by the
burning of incense, incantation of scriptures, and application of talismans, this
practice was a powerful way for adepts to achieve a sense of celestial presence
and reality.
They visited each single star of the Dipper, and there rested in its central
palace, made from the essence of water and lapis lazuli, enjoying its luxurious
12 Porkert 1961, pp. 439-40.
13 Porkert 1961, p. 441. Seeing the color purple is also an essential aid in visualizing the
Dipper in Daoist practice. This is made clear in the Jiuzhen shengxuan shangji JL !f. 11- E ~ ~G
(Highest Record of Ascension to the Mystery Through the Nine Perfected, DZ 1351), 3a-4a.
14 Robinet 1993, p. 201.
15 Robinet 1989, p. 175; 1993, p. 205.
16 On this practice, see Andersen 1990.
17 Robinet 1989, p. 176; 1993, p. 210.
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s
1 Yang Brightness
2 Yin Essence
3 True One
4 Mystery Darkness
5 Cinnabar Prime
6 North Culmen
7 Heavenly Pass
Fig. 3 - The stars of the Dipper
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tree, full of colorful fmit and gilded birds, as weIl as the variety of supernatural
plants, which granted life spans of thousands of years. 18 According to ancient
Western and modern astronomy, there are seven stars in the Dipper, but the
Daoists know nine, including two invisible ones, known as Fu fiIi [Sustainer]
and Bi ~ [Equalizer]. The seven stars, in China called the Seven Primes
(qiyuan-l:; ft), divide into two groups, four that form the carriage or bowl of
the Dipper (or torso and legs of the bear), and three that form its axle (or the
neck and head ofthe bear; see Fig. 3).
The two additional stars, possibly identified as two of several asterisms in
the immediate neighborhood of the Dipper, 19 are said to be loeated near its
main opening, guardian figures that wateh over the constellation. Creating a
group known as the Nine Perfeeted (jiuzhen ;fL ~), the two stars are eommonly
added to the bottom of the list in medieval sourees, known by different names
in astronomie and Daoist texts. In works assoeiated with the Dipper Mother
and with Yuan- and Ming-dynasty Dipper myths, however, these two are
described as the secondary emanations of the two leading stars of the Nine
Perfeeted, the first two sons of the Dipper Mother, who are the mler of the
universe and central agency of all aetivities. They eome first and take primary
rank among the group. Called Celestial Sovereign and Purple Tenuity, they are
two figures or constellations that were originally quite separate from the
Dipper, serving as mlers of heaven and later in the funetion of arbiters of
destiny.20 In addition, the basie seven stars in the later text have completely
different names (see Table I).
TABLE 1
NAMES OF TRE STARS OF TRE DIPPER21
18 Robinet 1989, p. 175; 1993, p. 205.
19 See Benhamouda 1972, p. 56.
20 Noguchi et al. 1994, p. 547.
21 For the Arab star names and their explanation, see Benhamouda 1972, p. 54-56; For the
Chinese names, both astronomical and Daoist, see Schafer 1977, p. 51. The star names found
first in Doumu-related texts reappear in the Qing dynasty, in materials on Fengshui and fortune-
telling. Here the stars with the more auspicious names signal bad fortune, while those with rather
unpleasant appellations indicate a good turn. See Field 1999,21-22. On the role and importance
ofthe two ell.1ra stars Fu and Bi, see Robinet 1989, p. 172; 1993, p. 202; Yüsa 1983, p. 334.
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No. Arab Astronomie Daoist Doumu texts
Cel. Sovereign
Purple Tenuity
1 Dubhe Heavenly Pivot Yang Brightness Greedy Wolf
2 Merak Heavenly Cog Yin Essence Wide Gate
3 Phecda Heavenly Annillary Perfected Person Prosperous Life
4 Megrez Heavenly Beam Mystery Darkness Literary Song
5 Alioth Jade Transverse Supreme Prime Pure Modesty
6 Mizar Disclosed Yang North Culmen Martial Song
7 Alcaid Wavering Light Heavenly Pass Ruined Army
8 Grotto Brightness Sustainer Sustainer
9 Hidden Prime Equalizer Equalizer
This new development in the understanding of the Dipper is related to an
overall increase in its worship and the veneration of its powers. One indication
of this increase is the appearance, in the tenth century, of a set of six new texts
that present talismans and invocations of the Dippers of the five directions. 22
The texts divide according to geographical direction into materials concerning
the Northern (DZ 622, 623), Southern (DZ 624), Eastern (DZ 625), Western
(DZ 626), and Central Dipper (DZ 627). Claimed to go back to a second
major revelation by Lord Lao to the first Celestial Master Zhang Daoling
:it F~in 155 C.E., after he had already received the Covenant of Highest Unity
*
jE - .I in 142. In contents, they outline devotional measures of protection
involving scriptural recitation and fonnal rites for the Dippers, preferably
undertaken on onels birthday, at new moon, or on generally auspicious days.
For example:
To recite this scripture, you must first develop utmost
sincerity and purify your mind. Then, facing east, elap
your teeth and pay reverence in your heart. Kneeling,
elose your eyes and visualize the gods [of the Eastem
Dipper] as if you physically saw the limitless realm of
the east. Mysterious numinous forces, imperial lords,
realized perfected, and great sages-a countless host
22 See Yüsa 1983, p. 334. A Southem Dipper counterpart was already known in the Six
Dynasties, when Shangqing practitioners invoked the Southem Palace as the location of the
ledgers oflife. See Noguchi et al. 1994, p. 548.
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lines up before you. Looking at them will help you
overcome days of disaster. (DZ 625, 2bi3
In addition, the texts provide talismans to swnmon the divine officers of the
Dipper to protect life and help in difficulties, assuring the faithful that the
perfected will respond immediately and grant a life "as long as the Dao itself'
(DZ 624, 5a). The talismans are used in the presentation of petitions to the
Dipper and contain the power to make its lords respond. Today, the scripture
to the Northem Dipper (Beidou jing ~t -+
#~) is among the central texts
chanted during so-called Dipper Festivals (lidoufahui ft -+
A; i") at popular
temples in Taipei, which last three to five days and serve to ensure good
fortulle?4
In aseparate development, the Daoist texts also inspired the creation of a
Buddhist Beidou jing, which survives in Chinese, Uighur, Mongolian, and
Tibetan versions, and several other sutras on "rites and recitations for the
Northem Dipper" that are associated with the eighth-century Tantric masters
Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra but do in fact go back to the Yuan dynasty (T.
1307; 21.25b-26b). They were created in the 1380's after the general
persecution of Daoist texts, which left a gap of efficacious scriptures and
talismans, duly filled by Daoist materials reappearing in Buddhist guise. 25
Around the same time, Dipper worship also made its way into Japan, where it
became popular as part of Yoshida Shintö. 26 The development of the Doumu
jing and the origin myth of the Dipper can be placed in this same context, i.e.,
of the increased popularity of the Dipper as the horne of a group of powerful,
protective deities and of the banishment of purely Daoist materials, which may
also have encouraged the adoption of the Tibetan bodhisattva MarlcI as the
encompassing goddess of the Dipper.
23 Kohn 1998a, p. 98.
:4 See Matsumoto 1997. The text is also recited on a regular basis at jiaa ~ ceremonies in
Taiwan. See Matsumoto 1983, p. 203.
25 Franke 1990, p. 110.
26 See Sakade and Masuo 1991. Over the following centuries, the belief in the nine stars of the
Dipper spread further in Asia, so that today it is present even in Malaysia. See Yusa 1983, p.
334. There is even atempie to Doumu. See Harada 1979, p. 8.
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Marici and Doumu
Mariei is the goddess of dawn and of light. She is a later version of the
goddess Usha of the Aryans in aneient India, who also appears as Aurora, the
goddess of dawn, among the Greeks. 27 Although of Indian origin, she plays
only a minor role in Hinduism today, but appears in Tibetan Buddhism as an
aeolyte of the Green Tara, the female counterpart or shakti power of Buddha,
and most popularly of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Mariei is plaeed to her
right and ealled Asokakäntä. 28 She is depicted as sitting on a lotus flower, with
a third eye, three heads, and eight arms. Her Tibetan name is Hod-zer-ean-ma,
whieh means "the resplendent" and refers to her symbolie representation of
dawn and the light of universe. 29
A variant name of the goddess is Vajravarähi, whieh translates as
'"dianlOnd sow" and refers to MaricI's dose relationship to the pig. The left of
her three heads in her depietion as an aeolyte of Tara, for example, is that of a
pig. Another, more popular representation of the goddess has her riding on a
sow, in addition to having three heads and eight arms and sitting on a lotus
throne (see Fig. 4).30 Then again, she is seen as riding in a ehariot drawn by
seven pigs, whieh may be a variant of a more aneient image of the goddess that
had her related to seven bears rather than boars and thus to the stars of the
Dipper. The most aneient depictions of the goddess, moreover, have her in
association with a creature that "resembles no animal in partieular.,,31
The two dominant eharaeteristics of Mariei in Tibetan Buddhism, then, are
her assoeiation with light and radianee and her link with seven lesser animals,
most commonly identified as pigs. Both eharacteristies earry over directly into
the Daoist goddess Doumu who in addition is charaeterized as the savior and
healer of the world. This eharaeterization is emphasized in the beginning of
the Doumu jing, whieh notes that the Highest Celestial Mother of Mystery
Prime, the great sage Marici, is an Indian goddess who serves as the teaeher of
dhamla kings, controls the light and order of the world, and has an anllY of
27 Getty 1962, p. 133; WaddellI972, p. 361.
28 Grünwedel 1900, p. 142; Getty 1962, p. 133,
29 Grünwedel1900, p, 145; WaddellI972, p, 361.
30 WaddellI972, p, 362; Noguchi et aL 1994, p, 471.
31 Getty 1962, p, 133,
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celestial generals at her disposal whom she dispatches to bring help and relief
to people. Here Marici is elevated from the female shakti power of a
bodhisattva and mler of light to the mother and healer of the universe, carrying
not only her traditional attributes but also those of the Dipper as the mler of
fates and controller of universal order and those of the great Mother Goddess
who gives birth and grants salvation to all. 32
This is reflected also in the many titles she is addressed with, in the powers
attributed to her, and in the description of her celestial splendor. In addition,
her wlique stature not only as the Mother of the Dipper, but as a powerful
bodhisattva and savior is illustrated in the myth that teIls of how she gave birth
to the Dipper. The clearest and most extensive version of the myth is told in
the Beidou bensheng zhenjing (DZ 45).33
The text begins with a description of the splendor of Primordial Beginning,
the creator deity of Dao, who then grants a celestial audience to an assembly of
perfected. He is duly asked about the origin of the Dipper and its powers and
gives the following sermon in response.
Exeellent, this question ofyours! In the old days, during
the kalpa Dragon Han ~ß i., there was a Ioeal king by
the name of Zhou Yu%l 1;tp. His sagely virtue was
without bounds and his time among people amounted to
84,000 great kalpas. The king had a preeious consort
who was bright and perceptive, eompassionate and
wise. Her name was Lady of Purpie Radiance f: 7t j(
A. She had sworn that if ever born in the world of
grime, she would follow an ultimate vow. This vow
32 Even in her Tibetan version, she comes to the rescue of suffering humanity as is documented
in the story of the monastery of Semding, whose inhabitants were transformed into pigs to save
them from the raids ofthe Mongoi warrior Dzun-gar. See Getty 1962, p. 132-33.
33. On the text, see Ren and Zhong 1991, p. 38-39.
34. On the relation ofwater, the female, and goddesses in traditional China, see Schafer 1973.
On supernatural birth myth in China, see Kaltenmark 1980, p. 39-45. For comparative birth
myths in other cultures, see Biallas 1986.
Even in her Tibetan version, she comes to the rescue ofsuffering humanity as is documented in
the story of the monastery of Semding, whose inhabitants were transformed into pigs to save
them from the raids ofthe Mongoi warrior Dzun-gar. See Getty 1962, pp. 132-33.
33 On the text, see Ren and Zhong 1991, pp. 38-39.
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celestial generals at her disposal whom she dispatches to bring help and relief
to people. Here MaricT is elevated from the female shakti power of a
bodhisattva and mier of light to the mother and healer of the Wliverse, carrying
not onIy her traditional attributes but also those of the Dipper as the mler of
fates and controller of Wliversal order and those of the great Mother Goddess
who gives birth and grants salvation to alL 32
This is reflected also in the many titles she is addressed with, in the powers
attributed to her, and in the description of her celestial splendor. In addition,
her Wlique stature not only as the Mother of the Dipper, but as a powerful
bodhisattva and savior is illustrated in the myth that teIls of how she gave birth
to the Dipper. The clearest and most extensive version of the myth is told in
the Beidou bensheng zhenjing (DZ 45).33
The text begins with a description of the splendor of Primordial Begimling,
the creator deity of Dao, who then grants a celestial audience to an assembly of
perfected. He is duly asked about the origin of the Dipper and its powers and
gives the following sermon in response.
Excellent, this question ofymITs! In the old days, during
the kalpa Dragon Han ~~ il, there was a local king by
the name of Zhou Yu %l ;jjp. His sagely virtue was
without bounds and his time among people amounted to
84,000 great kalpas. The king had a precious consort
who was bright and perceptive, compassionate and
wise. Her name was Lady of Purple Radiance
A. She had sworn that if ever born in the world of
*
7\:; f::.
grime, she would follow an ultimate vow. This vow
32 Even in her Tibetan version, she comes to the rescue of sufIering humanity as is documented
in the story of the monastery of Semding, whose inhabitants were transformed into pigs to save
them from the raids ofthe Mongoi warrior Dzun-gar. See Getty 1962, p. 132-33.
33. On the text, see Ren and Zhong 1991, p. 38-39.
34. On the relation ofwater, the female, and goddesses in traditional China, see Schafer 1973.
On supematural birth myth in China, see Kaltenmark 1980, p. 39-45. For comparative birth
myths in other cultures, see Biallas 1986.
Even in her Tibetan version, she comes to the rescue of sufIering humanity as is documented in
the story of the monastery of Semding, whose inhabitants were transformed into pigs to save
them from the raids ofthe Mongoi warrior Dzun-gar. See Getty 1962, pp. 132-33.
33 On the text, see Ren and Zhong 1991, pp. 38-39.
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contentment in this life," and after death they will "transcend all and be born in
the perfect heaven ofGreat Brahma" (3ab).
The myth is retold in an abbreviated and occasionally cryptic form in the
Doumu jing, suggesting that readers were expected to be fanliliar with the
longer story and thus that the Doumu jing was composed later than the Beidou
bensheng jingo It can be divided into four phases or segments: (1) an initial
vow of the goddess to give birth to a group of sons to aid in ruling the universe;
(2) her birth on earth as Lady of Purple Radiance (a tide that again reflects her
association with heaven and the sacred power of the center) and her enjoyment
of the cool waters of the Flowery Pond; (3) her impregnation by nine lotus
flowers and subsequent birth of the nine sons, the two senior rulers and the
seven essential powers (both good and evil); and (4) her establishment of the
nine sons as celestial lords in the palaces of Purple Tenuity above and their
empowerment as rulers of the world and of human fate. The version in the
Doumujing, moreover, adds that the stars, once established in heaven, brought
forth a sacred speIl or dhärani, which created the gods and thus the personified
rulers of the nine stars.
Both the beginning and the end of the myth, therefore, rest with the power
of the sacred word, first the vow of the goddess, then the dhärani of the sons.
In between there is movement back and forth, first adescent of the goddess
from heaven to earth and into the body of the Lady of Purple Radiance, then an
ascent back to heaven and a transformation of the sons into celestial rulers.
The central focus ofthe story is the birth proper, which is characterized by the
conception in a pond and through nine lotus flowers, indicating a strong water
symbolism associated with the female and with the stars-both the goddess
herself (in the Doumu jing) and the stars in general (in traditional literature)
are said to be the essence of water (shuijing *-
~ )-and suggesting
supernatural fatherhood, a classical feature in many traditional birth myths.34
Once the sons are born, they are ranked and grouped into the two leaders
and the seven stars. The latter in their names are characterized as good or evil
and claimed to be responsible for the creation of"the host ofhuman emotions,"
a statement that echoes the notion expressed in the Doumu jing that the Dipper
is closely related to the po ~ soul in human beings, the more instinctive,
34 On the relation of water, the female, and goddesses in traditional China, see Schafer 1973.
On supernatural birth myth in China, see Kaltenmark 1980, pp. 39-45. For comparative birth
myths in other cultures, see Biallas 1986.
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materially oriented, and baser dimension of life (as opposed to the hun i1 or
more spiritual soul). The text notes that the seven stars of the Dipper match the
seven openings in people's faces (eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth), saying that
"through the openings the stars resonate immediately with people's minds
within. Also because of them the human po soul consists of seven perfected
members; it is because the po soul is received directly from the Dipper" (p. 5).
Typically the po soul is described as a negative influence in people's lives,
one that causes them to be lascivious and evil, stingy and greedy, jealous and
full of envy, always hankering after luxury and ease. 35 However, judging by
the names of the seven stars in the Doumu jing, the po soul is here understood
as a more open force, one that can be both negative and positive. Some star
names reflect the harmful tendencies, such as Greedy Wolf and Ruined Anny.
But then there are also positive appellations, such as Prosperous Life and Pure
Modesty. Rather than just a negative and violent influence on life, the seven
members of the po soul as represented in the Dipper thus show the full gamut
of emotional and instinctive reactions to life. 36 Pacifying and harmonizing
them, in turn, with the help of the Dipper Mother will create a higher
dimension of peace and wellbeing, a balance of the emotions, and thus the
potential for spiritual cultivation.
Ritual Activation
This cultivation, then, takes place in a formally ritualized setting, which
can be either personal and individual or public and communal. As regards the
personal and individual ritual, the Dipper and its mother are activated by
focusing on the nine yin or female powers, potent partners of the nine lords of
in the Jiuzhen dijun jiuyin jing ;fL JJ, *
the DippeL These deities and their accompanying ritual practice are described
;t ;fL Ili #.~ (Scripture of the Nine
Yin [Powers] of the Nine Perfected Imperial Lords [of the Dipper)), a text
JS See the Chu sanshijiuchong baoshengjing Jlt. .::. F :fL Ii 1* 1. !~ (Scripture of How to
Preserve Life by Expelling the Three Corpses and Nine Worrns, DZ 871), a ninth-century text
that focuses on a description ofthe various souls and other inner forces.
J~ This more positive evaluation of the po soul is also reflected in the fact that the Dipper is
described as the po soul of the goddess (p. 4).
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Fig. 4 - The Tibetan bodhisattva MarIeT depicted as riding on a sow
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cited in chapter 31 ofthe fun}t qtqtan ~ & -t I. (Seven Tablets in a Cloudy
Satchel), which dates from the early Song dynasty (c. 1023).37
According to this, adepts who wish to attain higher powers of immortality,
such as invisibility, multilocation, free travel through the cosmos, and control
over spirits and demons, must cultivate the inner, female forces of the Dipper.
The text then lists them one by one, giving their location (palace), rank, name,
appellation, and the garb they typically wear. For example:
In the third star, there is the Palace of Perfect Prime. In
this palace resides an imperial lady who controls the six
dun i\ il [gods of time] and the seven yin -t!li
[powers]. She is the Cinnabar Mother ofHighest Prime.
Her name is Emptiness and Inaudibility of the Great
One, her appellation is Sign of Central TransfOImation.
She wears a cape of green brocade over an embroidered
feathery, flying skirt of flowery pattern, and has her top
knot in the design "whirlwind cJouds." ...
In the eighth star, there is the Palace of the Imperial
Seat. In this palace resides an imperial lady who
transforms the sun, the moon, water, and fire. She is the
Lofty and Sovereign Dipper Lady to the Left. Her name
is Gern and Pearl of the Great One, her appellation is
Falling Blossom. She wears a cape of purple brocade
over an embroidered feathery, flying skirt of cinnabar
color, and has her top knot in the design "whirlwind
clouds." (3l.l Ob, 11 b)
Each of the nine goddesses has a rank either of mother (mu f,J:), lady
(foren ~ A.), consort (Jet ~c.), or daughter (nü -9:). They each have different
powers to convey and each wear formal garb of a different color, while
sporting the same hair style of"whirlwind clouds."
After concluding the (rather repetitive) description, the text goes on to say
that practitioners in their efforts at reciting the goddesses' names should only
focus on "their position, title, names, and appellations, and should not actually
pronounce the style of their capes, skirts, and hairdo" (11 b), which are listed as
37 The text is also listed as contained in the Daoist canon, but was lost therein. It is later
supplemented by interpretative works, now contained in the Daozang jiyao ~ " ~ J.. The
nine goddesses are mentioned in Robinet 1989, p. 172; 1993, p. 205; Schafer 1977, p. 138.
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aids to visualization and do not belong to the efficacious incantation. This
visualization in turn forms an essential part of the ritual, which begins (after
proper purification) with entering a pure chamber, burning incense, lying down
on one's back, and closing one's eyes. One then first visualizes the nine lords
(Taiji *
of the Dipper in the Purple Chamber (Zifang 'Jl{ %) of the Great Ultimate
;f!), located both in the stars and in the center of one's head. Then
one envisions the Great One and its five attendant gods (of the five phases) in
the six hannonies surrounding the Great Ultimate. After placing the stars of
the Dipper in the heart for proper illumination, one focuses on the nine
goddesses appearing in the Hall of Light (Mingtang B)j :t), a head cavity
located about on inch inside on the level ofthe point between the eyebrows.
One by one, beginning with the goddesses and moving on the Great One,
the deities are then taken from their various locations and moved up and into
the Purple Chamber, where they stand at attention before the Nine Lords.
Then the entire assembly is transformed into one single figure, which in turn
changes into the shape of a newly born infant with the name "Lad of
Impermanence" (Wuchang tongzi $ 1{; i -f). In his hand, he grasps the nine
stars of the Dipper, on bis head he wears the sun, in bis mouth he holds the
moon. Using the combined radiance of these key celestial bodies, the Lad then
irradiates and illuminates the entire body of the adept. Feeling that everything
in and around him becomes bright red and submerged in fire, the adept no
longer has any awareness of where his body begins and ends or what and who
he iso This is the state when he attains complete oneness with the lords and
goddesses of the universe. He stays in this state for a prolonged period, then
emerges to clap bis teeth twenty-four times, swallow the saliva nine times, and
chant a laudatory incantation (31.12a-I3a).
The ritual of activating the nine yin powers or shaktis of the Dipper lords
can be seen as areversal of the myth of the birth of the Dipper through Doumu.
One single figure in the beginning, she emerges from the purple center and
cosmic potentiality of the Dao, then diversifies by giving birth to nine sons who
manifest themselves as celestial rulers in the stars and as various emotional
drives in human beings. The ritual, in areverse process, begins with the
multiplicity of human emotions and a large number of different gods and
goddesses, then joins them in the central "purpie" chamber in the head, to
eventually merge them into one single figure. This figure (like the goddess)
stands at the root of creation, representing the most basic principle of the
universe, i.e., continuous change or impermanence. At the end of the ritual, it
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penneates and irradiates the entire being of the adept, creating an inner state
that matches the flowing nothingness of the cosmic prinlordiality from which
the goddess first arose. The oneness with the cosmic principle attained in the
ritual can therefore be seen as a way of recovering the creative potential at the
beginning of time and, by extension, as an activation of the goddess and her
powers within the individual.
Two texts in the Daoist canon describe more commWlal and public rituals
involving the Dipper Mother. The first is the Beidou ershiba zhangjing ~t. 4-
: :. + /\. =-M~ (Scripture of the Twenty-eight Stanzas of the Northern Dipper,
DZ 629), of Yuan-dynasty origin. 38 The bulk of this text focuses on rites for
protection and long life perfonned to the stars of the Dipper ön the first nine
days of the ninth mondl, when the registers of life and death, good and bad
fortune are updated above. It presents a mythical setting for the creation of
these rites by telling the story of their revelation by the Dipper Mother to
Emperor Ming of the Han j~ BJl ~ -in imitation of both the story of the first
official notice of Buddhism in China and of the revelation of the Dao by
Heshang gong )PT L 0.
It was under the Han emperor Ming in 50 c.E. that Buddhism was first
officially recognized in China. The story goes that the emperor dreamt of a
great sage arising in a golden fonn and appearing to him with benevolence, a
sign that was interpreted by his courtiers as referring to the arising of
Buddhism in the west. 39 The revelation of the Dao by Heshang gong, the
Master on the River, involves his encoWlter with Emperor Wen, who sets out
to learn the Dao and upon meeting the sage reprimands hirn for not paying
proper respects. Heshang gong then gives a demonstration of his supernatural
powers by rising up into the air, and the emperor sinks to the groWld and
apologizes, becoming his eager student. 40
The DOunlU story told in the Beidou ershiba zhang jing is a mixture of
these two. Emperor Ming of the Han wanders about in the Zhongnan
mountains .*'~ lW t.L when he sees
38 On the tell.1, see Ren and Zhong 1991, p. 453.
39 See Zürcher 1959, p. 22.
40 See Chan 1991, p. 91; Kohn 1992, p. 63.
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a woman clad entirely in a plain robe sitting upright on
a rock with disheveled hair and bare feet. He
approached her, but she did not rise. The emperor said:
"I am the mler of all the people under Heaven. What
kind of person are you that you meet your mler and fail
to pay respects?"
The woman answered: "I am the carriage minister of
the Jade Emperor of Brilliant Heaven, the star that
controls the seven primes of the Northem Culmen.
What kind of person are you that you try to teach me to
perform obeisance?" (la)
The emperor duly recognizes her as a celestial goddess and kowtows,
asking her to "graciously transmit a perfected formula that will help me
cultivate my body and destiny" (1a). He then approaches more cIosely and
sees her for the numinous power she truly is, noticing that "a cIoudy haze
surrounded her head and her body and feet were shimmering in multicolored
light. Her auspicious energy being hovered about five feet in midair, with
seven sages resting above her and two officials standing at her. back" (l b).
She then explains that she is not one single entity, but in fact consists of seven
personages plus the two starry officials Fu and Bi, and gives the narnes of the
seven stars, which correspond to those given in the Doumu jingo The
remainder of the text is taken up by a dialogue between the emperor and the
goddess on the nature and powers of the Dipper stars, the correct ways of
worshiping them, and the best way to conduct one's life. Between admonitions
to stay free from sin, remember the Dao, give up greed and licentiousness, and
be moderate in all things, she outlines rites that involve purifications, prayers,
petitions, incantations, visualizations, and the activation of talismans (see Fig.
5).
The 1110St detailed description of cOlmuullal rites illvolving the Dipper
Mother is found in the Xiantian doumu zougao xuanke ~.'k -+ -HJ:
(Mysterious Rites of Petitioning the Dipper Mother of Fonuer Heaven, DZ
% i: H *
1452), another Yuan-dynasty work. 41 It presents short ritual instructions
interspersed in lengthy recitation texts and describes an elaborate ritual
sequence that can be described as consisting of eight parts.
41 So dated in Ren and Zhong 1991, p. 1149.
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First, there is the Introit, when the incense burner is brought in, the altar is
purified, the celebrants and officiating priest enter the sacred precinct, and a
dedicatory prayer is chanted (lab). Next, during the Announcement, the priest
bows several times and oifers a fonnal invitation to the goddess and her
extensive entourage, including also numerous heavenly emperors, immortals
and sages as well as dragons and phoenixes, to descend and participate in the
ritual. Incense and a talisman are burned, flowers are scattered (2a-4a).
Third, the Invocation praises the gods on high and calls particularly upon the
stars of the Dipper to accept the invitation and take part in the rite. Several
talismans are burned (4b-7b).
The fourth step in the ritual is the Lighting of the Lamps of the Dipper,
both on the altar and in the heart/mind of the priest. This signifies the gods'
descent into the sacred area. They are invoked to take away sickness and
misfortune, bring the dead back to life, destroy specters and evil spirits, and
give peace to all. As the lamps shine forth, so the bodies of the celebrants are
illwninated. An oifering is made, incense is burned, the priest bows repeatedly
(8ab). Fifth, a Memorial is dispatched to the Dipper Mother, addressed with
numerous elaborate titles (including her Indian name MarieT), in which she is
praised as controlling the Seven Primes, governing thunder and lightning,
radiating a light brighter than the sun and the moon, and asked to descend to
the altar to liberate all from sickness and affiictions, dissolve evil and bad
fortune, and bring happiness throughout. A cloud seal of purple radiance is
burned to establish communication with her, the entire congregation chants an
invocation in her honor, then the priest in silent communion visualizes her
descent (9a-lla). This descent is fully activated in the sixth section of the
ritual sequence, when the priest chants aseries of holy Dhärani (in secret
braluna language), moving to the left and right and raising alternate hands
(lla-12a).
The seventh part is tlIe central focus of the ritual, the Petition to the
goddess, now present in the holy community. She is praised extensively (using
phrases also found in the beginning and end of the Doumu jing manuscript)
and the story of her life is retold in abbreviated fashion. Next she is asked to
eradicate all sins, take the celebrants' names from the registers of the dead and
transfer them into the ledgers of life, rectify yin and yang, steady the cosmic
order, and generally give health, longevity, prosperity, and happiness to all. At
regular intervals during the recitation of the petition, flowers are scattered and
the priest bows to the goddess (l2a-16b). The ritual concludes with the priest
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Fig. 5 - The perfected talisman of the Dipper that saves from drowning during travels as
presented in the Beidou ershiba zhang jing
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pacing the heavenly net and issuing a fonnal Mandate, a ceiestial order which
activates a messenger who delivers the petition to its proper place in the
ceiestial realm. It is thereby fully Iegalized and now carries the weight of
divine power. A five-colored talisman is offered for protection, and the
goddess, the seven stars, and the assembled celestial entourage are sent back
to their heavenly hornes. Universal order is now in renewed harmony and great
good fortune has been attained (l7a-18b).
In both fonns of rituals involving the goddesses of the Dipper, the goal is
the attainment ofharmony, either within the self or in the entire universe. The
central powers of the Dipper are seen focused in its female counterparts and
activated through them. They become vibrantly present to the practitioner in
visualization and ritual communication, and empower him with their divine
light, irradiating the entire body and self and dissolving sins and ego-focused
problems. As the adept is filied with the power of the Dipper consorts or the
Dipper Mother, his or her own fate is made whole and raised to the level of the
immortals, while the world benefits from great blessings and universal good
fortune.
Conclusion
The Mother of the Dipper is a powerful mother goddess of late imperial
China, who appears first in the Yuan dynasty, then flourishes in the succeeding
periods, and is still highly popular today. Her main scripture, the Doumu jing,
is extant both in the Daoist canon of 1445 and in a manuscript dated to 1439.
It is closely connected to a cluster of related texts, a retelling of the myth of the
origin of the Dipper, a revelation of Dipper rites to a Han emperor, and an
extensive liturgy dedicated solely to the Dipper Mother. All these texts have in
common that they change the established names of the Dipper stars and add the
two stars Heavenly Sovereign and Purple Tenuity to the group of Dipper gods.
These two stars were originally the rulers of heaven and, although located in
the northern finnament, not part of the Dipper constellation. Through their
integration, the Dipper becomes an even more powerful force, being raised
from the carriage and executive office of the celestial rulers to their proper
residence and horne. The seven stars, as also expressed in their new names,
are appropriately demoted to a more secondary position. Instead of powerful
rulers of fate and protective deities, they are now the representatives of various
emotional forces within people, forces that can be controlled and/or developed
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with the help of the gods. In addition to this shift in the understanding of the
Dipper, the establishment of a female deity as their integrative power, their
mother goddess, causes it-and with it the two central rulers of heaven-to be
seen as emanations of the original goddess, secondary to a female power which
creates and ultimate governs all.
While the trend in Dipper worship can be observed already in the
Song dynasty, the tendency to establish a mother or other female goddess at the
center of the universe or as the main savior of humanity is a Yuan and Ming
dynasty phenomenon. The rise of the Dipper Mother is closely related to this
tendency. In addition, the various texts associated with her can be dated to
after 1281, when the Mongoi rulers issued a strict and radical proscription of
Daoist texts and worship. At this time, originally Daoist materials, such as the
"Scripture of the Northern Dipper," were recast in a Buddhist framework to
avoid persecution. The new Dipper texts, too, did not only relate the powers of
the stars to a female deity, but also identified this deity with the Tibetan
goddess and bodhisattva Marici, thus giving the Daoist belief a Buddhist cover.
It is telling, too, that the Ming dynasty manuscript-unlike the text transmitted
in the Daoist canon-both begins and ends with clear references to the Tibetan
goddess, emphasizing that the work is ultimately about a Buddhist and not a
Daoist figure. Plus, of course, the text was placed in a Buddha statue and there
served to aid the donor's ancestors in attaining salvation and residence in a
pure land. The figure of the Mother of the Dipper then testifies once again to
the intense and continued close interaction of Buddhist and Daoist materials,
which can be observed from the fifth century onward and does not cease even
in the Ming dynasty. It is fostered by proscriptions and government policies,
but they alone do not explain its pervasiveness. It rather seems that, as in the
middle ages so in later years, the most efficacious deities were worshiped by
believers of aB traditions, venerated more for their powers and their celestial
stature than for their rank in one or the other religious school. The Doumu
jing, then, when chanted with the proper purification and in the proper ritual
setting, regardless of the religious affiliation of its practitioner, has the same
powers, bringing the unlimited goodness and primordial potentiality of the Dao
and of Buddha to humanity. The Dipper Mother, both shakti to the Buddha as
Marici and mother of the Dao as Doumu, emerges as a potent and ever present
goddess, a supporting and saving mother to all.
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..~.
t:p @J
~
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via free accessLivia Kahn
TRANSLATION
HEART SCRIPTURE OF ORIGINAL DESTINY AND EXTENDING LIFE
OF THE GREAT SAGELY GODDESS DIPPER MOTHER
[1]42 Every time you recite this seripture fIrst purify yourself and observe
the preeepts, don formal garb and headdress, ealm your mind, settle your life-
force, clap your teeth, and loosen your vocal cords. Then only can you chant it
distinctly.
Be careful never to take the scripture lightly or be lax about the chanting,
engaging in chatter or conversation in between. It is your duty at this time to
be extremely reverential, so fully concentrate on your task without fail. Then
all your prayers for long life and blessings will naturally be answered in duc
response.
[2] With all my heart, I take refuge and bOW. 43
In the western COWltry of India, in the radianee of great wisdom, resides thc
Highest Celestial Mother of Mystery Prime, the teacher of the dharma kings of
perfeet emptiness and wondrous appearanec. Where her golden brillianee
shines forth, even the sun and moon eoneeal their brightness; when her
jeweled baton beats the time, even the gods and demons give up their fonn.
Her radiant nwninosity leaves its traces all throughout the world of dust;
her proteetive sageliness extendes through all the land of the Jambu tree [the
world]. If anyone among living beings ealls out her name in sorrow and
distress, she will send forth her great generals to investigate where the sound
comes from and bring prompt relief. Great is her compassion! Great her
vows! Immense is her sageliness! Immense her mercy!
She is the queen of heaven, full of sagely virtue and of irnmeasurable
brilliance. She is the great sage Molizhi [MarleT]!
Mysterious and Wonderful Incantation for Opening the Scripture
Serene and tranquil, the ancestor of ultima te nonbeing,
Empty and distant, for kalpas together,44
42 The page numbers ofthe manuscript are provided in brackets.
43 The following section, up to but not including the "Incantation," is also found in the Doumu
ritual as documented in the Xianlian doumu zougao xuanke (DZ 1452, 12b). Jt appears here as
part of the central petition offered to the goddess.
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