Abstract: Key to the Ritual of the Yellow Register Retreat prescribed in the Wushang huanglu dazhai licheng yi is its message that progress toward salvation is realized concurrently with the ritual performance. The constructing of the altar as that which materializes the imaginary of the World-beyond is an innovation of the ritual. By theatricizing the use of talisman, the ritual offeres a visual message underscoring the immediacy of ritual efficacy. At the same time the ritual prioritizes the meditational visualization of the Ritual Master as the very ground of the salvational events. By visualizing the imaginary while assigning the contemplation of the ultimate mystery to the Ritual Master alone, the ritual was a big step towards a priest-centered radical ritualism.
Mihwa Choi (Professor, University of North Carolina, Pembroke)北卡大學