| Abstract |
This research compares and contrasts the apotropaic rituals of the Ucchu ma and Luminous Agent Marshal Ma, and analyses the relationship between them. This paper first discusses Ucchu ma and analyses its images and ritual methods in the light of related texts. Additionally, this paper analyses “the esoteric rites of the Numinous Official Martial Ma”, taking as its subject the images and ritual magic from juan 220 to 231 of the Daofa huiyuan. The author finds that Song Dynasty images of Luminous Agent Marshal Ma are not stabilized, and that certain early images, with three heads, nine eyes and six arms, are derivative from those of Ucchu ma, in addition to various incantations which show similar derivation. This demonstrates the close syncretic relationship between Tantric and Daoist ritual. This paper also focuses on tantric possession and child-possession to identify the role of young boys in apotropaic rituals of exorcism, and proceeds from this to analyse the overall structure of the ritual. This method for using young boys in apotropaic rites bears a strong relationship to the ?ve?a rites transmitted from India, which also use boys as mediums to perform divination and exorcism. From the Tang dynasty onwards, this kind of ritual gradually spread in common religion, by both Daoist priests and specialists of common religious magical rites. From the analysis in this paper, it can be demonstrated that there was a great deal of interchange, borrowing and transformation between Song dynasty Daoism and Buddhism, generating a rich and multi-valent ritual culture.
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