Within Yiguandao, initiation is understood as “receiving” or “seeking” the Tao, a once-in-a-lifetime turning point that binds the seeker to a salvific lineage. The rite is conducted in a consecrated hall or altar space, overseen by an authorized transmitting master (點傳師) and supported by assistants. Candidates are usually prepared beforehand through moral instruction, fasting or other forms of purification, and are encouraged toward vegetarianism and ethical self-discipline. The ritual setting itself reflects the movement’s syncretic character, with altars and symbols that honor the Eternal Primordial Mother (無生老母) alongside figures drawn from Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist traditions. From the outset, the initiate is oriented toward a path of moral cultivation, filial piety, and compassionate action.

The ceremony typically opens with incense offering, bows, and prayers or invocations to the Eternal Mother and various enlightened beings. Initiates publicly express their intention to receive the Tao and to cultivate virtue, often engaging in confession and repentance for past misdeeds. Through kowtows and prostrations before the altars, they symbolically realign themselves with the cosmic order and the “return to the Origin.” At this stage, vows are taken to uphold moral precepts, to reduce harm to living beings, and to participate in the broader mission of spiritual salvation. The sense of gravity is heightened by the understanding that the present age is spiritually precarious, making this commitment especially urgent.

At the heart of the initiation lies the transmission of the “Three Treasures” (三寶), which are regarded as the essential means for returning to the source and escaping suffering. The first is the “aperture point” or “mysterious gate” between the eyebrows (玄關竅), which the master symbolically “opens,” often by touching or indicating the forehead; this is described as the gateway to the soul and the inner link to the divine. The second is the “mouth treasure,” a secret five-word mantra (口訣) quietly imparted, to be used in prayer, protection, and spiritual practice, and carefully guarded from disclosure. The third is the “hand treasure,” a specific mudra or hand seal (合同), likewise kept secret, which serves as a bodily sign of connection to the Tao and is employed in worship and meditation. These three, taken together, are believed to re-establish the seeker’s bond with the Primordial Origin and open the path toward enlightenment.

Following the transmission, initiates may receive a religious name and have their details recorded in temple registers, signifying formal entry into the Yiguandao lineage. Senior members then offer doctrinal explanations about the Eternal Mother, the urgency of salvation, and the responsibilities that accompany having received the Tao. Practical guidance is given on daily recitation of the mantra, use of the hand seal, meditation on the aperture point, and ongoing participation in communal worship, study, and charitable works. The ceremony often concludes with collective prayers and, in many communities, a shared vegetarian meal or informal fellowship, reinforcing both ethical commitments and a sense of spiritual kinship. Through this carefully ordered sequence, the initiate is woven into a living tradition that seeks to harmonize inner realization with outward moral transformation.