《天坛王屋山圣迹记》

The Record of the Sacred Traces of Wangwu Mountain and the Celestial Altar, written by Master Guangcheng Du Guangting in the Tang dynasty, recounts the legends of Wangwu Mountain’s immortal realm.

To bring stability to the state and its altars of soil and grain, the court held a grand Luotian Offering to Heaven (a major Zhaijiao purification ritual to worship the gods of the celestial realm), in accordance with the canonical texts. It also cast golden dragons and jade tablets into famous mountains and grottoes throughout the land. According to the Supreme Scripture of White Jade from Guishan in the Daoist Canon, Wangwu Mountain, one of the Ten Great Grotto-Heavens, was called “the Grotto of Clear Emptiness and Minor Presence.” It stretched for ten thousand li, lay in Wangwu County northwest of the eastern capital, and was governed by the Perfected Wang.

Legend says that on a jiazi day in the first month of a certain year, the Yellow Emperor came to Wangwu Mountain. After three days of purification, he climbed to the summit and prayed to the Supreme Deity at the Jade Grove Terrace, then defeated Chiyou. He later invited the Queen Mother of the West to descend to the Celestial Altar and personally attended upon her. The Queen Mother summoned the Lord of the Azure Lad of the Eastern Sea and the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens, who gave the Yellow Emperor the strategy for defeating Chiyou. Following their instructions, the Yellow Emperor killed Chiyou in Ji. He thereafter proved invincible, and peace came to the land. The Queen Mother then sent the spirit of the White Tiger of the West to bestow a robe of mysterious feathers upon the Yellow Emperor, and instructed him to meet her in the wilds of Gudu.

The Yellow Emperor purified himself with reverence, prepared his carriage, and set out. When he arrived at Gudu, he saw thousands upon thousands of carriages and horses in the sky, hundreds of boys with their hair in double knots and dressed in blue, and immortals wearing five-colored feather robes. Some rode flying dragons, tigers, luan birds, or cranes; some carried pearl standards, brocade parasols, colorful banners, and red ceremonial insignia. Others held ruyi scepters and nine-curved tables. There were also singing, dancing, and music—a scene too vast to describe in full.

Before long, a jeweled carriage appeared, drawn by mottled dragons of five colors. Each dragon had nine heads, and the carriage was crowned with nine layers of feather canopies. A female immortal sat inside, dressed in yellow and wearing a gold crown, and approached slowly. An immortal boy beside her told the Yellow Emperor, “This is the Queen Mother of the West.” She welcomed the Yellow Emperor, then directed two immortal boys to invite him to be seated and offered him congratulations.

After the Yellow Emperor welcomed the Queen Mother of the West, a female immortal in Daoist legend, the Queen Mother instructed two young attendants to invite him to take his seat. She congratulated him, saying, “When Your Majesty is in good health, the realm is at peace. You have waged war for so long; you must be very weary.” The Yellow Emperor replied, “It is only through the abundant grace of the Lord of Heaven and the teachings of the Holy Mother that the realm is at peace. How could I claim the credit for myself?”

The Queen Mother ordered a banquet to be laid out, with fresh flowers, fruit, and zhuantan, a kind of offering. The vessels gleamed, and came in many shapes and sizes, but the Yellow Emperor could not make sense of their significance. Then the Queen Mother had the immortal maiden Song Miaoying sing “The Song of Long Life for Ten Thousand Years.” When the song was over, she gave the Yellow Emperor several pieces of lingzhi fungus. After eating them, he no longer felt hunger or thirst. She also gave him The Book of the Seven Secrets of Cultivating the True Way, a text on cultivating the Dao. After presenting him with the book, the Queen Mother ascended to Heaven and departed.

On the first day of the eighth month, three years later, the Queen Mother sent the spirit of the White Tiger of the West to deliver her command. At the time, the Yellow Emperor was at Dayuan Mountain. After receiving her message, he fasted and bathed, then set out for Luoyang. He crossed the river at Baipo and, on reaching Mount Wangwu, observed a three-day purification fast. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, he climbed to the summit and burned incense in prayer. A short while later, a rich celestial fragrance came from the west, descending from Heaven and filling the valleys. First to arrive was the blue-black crow, a bird said to herald the coming of immortals. The Yellow Emperor said, “The Holy Mother is about to descend.”

Soon the Yellow Emperor saw a thousand chariots and ten thousand horses in the sky, with a ceremonial retinue arranged just as it had been in the state of Guzhu. When the Queen Mother descended to the Heavenly Altar, the Yellow Emperor took his place below. He saw the immortals dressed in feather robes, wearing caps and jade ornaments, and shod in shoes; he kept turning to look at them. The Queen Mother asked, “Why does Your Majesty keep looking at them?” The Yellow Emperor replied, “I am concerned that the attendants at my sides may behave improperly.” The Queen Mother said, “Why will Your Majesty not speak honestly?” The Yellow Emperor could only answer truthfully.

The Queen Mother explained, “Heavenly garments are not found in the human world. Such robes may be worn only when paying homage to the stars, the king, or one’s parents.” The Yellow Emperor said, “As ruler, I would not dare bestow feather robes on my subjects.” The Queen Mother praised his words and said, “From now on, those who wear feather robes need no longer bow to emperors.” The Yellow Emperor wanted to host a banquet for the immortals, but the Queen Mother stopped him, saying, “My immortals feel neither hunger nor thirst. Why prepare food from the human world?”

The Queen Mother of the West admonished the emperor, saying, “If you wish to make offerings to the immortals, the stars of the upper realms, the sun, and the moon, simply choose an auspicious day, build an altar, prepare an offering table, and set out incense, lamps, fresh flowers, and fruit. If these are unavailable, clear water and medicinal herbs may be used in their place; nothing else is needed.” After speaking, the Queen Mother of the West bestowed on the emperor a jade-green celestial elixir and fruits of crimson essence, then ascended to heaven and departed.

From then on, every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, virtuous people from the four directions would gather on this mountain. This was also the day when Qingxu Palace assessed cultivators’ spiritual practice and achievements and entered their names in the registers of immortals.

The Zhen’gao (Declarations of the Perfected), a Daoist text, records that Emperor Xuanyuan once ordered the Dragon Spirits of the Four Seas to build the ten great grotto-heavens of the world, stacking layer upon layer a kind of stone called “Qianggu Stone.” This stone is still preserved here.

Shangfang Courtyard was originally called Shangfang Courtyard, meaning “courtyard for seeking.” According to legend, the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan once visited four mountains in search of the Dao, and the courtyard was named for this. Later, Sima Chengzhen renamed it Shangfang Courtyard. During the reign of Emperor Ruizong of Tang, Princess Yuzhen cultivated the Dao at Jinxian Abbey, which is now Lingdu Abbey. Emperor Ruizong once visited Zhenyuan Abbey and Jinxian Abbey, the two Daoist abbeys facing the Western Capital. After leaving Xuanwu Gate and crossing the great river, he reached Shuzhang Village, which he named Shuzhang Post Station.

At that time, officials from Jiyuan, Heqing, Shaosun, and Shangcheng counties, which met at this junction, patrolled their respective districts to guard Jinxian Abbey and Zhenyuan Abbey.

From the time of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan until the Jin dynasty, the Heavenly Emperor transferred Lady Wei of Mount Heng—revered in Daoism as an immortal woman—to a new title and appointed her as a subordinate of Wang Zideng, master of the Lesser-Being Grotto. At Qingxu Palace in the Lesser-Being Grotto, Wang Zideng transmitted the Dao to Wei Huacun, the title of Lady Wei. After forty-seven Perfected Ones had completed their training, the spiritual officials and company of immortals of Mount Heng welcomed Lady Wei from Qingxu Palace and escorted her to Mount Heng in the Southern Marchmount, where she took up the office of Director of Destiny.

Heaven and Earth cannot speak of their own origins, so we must rely on written records to bring ancient traditions to light and faithfully preserve them. The source of the sacred realm is profound and wondrous: before Heaven and Earth had divided, the Qi of the Dao already contained the mysterious foundations of all things. After Yin and Yang separated, their true forms came into view. People therefore recorded these matters in profound scriptures and compiled illustrated accounts, so that later generations could understand the origins of the sacred realm.

Tradition says that the azure heavens revealed many celestial signs and set the sun and moon in motion, showing people the changes of Heaven and Earth.

It is said that the heavens hang out the patterns of the stars and set the sun and moon moving along their courses, while the earth is laid out with mountains and rivers as its framework, spreading into the territories of every region. Mount Wangwu lies more than a hundred li north of the capital at Luoyang, beyond the Yellow River. Its ridges are majestic and joined together, rising into the clouds as though leaning against the constellations. To the west it meets Kunqiu, the fabled mountain of immortals; to the east it extends to the vast sea.

According to the Supreme Scripture of White Jade on Turtle Mountain, Mount Wangwu’s grotto-heaven—a Daoist abode of immortals—extends for ten thousand li in every direction and is the source of mountains and waters. The Illustrated Gazetteer says that the mountain reaches Kunqiu above and descends to Peng Island, the fabled immortal isle in the sea, below. Its highest peak is called Mount Tiantan. The Inner Biography of the Yellow Emperor names it the Terrace of Jade Groves. The Perfected Writings says that Jade Groves is another name for the Clear Void and Minor Presence Heaven. Beneath the mountain flows a body of water called Paoji, where Water Zhi, a fabled spirit fungus and elixir of the immortals, grows. It is said that whoever takes it can live forever.

Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor once climbed Mount Tiantan and saw a stone platform about twenty feet high, with two more tiers of stone steps beneath it, reaching a height of about seventy feet. Its sides rose steeply like walls, as though formed by the workings of Heaven and Earth. There the Yellow Emperor offered prayers to Heaven, and in response the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens, a Daoist goddess, and the Queen Mother of the West descended to him. They passed on the Scripture of the Nine Tripods’ Divine Elixir and the Strategies of the Yin Talisman, fabled Daoist texts. With these teachings, the Yellow Emperor ultimately defeated Chiyou and his followers; hence the name Mount Tiantan.

Mount Tiantan is mostly stone, yet grasses and trees grow among its rocks. It is said to be a gathering place for immortals from the Five Sacred Peaks, the Four Great Rivers, the Ten Great Grotto-Heavens, and the Thirty-Six Lesser Grotto-Heavens. On the eighteenth day of the third month and on the days of the great cyclical assemblies, when immortals are said to gather, one can often hear the clear, distant, pleasing sound of an immortal bell from a far-off cave if the sky is clear at the fifth watch. Near sunrise, a bright red glow appears; it is said that one can see the states of life and death and observe the transformations of Heaven and Earth. As dawn breaks and things gradually come into view, one can also hear immortal parrots announcing the day. They often fly down to the ground, call like parrots, and are smaller than domestic parrots, with feathers white as snow.

At the center of the altar stands a stone lamp platform. Its four gate pillars rise more than a zhang, and its design is highly unusual. It guards the Grotto-Heaven, the dwelling place of immortals in Daoist belief. On each Yuanhui day, the perfected sages of the sacred mountain gather at the altar to assess the cultivation of those who study the Way of the Immortals and to inspect the registers of good and evil deeds in the human world. On that day, the sky is often thick with dark clouds, which do not clear until evening. Those who follow the Way and those who cultivate immortality take this opportunity to submit written petitions and memorials, and to perform a Zhaijiao purification ritual, expressing their reverence and gratitude.

Beneath one corner of the altar is a small stone stele titled “Record of the Making of the Stone Lamp Platform.” It says that in the eighth year of Tianbao (749), the assistant magistrate of Xin’an County, Gongshi Neishi Gu Lingfu, established an altar for Zhaijiao rites and erected the stele on behalf of the state and its people. The names “Lu Quan,” “Gao Chang,” and “Yan Gu” were carved into the stone. By the fifth year of Dahe (831), the inscription had become worn and incomplete.

The center of the altar rises high above the surrounding peaks. Each day at sunrise, its shadow stretches westward and reaches the western ridge; it is said to extend more than a thousand li. No birds fly over the platform, and when the wind passes, it sounds like waves through pine trees. The stone altar stands alone in the open, with nothing sheltering it on any side. A person standing there feels their Qi and blood settle into balance, and their body seems upright and strong. Once standing straight, they can see clearly and make out their own shadow. It is as though they have climbed to a great height and can look beyond cliffs and valleys. Or, before dawn, the body may feel as light as a floating duckweed, as if borne aloft by vital energy and supported by the wind, unable to fall.

This is indeed a place where, according to legend, perfected immortals roam. Those whose resolve is unsteady may feel their vital energy drained and their spirit unsettled, as though fear were rising within them. Those who follow the Way may feel their bodies grow light, as if being lifted into the air. Even after daybreak, when the sky is bright, they may hear voices and laughter at night, and sometimes it seems that flutes and drums are playing on the altar.

To the west of the altar there is also a hanging spring called the Taiyi Spring. Its water is as sweet as liqueur and flows in a slender thread, collecting in a hollow in the rock several feet deep. Even when a thousand people drink from it, the water does not diminish; a year later, the spring remains as it was.

To the west lies a stone cave called Black Dragon Cave. Above it, halfway up the mountain, a cliff rises dozens of zhang high. Another cave, about two zhang deep, opens in the cliff and faces the Heavenly Gate to the northwest. It is called Cloud-Rest Hermitage. In the past, a ladder made of kudzu vines was set up there, allowing people to climb to the cave. According to legend, the Primordial Lord Taiyi once practiced the Dao here. Water from Taiyi Spring flows out beneath the cave and runs east, where it joins the Ji River. South of the spring is a rock cave called Purple Gold Hall. It is said that the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan once stopped to rest beneath a pine tree beside Purple Gold Hall.

The mountain path leading to the summit altar is extremely steep. At one point, the trail passes through a stone gate so narrow that travelers must turn sideways. Beyond it lies the summit altar. This gate is called the White Eastern Heavenly Gate, and a changing pavilion stands to its east. The summit is crowned by a hall dedicated to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), with covered galleries on its eastern and western sides. Beside the altar stands a four-cornered pavilion overlooking a sheer cliff a hundred chi high. Leaning on its railing and gazing into the distance, one can see Mount Song and Lesser Mount Shi to the south, along with the great river winding like a belt; Mount Wangwu lies to the west, and the Altar of the Three Caves of the Queen Mother of the West can be seen to the northeast.

To the northeast is a stone more than a zhang long and about one chi wide, jutting out over the cliff above a hundred-zhang abyss. Those who climb to the altar offer incense and pay homage here to the Queen Mother of the West at the Altar of the Three Caves. Those who are afraid to step onto the stone call it the Steadfast Heart Stone. Mount Xicheng lies to the north and the Taihang Mountains to the northeast. To the east, the rising sun seems to emerge from the vast sea. Looking around, one sees the surrounding mountains reduced to low hills. This makes the sacred dignity of the grotto-heaven all the more apparent and displays the sublime wonder of the immortals’ sacred traces.

East of the altar rises a graceful peak called Sun Essence Peak; the peak to its west is called Moon Radiance Peak. South of the peaks is a gentle ridge known as Cloud-Treading Ridge, below which runs a ravine called the Qin-Escape Ravine. Descending southwest leads to the Eighteen Turns. Farther south is White Immortal Bridge; to the east lies Crouching Dragon Ridge, and to the south a small peak called Heron Peak.

Descend south and west along the Eighteen Bends, then head south past White Immortal Bridge. To the east, Fulong Ridge comes into view. A small peak to the south is called Mortar-and-Stork Peak. Farther down lies Looking-Up-to-Heaven Pond. Continue south, and a rest pavilion stands beside the road.

It is eight li from the summit altar to Upper Court, also called Middle Rock Terrace. This was where Sima Ziyu cultivated and rested. Continue downhill, past Purple Tenuity Stream, and it is another eight li to Yangtai Abbey. Along the way are Immortal Cat Cave and the Never-Aging Spring. East of Yangtai Abbey is the Well Where Perfected Yan Washed the Elixir, which still remains. A little over a hundred paces northeast of the abbey is a spring commonly called Yan Family Spring. Eight mountain ridges branch out in front of the abbey; they are called the Immortal Ridges of the Corpse People.

Celestial Master Sima Chengzhen was from Wencheng in Henei and descended from Sima Xuanwang of the Western Jin. Twenty li west of present-day Wen County lies Zhaoxian City, the area of his ancestral home. The tombs of three Jin emperors are still there.

During the reigns of Tang emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong, Ruizong’s daughter, Princess Yuzhen, took an interest in Daoist arts and became a student of Celestial Master Sima. The master once lived behind Purple Tenuity Peak on Mount Tiantai. Emperor Ruizong issued an edict for Princess Yuzhen to reside at Upper Court. Sima Chengzhen had first studied under Pan Shizheng of Mount Song. Pan Shizheng had studied under Wang Shengzhen of Mount Mao, who in turn had studied under the reclusive immortal Tao of Huayang. The teaching passed down through four generations without deviating from the correct path.

After Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne, he ordered Yangtai Abbey built in the twelfth year of the Kaiyuan era and personally inscribed the plaque “Hall of Vast Yang.” Inside the hall were statues of five ancient immortals. The abbey had a bell engraved with the sixty-four trigrams, called the Bell of Ten Thousand Manifestations; an altar called the Altar of Dharma Manifestation; and a bell tower called the Tower of Qi Manifestation. Northwest of the hall stood a Daoist retreat called White Cloud Retreat. Sima Chengzhen’s sobriquet was Master White Cloud. The abbey also had a pine pavilion and a shrine hall for the master. He wrote a book called Record of the White Cloud, in a distinctive style of seal script.

Northwest of the main hall stands a Daoist temple called Baiyun Temple. Master Sima was known as Master Baiyun. The temple grounds contain a pine pavilion and a shrine dedicated to Master Baiyun. He wrote a work called Record of Baiyun in a distinctive seal script known as “Golden Scissors”; the work has been handed down to this day. Before his manifestation, Master Baiyun also annotated the Scripture of the Great High One’s Ascent to the Mystery and the Treatise on Sitting in Oblivion. These works, too, have been handed down.

On the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the fifteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, two cranes flew in circles and then headed northwest from the ritual grounds. At that moment, Master Baiyun came out of the hall and heard the music of Shao, a legendary music of the immortals. This was regarded as a sign of his manifestation. When Cui Riyong, the magistrate of Wangwu County, heard of the event, he reported it to the court, and Emperor Ming of the Tang was astonished. Master Baiyun was eighty-nine years old when he manifested. The court posthumously bestowed on him the honorary rank of Grand Master of Silver and Azure Glory and the title Master Baiyun.

On the west wall of the hall is a painting of the master on a journey: he rides in a cart drawn by a yellow ox, with white clouds accompanying him. West of the Daoist temple is a shrine to the mountain deity of Mount Wangwu. It is said that during the Tianbao era, the deity sent spirit soldiers from the netherworld to help Guo Ziyi defeat An Lushan. Afterward, Emperor Ming of the Tang bestowed on the deity the title “Heavenly King, Illustrious Spirit of All” and ordered his shrine to be repaired.

South of the Daoist temple is a shrine to Mount Tai. Eight li south of Wangwu County lies the Cave of Hidden Flowers. Its water is green in spring, red in summer, white in autumn, and purple in winter, and tastes sweet.

Near the mountain on the southeast side of the ritual grounds is Qingluo Peak. Below it stands the Temple of the Immortal of Qingluo, where an inscription remains. North of the grounds is Wudou Peak, connected to Malong Mountain and Medicine Cabinet Mountain. There is a cave on Mount Wangwu whose depths cannot be explored. Inside, it seems to contain a royal palace, which is why it is called “Wangwu,” or “House of the King.”

East of Medicine Cabinet Mountain is Zhaolaochan, where, according to tradition, Perfected Zhao practiced the Dao, and four Perfected Ones once made elixirs. There are more than twenty stone chambers here. The immortal Huo once practiced cultivation there, so the place is called Huo’s Master Hall. Southeast of the ritual grounds is another mountain called Qiling, beneath which lies Drooping Hairpin Peak.

Nearby lies another place known as the Qingxu Xiaoyou Grotto Heaven, one of the paradisiacal realms described in Daoism. The cavern is vast, and it is said that a circuit of it extends for ten thousand li. In the past, during the Tang dynasty, a Hall of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and a Qingxu Monastery were built here. Later, amid the turmoil of war, local people took refuge inside the cavern, and its vital energy was polluted by defiling influences. After they left, rocks fell and blocked the entrance.

The Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected), a Daoist text, says that the cavern is bright day and night, as though illuminated by the sun and moon. Their radiance joins and extends into the Great Void, the boundless celestial realm, so that it is indistinguishable from the sun and moon outside. For this reason, the place is called the source where the sun and moon lie concealed. The sun’s essence belongs to Yang, and the moon’s essence belongs to Yin; their light shines throughout the grotto heaven. The grotto heaven is lofty and spacious, with stars and clouds, but no plants or other living creatures.

The palace within the cavern contains halls and towers of gold and jade, along with many treasures, including gold, tortoiseshell, and precious jade disks, too numerous to describe one by one. There are also five palaces and five immortal mountains, whose rank surpasses that of the Five Sacred Peaks. On the mountains grow such elixirs as Purple Grove, Square Blossoms, Star Marrow, Golden Saliva, Jadeite Hairs, and Vermilion Spirit. They flower at night and bear tiny fruits. These too are products of the grotto heaven in the Pot. Whoever can consume them will attain longevity and become an immortal.

The grotto’s master, Lord Wang, oversees the registers of immortals and the records of good and evil, and manages the affairs of the cavern. The Lord of the Supreme Way of the Three Origins of Great Simplicity sent the Lady of the Left, Guo Linggai, and the Lady of the Right, Yang Yuhua, the Blue True Ones, to present Lord Wang with a divine tally and jade seal. They invested him as the Perfected One of Great Simplicity and Qingxu, placing him in command of the Qingxu Xiaoyou Grotto Heaven. Lord Wang oversees four bureaus and serves as Left Protector, High Duke. He governs the affairs of the grotto heaven at Mount Wangwu and is attended by three hundred golden youths and three hundred jade maidens. He is in charge of such scriptures as the Jade Chapters of the Supreme Clarity, the Secret Register of Great Simplicity and Mysterious Treasure, the Numinous Writings of the Nine Immortals of the Highest Grade, and the Wondrous Scripture of Mountains and Seas. He also directs the cavern’s Three Heavens of Bright Radiance Treasure Register. Lord Wang can ride dragons and tigers and travel in a golden carriage, a jade wheel, or an Eightfold Radiance flying carriage. He enters and leaves Supreme Clarity, the higher celestial realm of Daoism, carries out the commands of Great Simplicity, and rests in the Taiji, the Daoist realm of immortals.

Xiaoyou Grotto-Heaven is foremost among the Ten Great Grotto-Heavens, the Thirty-Six Lesser Grotto-Heavens, and the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands. It is a place honored by the Immortal Capital and protected by the Most High. It was therefore entrusted with important responsibilities and placed under the joint governance of many Perfected Ones.

The Heavenly King of the Primordial Beginning said: “Xiaoyou Grotto-Heaven stands first among the Ten Great Grotto-Heavens and presides over the Thirty-Six Lesser Grotto-Heavens.”

East of Qiling there is a mountain called Yuyang Mountain. On its southeastern side, a waterfall like a length of white silk, about a hundred feet long, drops from a cliff halfway up the mountain into a ravine, forming a deep pool called Shanzhong Hong. This mountain is known as Western Yuyang Mountain. Northeast of Lingling Duguan there is another mountain, called Eastern Yuyang Mountain. In it is a hundred-foot-deep cave where the court once cast a golden dragon. Beside the cave stands the several-zhang-high Crane-Resting Terrace, where traces of crane footprints can still be seen. Tradition says that Wang Ziqiao, Crown Prince of King Ling of Zhou, once traveled to Tiantan with his master, Fuqiugong. On their return, he had a crane rest here.

The notable sites around Tiantan—its peaks, ravines, ridges, springs, and valleys—are listed together below.

Eulogy

Tiantan on Mount Wangwu is a hidden, wondrous blessed land;

May the perfected immortals of Xiaoyou Grotto-Heaven, serene and secluded in their cultivation, be invited here.

Countless wondrous realms descend into the world of humankind;

Accounts of spiritual responses and miraculous powers have been passed down from antiquity to the present.

A letter and poems bestowed by Emperor Ruizong of Tang upon Celestial Master Sima, honored as the Master of White Clouds, together with the imperial stele forbidding entry to the mountain.

Emperor Ruizong of Tang, the Great Sage, writes to convey his greetings to Master Sima, a Daoist of Tian tai Mountain:

Tian tai Mountain rises into the clouds, as though towering above the center of the earth. Like Mount Siming, it casts the sun into shadow; like the paradise of the Eight Caves, it holds clouds and mist within its folds. Its immortal palaces are finely wrought and splendid. Jade trees shine with brilliance, the nine sacred fungi bud and blossom, and the eight cassia trees spread their fragrance. Here lies the land of Red City, and here too dwells the recluse of Green Stream.

Master Sima’s De surpasses that of the Lord of the Riverbank, a legendary immortal, and his Daoist attainment exceeds that of Lord Fuqiu, another legendary immortal. He soars high through the court of the blue heavens and walks alone in the tranquil, mysterious realm. I have only just ascended the throne, yet have long looked to your virtue and teachings. Emperor Yao once unrolled a map in earnest hope of meeting Nie Que; when the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan ruled the realm, he too devoted himself to seeking out Guangchengzi on Mount Kongtong. I reflect on their longing for the Dao and feel that my own admiration is even more ardent.

As summer grows warmer, may you enjoy coolness and comfort in your daily life. I long to hear your true words, hoping they will awaken me from my ignorance. I await them respectfully, morning and evening, while my thoughts have already flown into the distance. I had meant to send an envoy expressly to invite you, but feared this might alarm you. So I have sent your elder brother, hoping you will come with him. The journey is not far; may you travel in safety. With these words, I send my greetings. Second day.

Master Sima’s heart is steadfast in the Dao, his understanding clear, and his nature empty, still, and serene. His aspirations reach far beyond the lofty traces of the immortals of Mount Gushe, and his bearing stirs to life the transcendence of the immortals of Mount Juci. He has personally sought out famous mountains to refine elixirs, praying for the true Dao in deep valleys and caves. He has climbed the red cliffs of Mount Difei and sat and rested among the white clouds of Tian tai Mountain. Since Guangchengzi, there has been no one like him in the human world. He is well suited to reveal the splendors of the immortal realms and explain their mysterious workings; mountains and seas gain radiance through him, and winds and rosy clouds shine anew.

I, your disciple, think from afar of the Lord of the Riverbank, listening expectantly among the deep mountain crags. The immortal crane’s carriage is about to arrive, and the phoenix capital where immortals dwell will soon descend. Before the immortal realm of An Qisheng, at the first sound of Lord Jiqiu’s zither, one follows the wind in search of the Great Dao. Surely that moment is today.

I send you a mirror as a special offering. Its form is profound and wondrous, holding within it the essence of the Supreme Dao and encompassing the images and principles of the Great One and the Book of Changes. Please store it in a precious case, keep its meaning in mind, and wear and cherish it with care. Presented with respect. Twenty-eighth day.

The Master’s moral character was singular and lofty, and the True Qi he gained through cultivation was exceptional. Beyond Mount Chicheng, he nourished himself on rosy clouds—a Daoist practice said to absorb the essence of clouds and mists—and rode the wind above Zixiao. He kept clear of worldly life without feeling despondent, and acted only when the time was right. He once journeyed to the immortal palace of Penglai to pay his respects; now he is returning to the rocky slopes around Mount Tongbai. Precious books may stay only briefly, and splendid robes cannot remain for long. After three months of quiet seclusion, he came to understand the teachings of Guang Chengzi; now, though we are separated by ten thousand li, I can only cherish in vain the wish to withdraw to the mountains like Yan Ziling, the recluse of the Eastern Han. People differ in when they enter or leave public life, and coming together and parting are both part of the natural order. What is there to regret in our parting today? The white clouds drift on, gradually vanishing at the edge of the sky; after we part, the farther away you are, the more wearisome it feels. I have sent someone to convey my regards. There is much I wish to say, but a letter cannot contain it all. The nineteenth day.

An edict of the Kaiyuan Shenwu Emperor: Master Sima, the Daoist adept, enjoys himself with the qin and books between periods of breathing practice, roaming at ease among the white clouds and making for the Mysterious Garden, the legendary realm of the immortals. His noble virtue deserves our respect. I strive to restrain my longing for a secluded life among the mountains and forests, and honor his resolve to follow the example of Songzi and Wang Ziqiao, the legendary immortals. I had only just heard news of him when word soon arrived that he was returning to the immortal realm where the Ge family dwell, perhaps in the region of Mount Tiantai. Those within the Daoist tradition regard this as his return to immortality. May he care well for himself and preserve his health; wherever his aspirations lead, may he press forward. I have written a few brief lines to express the affection of our earlier meeting and the feelings of our coming separation, and so I send this letter. The rest cannot be fully expressed in writing. The fifteenth day.

The five-character poem composed by Emperor Ruizong, “Sending Master Sima Back to Mount Tiantai”:

The Purple Palace seeks worthy men; the clear stream welcomes those who withdraw from the world. Lakes and rivers, mountains and forests, cities and palaces—though their settings differ, so too do the paths they follow and the stations they occupy.

Among them are those who dwell in seclusion in the mountains and forests, naturally weary of the world. The forests and streams…

The Purple Mansion, the fairyland where immortals dwell, seeks worthy and capable people; the hermit who founded his retreat beside the clear stream lived apart from the world. Whether in the rivers and lakes or amid the palaces of the city, the sacred traces revealed in each place are different, each with its own extraordinary qualities.

Now and then, too, there are those who withdraw into the mountains and forests, naturally weary of the world of dust. Mountain woods and springs bring forth people’s inborn nature, while lingzhi mushrooms and cassia trees seem to nourish the heart and spirit.

The celebrated peaks and scenic places on earth stretch beyond the ridges of Kuaiji; Mount Tiantai reaches toward the seacoast. The fame and splendor that spread from here will endure through the ages like the fragrant spring.

—Five-character poem, Du Zimei

The immortal altar’s scenic splendor will be celebrated through the ages; waterways lead to Xiaoyoutian, the “Lesser Heaven” of Daoist immortals. A famous mountain’s renown depends on people’s praise, while the sound of waves seems to tell of its true traces.

Here, the landscape rises high to meet Heaven and Earth; its source goes back to before the universe. This place faces the sacred realm, where the Dao’s teachings extend everywhere, whole and complete.

—Long poem in five-character lines, Immortal Lin, a Feathered Guest of the Golden Gate, a title for a Daoist celestial official or cultivator

This place rises steeply; from its summit one seems close to the Dipper’s handle. The holy immortals of the celestial realm gather here, while the surrounding terrain resembles ten thousand peaks bowing together.

To the west, one sees the towering Kunlun Mountains; to the east, the distant seas of Penglai. Sweet springs seem to well from a jade summit; the scenery around the altar grounds…

—Long poem in five-character lines, Immortal Lin, a Feathered Guest of the Golden Gate

This place rises steeply; from its summit one seems close to the Dipper’s handle. The holy immortals of the celestial realm gather here, while the surrounding terrain resembles ten thousand peaks bowing together.

To the west, one sees the towering Kunlun Mountains; to the east, the distant seas of Penglai. Sweet springs seem to well from a jade summit; the altar grounds rest securely on the mountainside.

The three peaks of Mount Tai and Mount Hua stand majestically; the Yellow River winds past like a ribbon. At the fifth watch, one views the sun rise over the sea; at midnight, one hears Shaoshao, the music said to date from the reign of the ancient sage-emperor Shun.

The moon hangs low over Dragon Ridge, and cold mist shrouds the rainbow bridge. Snow pheasants crow, while wind sighs through the bamboo groves.

Incense smoke rises among the mist-wreathed buildings; the lingzhi lamp shines with an auspicious glow. Beautiful spiritual energy wells up from the hemp basket, while the medicine cabinet stores herbs that reveal their miraculous effects.

The Elixir Well, where Daoists drew water for making elixirs, remains clear and tranquil. The sacred bell is still and silent. Hills rise high in all eight directions, and paired cranes dance in flight, facing one another.

A waterfall descends like a thread of silver; the rosy-cloud-lit towers rise like brocade. The pool is clear to its depths, and ancient cypresses stand green and straight, reaching into the clouds.

The Daoist temple’s newly built residence is stately and magnificent; the old stories of the Perfected Master are now very distant. Again and again one looks up at the blue peaks and often sees white clouds drifting by.

The stone chamber is silent and secluded, difficult to reach; the pines on the terrace are old, yet still do not wither. Flowers spread across the mountain rocks like brocade; the stream flows on, washing stones as beautiful as jade.

The ravines and caves lie far from the human world, while forested mountains and peaks shut out the clamor of society. The Yellow Emperor once held court here with his ceremonial retinue, and the Queen Mother of the West arrived in a carriage drawn by luan birds.

At dawn and dusk, the scenes of Yin and Yang shift without cease; the seasons of cold and heat also turn in their appointed order. At evening, the gibbons cry and fall silent; when the sky clears, clouds and mist gather and disperse.

In poetry, one can only record a rough impression of the scenery here. How could its subtle wonders be easy to describe? In youth, I longed to climb to the cassia tree on the moon; in old age, I take joy in living simply and upholding the Dao, like Yan Hui.

I aspire to follow in the footsteps of figures such as Yi Yin and Huo Guang, yet lack the ability to assist rulers like Shun and Yao. I often unfold illustrated scrolls, my heart filled with reverence; when I take up my brush and write poems, my admiration grows deeper still.

Desires for sights and sounds have faded away, and my mind and spirit have grown empty and still; my interests, too, have risen beyond the mundane. When will I return to choose a place of seclusion, transcend the world, and seek immortals like Chi Songzi and Wang Ziqiao?

Three Seven-Character Poems

Among countless mountain valleys, pine and vine sway against purple clouds; in the deep, mysterious Cinnabar Terrace, many immortals gather. This numinous mountain gathers the essence of Heaven and Earth. The sun and moon seem to rise from its roots, illuminating the grotto-heaven.

In the human world, who knows how many generations have secretly passed? The peaches have only just ripened, yet scarcely any time seems to have gone by. Ordinary people cannot fathom these profound and subtle mysteries; five-colored auspicious clouds veil the fields cultivated by immortals.

The Clear and Empty Lesser-Being Grotto, a realm of serene clarity, contains another grotto-heaven of its own: seats of silver stone, golden mountain slopes, and peaks hard as jade. Lingzhi mushrooms have flourished there since the Dragon-Han kalpa, that ancient age of cosmic cycles in Daoist tradition, while cinnabar took shape during the years of Red Splendor.

The Well for Washing Ginseng preserves the legend of Yan Luozi, and the place where tigers gathered on the level plain bears traces of the Whitewater Immortal. A word to those who fled the turmoil of Qin and came to hide in these mountain ravines: why not first build two or three thatched cottages?

Layer upon layer, the white rocks seem to reach straight into the clouds; dense green pines look down over the mountains and streams. Every plant that grows in this blessed land can be used as medicine, and those who dwell in its famous mountains seem to become immortals themselves.

To welcome guests who have come from afar, I will gather fiddleheads beneath the cliffs, then brew tea with clear spring water from the grotto and fill their cups. Perhaps in a former life I was an immortal among the white clouds; in this life I have returned here to rest on the emerald mountain peak.

Thirty Seven-Character Couplets

Daoist Tongzhen

Freed from the bonds of the human world, my mind is calm and free of desire. In my leisure, I leaf through illustrated gazetteers of mountains and streams, searching for Mount Wangwu.

Where might forests and springs offer scenery to my liking? I have packed my zither and books, ready to choose a place here and build a home.

The mountain road is steep and winding, but I do not shrink from traveling a thousand miles. With my belongings in hand, I enter Mount Wangwu from the Taihang range.

First I will visit the spring scenery in Flower-Hiding Hollow. When, I wonder, will its flat peaches ripen?

Yan Luozi’s former residence is at Yangtai Palace. Within the palace, curtains painted with nine dragons playing with a pearl are lavishly adorned.

In the depths of the deep Dan Well, bright moonlight shimmers on the water. An immortal boy with his hair tied in two little knots cradles a carved ginseng root.

He looks up, absorbed in the sight of Huagai Peak, and suddenly finds himself in Purple Tenuity Valley. The lofty halls above—the mountain’s high temples and palaces—seem to float at ease among the clouds, their golden splendor shining across the forest.

In Refuge-from-Qin Ravine dwell people who have withdrawn from the world. Even at midnight, one can hear the song sung while gathering lingzhi mushrooms. Leaning on a staff, he climbs Thin Dragon Ridge, faces Sword Gate, and gazes toward western Shu.

He makes his way up the mountain path, passing through perilous places, then climbs straight toward the heights that lead to the immortal realm. A single log stretches across a sheer cliff a thousand ren high. From the hour of Chen until the hour of You, his strength is spent; he lodges beneath the Hall of Purple Gold.

He bows again to drink from Supreme Unity Spring, famed for its miraculous waters. At once, his body and mind feel refreshed, and his weary, frail body grows light. In a daze, it seems he has entered the ninth heaven. Clouds and mist blanket the vast mountains, and even those who wake feel as if they were drunk.

He reverently bows before the altar of the immortals, praying to enter this tranquil sacred realm. The altar seems to connect with Heaven, cut off from the mortal world. Its base is like silver, its middle like gold, and its summit gleams with a pure, wintry whiteness. The Celestial Emperor has appointed immortal officials to oversee its different parts.

Within Little You, it seems, a realm stretching ten thousand li is concealed, encompassing the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens, the Daoist realms of the immortals. The essence of the sun and moon shines in from either side. Blue-green peaks rise against the sky, as if carved from jade.

Looking east toward the sea, one sees sunlight cast a red glow; looking west toward the distant frontier, the shadow of the altar takes on a blue-green hue. The earth beneath the alchemical furnace still carries its fragrance. Who knows how many measures of divine elixir were once refined there?

The mountain’s guardian spirit holds the Tai’e sword, an ancient famed blade, to protect the immortal’s sacred body. Who would dare to profane it? The Queen Mother’s Grotto is unfathomably deep. Thunder rolls through it again and again, as if from a cavern where dragons dwell.

Far away, one can make out the Register-Checking Terrace of the Three Officials, where the Three Officials examine the registers. Woodcutters have often heard the sound of string and wind instruments coming from within. Before Baopu Rock stands a young herb gatherer, turning a golden mushroom, a fabled immortal herb, between his fingers, and dressed in garments woven from creeping fig.

Beidou Mountain rises level with the Northern Dipper. Here is the very place where the Celestial Gate meets the axis of the earth. Woven bamboo herb baskets and medicine cabinets stand side by side, while auspicious grasses and spirit seedlings give off a rich fragrance.

Some have heard of immortal dogs barking and immortal lamps shining; others have seen immortals riding on immortal deer. Strange traces and uncanny sights abound here beyond telling. I would go on composing poems until my brush wore bald. For now, I write this brief song and send it to those who chase fame and profit: who would come here with me and share this quiet solitude?

I give a long whistle and sit alone on a rock. Purple clouds drift by, bringing a yellow magpie. This scene before me makes one wonder if it is the immortal Magu, who smiles as she watches the brief, fleeting passage of time in the human world.

A Five-Character Poem

The mountain cliff towers high, as if three thousand fathoms tall; the Heavenly Altar rises into the clouds, meeting the constellations Tail and Winnowing Basket. Blue jade marrow lies hidden on the summit, while purple golden fungus, a fabled elixir, is concealed halfway up the mountain. The moon hangs above the Palace of the Void Sovereign, and clouds and mist seal off the Pool of the Great One. Few human footsteps reach this grotto heaven; immortal cranes roost on branches evergreen for ten thousand years.

The First Grotto Heaven: Clear Void and Lesser Presence

Written by Du Renjie of Qi

Three-Character Verse

The earth bears the myriad things; the sky covers them all. At what time did the signs of the myriad things’ forms and shapes first appear?

The Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—revolve in their courses; the sun and moon circle through the heavens. Waters converge into rivers, vast and boundless.

The waterways of the four quarters flow peacefully, and the nine rivers are channeled; lofty peaks rise up, each with its own name.

Spirits dwell in famous mountains, and immortal maidens live among their peaks. Of these, Mount Heavenly Altar is the most deep and mysterious.

Its cliffs stand sheer and solitary, difficult to climb. At sunrise and sunset, one can see the light and shadow they cast.

The mountain range extends westward all the way to the sea. Strange flashes appear without warning, inspiring dread. Great dragon-shaped lights and tiny glimmers like fireflies rarely appear; they come only when summoned through spiritual response.

The sound of the sheng rings out, and immortal cranes appear, their bearing graceful and serene. This is a vital place along the paths traveled by feathered immortals, who can fly.

Its peaks rise in layers like green spiral shells, and its cliffs stand sheer like jade hairpins. To the left it faces the constellations Three Stars and Well; to the right, the Red Sea Turtle.

Here the realm of Clear Void rises high, opening onto a gate of mystery without distinction. In former times, emperors came here to make reverent offerings to the spirits.

From the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan down to Emperor Huizong, whenever they performed rites such as the fire sacrifice and the mountain offering, they personally kindled the sacrificial fire.

Weeds have overgrown the ground, and ashes lie in heaps. The Temple of Heaven once suffered a fire; its beams and halls were destroyed, and its red and blue ornamentation is gone.

Deer and wild boar roam among the ruins, while tangled weeds grow thick. Why have I come here? To pay my respects at this site.

This place must first pass through extreme decline before it can be rebuilt on a grand scale. The work begun by sages must be carried forward by worthy people.

The Dao spoken of by Xuanyuan—that is, Laozi—contains profound mysteries. The more deeply one investigates it, the clearer its principles become.

Without these principles, the myriad things would be depleted and fall into decay. Though the words are spare, their meaning is neither shallow nor without foundation.

May those who come after take this as a warning and preserve it for generations.

On a day in the fifth month of the twenty-sixth year of Zhiyuan.

A record of the Jade Celestial Worthy, bestowed by imperial favor of the Yuan dynasty.

Written by Chen Daofu, official of Zhongyan.

The so-called Temple of Heaven is precisely where the principles become ever more manifest. Without these principles, the myriad things would be depleted and fall into decay. Though the words are spare, their meaning is neither shallow nor without foundation. May those who come after take this as a warning and preserve it for generations.

The Heavenly Altar, a major sacred site on Mount Wangwu, has been renowned for its tranquil elegance and flourishing prosperity from the time of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan to the present day. Now that the Empress Dowager has ascended the throne, imperial decrees and the tracks of chariots are unified throughout the realm; wind and rain come in season, and humanity lives in harmony with Heaven and Earth. The feudal lords have come to pay court, and people from every quarter honor their sovereign. Accordingly, Zhen Yongjian, Grand Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was commissioned to bring precious incense to the Heavenly Altar, perform the threefold offering, inform the spirits, and pray for the nation’s peace.

This sacred Daoist mountain stands where the Chinese heartland meets the borderlands and is foremost among the grotto-heavens. Its overlapping peaks are linked in verdant succession, its sheer cliffs rise high, and its scenery is mirrored at dawn and dusk as its summits pierce the clear sky. Auspicious beings and traces of the immortals seem almost impossible to find. In time, circumstances changed: the divine images were destroyed, and the mountain itself suffered collapse. Zhen Yongjian returned to court and reported this to the Empress Dowager. She said, “This is the birthplace of a flourishing dynasty, and the dwelling place of spirits who protect our realm. This is our duty; it must not be abandoned.”

The Empress Dowager then ordered artisans to carve jade images to honor the sacred rites. She also commanded Hao Tianyou, a Court Gentleman for the Instruction of Service, to bear the jade images and tokens of faith to the grotto-heaven, praying that the dynasty might endure in stability, firm as the Southern Mountains and vast as the Bohai Sea. Wan Jisen, an official of this palace charged with oversight and the transmission of the Dao, was instructed to record this great occasion and compose an encomium:

The jade images rise in splendid majesty, symbols of imperial dignity.

By special grace, the emperor bestows tokens of faith to guard the mountains and rivers.

The sacred dynasty is close at hand; the Five Grains fill the harvest.

May our sovereign enjoy boundless years.

Eighth month, second year of Zhida (1309).