《终南山说经台历代真仙碑记》

Yin Xi (courtesy name Gongwen, a legendary Daoist sage) is revered as the Immortal Elder of the Nine Heavens, Master Wenshi, and the Supreme True Person. According to the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) and the Inner Biography (Neizhuan), he was a native of Tianshui. Tradition holds that his mother, Lady Lu, dreamed of lightning descending from the heavens and encircling her body before Yin Xi was born. At his birth, two beams of light like the sun flitted about him; his gaze was bright and his bearing refined.

In his youth, Yin Xi loved ancient texts such as the Fen, Suo, Su, and Yi, and was versed in astronomy and the secret arts of divination. He gazed up to observe the heavens and looked down to examine the earth, understanding thoroughly whatever he observed; even the transformations of ghosts and spirits could hardly be concealed from him. Broad-minded and outstanding in talent and knowledge, he quietly cultivated virtue and practiced benevolence. Later, he traveled among mountains and rivers and arrived at Wenxian Village in Shenjiu District, Gai Zuo County, on Mount Zhongnan in Yongzhou. There he built a thatched tower and devoted himself to seeking the Great Dao (Way). He did not seek fame or prominence, yet his reputation gradually spread.

King Kang of Zhou heard of Yin Xi's renown and appointed him a grand master (dafu); later he summoned him to court to serve as companion to the crown prince in the Eastern Palace. In the twenty-fifth year of King Zhao of Zhou, the guichou year, Yin Xi saw purple qi (vital energy) coming from the east toward the west. He knew that a sage would soon pass through the capital region, and so he requested appointment as Warden of Hangu Pass in order to await the sage's arrival. As the appointed time drew near, he first bathed and purified himself, silently recited the requirements of stillness and the observance of precepts, strictly ordered the officials of the pass to put the gate in good order, and swept the road clean and burned incense to welcome the visitor.

In the seventh month of that year, on the jiazi day, Lord Lao (Laojun) arrived at Hangu Pass. Yin Xi put on his court robes and went out to greet him, invited Laojun to be seated at his residence, and attended him facing north. Afterward, Yin Xi resigned his post on the grounds of illness, and in the twelfth month invited Laojun to his dwelling on Mount Zhongnan. After fasting and purifying himself, he asked Laojun about the Dao and also requested that he compose a book to be passed down to later generations. Laojun then wrote the five-thousand-character Daodejing (Dao De Jing) and transmitted it to him, together with the Dao of "Threefold Unity Inner Cultivation" (a method of cultivating body and mind through visualization and inner refinement) and the "Westward Ascent" formula (a method concerning cultivation and ascent to immortality).

When the transmission was complete, Laojun prepared to depart and ascend to heaven on the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month of the following year, the jiayin year. Yin Xi, grieved and reluctant, begged him to stay. Laojun admonished him: "If you simply remain in stillness and observe fasting for a thousand days, study and recite two scriptural texts, and cultivate your body and enter the realm of the mysterious, then you may come and find me at the Green Ram Market in Shu Commandery." Yin Xi agreed and thanked him. When Laojun had finished speaking, he rode the clouds from a small earthen mound south of Yin Xi's residence and ascended into the Realm of Supreme Subtlety (Taiwei).

Yin Xi then practiced pure fasting in his thatched tower, cutting off ordinary social contact. Over three years, he concentrated his spirit (Shen) and kept his mind still, and his cultivation reached a state of freedom of body and mind. He also grasped the subtle principles of numerical change, as well as the meaning of "one form, ten thousand spirits." Afterward, he wrote nine works titled the Guanyinzi and traveled to the Green Ram Market in Shu Commandery to meet Laojun. Laojun bestowed on him the title "Master Wenshi," conferred on him the rank of Supreme True Person, and made him leader of the immortals of all the heavens. The present-day Qingyang Palace (Green Ram Palace) in Chengdu is said to stand on the very site.

The Original Account of Louguan (Louguan benqi zhuan) further states that Louguan was originally the former residence of Yin Xi, grand master under King Kang of Zhou and Warden of Hangu Pass. Because Yin Xi built a thatched tower there to observe the stars and watch for auspicious qi, the place was named "Louguan" (Tower Observatory). The Louguan Daoist temple was founded from this beginning; it was where Laojun transmitted the Dao and the scripture, and it is also regarded as the source from which Daoist teaching arose. Thus the worthy sages of antiquity and the enlightened ones of later ages have all revered the high immortals and honored the Dao and De (Virtue), regarding them as the root of the transformation and nurturing of all things.

Tracing the origins of Daoism, we find that reverence for the divine immortals is the root of the teaching. Searching out its many subtle traces, we find admiration for the Dao (the Way) of Twofold Mystery (a Daoist line of thought on the profound and abstruse principles). Thus King Mu of Zhou, on his journey to the west, and the First Emperor of Qin, on a hunting trip beyond the capital, both made detours to pay personal homage to the master of the Daoist gate. The First Emperor built a shrine south of the tower, and Emperor Wu of Han raised a palace north of the temple. Petitions of homage from the Jin and Song periods are still preserved today. From the Qin and Han dynasties onward, households serving the shrine followed one another without interruption. All this shows that every age has honored this place and regarded it as a precious blessed land. Nor has there ever been a shortage of those who ascended to the ranks of the Perfected and attained the Dao here.

What is recorded here is only old reports. The years are distant, and some events can no longer be examined in full. The relevant biographies are lengthy, so only the essential points are excerpted here. The eulogy says:

In ages past, the Perfected One cultivated body and mind in the tower. When the green ox drew the carriage forth, the purple vapor had already appeared ahead. The Perfected One received the scripture and grasped its purport, and set forth the profound and subtle principles of the Dao. Once the mysterious teaching was spread abroad, it gradually passed to the four quarters. On the northern slope of the Zhongnan Mountains grand halls remain, the teachings of Daoism have been honored through the generations, and later students have flourished in each age. They carried on the enlightened way of the sages and, in probing the mysteries, reached new realms. The great nine-part scripture shines upon later ages and opens the wisdom of those who come after.

Perfected One Yin of Taihe, Duyang Palace

The Perfected One's name was Gui, with the courtesy name Gongdu, and was a cousin of Master Wenshi. In early years, Yin served Master Wenshi and personally received the subtle essence of the Dao teachings. After attaining success in cultivation, the Supreme One summoned Yin up to the Palace of Taihe to command the officials of the immortal realm. At Duyang Palace, Yin took part in collating the Illustrated Records of the Perfected Immortals, reviewed the registers of the divine bureaus and the officials of the ghost realm, and with awe-inspiring authority governed the many beings of the spirit world and brought the hosts of ghosts to peace. At times the Perfected One roamed all the mountains and seas, and at times attended court at the Jade Capital (the celestial capital of Daoist legend).

During the Yongxing era of the Jin dynasty, Yin descended once more to this Daoist temple. The Daoist Liang Chen met the Perfected One, who bestowed upon Liang cinnabar writings (secret texts used in Daoist cultivation) and then departed. The eulogy says:

The one who cultivated immortality has already risen to head the ranks of the immortals; by the alchemical furnace beneath the pines, green moss has quietly grown.

Who would have thought that a thousand years later the Perfected One would come flying again in bodily form, and hand down the scriptures to the people of the old dwelling place.

Perfected One Du of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), Mount Wangwu

The Perfected One, named Chong, was a native of Haojing. When he had just turned twenty, he heard that Master Wenshi had attained the Dao (the Way), and went to become his disciple. Master Wenshi happened to be traveling to Shu, so Chong followed him and lived at the True Residence of the Thatched Tower. King Mu of Zhou, who admired the deeds of the immortals, rode there by carriage, built a Daoist temple for them, and invited Chong and six others to serve as Daoist priests. Once Chong's cultivation had matured, his body gave off a jade-like radiance, his five viscera were full and replete, and his breathing grew so faint that only a thread of breath seemed to remain. Later he loosed the bonds of the physical form, dissolved all stagnation, and became able to perceive every kind of mystery. In the jihai year of the reign of King Yi of Zhou, he ascended to the heavens and was appointed Immortal Lord of Wangwu (the immortal official in charge of Mount Wangwu).

The eulogy says: He cast off the dust of the world and departed, and the years of the mortal realm passed as if in the snap of a finger. He then went to the Grotto-Heavens (the dwellings of immortals in Daoist belief) to perceive every mystery, riding a yellow crane, raising a long whip, and ascending the Altar of Heaven.

Peng, the Perfected One of Chicheng

The Perfected One, named Zong and styled Faxian, was a native of Pengcheng. King Mu of Zhou revered the teachings of Huang-Lao (the Daoist thought represented by the Yellow Emperor and Laozi) and sought out men of talent. The Perfected One answered the summons, became a disciple of the Perfected One of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and received the Way of the Female One (a Daoist method of cultivation). Thereafter he refined his Shen (spirit) until it entered the realm of the subtle and reached the spiritual wellspring. He could merge his breath into a single breath for three days and three nights running. Sometimes he sank to the bottom of the water and did not emerge for a whole day. At other times he lay stiff outdoors and did not rise until a month had passed. Onlookers took him for dead, yet he revived, his body still light and vigorous. In the bingshen year of the reign of King Li of Zhou, he ascended to the heavens and was enfeoffed as Immortal Earl of Chicheng (the immortal official of Mount Chicheng).

The eulogy says: The breath of the Perfected One reaches down to the heels, while the breath of ordinary people stays shallow in the throat. The deeper the breath, the more advanced the practice of the Dao. People all say that Zhuangzi revealed this profound principle, yet they do not know that this teaching in fact has an earlier source.

Song, the Perfected One of Taiqing

The Perfected One, named Lun and styled Dexuan, was a native of Weiyang. From an early age he received the secret methods of cultivating perfection and devoted himself wholly to the realm of the profound.

The Perfected One was named Lun, with the courtesy name Dexuan, and came from Weiyang. Early in life he received the true secrets of cultivation. Devoted to the Dao (the Way), he investigated the root of why the world's affairs flow freely or become obstructed, and he grasped the method of uniting body and spirit. He often crossed dangerous terrain by treading on water, with no need for ferries or roads. In this way he could look eastward to Yanggu (the legendary place where the sun rises), travel west to Banfeng, south to Changli, and north to Xuanlong. He roamed the four directions and quietly observed the workings of Heaven and Earth. At times he dwelt in sacred mountains, at times he moved among people, and at times he lodged within things and wandered at ease, so that no one could recognize him. In the year Yi-si, he ascended and became an immortal. A eulogy says:

An immortal guest of Taiqing (Great Purity),

like a dragon within the Dao.

Void and substance fused into one,

he reached a state of unobstructed freedom.

Ten thousand rivers and a thousand mountains could not stop him;

he came and went at ease, south or north, west or east.

Perfected One Feng of Mount Hua (the Western Peak)

The Perfected One was named Chang, with the courtesy name Yanshou, and came from Mount Li. He was well versed in the Zhouyi (Book of Changes). King Xuan of Zhou summoned him to court and appointed him Zhuxia Shi (a post responsible for managing documents and recording history). At the age of forty he resigned his office to cultivate the Dao. He met the Immortal Lord Deng and received the profound meaning of the Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Classic). He then entered Mount Zhongnan, built a dwelling beside a cliff, and quietly contemplated the Dao, nurturing his inner tranquility in peace. When his cultivation was complete, he was also able to help others: he healed the illnesses of the common people, calmed violent energies, and corrected madness. Often the cure took effect the moment his intention arose, without any deliberate effort on his part. In the year Geng-yin, he ascended and became an immortal. A eulogy says:

He left his post as Zhuxia Shi at the court of King Xuan of Zhou,

and leaning on a splendid staff, entered Mount Zhongnan.

Having finished reciting the Huangting Jing, with no one to disturb him,

he pillowed his head on the clear breeze and fell peacefully asleep.

Perfected One Yao of the Baishui Palace

The Perfected One was named Tan, with the courtesy name Yuantai, and came from the Fen River region. He devoted himself wholly to the Dao, living simply and keeping to himself, with lofty aspirations. On the day Duke Xiang returned to Qi, he faced north and took a master. Thereafter he lived on wind and dew and savored the great Dao. Officials and gentry revered and honored him, regarding him as a divine being. He seldom received visitors, and whenever someone came seeking him, he would withdraw and leave from afar. Once he walked in the rain, yet his clothes and sleeves were not wetted. His eyes held a divine light, as bright as lightning when opened. He always walked with his eyes closed, fearing he would startle others. When someone asked him to open them just a little, the light in his eyes shot out at once. In the year Ren-xu, he ascended and became an immortal, taking charge of the Baishui Palace. A eulogy says:

Among the mountain rocks and ravines dwelt a recluse of simple, unworldly elegance. Clad in plain, easy cloth, he moved the rulers of his age to lower themselves and receive him with courtesy.

His aspirations were lofty, and he gave no thought to the dusty world of men. With a flick of his sleeve he departed, vanishing among the white clouds beyond the deep, secluded cliffs.

Perfected One Zhou of the Qinlong Palace

The Perfected One (Zhenren) was named Liang, with the courtesy name Taiyi, and was a native of Taiqiu. He studied under the Immortal Lord Yao and mastered the Way's methods (Dao, the Way). He was known as an "inner-chamber disciple," that is, one who receives the master's teachings in person.

He once made an agreement with Crown Prince Jin, son of King Ling of Zhou, to play the zither and the sheng (mouth organ) together and travel through Shangluo. Zhou could pluck a single string and bring forth the harmonious, delightful music of the eight tones. The sound rang like metal and stone struck together, like jade chimes sounding in answer, and a hundred birds danced to it. At times he journeyed among famous mountains and great rivers, showing people marvelous transformations.

He was still young then, yet in the space of a single day his hair turned entirely white, and no one could guess the reason. In the jimao year of King Lie's reign, he was recommended as an immortal official, received Daoist scriptures, and took up his post as Immortal Official of the Qinlong Palace.

The eulogy says:

The Crown Prince invited him to join in playing the sheng, and he wandered at leisure through Mount Shang and the land of Yan, smiling at the vanity of worldly affairs.

The immortal's bearing was graceful and free, and he was in the prime of life; who could have foreseen that in a single night his head would be covered in white snow?

The Immortal Qingyin

The immortal was named Cheng, with the courtesy name Chumo, and was a native of Fenyin. He entered the Way (Dao) at the age of twenty-eight. At first he lived in seclusion on Mount Nan, drawing water from mountain springs and felling cypress, as though he meant to stay there all his life.

He devoted himself to chanting the scriptures. After the incense had burned out, fragrance seemed to arise again of its own accord in the censer; when the lamp oil was spent, a divine light still shone in the air. Once he cast a talisman (fu) into a river, and the talisman made the water flow backward.

The First Emperor of Qin once came to the temple to offer sacrifice and pay his respects. He ordered halls to be built facing east and assigned households to sweep and tend the site. He summoned the Immortal Qingyin and asked about the mysteries of the Way. Qingyin answered, "Through non-action (Wuwei), the people transform themselves," meaning that if one follows nature and does not interfere recklessly, the people will develop and transform on their own. The scripture (Jing) then says, "His words did not accord, and he lightly [lacuna] departed." The text appears to be damaged here, but the sense is that his words did not match the emperor's views, and he then drifted away.

The eulogy says:

He tried casting a small talisman into the rushing river, and the surging waves suddenly flowed backward.

The First Emperor spread a mat in vain to hear him discuss the mysteries; in the lifting of a glance, only a sword lay across the autumn sky.

The Perfected One Wang of the Dayou Palace

The original text lists only the heading "The Perfected One Wang of the Dayou Palace" and does not provide the passage that follows.

The Perfected One Ming Tan, courtesy name Yangbo, was a native of Taiyuan. During the regency of Empress Lü, he served as a palace attendant (zhongchang). He later resigned his post, left household life, and took up the cultivation of the Dao. He met Xi Lingzi Du, from whom he learned the method of "concealing the form and transforming the body," an art of hiding one's figure and altering one's appearance, which allowed him to vanish without a trace and to shift shape along with the clouds and mists.

Once, he met an old acquaintance. The acquaintance grew suspicious, so the Perfected One changed in turn into a tree, fire, water, an insect, a beast, and all manner of strange things, never keeping any fixed form. The acquaintance, thrown into panic, turned and fled. A moment later, he saw the Perfected One standing by the roadside. In the sixth year of the Yuanshuo era, the Perfected One ascended to heaven and became an immortal.

A eulogistic poem says:

He turns into fire, then becomes a clear spring;

Look back, and his robes and cap are neat, his bearing solemn.

The old friend gapes in vain, tongue hanging out in fright, while the Perfected One calmly toys with him;

The marvelous art of transformation was always turning in the palm of his hand.

The Perfected One Li, Immortal Minister of the Western Peak

The Perfected One's given name was Yi, his courtesy name Zhongfu, and he was a native of Yingchuan. In his youth he was already drawn to the great Dao, with a calm demeanor and a profound bearing. At that time Emperor Wu of Han was building the Palace of Immortal-Gazing on the model of a Daoist temple and increasing the quota of Daoist priests, and the Perfected One was selected to enter the Way. He often dwelt in quiet and secluded places, lodging himself in emptiness and nourishing his primordial Qi (vital energy). Later he met the Perfected One Taihe, who brought him to the Duyang Palace and commanded him to attend the Immortal Lord Wang. Afterward he was sent out from the palace, and so he followed the wind and chased shadows, his whereabouts unfixed.

In the second year of the Guanghe era under Emperor Ling, the Perfected One ascended to heaven and became an immortal, and was appointed Immortal Minister of the Western Peak.

A eulogistic poem says:

Though master and disciple were separated by different ages, affinity brought them together;

Following one another, they came all the way to the Duyang Palace.

After the two radiances departed, no word came again;

How many times has the sun set over Xianyang, the evening glow still reddening the sky.

The Perfected One Feng of Shangqing

At this point the original text gives only the Perfected One's title and the opening line; the remainder is incomplete.

Zhenren Heng

Zhenren (Perfected One) Heng, styled Junda, was a native of Longxi and was deeply versed in the teachings of the Laozi and the Zhuangzi. During the Yongping era of Emperor Ming of the Han, he was chosen to leave the household life and become a Daoist. Zhenren Lujun transmitted to him the supreme methods of the Dao (the Way) and the Talisman Chart of the True Forms of the Five Peaks (a talismanic chart depicting the shapes of the Five Peaks, used in Daoist practice). Zhenren Heng often rode a black ox as he roamed the Five Peaks, and fierce spirits and demons would flee at the sight of him. He was compassionate by nature. When he met people who had died from sudden calamity, he took medicine from a bamboo tube at his waist and gave it to them, and they recovered at once. Later he entered Mount Xuanqiu and never appeared again.

The eulogy says: A divine talisman is hidden in his sleeve, and with a wave of his hand he can awe the Dipper and Ox constellations. The wicked ghosts of the heavens and the spirits of the mountains grow anxious when they see him. Disliking the multitude of officials in the celestial bureaucracy, he rode his black ox and wandered at ease.

Zhenren Zhang, High Immortal of Great Purity

Zhenren Zhang, styled Wenming, was a native of Runan. During the Yongchu era of the Han, he left home to cultivate the Dao. He called upon Zhenren Fengjun and begged for instruction, but at first he did not grasp it. Fengjun had already perceived his purpose and tested him three times in succession. Zhang passed every test, and Fengjun then transmitted to him the "Way of the Empty Black Golden Embryo" (a method recorded in the original text). Afterward, he could see into the far distance and hear sounds from very far away. Clouds and mist wreathed his body, and the essence of the sun and moon gathered within him. At times he transformed into drifting clouds, and at times into a white crane, ascending to the sky and concealing his form, his transformations beyond fathoming. During the Taihe era of the Wei, he ascended as an immortal and was granted the title "High Immortal of Great Purity."

The eulogy says: When the elixir in the cauldron is perfected, one may endure as long as heaven and earth; white cranes and drifting clouds appear at the wave of a hand. His gaze penetrated everything within the eight directions. Then, riding backward upon the Winnowing Basket and Tail constellations, he rose to the Jade Capital (the palace of the immortal realm).

Zhenren Liang Kaocheng

Zhenren Liang Kaocheng, personal name Chen, was a native of Fufeng. In the early Xianxi era of the Wei, he came to study under the Master of Methods Zheng. He cultivated the Dao for many years, his aspirations lofty and his sincerity reaching to distant places. In the second year of Yongxing under Emperor Hui of the Jin, the Zhenren of Great Harmony descended into his courtyard and transmitted to him the Superior Scripture of the Yellow Blossom of Sun and Moon, the methods of the water-and-stone elixir, and the Inner Biography of Original Beginnings (an inner biography recounting the origins of Daoist cultivation). Three years later the elixir was complete. His body became light as a feather and his face like that of a child; he could see things beneath the earth and hear sounds from the heavens. In the second year of Taixing under the Jin, he ascended as an immortal.

The eulogy says: final

He did not meet his master in another world by chance; he received the divine elixir in person and was given the transmission of the Dao (the Way) of Taihe (Supreme Harmony).

His face was like a child's. He could see things beneath the earth and hear sounds in the heavens. In the second year of the Taixing era of the Eastern Jin (between 318 and 321 CE), he ascended to the heavens. The eulogy says:

To meet a master in another world, how could it be chance?

He met the divine elixir in person and received the Taihe transmission.

The embryonic immortal dances out the method of Chaoyuan;

In the realm of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), the passing of time is no longer counted in years.

How could meeting a master in another world be mere chance? He obtained the divine elixir in person and received the teachings of the Dao of Supreme Harmony. The embryonic immortal (an adept who has completed the cultivation) demonstrates in dance the Chaoyuan method (a practice that turns body and mind back toward their original source). Dwelling in the realm of the Taiji, the flow of time is no longer reckoned in years.

The Perfected One Wang Zinian

The Perfected One Wang Zinian was named Jia and came from Longxi. During the Jianxing era of the Jin, he was ordained and entered the Dao. His mind was clear and penetrating, and he could often foresee many events in advance. He judged people and things with great accuracy, and so people believed he possessed supernatural abilities.

Later, when the north and south were divided, the various states vied to invite him with courtesy and honor. He withdrew to live in the mountains, yet people still came continually to seek his counsel. At the age of eighty-seven, he said that he still had a small debt left unsettled. "Small debt" refers to some obligation not yet repaid or fulfilled. Yao Chang (ruler of the Later Qin) questioned him about affairs of state, but Wang rebuked Yao Chang fiercely, and was put to death as a result. On that very day, a friend of his saw him in Longyou. Works such as the Shiyi ji (Records of Gleaned Remnants) have been handed down.

The eulogy says:

A small debt still hangs unsettled, not yet paid,

He must let the white blade cut through the spring breeze.

Had he not met a true friend in Longxi,

Who would have known the master had slipped free of the void?

A small obligation still hung unresolved, and in the end the blade had to sever something like the living breath of spring. Had he not met a kindred spirit in Longxi, who could have recognized the master as one who had transcended the dust of the world?

The Perfected One Sun Zhongxuan

The Perfected One Sun Zhongxuan was named Che, and it is not known where he came from. During the Guangchu era of the Former Zhao, he came to serve Master Wang. He was careful in speech and diligent in his work, wearing coarse cloth and drinking plain water. He did not display cleverness, but concealed his sharpness and kept to simplicity in all things. Master Wang considered him worthy and treated him as a friend.

When people came to ask him for guidance, he did not answer in words. He simply observed their expression and could tell whether fortune or misfortune lay ahead. He often lived alone in a clean room, sitting upright and still all day, his mind tranquil and unattached, in communion with the spirits. Neighbors who caught sight of him would feel, in body and mind, an involuntary reverence. At the age of seventy, he underwent jiehua (a Daoist term for an immortal's departure from the world or transformation of the bodily form).

The eulogy says:

With a wagging tongue, who can avoid stirring up trouble?

Yet to knock and get no answer seems also to go against the grain.

With composed countenance he understood things, without blemish or fault,

Wanting each person to perceive the crucial moment for themselves.

Who can avoid trouble when talking too much? Yet when people asked him questions and he gave no reply, it seemed unnatural to them. He composed his face and observed things, and committed no fault. His aim was to let those who sought his counsel grasp the essential point for themselves.

The Ritual Master Ma Yuanyue

The Master was named Jian and came from Fufeng. He entered the Dao before reaching adulthood, studying under a teacher named Sun. He learned the Daoist scriptures, including the Five Thousand Characters, along with the three hundred secret characters and the divinatory arts of wind-angle (fengjiao) and bird-sentiment (wuqing), methods of judging fortune and misfortune from the direction of the wind and the omens of birds and beasts. He could summon and dispatch the myriad spirits and subdue drought demons, and so people from all quarters looked up to him with admiration.

Sun warned him: "The more techniques you learn and the further your name spreads, the more you will rely on skill alone to draw people in... and this will in turn hinder the Way of illuminating the true." The phrase "shan, neng yin ai" in this passage appears to be corrupted or missing characters, and its meaning cannot be established with certainty. Before long, Yao Chang sent an envoy with an invitation, hoping to have him display his wind-angle and bird-sentiment arts. The Master pleaded illness and declined. He set aside all his methods, entered the mountains, and lived in seclusion.

The eulogy says:

"When others invite you, why do you refuse to go along? How could court and commoners ever hold a lofty man like you?

You put away the celestial writings and withdraw deep into hiding; in the quiet reaches of Mount Zhongnan, you may listen at leisure to the surging of the pines."

Perfected Yin Lingjian

The Perfected One was named Tong and was a descendant of the Perfected One of Great Harmony (Taihe). From his youth he revered the Daoist methods handed down by his ancestors. After traveling through the blessed lands, he became a disciple of Master Ma and received the essentials of the Dao in secret. Thereafter he was inwardly replete in cultivation and outwardly open and accomplished, and his reputation grew with each passing day.

Emperor Taiwu of the Wei repeatedly sent envoys to convey his regards, and those seeking an audience came in an unbroken stream. Eminent men, refined scholars, and court officials all came to his door, carriages and horses crowded the entrance, and Daoists and officials passed back and forth without cease. People came to ask about the profound principles and the methods of the Dao, and they often arrived full of expectation and left having gained something.

At the age of one hundred he underwent liberation (jiehua), a Daoist term for the death or transcendent departure of a Perfected One. Thereafter, every night, several divine lamps hung shining over his grave, and on fast days the divine lamps appeared in even greater numbers.

The eulogy says:

"Immortal lineages pass down through the generations and give rise to exceptional talents; he came into the dusty world and reached down a hand to ferry living beings across.

The Yellow Silk celestial writings in the end return to one who holds the Dao; crowned with star ornaments and girded with jade, his radiance lights up the towers and terraces."

The Master was a native of Bingzhou. During the Taihe era of the Wei dynasty, he took Marquis Niu Wen as his teacher. The Master's practice of the Dao (the Way) was profound and his De (Virtue/Power) far-reaching, and he often evoked wondrous responses.

Once he undertook the building of a Daoist temple, and his disciples eagerly joined in, gathering to work together. Whenever grain was taken from the storehouse, it was soon replenished and never ran out. His followers found this strange and secretly kept watch. They saw several young boys in blue-green robes carrying rice in bamboo baskets on their backs, quietly adding the grain to the storehouse.

At that time, people found it exhausting to climb the heights by ladder, and wished to build steps for the temple so that everyone could walk up with ease. The Master, however, rebuked them and forbade the construction. The poor and destitute all came there to eat.

A eulogy says:

The blue-robed boys who carried grain to fill the storehouse: this tale, handed down, is truly marvelous.
The grain sufficed for the vegetarian meals and was given out to all; even the legendary "hundred birds bearing flowers in their beaks" would have labored in vain by comparison.

Master Mu Shiguang

The Master was a member of the Qi clan. From childhood he studied the ancient classics, and he also explored astronomy and the stars widely. Later he sighed and said, "The principle that transcends the mundane world cannot be reached by the teachings of the world." He therefore took Master Niu Wenhou as his teacher and asked about the essential meaning of the Five Thousand Characters (the Daodejing).

The teacher said, "Meet it head-on, and you cannot see its beginning; follow behind it, and you cannot find its end. What, then, is this? If you can quietly reflect on it within your heart, the Dao is already there."

The Master was suddenly enlightened, as if a blockage in his chest had been cleared away. From then on he recited and practiced it, and his conduct accorded with the principle. He was able to govern present affairs with the principles of antiquity, and he reached the state of "six penetrations and four openings" (describing unobstructed comprehension).

A eulogy says:

The Dao, undivided and whole: what name should it bear?
Wherever one stands, its principle appears of itself.
Had the teacher not gently pointed it out,
one might spend a whole life mistakenly parsing it on paper.

Master Zhenyi, the Perfected Chen

Master Baochi was a native of Yingchuan. He had a broad mind and lofty aspirations, and others found him hard to fathom. He often went in and out of the mountain forests, and people frequently saw him with a white tiger that he had tamed and kept at his side.

During the Datong era of Emperor Wen of Wei, the emperor summoned him to a side hall and asked him about governing the state, and also about his method of taming tigers. Baochi replied: "If you treat me well, I will serve you faithfully, and a tiger is the same. If you mistreat me, I will bear a grudge, and the people are just like tigers. What special method could there be?" The emperor was delighted by this answer and later bestowed on him the posthumous title "Master Zhenyi" (Chaste and Virtuous Master). The locust tree beside the temple, known as the "Tiger-Testing Tree," is said to be the very tree from those days, and it still stands today.

The eulogy says:

Riding a tiger, he strolled at ease through the marketplace,

His marvelous powers astonished the people of his age.

Emperor Wen tried to keep him with an empty title,

But Master Zhenyi would not stay.

Perfected Li Shunxing

Perfected Li was a native of Jingzhao. Intelligent and gifted from birth, he became a disciple of Master Zhenyi. After entering the mountains, he met three great immortals and received from them elixir methods and precious treasures. He then cultivated for another six years, and his transformations became unfathomable, until his fame reached Emperor Wen of Wei. The emperor summoned him and set all manner of difficult tests to probe him, making him walk through flames and plunge into boiling water, yet he was left completely unharmed.

Various prefectures invited him to preside over Zhaijiao (purification rituals, Daoist rites for invoking blessings and averting calamity), and he could arrive at all of them on the same day. At times he was stoned to death, yet appeared again. At other times he foretold rebellions before they happened. In the end he manifested yuhua (the Daoist term for ascending as an immortal and departing the world). When people opened his coffin to look, they found only an empty casket. The emperor then had a shrine built for him on the spot, with a statue and offerings of incense.

The eulogy says:

The wonderful workings of the immortals have never had a fixed form,

They come and go freely in the human world, as though passing through a few games.

Scattering their breath and gathering their form again, there is nothing they cannot do;

Being and non-being were never bound by life, death, survival, or loss.

Master Zhang Fale

The master was a native of Nanyang. In his youth he served Lord Yin and studied the Daoist arts under him. Lord Yin, seeing that he was diligent and tireless and never slackened, passed on to him the essential secrets of the Dao (the Way). On the night of the open-air oath ceremony, the sacred lamp gave off four rays of light in response.

Later, during the reign of the Deposed Emperor of the Later Wei, the master lived in seclusion in Geng Valley, a place few of the neighboring people could reach. He made his home among wind-swept pavilions and moonlit terraces, delighting in the cultivation of the Dao and forgetting the worries of the mundane world. Once a fierce tiger came to his dwelling; he remained calm and unmoved, and the tiger did not harm him. He kept hundreds and thousands of rare birds, and when he called, they flew to his palm to feed, without any fright or suspicion. This was a manifestation of his having preserved his simple, unspoiled nature.

The eulogy says:

Delighting in the Dao, he dwelt in the mountains, now sitting, now walking;

His heart held no cunning, and beasts and birds felt no fear.

People lived in ease and harmony, as though in the age of Huaxu (the legendary ideal realm of peace and tranquility);

This pure and generous spirit is hard to capture in a painting.

Master Wei Jing, the Contemplative Master (Jingsi Fashi)

The Perfected One, named Jie and styled Chuxuan, was a native of Duling. In his youth he was known for his talent, and he served as a tutor-in-writing (an official who assisted the crown prince in his studies) in the Eastern Palace under Emperor Ming of Wei. At the age of thirty-eight, he pleaded illness and retired from office. Later he put on the robes of a Daoist and went to study under Master Zhao, the Refining Master, and wrote commentaries on the Yi and the Laozi, producing more than one hundred volumes.

Emperor Wu of Zhou once came in person to the temple to hold a ci jiao (a Daoist ritual of sacrifice and prayer for blessings), and, deeply respecting the Perfected One Wei's bearing, ordered a seat to be prepared and asked him to expound the teachings. Wei then analyzed the principles governing Heaven and humanity, and explained how one should cultivate sage-like virtue within and practice the kingly way without. Emperor Wu called him "Master of Contemplation" (Jingsi Fashi), and the people of the time called him "the Sage of Guanxi."

The eulogy says:

He shunned fame and withdrew among the white clouds;

Grinding cinnabar-red ink, he wrote commentaries on the Laozi and other works.

Yet the people of Guanxi named him "Master,"

And even his name came to trouble the lords and kings.

Master Hou Faxian

The Master was named Kai, a native of Jingzhao (the region of present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi). During the Zhengshi era of the Wei dynasty, he bowed to Master Zhenyi as his teacher and received the teachings of the Dao (the Way). For thirty years afterward he served his teacher's lineage with perseverance and hardship, never slackening. After his teacher died, he entered a cold valley and built a hut for his practice. The place had sweet spring water and lush trees, and its secluded setting was serene and pleasant; it was called Three Pines Temple (Sansong Guan). Disciples sought him out and gathered around him, living on wild fruits and mountain spring water. They forgot worldly etiquette and strife, content and at ease, much in the manner of Chao Fu and Xu You (legendary hermits of high antiquity).

When people were harmed by chimei (mountain and forest demons and spirits), they came to him for help. He drove out the malevolent forces with Fulu (talismans and registers), and all who sought his aid were soon restored to safety and health.

A eulogy says:

Three Pines Temple lies hidden deep among the white clouds,

Carrying on the spirit of ancient recluses like Chao Fu and Xu You.

Drinking from the waterfall and eating lingzhi mushrooms is already enough;

One couch of clear breeze is worth a thousand pieces of gold.

Wang, the Perfected One, Master of Ritual Deportment

The Perfected One was named Yan, a native of Fufeng (the region of present-day western Shaanxi). He served Master Zhenyi from his youth. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Zhou, Daoism for a time faced decline. The Perfected One Wang went to question and debate the matter, distinguishing the orthodox Way from side paths, and for this he was chosen as one of the "Ten Elders."

After the Sui dynasty was established, Emperor Wen of Sui sent an anche (a carriage in which honored persons rode) to bring him to the Daxing Hall. After observing a fast, the emperor received the Dao from him and bestowed on him the title "Master of Ritual Deportment," and also built the Xuandu Temple (Xuandu Guan) for him to reside in. From then on, Daoism gradually flourished. He said to those close to him, "The Dao and its methods are made to suit the needs of emperors. If our school cannot preserve its purity and stillness, why not retire and rest?" He then returned to the mountains of his native region.

A eulogy says:

I am too weary to attend banquets inside the palace gates day after day,

So I ride a crane through the clouds and drift back to the fairy isle of Penglai.

Spring colors remain at Xuandu Temple, yet no one is left to be its master;

A thousand peach trees bloom in vain.

Yan Datong, Master of the Law

The Master was named Da, a native of Fufeng. He was well versed in Xuanxue (the Learning of the Mysterious) and broadly learned, and he was highly esteemed in his day. Emperor Wu of the Zhou once summoned him to court and received him with the courtesy due to a guest.

Master Da was a native of Fufeng. Their learning in Xuanxue (the "mysterious learning" of Daoist philosophy) was broad, and they were highly esteemed in their day. Emperor Wu of Zhou summoned them to court and received them with the courtesy due a guest. In the fourth year of the Jian'de era, the court planned to abolish both Daoism and Buddhism. The ministers could not settle the debate, so the emperor issued an edict asking for the Master's opinion. The Master argued that "the host is superior and the guest inferior," which pleased the emperor greatly. He ordered the Tongdao Abbey built on the site of the Master's former retreat at Tiangu, and sent nine eminent men of true attainment to live there with them. For this reason later generations called them the "Ten Elders of Tiangu." The Master died in the abbey at the age of ninety-five.

The eulogy says: The jade of Kunlun's ridges, mountains that yield precious stone, was burned together in an autumn blaze, and voices clamored as the times were thrown into turmoil. You revived a fallen order, and your strength was real, like lifting a weight of a thousand jun on the tip of a single fine thread.

Master Yu Changwen

Master Zhang was also a native of Fufeng. While still young, they could already recite the Daoist scriptures. Their parents had them study under Master Hou. Later, when Daoism and Buddhism were abolished together, the Master endured great hardship yet never changed their principles with the rise and fall of the age. Before long, their name was entered in the register, and the emperor issued an edict conferring the title "Great Virtue" (Dade) and had them reside in the Tongdao Abbey. They too were one of the Ten Elders of Tiangu.

The Master often used talismans and memorials (Fulu) to drive away calamities and baleful influences for others, and more than one miraculous sign appeared. In the tenth year of the Daye era of the Sui dynasty, they died at the age of eighty-two. At the moment of their peaceful passing, a white crow flew out of the coffin.

The eulogy says: Those ten lofty elders of old were summoned by imperial edict to dwell in the Tongdao Abbey, and were honored and revered. Why, after ten thousand trees had withered, was only the green pine allowed to stand against the wind and snow?

Master Qi, Grand Master of the Palace with Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon

Translator's note: The original text of the section on Master Yu Changwen contains repeated and apparently corrupted phrases, for example "nian fang ling," "er jiao yi fei," and "di xin zhao wei da de xi." The translation above follows the most coherent reading in context. The final line, "Master Qi, Grand Master of the Palace with Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon," is only the heading of the next section, and its body text was not provided.

The Master's name was Hui, with the courtesy name Pingding, and he was a native of Youhu. He took Master Su as his teacher and was ordained, entering the Dao (the Way). At the end of the Sui dynasty, while he was in charge of affairs at the temple, he said to his disciples: "The Dao of Heaven is about to change, and a descendant of Laojun should soon appear in the world." Not long afterward, Emperor Gaozu entered the Guanzhong region and came in person to the temple, ordering that a jiao (a Daoist ritual offering for seeking blessings and averting calamity) be held. Auspicious signs appeared during the ceremony, and Gaozu invited the Master to take a seat beside him so that they might hold a zhai (a fast combined with sacrificial rites) together. The two conversed in perfect accord. Gaozu bestowed on him the title of Grand Master of Splendid Happiness with Gold Seal and Purple Ribbon, and renamed Louguan the Zongsheng Temple. When the Master was seventy-three, he led his disciples up to the summit of Mount Taibai, and soon after returning, he passed away.

In praise it is said:

Fortunate to meet a wise and sage ruler, Heaven sent down its blessings; the Way and its teachings answered the court's statutes and ordinances in harmony.

The gold and purple robes granted by the immortals' house may not be counted as high honor, yet the title of Grand Master carries a certain elegance.

Master Ju Guozhen

The Master was a native of Wugong. At the age of thirty, during the Renshou era of the Sui dynasty, he left home and entered the Dao. He ate only vegetarian food and wore coarse clothing, keeping strictly to a life of austere discipline. Neither hunger nor cold ever changed his resolve, and he never gave a thought to fame or profit. When others praised him, he became uneasy; when others insulted him, he folded his hands and listened. He was not merely outwardly compliant, but genuinely convinced in his heart. This is perhaps because the deeper one's cultivation of the Dao, the more humble and gentle the mind becomes.

The Old Man of Intent, upon meeting him, said: "Guozhen does not wish to contend for a moment's empty spirit in outward words and conduct, but devotes himself wholly to seeking real results beyond words and intentions. This describes him well."

In praise it is said:

His heart's wish is to rise beyond the dusty world and roam with the Dao of Heaven; who would still quarrel over gain and loss in worldly affairs?

Eating vegetarian food and wearing garments of grass, he remains content; others worry for him in vain, but in his eyes there is no need.

Master Tian Shiwen

The master was a native of Huyi. At nineteen, in the seventh year of the Kaihuang era (587 CE), the master passed the examination and was ordained as a Daoist. Studying under Huayangzi, the master learned practices such as inner observation and meditative concentration. Each time the master entered the meditation chamber, a retreat often lasted ten days or even half a month without once leaving the room. Yet on emerging, the master's complexion was even fuller and more radiant than before. Using the methods of Fulu (talismans and registers), the master helped the people of the world, at times reviving the dying and at times rescuing those who had fallen into water, and many times these efforts proved wondrously effective. At the age of seventy-five, the master departed this world. The crowd saw jeweled banners and feathered tallies (Daoist ceremonial regalia) rise into the sky and leave together with the master.

The eulogy says: Retiring to the chamber to cultivate, the door stayed shut for more than ten days, as though divine light had penetrated a jade flask. Later, riding crimson ceremonial regalia, the master ascended into the heavens, and no one knows what office is held in the immortal realm of Penglai.

Venerable Master Yin, Grand Master of Splendid Happiness with Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon

Venerable Master Yin, named Wencao and styled Jingxian, was a native of Longyou. Both in learning and in Dao practice, the master was outstanding, and the master's reputation was great. In the second year of the Yifeng era (677 CE), the master was commanded by imperial decree to preside over the Zongsheng Temple. In the third year of Yifeng, the emperor ordered a Jiao rite (a Daoist ritual of purification and offering to invoke blessings and avert calamity) and went in person to pay homage. The emperor declared that he had seen with his own eyes Xuanyuan (Laozi) descend riding a white horse, and so commanded Yin Wencao to compile the Sage Chronicle, conferring on the master the titles of Grand Master of Splendid Happiness with Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon and Acting Junior Minister of Imperial Sacrifices. The Venerable Master resigned the former post and accepted the new office. The master also wrote works such as the Treatise on the Great Dao and the Subduing of Demons. Detailed accounts of the master's life appear in the Stele of Dao Practice composed by Yuan Banqian.

The eulogy says: The Sage Chronicle was completed and presented to the throne; the master received the high rank of Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon and was greatly honored. The writings left behind still shine brightly, though their author is no longer in the world; a thousand years later, the name is still recited in the history of the Dao.

Perfected Liang of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), Tongzhen

The Perfected One (Zhenren) was named Quan. During the Xiande era of the Later Zhou in the Five Dynasties period, he served as the abbot of his temple, the person in charge of the affairs of the Daoist abbey. At that time Chen Xiyi lived at the Xianyou Abbey, not far from the Perfected One. The two often visited each other and were friends who lived in reclusion in the mountains and forests.

After the founding of the Song dynasty, the Perfected Lord Lansheng descended to Mount Zhongnan and commanded Zhang Shouzhen to enter the Dao. He told him, "I am your teacher in Heaven; you have another teacher in the human world." Zhang Shouzhen then became a disciple of the Perfected One. During the Kaibao era, the emperor issued an edict conferring on the Perfected One the title "Perfected One of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Who Penetrates Truth." In the third year of the Taiping Xingguo era, the Perfected One passed away.

The eulogy says:

The Perfected Lord in Heaven had long since recognized his worth,

And Zhang Shouzhen had another teacher in the human world.

He lived all his life in the mountains and forests, little known to others,

And only Chen Xiyi regarded him as a true friend.

Grand Master and Head of the Teaching, the Perfected One Qinghe Yin

The Grand Master was named Zhiping, with the courtesy name Dahe. He was a native of Donglai and the sixth patriarch of Quanzhen (Complete Perfection). He inherited and presided over the Quanzhen order, and his teachings spread widely across the Central Plains and the frontier regions. In the Renchen year, when the Jin dynasty's fortunes came to an end, the land of Qin became a battlefield, the walled cities turned to ruins, and the Daoist abbeys were also destroyed. Perfected One Yin, thinking of the place where the patriarch had founded the teaching suffering such a calamity, came here from the region of Yan and devoted himself wholeheartedly to its reconstruction. Daoists from every region came in great numbers without needing to be summoned. Before long, he entrusted the affairs of the abbey to the Perfected One Master Li. Not long afterward, the halls and pavilions were rebuilt, and the old abbey was restored to its former appearance. The full account is found in the Record on the Stele of the Dao's Deeds (Daoxing bei).

The eulogy says:

Raising high the Dharma seal, he spread the profound and mysterious Dao;

How could a thatched hut compare with the solemn Hall of Mystery?

The sources and streams of the immortals' Way flow into the ocean of Quanzhen,

And the tradition of Guanling Yin Xi has been fragrant for generations.

The Perfected One Li Hongmiao, Tongchen

The Perfected One (Zhenren) was named Zhirou, with the courtesy name Qianshu, and came from Zhushui. He took Zhenren Kaixuan Li as his teacher, took leave of the worldly bustle, and lived in seclusion in the mountains to cultivate himself. After his cultivation was complete, his virtue (De) shone forth, and Daoist communities everywhere revered him.

In the Bingzhong years, on the orders of Qinghe, he led his disciples in an all-out effort to restore the Daoist temples. He cleared away the weeds and repaired the abandoned buildings, so that the halls looked brand new. Students came seeking instruction in an unbroken stream, several times more than before. He was later enfeoffed as "Zhenren Tongchen Hongmiao" (Perfected One of Merged Dust and Vast Wonder), and ascended as an immortal at the age of seventy-eight.

The eulogy says:

He restored the ruins to wholeness, swift as if aided by spirits;

Jeweled towers and precious halls were made new again.

Were Yin Xi and Li Er to come here once more, they would surely meet again;

I fear only that the people of today are the very old friends of that time.

Louguan is the wellspring of Daoist monastic communities throughout the world. Since the Perfected One Wenshi ascended as an immortal, every generation has seen people here who cultivated the Dao and became immortals. If one consults the biographies of the immortals, the figures in them are too numerous to count.

At the earliest stage, Lord Yin of the Taihe era of the Jin dynasty compiled a separate work, the Biographies of the Former Masters of Louguan. Later, Master Wei continued to gather and arrange material, and at the end of the Tang dynasty, Venerable Master Yin Wencao carried the work forward. The whole book records thirty Perfected Ones, each given an individual biography, arranged in three fascicles, and it has been handed down to the present.

In the jimao year of the Yuan dynasty, Zhu Xiangxian came to Louguan from Zhejiang West to pay homage at the ancestral court. He spent the summer at the Scripture Terrace and was able to read this book closely. From it he learned that the spiritual power of the place, the eminence of its people, and the long reach of its lineage truly have their reasons. However, the original book was voluminous, and readers could not fully grasp its contents. So he cut the secondary parts, selected the important deeds, and wrote a eulogy for each Perfected One, combining them into this stele record. He also edited the Original Biography of Wenshi and placed it at the head, then submitted the work to the sect leader, Lord Nie, and the supervisor, Lord Zhao, asking that it be carved in stone and handed down to later generations. In this way, later disciples of the Daoist community might come to know the Way of the patriarchs and take it as encouragement for themselves.

Respectfully recorded and written by Zhu Xiangxian of Maoshan.

Stele Record of the Successive Realized Immortals at the Terrace for Expounding the Scripture, Zhongnan Mountain (Zhongnan Shan Shuojing Tai Lidai Zhenxian Beiji): an inscription that records the deeds of the successive Daoist adepts who attained the Dao (Way) at the Terrace for Expounding the Scripture on Zhongnan Mountain.