《七真年谱》

According to the Qizhen Nianpu (Chronicle of the Seven Perfected), Patriarch Chongyang, Wang Zhe (the founding patriarch of Quanzhen, "Complete Perfection," styled Chongyangzi), was born on the twenty-second day of the twelfth month in the second year of the Zhenghe reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song (1112).

According to a biography written by Wang Cui of Beiping, Wang Zhe was styled Zhiming and came from Xianyang in Jingzhao. His family had been wealthy for generations and enjoyed considerable renown, and later moved to Liujiang Village in Zhongnan County. His mother conceived after having a strange dream, and he was born only after twenty-four months. At first he was named Zhongfu, with the style name Yunqing.

Wang Zhe was unlike other children from an early age. When he grew up, he had handsome beard and brows, a tall and imposing frame, and a bold, unrestrained temperament that paid little heed to small matters. At twenty, he began studying the curriculum required for the civil service examinations and gained registration in the prefectural school of Jingzhao. He excelled at composition and had a quick mind, and once placed first in the examination of an entire circuit (an administrative region of the Song dynasty). Yet he also loved horseback riding and archery. In the early years of the Tianjuan era of the Jin dynasty, he resolutely entered the military examinations, changing his name to Shixiong, with the style name Dewei. Later, when he left home to enter the Dao (the Way), he adopted the name by which he is now known; he also once called himself "Haifeng" (meaning "madman").

In the third year of Zhenghe (1113), Patriarch Chongyang was two years old; in the fourth year (1114), three; in the fifth year (1115), four; in the sixth year (1116), five; and in the seventh year (1117), six.

This section of the chronicle then repeats its entries for the fourth through seventh years of Zhenghe. It continues: in the first year of Chonghe (1118), Patriarch Chongyang was seven; in the first year of Xuanhe (1119), eight. On the fifth day of the first month of that year, the Daoist immortal Sun Qingjing (Qingjing Sun Xiangu, a female Daoist immortal) was born in Ninghai Prefecture. In the second year of Xuanhe (1120), Patriarch Chongyang was nine; in the third year (1121), ten; and in the fourth year (1122), eleven.

In the fifth year of the Xuanhe era (1123, the guimao year), Patriarch Chongyang was twelve years old. On the first day of the third month of that year, the Perfected One Tan Changzhen was born in Ninghai Prefecture. He was first named Yu, with the courtesy name Boyu. On the twentieth day of the fifth month, the Perfected One Ma Danyang was born in Ninghai.

In the fifth year of the Xuanhe era (1123, the guimao year), Patriarch Chongyang was twelve years old. On the first day of the third month of that year, the Perfected One Tan Changzhen was born in Ninghai Prefecture. He was first named Yu, with the courtesy name Boyu. On the twentieth day of the fifth month, the Perfected One Ma Danyang was born in Ninghai, at the place now known as Jiangxian Ward (the Ward of the Descending Immortals). According to his biography, he was first named Congyi, with the courtesy name Yifu, and originally came from Fufeng in Guanzhong. During the military upheavals of the Five Dynasties period, his family moved to the seacoast.

In the sixth year of the Xuanhe era (1124, the jiachen year), Patriarch Chongyang was thirteen years old.

In the seventh year of the Xuanhe era (1125, the yisi year), Patriarch Chongyang was fourteen years old.

In the first year of Emperor Qinzong's Jingkang era (1126, the bingwu year), Patriarch Chongyang was fifteen years old.

In the fifth year of the Tianhui era under Emperor Taizong of the Jin (1127, the dingwei year), Patriarch Chongyang was sixteen years old.

In the sixth year of the Tianhui era (1128, the wushen year), Patriarch Chongyang was seventeen years old. That year, the Perfected One Changzhen was six years old. According to the stele inscription for the Perfected One written by the Duke of Mi, when he was six he was playing and accidentally fell into a well. People hurried down to rescue him, only to find him sitting calmly on the surface of the water, and they brought him out.

In the seventh year of the Tianhui era (1129, the jiyou year), Patriarch Chongyang was eighteen years old.

In the eighth year of the Tianhui era (1130, the gengxu year), Patriarch Chongyang was nineteen years old.

In the ninth year of the Tianhui era (1131, the xinhai year), Patriarch Chongyang was twenty years old.

In the tenth year of the Tianhui era (1132, the renzi year), Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-one years old.

In the eleventh year of the Tianhui era (1133, the guichou year), Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-two years old.

In the twelfth year of the Tianhui era (1134, the jiayin year), Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-three years old.

In the thirteenth year of the Tianhui era (1135, the yimao year), Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-one years old.

In the eleventh year of the Tianhui era (1133, the guichou year), Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-two years old.

In the twelfth year of the Tianhui era (1134, the jiayin year), Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-three years old.

In the thirteenth year of the Tianhui era (1135, the yimao year), Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-four years old.

In the fourteenth year of the Tianhui era (1136, the bingchen year), Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-five years old.

In the fifteenth year of the Tianhui era, the dingsi year, Patriarch Chongyang (Wang Chongyang) was twenty-six. In this year, the Perfected Changzhen was fifteen. The stele inscription composed for him by the Duke of Mi records: "At fifteen he resolved to pursue learning, and his Ode to the Grape was already widely recited."

In the first year of the Tianjuan era, the wuwu year, Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-seven. According to his biographies, he took the military examination in the early years of Tianjuan, changing his name to Shixiong, with the courtesy name Dewei.

In the second year of Tianjuan, the jiwei year, Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-eight.

In the third year of Tianjuan, the gengshen year, Patriarch Chongyang was twenty-nine. On the third day of the first month, the Perfected Hao of Guangning was born in Ninghai Prefecture. He was first named Sheng; his courtesy name is not recorded.

In the first year of Huangtong, the xinyou year, Patriarch Chongyang was thirty.

In the second year of Huangtong, the renxu year, Patriarch Chongyang was thirty-one. On the eighteenth day of the third month of this year, the Perfected Wang of Yuyang was born in Ninghai Prefecture.

In the third year of Huangtong, the guihai year, Patriarch Chongyang was thirty-two.

In the fourth year of Huangtong, the jiazi year, Patriarch Chongyang was thirty-three.

In the fifth year of Huangtong, the yichou year, Patriarch Chongyang was thirty-four.

In the sixth year of Huangtong, the bingyin year, Patriarch Chongyang was thirty-five.

In the seventh year of Huangtong, the dingmao year, Patriarch Chongyang was thirty-six. On the twelfth day of the seventh month, the Perfected Liu of Changsheng was born in Wuguan Village in Donglai.

In the eighth year of Huangtong, the wuchen year, Patriarch Chongyang was thirty-seven. On the nineteenth day of the first month of this year, the Perfected Qiu of Changchun was born in Bindu, in Qixia County of Dengzhou. The Perfected Yuyang was seven years old. According to the preface to his Yunguang ji (Collection of Cloud Light), he wrote: "When I was seven, I met Lord Donghua (Donghua Dijun, a Daoist deity) in the sky. He awakened and enlightened me, and so I was never lost in dullness or confusion."

In the first year of Tiande under Emperor Hailing, the jisi year (1159), Patriarch Chongyang (Wang Chongyang) was thirty-eight years old and was living in Bindu in Xia County. The Realized Man Yuyang (Yuyang Zhenren) was seven years old. According to the author's preface to his Yunguang ji (Collection of Cloud Light), "When I was seven years old, I encountered Lord Donghua (Donghua Dijun, an immortal figure of Daoist legend) in the sky. He awakened me, and I was no longer clouded and confused."

In the first year of Tiande under Emperor Hailing, the jisi year, Patriarch Chongyang was thirty-eight.

In the second year of Tiande, the gengwu year, Patriarch Chongyang was thirty-nine.

In the third year of Tiande, the xinwei year, Patriarch Chongyang was forty.

In the fourth year of Tiande, the renshen year, Patriarch Chongyang was forty-one.

In the first year of Zhenyuan, the guiyou year, Patriarch Chongyang was forty-two.

In the second year of Zhenyuan, the jiaxu year, Patriarch Chongyang was forty-three.

In the third year of Zhenyuan, the yihai year, Patriarch Chongyang was forty-four.

In the first year of Zhenglong, the bingzi year, Patriarch Chongyang was forty-five.

In the second year of Zhenglong, the dingchou year, Patriarch Chongyang was forty-six.

In the third year of Zhenglong, the wuyin year, Patriarch Chongyang was forty-seven.

In the fourth year of Zhenglong, the jimao year, Patriarch Chongyang was forty-eight. On the fifteenth day of the sixth month of this year, while drinking wine in Ganhe Town on Mount Zhongnan, the Master met two immortals. They wore their hair loose and were wrapped in felt garments, and their faces and apparent ages were exactly alike. One of them said slowly, "This child can be taught and transformed." He then transmitted to him the oral instructions (koujue), the essential teachings of cultivation. In his poem "Meeting the Realized" (Yuzhen), Patriarch Chongyang wrote: "Only at forty-eight did I begin to meet the true immortals; once the oral instructions were transmitted, my practice bore fruit." The one he had met was none other than the Perfected Lord Chunyang (Lü Dongbin).

In the fifth year of Zhenglong, the gengchen year, Patriarch Chongyang was forty-nine. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Master again met a true immortal in Liquan County and received five secret discourses. The immortal further instructed him, "Go quickly to the Eastern Sea and seek out Tan and Ma." Having said this, the true immortal suddenly vanished.

In the first year of the Dading reign under Emperor Shizong of the Jin (the xinsi year, 1161), Patriarch Chongyang was fifty years old. At Nanshi village in the Zhongnan Mountains he dug a tomb more than a zhang deep and raised an earthen wall several feet high around it. People called him the "Living Dead Man," and he sat in the tomb practicing cultivation. He also planted a crabapple tree at each of the tomb's four corners. When someone asked why, he answered: "In time I will bring the cultural influence of all within the Four Seas together into one family."

In the second year of Dading (the renwu year, 1162), Patriarch Chongyang was fifty-one. He remained seated in the "Living Dead Man's Tomb" throughout the year.

In the third year of Dading (the guiwei year, 1163), Patriarch Chongyang was fifty-two. In autumn he filled in the tomb and moved to Liujiang village, where he built a thatched hut and lived with two companions, Master Yuchan He and Master Lingyang Li. This site is today's ancestral temple, the Chongyang Wanshou Palace.

In the fourth year of Dading (the jiashen year, 1164), Patriarch Chongyang was fifty-three. In the preface to his Quanzhen Ji (Collected Works of Complete Perfection, Quanzhen), he wrote: Once, as I was carrying a gourd of wine from Ganhe and heading back to my hermitage, I met a certain master on the road. He called out to me, "Mad Fellow, will you give me some wine?" I handed it over, and he drained it in one draught, then told me to fill the gourd with river water. I fetched the water and gave it to him, and he handed it back and had me drink it. The water had turned into an immortal's brew. The master then asked, "Do you know Liu Haichan?" I said, "Only from his portrait." The master smiled and went on his way.

In the fifth year of Dading (the yiyou year, 1165), Patriarch Chongyang was fifty-four. This year he inscribed on a wall of the Shangqing Taiping Palace in the Zhongnan Mountains: "Mad Fellow, oh Mad Fellow, the old sickness has flared up again, and I fear my life will not reach fifty-eight. The two masters will surely come, so that my spiritual nature and true nature may be scoured and cleansed." Here, "Mad Fellow" (Haifeng) is Patriarch Chongyang's humorous name for himself, and "scoured and cleansed" (soushua) means purifying and refining.

In the sixth year of the Dading era (1166, the bingxu year), Patriarch Chongyang (Wang Chongyang, founder of the Quanzhen, or Complete Perfection, school of Daoism) was fifty-five years old. That year, he inscribed a poem on the wall of a hermitage in Luan Village, Chang'an, where a Daoist named Lü was living:

"I am Chongyang of Difei, the one people call Wang the Madman. Having come into this world, I let the years turn as they will; having departed, I drift freely east and west. Clouds and water are my companions, and emptiness is my neighbor. A single point of spiritual clarity, my true nature, remains, unlike the thoughts and concerns of ordinary people."

"Wang the Madman" (Wang Haifeng) was what people at the time called Wang Chongyang. The poem describes how he lived by following circumstances, keeping company with clouds and water, and it stresses that his inner true nature does not change with worldly thoughts.

In that same year, Changchun Zhenren (Qiu Chuji) was nineteen years old. He left secular life to take up Daoist practice and settled on Mount Kunyu.

In the seventh year of the Dading era (1167, a reign title of Emperor Shizong of the Jin dynasty), the dinghai year, Patriarch Chongyang (Wang Chongyang, founder of Complete Perfection, Quanzhen) was fifty-six years old. On the twenty-sixth day of the fourth month, the Patriarch set fire to the thatched hut where they had been living in Liujiang Village and danced about beside the flames. When someone asked why, the answer came: "With the hut burned, the matter is finished. Surely someone will come who truly wishes to cultivate the Dao." That day the Patriarch lodged in Ganhe Town and took leave of the crowd, saying, "I am going to the Eastern Sea to catch a horse." ("Horse" was a veiled reference to the disciple Ma Yu.) In the fifth month, passing through the Shangqing Temple on Mount Beimang (in present-day Luoyang, Henan), the Patriarch inscribed a poem on its wall: "Qiu, Tan, Wang, Feng catch Ma and Liu; atop Kunlun they strike the jade ball. You still carry on within the world's seas, and win three thousand eight hundred tallies." (The poem conceals the later disciples Qiu Chuji, Tan Chuduan, Wang Chuyi, Ma Yu, and Liu Chuxuan.) The stone engraving survives to this day.

On the eighteenth day of the intercalary seventh month, the Patriarch arrived in Ninghai Prefecture (around present-day Muping, Shandong), met the Perfected One Danyang (Ma Yu) and Gao Jucai, and was invited to Fan Mingshu's Yilao Pavilion. In the ninth month, the Perfected One Changchun (Qiu Chuji) came from Mount Kunyu, paid homage to the Patriarch at the Quanzhen Hermitage, and asked to become a disciple. The Patriarch gave Qiu the name Chuji, the style name Tongmi, and the sobriquet Master Changchun, and presented a poem as well. The Patriarch also sat with their back turned to the Perfected One Guangning (Hao Datong) before his divination stall, as a way of awakening him. Guangning then followed the Patriarch to the Chaoyuan Temple, where the Patriarch passed on the oral instructions and gave him two lyrics written out by hand.

On the first day of the tenth month, in Ma Yu's home, the Patriarch had the doors locked and settled into a tiny walled cell, setting a term of one hundred days and eating about once every five days, as a means of delivering Ma Yu and spouse. That winter, the Perfected One Changzhen (Tan Chuduan) left the household life just outside the walls of the cell. The Patriarch gave him the name Chuduan, the style name Tongzheng, and the sobriquet Master Changzhen; he was then forty-five years old.

In the eighth year of Dading (1168), the wuzi year, the Patriarch was fifty-seven. On the tenth day of the first month, the Patriarch came out of the cell and divided pears into ten portions to give away, a means of delivering the people, which concluded the undertaking. On the eighth day of the second month, the Perfected One Danyang took the vows of a renunciant, and the Patriarch gave him the name Yu, the style name Xuanbao, and the sobriquet Master Danyang.

In the eighth year of the Dading era (1168), the year Wuzi, Patriarch Chongyang was fifty-seven years old.

On the tenth day of the first month, the Patriarch left Huan (a place name) and completed the "Dividing of Pears and Ten Conversions" (the story of persuading ten people to follow the Way through acts such as sharing pears).

On the eighth day of the second month, the Perfected (Zhenren) Danyang left the household life. The Patriarch gave the name Yu, the style name Xuanbao, and the sobriquet Danyangzi, and Danyang was then forty-six years old. On the same day, the Perfected Yuyang came from Niuxian Mountain to the Patriarch's side, wishing to become a disciple. The Patriarch gave the name Chuyi, and Yuyang was then twenty-seven years old.

At the end of the second month, the Patriarch led the four Perfected, Danyang, Changzhen, Changchun, and Yuyang, into the Shimenkou pass on Kunyu Mountain. There they opened up and settled in the Yanxia Cave.

In the third month, the Perfected Guangning came to Kunyu Mountain and left the household life. The Patriarch gave the name Lin and the sobriquet Tianranzi, and Guangning was then twenty-nine years old.

In the eighth month, the Patriarch led the five Perfected from the Yanxia Cave to the Jiangshi Hermitage in Wendeng County and founded the Qibao Society (a Daoist practice community).

In the ninth year of the Dading era (1169), the year Jichou, Patriarch Chongyang was fifty-eight years old.

In spring, the Perfected Yuyang, whose sobriquet was Tianranzi, was twenty-nine years old.

In the eighth month, the Patriarch led the five Perfected from the Yanxia Cave to the Jiangshi Hermitage in Wendeng County and founded the Qibao Society.

In the ninth year of the Dading reign (1169), the year of Jichou, Patriarch Chongyang was fifty-eight years old.

In spring, Realized One Yuyang took leave of the Patriarch and lived in seclusion on Mount Zha. In the fourth month, the Patriarch led Danyang, Changzhen, Changchun, and Guangning to the Golden Lotus Hall (Jinlian Tang) in Ninghai Prefecture. When they reached Longquan along the way, the Patriarch handed the handle of the umbrella he carried to Shengyangzi. Shengyangzi rose on the wind and flew off, landing before Realized One Yuyang on Mount Zha. For this reason, the Patriarch bestowed on him the name "Yuyang."

On the Duanwu Festival, Immortal Maiden Sun came to the Golden Lotus Hall to leave the household life. The Patriarch gave her the Dao name "Buer" (Non-Duality) and conferred on her the title "Qingjing Sanren" (Scattered Person of Purity and Stillness). She was fifty-one at the time. In the sixth month, Realized One Guangning took leave of the Patriarch and also settled on Mount Zha.

In the eighth month, the Patriarch founded the Golden Lotus Association (Jinlian Hui). In the ninth month, he went to Fushan County in Dengzhou and founded the Three Lights Association (Sanguang Hui), and then founded the Jade Flower Association (Yuhua Hui) in Penglai. In the same month, the Patriarch led Danyang, Changzhen, and Changchun west to Laizhou, where he persuaded Realized One Changsheng to leave the household life. The Patriarch gave him the Dao name "Chuxuan," the courtesy name "Tongmiao," and the style name "Changshengzi"; he was twenty-three at the time.

In the tenth month, the Patriarch founded the Equality Association (Pingdeng Hui) in Yexian. In the same month, he led his four disciples to Bianliang, where they stayed at the inn of the Wang family, who were porcelain merchants.

The "associations" (hui) mentioned in the text refer to Daoist societies organized by the Patriarch.

In the tenth year of the Dading era of the Jin dynasty (the gengyin year, 1170), on the fourth day of the first month, Patriarch Chongyang summoned his disciples Danyang, Changzhen, and Changchun and had them stand before his couch. Changsheng had already departed by then. The Patriarch said: "Danyang has attained the Dao, and Changzhen has understood its principles, so I have nothing left to worry about. What Chuji studies should follow Danyang's guidance, and the affairs of Chuxuan should be overseen by Changzhen. Now I am going to keep my appointment with the Master."

Danyang asked the Patriarch to leave behind a verse. The Patriarch said: "I have already written my verse at the Lü Immortal Hermitage in Luancun, Chang'an. I now transmit it to you orally." Having said this, he passed away. It was the intercalary fifth month of that year, and the Patriarch died on the eleventh day of the first month, after the Beginning of Spring, at the age of fifty-eight. The four disciples handled the funeral rites in accordance with ritual, and temporarily buried his remains in the flower garden of Meng Zongxian.

Afterward, the Realized One Danyang led his three companions through the pass to Mount Zhongnan, where they paid their respects to the two Realized Ones, He and Li, at the Taiping Palace. In Jingzhao they also met Shi Chuhou, and on Mount Zhongnan they met Liu Tongwei and Yan Chuchang. The two Realized Ones, He and Li, were friends of the Patriarch, and Shi Chuhou and the other two were also his disciples.

In the eleventh year of Dading (the xinmao year, 1171), the Realized One Danyang was forty-nine years old. That year, he and his three companions lived at the Liu-Jiang Ancestral Hermitage and repaired the Patriarch's burial ground. In the tenth month, the Realized One Guangning entered the pass and begged for alms in Jingzhao Prefecture.

In the twelfth year of Dading (the renchen year, 1172), the Realized One Danyang was fifty years old. In spring, he raised funds in Chang'an and, with his three companions, traveled once more to Bianliang to move the Patriarch's coffin back west, burying it at the Ancestral Hermitage in Liu-Jiang Village. In the ninth month, the Realized One Guangning journeyed west as far as Mount Qi, where he happened to acquire the name "Datong" and the style name "Taigu," along with the sobriquet "Master Guangning."

In the thirteenth year of Dading (the guisi year, 1173), the Realized One Danyang was fifty-one years old. That year, the four Realized Ones kept the mourning period and tended the Patriarch's grave at Liu-Jiang Village. In the sixth month, the Realized One Guangning crossed the Daqing Pass and returned east.

In the fourteenth year of Dading (the jiawu year, 1174), Perfected Danyang was fifty-two years old. In the second month, Perfected Qingning came to Zhending and sat in stillness outside the Chaotian Gate. In the eighth month, the four Perfected, Danyang, Changzhen, Changsheng, and Changchun, gathered on a moonlit night in the Zhenwu Temple at Qindu Town in Hu County. Each spoke of his aspiration: Danyang said he would "contend with poverty," Changzhen "contend with right and wrong," Changsheng "contend with willpower," and Changchun "contend with idleness." At dawn the next day they parted. Afterward, Danyang lived in Huan with Liu and Jiang, Changzhen stayed at the Chaoyuan Temple in Luoyang, Changsheng lived in the Earth God Temple in the Luoyang marketplace, and Changchun went west into Panxi. This is recorded in the Jinyu ji (Collection of Gold and Jade).

In the fifteenth year of Dading (the yiwei year, 1175), Perfected Danyang was fifty-three years old. That year, Danyang lived in Huan with Liu and Jiang, Changzhen stayed at the Chaoyuan Temple in Luoyang, Changsheng lived in the Earth God Temple in the Luoyang marketplace, and Changchun went west into Panxi. This is recorded in the Jinyu ji.

In the same year, while begging for food in Erzu Town in Cizhou, Perfected Changzhen encountered a reckless man who knocked out two of the Perfected's teeth. The people in the marketplace were outraged and wanted to hand the man over to the authorities. Perfected Changzhen simply spat out the teeth and walked away. In the second month, Perfected Guangning sat beneath the stone bridge at Wozhou. In summer, Qingjing Sanren entered the pass to pay respects at the ancestral court, then left the pass again and settled in the Cave of Immortal Maiden Feng in Luoyang.

In the sixteenth year of Dading (the bingshen year, 1176), Perfected Danyang was fifty-four years old. That year, Perfected Changzhen traveled to Mingzhou and stayed at Baijiatan. In the sixth month, Perfected Guangning dreamed one night that a divine being once again taught the essential meaning of the Yijing (Book of Changes). On waking, the next morning Guangning drew thirty-three diagrams. This is recorded in the Taigu ji.

In the seventeenth year of Dading (the dingyou year, 1177), Perfected Danyang was fifty-five years old. While teaching the Dao (the Way) in Gaotang County, Perfected Changzhen wrote the two characters "Tortoise and Snake" for Wu Liu, who kept a teahouse, and said: "You may hang this on the wall to suppress fire." That year a great fire broke out in the county town, and only this teahouse escaped the disaster.

Note: In the original text, the entry for the seventeenth year of Dading is preceded by a duplicated passage on the sixteenth year, which also gives Perfected Danyang's age as fifty-four. The account above has been arranged according to the chronological order of the years.

In the eighteenth year of the Dading era (1178), the Perfected Danyang (Danyang Zhenren) was fifty-six years old. On the first day of the eighth month, he ended his seclusion in Liujiang Village and traveled west to the Longshan and Huating regions to teach and spread the Dao (the Way). That same year, the Perfected Changsheng moved to Yunxi Cave, northeast of Luocheng, where the disciples who came to study under him grew in number day by day. Together they dug three wells.

In the nineteenth year of Dading (1179), the Perfected Danyang was fifty-seven. On the fifteenth day of the second month, he entered a hundred-day seclusion in Huating County, accompanied by Li Dacheng. In the eighth month he moved to Youde Temple in Longzhou and continued his seclusion there. He came out on the eighteenth day of the eleventh month and spent the night at Goudou Fort, where he persuaded Li Zihe, a Jieyuan (the top-ranked candidate in the provincial examinations), to leave home and cultivate the Dao. The Perfected Changzhen traveled through Weizhou and stayed at the Fujun Temple in Huojia County.

In the twentieth year of Dading (1180), the Perfected Danyang was fifty-eight. In the spring of that year, Zhao Penglai of Zhangtai Street in Jingzhao donated his residence to be used as a hermitage and invited the Perfected Danyang to undertake seclusion there. On the twenty-fourth day of the eighth month, officials and common people of Chang'an asked him to pray for rain. The Perfected composed a poem predicting that ample rain would fall on the twenty-fifth, and on the appointed day it did, just as he had foretold. This episode is recorded in the Jinyu ji (Collection of Gold and Jade). The Perfected Changzhen went west to Tongzhou and stayed at Xili Hermitage. The Perfected Changchun moved from Panxi to Longmen Mountain in Longzhou.

In the twenty-first year of Dading (1181), the Perfected Danyang was fifty-nine. In the fourth month, he began a seclusion in the hermitage within the bamboo garden of Zhang Chaosan at Liujiang Village in Hu County. On Zhongyuan Day (the fifteenth day of the seventh month), after performing a Huanglu Jiao (a Daoist ritual of purification and offering to seek blessings and avert calamity), he returned to the Ancestral Hermitage. The Perfected Changzhen took up residence at Chunyang Cave in Huayin County, while the Perfected Changsheng returned east to Laizhou.

In the twenty-second year of the Dading era of the Jin dynasty (1182), Master Danyang (one of the founding patriarchs of Quanzhen, or Complete Perfection, Daoism) was sixty years old. In the fourth month of that year he returned east to Ninghai. In the twelfth month he taught the people of Wendeng, and many fishing households burned their nets as a result. On the eighth day, a mirage appeared over the South Sea, and local scholars wrote poems to celebrate it. Master Changsheng lived in a hermitage built by a military officer, where he wrote commentaries on scriptures (Jing) such as the Daodejing and the Huangting Jing. In autumn, Master Yuyang came to Ninghai to pay his respects to Master Danyang, and the two lived together in the Golden Lotus Hall. Master Guangning stayed in Zhending Prefecture, where he ascended the lecture hall to expound the Dao (the Way), often before audiences of several hundred. On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month, the immortal maiden Sun Qingjing, who had also lived with Master Danyang in the Golden Lotus Hall, ascended as an immortal in Luoyang that same day, at the age of sixty-four.

In the twenty-third year of Dading (1183), Master Danyang was sixty-one. In the fourth month he taught the people of Zhiyang. On the Xiayuan Festival (the day for offerings to the Water Official), he held a jiao ritual (a rite in which an altar is set up to pray for blessings and make offerings to the gods) in Wendeng. During the ceremony, the patriarch appeared in the sky, riding on a white turtle. On the twenty-second day of the twelfth month, Master Danyang ascended as an immortal at the Youxian Temple in Laiyang County. Masters Changsheng and Yuyang jointly presided over his funeral. After keeping watch at the grave for a hundred days, each returned to his own place of retreat.

In the twenty-fourth year of Dading (1184), Master Changzhen was sixty-two. On the eighteenth day of the first month, Master Changsheng held a jiao ritual at the home of Jiang Shoujing in Changyang County. Between the hours of si and wu (roughly 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), the Patriarch Chongyang, wearing a cloud crown and crimson robes, and Master Danyang, his hair bound in three topknots, appeared together on colorful clouds in the sky. In the fifth month a drought struck, and the prefect of Dengzhou asked Master Changsheng to pray for rain. During the ceremony, a mirage appeared over Bamboo Island. The next day, Master Danyang appeared to the northwest of Yingxian Bridge, and that day the rainfall was abundant.

In the twenty-fifth year of Dading (1185), Master Changzhen was sixty-three. On the first day of the fourth month of that year, he ascended as an immortal at the Chaoyuan Temple in Luoyang. His poems and lyrics on teaching the Dao and dealing with others were compiled as the Shuiyun Ji (Collection of Water and Clouds), which has been handed down to the present day.

In the twenty-sixth year of Dading (the bingwu year), Perfected Changsheng (Changsheng Zhenren) was forty years old. That winter, Perfected Changchun left Longmen Mountain and settled at the Ancestral Hermitage on Zhongnan Mountain.

On the first day of the fourth month of the same year, Perfected Changsheng ascended as an immortal at the Chaoyuan Palace in Luoyang. The poems and lyrics he composed while teaching the Dao (the Way) and dealing with others were compiled into the Shuiyun ji (Collection of Water and Clouds), which has been passed down to this day.

In the twenty-seventh year of Dading (the dingwei year), Perfected Changsheng was forty-one. On the thirteenth day of the eleventh month, Perfected Yuyang came to Yanjing by imperial summons. The emperor asked him about the way of nourishing life and attaining longevity. Perfected Yuyang answered: "Cherishing Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) and preserving Shen (spirit) are the essentials of cultivating the self. Sitting upright and refraining from rash action is the root of governing the realm." The emperor received him with courtesy and regarded him as a "person beyond the world" (a cultivator not bound by worldly status).

In the twenty-eighth year of Dading (the wushen year), Perfected Changsheng was forty-two. In the second month, Perfected Changchun came to court by imperial summons. On the eleventh day, the emperor ordered him to preside over the Zhaijiao (purification ritual, a Daoist rite of fasting and ceremony) for the Wanchun Festival, and bestowed upon him a head cloth and a Daoist robe. In the fourth month, the emperor had him lodge in a hermitage within the palace. On the eighteenth day of the fifth month, the emperor received him on Changsong Island. In the seventh month, Perfected Changchun was commanded to present five lyrics. At the Mid-Autumn Festival, he returned to Zhongnan Mountain by imperial order. In the same month, Perfected Yuyang was also ordered to return to his mountain.

In the twelfth month, the emperor fell ill and sent an envoy to summon Perfected Yuyang to the palace once more. Perfected Yuyang told the envoy: "I fear I will not arrive in time to see the emperor again."

In the twenty-ninth year of Dading (the jiyou year), Perfected Changsheng was forty-three. On the third day of the first month, Perfected Yuyang arrived in the capital. The successor emperor commanded him to preside over a Zhaijiao for the late emperor, after which Perfected Yuyang returned home.

In the first year of Mingchang under Emperor Zhangzong (the gengxu year), Perfected Changsheng was forty-four. At the Dragon Boat Festival, Liu Zhi of Laiyang County invited Perfected Yuyang to conduct a fast-offering and told him that he had no heir. Perfected Yuyang said: "Your household is prosperous and you love propriety and righteousness. You should not be without descendants." He then wrote the four characters "四四应真." On the fourteenth day of the fourth month of the following year, Liu Zhi had a son and came to ask Perfected Yuyang to give the child a name. The Perfected One said: "I have already named him 'Yingzhen.' Today is the very day on which Lord Chunyang descended into the world."

In the second year of the Mingchang era, the xinhai year (1191), Changsheng Zhenren (Perfected Master Changsheng, a Daoist honorific) was forty-five years old. In the tenth month of that year, Changchun Zhenren (Qiu Chuji) returned east to Qixia and took up residence at the Taixu Temple.

In the third year of Mingchang, the renzi year (1192), Changsheng Zhenren was forty-six. In the winter, in the tenth month, Changchun Zhenren performed a jiao (醮, a Daoist ritual of blessing and offering to the deities) at Zhiyang Cave.

In the fourth year of Mingchang, the guichou year (1193), the Perfected Master returned east to Qixia and lived at the Taixu Temple.

In the third year of Mingchang, the renzi year, Changsheng Zhenren was forty-six. In the winter, in the tenth month, Changchun Zhenren performed a jiao ritual at Zhiyang Cave.

In the fourth year of Mingchang, the guichou year, Changsheng Zhenren was forty-seven.

In the fifth year of Mingchang, the jiayin year (1194), Changsheng Zhenren was forty-eight. In the ninth month of autumn, Changchun Zhenren performed a jiao ritual in Fushan County, during which the auspicious sign of "the gates of heaven opening and propitious cranes appearing" was seen. He wrote a poem about it, which is included in the Panxi Ji (Collection of Panxi).

In the sixth year of Mingchang, the yimao year (1195), Changsheng Zhenren was forty-nine.

In the first year of Cheng'an, the bingchen year (1196), Changsheng Zhenren was fifty.

In the second year of Cheng'an, the dingsi year (1197), Changsheng Zhenren was fifty-one. In the sixth month, Yuyang Zhenren (Perfected Master Yuyang, a Daoist honorific) was summoned to court. On the third day of the seventh month, he was received by the emperor in the Bian Hall (the hall where the emperor handled daily affairs) and granted a seat. The emperor asked him about the art of nourishing life (yangsheng), and the two conversed until evening before he withdrew. The next day, the emperor bestowed on him the title "Master of Embodied Mystery" (Tixuan Dashi) along with a purple robe, and ordered that the Xiuzhen Temple and the Chongfu Temple in Yandu be granted to him, to live in whichever he chose. He was also provided a monthly allowance of two hundred qiang (a unit of currency) for vegetarian meals.

In the winter, Changsheng Zhenren was summoned to court. The emperor asked him about the supreme Dao (zhidao), and the Perfected Master replied, "The essence of the supreme Dao lies in reducing cravings and desires, so that the body may be at peace; and in lightening taxes, so that the state may be secure." The emperor said, "What you have said, sir, are the words of Guangchengzi, are they not?" He then ordered his attendants to arrange lodging and meals for the Perfected Master at the Tianchang Temple.

In the third year of the Cheng'an era (the wuwu year), the Changsheng Zhenren (Perfected One of Long Life, an honorific title in Daoism) was fifty-two years old. When he answered the emperor's questions, everything he said accorded with the emperor's wishes. In the third month, he received an imperial order to return to his mountain and was granted five imperial edicts permitting him to build Daoist temples, which were named Lingxu, Taiwei, Longxiang, Jixian, and Miaozhen. He was also commanded to construct these temples and to receive and ordain those who wished to cultivate the Dao (the Way). The Yuyang Zhenren remained in the capital.

In spring, Master Lü of Mount Zhongnan came to the capital. The Changsheng Zhenren petitioned on his behalf to have the Ancestral Hermitage granted the name Lingxu Temple, and handed the official certificate to Master Lü so that he could oversee the temple's affairs. He also wrote a poem to see him off. In summer, the Changsheng Zhenren received an imperial order to return east and care for his parents.

In the fourth year of Cheng'an (the jiwei year), the Changsheng Zhenren was fifty-three years old. That year, the Changchun Zhenren held a jiao ritual (a Daoist rite of altar-building and prayer) at Zhiyang.

In the fifth year of Cheng'an (the gengshen year), the Changsheng Zhenren was fifty-four years old.

In the first year of Taihe (the xinyou year), the Changsheng Zhenren was fifty-five years old. That year he traveled to Guangling and composed the Treatise on Heavenly Dao, Offenses and Blessings. The Yuyang Zhenren, by imperial decree, went to the Taiqing Palace in Bozhou to conduct the Universal Offering Ritual (a large-scale rite of prayer held on behalf of all under heaven); his poems from this occasion appear in the Yunguang Collection.

In the second year of Taihe (the renxu year), the Changsheng Zhenren was fifty-six years old. He held a jiao ritual in Binzhou, during which the auspicious vision of "jade blossoms and jade trees" appeared; his poems on this are found in the Panyang Collection. The Changchun Zhenren likewise held a jiao ritual at Zhiyang.

In the third year of Taihe (the guihai year), the Changsheng Zhenren was fifty-seven years old. On the sixth day of the second month of that year, he ascended as an immortal (the Daoist term for the death of one who has attained the Dao) at Lingxu Temple in Wuguan. The Yuyang Zhenren, by imperial decree, went to the Taiqing Palace in Bozhou to conduct the Universal Offering Ritual, and at the altar he ordained more than a thousand Daoists.

In the fourth year of Taihe (the jiazi year), the Changchun Zhenren was fifty-seven years old.

In the fifth year of Taihe (the yichou year), the Changchun Zhenren was fifty-eight years old. In the fifth month, in summer, he held a jiao ritual in Laizhou, during which auspicious cranes and colored clouds appeared; his lyrics on this are found in the Panxi Collection.

In the sixth year of Taihe (the bingyin year), the Changchun Zhenren was fifty-nine years old.

In the seventh year of Taihe (the dingmao year), the Changchun Zhenren was sixty years old. The Imperial Consort Yuan donated two sets of the Daoist canon, and auspicious clouds appeared along the way; his lyrics on this are found in the Panxi Collection.

In the sixth year of the Taihe era (the bingyin year), Master Changchun was fifty-nine years old.

In the seventh year of Taihe (the dingmao year), Master Changchun was sixty. The Imperial Consort donated two complete sets of Daoist scriptures (two sets of Daoist canonical texts), and dispatched a courier to each of two sites: one to the Taixu Temple at Qixia, the other to the Yuxu Temple at Shengshui.

In the eighth year of Taihe (the wuchen year), Master Changchun was sixty-one.

In the first year of Da'an (the jisi year), Master Changchun was sixty-two. That year he toured Mount Ao and wrote twenty poems. On the fourteenth day of the seventh month, the Perfected Yuyang arrived in Beijing, where, at the invitation of the Administrator Bozhulu, he stayed at the Huayang Temple. There was a severe drought at the time, and officials and commoners asked the Perfected to choose a date for a rain-prayer. The Perfected said, "It will rain on the seventeenth, enough to moisten the ground." When the day came, it happened just as he had said.

In the gengwu year of the Great Yuan, Master Changchun was sixty-three. In the summer, after the Perfected Yuyang had conducted a jiao rite (a Daoist ritual of altar-building and sacrificial offering) at Yutian County in Jizhou, he said to the assembly, "The Daoist qi (vital energy) of the north is about to turn back. Spirits are passing to and fro in the sky, and there seems to be the appearance of swords and blades clashing. Could it be that the people are about to suffer hardship?"

In the xinwei year of the Great Yuan, Master Changchun was sixty-four. That year, Donghai summoned him to the capital of Yan; later he also toured Langshan in Dexing. He wrote poems on both occasions, and they are collected in the Mingdao ji (Anthology of Illuminating the Dao).

In the renshen year, Master Changchun was sixty-five. On the thirtieth day of the twelfth month of that year, the Perfected Guangning ascended as an immortal at the Xiantian Temple in Ninghai Prefecture, at the age of seventy-three.

In the guiyou year, Master Changchun was sixty-six.

In the jiaxu year, Master Changchun was sixty-seven. That year he toured the Yanxia Cave on Mount Kunyu and wrote poems there.

In the yihai year, Master Changchun was sixty-eight.

In the bingzi year, Master Changchun was sixty-nine. At the time he was living in Dengzhou. The Jin ruler ordered the Dongping military supervisor Wang Tingyu to carry an imperial edict summoning him back to Bianjing. Master Changchun said, "I act in accordance with the principle of Heaven. Wherever Heaven's will sends me, I dare not disobey." And so he did not set out.

In the Dingchou year, the Perfected Changchun (Qiu Chuji) was seventy years old. The Perfected Yuyang (Wang Chuyi) ascended as an immortal on the twenty-third day of the fourth month at the Yuxu Temple on Mount Shengshui, at the age of seventy-six.

In the Wuyin year, the Perfected Changchun was seventy-one.

In the Jimao year, the Perfected Changchun was seventy-two and was residing at the Haotian Temple in Laizhou. At this time the region of Qi and Lu had come under the Song. In the eighth month, the Song ruler sent an envoy to summon him, but he did not go. The prefect thanked him, saying, "With you living here, we are truly able to rely on someone." The Perfected Changchun replied, "My staying or leaving is not something you can fathom; I fear that in a few days I will no longer be able to remain here."

In the fifth month of that year, Emperor Taizu, the Sage and Martial (Genghis Khan), sent his attendant Liu Zhonglu from the land of the Naiman, bearing an edict to summon the Perfected Changchun. In the twelfth month, Liu Zhonglu arrived at Laizhou. The original text contains an earlier, duplicate entry for the Jimao year, recording that the Song ruler sent someone to summon the Perfected Changchun, but that he did not answer the summons.

In the Gengchen year, the Perfected Changchun was seventy-three. In the first month, he set out northward from Laizhou, and in the second month he reached the capital of Yan. In the fourth month, the officials invited him to hold a jiao (a Daoist ritual for invoking blessings, a form of Zhaijiao, or purification ritual) at the Taiji Palace (Taiji Gong, Palace of the Supreme Ultimate). In the fifth month, he arrived at Dexing Prefecture and stayed at the Longyang Temple; in the eighth month he reached Xuande Prefecture and stayed at the Chaoyuan Temple.

In the Xinsi year, the Perfected Changchun was seventy-four. On the first day of the fifth month he reached the Lujü River, and in the seventh month he arrived at Mount Abuhan, where he left Song Daoan and eight others to found the Xixia Temple. On the Mid-Autumn Festival he reached the Golden Mountains, passing through the Bleached Bones Plain along the way; in the eleventh month he arrived at the city of Samarkand (Xiemisigan). He wrote poems throughout these journeys, which were collected in the Mingdao ji (Collection on Illuminating the Dao).

In the Renwu year, the Perfected Changchun was seventy-five. In the third month of spring, he passed through the Iron Gate and arrived at the place where the emperor was encamped. The emperor arranged two tents to the east of the imperial pavilion for him to live in, and from time to time asked him about the supreme Dao. In essence, the Perfected Changchun answered that one should moderate desires and nurture oneself; that the Way of Heaven loves to give life and abhors killing; and that governance should esteem Wuwei (non-action) and purity and stillness. The emperor was delighted to hear this and ordered the court scribe to record his words. For the details, see the Qinghui lu (Record of the Auspicious Audience) and the Xiyou ji (Journey to the West).

In the year Guiwei, Master Changchun (Changchun zhenren) was seventy-six. On the seventh day of the third month he received an imperial edict ordering him to return east, and he was granted the title "Divine Immortal" (Shenxian), with authority over all the Daoist communities of the realm. Every matter of Daoist affairs, great or small, was to be decided by him, and no one else was permitted to interfere. All corvée duties previously imposed on Daoist temples were abolished, and local officials were required to protect the temples at all times. In the sixth month, Master Changchun arrived at Fengzhou; in the eighth month he reached Xuandezhou.

In the year Jiashen, Master Changchun was seventy-seven. In the second month he stayed at the Qiuyang Temple in Jinshan. In the third month, officials of Yanjing invited him to take up residence in the Taiji Palace (Taiji gong). In the same month, escorted by an honor guard, he entered the capital of Yan.

In the year Yiyou, Master Changchun was seventy-eight. In the ninth month, the planet Yinghuo (the ancient name for Mars) encroached upon the constellation Wei (an ancient lunar mansion). According to the astrological interpretation of the time, this portended disaster for the region of Yan. The Pacification Commissioner Wang Ji asked Master Changchun to perform a jiao (a Daoist ritual of prayer and the warding off of calamity) to avert it. When the ritual had concluded, Yinghuo moved away by several she (an ancient unit for measuring the distance between lunar mansions).

In the year Bingxu, Master Changchun was seventy-nine. In the fifth month, a severe drought struck the territory of Yan, and officials and common people asked him to perform a jiao to pray for rain. Rain fell promptly and in abundance. The renowned Confucian scholars of Yanjing all wrote poems of congratulation.

In the year Dinghai: the original text gives only the year designation and records no events.

At the very end, the original text repeats once more the entry for the year Bingxu, when Master Changchun was seventy-nine, recording the severe drought in the fifth month in the territory of Yan and the jiao performed to pray for rain.

In the Dinghai year, the Perfected One Changchun (Qiu Chuji) was eighty years old. That summer a great drought struck, and the officials and common people of the capital asked him to preside over a rain-prayer jiao (a Daoist ritual of purification and offering, Zhaijiao) to bring rain. The Perfected One said, "I have been carefully preparing for this very ritual, and you have come to ask just now. Our thoughts have truly met." He added that two rituals should be prepared: a rain-prayer jiao on the first day of the fifth month, and a rain-thanksgiving jiao on the third. Events later unfolded just as he had said.

That month, the court issued an edict renaming the Taiji Palace (Taiji, the Supreme Ultimate) the Changchun Palace. In the sixth month, the Taiye Pond ran dry and the mountain at Beikou collapsed. When someone told the Perfected One of these events, he laughed and said, "The mountain has collapsed and the water has dried up. Am I, too, to depart along with them?"

On the fourth day of the seventh month, the Perfected One said to his disciples, "In the past, the Perfected One Danyang (Ma Yu) made a prophecy about me. He said that after my death, Daoism would flourish; that many regions would often become places where Daoism thrived; and that Daoist monasteries would all receive imperial naming. He said I would also preside over great temples and abbeys, and that envoys bearing tallies of authority and riding post-horses would carry official dispatches to manage Daoist affairs. That would be the time when your work is accomplished and your name is renowned, when you may withdraw once your achievements are complete. Now my master Danyang's words have been fulfilled one by one, and I have no regrets in leaving this world."

On the ninth day, the Perfected One ascended the Baoxuan Hall, left behind a verse of parting, and passed away.

Afterword

When people of old compiled chronological biographies, [they usually did so to record a person's life and deeds.]

The compilation of chronological biographies (nianpu), which record a person's life year by year, has a long history. Its purpose is to set down a figure's origins and experiences so that later generations may consult them. The Seven Perfected (the seven founding patriarchs of Quanzhen, or Complete Perfection) of our Daoist tradition lived beyond the mundane world, yet the Dao (the Way) they followed deeply influenced the world around them. During the transition between dynasties in the Jin period, their achievements in saving the world and relieving the people were remarkable. Hence Li Hanchang Jingzhai of Fenglong praised them, saying: "The Seven Perfected's salvation of the world truly accords with the will of Heaven; Heaven's care for the people has likewise relied upon the teaching of the Seven Perfected. Otherwise, why would Heaven have sent down a wise and sagely ruler to bring peace to the realm, and also sent down the Perfected Changchun (Qiu Chuji) to assist the mandate of Heaven? How could they have concentrated their minds, founded their enterprise together, and remained united to the end?" From these words, the underlying principle can naturally be seen.

In the intervals between reciting scriptures, I have presumed, without regard for my own limitations, to consult widely the collected writings of the various Perfected masters and the biographies written about them by others. Beginning with the year of Patriarch Chongyang's (Wang Chongyang) birth and ending with the autumn in which Perfected Changchun ascended as an immortal, I have arranged the origins, experiences, and deeds of these one hundred and sixteen years into a chronological biography, balancing detail and brevity. Where an individual biography disagrees with a master's own collected writings, I have set aside the biography and adopted the collected writings, because the records in those collections are more reliable, and some details are not made clear in the biographies.

Alas, the general course of the Seven Perfected's lives and deeds has now been arranged into a chronology. As for the profound realm of the masters, who concealed themselves deeply yet appeared in response to the times, whose influence was thunderous yet still and far-reaching, whose spirit (Shen) stirred in accord with the Dao, and who dwelt at ease in Wuwei (non-action), this by its nature cannot be fully captured in brush and words. What I record here is only their deeds in cultivating the Dao and establishing the teaching. I offer it provisionally to inspire beginners, so that they may know to take these patriarchs as their foundation, and it is not my intention to give offense to fellow practitioners of the Dao.

Written on the Zhongyuan festival of the Xinwei year of the Zhiyuan era (1291 CE), by Li Daoqian, the Daoist of Heavenly Joy, at the Junxi Daoist Hermitage of the Zhongnan Ancestral Court.