《上清侍帝晏桐柏真人真图赞》

Those who attain the Dao (the Way) and become immortals follow different courses. Some live in seclusion and remain hidden, while others manifest themselves in the human world. The methods of transforming spirit and form are many, and the paths to immortality are not the same. Lord Great Mao (Damao Jun) took leave of his family and entered the mountains to cultivate the Dao. When his practice was complete he returned, rode in a splendid carriage, and ascended to heaven in broad daylight. Master Gaoqiu, by contrast, changed his appearance and withdrew from the world to practice. Once his elixir was finished he never came back, but rode dragons and cranes into the realm of the immortals. Accounts of marvelous manifestations are recorded to encourage students of the Dao to practice diligently. Accounts of those who vanished without a trace are recorded so that people need not cling to the wish to avoid parting and death. Some people are destined by fate to be conspicuous or concealed, and events cannot be turned against that fate. Others are by nature fond of stillness or of conversation, and each follows what suits them. The ancient immortals all differed in whether they appeared in the world or withdrew from it, and in whether their traces were plain or obscure. Those who set down their legends often could not examine them in full, so the same event is frequently recorded in different ways, and later accounts disagree with earlier ones. Only by seeing these changes as a whole can one grasp their subtleties.

The Perfected Lord Wang of Tongbo was Zijin, the crown prince of King Ling of Zhou. The Records of the Grand Historian says the prince died young, while the Biographies of Immortals says he lived in seclusion and then ascended as an immortal. There is a reason for the discrepancy. Sima Qian relied on the state histories and recorded his early death, while Liu Xiang relied on Daoist books and recorded his later attainment of immortality. One records his early death in the human world, the other his experiences after becoming an immortal. Though the two accounts are opposed, each can stand on its own terms.

Wang Zijin was endowed with numinous and extraordinary qi (vital energy), so the foundation of his cultivation may well have been laid long before. He took birth through a human womb and came to the world only for a time. That he was intelligent and perceptive from early childhood shows that his nature had deep origins. That he was born already bearded is taken as a manifestation of his former appearance. He refined his spirit and entered the realm of the subtle, and he was granted the status of an immortal early. According to tradition, he knew he would soon be summoned by the Celestial Emperor, and he arranged to meet Music Master Kuang in three years. To be "a guest of the Emperor" means ascending to heaven to serve the Lord, not having one's soul sink into oblivion. He also understood that the limited lifespan Master Kuang spoke of was not truly a death decreed by Heaven. In fact, he simply ended his life in the human world early and then returned to the realm of the immortals.

He thought little of his position as crown prince and valued the way of immortality. Once he wandered by the Luo River, where he gave expression to his feelings in the pure, light tones of the reed pipes and song. He moved the immortal Fuqiu Gong, who descended to meet him and transmitted marvelous methods for transcending the mundane world. Thus he showed himself shedding his form, taking on the appearance of death, and entered the mountains to study the Dao. On the day he grew wings and ascended, he bade farewell to the world and soared into the sky. Seen in this way, there is nothing doubtful in the fact that an account of his death in the human world came first and a legend of his immortality followed.

For this reason, his tomb at Jingling was opened by people of old, yet the sword inside had flown away. The shrine of the Wei family still stands, and people believe the spirit within it endures. These matters show that the legend of Wang Zijin's transformation and ascent as an immortal is coherent in principle.

I, Sima Chengzhen, lived in my early years on Mount Song, admiring the lofty, secluded life of the mountains and forests. Whenever I visited a shrine, I revered the numinous traces the immortals had left behind. Facing mountains and waters, I emptied my mind in quiet reflection, as though the scenes of seven days before were still before my eyes. Gazing up at the clouds and sky, I also longed for a long while for the profound and mysterious realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the three highest deities honored in Daoism). Later I received the mandate of Jade Dawn (a Daoist divine being) and gained the honor of serving and assisting the Lord. I was then appointed to a post in Jinting and went to the famed Mount Tongbo. This place governs the Five Peaks and is where the many spirits attend. It is also where the Eight Caverns meet and the immortals gather to roam.

Zhou Ziyang received the talisman of the Plain Memorial, and Xia Mingchen received the method of the Yellow Water. Those who accord with the Dao pass secret instructions to their companions, while those who turn to the Daoist gate with devotion are led into the deep and wondrous realm of the immortals. The Numinous Ruins are truly extraordinary, and the Cinnabar Waters are where spirit immortals are made. The blessed land is renowned for its numinous marvels, and yellow clouds shroud the land of the deathless. The forest dwellings and rock-cave retreats are all places of rest, while the stone bridges, peaks, and immortal towers bear the traces of the immortals who climbed and wandered here.

So I carried my book chest to this secluded place to seek them out. There I built a chamber and lived in quiet, pursuing the subtle and mysterious realm of the Dao, keeping far from worldly clamor and having little contact with the outside. I studied the biographies of the immortals and followed the immortals' traces along the Yi and Luo Rivers. I also read through the Zhen'gao (Declarations of the Perfected, a Daoist text recording the deeds and teachings of the perfected immortals), admiring the manifestation and descent into the world of the Perfected Lord of Huayang. So I carefully took up my brush and reverently painted images of the immortals, and I wrote eulogies to express my sincerity.

I burn incense and make my invocation, and through the rolls of plain silk I glimpse the cavern-dwellings of heaven. I listen quietly to my breath and concentrate my mind in visualization, as though paying my respects to the immortal's countenance in the Crimson Palace (the palace of the immortal realm in Daoist belief). From his manifestation in the human world to his final ascent into the realm of the immortals, I have painted eleven pictures in all, and compiled them into this one volume.

Eulogy for the portrait of Lord Wang, Transcendent of Shangqing (Highest Clarity), Attendant of the Emperor's Dawn, Director of the Bureau of the Five Peaks, and Perfected Right Assistant of Mount Tongbai (an immortal who assists the Heavenly Emperor and oversees the affairs of the Five Peaks).

In the twenty-third year of King Ling of Zhou, the Gu and Luo rivers surged in flood and threatened to destroy the royal palace. King Ling wanted to dam the waters. The Crown Prince remonstrated, saying: "This should not be done. I have heard that in ancient times, those who governed the people did not demolish mountains, fill in high marshes, block rivers, or drain lakes and swamps."

"When a state flourishes, it surely has achievements like those of Yu of Xia and Lü Shang. When a state declines, it surely has faults like those of Gong Gong and Gun. Now that I hold a post in government, I fear I have indeed acted improperly and disturbed the spirits of the two great rivers, the Gu and the Luo, so that they compete to display their power and endanger the royal palace. If Your Majesty were to go on repairing the palace buildings, I fear that would hardly be appropriate."

"Those who assist in the sacrifices to the spirits receive blessings, while those who aid calamity are themselves harmed. Your Majesty means to dam the rivers of the state in order to adorn the palace. This is aiding the state's calamity, and I fear it will bring disaster and injury. Since the earlier kings Li, Xuan, You, and Ping, greed has called down the wrath of Heaven, and to this day the disasters have not ended. I also fear that this course will deepen the misfortune, extend it to your descendants, and weaken the royal house still further."

King Ling dammed the waters all the same. Later, King Jing favored a host of courtiers, and from this the turmoil began. After King Jing died, the royal house fell into great disorder, and by the time of King Zhending it had grown weaker still.

The picture shows the palace towers of Zhou and the place where the Gu and Luo rivers meet, with the floodwaters gradually breaking down the palace walls. Within the walls, people carry earth on their backs, trying to dam the rivers. The Crown Prince, properly robed and attired, stands before King Ling and remonstrates.

The eulogy says:

The Crown Prince was divinely gifted by nature, wise and sage though young, bright and discerning, and heir to the light.

With earnest sincerity the Crown Prince urged the king not to dam the waters to adorn the palace.

Why did King Ling refuse to listen, and instead carry on with the building?

The Crown Prince foretold turmoil and decline, and it came true. The royal house sank day by day into lowliness and poverty.

Duke Ping of Jin sent Shu Yu as an envoy to the Zhou court. After meeting the Crown Prince, Shu Yu conversed with him. The Crown Prince posed one question after another, and Shu Yu, unable to answer several of them, took his leave, and the conversation went no further. On returning, Shu Yu told Duke Ping: "The Crown Prince is only fifteen, yet I could not keep up a discussion with him."

Shi Kuang, the court musician of Jin, said: "Allow me to visit the Crown Prince by night and speak with him." When he arrived, Shi Kuang asked the Crown Prince about the conduct of a noble person and the virtue (De) of Yao and Shun. He asked by what means kings and lords are held in honor, and why they come to occupy lower positions. He also asked about gentleness and reverence, sincerity and quick intelligence, and uprightness of virtue that does not waver. He asked how one awakens all things from their root, how one learns by proceeding from the shallow to the deep, and how one at last ascends to the Dichen (the immortal realm where the Celestial Emperor dwells) and is granted an audience with the Son of Heaven. From ancient times until now, who has been able to accomplish these things?

The Crown Prince answered every question at once, with clear argument and orderly reasoning. Shi Kuang rose on tiptoe in admiration and said, "Excellent, excellent!" Then, with a solemn expression, he stood and said: "I, a subject who has come by night, ask leave to withdraw." The Crown Prince said: "I have heard that you can tell the length of a person's life from their appearance. I hope you will tell me mine." Shi Kuang replied: "Your voice is uneven, with a mixture of clear and turbid tones, and your complexion is a blend of red and white, blazing like fire. These are all signs of a short life." The Crown Prince said: "In three years I shall ascend as a guest to the Emperor's abode (the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor). Be careful not to speak of this to anyone, or calamity will fall upon you." Shi Kuang returned home and died in less than three years.

The illustration shows the halls of the Eastern Palace, with the Crown Prince seated within, answering the questions of Shu Yu and Shi Kuang. Shi Kuang is depicted standing on tiptoe, while the Crown Prince tells him: "In three years I shall ascend as a guest to the Emperor's abode. Be careful and say nothing, or calamity will come." Shi Kuang returned home and died in less than three years.

Eulogy:

His learning gathered and grew vast and far-reaching; he could analyze matters and set them forth in discourse. Shu Yu was thus left at a loss, and Shi Kuang too found nothing further to challenge. His spiritual nature (Shen) lay deep and unrevealed, yet people rashly speculated from his voice and appearance. The Crown Prince's ascent to the Emperor's abode had its own appointed time; how could Shi Kuang, a subject who came by night, fully know the reasons behind it?

The Liexian zhuan (Biographies of Exemplary Immortals) records: The Crown Prince loved to play the sheng (mouth organ), and its sound was like the cry of the phoenix. While he wandered along the Yi and Luo Rivers, the Daoist master Fuqiu Gong led him up to Mount Song. When Fuqiu Gong first descended, he transmitted secret arts to him. After the Crown Prince completed his practice, he intended to attain immortality through shijie (liberation from the corpse, the Daoist practice of shedding the physical body and transforming into an immortal). For this reason, he told Shi Kuang in advance that he would depart in three years.

The illustration shows the Crown Prince playing the sheng, wandering between the Yi and Luo Rivers, and the Daoist master Fuqiu Gong descending to receive and guide him.

Eulogy: The original text contains no eulogy.

He held the position of Crown Prince, yet his name was already recorded in the immortal pavilions of the realm of the Xian. His aspirations were lofty, reaching to the Milky Way, and he took no delight in the life of the cities of the human world. He learned the breath-regulation methods of the phoenix, longed for the true Dao (the Way), and quietly awaited his destined opportunity at Luoyang. Later, Lord Fuqiu descended to the human world to transmit the teachings, and the prince used the technique of "release from the form" to depart from the mortal realm.

The fourth passage records that he once prophesied to Shi Kuang: "In three years' time, I shall go to the Celestial Emperor as a guest." The meaning is that within three years he would first shed his physical body through the method of "corpse liberation" (shijie), and then ascend to the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor, which is why he spoke of it in advance. He then quietly freed himself from his body, leaving behind only his precious sword and a dark bird, while his true self vanished and secretly made its way to Mount Song. So that his relatives would stop searching for him in anguish, he displayed the signs of death and let them give up their hopes. Cultivating the Dao is no easy matter, and so one must accumulate learning over a long time before one can ascend to immortality.

The illustration depicts a palace, showing the prince as he goes out from within it, along with a scene of his ministers weeping. It also depicts the prince traveling southeast together with Lord Fuqiu, toward Mount Songgao.

The eulogy says:

Sword and staff each hold their own arts; talismans and elixirs come in many kinds.

With a substitute he took the place of his form, slipping quietly out of his mortal body; the transformation is profound and beyond fathoming.

Seeking a master and inquiring after the Dao, the road is long; bidding farewell to kin, he forgot all worldly attachment.

Dwelling secluded in the mountains, he found ease of his own; before the grave, grief is spent in vain.

The fifth passage of the text says: Lord Fuqiu led him up Mount Songgao. More than thirty years later, people climbed the mountain to look for him and met Huan Liang. He said to Huan Liang: "Tell my family to wait for me at the summit of Mount Wei on the seventh day of the seventh month." The prince lived in seclusion on Mount Songgao, following Lord Fuqiu in the cultivation of the Dao. Through focused contemplation he refined his Shen (spirit), and by taking medicines he transformed his physical form. Once his Dao practice was accomplished, the time for ascending to immortality had arrived. He therefore came down from the mountain, met Huan Liang, and asked him to carry the message to his family.

The illustration depicts Mount Songgao and the life of cultivation: he dwells among rock caves and trees, with scriptures and alchemical implements placed in the cave, and Lord Fuqiu seated within. Before the cave an altar has been set up, where the Lord Wang sits burning incense and practicing in deep concentration. The illustration also shows the Lord Wang, after leaving the mountain, meeting Huan Liang and conversing with him.

"Corpse liberation" (shijie) is a Daoist term for a method of leaving the physical body and ascending to immortality in another form; "talismans and medicines" (fuyao) refers to Fulu (talismans and registers) and the medicines used in cultivation.

The eulogy says:

He lived in the mountains, concealing his traces, devoting himself to studying the Dao (the Way) and cultivating his body. After many years, the merit of his cultivation had come into accord with the host of deities. Seven days before his departure, he told the people that the appointed time was near and that he was about to go to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest heavenly realm in Daoism. Huan Liang returned to report the news, and the state of Zhou also prepared to welcome him.

The text accompanying the sixth image records: Lord Wang did indeed ride a white crane and alight on the mountaintop. The crowd could only watch from afar and could not approach. He raised his hand to bid the world farewell, and a few days later he departed. Afterward, people built a shrine for him on Mount Wei. After Lord Wang first left the world, he hid his traces; later he became an immortal and appeared again. His divine transformations were without fixed form, and his numinous responses followed his will. For this reason, he could descend to take leave of the Hou clan, and he could also raise his hand to leave his affection with the multitude. Then he ascended into the clouds and sky, rode the crane up into the heavens, and his figure vanished. People long remembered the traces he left behind, so they built a shrine to make offerings to him. His sacred image was handed down to later generations, and people also believed that his Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) still dwelt within it.

Shi Kuang's remarks on lifespan can be compared to creatures such as clams and ark shells, while the words of Crown Prince Bin Di can be understood through the tortoise and the crane.

The image shows Lord Wang riding a crane that has alighted on the summit of Mount Wei, raising his hand to bid the world farewell. It also depicts the ceremonial procession of the ruler of Zhou and the crowds of that time. The people can only watch from a distance and cannot draw near. It also shows Lord Wang driving his crane up into the heavens.

The eulogy says:

The people of the whole state gathered, and the white crane alighted on the mountaintop. From afar he raised his hand in farewell, never to return. After leaving his affection behind for a few days, he rode the crane up through the three heavens. Alone in his carriage, he traveled freely into the distance; the crowd, grieving, could only turn back.

The text accompanying the seventh image says: Even the highest sage of the Shangqing heaven and others could only gaze at Lord Wang from afar and could not reach him. The image also shows Lord Wang driving his crane up into the heavens.

The eulogy says:

The people of the whole state gathered, and the white crane alighted on the mountaintop. From afar he raised his hand in farewell, never to return. After leaving his affection behind for a few days, he rode the crane up through the three heavens. Alone in his carriage, he traveled freely into the distance; the crowd, grieving, could only turn back.

In the seventh heaven of Shangqing Heaven (the Shangqing Realm, one of the heavens of the Three Pure Ones, or Sanqing), dwells the Great Lord of the Dao, the Supreme Jade Dawn Mysterious Sovereign. He is the master of all Daos, revered by the many perfected beings (zhenren), and he is also the one in whom cultivators of the world place their faith and whom they take as their model. Those who attain the Dao and become immortals must go to the Golden Gate Palace (Jinque, the celestial palace), pay homage to the Lord of the Dao, and receive their appointments. The Lord then assigns each one a post and rank according to the height of their virtue (De) and merit, and bestows garments and ceremonial protocols according to grade. Their crowns differ, and the colors of their tallies differ as well; their carriages and processions each have their own form, drawn either by dragons or by cranes. All these distinctions reflect the ranks of the immortal offices and serve as the basis for promotion or demotion. Lord Wang respectfully received the Lord's decree.

The painting depicts the Shangqing palace in heaven and the image of the Lord of the Dao, with immortals and perfected beings attending as guards. Two youths stand to one side, together holding a table, on which rests a jade tablet of appointment (yuce, a jade document symbolizing an official commission). Another perfected being is painted standing nearby, reading the document aloud and handing it to Lord Wang.

The eulogy says:

Body and name have both reached the realm of the profound; the work of the Dao is complete, and he ascends to immortality. He goes to the Golden Gate Palace to pay homage and receives the jade tablet issued by the Lord of the Jade Dawn. Virtue and merit each have their rank, and the offices assigned each have their rules to follow. His bearing and ritual conduct are orderly and reverent, his spirit (Shen) gathered and concentrated, enduring ten thousand kalpas without dispersing.

Eighth: Lord Wang receives his appointment at the Golden Gate Palace, with the title "Attendant of the Emperor's Dawn, Director of the Bureau of the Five Peaks, Right Assistant King, Perfected One of Tongbai." Having received the decree, he is to proceed to the Grotto Palace (donggong, the residence of immortals within the mountains). Feathered tallies (yujie, ceremonial staffs adorned with feathers) lead the way before him, and rainbow banners (nizhan, multicolored pennants) follow behind. The dragon carriage descends and the crane carriage circles back; divine attendants guard him and play the sheng pipes. He leaves the Taiqing Heaven and travels on the clouds, heading toward Dongxiao and arriving in peace. The Qi of the Dao is wondrous and numinous, and the spectacle of the immortals' procession is truly magnificent.

The painting shows Lord Wang riding a cloud-carriage, with a feather-adorned canopy above it, attended by immortal spirits, while banners and ceremonial standards lead the way. Dragons and cranes fly down from the sky, depicting his journey toward the Grotto Palace on Mount Tongbai.

The eulogy says:

The rank and appointment he has received are now settled, and the immortal procession is fully assembled. The celestial carriage floats amid the clouds, and dragons and cranes race it onward; banners and standards lead the way, and immortals gather to follow. Descending from heaven, he proceeds to the Grotto Palace on Mount Tongbai.

His investiture and endowments were now complete, and the procession of his retinue was fully assembled. A splendid carriage bore the immortal, drawn by dragons and cranes at full gallop; banners and ceremonial standards led the way, and the assembled immortals followed in attendance. Descending the heavenly stairs from the sky, they gazed out over the sacred mountains and proceeded to their respective stations.

Ninth

Mount Tiantai is also called Tongbai Qishan. Within the mountain lies a grotto-heaven called the Golden Court Palace (Jinting Gong). Here essential Qi (qi) lies hidden, and the morning light shines around the grotto; its jade terraces and chambers are bright and pure, the springs hold stone marrow and the essence of gold, and the trees put forth new shoots like Su herb and branches like green jade. This is truly a blessed realm and numinous land for cultivating one's true nature and attaining immortality.

The Royal Lord (Wang Jun) dwells here, governing both the hidden and the manifest realms, and serves and assists the Lord of the Emperor's Dawn (Dichen, the celestial sovereign). At times he attends court to carry out his duties, overseeing and administering all the famous mountains, and the many spirits also receive their assignments here.

The illustration depicts Mount Tongbai and the Golden Court grotto-palace: the Royal Lord sits within the palace, attended by immortals at his side; the Lords of the Five Peaks each lead their assisting spirits, and a multitude of spirits come to pay their respects.

The eulogy says:

Within the mountain lies a jade grotto, and the grotto-palace is named Golden Court. It connects with the Nine Heavens, and the Three Dawns (the celestial spirits who oversee the sun, moon, and stars) conceal their essential Qi (qi) within. The Royal Lord holds the office of attending the Lord, assisting the sovereign and keeping faithfully to his duty. He commands the Five Peaks and governs the many spirits.

Tenth

The Perfected Master of Purple Yang, Zhou Jishan, once entered Mount Tongbai and paid his respects to the Perfected Royal Lord. The Royal Lord transmitted to him the Plain Memorial and Cinnabar Talisman (suzou danfu, a memorial or talisman written on plain silk or white paper). Later, Xia Fu, Attendant Gentleman of the Bright Dawn, also entered Mount Tongbai and met the Royal Lord, and received from him the method of Yellow Water and Cloud Nectar (a cultivation method concerning yellow water and cloud nectar).

The illustration shows Zhou Jishan, dressed in a Daoist robe, meeting the Royal Lord on Mount Tongbai. The Royal Lord holds the Plain Memorial and Cinnabar Talisman in his left hand, ready to hand it to Zhou Jishan, who kneels upright to receive it. The illustration also shows Xia Fu, dressed in archaic garments, meeting the Royal Lord, who holds a scroll ready to give him; Xia Fu kneels and raises both hands to receive the book. Both Zhou Jishan and Xia Fu wear the garb of mountain dwellers, and each has taken off his bamboo hat and placed it on a rock beside him as he kneels before the Royal Lord. The Royal Lord is dressed in the robes of a Perfected One, with three or four immortals standing in attendance on either side.

Zhou Jun sought the methods of cultivating the Dao, and the Perfected One (zhenren) bestowed upon him the Elixir Talismans (the arts of alchemy and Fulu, talismans and registers). Master Xia sought the way to immortality and investigated the "Yellow Water" (a technical term in Daoist cultivation and refinement). Refining the body is a wondrous method of practice, and without a teacher's guidance it is hard to accomplish. So long as one cultivates with utmost sincerity, one can reach the hidden realms and may then await the appointed time set within the obscure and unseen.

Eleventh: In the third year of the Xingning era of the Eastern Jin (365 CE), a Daoist practitioner, Master Yang, was cultivating in stillness on Mount Mao. After he achieved a response and communion with the divine, many Perfected Ones descended and transmitted the teachings of the Dao to him. On the twenty-sixth day of the sixth month of that year, the Perfected One of Tongbo, Lord Wang, came to Master Yang's dwelling together with other Perfected Ones, but did not speak to him at once.

Master Yang recorded that one among them was very young and of solemn, dignified bearing. He wore a lotus crown and a vermilion robe adorned with white pearls, and a sword hung at his side along the seams of his garment. This Perfected One later spoke at length about Mount Jinting.

He also sent down these words: "The Eight Expanses and Four Extremes (the vast and distant reaches of heaven and earth in every direction) stretch far, and the spiritual realms are remote. Marvelous words burst forth like blossoms putting out their buds, and the immortal music rings clear and sweet. At dawn one ascends into the clouds, and the subtle, mysterious qi of Great Purity and Emptiness follows. Receiving office in the Jade Void (the realm of the immortals in Daoism), the heart is no longer troubled by hardship and suffering. Dwell in the deep and hidden places, and gather your shen (spirit) and harmonize your qi in a stillness without ripples. Only by achieving this can you rise bodily into the high heavens and travel through the palaces where the immortals and perfected beings dwell. Then the Three Origins (the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, or the realms of the Three Origins in Daoism) can be beheld, and the ranks and titles conferred by the immortal realm can be established.

"If the will is crooked and given to reckless stirrings, the eyes fix only on sounds, sights, and finery, and every movement is bound up in entanglements, while in stillness one falls into contention and the desire to prevail, then the path of the immortals will only grow more distant, and the pursuit of long life more elusive. Be careful.

"All who cultivate the Dao should probe deeply into the subtle and profound principles of the spirit and set their hearts beyond worldly affairs. If you reflect and contemplate with diligence and focus, even what you gain may be only a rough and shallow understanding, it is still worth treasuring."

The Perfected One also sent down songs and other verses, which are not copied out here one by one.

The illustration depicts the scene in which Lord Wang descended while Master Yang was practicing at his altar on Mount Mao, studying the Dao. Lord Wang wears a lotus crown and a crimson robe adorned with white pearls, with a sword at his side along the seams of his garment. Master Yang holds paper and brush and draws near the Perfected One to record his words. In the illustration, the Perfected One's clothing is drawn according to the conventions for the dress of true immortals, and the folds of the sword are painted in the style described in the scriptures.

True immortals are not far away; the resonance and communication between humans and immortals is simply very subtle and faint. The Perfected One (Zhenren) responds to the hidden wishes of the heart and descends to this place, revealing a numinous and wondrous form. With sincere teaching he leaves behind his words, and he sets them forth again in chanted and sung verse. The manifested vision does not last long before the Perfected One returns to the realm of original truth, in which all is pure stillness and emptiness, and all is restored to the One.

Eulogy on the True Image of the Perfected One of Tongbai, Attendant of the Emperor Chen of Highest Clarity (in praise of the Perfected One of Tongbai, Attendant of the Emperor Chen of Highest Clarity [Shangqing], and of his portrait)