《南岳小录》

Nanyue (the Southern Marchmount) is Mount Heng. The Rites of Zhou (Zhouli), in its section on the Zhifang Shi (Director of Regions), records: "The guardian mountain of the Southern Marchmount is called Mount Heng." Mount Heng lies in the region corresponding to the two lunar lodges Yi and Zhen, and for this reason it was honored as the guardian mountain of the south.

Mount Heng (Hengshan), the Southern Peak, lies in the south and was known in antiquity as the "Guardian Peak of the South." It corresponds in the heavens to the Wing (Yi) and Chariot (Zhen) constellations, assists the Purple Tenuity Palace (Ziwei), governs the root of the three qi, and harmonizes the virtue (De) of the five spirits. Above, it answers to the stars that preside over birth and generation; below, it accords with the function of nurturing all things. Because it can weigh and measure things and distribute blessings evenly, it is called "Heng," meaning "to balance."

The Diagram of the True Forms of the Five Peaks (Wuyue zhenxing tu) states that ten mountains assist the deities of the Southern Peak in its governance: Qianshan, Huoshan, Lushan, Shishan, Mashan, Yusun Mountain, Dongyang Mountain, Xiaowei Mountain, Jiuyi Mountain, and Luofu Mountain. The Southern Peak also holds a sacred realm of immortals and perfected beings called Zhuling Grotto-Heaven (a Daoist term for a paradise of immortals). It is said that its mountains wind around for seven hundred li, with seventy great peaks and five lesser ones, as well as two altars, the Luguang Altar and the Qingyu (Blue Jade) Altar. Those who study the Dao and dwell here can transcend the mundane world. Extraordinary people also live at the Qingyu Altar.

The Qingyu Altar, the Source of Numinous Spirits (Dong Ling Yuan), and the Guangtian Altar are all blessed lands. Each of the Five Peaks guards one direction and is overseen by an accomplished lofty perfected being (a Daoist honorific for high-ranking immortals) who has attained the Dao. These beings guide the clouds and rain, nourish all things, and bestow their grace upon living beings.

The Five Peaks

The five peaks are named Zhurong, Zigai, Yunmi, Tianzhu, and Shilin.

Zhurong Peak rises 9,780 zhang above the ground. Standing north of the other peaks, it is the highest of them all, towering upward and encircling the rest. On the peak are the ruins of the Zhurong Temple, as well as the Qingyu Altar, the Guangtian Altar, the Baibi (White Jade) Altar, the Leigong Pool, the Wind Cave, the Immortal Pear Tree, and the ruins of the Shangqing Monastery. To the southeast of the peak stands the Study Hall of Li Bi.

Zigai Peak rises 4,509 zhang above the ground. Its mountain form is lofty and steep, shaped like the canopy raised in ancient processions, and it is named for this resemblance. On the peak are the Immortals' Pool and the Pavilion of the Seven Perfected Ones; at the foot of the mountain are the ruins of the Zigai Monastery and the Wang Family Medicine Hall.

Mifeng (Dense Peak) is a mountain peak. According to tradition, when Yu the Great of the Xia dynasty was taming the floods, he climbed this peak and set up a stele recording the mountain's height and dimensions, inscribed in tadpole script (an ancient writing style whose characters resemble tadpoles). In recent times, some woodcutters have said they came across this stele. It is said to be highly numinous, sometimes vanishing and hard to see. The area also holds Yu Stream, Yinzhen Plateau (Plateau of the Hidden Perfected), Duanshi Spring (Broken Stone Source), Zhuling Cave, Danya (Cinnabar Cliff), and the remains of stone chambers once inhabited by immortals.

Tianzhu Peak (Heavenly Pillar Peak) takes its name from its pillar-like shape and is also called Zhukuo Peak. Beneath it stands the stone altar of Lady Wei, and some say she attained the Dao (the Way) here.

Shilin Peak (Stone Granary Peak) looks like a granary when seen from afar. Its summit is broad and flat, about ten zhang square, and is said to connect with a cave-dwelling nearby. Dongmen Temple (Cave Gate Temple) once stood here, and the master Hu Fu would often roam the area riding a white leopard. There is also a Lesser Shilin Peak, below which stands a temple to Shun. Huagai, Dilou, Zhibo, and Huiya are also names of smaller peaks.

The Three Streams are the Ling Stream, the Shou Stream, and the Dongzhen Stream (Cavern of Perfection Stream).

Ling Stream (Numinous Stream) is so named because it leads to the source of the immortal realm and abounds in spiritual herbs. It rises on the western side of Zigai Peak, passes Shengshou Temple, and joins the Shou Stream. It then flows south to the Yue Temple (Marchmount Temple) before dividing and emptying onto the plains. Besides these, there is also the Dongzhen Stream.

The Temple of King Huo, Ruler of Heaven, lies in front of the Yue Temple, more than one hundred paces away. In the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), the south corresponds to Fire, so its corresponding deity is Zhurong. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang enfeoffed Zhurong as King Who Governs Heaven, so that he might receive sacrifices in summer. The temple has officials such as a temple prefect and attendants. The original temple was built on Zhurong Peak; when it was relocated in the Sui dynasty, Huasou Temple was demolished and the new temple built on its site. Today the ruins of the ancient temple can still be seen on the summit of Zhurong Peak.

The Temple of the True Lord lies east of the Yue Temple.

The Temple of the Perfected Lord (Zhenjun Temple) stands a little over fifty paces east of the Yue Temple. It was originally built together with the temple dedicated to the Sovereign of Heaven's Mandate (Situian Wang), with a separate hall for each. During the Kaiyuan era, the Celestial Master (Tianshi) Sima memorialized the throne, saying that each of the Five Marchmount Grotto-Heavens is overseen by a Highest Perfected (shangzhen, a high-ranking divine being in Daoism), and that it was improper for a deity receiving blood sacrifices to share a ritual site with a Highest Perfected. After the court approved, a separate, pure temple was built on the Southern Marchmount.

At the start of every summer, the temple holds a purification ritual (Zhaijiao) with fasting and an offering altar (a Daoist rite used for prayer and for offerings to the gods), and five Daoists are ordained and admitted to take long-term charge of burning incense, cultivation practice, and sweeping the temple. This was decreed by imperial edict issued on the fifteenth day of the fifth month of the fifteenth year of Kaiyuan.

The Wuling Jing (Scripture of the Five Numina) states that the governance of the Southern Marchmount is assisted by nine deities of administration, three hundred subordinate officials, and thirty thousand feathered guard officers, and that the Southern Marchmount is also a place where petitions are made to the perfected and divine on behalf of the state. The Shangzhen Ji (Record of the Highest Perfected) records that the one commanding the Directorate of Destiny of the Southern Marchmount (the divine office in charge of the Southern Marchmount's registers of fate and human lifespans) is the Perfected Person of Great Void (Taixu Zhenren), who is Lord Yan Lao. The Perfected of Qianshan, Lord Bao, assists in the governance, and the Perfected of Huoshan, Lord Han, aids in it. The Perfected of Jinhua, Lord Huang Chuping; the Perfected of Tianzhu, Lord Zuo Yuanfang; the Perfected of South Huo, Lord Zheng Siyuan; the Perfected of Huolin, Lord Xu Ying; the Perfected of Danhuo, Lord Zhou Yang; and the Primal Lady of Purple Void, Lady Wei Huacun, are all counted among the officials who assist the Director of Destiny. The region where Wu, Yue, Chu, Shu, and other lands meet is likewise under their supervision.

The Hengyue Temple (Hengyue Guan) lies at the foot of Huagai Peak. According to an old stele, it was founded in the eighth year of the Taikang era of the Jin dynasty by the Perfected Xu Lingqi and the Perfected Deng Yuzhi. In the second year of the Tianjian era of the Liang dynasty, the Perfected Zhou Jingzhen enlarged it. Emperor Wu of Liang granted it three hundred households of estate land to serve as the temple's endowment.

In the eighth year of the Daye era of the Sui dynasty, the emperor issued an edict inviting the Celestial Masters (Tianshi) Cai Fatao and Li Fachao to reside in the temple, practice cultivation, and carry out Daoist rites. He also gave the temple the storehouses, fields, and various implements of the Hengzhou prefectural government. In the second year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang, Emperor Taizong re-inscribed the temple's plaque and invited the Celestial Master Zhang Huilang to ordain forty-nine Daoists, so that they might cultivate the Dao (Way) and pray for blessings on behalf of the state. In the first year of the Hongdao era under Emperor Gaozong of the Tang, the Celestial Master Ye Fashan was invited to perform the rite of enfeoffing the Marchmount (a Daoist ceremony of announcing and sacrificing to the Southern Marchmount in the manner of the Feng and Shan sacrifices). An area forty li square was marked off as the place where the temple would make offerings to the immortals and pray for long life. It was ordained that no firewood was to be cut and no hunting done within it, and that the presentation of precious offerings would cease. These rules were established as permanent custom.

Within the temple stand the Hall of the Perfected's Descent, where Master Tian attained the Dao, and the Hall of the Perfected of Celestial Master Liu. Behind them is the Ascension Altar of the Perfected Yin (traditionally held to be the place from which the Perfected Yin ascended to heaven). The temple's stele inscription was composed by the Sui scholar Cao Xian and is still preserved today.

Zhaoxian Temple (Zhaoxian Guan)

According to an old stele, Zhaoxian Temple was first founded in the Liu-Song period, and its buildings were enlarged in the Xiao-Qi period. Another tradition holds that it was founded by the Perfected Xu during the Xianheng era of the Jin dynasty.

On the second day of the seventh month in the first year of the Yuanxing era of Qi, Zhang Tan, a Daoist of the Shengxuan (Ascension to Mystery) order who served as abbot, was to ride a crane up to heaven in broad daylight. That night thunder and lightning roared and heaven and earth shook. Today, about one li behind the temple, an incense altar for facing heaven remains.

In the second year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang, the Celestial Master Xiao Linghu, a native of Luling, was staying at the Southern Marchmount. After the turmoil of war, Zhaoxian Temple had fallen into ruin. Master Linghu was skilled in the arts of transmutation, so he transmuted gold, silver, and other goods, then had traveling merchants from other regions sell them for money, which he used to rebuild the temple. Within a few years the temple was fully restored. In the fifth year of Zhenguan, the Pavilion of Seeking the Perfected (Xunzhen Ge) was also built.

Jiuzhen Temple (Jiuzhen Guan)

Jiuzhen Temple (Jiuzhen Guan, a Daoist temple) is recorded in its stele inscription as having begun during the Taikang era of the Jin dynasty, when the Perfected One Deng founded a shrine to the Perfected One Xu.

During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty, there lived a Celestial Master (Tianshi) named Wang Xianqiao. At first he was simply a cultivator, with a lofty and lucid nature and aspirations out of the ordinary. He carried more than two hundred portions of tea from Mount Nanyue to the capital, and would often set out his tea utensils inside the city gates, offering tea to passersby to drink.

One day he met Gao Lishi, who found him remarkable and asked where he had come from. Xianqiao replied, "I am a cultivator from Nanyue. The halls of Jiuzhen Temple, where I live, have fallen into ruin, so I have brought tea to the capital in the hope of raising donations to repair the temple."

Gao Lishi then reported the matter to the throne. Emperor Xuanzong summoned Xianqiao, praised him at length, and asked, "Do you have any wish?" Xianqiao answered, "I wish for the state to flourish and for talented people to abound; I wish for the scriptures and teachings to prosper and for all beings to be broadly aided." The emperor treated him with great courtesy, had him ordained within the palace, bestowed upon him generous gifts of gold, silk, and supplies, and commanded him to return to Nanyue to rebuild the temple. Within a few years, the temple was fully restored.

Xianqiao's cultivation advanced steadily, and his reputation spread throughout the capital. Before long, the court issued an edict conferring on him the title of Celestial Master. On the thirtieth day of the third month of the second year of the Qianyuan era, he attained the Dao and became an immortal.

"Receiving ordination" (pidu) refers to a ceremony held within the palace through which a person formally obtains the status of a Daoist priest. "Attaining the Dao" (dedao) is the expression used in Daoist biographies for the accomplishment of one's cultivation.

Celestial Master (Tianshi) Xue Jichang was originally the county commandant of Mianzhu County in Mianzhou. He later resigned his office in the capital and left home to cultivate the Dao (the Way). Firm in purpose and outstanding in conduct, he prepared to return to Mount Heng in the south to practice. When Emperor Xuanzong heard of this, he admired him greatly, bestowed many gifts of gold and silk upon him, and personally wrote a preface and a poem to see him off.

The preface says: When the Master of Refinement had only just resigned his post, his heart already longed for Mount Heng. After he entered the Daoist register, he came to this place with even greater resolve. He was willing to return to his old dwelling, to hold fast to a mind of stillness, purity, and plainness, to remain true to his aspirations, and to devote himself wholly to cultivation. It happened that he encountered spiritual medicines, and those of lofty aspiration also came to the capital from time to time. Therefore a poem was written to send him off, as a mark of imperial favor.

The poem says: A lofty adept who cultivates in the grotto-heavens, whose heart dwells on his old home in Hengyang. He wishes to fulfill the duties he bears in the Golden Gate Tower (the celestial palaces of Daoism), and is also willing to uphold the teachings of Jade Purity (the heavenly realm where the Daoist divine beings dwell). The road through the clouds seems not far from the Three Heavens (the lofty heavenly realms of Daoism), and among pines and streams all sounds fall still. He still hopes to transmit the secret records of the immortal Way, and looks forward to welcoming the chariots of the immortals as they come and go.

Later, Jichang was enfeoffed as Celestial Master. He also took Celestial Master Sima as his teacher. Xuanzong held him in great respect and addressed him as "Brother in the Dao." Many of the implements in the temple were imperial gifts. At his departure, the emperor bestowed on him a further one hundred vessels of gold, two hundred of silver, and a great quantity of silk, each gift accompanied by a note in the emperor's own hand.

Jichang attained the Dao on the sixth day of the second month of the second year of the Qianyuan era. Later, in the chaos of war, the buildings of the temple were burned and nothing remained. Although the halls and residences were rebuilt, they were never fully restored. Today only one bell, a gift from the emperor and weighing four thousand jin, remains.

During the Xiantong era, Venerable Master Wang (named Yinjie) presided over the temple. He had achieved success in cultivation and was also highly capable in practical affairs. He repaired and built in many places, his reputation reached the capital, and he was respected by princes and nobles. He is now at Mount Bei, where he has been named Grand Master of the General Teaching.

Behind the temple stands the medicine hall of Master Baiyun (White Cloud), and beside it a small pool called Sweet Spring. The water tastes sweet, and when used to brew tea, the tea turns out like milk. In former times there was also a Sweet Spring Hall here.

Xiling Temple (Xi Ling Guan)

This section bears the heading "Xiling Temple," but the text that follows merely repeats the earlier account of Master Baiyun's medicine hall and the Sweet Spring pool, and offers nothing further. The preface and poem of farewell in the original contain repetitions and what appear to be lacunae; the above has been arranged and interpreted according to the surviving text.

The Xiling Guan (Western Numinous Temple), according to the Tujing (a local gazetteer), was built in the fifth year of the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of the Liang (506 CE) and was originally presided over by nüzhen (female Daoist practitioners). The temple buildings were later destroyed in war and never restored. To the west of the temple stands the immortal altar of Lady Wei. During the Kaiyuan era, a nüzhen named Xue Shi attained the Dao while cultivating at the temple, and later founded another Daoist retreat at Chenxi. Whenever she came or went, a white leopard often followed her and accompanied her on her journeys through the grotto-heavens. Celestial Master (Tianshi) Xue often went to visit her, but she never came out to meet them. Afterward, no one knew where she had gone.

The Shengshou Guan (Temple of Sacred Longevity) was originally the study hall of Minister Lu of Lingxia. In the sixth year of the Xiantong era, Minister Lu submitted a memorial asking to donate the study hall so that it could be converted into the Shengshou Guan. The Hall of the True Image of Lord Lu and the altar hall within the temple remain solemn and dignified. The temple grounds also contain tiers of steep cliffs, dense stands of slender bamboo and pine, and a gently flowing stream, making for a most remarkable landscape.

The Jiuxian Gong (Palace of the Nine Immortals) was originally the residence of the Perfected One Zhang (personal name Shizhen), beside which stands a stone altar more than ten zhang wide. In the third year of the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of the Liang (504 CE), eight immortals came to the stone altar to welcome the Perfected One Zhang, and together they ascended to heaven. In the ninth year of the Xiantong era, Shi [character illegible], the Prefect of Hengzhou, petitioned for an official plaque to be granted to the temple; in the tenth month of the following year, the imperial rescript came down approving the request.

The Zhonggong (Central Palace) is the place where the Perfected One Wang Lingyu of the Liang dynasty ascended to heaven after his cultivation. During the Dali era, the master Li Delin also lived here and attained the Dao through his practice.

The Yuanyang Gong (Palace of Primal Yang) is the place where the Perfected One Chen Xingming of the Jin dynasty ascended to heaven after his cultivation.

The Shangqing Gong (Palace of Highest Clarity) is the place where the Perfected One Xu Lingqi ascended to heaven after his cultivation. In the seventh year of the Dali era, the master Zhang Taikong, styled Xuanhe, lived here and attained the Dao. In the first year of the Dazhong era, the ritual officiant Han also lived here and attained the Dao.

The Zixu Ge (Pavilion of Purple Void).

In the Zixu Pavilion (Zixu Ge) stands the immortal altar of Lady Wei. It is twelve chi high, with a flat, round top about one zhang across, and it is also called the "Flying Flow Altar" (Feiliu Tan). Tradition holds that Lady Wei once rode a dragon here all the way from Fuzhou. She was the daughter of Wei Shu, Grand Commandant of the Jin dynasty, and her personal name was Huacun. She bore the title "Lady of the Supreme Truth and Purple Void" (Shangzhen Zixu Yuanjun). Terraces and pavilions have been built here, housing solemn and majestic images of the deities. Another account says that she practiced the Dao (the Way) here during the Xianhe era of the Jin.

Half a li to the north lies a pool called the "Divine Stream Dragon-Casting Pool" (Shenxi Toulong Tan). After a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual, in which an altar is set up for prayer) has been completed, people cast a golden dragon into the pool. This is the dragon-casting rite (toulong), expressing offering and supplication to the deities.

The Stone Chamber of the Hidden Truth Palace (Shishi Yinzhen Gong).

The Stone Chamber of Yinzhen Palace

The Stone Chamber of Yinzhen Palace (Yinzhen Gong) is where Master Liu, known as Guangcheng, lived in seclusion and cultivated the Dao (the Way) during the Dali era. Master Liu followed the ridge for three or five paces and seized a tiger's den as his dwelling, and so the place was named "Palace of Hidden Truth" (Yinzhen Gong). The prefect Han Gao contributed his own salary to build the Huizhen Pavilion.

At first, Master Liu cultivated the Dao here for more than fifteen years without anyone knowing. Later the Grand Astrologer observed the stars and reported that the star of a Perfected One (zhenren) had appeared, and that the hermit was at Mount Nan (Nanyue), so his attainment of the Dao corresponded to the heavenly signs. When Emperor Wuzong heard of this, he immediately issued an edict ordering the military supervisor of the circuit to send an envoy bearing the summons. The envoy reached Mount Nan and searched everywhere, leaving almost no place unexamined. One day, about three li southwest of the Central Palace, the envoy climbed through the vines and crossed a perilous stretch, and saw a deep, winding stone chamber in which someone lived. The envoy pushed aside the vines and went deep inside, where Master Liu sat upright and motionless. The imperial emissary read out the edict. At first Master Liu feigned madness, but later accepted the summons and soon set out for the court. The emperor issued an edict naming him Imperial Preceptor and bestowing the title "Master Guangcheng." Later he returned here and before long ascended as an immortal (yuhua, the Daoist term for an immortal's death or transcendence).

Today the stone chamber still preserves the traces carved into the rock in those years, including the Jiao altar (the site where Daoist Zhaijiao purification rituals were held), the Tianbao Terrace, the stone steps, the infant jar, the evening game board, the tea cauldron, and the lamp stand, all of which were carved from the living stone.

Lingxu Terrace

Lingxu Terrace was formerly the dwelling of Celestial Master (Tianshi) Xue Jichang and Venerable Master Zhou Hunwu, who lived here one after the other and both attained the Dao here.

Dongling Terrace

Dongling Terrace was originally the place where Celestial Master Li Mingjun lived and attained the Dao. It is also a blessed site.

Tianxiang Terrace

Long ago a female Perfected One (nüzhen, a woman Daoist practitioner) lived here and attained the Dao. The terrace and its sacred precinct are still preserved today.

Medicine Cliff of Master Liu Gen

The Medicine Cliff of Master Liu Gen was once the dwelling of the immortal Liu Gen. It was his place of cultivation, located northwest of the Jiuxian Palace, secluded and profound, with scenery of a very distinctive kind.

Zigai Hermitage

Within the Zigai Hall (紫盖院) lies the Medicine Cliff of Master Xian (药岩, a cave where cultivators lived or refined their practice). Long ago the immortal Liu Gen lived here. It is a place of cultivation, northwest of the Nine Immortals Hall (九仙官, the dwelling of Daoist immortal officials), and its remote, secluded setting offers remarkable scenery.

Zigai Hall

Zigai Hall was built long ago by a Daoist. After the wars, only the site remained.

Medicine Hall of Master Baiyun

The Medicine Hall of Master Baiyun stands west of the Jiuzhen Temple. During the Kaiyuan era, the Celestial Master (Tianshi) Sima Chengzhen (a Tang dynasty Daoist), who took the name Master Baiyun and was later enfeoffed as Master Zhenyi, practiced here.

Altar of Perfected Yin

The Altar of Perfected Yin lies a little over a hundred paces north of the Yue Temple. Perfected Yin was named Daoquan, and this is the place where Daoquan ascended to heaven.

Medicine Cliff of Master Tian

The Medicine Cliff of Master Tian lies a little over a hundred paces east of the Central Palace. Master Tian was named Liangyi. During the Yuanhe era Liangyi practiced here and later attained the Dao.

Beidi Hall

Beidi Hall lies northeast of the Yue Temple, three li away. Long ago, a female Daoist, Master Hou, lived and practiced here, diligently burning incense and venerating the deities, and she too later attained the Dao.

Dongzhen Waterfall

The Dongzhen Waterfall lies north of the Zhaoxian Temple, three li from it. The waterfall hangs like a curtain and falls nearly to the pavilions below. An inscribed stele records the splendor and wonders of the place. Above the waterfall stands the Altar of Facing Heaven, where the Perfected Zhang Tanyao once ascended. Below lies the Dragon-Casting Pool, where golden dragons are cast after each Zhaijiao (purification ritual). Dragon-casting is a Daoist ritual practice in which a dragon made of metal is thrown into water as an expression of prayer or offering.

Wang's Medicine Hall

During the Xiantong era, a master of arts named Wang lived at Wang's Medicine Hall. Pines and bamboo grew thickly there, flowing streams encircled it, and the surrounding landscape opened wide, with many camphor trees and tea gardens. Today only the site remains.

Guangtian Temple

Tradition holds that the Rongfeng Hall was the former site of the Guangtian Temple.

Yinzhen Plain

The Yinzhen Plain lies within the Yunmi Peak. The ground is flat and open, extending five li in every direction. Tradition says it was a place where immortals went to roam. People have come seeking it, but few have been able to reach it.

Duanshi Spring

The Severed Stone Source (Duanshi Yuan) lies at Yinzhen Ping. At the water's source stands a stone several zhang tall and several chi wide, split down the middle. An inscription on the stone reads: "Here is cinnabar water (the legendary vermilion-hued immortal water), sweet and fragrant as milk. Whoever cups it in their hands and drinks will live a thousand years." Visitors who come seeking it hear only the sound of flowing water beneath the stone: listen from the left, and the sound seems to come from the right; listen from the right, and it seems to come from the left. Few have ever truly found the source.

Zhuling Cave (Zhuling Dong)

Zhuling Cave is the same as the Sanmao Cave-Heaven (a grotto-heaven, one of the blessed sites of Daoist legend), located three li due west of the Jiuxian Palace (Palace of the Nine Immortals). There is a rock cliff there, and beneath it lies a flat stone roughly two zhang square, which was formerly the place where golden slips (metal tablets used in Daoist rituals) were deposited. Tradition holds that this was the "Shu Gate" of Zhuling Cave (as in the original text; it may be a misprint for "East Gate").

The Nine Perfected Ones of Earlier Dynasties

An old stele at the Jiuxian Palace records that there was originally a Hall of the Nine Immortals. The perfected ones listed in the inscription are as follows:

The Perfected One Chen Xingming lived at the Yuanyang Palace. He ascended as an immortal on the first day of the third month in the first year of the Taishi era of Emperor Wu of Jin.

Master Hufu, whose family name was Shi and personal name Cun, lived on the western peak of the Dongmen Temple, where he built an empty pavilion. He ascended as an immortal in the fourth month of the ninth year of the Yongkang era of Emperor Hui of Jin.

The Perfected One Yin Daoquan lived at Yueguan Creek. He ascended as an immortal on the ninth day of the first month in the first year of the Yuanjia era of Emperor Huai of Jin.

The Perfected One Xu Lingqi lived at the Shangqing Palace. He ascended as an immortal on the ninth day of the ninth month in the second year of the Yuanhui era of the Song.

The Perfected One Chen Huidu lived at the Ancient Yuqing Palace. He ascended as an immortal on the thirteenth day of the fifth month in the second year of the Yongming era of Emperor Wu of Qi.

The Perfected One Zhang Tanyao lived at the Zhaoxian Temple (Temple for Summoning Immortals). He ascended as an immortal on the third day of the seventh month in the first year of the Yanxing era of Qi.

The Perfected One Zhang Shihan lived at the Jiuxian Palace. He ascended as an immortal on the thirteenth day of the seventh month in the third year of the Tianjian era of Liang.

Perfected One (Zhenren) Wang, a realized master of the Dao (the Way), lived in the Central Palace and ascended to heaven on the thirteenth day of the seventh month in the eleventh year of the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of Liang (512 CE).

Perfected One Deng Yuzhi, courtesy name Xuanji, lived at the Dongmen Abbey and ascended to heaven on the thirtieth day of the twelfth month in the tenth year of the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of Liang (511 CE).

In addition, Shuang Xizu and Shuang Zibian also attained the Dao, one after the other.

Those Who Attained the Dao in the Tang Dynasty

Fourteen people in all attained the Dao on Mount Nanyue.

Master Ao Jingtong attained the Dao on the third day of the seventh month in the seventeenth year of Tianbao.

Master Xiao Linghu attained the Dao on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the third year of Hongdao.

Celestial Master (Tianshi) Li Simu attained the Dao on the twenty-sixth day of the eighth month in the fourteenth year of Tianbao.

Venerable Master He (whose full name is not recorded) attained the Dao on the fifteenth day of the tenth month in the second year of Tianbao.

Master Xue (whose given name is not recorded in the original text) attained the Dao on the third day of the seventh month.

Master Xiao Linghu attained the Dao on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the third year of Hongdao.

Celestial Master Li Simu attained the Dao on the twenty-sixth day of the eighth month in the fourteenth year of Tianbao.

Venerable Master He (whose full name is not recorded) attained the Dao on the fifteenth day of the tenth month in the second year of Tianbao.

Celestial Master Xue Jichang attained the Dao on the sixth day of the second month in the second year of Qianyuan.

Celestial Master Wang Xianqiao attained the Dao on the thirtieth day of the third month in the second year of Qianyuan.

Celestial Master Fu Daixian attained the Dao on the seventh day of the eleventh month in the third year of Qianyuan.

Master Dong Qinxian attained the Dao on the sixth day of the eleventh month in the first year of Dali.

Master Zhang Taikong, known as Xuanhe, attained the Dao at the Shangqing Palace on the eighth day of the second month in the seventh year of Dali.

Master Li Delin attained the Dao at the Central Palace on the fifth day of the ninth month in the twelfth year of Dali.

Master Tian Liangyi attained the Dao at the Jiangzhen Hall on the seventh day of the first month in the sixth year of Yuanhe.

Master Liu Xuanjing, known as Guangcheng, attained the Dao on the eleventh day of the fifth month in the fifth year of Dazhong.

Venerable Master Zhou Hunwu attained the Dao in the first month of the second year of Huichang.

Ritual Master (Weiyi) Han attained the Dao at the Shangqing Palace in the first year of Dazhong.

Master Tian had three disciples: Chen Zhengjun, Feng Zhengjun, and Zhang Zhengjun. None of them accepted a summons from the imperial court, and each in turn attained the Dao (the Way) and became an immortal on Mount Tiantai.

Biography of the Perfected Lord

Composed by Liu Xiang, Colonel of the Central Rampart in the Han dynasty.

Chisongzi was the Rain Master in the age of Shennong. He consumed water jade and taught its use to Shennong; he could also enter fire and let the flames burn him. He often traveled to Mount Kunlun, where he dwelt in the stone chamber of the Queen Mother of the West, rising and descending with the wind and rain. The youngest daughter of the Flame Emperor followed him and likewise departed together with him. In the age of Gaoxin, he served once more as Rain Master.

The Queen Mother of the West is a divine being: her hair is disheveled, she wears a sheng (a type of ornament) on her head, she has tiger claws, she excels at whistling and roaring, and she dwells among the mountain crags. She is named Wangmu, and she lives in the ruins of Mount Kunlun.

The eulogy says:

Chisongzi's figure recedes into the distance; the Flame Emperor's young daughter is light and ethereal. The two soar hand in hand, ascending together in cool, unhindered ease. Riding the long wind, they leap away, and before long they fly to Xuanpu (the garden of the immortals). Masters of the arts of Kan and Xun (the methods associated with water, wind, and related symbols), they became the model for those who govern rainfall.

Eulogy on the Portrait of Master Tian

Composed by Zhuge Huang, Master of Menggu.

Master Tian was truly a native of the Mount Heng region. If one asks about his origins, one can only say that he received the natural and pure Qi (vital energy) of heaven, and that he understood the Dao from birth. Filial and sincere, he served his parents and grasped the principle of simple, unhewn naturalness. His speech, bearing, and appearance were left unadorned; he wore coarse cloth and furs, and his clothes were dirty and tattered. When lords and kings treated him with courtesy, he did not consider it an honor; when servants gave him crude treatment, he did not consider it demeaning.

He could command ghosts and spirits, and wherever his thoughts reached, they would come. After he entered Hengyue (Mount Heng), he lived there for more than fifty years. His nine hundred disciples were all people of high rank and distinguished station. They asked him to serve as their Fazhu (master of the Dao-teachings), and they also asked him to serve as teacher to the emperor. Master Guangcheng was none other than Master Tian. From this, one can know the depth of the Master's attainment.

His appearance can be drawn from life and preserved as an image. From his time until now, no one has written a text to praise him. Huang, taking up this gap, has written a preface and composed this eulogy:

His numinous and marvelous nature stands alone above others, and the Perfected One asks of his origins. His immortal Dao was not gained through years of study, but was accomplished in him from birth. His virtue (De) and bearing are deep and broad, his spirit (Shen) transcendent and distinct. The form in the portrait seems as if the Perfected One were still present, and it suffices to serve as a model for later generations.

The Nanyue Xiaolu (Short Records of Mount Nanyue) ends here.

[Collation note: The note at the end of the original text states that the character "史" is suspected to be an interpolation.]