《太极葛仙公传》

The history of the immortals' Dao (the Way) is very long. From the Rain Master of Shennong's age onward, every era has produced people who cultivated immortality and attained the Way. In the Zhou dynasty, Laozi took pure tranquility and Wuwei (non-action) as the root of the teaching, and those who studied under Laozi revered the sage as the founding patriarch of Daoism (Daojiao), which then spread ever more widely across the world. The rulers of the Qin and Han delighted in the arts of longevity, and masters of esoteric techniques (fangshi) gathered in great numbers. The biographies record many accounts of their riding the clouds, ascending into the sky, and working marvelous transformations, and these accounts are not fabrications.

Our county's Immortal Duke Ge (Ge Xiangong) attained the Dao and became an immortal in the age of Wu, roughly twelve hundred years ago. The villagers have handed down his memory from generation to generation, built a Daoist temple (daoguan) to make offerings to him, and the longer time has passed, the more the incense has flourished. From dawn to dusk people have served him with devotion, just as they did at the beginning. If he had not truly possessed Dao and De (Virtue), how could he have received such reverence?

I held office in Shandong, and when my term ended I returned to my home village on account of a death in the family. The eminent Daoist Tan Daolin of the Qingyuan Temple came to visit with five companions of the same community. They took out a volume and showed it to me, saying: "This is the biography of our Immortal Duke. The temple was originally the Immortal Duke's old residence. After the ascension, people converted the house into a temple to make offerings to the Duke, and this has gone on for nearly a thousand years. Those who admire the Immortal Duke and come seeking the Dao often ask about the Duke's deeds, but we have never had full materials to give them, and that is a pity."

Daolin continued: "Our late teacher, the Elder of Bamboo Rock, wished for many years to complete this task. The Elder once said to me: 'People who enjoy the shade of a tree still cherish its branches. How can those who study a person's Dao-craft not know its source and course? Long ago Master Lü wrote a volume called the Biography of the Immortal Duke, but later the Daoist Canon (Daozang) was destroyed, some of its books were lost, and searching everywhere has not recovered it. This biography, with its distant age and scattered records, is truly a great lack for our mountain. Now only one volume, the Biography of the Immortal Duke recorded at Mount Zao, has been found, which is this very book. I wanted to print it and circulate it, but found its contents incomplete, so the plan was never carried out.' After our teacher passed away, the disciples resolved to carry on and fulfill the Elder's wish, not forgetting what had weighed on the Elder's mind. We hope you will polish this book so that it may be passed to those who love the immortals' Dao. This would be a blessing not only for our mountain but also a good thing for all the people of the county who revere the spirits."

I declined again and again but could not escape the request, so I took up the book and read it several times. I found the original order confused and many things omitted, so I rearranged it and composed this biography in one volume. The Book of Changes says: "To make the wondrous Way manifest depends on the person." The Immortal Duke's Dao-craft is utterly wondrous. If those who study it can practice it and make it manifest, they are truly people who have attained the Way. Seen in this light, what is there in the immortals' Dao that cannot be reached? Daolin, strive on!

The Elder of Bamboo Rock was surnamed Gong, personal name Weilin, and lived for generations at Liuru in Danyang. The Elder was versed in Confucian learning, a venerable and respected scholar, skilled at playing the zither, and admired and practiced the Way of the Immortal Duke. Tan Daolin was the Elder's disciple, named Sixian, and lived for generations at Yuxi in Danyang. Teacher and disciple both belong to distinguished, prominent families of Danyang.

Written by Zhu Chuo as a preface, on the first day of the second month of the Dingsi year.

The Qingyuan Temple (a Daoist abbey) was composed by Tan Sixian.

The Immortal Lord was named Xuan, with the courtesy name Xiaoxian. His surname was Ge, and he was a native of Jurong.

The Liezhuan (Biographies) states that the Ge clan descended from the lineage of Getian. Their earliest ancestors were enfeoffed at the territory of Ge, and later took the name of their fief as their surname, serving generation after generation as feudal lords. The Stele of the Immortal Lord, composed by Tao Hongjing, states that the Immortal Lord came from Jiyang Village, Duxiang District, Jurong County, Danyang Commandery. The Jurong Gazetteer records that the Qingyuan Temple was built in the seventh year of the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of Liang. It stood more than three hundred paces southwest of the county seat, on the site of the residence of the Immortal Lord Ge of the Wu period, and within the temple grounds was an elixir-refining well.

The ancestors of the Immortal Lord Ge were originally natives of Langya. Ge Lu, General of Agile Cavalry and Marquis of Tong during the Eastern Han, yielded his fief to his younger brother Ge Ai and came to settle in this region.

The Baopuzi says that Ge Lu had performed great services and received a noble title, and that he built a residence in Bowang Village; down to that time, the foundations and stone pillar bases of the compound still remained. The Biezhuan (Separate Biography) says that the great-great-grandfather of the Immortal Lord Ge was named Lu and had served the Han as General of Agile Cavalry, being enfeoffed as Marquis of Xianai. He yielded his fief to his younger brother Ge Ai, then journeyed south to the lands east of the Yangtze, wandering at ease among its mountains and waters. When he arrived at Jurong in Danyang, he saw that the landscape was beautiful and the local customs were simple and kind, and so he settled there. The Jinling Gazetteer, citing the Liexianzhuan (Biographies of Exemplary Immortals), says that the Ge clan was originally surnamed Zhuge. A distant ancestor, ordered to campaign in the Jiang-Han region, reached Jurong in Danyang and halted, sighing: "If I remain here alone, what is there left to speak of as 'all' (zhu)?" He therefore changed his surname to Ge.

The grandfather of the Immortal Lord Ge, Ge Ju, served as Grand Administrator of Anping and as Gentleman of the Yellow Gate. His father, Ge Yan, with the courtesy name Deru, served as Registrar of the Prefecture, Magistrate of Shanyin, Attendant Gentleman of the Imperial Cavalry, and Grand Secretary. The Yunji Qiqian (Seven Slips from the Cloudy Satchel) records the father's name as Xiaoru, while the Biezhuan says that his father Xiaoru served as Grand Herald.

The Immortal Lord was born on the eighth day of the fourth month in the jiachen year, the seventh year of the Yanxi era of the Han.

According to the Biezhuan (Separate Biography), the father of the Ge Xian Gong (Immortal Duke Ge) had long revered the Daoist teachings. He sent someone to the Xuanjing Guan (Temple of Mysterious Stillness), a Daoist temple in their home district, to fetch fragrant water for bathing the child. At that time there was a Daoist named Zhi Daoji, whose origins no one knew. Delighted, he said: "Last night I dreamed that the Perfected One of Penetrating Mystery descended from the Heaven of Great Network, and said that tomorrow he would go to congratulate the household of the Imperial Secretary on the birth of an extraordinary boy." The next day, Zhi Daoji did indeed arrive to offer his congratulations, and asked to see the child.

The father had the child carried out. Zhi Daoji rose and bowed, and the Secretary asked in surprise the reason. Zhi Daoji said: "This child is enveloped in purple qi (气), shaped like a jeweled canopy, and his divine radiance is bright and dazzling. He is certain to become an immortal, and cannot be compared with ordinary children." The Secretary replied: "The realms of immortals and sages are remote and hard to reach. If the child lives a long life and becomes an heir to the family, that will be enough for me."

Zhi Daoji then bowed to the immortals and sages of the ten directions and recited a hymn of praise: "Though the physical body arises and perishes with the transformations of the sages, the hun-soul and shen (神, spirit) do not perish for even a moment. The blessings accumulated in past lives are deep, and past vows did not begin only today. The Perfected One of Great Network descends; the immortals and sages are born embracing the true Dao (道). Celestial dragons wash with fragrant flowers the body I have refined through embryonic breathing. Who can believe such profound words? The auspicious moment of efficacy and the hidden protection are now complete. The mind of the Dao transcends distinctions, and merges into the Dao of the Primordial Beginning. Alone, one awakens to the fact that there was never anything to cling to; once unfettered, one passes beyond into the realm of the Great Vehicle."

When the hymn was finished, he bowed with hands clasped, took his leave, and suddenly vanished.

From childhood, the Ge Xian Gong was exceptionally intelligent, his spirited vigor already apparent, his natural gifts outstanding and his mind clear and perceptive. He was thoroughly versed in learning ancient and modern, and read widely in the classics, commentaries, philosophers, and histories, leaving almost nothing unread.

Ge Hong's Shenxian Zhuan (Biographies of Divine Immortals) says: Ge Xian Gong was well versed in the Five Classics, and also enjoyed discussing learning.

When he was eight, his father died, and his mother soon followed. He observed the mourning rites with complete devotion. Whenever he saw the handprints and footprints his father had left on the gardens, ponds, and terraces, he would…

When Ge Xiangong (the Immortal Duke Ge) was eight, his father died, and before long his mother died as well. He fulfilled his filial duties with utmost devotion. Whenever he saw, among the gardens, ponds, pavilions, and terraces, any trace of what his father had planted or where he had walked, he would look up to heaven and weep bitterly, and even the birds seemed to cry out in grief with him. When the mourning period ended, he resolved to rise above worldly concerns. In daily life he enjoyed playing the zither and reciting the Laozi and the Zhuangzi. He lived in leisure and simplicity, content within himself and seeking nothing external.

By the age of fifteen or sixteen, his reputation had spread throughout Jiangdong. The prefectures and commanderies wished to summon him to office, but he laughed and said, "Coarse tea and plain meals, rough cloth for clothing, a stone for a pillow and flowing water for rinsing my mouth: this is the life I delight in. How could I give it up for an official post?" He firmly declined. Determined to seek out sacred mountains and to find extraordinary masters far away, he put on the robes of a Daoist and entered Mount Chicheng, where he devoted himself wholly to contemplating the Dao (the Way). He often took medicines made from atractylodes, and it is said that he could go without food for long periods and feel no hunger.

The Liezhuan (Biographies) records that when Ge Xiangong was eighteen or nineteen, he traveled east to Kuocang to visit his uncle, Ge Mi. Ge Mi, courtesy name Xiaogong, was then teaching students at home. He said to Ge Xiangong: "I have often thought of how quiet and profound your temperament is, and how little you engage in worldly social exchange. You gaze up at the blue clouds and look down upon the sea, and you have tasted every kind of hardship and danger. Now the court is seeking talent far and wide, and your learning and ability are outstanding. Why not come forth and take office?"

Ge Xiangong replied: "I am dull by nature and unfit to be of use to the world, and I also feel I would fall short of my ancestors' hopes. I decline a life spent pursuing official salary, and I have no wish to be an official who assists a ruler and bears heavy responsibilities. I wish only to cut off all thought of public service, to dwell in mountain crags and lodge my heart among the clouds and mists, to roam among mountains and waters, and to hope to befriend Juanzi and form bonds with Chisongzi. You, Uncle, should spread the arts of the Dao far and wide and lecture on the Five Classics, so that the teachings handed down from the Confucian school may flourish anew. Then you may enter the royal court through your achievements, assist the ruler in governing the world, and leave blessings for later generations."

Ge Mi said: "Your talent and wisdom are extraordinary and surpass those of ordinary people. You are close to the realm of the sage, and I cannot compare with you."

The Tao Stele states that Ge Mi was Ge Xiangong's congzu (a grandfather's brother) and that he served as Grand Administrator of five commanderies, including Yuzhang. The Biezhuan (Separate Biography) calls him an uncle, which is an error.

Ge Xiangong (the Immortal Duke Ge) frequently traveled among famous mountains such as Kuocang, Nanyue, Luofu, Jinjing, Yusun, Changshan, Gaizhu, Tiantai, and Lanfeng. Sometimes he returned to the capital after touring these mountains; sometimes he stayed at Siwang Mountain in Shitou; and at other times he wandered through Liezhou. He often traveled in the company of Xie Zhijian, Huang Ziyang, and Guo Shengzi.

The Zhenyu (Veritable Words) records that the master of the Lujishan grotto was named Xie Zhijian. Another account states that Xie Zhijian and Zhang Zhaoqi once sought instruction in the Dao from Mao Bodao and Liu Daogong, after which they took together the "Huiling Texing Formula." All of them lived for several hundred years and roamed the Five Marchmounts. Huang Ziyang was a native of the territory of Wei. He studied the Dao on Boluo Mountain for more than ninety years, eating only peach bark and drinking the yellow water found within stones. He later met Sima Jizhu, who transmitted to him the "Eight Formulas for Guiding Immortality," and through them he was able to transcend the world. Guo Shengzi was a realized person (zhenren) of the early Jin period who earned his living as a diviner in the marketplace of Luoyang.

On the first day of the first month of the second year of the Guanghe era of the Han, at Shangyu Mountain on Mount Tiantai, the Immortal Duke sensed the response of Taishang (the Supreme One), who dispatched the Three Realized Ones of the Mysterious Unity and the Realized One Xu of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). They transmitted to him the scriptural registers of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen) and the Four Supplements, secret instructions for practice, and the golden writs, jade proclamations, and talismanic diagrams. Taishang further commanded Wang Sizhen to open the "Jade Repository of Nine Radiances" and take out the seven sections of the Dongxuan Great Cavern Lingbao Scriptures, together with the regulations on fasting and precepts, the teachings of exhortation and admonition, and such scriptures as "Limitless Wheel of the Dharma" and "Penetrating the Mysterious, Transforming Spirit, and Entering Meditative Absorption," and handed them down to the Immortal Duke.

The Biezhuan (Separate Biography) says that today there is a Falun Temple (Dharma Wheel Temple) at the Tongxiang Abbey on Mount Tiantai, traditionally said to be the place where the three realized ones bestowed the scriptures. Li Hanguang states in his preface to the Great Cavern Scripture that the Realized One Xu Lailei of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) once transmitted the Great Cavern Scripture to the Immortal Duke.

During the Han dynasty, Zuo Yuanfang came from Luoyang to Jiangdong, and Ge Xiangong (the Immortal Duke Ge) followed him in study. He learned the Baihu Qibian Taiqing Jiuding Jinye Dan Jing (Scripture of the Golden Liquid Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons of Great Purity and the Seven Transformations of the White Tiger, a Daoist alchemical classic), methods for cultivating Qi (vital energy) and nourishing the body, secret techniques for curing illness and driving out ghosts, and the Sanyuan Zhenyi Miao Jing (Wondrous Scripture of the Three Primes and True Unity, a classic on the practice of "Three Primes and True Unity"). After three years of practice, Ge Xiangong had acquired five supernatural powers, able to change his appearance and travel freely from place to place.

The Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected) records that during the Jian'an era of the Han, Zuo Yuanfang heard that there was a sacred mountain in Jiangdong and crossed the river to look for it. The Shenxian Zhuan (Biographies of Spirit Immortals) records that Ge Xiangong was especially skilled at healing the sick. Ghosts and spirit-demons would reveal their forms and submit to his judgment; at times he dispatched them, and at times he destroyed them.

At that time, the Lord of Wu (the ruler of the state of Wu) was fond of immortals and extraordinary men, and held the Ge Xiangong (Immortal Lord Ge) in particular esteem. He wished to confer on him an exalted official rank, but Ge Xiangong declined and asked to leave many times, without ever receiving permission. The Lord of Wu therefore treated him as an honored guest, often feasting and roaming with him, and frequently sought his counsel on matters of state.

One day, Ge Xiangong was seated in an upper pavilion with the Lord of Wu. A long drought had afflicted the land, and the ruler, seeing the people praying for rain, asked, "When the people pray for rain, can it really be obtained?" Ge Xiangong replied, "It is easy." He then drew a Fulu (talisman) and had it placed in the shrine of the Earth God. Before long, the sky suddenly darkened and rain poured down in torrents, until the water standing in the courtyard rose over a foot deep. The Lord of Wu asked, "Could there be fish in the water?" "There could," said Ge Xiangong. He drew another talisman and cast it into the water, and in a moment more than a hundred large fish appeared, each one or two feet long, swimming about. The Lord of Wu asked, "Can these fish be eaten?" "They can," replied Ge Xiangong. The ruler had them scooped out and cooked, and found that they were indeed real fish.

On another occasion, Ge Xiangong accompanied the Lord of Wu by boat to Liezhou. On the return journey they met with a fierce gale, and most of the officials' vessels, large and small, were swept away or sunk; Ge Xiangong's boat vanished without a trace. The Lord of Wu sighed, "Though Ge Xiangong possesses the arts of the Dao (the Way), can even he not escape this calamity?" He then climbed Siwang Mountain and sent men to search for the boats. The boat had been sunk for a whole night when, suddenly, Ge Xiangong was seen walking toward them across the surface of the water. His clothes and shoes were not wet, and he still bore a trace of wine on him.

Ge Xiangong explained to the Lord of Wu, "Yesterday, as I was attending you on the journey, I was stopped by Wu Zixu (a grand master of the state of Wu in the Spring and Autumn period), who forcibly pulled me away. In the end I could not break free, and so I caused you to endure the wind and sun by the water's edge and to be wearied." The Lord of Wu said happily, "You were summoned by a spirit. This is precisely what is called forth by the cultivation of Dao and De (Virtue)."

The Wu Yue Chunqiu (Annals of Wu and Yue) records that after Wu Zixu was compelled to cut his own throat, the King of Wu had his corpse placed in a chiyi (a leather container used to hold corpses) and cast into the river. Ge Xiangong's remark that he "could not break free" refers to this encounter with Wu Zixu. The Lord of Wu, upon hearing it, was delighted, taking it as proof that Ge Xiangong had been summoned by a spirit, and hence that his cultivation of Dao and De was profound.

According to the Wu Yue Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue), after Wu Zixu drew his sword and took his own life, the King of Wu had his corpse sealed inside a "chiyi" (a leather vessel used to hold corpses) and thrown into the river. Zixu's spirit then drifted with the current, riding the tides back and forth.

The Immortal Master could appear in dozens of places at once within a single day. On one occasion, as he sat conversing with a guest, another Immortal Master appeared at the gate to welcome a different visitor, while yet another sat fishing by the water's edge. No one could tell which was the true body. On another occasion, when guests came to call, the Immortal Master set out wine to entertain them. No one passed the cups, yet they moved of their own accord to the guests; and if a guest had not finished drinking, the cup would not leave.

The Immortal Master was fond of wine by nature and could drink a hu (an ancient unit of volume) at a time. When drunk, he would enter a deep pool or the depths of a mountain stream, and would not emerge until he had sobered, yet his body remained dry. He once sat atop a pile of firewood and had it set alight; when the wood had burned to ash, his robe and cap were unharmed. He could also draw a line of flowing water with his hand and make the water flow backward for some ten zhang (roughly thirty meters).

The Baopuzi (Master Who Embraces Simplicity) records: "Whenever my distant ancestor, the Immortal Master, became very drunk, or when the summer heat was oppressive, he would often go down to the bottom of a deep pool and remain there for about a day before coming out. This was because he was able to hold his Qi (vital energy) and practice taixi (embryonic breathing, a method of breathing as a fetus does in the mother's womb)."

The Immortal Duke (Xian Gong, the legendary Daoist immortal Ge Xiangong) once shared a meal with a guest. The guest said, "After we eat, please perform a marvelous trick for us." The Duke asked, "Are you so eager to see something?" He then spat out the rice in his mouth, and every grain turned into a large bee, hundreds of them, flying about and humming. Some landed on the guests, who trembled with fright, yet not one bee stung anyone. After a good while, the Duke opened his mouth, and the bees flew back in. He chewed, and it was rice once more.

Once, when the weather was cold, the Duke said to his guests, "My household is poor, and I cannot give everyone a fire at the hearth. Let me make some heavenly fire to warm you." He opened his mouth and breathed out, and at once flames blazed up and soon lit the whole room. The guests felt as warm as if they sat in sunlight, yet none felt overheated.

On another occasion, in midsummer, several scholars asked the Duke to perform a conjuring trick. The Duke lay on his back and had powder smeared over his body. Before the powder had set for long, he said, "It is terribly hot; I cannot go on like this. Get up, and let us try a different trick." He slowly rubbed his belly along the roof beam dozens of times, then returned to his bed. People saw what looked like wisps of cloud hanging beneath the beam, while the powder from his belly remained on the beam and had not faded even after several days.

Once, while traveling, the Duke happened upon an acquaintance and stopped beneath a roadside tree to talk. He broke off a blade of grass and pricked the trunk with it, then held a cup to catch the sap. The sap flowed out like a spring and stopped when the cup was full. All who drank it found it like fine wine. He then dropped bits of earth, stone, grass, and wood into the wine, and once in the mouth they all turned into dried venison. The pricked tree behaved strangely: whenever the Duke held out a cup, sap flowed and stopped when the cup was full, but when anyone else tried to catch it, nothing could be gotten.

Several dozen young men fond of Daoist arts followed the Duke as students. Once, while traveling by boat, they noticed dozens of paper slips inscribed with Fulu (talismans and registers) among the Duke's belongings, and asked what the talismans could do and whether they might see a demonstration. The Duke said, "What use is there in talismans?" He took one and cast it into the river, and it drifted downstream. "How is that?" he asked. A guest said, "If I threw it in, it would do the same." The Duke took another and cast it into the river, and this one moved upstream against the current. "How is that?" he asked. The guest said, "Marvelous." He took a third and cast it into the river, and this one stayed still on the surface. After a while, the talisman that had drifted downstream and the one that had moved upstream both came to its side. The three talismans gathered together, and the Duke retrieved them.

On the riverbank was a woman washing clothes. The Duke said to the young men, "What if I use a talisman to make her run?" The guest said, "Please do." The Duke dropped a talisman into the water, and the woman at once ran in panic for several li and could not stop. "Now let us make her stop," said the Duke. He dropped another talisman into the water, and the woman halted and came back. When others asked why she had been so frightened and had run, she replied, "I do not know what came over me."

By the water the Duke also saw a fisherman, and asked, "May I borrow this fish for a moment, to send it on an errand to the Lord of the River (Hebo, the legendary water deity)?" The fisherman said, "The fish is already dead. What can it do?" The Duke said, "Do not worry." He took the fish, drew a talisman in cinnabar on paper, tucked it into the fish's mouth, and threw the fish into the water. The fish at once swam off, leaping and lively. Before long it leapt back onto the bank and spat out a sheet of dark-inked writing, its characters blue-green and shaped like leaves, and then it swam away.

The Duke also once had several dozen copper coins thrown into a well, then set a vessel at the mouth of the well and called the coins out. The coins flew from the well one after another and all fell into the vessel. He could also produce ice and snow in summer, and set out fresh melons, fruits, and jujubes in winter. By slapping a bed, he could make it move. Pointing at crickets and all manner of insects, birds, sparrows, swallows, fish, and turtles, he made them dance to the beat of music like people, and they stopped when he called a halt. When he walked with others, he could also walk several feet above the ground, treading the air.

Sometimes, when someone invited the Duke and he did not wish to go, the host would press him insistently, and he would reluctantly follow. After a few hundred paces, he would say his stomach hurt, stop, collapse on the ground, and in an instant die. When people lifted his head, it came off; when they lifted his limbs, those came apart too. The corpse soon rotted and teemed with maggots, so that no one could approach it. The host, terrified, hurried to tell the Duke's family, only to find the Duke sitting safe and sound in the hall. Not daring to say what he had seen, he ran back to where the corpse had lain, and it was gone.

A ceramic stele records that Immortal Lord Ge (Ge Xuan) roamed among rivers and mountains, escorted by dragons and tigers, and acted with such extraordinary boldness that he seemed able to overturn mountains and rivers. The Zhen'gao (Declarations of the Perfected, a Daoist scripture) adds that he could ride tigers and command ghosts and spirits, and that there was nowhere he could not go.

Immortal Lord Ge was also moved to receive from Taishang (the Supreme One, the Daoist honorific for the highest deity) the Thunder Method of the Fire Bureau of Thunderbolts, a rite for commanding the thunder gods and punishing evil. There was a certain temple whose spirit made every passerby dismount and walk once they came within a hundred paces of it, and anyone who refused met with strange misfortune at once. Dozens of great trees stood in the temple grounds, crowded with crows, and no one dared offend them. When Immortal Lord Ge passed by in his carriage, he did not get down. In an instant a great wind swirled after his carriage, filling the sky with dust and driving his attendants back. Furious, he said, "A petty demon, and yet so bold!" He pointed a hand at the wind, and it fell still. Then he threw a talisman (fulu) at the trees in the temple, and the crows dropped dead to the ground. A few days later, all the temple's trees withered in the height of summer, and before long the temple buildings caught fire and burned to the ground.

On another occasion, he came to Wukang and passed the house of a family whose master was ill. The family had sacrificed to mountain sprites and wild spirits seeking a cure, and one of these spirits took possession of a person's body and came forward to offer Immortal Lord Ge wine. The spirit spoke rudely, and he said in great anger, "A wicked ghost, and yet so bold!" He ordered the Five Elders (Wubo, spirit-servants of legend) to drag the spirit to a pillar and whip its back. At once it seemed as though someone led the spirit out of the house. In the courtyard it embraced a pillar, stripped off its clothes, and lay face down. Only the sound of lashes could be heard, and blood ran freely, yet the spirit kept begging for mercy in the language of ghosts. Immortal Lord Ge said, "I spare you the death penalty. Can you cure the master of the house?" The spirit answered, "I can." He gave it three days, saying that if the patient did not recover, he would punish it again. After the spirit was released, the sick man did indeed recover.

Another time, Immortal Lord Ge passed through Huayin, where a great serpent was causing trouble. It had taken the form of a beautiful woman to bewitch a scholar. Immortal Lord Ge disguised himself as a farmer plowing with a yellow ox, and turning, told the scholar the truth about the serpent demon. He then led the scholar to an ancient well to see the remains of those the serpent had devoured, and urged the scholar to leave quickly. The serpent had hidden in the bed curtains, and lunged at the scholar with its mouth wide open. Immortal Lord Ge slew the great serpent on the spot and killed many young serpents as well. Using a talisman, he had the scholar swallow the remains of the serpent's victims. The scholar then vomited up many earthworms, shrimp, spiders, and the like, and was at last restored to safety and health.

At that time there was a Daoist from the Central Plains who was quite skilled at healing, but who deceived people by claiming to have lived several hundred years. Immortal Lord Ge knew he was lying. Later, when a gathering sat together, Immortal Lord Ge said to those close to him, "Would you like to know how many years this gentleman has really lived?" Someone replied, "Yes." Suddenly a person descended from the sky, and everyone in the room stared. After a long while, the figure reached the ground, dressed in a vermilion robe and wearing an official's cap of advancement. Walking up to the Daoist, the figure said, "The Heavenly Emperor has sent me to ask how many years you have truly lived. Why do you deceive the people?" The Daoist, terrified, left his seat and knelt a long while before answering, "I should never have done this. My true age is seventy-three." Immortal Lord Ge clapped his hands and laughed, and the figure in vermilion vanished at once. The Daoist, overcome with shame, went away, and no one knew where.

According to the Zhen Gao (Declarations of the Perfected), Lord Ge the Immortal (Ge Xuan, an immortal venerated in Daoism) excelled in the arts of transformation.

At the beginning, the Immortal Lord practiced cultivation on Mount Zigai at Kemen. The weather was cold, his clothes were tattered, and he walked barefoot. Two young women of the Qu family saw him and, moved by pity, made him a pair of shoes, which they brought to him the next day. By the time they arrived, the Immortal Lord had already gone, and only the ashes of his alchemical furnace remained, still faintly warm. The two women sifted through the ashes and found a single elixir pill, which they divided and swallowed. From then on they no longer felt hunger, and later they vanished from the world together; people of the time believed they had become immortals.

Later, the Immortal Lord practiced cultivation again, this time in the Xiaoyou Grotto-Heaven on Mount Magu in Xujiang. There he dug five wells, symbolizing the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and corresponding to the five stars of the heavens. To this day, the spring water fills the wells in a regular sequence, from one to five, and then begins the cycle again, as if following some fixed number.

The Shangqing Ji (Shangqing Collection) says that when Ge Xiaoxian (the courtesy name of Ge Xuan) first began refining elixirs, he often held prayer beads in his hand. Each day he sat beside the alchemical furnace and recited the full name of the Jade Emperor ten thousand times. The Biezhuan (Separate Biography) says that the Immortal Lord practiced cultivation at seventy-two places, all of which preserved altars of the immortals and sacred traces of his alchemy.

Finally, on the Shufeng peak of Mount Hezao, the Immortal Lord built the Cloud-Reclining Hermitage (Woyun An). There he constructed an altar and set up an ao (an altar together with a symbolic turtle-shaped structure) in order to refine the Golden Elixir. At that time auspicious qi (vital energy) and radiant light appeared.

Finally, Immortal Ge built the Cloud-Reclining Hermitage (Woyun An) on Shufeng Peak in Hezao Mountain, where he set up a ritual altar and placed turtle-shaped ritual implements to refine the Golden Elixir. At that time, auspicious clouds and radiant light illuminated the valley. He once bathed the elixir in the Golden Sand Pool at the mouth of the cave, and the spring water suddenly rose while the golden sand in the pool churned and boiled. It is said that to this day, the golden sand in the Elixir Pool still stirs of its own accord.

He also pounded medicine in a stone mortar on the rock face of the western peak. Once, a pill the size of a chestnut fell out and was swallowed by a bird in flight, and that bird became immortal and never died. Tradition holds that on moonlit nights one can still hear the bird's cry, which sounds like the clanging of a pestle, and so the locals call the place "Medicine-Pounding Isle."

The immortal Qin Gao once rode two carp to visit Immortal Ge at the hermitage. The two of them set out wine and drank freely, then lay down to rest when they were drunk. When they woke, the two carp had turned to stone. Immortal Ge then gave Qin Gao two immortal cranes, and Qin Gao departed riding a crane. The "Twin Carp Stones" remain on the rear mountain to this day.

After Immortal Ge completed the Golden Elixir, he hid it in a stone chamber on Shu Cliff, saying: "I must first accumulate broad merit and save humble living beings such as plants, trees, insects, and fish. Then I will hold a Jiao rite (a Daoist ritual in which an altar is set up to make offerings and announcements to Heaven, Earth, and the deities), and only afterward take the Golden Elixir. In this way, perhaps my name may be recorded in the Three Heavens (the celestial realms of Daoist cosmology), and I may hold an immortal post in the Nine Empyreans, with no shame in my heart."

The Separate Biography records that after Immortal Ge completed the Golden Elixir, he composed a hymn. The hymn says:

"Flowing Pearl, O Flowing Pearl, you have wearied my body and heart. I wandered the four seas and read widely in the Daoist books, searching and leafing through them, yet never understood, feeling only my own dullness. I burned metals and stones and exhausted the mercury, scattering my family's wealth until I could only hug my knees and sigh. By the age of sixty my cultivation still had no result, and I could neither advance nor retreat. Fortunately I received my master's guidance and came to understand that primordial Qi originates in emptiness and nothingness: it arises from the dark and hard-to-fathom, and dwells in the indistinct and unfathomable.

True Yin and True Yang respond to one another, like an inhalation and an exhalation. First guard the Golden Cauldron (an Neidan image for the vessel in which one nourishes primordial Qi during alchemical practice), then identify the Five Furnaces (cultivation furnaces and cauldrons corresponding to the Five Phases). Let the Li fire (symbolizing the heart-fire and Yang Qi) stir the Kan water (symbolizing the kidney-water and Yin Qi), causing the Kan water to rise; then nourish the body with Jade Liquid (the term used in cultivation for bodily fluids such as saliva), letting it moisten and flow through the inner organs. When the heavenly mechanism is revealed, nothing among the myriad things can compare.

A true person who would save the people of the world must have the resolve of a great man. May I endure as long as Heaven and Earth, and together behold the capital of the immortals. Keep these principles always in mind, and remember well what I have said."

When Ge Xiangong (the Immortal Duke Ge, an immortal venerated in Daoism) lived in the mountains, he often sighed over the lonely, helpless souls who lingered in the underworld and sank into the evil destinies (the evil paths). He therefore compiled Lingbao scriptures (Jing) and Daoist proclamations, and composed works such as the Great Rites of Sacrificial Refinement, the Precious Record of Rebirth in Heaven, and the Secret Capital of Numinous Talismans (Fulu). He kept this matter constantly in mind and set down these words in writing.

While living in the mountains, Ge Xiangong often lamented that souls in the underworld were sinking into the evil paths, so he compiled Lingbao scriptures and Daoist proclamations and composed works such as the Great Rites of Sacrificial Refinement, the Precious Record of Rebirth in Heaven, and the Secret Instructions on Numinous Talismans. He reported to the Celestial Emperor and petitioned for the establishment of a ritual altar. On auspicious days and nights such as the Three Origins and the Eight Festivals, he would summon the souls of the hells in great numbers to the altar to be refined through sacrifice and delivered from suffering. After he performed these rites, he repeatedly received miraculous responses.

The Separate Biography records that when a sacrificial refinement was held on the Lower Origin Festival in a jiawu year, a ghost king five zhang tall and dressed in robes bowed down to Ge Xiangong twice and said, "The multitude of ghosts have often received salvation through the true immortal's sacrificial refinement, and several million of them have already been reborn. We have also heard the Northern Emperor (the chief deity of the northern underworld in Daoism) declare that Perfected Ge, having performed sacrificial refinement for many years, has had his name entered in the Golden Orchid Register and holds a place in the Celestial Bureaus (the offices of the heavenly bureaucracy)." Having spoken, he withdrew.

The Lord of Wu (the ruler of the state of Wu) once fasted and purified his heart, burned incense, and invited Ge Xiangong to receive him, asking him about the Way of immortality. At that time his disciples Zhang Taiyan, Kong Long, Zheng Siyuan, and others were in attendance. Ge Xiangong replied, "The Way of immortals is subtle and profound. One who studies the Dao must proceed from the shallow to the deep, beginning with what is near and gradually reaching what is far. Even though a ruler is busy with affairs of state, if he can purify his heart and preserve the One (guard the spirit with single-minded focus), the path to immortality is not far off." The Lord of Wu heard this and praised it with deep admiration.

The Biezhuan (Separate Biography) records that the Lord of Wu asked the Celestial Lord Ge: "My learning is shallow, and I do not yet understand the profound principles or the secret scriptures. If one wishes to keep the fast and uphold rectitude, cultivate the true and seek immortality, which Daoist scriptures are most important? Which talismanic diagrams and secret essentials are most subtle?"

The Celestial Lord Ge rose from his seat and replied: "To study the Dao (the Way) and seek immortality, one must first observe the precepts and accumulate good deeds, laying a firm foundation, and only then advance step by step. Once one's moral character (De, Virtue) and practice are securely rooted, one may take spiritual medicines and use them to nourish primordial Qi (vital energy). By swallowing saliva and drawing in breath, one harmonizes the Yin-Yang within the breath. Cultivating in this way, one may hope to become an earthly immortal. To dispel calamity, ward off misfortune, and turn disaster into blessing, one must keep the fast and uphold rectitude. These matters appear in the Taishang Lingbao Dongxuan Dadao Wuji Ziran Zhenyi Wuchengwen (Five Tallies Text of the Supreme Lingbao, of the Cavern of Mystery, of the Great Dao, the Limitless, the Natural, the True Unity). The meaning of this scripture is profound and not easily explained point by point.

As for the Nine-Cycle Returned Cinnabar (Golden Elixir), the Golden Liquor, the Jade Nectar, and other immortal medicines, it is said that after taking them one can ride the clouds, mount a crane, and ascend to heaven in broad daylight. The Dadong Zhenjing (Scripture of the Great Cavern of Perfection) is said to lift one up to immortality merely through recitation. The Sanhuang Neiwen (Inner Writings of the Three Sovereigns), together with the inner chapters of the Numinous Diagrams of the Seven Transformations and Seven Treasures of the Five Marchmounts, the Ten Lands, and the Divine Continents, are all texts treasured by the high immortals. Their standing is supremely exalted, and they are said to help people pass through the calamities of the Yang Nine and the Hundred Six. The perfected, who have transcended the Three Realms, likewise follow these methods."

The Lord of Wu wrote these words on golden tablets, sealed them in a jade case, and revered and upheld them for the rest of his life.

Crown Prince Deng believed that the Immortal Lord (Ge, the Immortal Lord) understood the arts of the Dao (the Way), so he had a separate lodge built for him, invited him to come, and asked him about the way of long life.

The Immortal Lord replied: "The essence of the supreme Dao is subtle and profound, hard to fathom; its utmost limit is dim and utterly still. Do not look, and do not listen; let the Shen (spirit) settle in tranquility, and the body will naturally become upright. Be sure to preserve stillness and purity. Do not weary your body, and do not disturb your Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy). Only in this way can you long preserve the mysterious root of life. These are the words Guangchengzi (a legendary Daoist immortal) spoke to the Yellow Emperor.

"Now, Your Highness, as Crown Prince, you will one day inherit the throne. What matters most is to purify your heart and reduce your desires, to keep far from the treacherous and flatterers and honor the worthy, to select outstanding talents so that the realm may be at peace and prosperous, to harmonize the seasons and nurture the people. This is boundless blessing within the four seas."

The Crown Prince felt that he had spoken very well.

The Biezhuan (Separate Biography) records that on the first day of the first month of the second year of the Jiahe era (233 CE), the Immortal Lord took his leave of the Crown Prince and departed.

One day, the Immortal Duke Ge took his leave of the Lord of Wu, saying: "I came from the mountains and forests, a man of humble station, and for a long time I have enjoyed Your Majesty's protection. Now I am about to depart far from the palace, and I fear we shall never meet again. I hope Your Majesty will cease military campaigns, give peace to the people, treat others with sincerity, and bestow kindness upon the many, so that the ancestral temples and the altars of state may long remain secure, and the people enjoy lasting peace."

The Lord of Wu replied: "Your name is already inscribed in the Cinnabar Terrace (Dantai, the place where the registers of immortals are kept). How could you remain long in the dusty world?"

On the first day of the first month of the third year of the Jiahe era, the Immortal Duke Ge ascended Mount Kuocang and said to his disciples Zhang Tai, Zheng Siyuan, and others: "Recently I was detained by the King of Wu and have not yet recited the Cavern Scriptures. Now I will devote myself to studying and reciting the Shangqing and Lingbao scriptures (Jing) that I have received."

In the first year of the Chiwu era, the wuwu year, on the jiazi day, the first day of the eleventh month, the Supreme One (Taishang) sent celestial officials bearing golden tablets, jade writings, and patents of appointment, conferring upon the Immortal Duke Ge a rank among the immortals. The first patent read:

"By the jade writ of the Supreme One, an order to Ge Xuan, disciple of the Unsurpassed who studies immortality: Across your former and present lives you have long practiced austerities and accumulated merit. You gave of yourself in alms and rescued others from peril, and so you moved the Supreme One, and your name has been entered in the registers of the high immortals of the Mysterious Capital. You are brilliant and wise, born into a house of virtue, with a nature like jade and a character like fragrance. Your natural gifts are outstanding and extraordinary, and your Dao and De (Virtue) are profound, far surpassing the multitude. You did not covet the glories of the world but valued simplicity. You devoted yourself to the scriptures of immortality, preserved the One and nourished the Shen (spirit), and roamed the mountains and forests without longing for the court. With a compassionate heart you also rescued the people of the world, never growing slack. Now your Dao, De, and merit are complete, and the mandate of immortality should be conferred upon you. We bestow upon you the Heavenly Treasure Feathered Robe, the Cinnabar-Cloud Embroidered Coverlet, the Flying Gauze Skirt, the Lotus Precious Crown, and the Golden Truth Divine Tiger Staff of Command and Banner. With these implements you may command the spirits of the seas and summon the mountains, and whatever you wish in your heart may be carried out."

The second patent read:

"Ge Xuan, disciple of the Unsurpassed who studies immortality, you have sought out what is hidden and profound and studied the scriptures, long observing fasts and quiet cultivation, concentrating your visualization with diligence and without weariness. We further bestow upon you the Eight-Effulgence Jade Carriage and the dragon chariot, so that you may travel on the clouds with a halo of light appearing above your head. We bestow upon you the golden seals and jade texts in recompense for your past virtue. You shall establish the guiding principles of the Daoist community, be revered by later cultivators of the Dao, uphold the Wheel of the Law, honor the teachings of the Supreme One, and transmit the doctrines granted by the Three Heavens."

The third patent read:

"Ge Xuan, disciple of the Unsurpassed who studies immortality, you have cultivated De and spread the Dao, teaching those not yet awakened and universally rescuing living beings, enabling them to transcend and move toward wondrous awakening. Your work is accomplished and your fame manifest, and the high perfected ones already trust you. The beings and spirits of the Three Realms revere you, your grace extends through the ten directions, and you can fulfill what beings seek. We now appoint you Immortal Duke of the Left Palace of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) in the Jade Capital of the Supreme One, with overall command of the offices of the Great Demon Kings of the Six Heavens of the Three Realms, in charge of the registers of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen), and you shall be assigned five hundred jade youths and five hundred jade maidens to attend you. In your left hand you shall hold the canopy of the Nine Luminaries, and in your right you shall bear the true scriptures of Dongxuan, carrying the dragon banner and the tiger tally as you tour the Nine Palaces of Shangqing. Three times each year you shall present yourself at the Golden Gate of the Jade Capital in the Mysterious Capital of the Supreme One. The Supreme One issues this patent, and the Celestial Emperor receives the writ and carries it out, in every respect following the old statutes of the Three Heavens. The Celestial Emperor, whose name is Yuan, has been ordered to proclaim this patent at Mount Huotong."

The Immortal Duke then said to his disciples: "I have finished consuming the Five Zhi (the immortal herbs of the lingzhi kind taken by immortals), and my patent of appointment is now settled. I shall ascend to heaven on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in autumn of the seventh year."

According to the Biographies of Divine Immortals (Shenxian zhuan) by Wang, the Perfected One Ge cultivated himself over seven generations of accumulated practice before he could hold the office of Immortal Duke of the Left Office. He once told his disciples: "I have taken all of the Five Zhi (five kinds of immortal herbs), and the scriptures transmitted to me are complete. I expect to ascend to Heaven on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in autumn of a certain year."

The Separate Biography (Biezhuan) records that in the past, the many heavens of the ten directions (the deities of every celestial region) begged the Great Emperor True King to expound the Jade Scripture of Thunder and Thunderclap of the Nine Empyreans (Jiuxiao Dafan Leiting Yu Jing). The Great Emperor ordered Jin Yuanqing and others to accompany attendants such as the Grand Commandant, the Yellow-Iron Thunder Envoy, and Shangfu on the jade carriage (the celestial chariot). They ascended through the Three Realms and reported to the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning, asking permission to circulate the scripture. Soon the two commanders returned to announce that the hundred officials had assembled at the Three Departments. The Great Emperor then took up the Dongzhen brush of the Primordial Sovereign. Accompanied by the many heavens and by troops such as the Fire Bell guards, he arrived beneath the Gate of the Three Heavens. There he first paid respects to the Supreme Jade Capital Immortal Duke of the Left Office, who resides in the Department of Celestial Mechanism. Next he visited the Capital Immortal of the Nine Provinces, who resides in the Department of the Celestial Pivot. Last he visited the Great Master of the Three Heavens, who resides in the Grand Mystery Capital Department.

The scripture also says that the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning once ordered the Supreme Sovereign of the Great Purity, the Lord of Original Primordiality, to have the Capital Immortal of the Nine Provinces oversee the affairs of the Grand Thunder Department. The Supreme Jade Capital Immortal Duke of the Left Office of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) was to oversee the Mysterious Thunder Department. The Great Master of the Three Heavens was to oversee the Capital Thunder Department. The Great Immortal Fuqiu would join them in handling the affairs of all three Thunder Departments. From this we can see that the Immortal Duke also holds office in the Three Departments of Heaven.

On the first day of the first month of the second year of the Chiwu era, the Immortal Duke ascended Mount Laosheng and devoted himself to quiet contemplation and cultivation. On that day, the Immortal Duke sensed that the Supreme One had bestowed the Thousand Perfected Precepts and Regulations (the commandments and norms observed in the practice of immortals and the Perfected). The Immortal Duke then taught words of admonition to the assembled immortals, so that even those not yet awakened might hear them, and handed these teachings down to the world. At that time, the Lord of Wu built the Dongxuan Temple on Mount Fang for the Immortal Duke.

The Record of the Six Dynasties at Jinling (Jinling Liuchao ji) states that the Immortal Duke attained the Dao (the Way) on Mount Fang and ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. On the mountain there is a Medicine-Washing Pond called the Baishang Pond, which survives to this day. The Veritable Records of Jiankang (Jiankang shilu) states that the Lord of Wu of that time built the Dongxuan Temple on Mount Fang for the Immortal Duke.

According to the Record of the Six Dynasties in Jinling, the Immortal Lord (Ge Xiangong) attained the Dao (the Way) on Fangshan Mountain and ascended to heaven in broad daylight. On the mountain there is a pool where he washed his herbs, called the "White Upper Pool" (Baishang Pool), which still exists today. The Veritable Records of Jiankang adds that the medicine cauldron and the mortar the Immortal Lord used to prepare his remedies can still be found on Fangshan today.

The Immortal Lord had more than five hundred disciples. Those who received his personal transmission and were admitted to his inner chamber were Zhang Taiyan, Kong Long, and Zheng Siyuan, along with Li Can and Wang Xuanchong.

The Separate Biography relates that Li Can and Wang Xuanchong, both natives of Shu Commandery, had traveled in search of teachers of the Dao to Mount Heming, Mount Yuntai, and the Shaoshi Peak of Mount Song. Hearing that there was an immortal in the land of Wu, Lord Ge, they went to take him as their master. They asked: "The Dao began at the primordial beginning, and originally there was no before or after, no ancient or modern. So what, in the end, is 'before,' and what is 'after'?"

The Immortal Lord replied: "Originally there is no before or after, no left or right, no high or low, no noble or humble, and no difference in form. That is precisely why it is called the 'Dao.'"

He then said to them: "In your former lives, you were destined to deliver living beings from suffering." Thereupon he set up an altar on Mount Tiantai and transmitted to them the Five Marchmount Real Forms Chart (a Daoist diagram depicting the topography of the Five Sacred Mountains), saying: "This is a token handed down by the Supreme One (Taishang, an honorific for the highest Daoist deity), and it is also what the Queen Mother of the West reveres. The spirits who govern the mountains and the demon kings can all be commanded by it, and the spirits of the Three Realms will come to welcome the bearer."

The Immortal Lord also passed on to his disciples dozens of scrolls of scriptures, including the Great Scripture of the Supreme Golden Elixir, the Lingbao Text of the Five Names of Natural Precious Radiance, the Inner Texts of the Three Sovereigns, the Wondrous Scripture of Great Existence, the Purple Text of the Golden Truth and Jade Radiance Spiritual Writ, the Thirty-Nine Chapters of the Great Cavern, the Hidden Book of the Great Empyrean, the Bright Mirror Diagrams and Registers, and the Golden Writings in Jade Characters, together with items such as the "Great Ultimate Dragon-Soaring Spirit Herb." He bade the immortal officials to seal a covenant, each wearing the tokens at their belts. Afterward, he had Zheng Siyuan, his inner-chamber disciple, receive the complete oral instructions.

The Record of the Six Dynasties in Jinling further records that another of the Immortal Lord's disciples, Bai Zhongdu, also ascended to heaven in broad daylight.

The Immortal Duke Ge once said to Siyuan and the others: "In the past I received the Taiqing (Great Purity) elixir scriptures and others from Zuo Yuanfang, and now I entrust them all to you. But the prohibitions of the heavenly realm are extremely strict, and these scriptures must not be passed to unsuitable people. If you meet someone who sincerely seeks the Dao (the Way), you should follow the Four Extremes Bright Statutes (the rules of oath and ritual governing the transmission of scriptures and methods), and transmit them only after the person has knelt and sworn an oath.

"The various Fulu (talismans and registers), together with the scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), were transmitted to me by the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Perfected Man Xu Lai-le. These are secret texts of the upper realms, guarded by flying immortals. After I ascend to heaven, you may carry them to famous mountains and cavern-heavens in every region, so that the transmission of the heavenly Dao is not cut off."

He then gave each of them a pill of immortal medicine, and bestowed an elixir called the "Flowing Brilliance Seven-Luminaries Purple Pill," which he had them take. After taking the elixir, their spirits felt at ease and their bodies light and vigorous, and they no longer felt hunger or thirst. He then said to Xuanchong and the others: "You should return to Mount Song and observe a fast for three years, and then go to Mount Wangwu to devote yourselves to the practice of the great methods."

Xuanchong and the others asked to remain and attend him. He said: "As long as you keep me in your hearts, you will be able to see me; there is no need to cling to me. The Perfected Ones of Mount Song will continue to instruct you. Five years from now, I will again transmit secret instructions to you to help you accomplish the immortal Dao; only then will you be able to see formless things clearly, as if looking into a mirror."

He added: "You should dwell on the Terrace of Weifeng for three hundred years, and only then ascend to heaven. The time it takes to attain the Dao and ascend differs from person to person. Some ascend quickly; others must wait ten years, several decades, a hundred years, or several hundred years; some must wait a thousand years, several thousand years, or even ten thousand years. This depends on each person's innate endowment and the merit of their practice. Immortals who have not yet ascended must likewise endure waits of differing lengths, again because of endowment and accumulated merit.

"Before ascending, they all dwell on the famous mountains of the Five Peaks, and on the Ten Continents and Three Islands within the Eight Seas. There stand palaces built of the seven treasures, and towers, pavilions, and halls of jade; immortal medicines and rare treasures are too abundant to describe. Luan phoenixes and qilin roam and play, and jade trees and gem forests produce music of their own accord. Many immortals who have not yet ascended live in these famous mountains and wondrous realms. What matters is diligent cultivation."

The Biezhuan (Supplementary Biography) records that Xuanchong and the others knelt respectfully and said: "We have heard that there are seven sages who wear robes of seven colors, and that two of them are lofty immortals, residing on Mount Zhongnan, Mount Chicheng, or Mount Song. We do not know which scripture records this. Might you explain it to us?"

The Immortal Lord (Xiangong) said: "The two lofty immortals are the Perfected of the Southern Pole (Nanji Zhenren) and the Attendant Gentleman of the Southern Pole (Nanji Shilang). The phrase 'immortals of the ten directions transform their forms' refers to true immortals. According to the Seven Sages' Mysterious Records (Qisheng Xuanji), the Red Lord (Chijun) issued a decree, and Bian Kui and his six disciples likewise made their names and identities manifest."

Because the day of the Immortal Lord's ascension to Heaven was drawing near, it was fitting to set up an altar and perform a jiao (Zhaijiao, purification ritual) offering, in order to give thanks to Heaven and Earth and to the spirits of the mountains and peaks.

Ge Xuan, the Immortal Duke, knew that the day of his ascension to heaven was drawing near. At Futing he built an altar called "Eight Effulgences" (Bajing), chose an auspicious day, and ascended it to offer sacrifice and thanks to heaven and earth, the mountains and rivers, and the host of spirits. On that day heavenly flowers danced in the air and divine light lit up the sky. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the seventh year of Chiwu, immortal music rose, banners and pennants covered the sky, and a feathered carriage drawn by unicorns came from far across the heavens. Immortal youths, Jade Maidens, and spirit officials thronged around it as it descended before the altar. A flying Heavenly Spirit King held up a jade edict and said to Ge Xuan, "The Supreme One has issued a command."

Ge Xuan bowed twice and received the edict. It declared that Ge Xuan, disciple in the study of immortality, master of the great rites of the Lingbao scriptures and registers, had long devoted himself to the supreme Dao (the Way) and was skilled at nourishing the embryonic Jing (essence). He had expounded the true scriptures (Jing), performed rites to refine and deliver the souls of the dead, edited the immortal canons, and enlightened later students. Through hidden merit accumulated in aid of the world and through sincere practice, his name was now inscribed in the Jade Capital and his person belonged to the heavenly realm. He was therefore granted the rank of "Immortal Duke of the Left Palace of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji) in the Jade Capital of the Supreme One," to command the great demon kings of the two realms and six heavens and to oversee the scriptures and registers of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen) and the Four Supplements. Ge Xuan was to ascend at noon on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the jiazi year and proceed directly to the celestial court. The edict also bestowed a jade casket, the Golden Elixir, immortal robes, and other gifts, and commanded the Heavenly Emperor to receive him according to ancient precedent.

After receiving the edict, Ge Xuan knelt and swallowed the Golden Elixir, then bade farewell to the disciples. He climbed the Platform of Robing and put on an immortal garment of Li gauze and a lotus-blossom crown, with a halo of light behind his neck and a jade tablet in his hands. Clad in a crimson skirt and vermilion shoes and adorned with jade ornaments, he mounted the Eight-Effulgence Carriage (the splendid carriage of the immortals). Colorful banners and crimson tallies led the way before and behind, immortal youths and Jade Maidens guarded both sides, and auspicious clouds and white cranes circled in the blue sky as he rose slowly. His disciples, Zou Ming and the others, could not bear to part from him, so Ge Xuan halted the carriage in midair and composed several poems before ascending to heaven.

The first poem says: The true ones of the past left their teachings out of pity for the ignorant and forlorn. If people are clouded by false views and do not believe in the great Dao, disaster and disorder will arise from it. Human life is as brief as morning dew, and by the time regret comes it is too late. When sins are heavy, who will bear the harm they cause? If one has still not escaped the darkness, release must wait until the kalpa has ended. One will be reborn into a poor and lowly family, to be ordered about by others again, or be crippled and beg in the marketplace, never knowing that this is retribution for accumulated sins, and instead blaming heaven and the spirits for withholding protection. The great Dao is by nature pure and still, and its Wuwei (non-action) is without contrivance; to spread the Dao, one must begin with doing good. I am able to rise because I cultivated myself and established merit. Beings of the Three Realms all bow their heads to the Dao, while I dwell at ease within the Purple Palace. Now I pause in the void, and human life is like flowing water. At parting I write these words, briefly recording the subtle teachings.

The second poem says: Now that I am about to ascend to heaven, I still pity all of you who study and seek the Dao. The substance of the Dao is empty, still, and formless, yet within the stillness it holds a subtle vitality. It seems dark and hard to grasp, yet within its depths there is light. Do not say the Dao is empty falsehood; what matters is whether those who cultivate it are firm in purpose and sincere in heart. Why not climb a famous mountain and recite the Dongzhen Scripture (Jing)? Recite it again and again, chant it over and over, and its profound sound will reach the heavens. The Supreme One will reveal a golden countenance, the immortals will answer in unison, fragrant flowers will be scattered throughout the ten directions, and sandalwood smoke will curl through the air. The Goddess Huang'e will play the music of the Nine Shao, and phoenixes will sing in harmony; dragon chariots will cover the sky to welcome you, and canopies will shine in the far reaches of heaven. Lord Indra will descend reverently to the Platform of the Kalpa, and the Eight Kings will offer the cinnabar elixir, which, once drunk, makes the body light and able to soar. Wander freely between being and non-being, as light flows on, beyond form and name. Divine youths will wait at your side, and ten thousand spirits will naturally come to pay homage. Riding the Eight-Effulgence Carriage, you will feast in the White Jade Capital, your ancestors of seven generations will be born into the Hall of Blessings, and departed relatives will all be granted rebirth. If kings and lords can hold firmly to faith in the Dao, they will surely become exemplars of the true way for the world; those of lofty virtue will enable all beings to receive the benefit of their accomplishment.

The third poem says: I once roamed freely among mountains and rivers, drew in the breath of spiritual harmony, and refined my breathing so that my mind accorded with "xiyi" (the Daoist realm of the subtle and formless), quietly reciting the Dao De Jing. I devoted myself sincerely to the Mysterious One as my guiding principle, and now the response has finally appeared. I ride a flying carriage drawn by nine dragons, drifting up into purple clouds; its splendid radiance lights the great road of the sky, and red clouds gather before the Heavenly Emperor. I shall visit the Palace of Penglai briefly, and soon ascend to heaven. The many true ones gather in great assembly, in a realm lofty and profound. The body of the Dao I have perfected is firm and unbound by the end of the kalpa, and my golden countenance grows brighter with the sun and moon. I delight in the realm of the Supreme One, and I also pity all who are ignorant and clinging. Who can escape death and the decay of the body? Only by forming hidden, good affinities and cultivating the Dao for a long time can one attain the supreme Dao and enter the realm without form or boundary. The Dao is subtle and truly hard to fathom; the wise will know that what I say is true. If one can spread the many profound ways, one may lighten the body, rise up, and become an immortal.

The Immortal Duke was eighty-one years old when he ascended to heaven. During his life he constantly leaned on a paulownia-wood stool; after his ascension, the stool turned into a three-legged white muntjac, which often appeared on the mountain.

The Tao Stele (Tao bei) says that the three-legged white muntjac, even after a hundred years, undergoes no change in form. Kong Han's Records of Kuaiji (Kuaiji ji) says that after the Immortal Duke attained the Dao (the Way), the low table he used almost transformed into a three-legged beast. To this day, people of Shangyu often see this table in the mountains, which is probably an omen that it is about to ascend to the heavens.

The Immortal Duke once traveled to Kuaiji. A merchant returning from the sea told of passing a spirit temple on the way. The temple's god instructed a registrar (an official in charge of documents) to say to the merchant: "I would like to entrust you with a letter for Lord Ge. Can you deliver it for me?" The registrar then hurled the case containing the letter onto the prow of the merchant's boat, where it lodged as firmly as a nail and could not be pulled free. When the merchant reached Kuaiji, he told the Immortal Duke what had happened. The Immortal Duke took the case down himself and saw an inscription on it: "Immortal Duke of the Left Palace of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate)." The Left Palace of the Taiji is the name of a dwelling place of Daoist immortals, and here it serves as the signature on the letter.

Jia Shanxiang's Accounts of Eminent Daoists (Gaodao zhuan) says that this letter was written by the Youth Lord of Eastern Florescence, and that its characters were in ancient tadpole script (a type of archaic writing whose strokes resemble tadpoles).

The Immortal Duke wrote a Preface to the Daode Jing (Daode jing xu) and the Order of Transmission of the Scripture of Purity and Stillness (Qingjing jing chuanshou cidi). He also wrote the three-scroll Recipes for Abstaining from Grain (Duangu shi fang), the nineteen-scroll Scripture of Contemplative Thought on Entering the Mountains (Rushan jingsi jing), and compiled the ten-scroll Great Penitential Rite of the Nine Hells of Compassion (Cibei daochang jiuyou dachan fa). Abstaining from grain is a Daoist cultivation practice of not eating the five grains, known as bigu, while the "Great Penitential Rite of the Nine Hells" is a penitential liturgy (keyi) directed toward the souls of the dead in the underworld.

The "Treatise on Literature" in the Tang Documents (Tang shu) records that Immortal Duke Ge compiled a three-scroll work titled Formulas and Secrets of the Golden Elixir from the Fox Master (Huzi fang jin jue).

Inscription for the Immortal Duke's Elixir-Refining Well

Written by Fang Jun of Putian, courtesy name Jingtong, of the Song dynasty.

The Immortal Duke kept himself deeply hidden, carrying out his alchemical work in Changlin. Later, the Immortal Duke's deeds came to be known throughout the world.

The Immortal Duke (Ge Xiangong, that is, Ge Xuan) lived in retirement, content with simplicity, and cultivated himself amid the tall forests. His fame spread far and wide, and the sound of his immortal teaching carried across the islands of the sea. On the square terrace there was a white deer, and cinnabar was transformed into gold. His divine spirit ascended to the heavens, ten thousand layers high, yet the well remains to this day. Scriptures are stored in the jade-green sutra cases (blue-green Daoist scripture boxes), and the silver couch measures about half a xun (an ancient unit of length). The well water is clear, cold, and sweet, able to wash away stray thoughts and purify the mind and Shen (spirit). The numinous De (Virtue/Power) of this place and its old appearance have not changed; one may still offer sacrifices of short-grained rice and draw water from the deep well.

I have long taught and transformed the people of this region, so that they may know to revere Qingyuan (the Azure Origin, a deity or the source of the Dao revered in Daoism). I traveled throughout the Immortal Duke's native place and gazed in reverence upon the traces of his cultivation. At the Linguan (Daoist temple-hall), I had a stone carved and a stele erected, hoping that his biography might be preserved for a long time to come.

Stele of the Immortal Duke Ge, Left Immortal of Supreme Taiji (Taiji) of Haotian

Composed by Tao Hongjing, the Huayang Recluse of the Liang dynasty

The Dao (the Way) in its essence transcends the opening of Heaven and Earth, and its name and form arose before the myriad things; it cannot be explained in words or encompassed by any title. That being so, how could it be recorded in writing or proclaimed on bronze and stone? Yet if the ancients had therefore ceased to write, the Dao would be like the sun and moon shining in vain, and people would remain in darkness for a long time. For this reason, when the sage left the pass, he bequeathed two scrolls of scripture, displaying its jade-like words so that those who possess spiritual insight and grasp the principles of things might know that within the deep and mysterious there truly is a subtle Dao.

From then on, cloud-seal and dragon-script writings of the Daoist scriptures (Jing) appeared from age to age, their radiance shining among the mountains and forests; compositions of elegant phrasing and profound meaning were also circulated at lecture seats and banquets. Those that could set standards and be recited by later generations are still handed down today. In the past, Gan Zuo astonished the King of Wei, and Xiang Feng was esteemed by the ruler of Wu for his marvelous arts; but when it comes to those of outstanding talent who surpassed ordinary people, the Immortal Duke Ge stands out above all.

The Immortal Duke Ge traveled among many famous mountains and lived mostly on this ridge. Though the place is not a grotto-heaven, it lies at a crucial crossing of land and water routes in the Central Plains. Looking east, one sees continuous peaks running into the sea; looking south, layered ranges rise to the clouds; to the west lies a flowing river, and to the north, open country and towns. It is a secluded yet prominent scenic site, and also a pass for those coming and going. Here there is a shallow stone well from which water is drawn daily, though no one knows where its source lies, and a three-legged white deer that has not aged after a hundred years. People believed these were signs of protection by spirits and guardianship by the divine.

Practitioners of the Dao such as Mayi and Shi Zong lived here one after another. Later, Sun Weizu also continued to dwell on the northern side of Mt. Mi for many years. Hong Yuwen, who from youth had a natural inclination toward the Dao, with firm resolve and clear understanding, had earlier lived in the Ao region of Siming in Yuyao, where he built a Daoist temple for the locality. Although the place was a hundred li from the mountain road, overgrown with weeds and treacherous to traverse, he understood the arts of the Dao and could also be of service to others, and so was deeply respected by the people.

In the seventh year of Tianjian, prominent old families of the prefectures and counties came forward one after another to invite him to stay. Because this mountain lay on a key route at the meeting point of five counties, he left his former residence and lived here for fifteen years. Later, when he planned to move to live at the altar, he found there an empty stele that had long since collapsed and been damaged. Hong Yuwen reasoned that even those sheltered by a great tree cherish its branches, so how could the traces left by Ge, a true sage, be allowed to vanish? He therefore erected a new stele, hoping to have words engraved on it so that they might be transmitted for a long time. A recluse who came from a thousand li away inscribed this text upon the stone.

The Immortal Duke's surname was Ge, his given name Xuan, and his courtesy name Xiaoxian; he was a native of Jiyang Village, Duxiang, Jurong, Danyang. His family originally came from Langye. A Han-dynasty Marquis Tong, General of Agile Cavalry, yielded his fief to his younger brother and moved to this place. Ge Xuan's seventh-generation ancestor Ge Ai was the younger brother of the Marquis Tong and inherited the marquis's title. His grandfather Ge Ju served as Grand Administrator of Anping and as Gentleman of the Yellow Gate; his grand-uncle Ge Mi served as Grand Administrator of five commanderies, including Yuzhang; and his father Ge Yan, courtesy name Deru, served as a provincial registrar, Magistrate of Shanyin, Attendant Cavalier-in-Waiting, and Grand Imperial Secretary. Talented people appeared in every generation of the Ge family, and the family enjoyed considerable renown in its time.

From childhood Ge Xuan was extraordinarily gifted and surpassed others in intelligence, with a pure and lofty bearing and outstanding presence. It seemed that without studying the Confucian classics he was already versed in the arts of the Dao, and whatever he saw or heard he quickly understood. His talent and insight went beyond ordinary norms and human comprehension, difficult to measure by common reasoning and difficult to describe in words.

In the early years of Wu, Zuo Yuanfang came from Luoyang to Jiangdong and transmitted to Ge Xuan such arts as the "Seven Transformations of the White Tiger" and the "Nine Elixirs of the Furnace Fire." The "Seven Transformations of the White Tiger" and the "Nine Elixirs" are both methods of Daoist cultivation. Thereafter Ge Xuan possessed five kinds of spiritual powers, able to transform and come and go without a trace. Although Sun Quan loved and valued marvelous and immortal matters, he also harbored wariness within; Fan Ying and others were all rejected, and only the Immortal Duke Ge was held in awe, so that he often consulted him on affairs.

The Immortal Duke Ge roamed among rivers and mountains, often accompanied by dragons and tigers as guardians. He frequented Changshan and Gaizhu in particular, and also rested in the Tiantai and Lanfeng regions; at times he returned to the capital. He regarded the people of the world as figures in a play, and his conduct was extraordinary and bold, as though he could turn mountains and rivers upside down. Even if people said he threw his sandal into the water and made it sink, or commanded a stone sheep to stand up, nothing could be more marvelous than this.

At that time, someone drifted over the sea, carried by the wind across the vast ocean, and suddenly came upon a divine island. He saw a person hand him a letter inscribed "To be delivered to the Immortal Duke Ge." After returning, the man brought the letter to the land of Wu, and the whole realm was astir; thereafter people called Ge Xuan the "Immortal Duke." In the Baopuzi, Ge Hong also says that the Immortal Duke Ge was his grand-uncle, that is, a paternal cousin of his grandfather's generation.

Popular scriptures and traditions say that the Immortal Duke Ge received the mandate of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) and occupied the position of "Left Immortal Duke"; yet neither the Zhen'gao nor the Old Genealogy of the Ge Family records this. Perhaps differing teachings transmitted differing accounts, adopting varied wording merely to suit the circumstances of the time. Consider someone who holds a halberd and stands attendance on the palace steps: can one say on that basis that he three times plucked spirit peaches, received divine beings, and commanded ghosts and spirits? Or perhaps he merely held a lower post. If one understands these accounts through the principle of expedient adaptation, there is no need to dispute whether they agree.

The Immortal Duke ascended as an immortal at dawn on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the jiazi year, the seventh year of Chiwu, and departed far, never to return. He had long kept company with Guo Shengzi and others, and by now he must have been appointed in the Mysterious Capital, holding a place in the celestial realm, assisting the four quarters and governing both humans and spirits. Looking back on his homeland, how could he be without longing? And thinking of later students seeking the Dao, one hopes the Immortal Duke will guide them with compassion. Because I belong to a later branch of the Ge clan, I respectfully set forth here the deeds and standards left by the true immortal.

The borders of heaven and earth stretch far away, and above them seven layers of void hang suspended and apart. The void was divided and the realms set in place; primordial Qi (vital energy) was gathered together to form the azure heavens.

The myriad things grow only after their numbers have taken shape, while transformation arises before any form appears. Life moves onward as the body changes, and the Shen (spirit) finds its lodging in the works one creates, and is passed down through them.

In the frost-covered fields, the plants gradually wither, yet the bamboo remains green. The spring keeps company with the ruins, but Peng Xian departs alone.

Life is bound by worldly affairs, and the years grow and change through learning. A person is like metal tempered in a furnace, like silk woven on a loom.

The Immortal Lord (Ge Xiangong, that is, Ge Xuan) was gifted and quick-witted, and when he reached the age to show his talent, he rose to prominence. He stood side by side with Xiang Tong and kept company with Xiang Ru.

In splendid chambers he cultivated body and mind; among the dark-hued mountain ridges he stilled his Shen in contemplation. In the end, like a tiger shedding its form, he departed alone.

Life is bound by worldly affairs, and the years grow and change through learning. A person is like metal tempered in a furnace, like silk woven on a loom.

The Immortal Lord was gifted and quick-witted, and when he reached the age to show his talent, he rose to prominence. He stood side by side with Xiang Tong and kept company with Xiang Ru.

In splendid chambers he cultivated body and mind; among the dark-hued mountain ridges he stilled his Shen in contemplation. Later, transformed like a tiger, he had already attained the Dao (the Way); then, riding a dragon chariot, he went forth in answer to a summons.

He arrived at Taihuo (the name of an immortal mountain) and came to rest beneath the Orchid Vault. The jade-green altar grounds were solemn and majestic, and the jade waters flowed on without end.

He toured the fragrant realm, bathed in the Dao, and thought of the ancients, his heart stirred with feeling. And so he set up this tall stele, that his lofty example might be handed down for ages.

The orchid wind once paused to rest here, and the great stele has now been carved and erected. This place was his dwelling in former days, yet no inscription had been cut to honor his steadfast virtue.

Now his descendants of later generations, admiring the Immortal Lord's pure and lofty legacy, reverently resolved to raise a stele for him, so that his good name might be passed down to later ages.

The edict of Emperor Huizong of the Song declared: Lands of beautiful mountains and rivers are where immortals and sages dwell. Whenever one is eminent in virtue and distinguished in achievement, and renowned in the world, I will surely honor him with sacrifices according to ritual. The Perfected One (Zhenren) left behind teachings and established a name, and has fully reached the root of the Dao; he comes and goes without obstruction and roams freely with the Great Dao. His altar grounds and immortal palace have stood for many years, and his prayers and rites for averting misfortune have brought auspicious signs and benefited the people. Therefore I especially bestow commendation and confer an exalted title. May he continue to protect this place and bestow blessings upon this region forever; he is hereby enfeoffed as "Chongying Zhenren" (Perfected One of Humble Response). Third year of the Chongning era (1104).

Zhuangzi said, "The divine person can keep all things free from calamity and pestilence, and ensure abundant harvests of the five grains." This surely describes an immortal. Lord Ge, the Immortal Duke, cultivated himself on a famous mountain and perfected a subtle and wondrous Dao (the Way) practice; the tradition of his attaining the Dao and ascending to heaven is of long standing. In the Chongning era, the court had already erected a stele for this Duke Ge, the Left Immortal Duke of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and conferred a title upon him.

Now, a local official, responding to a petition from the people of the region, has memorialized the throne, reporting that after sacrifices were offered to Lord Ge, prayers were answered and harvests have been bountiful year after year. I have no particular fondness for the teachings of the fangshi (masters of esoteric arts), yet I commend him for benefiting the people, and so I have ordered the ritual officials to add to his titles. As for the realm of immortals who ride the clouds, drive the winds, and roam beyond the eight directions, it has no need of worldly names; nevertheless, I use this occasion to express my praise and reverence, and I hereby confer upon him the title "True Lord of Profound Response and Aiding Protection" (Chongying Fuyou Zhenjun).

The sixth year of Chunyou.