《洞玄金玉集》Vol. 4

The man in coarse clothing had once personally encountered Master Chongyang (Wang Chongyang) and received from him the teaching of the Xiyi Way: a Daoist method of stillness, non-action, emptiness, and mysterious subtlety.

Knowing that his cultivation and merit were complete, he hurried to visit me and returned on the date we had agreed upon. At the time, he cheerfully brushed back his sleeves and set out as promised.

He was a discerning and capable man from Pengcheng. Ma Feng (Ma Yu) had an exceptional bearing, and a new lyric should be written for him. This man attained long life, carried the clouds with him, and rode a crane to the Jade Pool, the fabled realm of immortals.

In Praise of the Manifestation of the Perfected Chongyang

At the old city of Dengzhou, outside Wangxian Gate, carriages and horses crowded the painted bridge until passage was nearly impossible. Before everyone there, Master Chongyang revealed the Quanzhen way of life and practice.

He had said in advance that there was no need to fear if they witnessed such a scene; after twelve years, they would attain fulfillment. Prefect He considered the road too steep and dangerous, so he ordered the old site demolished and had craftsmen build anew.

Master Chongyang manifested again at Wendeng, seated upright in midair on a lotus atop a white tortoise. Magistrate Zai Gong Ni Panghu was fortunate enough to see his true appearance.

Suddenly, they saw him turn and recline on his side as auspicious clouds surged around him; then he departed for the immortal palace. People competed to paint his likeness. Every household enshrined him, and he was revered everywhere.

Another Poem

The Perfected One of Wondrous Practice, Master Chongyang, once met his master, Patriarch Lü (Lü Dongbin, an immortal revered in Daoism), and received instruction that opened the way to profound understanding. After ten years of cultivating the Dao, he finally rode the wind and returned.

Over twelve years, he descended to the world three times. He was upright and dealt fairly with all matters. Manifesting in the heavens, he used Wuwei (acting in accord with nature and without forcing) to reveal, beyond the ordinary, the workings of nature.

The collected writings of Quanzhen conceal essential, subtle teachings, and their wondrous meaning lies within. They discuss the dragon’s roar and the tiger’s howl, metaphors in cultivation for the interaction of Yin-Yang Qi, as well as the Infant and Maiden, figures often used to represent Yin-Yang essence and Qi in cultivation.

Within the inner elixir, golden light shines brilliantly; the divine elixir takes form and leaps forth from the spirit palace, the inner dwelling of the divine. Whoever understands this should hasten to cultivate the way of purity and stillness, and not cling to worldly honor.

Presented to the Fifth Elder Xin and the Fourth Elder Jiang

Jian of the Jiang family and Tong of the Xin family, both from Laiyang, were wealthier and more distinguished than most, and their conduct was likewise exceptional. They formed bonds through cultivating the Dao and achieved the inner elixir, which leapt forth from the spirit palace. Whoever understands this should hasten to cultivate the way of purity and stillness, and not cling to worldly honor.

They possessed wealth far beyond that of ordinary people, and their conduct was equally unusual. Jiang Jian of Laiyang and Xin Tong went to Wendeng to take part in a Daoist purification ritual, undeterred by the bitter wind and frost.

They traveled nearly a thousand li to the ritual altar, where they reported to Ma Yu and Duke Jiang. The two men upheld filial piety. When Magistrate Zai heard of it, he sent wine and provisions to reward them for their exceptional service.

Their hearts were sincere, and their devotion brought a response. As soon as the ritual ended, an immortal appeared among the clouds. They then summoned a skilled painter to portray the immortal’s extraordinary appearance.

From then on, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, they devoted themselves to exploring and circulating the Qi of Yin-Yang. They forgot the affairs of the worldly realm. Their fellow villagers admired and envied them, and held them in even greater respect.

Presented to the Leaders of the Laiyang Ritual

Zhong Zhen of Gaomi, Jiang Jian of Laiyang, and Xin Tong of the Xin family of Feifang braved wind and snow to invite me to perform rites for the deliverance of the dead. Such rites use Daoist liturgy to bless the deceased and free their souls.

They presented petitions addressed to the assembled officials—prayer documents used in ritual—and knelt to receive and respectfully follow the officials’ arrangements. I stayed in a humble hut and ate only a bowl of thin porridge each day, yet I had to give my utmost to carry out the ritual properly.

In performing rites of empowerment, one must never be careless. One must shatter the Jade Mountain and keep gold hidden in the mouth. One must also unite the tiger and the dragon to refine the Original Form, the subtle essence or numinous shape generated through cultivation.

Gather in the spirit until the mind is clear and refreshed; deliver the souls of the dead so that they may all reach the Palace of Penglai, the dwelling place of immortals. Urge everyone to join in doing good, and people will come together to honor the Dao.

Attending the Great Yellow Register Ritual in Dengzhou

Before the cliffs of pines and cypresses, within the Cave of Mist and Rosy Clouds, a pure breeze stirs the numinous sprouts, symbols of the spiritual growth born of cultivation. Water and fire rise and descend in harmony, and the Great Medicine is naturally refined.

In the company of children, I sing and dance, casting aside fame and fortune and gladly living simply, like a fisherman or woodcutter. Forgetting the distinction between self and others, I take joy in poverty. What worldly clamor is there left to trouble me?

Someone came asking me to perform rites for the deliverance of the dead, pleading earnestly at length. So I observed the fast and kept the precepts, bowing from afar toward the Cloud Retreat, where Daoists live or cultivate.

I prayed to Master Chongyang, Wang Chongyang, founder of the Quanzhen school, asking him to deliver the souls of the dead. Forgetting the distinction between self and others, I take joy in poverty. What worldly clamor is there left to trouble me?

Someone came asking me to perform rites for the deliverance of the dead, pleading earnestly at length. So I observed the fast and kept the precepts, bowing from afar toward the Cloud Retreat.

Pray to Master Chongyang (Wang Chongyang, the founding patriarch of the Quanzhen school of Daoism) to save the spirits of the dead and raise them into the blue firmament. May phoenixes and cranes guide the helpless, wandering souls and lingering spirits on their way, so that they may find peace and roam freely from now on.

“Man Ting Fang”: The Assembly of the Seven Treasures at Wenshan Builds a Hermitage and Gives It a Name

The Seven Treasures Hermitage has a gate dedicated to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and a fitting hall for Quanzhen practice. The covered rooms on its eastern and western sides also provide quiet quarters—cloud chambers—for those who cultivate the Dao.

A well hewn from stone is called the Elixir Well; its water is sweet as jade nectar. This place is secluded and profound, where those who cultivate the truth practice in simple quarters amid an exceptionally tranquil and graceful setting.

Gathering with friends among the clouds and rosy mists, they discuss and ponder subtle, profound principles. Keeping body and mind clear and still is the way to cultivate immortality and nourish the truth.

Regulating the breath, deep and steady like a tortoise’s; within, the lamp of life—symbolizing vital energy—shines brightly, while the moon of nature—symbolizing the innate clarity of one’s nature—glows full and radiant. At the ritual altar, the Daoist companions of Wenshan sing this “Man Ting Fang.”

They discuss and ponder subtle, profound principles. Keeping body and mind clear and still is the way to cultivate immortality and nourish the truth.

Regulating the breath, deep and steady like a tortoise’s; within, the lamp of life shines brightly, while the moon of nature glows full and radiant. At the ritual altar, the Daoist companions of Wenshan sing this “Man Ting Fang.”