《太平御览(道部)》Vol. 1

The Dao section of the Taiping Yulan (Imperial Reader of the Taiping Era) is the Daoist portion of an encyclopedia compiled and revised in the Song dynasty by Li Fang and colleagues under imperial commission. It comprises twenty-one juan, found in juan 659 to 679 of the work. The full text reproduced here is drawn from the Song woodblock edition; the Zhengtong Daozang (Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era) originally included only three of these juan.

The catalogue gathers Daoism-related material under subject headings, including Dao (the Way), zhenren (Perfected Persons), tianxian (Celestial Immortals), dixian (Earth Immortals), shijie (corpse liberation), jianjie (sword liberation), daoshi (Daoist priests), zhaijie (fasting and abstinence), yangsheng (nourishing life), fu'er (the ingestion of elixirs), and xian jing (immortal scriptures). It also covers ritual headwear and robes, pendants and ornaments, staffs, footwear, curtains and canopies, mats and seating, and such objects and structures as tables, carriages, palaces, and towers.

Houses, dwellings, windows, doors, courtyards, altar grounds, and mansions.

The Taiping Yulan (Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era) section on the Dao (the Way) is divided into Volume 20, "Transmission I," Volume 21, "Transmission II," and Volume 1, "Dao."

The Laozi says: "The Dao that can be spoken of is not the constant Dao." The Dao is supremely empty and still, and within it lies a subtle nature. "Nameless" is the source from which Heaven and Earth arose, while "named" is the root from which the ten thousand things are transformed and born. "Nameless" refers to the profound and mysterious origin. The Dao is empty and formless, yet its functioning seems inexhaustible, so deep that it appears to be the ancestor of the ten thousand things. Between Heaven and Earth...

The Laozi says, "The Dao (the Way) that can be spoken of is not the constant Dao." The profundity of the Dao is utmost and deep, so it is difficult to exhaust in words. When it is formless and nameless, it is the root of Heaven and Earth; once names and forms appear, it becomes the foundation of the myriad things. "Nameless" refers to its subtle origin. The Dao is vast and remote, like the common ancestor of all things. The flow of Qi (vital energy) between Heaven and Earth is surely like a bellows: it is empty yet never exhausted, and the more it moves, the more it yields. Heaven and Earth endure because they do not exist only for themselves, and so they last. The Dao gives life to the myriad things yet does not possess them, accomplishes them yet does not rely on them, and guides them yet does not master them. This is called profound De (xuande), a virtue that is deep and natural.

To grasp the Dao of antiquity is to govern the affairs of the present; to know the primal origin of the myriad things is to understand the regularity of the Dao. As the myriad things grow together, I observe from this how they return to their root. When affairs are complete, the common people say, "This is simply how things naturally are."

Discarding the cleverness that considers itself wise brings the people greater benefit. The manifestation of great De (Virtue/Power) follows only the Dao. Observing the beginnings of the myriad things in this way, how do I know their original condition? Because the principle is this: yielding oneself and following circumstances preserves one; lowering oneself and completing others makes one upright; dwelling in humble, low positions makes one full; keeping to simplicity and not seeking ornament renews one; taking little brings gain; greed and reckless action bring confusion. Therefore the sage holds to the One, the root of the Dao, as the standard for conduct under Heaven.

To speak few words is to accord with naturalness (ziran). It means understanding the principle through words without clinging to them, and only then does one harmonize with nature. There is something undifferentiated and whole that existed before Heaven and Earth. It is still and empty, stands alone without change, circulates ceaselessly, and never runs dry. I do not know its original name, so I call it "Dao" and reluctantly call it "great." Among the four great things of the world, the king is one; he is the master of the people, and the rise and fall of the myriad things depend on him. Humans model themselves on Earth, Earth models itself on Heaven, Heaven models itself on the Dao, and the Dao models itself on naturalness.

Heaviness is the root of lightness, and stillness is the master of restlessness. The skilled walker leaves no deliberate traces; the skilled speaker leaves no flaws to be criticized. The skilled reckoner needs no counters or instruments, because they penetrate principle and generate no side branches. The skilled closer of a door needs no bolt, yet none can open it; the skilled binder of relations needs no cord, yet none can undo it. All of this is because the mind is not drawn away by external circumstances, and so the mind accords with the Dao.

Therefore the sage is always skilled at rescuing people and never abandons anyone. The sage is also skilled at treating the myriad things and never discards any thing carelessly. This is called inheriting and embodying the clarity of the Dao. Knowing that strength is precious, one keeps to softness; knowing that brightness is precious, one abides in darkness; knowing that glory is precious, one willingly remains in humility. By cultivating De in this way, one returns to simplicity. De manifests from within and can be applied according to circumstances, dividing into specific talents. The sage employs these talents and becomes a model for the multitude. Thus the highest governance does not injure or fragment the myriad things. The Dao runs through the world like streams in a valley that finally flow into rivers and seas.

"Dying yet not perishing" is true longevity. The "death" here means that life reaches its end according to its ordinary course, while "perishing" means dying prematurely. One who is content and diligently practices, who accords with the heavenly Dao and completes a natural lifespan, may also be called long-lived. Grasping the great Dao brings the world toward stability; when people come to it and are not harmed, they dwell in peace. If, after things change, excessive desires arise, I settle them with the nameless and unadorned Dao.

Only when the Dao is lost does De come to be spoken of; when De is lost, benevolence (ren) is spoken of; when benevolence is lost, righteousness (yi) is spoken of; when righteousness is lost, ritual (li) is spoken of. The myriad things under Heaven are born from what has form, and what has form is born from the formless. Clear De appears dim; advancing on the Way appears like retreat; the level, great Dao appears rugged and difficult to travel. The highest De is as empty as a valley, able to receive all things. The purest white seems soiled because it can embrace defilement. Vast De seems insufficient because one who truly accomplishes great works remains humble. One who establishes virtue appears unremarkable because he achieves merit without boasting. One who embodies the true Dao appears outwardly unremarkable because he is pure, harmonious, and simple, and does not display his edge.

The greatest square has no corners; the greatest vessel is completed late; the greatest sound seems faint; the greatest image has no fixed shape. The Dao is hidden among the myriad things and has no resounding reputation, because its function is not ostentatious.

The Dao generates One, One generates Two, Two generates Three, and Three generates the myriad things. The myriad things turn their backs to yin and embrace yang, and the Qi of yin and yang meets and forms harmony. Cultivating the Dao means diminishing desire and deliberate action day by day. Through continual reduction, one arrives at wuwei (non-action). Blocking the entrances of the senses and closing the doors through which one chases external things, one can be free of toil for a lifetime. If one indulges the eyes, ears, and other senses, pursues desires, and busies oneself satisfying them, one will find it hard to escape calamity for a lifetime. Not bringing calamity upon oneself is to quietly follow the constant Dao.

It is said that those who truly possess wisdom do not speak much, while those who love to talk often do not truly understand. People convey messages to one another through sound, just as one who understands music can discern the pitch from the strings and grasp its subtle flavor in the heart, yet may be unable to express it fully in words. Those who have a genuine grasp of profound and subtle principles often do not rely on speech to convey them. The Taishang (Most High) says: "One who knows does not speak much; if words can aid all beings, then they may be spoken."

It is also said that those of superior capacity study the Dao (the Way) through shen (spirit) and intuition, those of middling capacity through the heart-mind, and those of inferior capacity only with their ears. Understanding through shen allows one to penetrate what is formless, understanding through the heart allows one to grasp inner principles, and listening only with the ears perceives nothing but external sound.

It is also said that one who knows does not speak much, and one who loves to speak does not understand. Therefore the sage says: "When I practice wuwei (non-action), the people transform themselves naturally; when I do not disturb them, the people become naturally prosperous; when I prefer stillness, the people naturally become upright; when I have no desires, the people naturally return to simplicity." Cultivating these principles within oneself, the whole world will naturally transform. Only when the root is deep and firm can one endure long and prolong life. Governing the world by the Dao, ghosts and spirits cannot cause harm. The Dao is the profound mystery hidden within all things: reckless action invites ruin, and obstinate grasping brings loss. Therefore the sage practices non-action and so does not ruin, and does not cling and so does not lose.

The Taishang Jing (Scripture of the Most High) says that primordial qi (vital energy) in chaotic, undifferentiated form transforms into zhenren (True Persons, those who have attained the Dao). They roam together with the currents of time, and though they bear names, they have no fixed form.

The Xian Jing (Immortals' Scripture) says that immortals who can ascend lightly in body are called Tianxian (Celestial Immortals). They hold positions in Taiqing (Grand Clarity, the highest heaven in Daoist cosmology), and their names are recorded in the secret registers of immortals.

The Miyao Jing (Scripture of Secret Essentials) says that immortals dwelling in the grottoes of the Five Sacred Peaks can, in the blink of an eye, reach the realm of Dixian (Earth Immortals). They preserve their spirit and form and remain far from sorrow.

It is also said that the nine palaces of Taiqing each have officials serving under them. The most exalted are called Taihuang, Zihuang, and Yuhuang, and the highest of these titles is collectively called Da Daojun (Great Lord of the Dao). Next are the zhenren and zhenqing, and among them are offices such as censors.

Whenever "Taishang" appears, it refers to the lord of one palace. His virtue (de) is supremely lofty, and therefore he is called Taishang.

It is also said that immortals are like boats for crossing a river, while the body is like the vessel itself. Cultivators use these to cross over the world.

"Taishang" (Most High) refers to the most honored figure within a palace. Their virtue is so lofty that no one can surpass them, which is why they are called "Taishang."

It is also said: "Xian (immortality) is like crossing a river, and the body (shenti) is like a boat. Once you have crossed and reached the far shore, what further need is there for the boat?" This image of ferrying across a river shows that once cultivation has reached its goal, one no longer depends on the means of cultivation.

The Taizhen Ke (Ke of the Perfected) says that the Yuhuang Puli (Register of the Jade Emperor) records one hundred and eight Daojun (Lords of the Dao), and that the Caoxian (Grass Immortals) are appointed to offices matching their cultivated merit. The so-called sanshan dao (Three Good Paths) are three classes: Sheng (Sages), Zhen (Perfected), and Xian (Immortals). The highest grade is Sheng, the middle grade is Zhen, and the lowest grade is Xian. Each of the Sanqing (Three Pure Ones, the three supreme heavens revered in Daoism) has a corresponding rank. Sages ascend to Yuqing (Jade Clarity), Perfected ascend to Shangqing (Highest Clarity), and Immortals ascend to Taiqing (Grand Clarity).

Yuqing contains palaces for the Great Emperor. Sovereigns, dukes, ministers, officials, and commoners there are generally addressed with the title Sheng, as in "Shenghuang" (Holy Sovereign) and "Shengdi" (Holy Emperor). Among men and women, and between noble and common, there are also orders of rank. Shangqing contains places such as Xuandu (Mysterious Capital), Yujing (Jade Capital), Qibao (Seven Treasures), and Ziwei (Purple Subtlety), and its inhabitants are generally called Zhen. Taiqing contains the palace of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and its inhabitants are generally called Xian. The grades in Shangqing and Taiqing, and the total order of men and women, are the same as in Yuqing.

The Dadong Jing (Scripture of the Great Cavern) says that one who cultivates the Dao from an ordinary body becomes a Xian once attained; advancing from Xian, one becomes a Zhen; and advancing further from Zhen, one becomes a Lord of Shangqing.

The Wufu Jing (Scripture of the Five Talismans) says: "The Twenty-Four Perfected Diagrams are the numinous treasures of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue). Whoever obtains them will surely be able to become an immortal and depart, flying in strides up to Taiqing." The Dadong Jing also says that one who cultivates the Dao from an ordinary body becomes a Xian once attained; advancing from Xian, one becomes a Zhen; and advancing further from Zhen, one becomes a Lord of Shangqing.

The Wufu Jing (Scripture of the Five Talismans) holds that the "Twenty-Four True Images" (Ershisi Zhen Tu) are the spirit-treasures of the Five Sacred Peaks: the Eastern Peak, Mount Tai (Dongyue Taishan); the Southern Peak, Mount Heng (Nanyue Hengshan); the Western Peak, Mount Hua (Xiyue Huashan); the Northern Peak, Mount Heng (Beiyue Hengshan); and the Central Peak, Mount Song (Zhongyue Songshan). Whoever obtains these images may become an immortal, ascend, and go off to Taiqing (Great Clarity), the highest heaven in Daoist cosmology.

To seek the Dao-methods, one must first bathe and purify oneself, and then obtain the Dongjing Tu (Map of the Eastern Well). To pacify the Five Emperors and command the spirits and demons of the mountains, one must obtain the Yue Tu (Mountain Map). To communicate with the gods and master the secret techniques of the immortals, one must obtain the Bashi Zhenxing Tu (Eight Histories True Forms Map). To understand the Five Phases Kitchen (wuxing chu), a Daoist technique associated with the Five Phases, one must obtain the Liujia Tongling Tu (Map of the Six Jia Spirit Communion). To nourish oneself and summon the heavenly deities, one must obtain the Jiugong Zifang Tu (Map of the Nine Palaces Purple Chamber). To practice the Dao-methods one must obtain the Taiqing Tu (Map of Taiqing); to accord with the Great Dao one must obtain the Hun Cheng Tu (Map of Natural Completion); to understand the mysteries of the Dao one must obtain the Xisheng Baolu Tu (Map of the Western Ascension Preservation Record); to master the arts of transformation one must obtain the Linghua Tu (Map of Numinous Transformation); and to set foot upon the Great Dao one must obtain the Jiutian Tu (Map of the Nine Heavens).

To break free from the bonds of the physical form, one must obtain the Jiubian Tu (Map of Nine Transformations). To become hidden, to visualize and guard the spirit-guardians within the body, one must obtain the Yangshen Tu (Map of Nourishing the Body). To stabilize the body and protect the spirit-treasures, one must obtain the Hanying Tu (Map of the Enveloped Shadow). To remain tranquil and detached, and to embrace the One while preserving the body, one must also obtain the Yangshen Tu. To maintain stillness and silence and nourish the will, one must obtain the Jingcheng Shouzhi Tu (Map of Sincere Essence and Steadfast Will). To keep oneself pure and white and cause the zhiying (a fungus-like auspicious herb associated with immortals, similar to the lingzhi mushroom) to appear, one must obtain the Zhiying Yunü Tu (Map of the Jade Maidens of the Zhiying Herb). To command the Six Dings (Liuding, six yin deities in Daoist belief), one must obtain the Liuyin Yunü Tu (Map of the Six Yin Jade Maidens). To obtain a place in the registers of immortals, one must obtain the Jiujiu Daoxian Tu (Map of the Nine-Nine Dao Immortals).

To consume Dao-qi (Dao vital breath) and regulate one's breath, one must obtain the Daoyin Tu (Map of Guiding and Pulling). To study the Dao-arts, one must obtain the Dongzhong Huangbao Tu (Map of the Imperial Treasures of the Cavern Interior). To practice transformations, one must obtain the Yanxi Tu (Map of Lying Down and Resting). To refine the nine elixirs and golden fluid (jiudan jinye) at the furnace, as in the external alchemy (waidan) tradition, one must obtain the Taiyi Tu (Map of the Supreme One). To climb the Five Sacred Peaks in search of immortals, numinous fungi, and elixir herbs, one must obtain the Kaishan Zhiyao Tu (Map of Opening the Mountains to Find Herbs). And to preserve one's spirit and form and to discern evil spirits and demons, one must obtain the Mingjing Tu (Map of the Bright Mirror).

The Shangqing Jing (Scripture of Supreme Clarity) says: Where qi (vital energy) dwells and is held becomes the place of generation and transformation, following the activity of shen (spirit). When shen is present, qi exists; when shen departs, qi departs with it. When qi disperses, it becomes cloud and mist; when it gathers, it takes on bodily form and image. When qi manifests and emerges, it becomes an immortal; when its transformations return to it, it becomes Zhenyi (the True One, the authentic and unified essence in Daoist usage). Upward it condenses into the Sanyuan (Three Origins, the upper, middle, and lower sources), and downward it condenses into the myriad things. At rest, it acts upon the human body; in motion, it acts upon the human spirit.

The Dongzhen Jing (Scripture of the Perfected Cavern) says: Whoever studies the Taidan Yinshu Dongzhen Xuanjing (Mysterious Scripture of the Perfected Cavern from the Hidden Writ of the Great Cinnabar), who concentrates deeply and examines it with care, who attunes to its profound principles and comprehends and perceives the Way of Xuanyuan (the Mysterious Origin) and the realm of Taiqing (Supreme Clarity), may become a Xuanzhong Fashi (Master of the Mysterious Within), a Daoist master who has mastered the profound arts.

Ge Hong's Shenxian Zhuan (Biographies of Immortals) says: From Fuxi through the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, there were always Daoists of renown. Laozi attained the Dao with particular profundity, and his mind truly accorded with the natural Way. To examine the roots and branches of affairs correctly, one should rely on historical records and biographies, and corroborate them with the immortal scriptures and secret writings. Other popular legends are often full of falsehood, and what later Daoists added on their own is not genuine scripture. Laozi authored the Daode (Classic of Dao and De) in two parts, and Yin Xi followed his Way. In the Han dynasty, Empress Dou favored the learning of Huang-Lao (the teachings associated with the Yellow Emperor and Laozi), and Emperor Wen and the Dou clan also had it studied. As a result, Zhuangzi's school came to honor Laozi as the founding master of its thought.

The Scripture of the Perfected Taishang Xuanyi says: The many Perfected and Lofty Immortals all had teachers, and they received and transmitted the Treasured Scripture of the Three Caverns of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) school. Studying the Dao without a teacher makes it hard to attain the Dao. How, then, could one ride the Eight Scenes and the dragon carriage (the vehicles immortals used to travel) and ascend to the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) and the jade palaces (the halls of the immortal realms)? Does everyone who studies the Shangqing Daofa ascend bodily to immortality? To treat the way of the teacher with contempt is like throwing away a luminous pearl. From this we can see that the principles are inherently difficult to grasp. Even sages honored their teachers, and this is why they were able to cultivate the Dao over the long term.

The Jade Book of the Great Supreme Taixiao says: Heaven and earth move and disperse the primordial qi (yuanqi), and the teacher transmits the truth contained within them. A true immortal who seeks the sacred rank cannot accomplish it without a teacher's guidance. One must not take one's own thoughts as a teacher, for blindly following one's own inclinations will inevitably lead to failure.

The Baoxuan Scripture says: To correct deviation, one must return to the centre and the correct. Even if one follows the course out to its final branches, one must return to the source. The Dao originally has no form; it is given symbols only through words. Although it is said to act upon the myriad things, it is in itself not a physical object.

The Daodian says: Establishing the prohibition against killing living beings is the demand of the Way of Heaven, and accommodating the nature of living things is the responsibility of humankind. Unless it cannot be avoided, do not kill; unless it cannot be avoided, do not cut down. To govern affairs on such principles may be said to reach the utmost of the Dao.

The Record of the Seven Sages says: The Red Lord of the Southern Marchmount descended to the world to teach, changed his appearance, became a Daoist, and, together with his six disciples, revealed his name.

The Scripture of the Great Emperor Taiyi says: One who seeks the Dao need only rectify the heart, and even Heaven and earth cannot oppose him. He casts off the entanglements of desire and no longer dwells on them; he avoids the lure of glory and profit and withdraws from them of his own accord; he willingly endures cold and hardship for the sake of cunsi (visualization, the practice of calming and concentrating the mind); and he delights in quiet dwelling and fasting in secluded places. Only when these things are accomplished may one speak with him about studying the Dao.

Scripture on the Sequential Operation of the Three and Five (Taishang Sanwu Shunxing Jing) says: Heaven is the visible form of the Dao (the Way). The movement of Heaven's Dao follows fixed sequences and gradations, unfolding through mutual engagement and mutual stimulation. Both the profound celestial phenomena and the subtle patterns of order depend on the number "three and five." When "three and five" proceed in sequence and cycle without end, transformations never exhaust themselves, and the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity are brought into harmony. Taiyi (the Supreme One) is Heaven. Heaven receives the One Qi (qi, or vital energy, the fundamental breath from which Heaven and Earth generate the myriad things) and makes it vast and clear. The Dao is the numinous qi that Heaven has accumulated.

Scripture of Ascending to the Mystery (Shengxuan Jing) says: The mystery of the Dao arises from spontaneity. It issues from non-being and is governed by nothing that precedes it. It encompasses all things without boundary, bestows divine transformations, engenders primordial qi, and, pure and supremely exalted, presides over all the heavens.

Esoteric Inner Chapters on Profound Wonder (Xuanmiao Neipian) says: The Great Dao arises from Wuwei (non-action) and is the source of the myriad things.

Scripture of the Zhengyi Perfected (Zhengyi Zhenren Jing) says: The pure, original nature of the Dao cannot be expressed in words. Words can only convey meaning, and so the Mysterious Capital (Xuandu, the name of a sacred realm or temple in Daoism) was established. The teaching of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) guides people toward the true Dao.

Scripture of the Precious Mystery (Baoxuan Jing) says: When conduct is upright, one can accord with the Dao, and having accorded with the Dao, one's words can express one's mind. When both mind and words return to rectitude, deviant delusions are cut off. Through fasting and purification (zhaijie, the practice of cleansing body and mind) and the study of scripture, the way of the immortals can naturally be attained. The Great Way of becoming an immortal is supreme, and none surpasses the Most High. The Most High has no words, yet responds to the resonance of living beings through words. This way of resonance is shown in the demonstration of sincerity through scripture.

Scripture of the Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang Jing) says: When one pursues the way of spontaneity, frees oneself from the burdens of the bodily form, and returns to the Dao, the sun, moon, and stars will shine clearly, and Heaven and Earth will continue their courses without end.

Scripture of Wisdom (Zhihui Jing) says: In speaking to a ruler, one should benefit the state. In speaking to a father, one should show a parent's kindness toward children. A teacher should speak with care for all people. An elder brother should speak with fraternal affection. A minister should speak with loyalty to the ruler. A child should speak with filial respect toward parents. In conversation with friends, one should keep faith. A wife should speak with single-hearted devotion to her husband. A husband should speak in ways that bring harmony to the household. A younger brother should speak with respect and propriety. Ordinary people should speak to encourage diligence in farming. Daoist adepts should speak to lead people back to the Dao. Foreigners should each abide by the borders of their own state. Servants should speak with prudence in their conduct.

The Taishang Jing (Scripture of the Most High) says: One should draw near to worthy and wise people and widely seek instruction in good methods of cultivating the Dao. Among the worthies there are differing discussions, and one should not cling rigidly to a single view.

It further says: What ritual norms should Daoists of the degenerate age follow when they expound scripture? When the matter of servants arises, it should be handled with caution.

It further says: What ritual norms should Daoists of the degenerate age follow when they expound scripture? When lecturing on the Five Thousand Characters (that is, the Daodejing), one should also follow the ritual methods of the Lingbao Scriptures.

The Taishang Sandong Baojing (Precious Scripture of the Three Caverns of the Most High) says: A master who transmits the methods of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen, the three major categories of Daoist scripture) can alone enable a person to transcend the world, and that merit surpasses that of a thousand Daoists who merely wear yellow robes.

It further says: On Mount Damao there is a bronze-and-iron cauldron, with a capacity of about four or five hu (an ancient unit of volume). It is finely carved and sits at the mountaintop. The cauldron is buried more than eight chi (ancient feet) deep in the earth, with a large stone slab laid over it. On auspicious days, Daoists from near and far climb the mountain to view it. No grass or trees grow beside the cauldron, and people have piled stones into a small altar. In the past a small tile-roofed hut stood there, but it was later blown down by the wind. The cauldron's two ear-like handles symbolize the sun and moon, and its three legs symbolize the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity). It was cast from copper from Mount Yu, and it is said to manifest and transform in mysterious ways.

The Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected) says: Southwest of Mount Damao stands a peak called Siping Shan, commonly known as Fang Shan. Beneath the mountain is a grotto chamber named Fangtai. The chamber has two openings that show outside the mountain and connect with Huayang, so it is called the "Secluded Mansion of Distinct Dwelling" (a deep and distinctive cavern-heaven dwelling), where those who have attained the Dao reside.

It further says: When one cultivates oneself, one's De becomes true De. A junzi (noble person) who stands in the world takes moral duty as their charge, takes stillness as their teacher, and takes Taihe (Supreme Harmony) as their companion. They keep to profundity and tranquility until they accord with the Dao and reach its ultimate. One governs from the root and seeks things before their signs appear. Those who do good are naturally rewarded, and those who do evil are naturally punished. Therefore, because they do not contend, none can surpass them, and because they do not speak, nothing fails to answer.

It is also said that one who seeks learning and cultivates the Way with utmost sincerity should transmit the Dao to those who seek to learn it. Feijun said, "My teacher, Chisongzi of Nanyue, was a Perfected of Great Void (Dahuo Zhenren, a high-ranking immortal in Daoist teaching). In ancient times, Taishang (the Most High) instructed Laozi in Dao and De (the Way and its Virtue), and Laozi attained the Dao as a result. Chisongzi transmitted the Dao to me, and so I became an immortal."

It is also said that there is a method called the "Ten Ascensions of Trial" (shang shi guan zhi fa), in which the Dao is transmitted only after a candidate has been tested and has passed every trial. These twelve trials are weighty tests. The Perfected of Supreme Ultimate (Taiji Zhenren) would personally come to examine the candidate, so how could one not be careful?

In ancient times, Qingwugong, a disciple of Pengzu, received instruction from a true master, came to understand the subtle principles of the immortal Dao, and entered Huayin Mountain to cultivate it. Over many years he underwent twelve trials, and he failed three of them. Later, he took the Golden Liquor (jinye, an elixir refined in Daoist practice) and ascended to Taiji. The Daojun (Lord of the Dao) judged that, since he had not passed three of the trials, he could become an immortal (xianren) but not a Perfected (zhenren).

Fei Jun said that those who study the Dao have nine kinds of shortcomings. If one carefully examines these shortcomings and avoids them, attaining immortality will not be far off. One may have aspiration but lack a suitable time; have the time but lack fellow practitioners to help; have fellow practitioners but lack aspiration oneself; have aspiration but fail to encounter a teacher; encounter a teacher but be unwilling to learn; fail to study diligently; be diligent for a time but unable to hold fast to the Dao; or have aspiration that is not firm. If one can cultivate single-mindedly, one can achieve something even without relying on companions, and one need not wait for external responses before acting. This is an essential principle of learning to become an immortal.

If the teacher is anxious and uneasy, the disciple will find it difficult to conduct themselves properly in everyday advance and retreat. Without a teacher, the cultivation of the Dao is difficult to accomplish. If one merely keeps the teacher in mind and imagines their instructions, one should still treat the teachings they have transmitted as scripture (jīng) and follow them accordingly. Learning that has not been transmitted by a teacher should not be used to instruct others, lest later learners become confused or misunderstand. For this reason, one should not casually transmit methods that one has not yet fully understood.

In serving a teacher, do not choose them according to their social rank, nor entertain doubts because of their age. If one thinks oneself older and the teacher younger, or the teacher of lower status and oneself of higher status, this shows that one has not understood the true equality taught in the practice of the Dao. Human beings have no fixed distinction of noble and base; one who possesses the Dao is worthy of respect. What is called an "elder" does not necessarily refer to a very old person, but to one who has broad knowledge and rich experience and can serve as a teacher. Nor should one, because another entered the path later than oneself, think it improper to bow to them as a teacher. Those who think this way have not truly studied the Dao.

One should be humble and yield, respect those who have ability and virtue, follow what is good, and not insist on one's own rightness or censure others. Attaining the Dao and using it to aid the world cannot be separated from teachers. Learning with a teacher is like a tree having roots: once great wisdom is achieved, it can still help lesser wisdom grow. It is also like a root producing a trunk, and the trunk in turn producing roots, each succeeding the other, continuing from generation to generation. When a disciple learns the Dao from a teacher and later attains principles that surpass the teacher's, and then turns back to instruct the teacher, this shows that the Dao is precious and that people need not be bound by rank and seniority.

One should respect all of one's teachers, both earlier and later. The first teacher is the foundation of learning, like a mountain built up basket by basket of earth; they are the one who awakens the ignorant and lays the groundwork. Later teachers help complete one's learning. This is like having gathered clothing and implements before setting out on a journey, needing only to put on a hat; if one has not completed these final preparations, one cannot properly take on the affairs of the world. Therefore, one must not look down on any teacher, for teachers explain and demonstrate for others. If a teacher does not understand the principles, how could they resolve difficulties?

The worthies and sages of antiquity, when they sought learning above, regarded finding a suitable teacher as a form of rebirth; failing to find one, they risked distorting the original meaning of the scriptures. Without a teacher, principles do not arise on their own.

The Taiping Jing says: those of the highest capacity who study the Dao (Dao) do so to assist the ruler in carrying out virtuous governance (De) that cherishes life. Those of middling capacity study it hoping to bring salvation to their families. Those of the lowest capacity study it only seeking to free themselves from distress.

It also says: to speak of "life" (sheng) and the methods of the Dao while failing to understand the lineage through which they are transmitted will disorder the meaning of the scriptures. Without a teacher, the methods of the Dao cannot arise from nothing.

The Taiping Jing says: those of the highest capacity who study the Dao do so to assist the ruler in carrying out virtuous governance that cherishes life. Those of middling capacity study it hoping to bring salvation to their families. Those of the lowest capacity study it only seeking to free themselves from distress.

It also says: if one speaks too much, the Dao becomes difficult to accomplish, and excessive talk invites calamity. Keeping the mouth closed and speaking little allows one to avoid worry over the long term.

It further says: when a person encounters a good teacher, even an ordinary and humble person can gradually become good. Having become good and continuing to advance, one becomes ever more wise. Having become wise and continuing to cultivate, one approaches the realm of the sage. Even after becoming a sage, one must keep refining oneself before one can penetrate the true Dao. One who guards the Dao without slackening may attain immortality. Having become an immortal and continuing to cultivate, one's spiritual powers draw near to those of Heaven, and when these powers advance further, they can merge with the Primordial Qi (yuanqi), the original vapor from which Heaven and Earth generate the myriad things. Once merged with the Primordial Qi, one can embrace Heaven, Earth, and the eight directions, and all things are born by receiving its breath. All of these achievements are due to the merit of the good teacher. Without a good teacher, one easily loses the way. Therefore, master and disciple pass the teaching down from generation to generation, so that the transmission becomes as firm as metal and stone. If one denies the lineage and claims that the teaching was invented out of nothing, one will fall onto a deviant path. To betray one's teacher is to turn away from the true Dao, and it is also a way of bringing distress upon oneself. Within the Daoist community, there are sources of transmission such as the Masters and Patriarchs.

The Dingzhen Yulu (Records of Perfected Jade) says: in cultivating the mind and thoughts, the most essential point is never to forget them, even for a moment. When the mind and spirit are settled, one can enter the realm of the Dao, and this state of cultivation becomes visible in one's everyday conduct. One should speak with care, avoiding words that offend others. One should eat in moderation, guarding against excessive greed. One should dress plainly and keep a tranquil mind, maintaining simplicity and detachment. One should dwell in a modest, unassuming place and concentrate on quiet stillness. In dealing with others, one should be respectful and cautious, avoiding invitations to bullying and humiliation. One should not compete to stand out, so as to escape envy and slander. One should always maintain sincerity and trustworthiness, quietly transforming and guiding others. In advancing and withdrawing, one's bearing should be gentle and restrained, teaching others implicitly through conduct. One should blunt one's sharpness and resolve disputes, showing that realizing the great Dao also requires grasping the right moment. By advancing and withdrawing in response to changing circumstances, one manifests a wondrous and swift responsiveness.

The Nine Palace Perfected (Jiugong Zhenren), who dwell in the Nine Palaces and travel between the immortal realms, always pass through the Yellow Gate (huangque), the yellow gateway towers. In the Crimson Terrace (jiangtai), people come to inquire about the Dao (the Way). For this reason, terraces and gateway towers are set up along the roadside to observe anomalous qi and to welcome the perfected as they come and go.

The Scripture of the Foundations of the Dao (Daoji Jing) says that taking medicinal preparations and eating wheat are good methods of cultivation. There is the teaching of Ganshi, a tradition associated with nourishing life through a wheat diet. Daoists who regulate their breath and cultivate themselves by eating wheat can transcend the mundane world.

It further says that one who accords with the Dao speaks little and embodies the true meaning of non-being (wu). Day and night he does not sleep. His body shines with the light of the sun and moon, and he neither hungers nor thirsts. Like the tortoise and the dragon, he practices fetal breathing (taixi), breathing as faintly and deeply as an unborn child.

It also says that those who eat the five grains are called "grain immortals" (gu xian), and that if they persist in cultivation, they can prolong their lives. Those who do not eat the five grains can transcend the mundane world.

It further says that one should not sell one's Daoist methods to earn money, nor treat the Dao as a commodity to be forced upon wealthy and powerful households. Nor should one transmit it to slanderous flatterers, lest it be harmed.

The Yellow Court Scripture (Huangting Jing) says that immortals and Daoists who practice the ingestion of qi do so not because they possess innate miraculous powers, but because they cultivate their lives. The key lies in harmonizing the breath and concentrating wholeheartedly on practice. If a Daoist is troubled by fear and wishes to visualize the divine spirits (Shen), he may strike the back of his head to produce a sound he hears within his ears, which is called the "heavenly drum" (tiangu). The sound of this drum is said to reach the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji), the highest heaven in Daoist cosmology.

The Taizhen Ke says that Daoists who study scriptures and cultivate the Way should first study the Daode Jing, also known as the Five Thousand Characters (Wuqian Wen).

It further says that the Dao has two states, stillness and movement. When qi transforms, it manifests as tangible forms; when wisdom transforms, it manifests as sound.

It also says that the sovereign (huang) transforms the people through the Dao, the emperor (di) transforms them through De (Virtue), and the king (wang) transforms them through benevolence (ren).

The Baopuzi says: One must seek a teacher broadly and deeply, as one crosses the great sea to distant continents. If one worries only that one's own strength is insufficient, why worry that what can be obtained is too little? What tigers and leopards discard is treasure to wildcats and rats, and the wealth pursued by Tao Zhu Gong (Fan Li, skilled in commerce and in amassing riches) is something Yuan Xian (a disciple of Confucius, known for poverty and austerity) did not possess. One should devote oneself wholeheartedly to one's teacher, cultivate according to the teaching's methods, preserve oneself, and transcend the mundane, so that the benefits gained may endure. In serving one's teacher, one should exhaust one's reverence, aim at attaining the Dao, and attend carefully to the teacher's words, conduct, and expression. If one does not strive to understand the principles the teacher transmits, one's faults cannot be erased. When one studies the Dao and is able to obtain a teacher, one must understand the way of serving that teacher, so that calamity and disorder will not arise.

The Sanwu Zhenyi Jing (Scripture of the Three Non-Existences and the True One) says that one who practices the Dadong Shouyi Jing (Great Cavern Scripture on Guarding the One) may serve as a teacher. The Taiqing Jing (Scripture of Great Clarity) says that Heaven and Earth nourish the myriad things through the Dao, and the sage teaches others through the Dao. "Nourishing" means upholding the Dao to raise the myriad things that ought to live; "teaching" means instructing those who have not yet understood the Dao so that they ultimately achieve success.

The Sanwu Zhenyi Jing further says that one who practices the Dadong Shouyi Jing may serve as a teacher. To establish the roots and sequence of Dao cultivation, one must be thorough and complete. One should understand the stern admonitions warned of by the heavenly precepts (tianjie) and take as one's refuge the Dao that the spirits revere. Using the rungs of practice as a starting point, one needs the help of a teacher and fellow practitioners: externally, one is protected by precepts, and internally, one observes the Sanyi (the Three Ones, a term in Daoist practice for the spirits or essences within the body). The Lord Emperor (Dijun) is delighted by such words, and the infant (chizi, an inner image of the child, often referring to the spirit residing within the body) dwells peacefully within the body. The Laozi says that Heaven and Earth nourish the myriad things through the Dao, and the sage teaches others through the Dao. "Nourishing" means upholding the Dao to raise the myriad things that ought to live; "teaching" means instructing those who do not understand the Dao so that they achieve success.

The Shangqing Zichen Jing (Scripture of the Purple Palace of Shangqing) says that scriptures not transmitted through a teacher are like stealing the treasures of Heaven, and that receiving transmission without swearing an oath and keeping faith is contempt for the heavenly Way. The Taishang Basu Zhen Jing (True Scripture of the Supreme Pure Essence) says that the Supreme Mysterious Persons (Taishang Xuanren, the high perfected beings in Daoist tradition) are able to stand equal with Heaven and Earth because they teach one another. Those who awaken first enable those who awaken later to understand the principles, leading people back from their dispersal to a single source.

The Heavenly Perfected Sovereign Tianzhen Huangren said: The immortal perfected persons gathered here had all studied for a long time and passed through the cultivation that transcends life and death, and their Daoist work was nearly complete. For this reason they were able to receive this scripture, return to the human world, and afterward all ascended to the heavens, reaching the Golden Palace (the palaces of Heaven) and receiving the title "Ziran" (Naturalness). These events are extremely ancient and profound, and ordinary people cannot fully understand them. When their lineages are traced back, they all converge on a single source.

The Heavenly Perfected Sovereign also said: The immortal perfected persons gathered here had all studied for a long time and passed through the cultivation that transcends life and death, and their Daoist work was nearly complete. For this reason they received this scripture, returned to the human world, and afterward all ascended to the heavens, reaching the Golden Palace and receiving the title "Ziran." These events are extremely ancient and profound, and ordinary people cannot understand them. Examining the origins of their transmissions: Xianmenzi received instruction from Yeguang, Gaoqiuzi from Shi Gong, and Master Hongya from the Golden Mother. All of them received the Lingbao methods of the "Five Refinements of Liberation" (a set of practices concerned with transcending life and death and with refinement and deliverance), along with the transmission for ascension to the heavens.

Another scripture states, in the Zhengyi Fawen (Dharma Texts of Zhengyi, or Orthodox Unity): If someone transmits the Dao merely for profit, does not understand the orthodox classics, and passes on material they never studied or that is erroneous, thereby confusing and misleading later learners, then those learners have shallow foundations. They tend to rashly pursue whatever is easy to obtain and do not seek out people of lofty virtue. If they covet reputation without substance, they will seek blessings and instead bring calamity, and the disaster will grow greater. When the recipient is unsuitable, the Dao should not be transmitted lightly. One must be especially careful with shallow people, lest they soon give rise to slander and bring down disaster and blame, causing considerable entanglement. Therefore, in transmitting the Dao, one should examine the recipient's sincerity through good faith and decide accordingly whether to teach. There must be discernment between the one who transmits and the one who receives.

The Dongzhen Jing (Scripture of the Cavern of Perfected Reality) states: In cultivating the Way of the Taiyi (Supreme One, a Daoist practice associated with the Supreme One), one must avoid contact with blood and other defiling matter, and one must not weep.

The Dayou Jing (Scripture of Great Possession) states: Those who receive the precious scriptures of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) must not weep.

The Xuanmu Bamen Jing (Scripture of the Eight Gates of the Mysterious Mother) states: When visualizing the Golden Flower and Female One essence (an essence stored through contemplative practice), one must especially refrain from weeping, so that body and mind are not constantly disturbed by sorrow.

End of Part One of the Dao Section.

Part Two of the Dao Section:

Volume One of the Perfected Persons (Zhenren juan shang)

The Taishang Jing (Scripture of the Most High) says: Within the Great Subtlety Heaven (Dawei Tian), twenty-four kinds of qi (vital energy) mingle and gather, condensing into bodily form. They have names but lack the breath ordinarily spoken of, and through transformation they become Perfected Beings (zhenren). The Dao (the Way) accumulates and takes shape, entrusting itself to bodies and manifesting images, roaming freely with the seasons. It has a name yet no fixed form, and this is called a Perfected Being.

The Bage Suzhen Jing (Scripture of the Eight Essences) says: Whoever diligently cultivates the Dao and attains it should inscribe their name on a ruijian (a slip register made from spirit herbs), write the characters in jade, and be ranked under the Left Duke of Shangqing (an immortal official within the Highest Clarity realm).

The scripture further says that the dragon garment, phoenix coverlet, and tiger belt were all presented to the emperor by the Army Perfected (divine celestial perfected).

The Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected) says: The Middle Sovereign Lord (Zhonghuang Jun) was a disciple of the Heavenly Thearch Lord. Born knowing the essentials of longevity and the methods of celestial immortal cultivation, he was early attuned to the mysterious Dao. The Most High therefore bestowed upon him the Nine Perfected Scriptures of the Thearch Lord and the chapters of the Eight Secret Words of the Dao. Upon completing his cultivation, he received the immortal writings and became the Supreme Ultimate Perfected (Taiji Zhenren).

The scripture further says that the Perfected of Pure Emptiness (Qingxu Zhenren) received from the Perfected of Primordial Simplicity (Taisu Zhenren) the Dao of the "Three Courses" (sanben), cultivation methods associated with the sun, moon, and other celestial bodies. The Perfected of the Tongbai Grove (Tongbai Zhenren) practiced the method of releasing the sword. Someone who received the Most High's writings on "running toward the sun" thereby became the Lower Primordial Perfected (Xiayuan Zhenren).

It also says that one who does not understand "returning to the origin and concealing the Dao" cannot have their name inscribed in the register of the Supreme Perfected. "Returning to the origin" refers to the day of the Most High's renewal, on which one should constantly contemplate auspicious matters.

It also says that falsehood harms virtue (de), ostentation brings calamity upon oneself, clinging and lingering are the cause of error, and shame is a stain upon conduct. Only once these four ills are removed may one inquire into the great Dao. One whose mind harbors lewd, illicit thoughts cannot cultivate the Way of the Supreme Perfected. I saw yesterday that the Palace of Pure Emptiness was removing the names of such people from the register and handing them over to the Three Offices (heaven, earth, and water) for examination and judgment. How could one not be cautious?

The Purple Subtlety Immortal Perfected (Ziwei Zhenxian), an immortal of the Purple Subtlety Heaven, is exceptional in talent, clear and penetrating within, and outwardly able to seek the great Dao. Their name is recorded in the Taiji register and written in the golden books of the Eastern Continent. Once the entanglements of the heart have subsided, one should continue accumulating cultivation without stopping.

If one can examine and comprehend the root of the Dao (Dao), one may become a True Person of Highest Clarity (Shangqing Zhenren). One who is skilled in the wondrous methods of the immortal perfected and understands their principles in all aspects may become a True Person of the Nine Palaces (Jiugong Zhenren). One who cultivates and fully completes all of these principles may become a Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Zhenren.

One who can refine the form within the Taiyin (Great Yin), transform one's appearance within the Three Officials (Sanguan), and, through instruction and study, transform oneself into spirit (shen), washing away and brightening one's luster and changing one's breath, while also according with the turning of the four seasons, may become a Zhenren. The terms "refining the form" (lianxing) and "transforming into spirit" (huashen) here are expressions from Daoist cultivation concerning the transformation of bodily form and the attainment of spiritual realms.

The Jin Gen Jing (Scripture of the Golden Root) says: The Heavenly Diagram and Jade Gate (Tian Tu Yu Guan) is the place that oversees and inspects the feasting and roaming of the various Zhenren.

It further says: Above the Heavenly Gate are six tiers of jade terraces, the place where the Supreme Zhenren gather to feast and roam.

In the northern hall of the Jade Preserve Azure Palace (Yubao Qinggong), golden grids are set up. On the grids are placed golden seals, phoenix seals, jade tablets, vermilion and azure registers, feather canopies, and ascension robes, to be bestowed upon those who have already attained perfection.

The Da You Jing (Scripture of Great Possession) says: The Jade Flower Azure Palace (Yuhua Qinggong) is where the palaces of the immortal realms are located.

The Da You Jing further says: Within the Jade Flower Azure Palace are stored precious scriptures and jade instructions, and whoever is destined to become a Zhenren may receive their transmission.

It also says: The Taishang Suling Dongxuan Jing records the Three Perfected who transform the higher realms (shanghua sanzhen).

The Da Dong Zhen Jing (Great Cavern Perfected Scripture) says: The Dao has three perfections, which must never be separated from the body. Purple mists transform into radiant scenery, and the sun, moon, and stars, the three luminaries, shine upon the true Dao.

The Da Dong Yu Jing (Great Cavern Jade Scripture) says: In Mount Taiwu there is a cavern palace with jade doors, located above Mount Emei. Whoever attains the Dao and becomes a true immortal will have their name inscribed in this palace.

It further says: Above the Yunshang Qing (Highest Clarity Clouds) stands a palace with two watchtowers at its gate, the golden gate on the left and the jade gate on the right, guarded by attendants clad in feathered robes. Within the palace are jade fungus and springs of flowing mist, and golden tablets bearing the names of the various Zhenren and flying immortals. It also says: Within the Jade Clarity (Yuqing) stands the Taihui Hall, where the Jade Perfected (Yuzhen) feast and roam. At the gate of the Jade Perfected's Roaming Gate also stand two watchtowers, the golden gate on the left and the jade gate on the right, with attendants clad in feathered robes. Within this palace are jade fungus and springs of flowing mist, and golden tablets bearing the names of the various Zhenren and flying immortals.

It is said that the Nine Perfected Lords of Ji (Jiuzhen Xianbo) were the divine rulers who governed the prohibitions of the Supreme Deity. "Zhuoying" (Washing the Tassels) was a pond within the Di River.

It is also said that the Supreme One Primordial Lord of Taiyi (Taiyi Shangyuan Jun) was the sovereign who commanded all the immortals. The Supreme True Lord of the Square Peaks and Vital Breath (Fangyue Zhenqi Taishang Zhenren) walked in accordance with the paths of the Five Stars, thereby causing the spirits to descend into the chamber.

The Scripture of the Great Cavern (Dadong Zhenjing) states that the Vermilion Walls and Crimson Windows were the pure and secluded domain of Shangqing (the Highest Clarity, the realm of immortals in Daoist cosmology), and the treasure hall of the three True Lords within the inner residence of Di Yi.

It is also said that the Ever-Living Dharma Master, Grand Minister of the Immortals and True Lord of Shangqing, ascended to the twin jade cavities of the terrace in the Cangland Mountain Cave of the Great Emperor and drank freely of the purple luminous elixir of the lingzhi fungus.

It is also said that those who cultivate longevity and visualize the spirits delight in mountains and waters, and that the benevolent and the wise each have places suited to their dwelling. Those who cultivate longevity and visualize the spirits delight in mountains and waters, and the benevolent and the wise both find support in them. Those who follow benevolence attain a tranquil mind and long life, while those who follow wisdom attain a nimble body and joy. One should submit a name card and register one's name in the official roll, thereby honoring benevolence and wisdom. With vermilion ink, one writes one's name on a white tablet and transfers the roll to Taiqing (Supreme Clarity, the realm of immortals in Daoist cosmology). When performing the rite, one must open the incense burner and bow with clasped hands, wrap the name tablets in blue paper and blue silk, and place them upon a rock. Then one goes to the water's edge, boards a boat, reads the tablets aloud in the middle of the river, and ties one's name into the register. In this way, the True Lords may be made to descend.

The Inner Instructions of the Nine Perfected of the Shangqing Central Scripture (Shangqing Jiuzhen Zhongjing Neijue) states that a spirit named Jade Guardian Duke (Yubao Gong) was sent down by the command of Taisu (Primordial Simplicity) to welcome the Nine Perfected.

It is also said that those who wish to practice the methods of the Nine Perfected must fast and cultivate them in a quiet, pure chamber. In this way, they will be observed by the Lord of Heavenly Emperors and recorded in the register.

The Taizhen Keyi (Liturgy of the True Perfected) states that the Feather Immortal Attendant (Yuxian Shilang) was an official of the Upper Capital's bureaus, responsible for the statutes and the arrangement of immortal offices, and that he governed deities such as the Jade Perfected and the Supreme True Lords. They dwell in the flowery chambers of the Five Sacred Peaks. Those whose names are not entered in the immortal registers cannot hear or see them. Once a name has been verified by the cinnabar tablets of the register, it is entered into the Southern Palace (Nangong), the celestial bureau of the immortals.

It is also said that the Jade Emperor, the Most Venerable One in the Golden Gate of the Imperial Void Palace, is named "Naturalness" (Ziran). Nothing made him so, and nothing could keep him from being so. Among the human world he dims his light and mingles with the dust, appearing much like the multitude yet differing from it in truth. Only one who has attained the Dao (the Way) can understand this.

It is also said that in the Heaven of Supreme Clarity, Yuyu (Shangqing Yuyu Tian), there are the Three Officials True Persons, who are charged with punishing those who commit killing and punitive warfare, who secretly do evil, who plot treachery, who out of jealousy harm the worthy, and who commit offenses such as wavering in their intentions or showing contempt toward the True Persons.

The Secret Writings of the Jade Clarity (Yuqing Yinshu) say that one who holds a Jade Name and Golden Register, a golden tablet recording one's name and rank, shall become the Supreme True Three Heavens True Emperor, wear the Divine Tiger Talisman, and dwell above the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). The Supreme True rides a flying-dragon chariot. The Middle True is guided by a purple-haired spirit person who bears a staff of office. The Lower True serves in the Taiji Attendant Pavilion.

It is also said that the Taiwei (Tai Wei, a palace of the heavens) was established by the command of the Heavenly Sovereign, and that the Supreme True is charged with exhorting the many spirits.

It is also said that the Supreme Emperor, the Jade Emperor, ordered the Perfected Xuanyu to go forth and welcome the Heavenly Sovereign of Taiwei. He further ordered the Perfected Taishang to open the basket of jade pearls, take out the Hidden Writings of the Jade Perfected and the Scripture of the Mysterious Feathers, and transmit them to the Heavenly Sovereign of Taiwei.

The Scripture of the Inner Sound of the Jade Characters says that the True Persons scatter fragrance in the Jade Court.

It is also said that the True Persons went forth to welcome the Heavenly Sovereign of Taiwei, and that the Perfected Taishang opened the basket of jade pearls, took out the Hidden Writings of the Jade Perfected and the Scripture of the Mysterious Feathers, and transmitted them to the Heavenly Sovereign of Taiwei.

The Scripture of the Inner Sound of the Jade Characters says that the True Persons scatter fragrance in the Jade Court.

It is also said that a hundred blended fragrances drift on the air and five-colored auspicious clouds of light spread outward, to greet the Flying Celestial True Persons.

It is also said that the Four Polar True Persons govern the registers of human lifespan and often ride the Mengzhen Chariot to examine the records of human transgressions.

It is also said that the Nine Brilliance True Persons govern in the Southern Upper Palace, examining the merits, faults, goodness, and evil of human beings, and that their findings are then reported upward through the Three Officials in turn.

It is also said that the True Emperor Heavenly Person declared that the inner sounds and natural jade characters transmitted throughout the heavens form the supreme and hidden language of the celestial realm. The Supreme Lord ordered the True Emperor Heavenly Person to explain their correct pronunciation, so that they might open and save both heavenly beings and spirits.

The Dengzhen Yinjue (Secret Instructions for Ascending to Truth) says that the Jade Terrace of Kunlun (Kunlun Yaotai) is where the true scriptures were compiled and arranged. The highest-grade scriptures were placed in Shangqing (Upper Clarity), and their status was modeled on that of the sovereign. The middle-grade scriptures were placed in the Middle Way, and their status was modeled on that of the ministers (gong qing). The lower-grade scriptures were listed at the end of the Sanyuan (Three Primes), and their status was modeled on that of the grand officers (dafu). Each of the three classes of scriptures had its own rank and order.

The text further says that the Perfected of the Three Samadhis (Sanmei Zhenren) rides the wind-and-cloud dragon chariot and descends to the lower world to protect those who observe fasts and cultivate the practice. The Perfected of Taisu (Taisu Zhenren) holds a status modeled on that of the sovereign. The middle-grade scriptures are placed in the Middle Way, with a status modeled on that of the ministers, and the lower-grade scriptures are listed at the end of the Three Primes, with a status modeled on that of the grand officers. Each of the three classes of scriptures has its own rank and order.

The text also says that the Perfected of the Three Samadhis rides the wind-and-cloud dragon chariot and descends to protect those who observe fasts and cultivate the practice. The Perfected of Taisu teaches methods for driving away nightmares for beginners. The Perfected of Jinhua (Jinhua Zhenren) carves the Dadong Shangjing (Upper Scripture of the Great Cavern) on the east window of the Xuanlin Jade Hall in the Purple Tenuity Palace of the Heavenly Emperor. The Perfected of Taixu (Taixu Zhenren) expounds the Hongwu Jing (Scripture of the Wild Goose and Crow). The Perfected of Taiji (Taiji Zhenren) recites the words of the Queen Mother of the West. The Perfected of Dianjin (Dianjin Zhenren) examines the good and evil deeds of people. The Perfected of Miaoxing (Miaoxing Zhenren) calculates the periods and numbers of the cosmic kalpa assemblies (jiehui).

Taiji Zhenren (the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate), a Daoist immortal, convenes the immortals at the Taiji Palace at noon on the first day of spring and records their names on jade tablets. At noon on the spring equinox, Taisu Zhenren (the Perfected of Primordial Simplicity) convenes the immortals at the Jade Terrace of Kunlun to examine and establish the true scriptures. The Jade Terrace of Kunlun is the palace of the Queen Mother of the West, also called the "Upper Jade Terrace of the West," where the secret writings of the heavenly realms are kept. Taisu Zhenren dwells on the White Water Sandbar, where he reviews the authentic classics.

At noon on the first day of summer, the Five Emperors of Shangqing gather the immortals in the Purple Tenuity Palace to hear four perfected discuss the merits and faults of those seeking the Dao. At noon on the summer solstice, the Three Officials of heaven assemble at the River of Life-Governing to determine the sins and blessings of the common people and to add or subtract from their allotted years of life accordingly. At noon on the first day of autumn, the Perfected of the Five Sacred Peaks go to the Yellow Chamber at the center to examine the names of the sacrifices and the medicinal elixirs of the world. At noon on the first day of winter, the Perfected of the Yangtai convene the immortals to register those who have newly attained the Dao, so that they are first entered in the Register of Named Immortals. At noon on the winter solstice, the immortals travel to the Palace of Fangzhu, where the Lord Qingtong of the Eastern Sea inscribes the names of the immortals on golden tablets.

Those who cultivate the Dao should confess their faults and beg forgiveness before the spirits at midnight and at noon. In this way the offenses recorded against those who have newly attained the Dao may be erased, and they may restrain themselves and return to good conduct, seeking longevity and immortality.

At the autumn equinox, the qi of heaven and earth is clear, pure, and still, and this is the proper day for the harmonious balance of Yin-Yang. On this day the immortals hear lawsuits and investigate wrongdoing. The immortal officials of each region also jointly report the merits and faults of the Daoist priests within their jurisdictions, along with living beings whose sins must be judged for life and death. The Record of the Immortals' Prohibitions therefore warns: "If you wish to ascend to heaven, you must take the autumn equinox seriously, for no fault, great or small, goes unreported." This is an important instruction from Master Zhongyang of the Vermilion Fire Dantian Palace.

Another account holds that this passage comes from the Liejì (Chronicle of Lineages). Lord Qingtong relayed the words of ancient perfected, which were then passed on to the Gong family. Its meaning is that the sins and blessings of a person, however minute, are recorded in the registers of the Dan City. Nothing can be concealed, and every good and evil act, together with the small merits accumulated in secret, is recorded item by item.

The Way of the Upper Perfected (shang zhen zhi dao) has seven texts. The first is the Taishang Yuyi Benri Wen (Taishang Writ of the Sun-Chasing Yuyi), the second the Taishang Jielin Benyue Zhang (Taishang Chapter on Joining Neighbors to Chase the Moon), the third the Taishang Basu Benchen Zhang (Taishang Chapter on the Eight Essences Chasing the Stars), the fourth the Taiwei Feitian Shang Jing (Upper Scripture of Taiwei Flying to Heaven), the fifth the Gaoshang Taidong Zhenjing (Highest Scripture of the Great Cavern of Perfection), the sixth the Jinque Lingshu Ziwen (Purple Text of the Numinous Writ of the Golden Gate), and the seventh the Jiuzhen Zhongjing (Middle Scripture of the Nine Perfections). One who attains the Upper Perfected is ranked among the Celestial Sovereigns of the heavens. When they travel, they are accompanied by the sanqi sejie (a honor guard of twenty-one colored standards), and many perfected persons (zhenren) lead the way before them.

The Way of the Middle Perfected has six texts: the Dadan Yinshu (Hidden Book of the Great Elixir), the Jiuzhen Xuanwen (Mysterious Writs of the Nine Perfections), the Taishang Jince (Supreme Golden Register), the Fangzhu Shang Jing (Upper Scripture of Fangzhu), the Sanhuang Neiwen (Inner Writs of the Three Sovereigns), and the Zishu Juelu (Purple Book of Secret Registers). One who attains the Middle Perfected is counted among the ministers of Shangqing (Highest Clarity, one of the Daoist heavens). They hold staffs adorned with purple feathers and are escorted by the ceremonial guard of the Jade Emperor (Yudi).

The Way of the Lower Perfected has eight texts: the Shangqing Qibian (Seven Transformations of Highest Clarity), the Yindi Bashu (Eight Arts of the Hidden Earth), the Xuanhuang Yushu (Jade Book of the Mysterious Sovereign), the Shenzhou Dongjing (Cavern Scripture of the Divine Continent), the Ziting Zhongfang (Central Prescriptions of the Purple Court), the Jiang Lu Huangdao (Yellow Path Register of Descent), the Susou Zhongzhang (Central Chapter of the Plain Memorial), and the Shangyuan Yushu (Jade Book of the Primordial Origin). One who attains the Lower Perfected is ranked among the grand masters (daifu) of Shangqing. They carry five-colored banners, can fly through the heavens, and cast an inverted shadow of the sun.

It is further said that one who obtains the Lieji (Record of Ranks) and has their name inscribed by the xuanxian (the register recording the names of immortal perfected) and presented to Shangqing may be ranked among the immortal ministers. If they can also cultivate the Jinque Zhenfa (True Methods of the Golden Gate), they may be invested as a grand master. This passage holds that the Lieji is more important than the Ziwen. Obtaining the Lieji is not merely a matter of carrying it as a talisman. What matters more is understanding the grades of the scriptures it lists and the order in which the Way is pursued, and then studying step by step in accordance with that order. For this reason it is more beneficial than simply keeping the Ziwen alone.

The Shanghuang Yulu (Jade Register of the Supreme Sovereign) states that when twenty-four perfected persons wearing yulu (jade talismanic registers) travel through mountains and rivers, the spirits of the rivers and seas all come to greet them and clear the way.

The Lingbao Yinshu (Hidden Book of the Numinous Treasure) states that the Zhongji Perfected governs the registers of human life spans. The Jiuhua Perfected governs affairs beneath the Nine Dark Realms (Jiuyou, the netherworld), including karma from past lives and matters of birth and death. The Taiyuan Perfected receives heavenly talismans and delivers the souls of the dead through the long night. The Taiji Perfected governs the Palace of the Crimson City and the Jade Cavern, and oversees the verification of the Mount Tai registers of life and death. The Sanyuan Perfected governs the affairs of the Way within the Purple Tenuity Heavenly Palace.

The Chishu Yujue Jing (Scripture of the Jade Secrets of the Vermilion Writ) says that on the fourteenth day of each month, the Supreme Perfected Lord of Shangdi (Shangdi Zhenhuang) sends down the Envoy of Taiyi (Taiyi Shizhe) to tour Heaven and Earth together with the Envoy of the Northern Zheng Capital Overseer (Beizheng Dubo Shizhe). They observe the merits and faults of humans and spirits, determine which matters are grave and which urgent, and report each item to their superiors. The Lord also commands the spirit in charge of the Purple Tenuity (Ziwei) to tour the Great Dao.

The same scripture says again that on the fourteenth day of each month, the Supreme Perfected Lord of Shangdi sends down the Envoy of Taiyi to tour Heaven and Earth with the Envoy of the Northern Zheng Capital Overseer. They survey the good and evil of celestial beings and mortals and report each matter upward. The Lord also dispatches the Nine Departments for Exposing Wrongdoing (Jiubu Ci Jian) to inspect the Five Sacred Peaks, the Three Palaces, and the Waters' Mansion, to regulate affairs of ghosts and spirits, and to record people's merits and faults for report to Heaven.

The Baiyu Jing (Scripture of the White Plumes) states that the Venerable Taizhen rides a white phoenix-drawn carriage and drives black phoenixes as he tours the Nine Sources. All beings below the heavenly realm are transformed by his virtue. The Perfected of Taiji (Taiji Zhenren) explains that to possess the fine qualities of an immortal, the essential thing is to hold a compassionate heart and to treat all that one encounters with kindness, thereby cultivating good character and so attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal. If one cannot restrain one's temperament, the qualities of an immortal will be harmed. Therefore, in seeking the Dao and realizing truth, one must take concentrated thought and the cultivation of the shen (spirit) as the foundation. When preserving the shen and entering contemplative visualization, one must first attain stillness of mind and steady mindfulness.

The Dajie Jing (Scripture of the Great Calamity) says that the Perfected of the Upper Jing (Shangjing Zhenren) leads all the mighty spirits of the world, together with the Mother of the Great Flood of the Upper Origin (Shangyuan Hongshui Mu), to channel and pacify the waters that surge in reverse and overflow.

The Haikong Jing (Scripture of the Sea of Emptiness) explains that "He Jian" (Who Oversees) is a secret name used by celestial beings, and also the name of the halls where the immortal Perfected of the various ranks dwell atop the Jade Tower (Yulou). "Gao Zhen" (Exalted Perfected) refers to an immortal Perfected who possesses true qi (zhenqi) within the body and whose jade-colored eyes are clear and bright.

The Nanzhen Zhuan (Transmission of the Southern Perfected) records: "Yesterday, my uncle Shujia and I went to the Palace of Clear Void (Qingxu Gong) to determine the gains and losses among the Perfected. Recently, forty-seven names were removed at once, and three new ones were added. The Perfected of Inner Clarity (Neiming Zhenzheng) is a fine cultivator of the Way."

The Perfected of the Nine Palaces (Jiugong Zhenren) always pass in and out along the road between the Yellow Gate (Huangque) and the Crimson Terrace (Jiangtai). For this reason, towers and gates are set up along both sides of the road, both to observe unusual qi and to greet the Perfected who come and go.

The Scripture of the Supreme Orthodox Dharma (Taishang Zhengfa Jing) states that the "Nine Perfected" (jiu zhen) are formed from the vital breaths of the nine heavens. The three grades of perfected breath, upper, middle, and lower, arise from Grand Clarity (Taiqing, the pure heavenly realm in Daoist cosmology) and are the luminous qi of the Primordial Heavenly Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun). Each has its own palace arranged by rank. The Palace of Upper Clarity (Shangqing Gong) is governed by the Supreme Great Lord of the Dao (Taishang Dadao Jun), Lord of All Perfected, who dwells in the Jade Hall. He compiles the statutes of the Supreme Deity and keeps them as precious scripture in the Palace of Jade Clarity (Yuqing Gong), where they serve to deliver those who later study and attain the true Dao.

The Scripture of the Three Origins and Graded Precepts (Sanyuan Pinjie Jing) says that the Purple Subtle Palace (Ziwei Gong) has its own rites and regulations for prolonging life. The same scripture names the Red Emperor, Jade Director Lord Yujing (a divine perfected of the south), as Lord of All Perfected. He dwells in the Jade Hall, compiles the statutes of the Supreme Deity as a precious scripture kept in the Palace of Jade Clarity, and uses it to deliver those who later seek and attain the truth. The same scripture repeats that the Purple Subtle Palace has rites and regulations for prolonging life, and that Lord Yujing rules the Platform of Vermilion Yang in the south and oversees the scholars of the upper perfected.

Perfected Lin Jing (Jinglin Zhenren) said: "Practitioners who have cultivated over many lifetimes, and who respond to and resonate with the Dao, turn their thoughts toward the true Dao and hope to correspond with the spirits. Heaven observes their intent, and the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji, the highest heavenly realm in Daoist cosmology) registers their names. Their names are written in the registers of the Purple Void Palace (Zixu Gong), vermilion-inscribed in the Pavilion of Eastern Brilliance (Donghua Ge), carved into the Upper Clarity name registers, and entered in a brocade book written in cinnabar-colored script."

The Empty Cavern Numinous Chapter (Kongdong Lingzhang) says: "The perfected plays the nao (a Daoist instrument), blows the nine-phoenix flute and the Divine Land sheng, and the distant sound rolls out and carries a thousand fathoms."

The Chronicle of the Later Sage (Housheng Lieji) says: "The Later Sage Lord of the Golden Gate of Upper Clarity loved the arts of the Dao from childhood and admired the Celestial Emperor of the Purple Subtle Palace, the Upper Perfected, and the Palace of Jade Clarity. He was granted the purple medicine, the firm cinnabar, and the phoenix seal, and so he was able to enter Upper Clarity, roam the Supreme Ultimate, descend to govern the heavens, and oversee the people."

The Record of Immortals (Xian Zhi) says: "Whoever cultivates the affairs of the Supreme One (Taiyi) and the way of the perfected should not bow to others. Reverence should be offered in the heart alone, without bending the body. Devote the mind to longing for the true Dao and practice its methods, and you will pass through every obstacle. The signs of cultivation will appear in due time, and ascending to the realm of the immortal perfected will come swiftly."

The Black Register, First Part (Hei Lu Shang Pian) says: "Sages, perfected, and immortals alike practice De (Virtue) and revere the Supreme Mystery (Taixuan, the profound origin of the Great Dao)."

The Scripture of Precepts (Jie Wen Jing) says: "The Supreme Perfected dwells in the immortal mansions. Everyone in the world who attains the Dao and becomes an immortal must first pass through this place."

The Black Register, Part One states: sages, Perfected (Zhenren), and immortals (xianren) together embody De (Virtue/Power) and all revere the Supreme Mystery (Taixuan), the profound and subtle Dao (the Way).

The Scripture of Precepts states: the Most High Perfected (Taishang Zhenren) dwells in the palace of the immortals, and all mortals who wish to become immortals must first pass through this place.

The Jade Characters Scripture of Spontaneity states: within the Forest of Seven Treasures there is a garden where the Highest Perfected (Shangzhen) roam, and also a park where Perfected people play.

The Taixiao Langshu states: the descendants of the Jade Spirit of the Yuan Sovereign occupy the honored position, ascend to the realm of Supreme Perfection (Taizhen), and govern the Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth. In the Xuanpu (Mysterious Garden), they hold the Jade Register (yulu), the registers that record the names of the perfected immortals, command the lands of the myriad immortals, and oversee the Upper Perfected among the Five Sacred Peaks. Above, they rule the boundless realms beyond the Three Passes; below, they govern the Dongyuan (Source Cavern). From the heavens downward, nothing lies outside their jurisdiction.

The text also states: the Three Lords of Supreme Simplicity (Taisu Sanyuanjun) received the pure qi of the Highest Clarity (Shangqing) from Linghe and Yuchen, and thus condensed into being. They dwell in emptiness and hold true nature within, displaying a radiant and beautiful appearance. Their functioning is profound and subtle, their spiritual illumination is identical in all respects, their brilliance is vast and far-reaching, and the Dao pervades the Nine Mysteries. They perceive things before the breath has manifested, and they respond as soon as they make contact. These beings are the condensed existence of the Most High.

The Jade Scripture of the Four Brightnesses of the Most High states: the way of the true immortal turns on the ears and eyes. Those who sink into lust will see their vision impaired, and those who widely crave sounds and colors will have their keen hearing blocked. These two faults arise from within the heart and then show outwardly; there is no other cause. To make the eyes and ears more keen and sharp is not difficult. The key lies in not indulging desire: one should cleanse the heart, cut off stray thoughts, and restrain excessive desire and greed. This is strict guarding at the root. By nourishing the two eyes (the text calls them the "twin gates" or shuangque), opening the nine orifices (the nine apertures of the human body), and causing the saliva in the mouth to rise up to the Niwan (the cultivation site in the head), one may be counted among the Upper Perfected. The gaze can then see very far, and the hearing can catch the faintest sounds. This is the lofty realm of the true immortal, and it is far more than simply keen ears and clear eyes.

The Sandong Zhunang (Pearl Satchel of the Three Caverns) states: the carved stone inscription of the Highest Jade Clarity records that Mount Dengdu lies to the north, and within the mountain is a hollow cavern with six palaces. This inscription is carved on the north wall of the palace to restrain and subdue all kinds of evil spirits so that they cannot run rampant. If living commoners and those who cultivate the Dao wear this inscribed text, they will be struck from the registers of the Northern Fengdu (the northern netherworld), have their lifespans recorded in the Southern Palace, and become Perfected.

The Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace) says that later students who attain the Dao (Dao, the Way) are placed in different ranks, the highest of which is the state of Ultimate Sage and Perfected Immortal.

The Dingzhen Yulu Jing (Scripture of the Jade Register of Fixed Perfection) says that anyone who wishes to settle the mind and spirit should receive the "Jade Register of Fixed Perfection of the Upper Sovereign's Subjects" (Shanghuang Minji Dingzhen Yulu), a Daoist register of names and scripts. This is the most important first step in cultivation. Only once the mind and spirit are first settled can one's immortal name be fixed. This is the register worn by the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) masters of the Three Heavens, used to confirm one's rank as one who has attained the Dao and become an immortal.

The Taishang Jing (Scripture of the Most High) says that Yuqing (Jade Clarity) is as firm as jade: it does not decay and cannot be stained. It is pure and solid, forever unchanged, and all defilement and entanglement have been removed. Being purely unmixed, it is called zhenren (Perfected), one who has realized the true Dao.

The Taishang Danjian (Cinnabar Tablets of the Most High) says that whoever cultivates the Dao and dwells in the rank of Perfected has their name entered in the Southern Palace, a celestial palace-office in the Daoist heavens.

The Sanwu Shunxing Jing (Scripture on the Orderly Practice of the Three Five) says that one who unites with the Dao and its De (Virtue/Power) and enters the realm of the Dao is called a Perfected. The Most High will send the Four Polar Perfected, high-ranking immortal Perfected, to welcome them, and will bestow in the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) Palace the texts of the Three Heavens' spirit registers, the sacred writings and immortal registers of Daoism.

The Shangqing Bajing Jing (Scripture of the Eight Radiances of Highest Clarity) says that one who concentrates single-mindedly on inner contemplation (jingsi) for one hundred days will see the Perfected appear.

Ge Xuan, in his Preface to the Five Thousand Characters (Wuqian Wen Xu), says that when one refines one's contemplation and attunes to distant realms, the Most High will send Perfected down to transmit the subtle and profound meaning.

The text further says that when one calms the mind and seeks perfection, all manner of mysteries will respond and gather. When one turns inward to observe one's own form and image, the spirit-breath (shen qi) will grow and nourish the body.

Ge Xuan also says in the same preface that when one refines one's contemplation and attunes to distant realms, the Most High will send Perfected down to transmit the subtle and profound meaning. When one calms the mind and seeks perfection, all mysteries will respond and gather. When one turns inward to observe one's form and image, the spirit-breath will endure. When body and mind are united with De, the hundred spirits will also pay homage.

The Dadong Ciyi Pian (Chapter on the Great Cavern and the Single Female) says that a golden form shines in the Eastern Brilliance, and a jade-like body rejoices at the Gate of the Emperor. Numinous light illuminates the Five Elders, the venerable deities of Daoism. Rising through the Three Primes, the celestial realms of three tiers, one bears treasured light upon the head and roams the Nine Dawns of heaven. One can also divide the form and emit radiance, ranking among the Supreme Perfected, the high-ranking immortal Perfected.

According to the Shengxuan Jing (Scripture of Ascending to the Mystery), only by steadfastly holding to loyalty and uprightness, seeking the Great Dao (Dao) and truth, correcting one's faults, and accumulating merit through good deeds can one become a Zhenren (Perfected Person, an immortal who has attained success in cultivation).

The Sanyuan Yujian Jing (Scripture of the Jade Register of the Three Primes) states that in the Gengyin year, on the ninth day of the ninth month, which fell on the Jiachen day, Yuanshi Tianzun (Primordial Heavenly Venerable) held an oath-sealing ceremony in the Shangqing Palace (the celestial palace revered by the Shangqing school). There he bestowed the Sanyuan Yujian (a Daoist text) and charged that it be passed on to later students. Anyone who holds a mysterious name (is enrolled in the registers of the Mysterious Gate) and whose destiny is to become a Shangqing Zhenren is connected with this book.

The Jixian Lu (Record of Gathered Immortals) states that Wangmu is the Golden Mother of Turtle Mountain, one of the titles of Xiwangmu (Queen Mother of the West). She was born from the most refined Qi of the splendid Western Huamiao, and she could fly from birth. She dwells in the realm of the extreme yin primal origin, occupies the west, and nourishes all things. Her palace stands in Chongshan, the garden of Kunlun, in the Langfeng Garden. Its walls stretch for a thousand li and it has twelve towers, and one can reach it only by riding a immortal terrace carriage or a feathered wheel. The legendary image of her with disheveled hair and tiger's teeth is not her true appearance; she was originally a deity of the Metal Phase (Wu Xing) virtue of the West.

Yuanshi Tianzun bestowed on her the "Register of the Nine Lights of Turtle Mountain, Sovereign of All Heavens," a Daoist fulu (talismans and registers) that governs the myriad heavens. With it she could summon and dispatch the myriad spirits and lead the assembly of perfected beings. She also oversaw the ceremonial guards of the heavens, took part in the Celestial Emperor's audiences, and presided over the transmission and salvation of the Shangqing Precious Scriptures and the Jade Writings of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen).

In the reign of the Yellow Emperor, Wangmu sent an envoy riding a white deer to the imperial court, and the envoy presented a map to the Yellow Emperor. Later, in the reign of Shun, Wangmu again sent an envoy, who offered a white jade ring and a map of expanded lands. In this way the nine regions of the Yellow Emperor's era were enlarged into twelve. She also sent someone to present Shun with a jade pipe, and when Shun played it, it harmonized the winds of the eight directions.

Shangshu Diyan Qi (The Book of Imperial Verifications) records that the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) dwells in a remote wilderness in the west. Anyone who has attained the Dao (the Way) and received scriptures must travel to the palace gates of Kunlun to pay court to her. Wang Bao, courtesy name Zideng, fasted for three months, after which the Queen Mother transmitted to him the Qionghua Baoyao Qichen Su Jing (Scripture of the Seven Morning Radiances of the Jade Blossom Treasure).

Mao Ying followed the Lord of Xicheng to the White Jade Tortoise Terrace, where he had an audience with the Queen Mother and sought the Way of long life. She gave him the Xuanzhen Zhi Jing (Scripture of Mysterious Perfection) and also bestowed upon him a precious book, instructing him to distribute copies to the four quarters.

Later, King Mu of Zhou crossed the Ruo River (Weak Water) on a bridge formed of giant turtles, alligators, fish, and great sea turtles. He ascended the regions of Xuanpu and Langyuan on Kunlun, where he met the Queen Mother. He sang the Bai Yun Zhi Yao (Ballad of the White Clouds), carved a stone at the foot of Mount Yan to record the journey, and then returned.

Emperor Wu of the Han was fond of the arts of longevity. In the first year of the Yuanfeng era, he ascended Mount Song and built the Xunzhen Terrace (Terrace for Seeking the Perfected), where he fasted and calmed his mind in his quest for the Great Dao.

On the seventh day of the seventh month, the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) arrived at the terrace in a chariot of purple clouds drawn by a nine-colored dappled dragon. She carried the Strategy of the Perfected (Tianzhen zhi Ce) and wore the Vajra Numinous Seal (Jingang Lingxi) at her waist. Her yellow brocade robe shimmered with golden light, and her sash was woven with flying-cloud patterns. On her head she wore the Heavenly Supreme Perfected Dawn Tassel Crown, and on her feet she wore shoes of square jade with phoenix patterns. Her bearing was dignified and splendid, the kind of immortal rarely seen in the world.

Stepping down from the chariot and supported by two attendants, the Queen Mother climbed onto a couch and sat facing east. She ordered her attendants to bring peaches, which were arranged on a jade plate, seven in all. She gave Emperor Wu four of them and ate three herself. The emperor wished to keep the peach pits and plant them. The Queen Mother replied, "This peach bears fruit only once every three thousand years. The soil of the Central Plain is barren, and even if you planted them, they would not grow."

Emperor Wu asked about the way of long life. The Queen Mother said, "Let go of glory and splendor, be content with the ordinary, and things will naturally be well. The essentials of nourishing nature and tending the body lie in perseverance. If you wish for long life, begin with yourself. Hold fast to the Three Ones (Sanyi) and nourish the numinous root. Let the qi of green and white harmonize clearly within the Niwan Palace (Muddy Pellet Palace, the site of the head in internal alchemy, or Neidan). Let the Three Palaces (the cultivation sites within the body) be protected and the Crimson Palace (the heart region) be stilled. Let the qi of Wu and Ji within the Yellow Court (Huangting, the inner cultivation site of the body) not be dispersed. This is the essential method of inhaling the Supreme Harmony qi and guarding one's natural nature."

As for the supreme spiritual herbs, these are the precious rare treasures of the Supreme Emperor, and the marvelous herbs such as the heavy-cloud herb that grows in shaded earth are likewise used by immortals. Those who obtain superior spiritual herbs can exceed the lifespan of ordinary people and endure, and these are what the Supreme One takes; the Middle Immortals cannot keep them. Middle-grade spiritual herbs, if one obtains them by fortune and takes them, allow one to exceed the ordinary span of life and roam at ease. These are what the Perfected take, and even the Lower Immortals find them hard to obtain.

Beyond these are the Nine Elixirs and Golden Liquor, the Purple Rainbow Blossom, the Nine-Turn Five-Cloud Elixir of the Supreme Clarity, the Mysterious Frost and Crimson Snow, the Three Yellows of Leaping Ascent, the White Fragrance of the Eastern Sea, the Flying Life of the Mysterious Islet, the Eight Stones and Thousand Fungi, the Nine Radiances of Majestic Joy, the Gallstone of the Western Stream, the Green Coins of the Eastern Sea, the Residual Roots of the High Hill, the Jade Fields of the Accumulated Stones, and the Returning Elixir of the Great Numinous, as well as the Golden Orchid that holds these herbs, the Long-Light Crimson Grass, and the Cloud Youth's Flying Yu. These are the herbs taken by the Flying Immortals, and even the Earth Immortals have no way of hearing of them.

Herbs of a lower grade, such as poria (Fuling), acorus (Changpu), black sesame (Jusheng), and Solomon's seal (Huangjing), can prolong life when taken. Though they cannot grant endless life, they can make the body's complexion glow with vitality and bring one to the realm of the Earth Immortals. Those who seek the Dao should begin with these, cultivating step by step, and only then can they advance to higher attainments. If one combines them with breath regulation (tuna) and the taking of herbs for nourishment, and steadies the shen and qi, this is the superior way of natural self-cultivation.

The human body receives its shen from Heaven, its form from Earth, and its qi from the Dao, and the same holds for all things, including plants and trees. Since the body takes the Dao as its root, how could one fail to nourish the shen, secure the qi, and preserve the physical form? To keep both form and spirit whole is what the Supreme Sages value.

The Queen Mother then ordered the Lady of the Shangyuan (Shangyuan Furen) to bring out twelve kinds of texts and talismans, including the Book of the Eight Assemblies (Bahui zhi Shu), the True Maps of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue Zhen Tu), and the Numinous Flying Talismans of the Five Emperors and Six Jiazi, and gave them to Emperor Wu. The emperor did not practice according to their methods and instead became increasingly deluded. Later, the Queen Mother descended again, and the texts she had bestowed were placed on the Bailiang Terrace, where they were destroyed by a natural disaster. Li Shaojun then departed by casting off his physical form, and the witchcraft affair (Wugu) soon followed, so Emperor Wu grew even more full of regret.

The Great Lord Mao, Mao Ying (Máo Yíng), was cultivating on the south side of Mount Juqu (Jùqū Shān). On the day jiyou of the eighth month of the second year of the Yuanshou era, the Perfected Red Lord of the Southern Marchmount, Wang Junfang of the Western City, and Zhuge Qingtong accompanied the Queen Mother of the West (Xīwángmǔ) to Mao Ying's dwelling. The Queen Mother then ordered Lady Shangyuan to transmit the Taixiao Yinshu (Hidden Writings of the Great Empyrean, Tàixiāo Yǐnshū) to Mao Ying's two younger brothers, Mao Gu and Mao Zhong.

Later, the Purple Numinous Lady Wei Huacun fasted and practiced at the Hidden Origin Terrace (Yǐnyuán Tái) on Mount Yangluo. The Queen Mother of the West and the Golden Gate Holy Lord descended to the terrace, and together they rode a carriage of the Eight Radiances (bajing zhī yú, a chariot used by immortals) to the Upper Palace of Qingxu. There they transmitted the four-scroll Yuqing Yinshu (Hidden Writings of the Jade Clarity, Yùqīng Yǐnshū) to Lady Wei. At that time, the Perfected Taixu and others chanted the Taiji Ge (Song of the Supreme Ultimate, Tàijí Gē). The Queen Mother of the West sang:

"Wandering freely in the realm of profound subtlety, the flow of all things never ceases. Once we part now, when shall we meet again? When the final kalpa is exhausted, heaven and earth too will overturn. One should seek the images within the formless and without shape; it is neither deathlessness nor mere existence. Body and mind receive the natural Way; quietly contemplating the myriad things, one merges with the deep and remote. The Southern Marchmount stands tall with true and refined material, shining like jade, its luster pure and unblemished. Only by taking responsibility without clinging to affairs can the empty heart receive the numinous breath. Let us gather on the banks of the Crimson River and share together endless joy."

The Queen Mother of the West then returned to the Turtle Terrace (Guītái).

The Sanyi Jing (Scripture of the Three Ones, Sānyī Jīng) records that the Yellow Emperor traveled to the Lingtai and Mount Qingcheng, and beneath a sheer cliff he met the Perfected Huang of Heaven (Tiānzhēn Huángrén), a true person of the celestial realm. The Perfected Huang built his house of blue jade, formed his grove of yellow jade, and hung green gauze curtains, with attendants who were all heavenly beings.

It is further recorded that Gao Qiuzi was a man of the Shang dynasty who loved the Way and entered Mount Liujing to cultivate. For many years he recited only the Yellow Silk Daoist scriptures (huangsu dao jing, Daoist texts written on yellow silk) and ate woody herbal medicines. Later he took the hongdan (Vermilion Elixir, Hóngdān), a Daoist alchemical pill, and became a Land Immortal, traveling among the Five Marchmounts. He also drank the jinye (Golden Fluid, Jīnyè), the elixir of the immortals, and became the Perfected of the Central Marchmount.

Guo Chong was a man of the Shang dynasty who had once studied under the Perfected Peng (Zhenren Peng). Once, while travelling in the mountains, he was surrounded by bandits. His disciples wanted to pursue them and seize them, but Guo Chong stopped them, saying, "Let them go." Later, the bandit became an official, and Guo Chong's son repeatedly praised him. The bandit came several times to express his gratitude and said, "I was once a bandit, and I cannot bear the praise of a great gentleman." In the end, he took his own life. Afterwards, Guo Chong's son attained the Dao, but the Perfected Taiji (Taiji Zhenren) judged that he was guilty of harming human life and could not become a Perfected. If good deeds done improperly can still drive others to end their own lives, how much more so do evil deeds?

During the reign of King Zhuang of Chu, Song Laizi, the overseer of the marketplace, often swept the market. After a long time, a begging old man entered the market and walked about all day singing: "Within the Celestial Court two flowers of brilliance are born, and at the Mountain Source yin evil appears. At dawn he presses down the Celestial Horse and goes to the house of the Great Perfected. The Perfected, unable to help, withdraws, and once more by this method he destroys the hundred demons." The old man often sang this song, and the people in the market could not understand it. Only Laizi suspected that he might be a Perfected, though he did not fully grasp the meaning of the song. Laizi then bowed to the old man as his teacher and followed him away. More than ten years later, the old man transmitted to him the Way of the Middle Immortal. Laizi now dwells on the Central Peak.

This begging old man was the Perfected Feng Yanshou of the Western Peak, a man of the reign of King Xuan of Zhou. The scriptural commentary explains that the "Celestial Court" refers to the region beneath the two eyebrows, the orifice through which vision is made clear, also called the "Flowery Court." The "Mountain Source" refers to the base of the philtrum beneath the nose, at the slight hollow just below it. The "Celestial Horse" refers to the hand. By pressing the hand against the area beneath the nose, one can block all manner of evil Qi (vital energy).

The Perfected Yin Xi was an official of the Zhou dynasty who served as Guanling (Pass Warden) of Hangu Pass, and he took great delight in study from an early age.

It is further recorded that the Perfected Yin Xi (Yin Xi) was a grand officer of the Zhou dynasty who served as the magistrate of Hangu Pass. From childhood he loved learning, and he was well versed in astronomy and the esoteric learning of the weft texts (chenwei). He could discern the conditions of ghosts and spirits. He was talented and unconstrained, and he never showed honor or disgrace in his face. He cherished an aspiration for free and easy wandering, and his nature was tranquil and profound.

One day he suddenly climbed a tower to gaze into the distance and saw purple qi (ziqi) coming from the eastern horizon toward the west. Yin Xi said, "The cycle of yang qi is nearing its end, the degrees of the nine stars have reached their positions, and the years and months are converging. By this reckoning, an extraordinary person should be passing through here." He then fasted, swept the road, and waited for that person to arrive.

As Laozi passed through Hangu Pass, Yin Xi had instructed the pass officials in advance: "If an old man arrives riding a plain carriage drawn by a green ox, do not let him pass. Come and tell me first." The old man did indeed arrive. After the officer reported this, Yin Xi asked the old man to stay. He donned his seal and ribbon and served Laozi with the etiquette of a disciple, while Laozi repeatedly declined. Yin Xi said, "I hope you will write a book for me that sets forth the meaning of the Great Dao, so that I may put it into practice." Laozi then wrote the Daodejing (Classic of the Dao and De) in two parts. Afterward, Yin Xi accompanied him to Xuanzhou and became a Grand Minister (shangqing).

The Biography of Su Lin records that Su Lin, courtesy name Zixuan, was a native of Qushui in Puyang. His father, Su Xiu, held virtue within without displaying it and lived in seclusion on Mount Heng. Even in his youth, Su Lin possessed an extraordinary nature. Later he became a disciple of Master Qin Gao and studied methods of refining qi to nourish life and prolong years. He also became a disciple of Mr. Qiu of Mount Hua and studied the art of returning the spirit (huanshen), the practice of cultivation that restores the spirit to its original purity. Mr. Qiu said, "You have the talent of a Perfected. You should study the Way of becoming an immortal." He then recommended Su Lin to Juanzi. This matter was not completed, and Juanzi himself transmitted the true oral formulas to Su Lin.

Juanzi told him, "You will certainly become a Perfected on earth, but first you must rid yourself of the Three Corpses (sanshi), the spirits that, in Daoist belief, dwell within the body and obstruct cultivation." Afterward, Su Lin passed down more than two hundred oral formulas that had been transmitted by the Perfected Ziyang. Among them, the instructions on guarding the mysterious elixir, cultivating the inner chamber, and the Perfected of the Three Primes were each clearly marked. Su Lin became the Perfected of the Central Peak.

The Biography of Lord Mao says that Mao Ying, courtesy name Shushen, was a native of Xianyang. His father, Mao Zuo, had three sons, and Mao Ying was the middle one. Even as a young man, Mao Ying had extraordinary aspirations. He was of lofty character and would not drift with the common tide. He did not seek fame or status, and he would not associate with those whose aims differed from his own.

He entered Mount Heng, where he studied the Laozi and the Yijing (Book of Changes), ate herbs and plants, and lived in seclusion in the mountains for six years. He concentrated single-mindedly on the Dao, and his utter sincerity brought him a silent response. In a dream, the Taixuan Jade Maiden (Taixuan Yunü, a female immortal of Daoist legend) came to him bearing a jade token and told him, "In the western city there is a Lord Wang, who has attained the true Way of the Dao. You may take him as your teacher."

At dawn, Mao Ying set out to seek Lord Wang and arrived at the western city. He fasted for three months before he was finally granted an audience with Lord Wang. Mao Ying bowed deeply and repeatedly before Lord Wang and earnestly asked for the art of longevity. Afterward, he lived in the Upper Palace of Gold and Jade in the Cave Terrace of the western city, serving Lord Wang morning and evening and performing menial duties such as handing him his towel and holding his shoes. For seventeen years he remained wholeheartedly devoted and never grew lax.

Two years later, Lord Wang ordered that a carriage be prepared to travel to Mount White Jade Tortoise, where they visited the Queen Mother of the West at the Palace of Azure Jade, and Lord Wang took Mao Ying along. In the presence of the Queen Mother, Lord Wang performed the kowtow, and Mao Ying also bowed deeply and repeatedly and set out his aspirations before her. As a result, he received the essential methods for cultivating the body.

Mao Ying practiced according to these methods, and after returning home he lived for several more decades. In the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Han, celestial officials (tianguan, divine functionaries of the heavens) descended to receive him, ferried him across the river, and escorted him to Mount Jurong to cultivate the Way. The August Emperor of Heaven then bestowed upon him gold and purple jade, and conferred upon him the titles Perfected of Great Origin and Chief Minister of the Eastern Peak. The Spirit Lord of Destiny (Siming Shenjun) also gifted him with the regalia of office, including a purple-plumed staff of rank and the Ten Peerless Numinous Banners, as well as splendid immortal garments, carriages, precious canopies, and curtains. The text further states that he governed the Jade Cavern Office of Red City Mountain, communicating upward with Shangqing (Highest Clarity) and overseeing the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) below.

Lord Mao's office was to oversee the region of Haoyue and to keep watch over the registers of life and death recorded on Mount Tai. He was enrolled among the court of the Perfected Immortals (zhenxian), took part in drafting the titles inscribed in the golden register (jince), and was responsible for guiding and conferring upon those who studied the Dao, as well as for examining the immortals. Later, one of Lord Mao's disciples, who held a post of two thousand shi, was about to take up his appointment, and many people from the village came to see him off. Lord Mao was also present at the gathering. He said, "I too have a post, and I must take it up on such-and-such a day." The guests replied, "We wish to send off Lord Mao." Lord Mao said, "There is no need to spend anything. I will prepare the feast myself."

On the appointed day, Lord Mao held a grand banquet. Blue silk curtains were hung on all sides, layers of white felt were spread across the ground, and rare delicacies and exotic fruits were laid out in abundance. Musicians were arranged to play, and the sound of their music carried for several li. More than a thousand attendants followed him. The civil officials wore vermilion robes with white sashes, while the military officials were dressed in armor, their helmets and cuirasses gleaming. Afterward, Lord Mao mounted a carriage adorned with feathered canopies and departed.

On the night of the fourth day of the seventh month of the third year of the Xingning era of the Jin dynasty, Lord Mao first descended to the household of Yang. He wore a skirt of green brocade embroidered with patterns, draped a purple woolen kerchief over his shoulders, and wore a hibiscus crown. Seven attendants entered with him: one carried a purple woolen tally, one held a Ten-Severance banner, one carried a satchel of green registers on his back, one grasped a bell of flowing gold, and three more bore white ivory cases. All of them wore vermilion robes. Lord Mao descended many times after this, and his disciples always came out to greet him. These events were recorded in a biography by the immortal Li Zun, which made Lord Mao's deeds known throughout the world.

The Sandong Zhunang (Pearl Purse of the Three Caverns) records that Wang Bao, courtesy name Zideng, was a seventh-generation descendant of Wang Ling of the Former Han. He partook of qingjing fan (blue-essence rice), and when he climbed steep peaks his movements were as swift as a flying bird's. He needed no ferry or bridge to cross broad expanses of water. He also consumed Yunbi Chenfei Danyu (cloud-jade dawn-flying cinnabar essence), and for this reason he could see very far. The Supreme Lord of the Great Dao sent Zhengyi Zuoxuan, the Attendant Gentleman Feng Zhangyin, who bestowed upon Lord Wang a jade ornament called qiongjue, together with red silk ribbons and banners (danfu mianjing), and addressed him as the Perfected Immortal of Pure Emptiness (Qingxu Zhenren). Among these, "qingjing fan" and "Yunbi Chenfei Danyu" are the foods and elixirs described in Daoist texts, while "qiongjue" is a jade ornament, and "danfu mianjing" refers to red silk ribbons and banners, ceremonial regalia of the same kind.

Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected) records that Chisongzi (Red Pine Master) was the rain master in the time of the Yellow Emperor, and was called Taiji Zhenren (Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate).

It also records that Han Weiyuan, the Perfected of Mount Jiuyi, once studied under Song Dexuan, a Central Marchmount master. Song Dexuan lived in the time of King Xuan of Zhou. After taking the Lingfei Liujia (Numinous Flying Six Jia) elixirs, he attained the Dao (the Way), could travel great distances, and transformed and vanished many times, mastering the Way of the Mysterious Numinous. He now dwells on Mount Song. Han Weiyuan followed Song Dexuan for many years, later also cultivated his Way, and became the Perfected of Mount Jiuyi.

It also records that Pei Xuanren was a native of Yangxia in Right Fufeng. He was born in the second year of Emperor Wen of Han. After Lord Pei attained the Dao, he was about to enter seclusion for cultivation, and his disciple Deng Yun also attained the Dao. Deng Yun accompanied Lord Pei up Mount Hua and into the Mysterious Stone Chamber of the Western Cavern. After thirty-two years, five elderly men suddenly bestowed on Lord Pei a numinous fungus (zhi) for protection and named him Qingxu Zhenren (Perfected of Clarity and Emptiness).

It also records that Wang Zhongfu, the Perfected of the Central Marchmount, loved the immortal Way from his youth. He often practiced the Erjing (Two Luminaries) method, visualizing and drawing in the essences of sun and moon, and the Canxia (Dining on Mists) method, ingesting the qi (vital energy) of the clouds. After more than forty years he felt no benefit. His son also practiced and, eighteen years later, ascended as an immortal and departed. Later, the Perfected Nan suddenly came to Wang Zhongfu's home and instructed him: "Your brain qi is deficient, and your bodily fluids cannot circulate fully. Although you draw in the essences of sun and moon and practice dining on mists, these bring no benefit to your body." Wang Zhongfu then used medicines to treat his illness while cultivating the true Dao. After many more years, he attained the goal. He now receives Daoist scriptures in the Mysterious Continent and has become the Perfected of the Central Marchmount, governing the Nine Mysteries.

It also records that Fan Boci was a native of Guiyang. His family originally followed worldly ways, but he suddenly contracted a madness that lasted more than a year without cure. Hearing that the Daoist Shen's treatments were often effective, he hurried to seek help and was cured after fifty days. Later he entered Mount Tianmu and took sesame (huma). He devoted himself to cultivation for seventeen years, then took cinnabar, attained the Dao, and became the Perfected of Xuanyi (Mysterious Oneness).

Finally, it records that Xu Mi, courtesy name Sixuan, also named Xu Mu, was appointed Chief Secretary of the Army Protectorate by Emperor Jianwen of the Jin dynasty. Although he handled worldly affairs outwardly, he cultivated the true Dao inwardly, and he later became the Perfected of Shangqing (Highest Clarity).

Also, Zixu Yuanjun leads the Shangzhen Siming (Superior Perfected Office of Fate). Lady Wei of the Southern Marchmount, named Huacun, was a disciple of Yuqing Xu (Jade Clarity Void) and the teacher of Yang Siming (Office of Fate Yang). She was a native of Rencheng. Her father was Wei Shu, Minister of Works (Situ) of the Jin dynasty and Duke Wenkang. At the age of twenty-four she married Liu Youyan, a man from Nanyang, who had served in Xiuwu in Ji County. Lady Wei practiced purification and cultivation of the Dao, secluding herself behind closed doors for one hundred days.

On a midnight in the twelfth month, the Lord of the Azure Youth (Qingtong Jun), together with the Lord Wang and four Perfected (zhenren), descended to her and transmitted thirty-one scrolls of the Upper Classic (Shang Jing). Later, war broke out in Luoyang, and Lady Wei crossed the river to settle in Yuzhang. She then followed Yu Pu to Ancheng Commandery in Jiangzhou, where she made her home. When she was eighty-three, in the ninth year of the Xianhe reign of Emperor Cheng of the Jin (AD 334), Qingtong and Qingxu descended once more and transmitted to her the method of "sword liberation" (jian jie). She then feigned illness and passed away.

After her hidden transformation, she traveled to Mount Yangluo in a secret and marvelous procession. On the following day, forty-seven Perfected (zhenren, high adepts who had attained the Dao) descended and transmitted the Daofa (methods of the Dao). After sixteen years of cultivation, the Queen Mother of the West and the Southern Pole of the Golden Gate Heaven descended together to welcome the Lady, and they proceeded north to the foot of the Jade Gate of the Shangqing Palace.

There she received the ritual objects (fawu), including the Divine Phoenix and Dragon-Pattern Seal, the Tiger-Patterned Sash, the Cinnabar-Hued Flying Skirt, the Ten-Transcendence Banner, the Flowing-Gold Fire Bell, the Nine-Canopy Lingzhi Cakes, the Nine-Colored Tallies, the Twin Pearls of Moonlight, the Divine Tiger Talisman, and the Brocade Retinue Tiger Standard. She was also granted attendants and carriages: the Xihua Jade Maidens, the Eight-Vista Flying Palanquin, and the Nine Dragons of the Dark Radiance. She further received from the Great Emperor of Fusang the Jade-Cut Golden Script bell and other ritual objects, together with the same Xihua Jade Maidens, Eight-Vista Flying Palanquin, and Nine Dragons of the Dark Radiance as her retinue.

She then received from the Great Emperor of Fusang the Jade-Cut Golden Script and was enfeoffed as Lady Ziwu Yuanjun (Primordial Lady of Purple Void), assuming the office of Supreme Perfected Director of Life (Shangzhen Siming). In this role she governed the registers of life and death for those who cultivate the Dao, supervised and oversaw the Three Officials (sanguan), and examined transgressions and recorded merits. Afterward, she received from the Golden Gate Holy Lord the Qingqiong Board Cinnabar Register Script, was enfeoffed as Lady Nanfou, and was granted the Quchen Flying Canopy. She took up residence in the Dongtai (cavern terrace) of Mount Dahuo on Mount Tiantai.

In the lower world she instructed those who revered the Dao and transmitted the Daofa, so that those among them destined for immortality could attain it. She ascended to Yuqing twice a month, went to Taisu three times, and paid homage to Yuchen four times a month. She feasted at Fusang and, with reverent petition, summoned the Perfected Immortals, oversaw the registers of the immortals, compiled documents to report to the Nine Heavens, assisted the mandate of Donghua, aided Dichen, flew swiftly to Taixia, and traveled alongside the Nine Voids. In the Xingning era she descended to the dwelling of Yang Jun. She also transmitted the Upper Scripture to Xu Yuan, and from then on she often descended to the human realm. The Lord of Yuqing Void commanded her disciple Fan Miao to compose the Inner Biography, so that these events might be transmitted to the world.

It is said that she is the Lord of Ziqing (Purple Clarity). She also transmitted the Upper Scripture to Xu Yuan, after which she frequently descended. The disciple Fan Miao, commanded by the Lord of Yuqing Void, composed the Inner Biography so that it would be passed down.

Lady Jiuhua Anzhen of the Upper Palace of Purple Clarity (Zijing Shanggong) was about thirteen or fourteen years old in the third year of the Xingning era of the Jin (365 CE). She wore a cloud-brocade skirt, with a cinnabar-red upper garment and a blue-green lower one, and a silk-embroidered sash at the waist. The sash on her right side hung with more than ten small blue bells mixed with yellow ones. On her left she wore jade ornaments, gold rings on her fingers, and white pearls wound around her arms. She wore her hair coiled into a topknot on her crown, and the rest fell to her waist.

Behind her, a maidservant in vermilion robes, wearing a blue-green seal, carried a box a little over a foot long that held books. There were more than ten scrolls, enclosed in a sleeve of white jade, and the seal was inscribed with the words "Inner Perfected Scripture of the Purple Origin Elixir Seals of the Jade Clarity Divine Void" (Yuqing shenxu neizhen ziyuan danzhang). Another maidservant, dressed in red, carried a white jade chest bound with deep crimson cords. Both maidservants appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old. From that time on, Lady Jiuhua Anzhen descended many times, transmitting scriptures and also composing poetry.

The Biography of the Perfected (Zhenren zhuan) records that Ma Mingsheng was a native of Linzi in the state of Qi. His original surname was Bo, his given name He, and his courtesy name Junxian. While serving as a county clerk, he was wounded while apprehending bandits, and there he met Taizhen Yuanjun. She gave him medicine to take, and his wound healed. He followed her to the Stone Chamber of Mount Tai, where there were golden beds and jade tables, furnished with rare and splendid objects that are seldom seen in the mortal world. He served Taizhen Yuanjun with great diligence, and she therefore transmitted to him the methods of longevity, saying: "What I have received and practiced is the body of the Taihe Natural Dragon Embryo. It is suited only for transmission to Perfected of the Three Heavens (Santian zhenren), and cannot be used to teach beginners." Later, Ma Mingsheng followed Master Anqi, took medicinal substances, and ascended to immortality, becoming a Perfected.

Perfected Pei had thirty-four disciples. Eighteen of them studied the Way of the Perfected, and the rest studied the Way of becoming immortal.

End of the third part of the Dao section.

Part Four of the Dao Section: Celestial Immortals (Tianxian)

The Chapter on Celestial Immortals (Tianxian pin) says: Those who can fly among the clouds, transform in wondrous ways, and rise lightly into the heights are called Celestial Immortals, and are also known as Flying Immortals (feixian).

The Scripture of the Precepts of the Divine Immortals and Assembled Perfected (Shenxian zhongzhen jiejing) says: Mount Da Fangzhu lies east of Kuaiji, and on the mountain stand the palaces where Celestial Immortals dwell, their ridgepoles adorned with gold, jade, and other precious materials.

The Shenxian Zhongzhen Jie Jing (Scripture of the Precepts of the Immortals and Perfected) says: The Great Fangzhu Mountain lies east of Kuaiji, and on the mountain stand the palace halls of the heavenly immortals, their roofs and buildings adorned and constructed with gold, jade, and other precious materials.

The Jin Gen Jing (Scripture of the Golden Root) says: Above the celestial gates rise many-storied pavilions and jade terraces, where the host of immortals come and go.

The Yuqing Ke Shi Yin Ming (Hidden Inscription Carved in Stone of the Jade Clarity) says: One who wears the hidden writing of the Jade Emperor, the concealed talismanic script or inscription, will become a Superior Immortal (shang xian).

The Jie Wen Jing (Scripture of Precepts) says: To the northwest of the heavens lies the Immortals' Hall. The immortals are arranged according to rank in their offices, and their names are registered in the immortal archives of the Nine Palaces and the Five Dippers. Above the Middle Heaven are five divisions (east, west, south, north, and center), and each has a stone city corresponding to its direction. The offices of the hundred officials in each place are arranged according to the sequence of the constellations.

The Hou Sheng Lie Ji (Later Sage's Record of Lineages) says: Whoever has their name recorded in the Mysterious Jade Register (xuan yu lu ce), the immortal roll kept in the Dipper, is a Superior Immortal.

The Deng Zhen Yin Jue (Secret Instructions on Ascending to Perfection) says: The Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Daoist term for the three realms of pure clarity, and the Nine Palaces each have subordinate officials, and positions on the left are generally higher in rank than those on the right. The highest title is collectively called Daojun (Lord of the Way), followed by Zhenren (Perfected Person), Zhengong (Perfected Duke), and Zhenqing (Perfected Minister). Among them are lower titles such as Yushi (Imperial Censor) and Yulang (Jade Gentleman), and the varieties of office are very numerous. Female immortals are called Yuanjun (Primordial Lady) or Furen (Lady), and the rank of an immortal's lady is equal to that of an immortal duke. The title of Furen also varies according to the immortal's rank and whether the holder is male or female. Immortals generally name their offices after the regions they govern, and these offices are divided into left and right posts. Any post titled Taishang (Most High) is the most honored position within a palace. In addition, there are titles such as Right Immortal Duke of Taiqing (Taiqing Right Xian Gong), Left Immortal Duke of Penglai (Penglai Left Xian Gong), Taiji Immortal Marquis (Taiji Xian Hou), as well as Zhenbo (Perfected Elder), Xianjian (Immortal Overseer), Xianlang (Immortal Gentleman), and Xianbin (Immortal Guest).

The Huangmin Pulu (Record of the Imperial Subjects) says: Since heaven, earth, the sun, moon, and stars first appeared, countless jie (kalpas, the vast cycles through which heaven and earth repeatedly form and perish) have passed, too many to count. By the time of Tang Yao, the kalpa reached a turning point called the xiao jie (minor kalpa). In the Jiashen year following a Dinghai year, the qi of yin and yang passed through the alternating changes of the yangjiu bailiu (the "Yang Nine, Bai Liu" cycle of disasters). Beginning in the Renchen year, the kalpa cycle revolved nine times. In the Gengzi year, a red star appeared in the east, and a white comet appeared in the dim region traversed by the moon. After Tang Yao, forty-six Dinghai years passed, forming one minor kalpa. In the Zhou dynasty, fifty-five more Dinghai years passed, and by the Renchen and Guisi years there was a da jie (great kalpa). At that time, heaven and earth return to dark, undifferentiated unity, and the two qi of yin and yang wax and wane. When the fortune of the age reaches the end of the kalpa, there begins a transition into a new rank of immortals (xian jie, the stages of immortal attainment).

The Jingen Xia Jing (Lower Scripture of the Golden Root) says: There is a register that records the promotions and demotions of those who study to become immortals, used in the ritual sacrifices (dian si) offered to Yuchen, the Jade Dawn.

The Jixian Lu (Register of Gathered Immortals) says: In the Eastern Han, Princess Nanyang married Wang Xian, the Commandant of Equipage (fuma dudu). The princess had always venerated the supreme Dao. At the end of the Han, when the realm fell into turmoil, she said to Wang Xian: "If you simply withdraw from worldly rank and from the registers, and serve in the sacrifices to Yuchen, the Jade Dawn, you will preserve yourself and surely extend your years. If instead you mediocrely drift with the currents, advancing and retreating with the world, you will likely suffer the miseries of scattering and the troubles of being driven about." Wang Xian, greedy for worldly profit, did not heed her. The princess then entered Huayin Mountain and secluded herself, never to return. Wang Xian went into the mountains to search for her but could not find her. Suddenly, on a ridge, he saw a pair of vermilion shoes. When he went forward to take them, the shoes turned to stone. People therefore named that mountain "Princess Peak."

The Jixian Lu also says: Zhang Zhengli studied the Way on Mount Heng in the late Han. He took huangjing (Solomon's seal, an herb widely used in Daoist longevity practice) and received the hongjing dan (rainbow-radiance elixir) transmitted by the Lord of the Western City. Troubled by the difficulty of obtaining the medicinal materials, he went to Guangzhou and became a Daoist priest. Later he obtained the neiwai dongche sha (inner and outer penetrating cinnabar sands) and also cultivated the method of shouyi (guarding the One, concentrating the spirit to hold fast the innate qi within the body). In the end, he ascended to immortality and departed.

The Zhenqing records that Zhang Zhen was a native of Nanjun. In his youth he studied the classics, and he lived during the reign of King You of the Zhou dynasty. He often sighed, "As a person lives in this world, each day that passes takes away a day of life, and takes one further from the day of birth." He therefore wrote more than a hundred Daoist texts. He was well versed in the Five Phases (wuxing), the theory that explains the transformations of things through Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. He elucidated its subtle principles with the aim of nourishing body and mind and curing illness. Later he entered Mount Kongtong and ascended to immortality.

The text also records that Wang Yuan, courtesy name Fangping, was a native of Donghai. He was recommended as a xiaolian (a Han-dynasty method of recommending officials for their filial piety and integrity) and was appointed Gentleman of the Palace. He was repeatedly promoted, eventually reaching the rank of Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. He had broad learning, and he was especially skilled in astronomy, tuchen (prophetic texts and diagrams that foretell fortune and misfortune), and the learning of the Hetu and Luoshu (the arts of numerology associated with the River Chart and the Luo Writing). He could foresee the turning points of the rise and decline of the realm.

After Emperor Huan of the Han ascended the throne, he heard that Wang Yuan possessed the power of foresight. He issued repeated edicts summoning Wang, but Wang would not take office. When officials of the commandery and kingdom forcibly escorted him to the capital, he merely lowered his head and kept his mouth shut, without speaking a word. After the emperor issued his command, Wang wrote more than four hundred characters on the palace gate, all of them prophecies of things to come. The emperor disliked him and sent him back to his home district. Chen Dan, a former Grand Commandant from the same commandery, built a Daoist chamber for Wang Yuan and attended him morning and evening every day. Wang lived in Chen Dan's home for more than forty years. Later he told Chen Dan, "I must leave. I will depart tomorrow at noon." At noon the following day, Wang Yuan indeed died. Chen Dan understood that he had ascended to immortality and departed, and said, "The master has left me behind and gone."

The text also records that Yan Qing was a native of Kuaiji, a man of poor means who often made charcoal in the mountains. One day a man suddenly came and conversed with him, and Yan did not realize that the visitor was an extraordinary being. At parting, the man handed Yan a scroll and said, "You have the destiny for long life, which is why I have come to meet you. I entrust this scroll to you. It should be kept in a clean vessel and placed on a high shelf." After receiving the scroll, Yan learned the arts it contained. He later entered Mount Huo and ascended to immortality.

The text further records that Zhang Ling, courtesy name Fuhan, was a native of Fengxian in Peikuo. He was originally a scholar well versed in Confucianism, but in his later years he turned to the study of the way of longevity and obtained the Jiuding Danjing (Classic of the Nine Tripods Elixir), a Daoist text describing the arts of alchemy. Hearing that Shu possessed many famous mountains, he entered Mount Wuhu and wrote more than twenty Daoist texts. He later ascended to immortality and departed.

Also recorded: Zhao Guangxin was a native of Yangcheng who came to Jiangnan at the end of the Wei dynasty and entered the Xiaobai Mountain in Shan County to cultivate the Way (dao). From Zuo Ci he learned the "Mysterious Way within the Mystery" (xuanzhong zhi dao, a Daoist cultivation method) and the "Method of Penetrating Sight" (chesha fa, a legendary technique for seeing distant or hidden things). Many years later he travelled throughout the land, sometimes selling medicines, and no one knew where he had come from. He often went to the capital to buy cinnabar, refined the Nine Florescence Elixir (Jiuhua Dan), and eventually ascended to immortality and departed.

Also recorded: Guo Jingshi cultivated the Way in his early years of the Jin dynasty at Mount Ji in Lujiang. He received oral formulas transmitted by Meng Deran and also took the Hu Ma Mysterious Elixir (Huma Xuan Dan, an elixir refined from sesame and similar materials). He later ascended to immortality and departed.

Also recorded: Zhao Bowei was a native of Dongjun. In his youth he studied the Way under Master Zhang of Danying, and in his later years, at the Central Peak, he received the Jade Pendant and Golden Tab Scripture (Yupei Jindang Jing, a Daoist cultivation classic). Having achieved success in cultivation, he ascended to immortality, took charge of the registers of the immortals, and recorded those who cultivated the Way.

Also recorded: Li Fanghui lived during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin dynasty. He studied the Way on Mount Hua and received the Jade Pendant and Golden Tab Scripture. Having achieved success in cultivation, he ascended to immortality, took charge of the registers of the immortals, and recorded those who cultivated the Way.

Also recorded: Li Fanghui lived during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin dynasty. He studied the Way on Mount Hua and learned from Guan Chengzi the methods of steaming elixirs and subsisting on woody herbs (zheng dan, er mu zhi fa, the steaming of elixirs and the ingestion of wood-type medicinals). He also learned from Zhou Shouling of Sumen the Dan Xia method of elixir cultivation. For fifty years he kept a clear mind, shunned desires, and contemplated the inner world. He later ascended to immortality and departed.

Also recorded: Li Xiu authored a work of forty chapters titled Dao Yuan (The Source of the Way). In it he says: "Softness and weakness can subdue hardness and rigidity; yin-yielding can shelter yang-firmness. Constantly live as though standing at the edge of an abyss and treading on danger, as though driving a galloping horse or riding a rotting carriage: this is the Way of longevity." He lived to four hundred years of age without his appearance aging, and later ascended to immortality and departed.

Liu Xiang's Biographies of Immortals (Liexian Zhuan) records: Ma Shihuang was the horse physician of the Yellow Emperor. Later he often fell ill, and a dragon emerged from the water to treat him. One day he suddenly ascended to immortality and departed.

Also recorded: Wang Ziqiao was Crown Prince Jin of King Ling of Zhou. He was fond of playing the sheng (reed pipe), producing sounds like the call of a phoenix. Fuqiu Gong took him up to Mount Song, and after more than thirty years he ascended to immortality and departed.

Ge Hong's Shenxian zhuan (Biographies of Divine Immortals) records that Su Xiangong, whose personal name was Lin and whose courtesy name was Zixuan, lived in Qushui of Puyang during the reign of King Wu of Zhou. Orphaned in his youth, he was known for his benevolence and filial devotion. His family was poor, and he often worked herding cattle for others. After attaining the Dao (the Way), he once heard that his mother wished to eat fresh fish. He placed a ladle into a vessel, took money, and left the house, and soon returned with fresh fish. His mother said, "The nearest county town has fish sellers, but it is more than a hundred li away. Are you deceiving me?" Su Xiangong knelt and replied, "I am not lying." The next day, his maternal uncle came to the house and said that he had seen Su Xiangong buying fresh fish at the market in Bian County the previous day. Only then did his mother marvel at his spirit-like powers.

Later, Su Xiangong departed the human world and ascended to immortality. A white crane alighted on the northeast tower of the commandery seat and scratched characters into the floorboards with its claws, resembling lacquer writing: "The city walls remain as before, but the people are no more." Even today, Su Xiangong's old residence still stands, and the story of Ding Lingwei is similar to this one.

The Shenxian zhuan also records that Shen Wentai, a man from Jiuyi, mastered the Hongquan Divine Elixir method (Hongquan shendan fa) and the Dao of the "Talisman for Removing Earth and Returning Years" (qu tu fu huan nian). After taking the elixir, he achieved remarkable effects. "Earth talismans" (tu fu) refers to the stagnant impurities within the body that must be eliminated in certain cultivation methods, while "returning years" (huan nian) means restoring the body to youthfulness. Shen Wentai intended to journey to Mount Kunlun and remained there cultivating for many years. Later he transmitted this method to Li Wenyuan and said, "If one does not remove the earth talismans, taking elixirs and cultivating the Dao will be of no benefit." Li Wenyuan accepted his secret method and, in time, also ascended to immortality. The bamboo-root juice elixir method and the technique of the Yellow Spirit (Huangshen) for expelling the Three Corpses (san shi) that circulate today are said to be related to this tradition. The "Three Corpses" are spirits that, in Daoist belief, dwell within the human body and obstruct cultivation.

The Shenxian zhuan further records that Shen Xi was a native of Wu Commandery who studied the Dao in the Shu region. He could heal illnesses, rescue people, and extend his kindness widely. Later he encountered a man wearing feathered robes and holding a tally of office, who gave him a jade tablet inscribed with writing and a blue-jade cinnabar document. Shen Xi could not understand them. After a moment, a thick fog rose, and when it cleared, the man had vanished. Shen Xi returned home, and he too eventually ascended to immortality.

It is further recorded that Chen Anshi was a native of Jingzhao, and once worked for Guan Shuben. He was naturally kind, generous, and compassionate. Guan Shuben was fond of cultivating the Dao, and two Daoist adepts disguised themselves as scholars and came to associate with him, using this pretext to observe and test him. Guan Shuben did not realize they were extraordinary beings, and as time passed he gradually grew less attentive to them. The scholars then asked Chen Anshi, "Are you fond of cultivating the Dao?" Chen replied, "I have had no opportunity to learn of it." The scholar said, "If you sincerely seek the Way, meet us early tomorrow morning beneath the large tree by the road." Chen Anshi went there early, as instructed, but saw no one, and thought, "Are these scholars deceiving me?" Three times in succession he arrived early. On the third occasion, the scholar handed Chen Anshi a medicine, and afterward attained immortality (xian) and departed.

Hao Mu was a native of Chang'an. In his youth he served as a county clerk in charge of administrative affairs, but he acted selfishly, bent the law, and seized property from the common people. After the people denounced him, Hao Mu fled into the mountains. Hungry for several days, he came to a stone chamber, where he met Master Sun. Master Sun had him learn to cultivate millet and sesame, and assigned him to sweep and perform menial chores, after which he sent him away.

Another account also states that Hao Mu, while a county clerk in his youth, was denounced for bending the law and seizing property from the people, and fled into the mountains. After many days of hunger, he came to a stone chamber and met Master Sun. Master Sun had him learn to grow millet and sesame, and arranged for him to sweep and do menial work. After four years had passed, Master Sun finally transmitted the methods of the Dao to him. Later Hao Mu took elixirs and attained immortality, departing the world.

Dong Weinian's place of origin is unknown. In the final years of Emperor Wu of the Jin dynasty, he lived in the Baishe district of Luoyang. He slept on bare earth, wore tattered clothing, and often swallowed a pebble, going an entire day without eating. At times he went to the markets to beg or to work for hire. When people came to visit him, he would not speak with them. Occasionally he wrote poems, and afterward he vanished without a trace.

Xiao Shi lived in the time of Duke Mu of Qin and was skilled at playing the xiao, a vertical bamboo flute; he could attract peacocks and white magpies with his playing. Duke Mu's daughter, Nongyu, loved him, so Duke Mu gave her to him in marriage. Xiao Shi taught Nongyu to play the flute, and she produced sounds like the cry of a phoenix. After more than ten years, phoenixes came to alight and roost. Duke Mu built a Phoenix Terrace for the couple, where they lived together. Several years later they attained immortality and departed. Therefore the people of Qin built a Phoenix Maiden Shrine for Nongyu in the Yong palace, and the sound of Xiao Shi's flute continued to be passed down in the world.

It is further recorded that Heshanggong (a figure of Daoist legend) was a man whose name no one knew. In the reign of Emperor Jing of the Han dynasty, he built a thatched hermitage by the river and lived there.

It is also said that Heshang Gong (a legendary recluse who lived by a river) had a name that no one knew. During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, he built a thatched hut by the river and lived there. Emperor Jing read the Laozi and admired its teachings, but found some passages unclear. Hearing that Heshang Gong was well versed in the text, the emperor went to ask him for guidance. Heshang Gong took out two rolls of plain writing on white silk and handed them to the emperor, saying, "Reading this book will resolve your doubts, but do not show it to unsuitable people." Later, Heshang Gong ascended to immortality and departed.

It is also said that Huang Ziyang understood the Dao of longevity (changsheng zhi dao) in his youth. He lived in seclusion on Mount Boluo for more than ninety years, eating only peaches and drinking water from mountain springs. Later he met Sima Jizhu, who transmitted to him the Eight Methods for Guiding Immortality (daoxian bafang), which were practices of guided breathing and movement and techniques for seeking immortality. He then transcended the mundane world and departed as an immortal.

It is also said that Wang Sheng was a native of Yangcheng and lived in Hu Valley, unaware of the passing of years in the human world. Emperor Wu of Han climbed Mount Hao, accompanied by Dongfang Shuo and others, when he suddenly saw a divine being more than ten feet tall. The emperor bowed to him and asked about his purpose. The divine being replied, "I am a man of Mount Jiuyi. I have heard that the Central Peak bears a kind of stone calamus (shichangpu) with nine nodes per inch, and that eating it grants longevity, so I have come to gather it." After speaking, the divine being suddenly vanished. The emperor then gathered the plant and took it. Because his constitution ran hot, he often felt agitated and uncomfortable, but his attendant officials also took it and were able to extend their years. Wang Sheng, hearing that the divine being had taught people to consume stone calamus, gathered and ate it. He later ascended to immortality and departed.

It is also said that Liu Gen, courtesy name Junan, was a native of Chang'an in Jingzhao. In his youth he mastered the Five Classics (Wu Jing), and he lived during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han. He entered a stone chamber in the steep reaches of Mount Song to cultivate himself. He once said, "The superior medicines are the Nine-Cycle Returning Elixir (jiuzhuan huandan) and the Taiyi Golden Fluid (Taiyi jinye). Next are substances such as mica and realgar, which can also prolong life. After these are herbal medicines, which can cure illness and augment vital qi (yuanqi). Taking superior medicines can extend one's life to several hundred years, while inferior medicines can only preserve one's innate endowment. If you truly wish to live long, you must first settle your mind and rid yourself of cravings and desires. Only after that may the Divine Formula of the Five-Colored Scroll (Wuse pian) be transmitted." Later, Liu Gen entered Mount Jitou and ascended to immortality, departing.

Yin Changsheng (Yin Changsheng) was a native of Xinye, and he belonged to the clan of the Eastern Han empress Yin. In his youth he lived in comfort but did not covet glory or profit. When he heard that Ma Mingsheng (Ma Mingsheng) had mastered the arts of long life and transcendence, he searched everywhere for him. When he finally found Ma, he served him with the courtesy due a driver and attendant, and for more than ten years he never grew lax. Ma said, "You have truly attained the Dao." He then took Yin into Mount Qingcheng (Qingcheng Shan) and transmitted to him the Taiqing Shendan Jing (Scripture of the Divine Elixirs of Supreme Purity), a classic describing the refinement of divine elixirs. Ma then took his leave, and Yin later departed to become an immortal on Mount Pingdu (Pingdu Shan).

The Fengsutong (Comprehensive Meanings of Customs) records that in the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, Wang Qiao (Wang Qiao) served as magistrate of Ye County. On the first day of each month he would go to the court for audience. The emperor noticed that he arrived without carriage or horses, so he secretly ordered the Grand Historian to observe him. The Grand Historian reported that whenever Wang Qiao was about to arrive, two birds would often fly in from the southeast. The emperor then had men wait for them, and discovered that the birds were actually wild ducks. They set a net and caught one, and what they obtained was a shoe. When the Shangfang (Shangfang), the office in charge of making and managing palace implements, examined it, they confirmed that it was a shoe bestowed four years earlier on a Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat. Each time Wang Qiao entered the court, the drum at the Ye County yamen would sound of its own accord, and the sound would carry to the capital. Later, a jade coffin descended from the heavens and landed before the county office. Wang Qiao said, "The Heavenly Emperor has summoned me." He bathed, lay down in the coffin, and the lid closed by itself. The people buried him east of the city, and the earth piled itself into a mound. The common folk built a shrine for him, called the Shrine of Lord Ye (Yejun ci).

The Sandong Zhunang (Pearl Pouch of the Three Caverns) records that Hu Gong, whose personal name was Xie Yuan, was a native of Liyang. He sold medicines in the marketplace. His prices never varied arbitrarily, and his remedies always proved effective. He would tell his patients, "When you take this medicine, you will certainly vomit something; on a certain day your illness will be cured." Nothing he predicted failed to come true. Each day he earned tens of thousands of coins, yet he gave the money away to the poor, the hungry, and the cold among the people of the market. When Fei Changfang (Fei Changfang) served as market overseer, he recognized that Hu Gong was no ordinary man. Later Fei visited Hu Gong, and Hu took him away from the world, transmitted to him the arts of healing, and then sent him home. Afterward Hu Gong departed to become an immortal. Dai Gongbo (Dai Gongbo), who kept more than ten scrolls of the Taiwei Huangshu (Yellow Book of the Greater Subtlety), a Daoist scripture, was Hu Gong's teacher.

It is also said that Le Zichang (Le Zichang) was a native of the state of Qi. In his youth he was fond of the arts of the Dao, and he came to Huolin Mountain (Huolin Shan), where he took jusheng (jusheng, a plant of the sesame kind) as a regimen.

Le Zichang (Yuezichang) was a native of Qi. He cultivated the Way from his youth and later came to Mount Huolin, where he took the Juseng Chisong San (Giant Victory and Red Pine Powder), a legendary elixir, and afterward departed the world to become an immortal.

Wei Shuqing (Wei Shuqing, Wei Shuqing) was a native of Zhongshan, who cultivated the Way by ingesting mica. When his son Dusheng went into the mountains to visit him, Shuqing told him: "Beneath the great pillar in the pond to the northwest of my study, there is a jade case containing books. Take them out and practice and take the medicines according to the methods they describe." Upon returning home, Dusheng did indeed find the jade case. He ingested the five-colored mica and in time departed to become an immortal.

Wei Boyang (Wei Boyang) was a native of Haodi, who loved the Way and had no desire to hold office, guarding his aspirations and cultivating his character. Later he entered the mountains, ingested the divine elixir, and departed to become an immortal. He wrote the Cantong Qi (Cantong Qi, Kinship of the Three), which uses the hexagrams, lines, and symbolic numbers of the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) to explain the principles of alchemy. Because people did not understand the art of the divine elixir, most annotated the book through the principles of Yin-Yang, and so it strayed from its original purpose.

Yin Gui, courtesy name Gongdu, was a native of Taiyuan. He was skilled in cursive calligraphy and only began to study the Way in his later years, regularly taking Huangjing (Solomon's Seal), a nourishing herb commonly used in Daoism. He lived to over one hundred years old, and when he spoke of the rise and fall, safety and danger, and fortune and misfortune of the realm, nothing he said failed to come true. Later he entered Mount Taihe and departed to become an immortal.

Dongguo Yannian was a native of Shanyang. He ingested the Lingfei San (Spirit-Flying Powder), a legendary elixir, and could write characters in a dark room at night; his body also gave off light that illuminated small objects at a distance, and even their colors could be clearly seen. One day, several dozen people riding tigers and leopards came to greet him, and Yannian went to Mount Kunlun and departed to become an immortal.

Wang Zhen was a native of Shangdang, and he began to study the Way at the age of seventy-nine. He walked slowly, yet could move as swiftly as flying, and his strength surpassed that of ordinary people. You Yuanjie served him for more than ten years, and Wang Zhen transmitted to him the method of steaming the elixir and taking small morsels (a method of refining elixirs and taking them in small doses), so that his face never showed signs of aging. Villagers reckoned Wang Zhen's age and concluded that he was over four hundred years old. Later he ascended Mount Nüji and departed to become an immortal.

Ping Zhongjie was a native of Hedong. When the Jie barbarians of the Jin dynasty rose in rebellion and warfare was turbulent, he retreated to live in seclusion on Mount Cangwu, where he followed Lord Song to learn the method of preserving the heart-mind (a cultivation practice centered on quieting the mind and guarding the intention). He practiced for forty-five years and lived to over one hundred. Later he ascended Mount Nüji and departed to become an immortal.

Pingzhong Zhong was a native of Hedong. When the Jie barbarians rebelled during the Jin dynasty and invaded the Central Plains, he retreated to Mount Cangwu and practiced the Way of Guarding the Mind (shouxin zhi dao), transmitted by Song Junzun. After forty-five years of focused cultivation without slackening, he gradually acquired true qi (zhenqi) and eventually ascended to immortality and departed.

Ge Xuan (Ge Xuan) was skilled in the arts of transformation but did not make good use of his own abilities. He first lived on Mount Changshan and later moved to Mount Gaizhu. He could also ride tigers and command ghosts and spirits, but he had not yet received a formal Daoist ecclesiastical office. He often kept company with Xie Zhijian, Huang Ziyang, and Guo Shengzi. Ge Xuan was the paternal-generation cousin of Ge Hong, author of the Baopuzi (Ge Hong's grandfather's cousin), and he was also the teacher of Zheng Siyuan. People of the time could not trace his whereabouts, and legend has it that an immortal from the Eastern Sea sent him a letter through an intermediary, addressing him as "Lord Immortal" (xian gong).

Lu Miaodian was a Daoist nun of Mount Jiuyi. She was naturally inclined toward cultivating the Way, and once said to her mother: "Though the methods for prolonging life have been transmitted, those who truly attain them are few. Joy, delight, grief, and sorrow wear away a person's life every single day. How much more so when the true nature is buried and mixed in with worldly desires?"

Later, a Daoist priest passed by her house and transmitted to her the Scripture of the Great Cavern Yellow Court (Dadong Huangting Jing), a Daoist scripture on cultivating perfection and nourishing nature. The priest warned her: "What is to be feared is that people do not know how to cultivate the Way; once they know, they do not practice it; once they practice, they cannot concentrate; and once they concentrate, they cannot sustain it. This will not only bring punishment from the Daoist precepts (xuanke), but also endless bitter retribution."

Miaodian followed his words and entered Mount Jiuyi to practice. She met with many trials of demonic obstruction, yet she remained steadfast and unshaken. On the mountain there is a stone basin whose spring water never runs out, and a large iron mortar of unknown origin. Today these objects still remain on the stone altar in the mountains, where one can still see clear immortal footprints and an ancient mirror. The ancient mirror is three chi wide, and there is also an ancient bell shaped like a crescent moon, kept in the Wuwei Temple. Lu Miaodian later ascended to immortality and departed.

Xie Ziran was a Daoist priestess from Guozhou, whose bearing and manner were lofty and extraordinary. She lived at the foot of Mount Dafang. On the summit stood an ancient image in the form of the Old Lord (Taishang Laojun). After Xie Ziran paid homage to it, she was unwilling to come down from the mountain, and her mother, indulging her wishes, moved to the summit. From then on, Xie Ziran regularly recited the Daodejing (Classic of the Dao and Its Power) and the Huangting Neijing (Inner Classic of the Yellow Court). At the Kaiyuan Monastery she received the Zixu Baochou (the Purple Void Precious Tally, a talisman tally or credential of faith transmitted within Daoism), and she lived on Mount Jinquan. On the mountain was a stone altar wreathed in mist, with dense groves of slender bamboo. She remained there for thirteen years, awake day and night. Later, marks suddenly appeared on her two knees, shaped like the small official seals of the human world, edged in red, bearing six archaic seal-script characters, and gathered together they were white as jade. Then, all at once, the Jinquan ritual site was enveloped in clouds, which spread along the whole length of the mountains and rivers for a long time, and she afterward ascended to immortality and departed.

The Stele Record of Jinquan records that in heaven there is a hall of white jade, whose walls list the names of high immortals and true immortals, much like a register of names inscribed on a wall in the human world. Beneath these names, written in cinnabar, were notes specifying the official posts each person would hold upon descending to the mortal realm. Xie Ziran also once wrote several lines on the east wall of her dwelling, all of which embody the intent of the Daodejing, and her authentic calligraphy survives to this day.

Wang Fengxian was the daughter of a family in Dangtu County, Xuanzhou. After attaining the Dao, she often spoke to people about the essentials of loyalty, filial piety, and uprightness, of incorruptibility and simplicity, and of cultivating the self while living in quiet concealment. For this reason, people from near and far revered her, and even when gold and jade were presented before her, she would not so much as glance at them. Later she entered Mount Dongting and passed away without illness. It is said that at that time auspicious signs appeared, including clouds, cranes, and rare fragrances, and she afterward ascended to immortality and departed.

Records of the Grand Historian states that the three immortal mountains of Penglai (Penglai), Fangzhang (Fangzhang), and Yingzhou (Yingzhou) lie in the midst of the Bohai Sea, not far from the human world, and that people sometimes reached them. The mountains hold immortals and spirit herbs, and the birds and beasts there are all white. Before one draws near, the three peaks appear from afar to float among the clouds.

The Secret Essentials Scripture (Miyao Jing) says that one who accumulates three hundred acts of merit may preserve his life, become an Earth Immortal (dixian), and dwell in the grottoes of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue). An Earth Immortal is an immortal who lives in the grottoes of famous mountains within the human realm.

The Master Who Embraces Simplicity (Baopuzi) records that Peng Zu (Peng Zu) said there are very many august divine officials in Heaven, that newly attained immortals hold lowly rank, and that they must serve more than one master, so that their toil only increases. For this reason he did not aspire to ascend to the heavenly realms and wished only to remain in the human world, living to the age of eight hundred. This passage appears twice in the original text.

The Record of Marvels (Shuyi Ji) records that on Mount Lu there are three stone bridges, each several dozen zhang long and less than a foot wide, with a bottomless abyss beneath them. In the Xiankang reign period of the Jin dynasty, Yu Liang (Yu Liang), Governor of Jiangzhou, invited Wu Meng (Wu Meng) to climb the mountain and tour it together with his disciples. As they crossed the stone bridges, they saw an old man seated beneath a cinnamon tree, catching sweet dew in a jade cup and then sharing it with Wu Meng and the disciples. Continuing onward, they came to a place with lofty terraces and spacious halls, decorated with gold and jade, and with vessels so strange that they could not recognize them. The old man told Wu Meng that this place always kept jade ointment on hand, available for enjoyment throughout the day.

The Biography of Lord Pei (Pei Jun Zhuan) says that the Western Mysterious Grotto-Abode (Xi Xuan Dongfu) extends for a thousand li in every direction. On the Western Mountain stand connected palaces, surrounded by nine tiers of golden walls, and a hidden path leads from them to the grotto-heavens (dongtian). The place is remote from the Mysterious Isle (Xuanzhou) and Mount Kunlun (Kunlun), and it is not a place that ordinary mortals can reach. Lord Pei and Lord Zhou (Zhou Jun) each dwell within it.

The Diagram of the Five Peaks (Wuyue Tu) says that the grotto-abode of Mount Qingcheng (Qingcheng Shan) extends for two thousand li and lies within the territory of Shu Commandery. The Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) once received as his teachers the Elders of the Five Peaks (Wuyue Zhangren). The Elders of the Five Peaks are the divine beings who govern the Five Sacred Peaks.

The Famous Mountains Record (Mingshan Ji) further says that Mount Qingcheng adjoins Mount Mangzhong (Mangzhong Shan) to the north and Mount Emei (Emei Shan) to the south, and that to the east it extends into regions that no mortal's footsteps can reach.

According to the Record of Famous Mountains (Mingshan Ji), the mountain adjoins Mount Bozhong to the north and Mount Emei to the south, extends east to Chengdu, and has the shape of a city. On the mountain is a red cliff where Zhang Tianshi (Celestial Master Zhang) cultivated his Daoist arts, and traces of his presence remain there to this day.

The Biography of Lady Wei (Wei Furen Zhuan) states that the Chicheng Danshan Cave (Red City Cinnabar Mountain Cave) has a circumference of three hundred li, and that within it stands the "Staff Roots of Sun and Moon" (Riyue Zhanggen). The light of the sun, moon, and stars can all shine into the cave. The Map of the Five Peaks (Wuyue Tu) says that this mountain lies on the Luo River in Kuaiji, and that to the northwest of the Luo River is Chicheng. According to the Biography of Lord Mao (Mao Jun Zhuan), the Director of Fates, Huolin Siming, dwells in the Jade Cavern Palace of Chicheng Danshan. In the Yongming reign of the Qi dynasty, a great flock of pigeons suddenly came from the northwest and settled along the Huomen Stream, filling the valley for several li and trampling and damaging much property. They appeared to have been frightened by something, and that evening they flew back northwest together. It is conjectured that these pigeons came from the Quan Lake of the Upper Capital of Chicheng.

The cave of Mount Luofu has a circumference of five hundred li, and the Declarations of the Perfected (Zhengao) calls it the "Tiered City" (Cengcheng). Ge Hong once made a long journey to Jiaozhou, and there he ultimately underwent jiehua, that is, he departed his body and entered a state of immortal transformation.

The Biography of Lord Mao says that the cave of Mount Jiuqu has a circumference of one hundred and fifty li, and that in the Qin dynasty it was called the "Altar of Jujin." After the Three Lords Mao attained the Dao during the Han dynasty, they came to this mountain, cultivated themselves, and governed its cavern heaven.

The Five Talismans (Wufu) states that Mount Linwu has a circumference of four hundred li, is also called Mount Bao, and lies within Lake Tai. Beneath the mountain is a cave that secretly connects with the Five Peaks, and it is called the "Separate Palace of the Heavenly Empress." After Yu the Great succeeded in controlling the floods, he hid the "Five Talismans" here. King Helü of Wu sent the Old Man of Longwei into the mountain, and what he obtained were these talismans.

The Declarations of the Perfected says that beneath Mount Bao there are stone chambers and silver rooms, extending a hundred li in every direction. It also says that white fungus (bai zhi) grows in the Hidden Spring, and that the water of this spring is purple.

The Declarations of the Perfected further states that the Chengyu Mountain cave has a circumference of three thousand li. In the Zhou dynasty, the Siming spirit (the Director of Fates) first dwelt on Mount Heng. The Jade Maiden of Taixuan told him that he should travel west to take Lord Wang as his teacher, and so he went there. The place they spoke of is this mountain.

The Daoist cosmology describes a network of sacred grottoes (dongtian) distributed across the lands the earth carries. Within the wide expanse on which the earth bears its weight, there are said to be thirty-six Grotto-Heavens (Dongtian). Among the eight seas and within their mountain ranges there are also grotto palaces. Some of these palaces are a thousand or five hundred li in circumference and do not belong to the thirty-six Grotto-Heavens. The Five Marchmounts (Wuyue) and other famous mountains likewise house grotto palaces, some thirty or twenty li across, inhabited by immortals; these too are not counted among the lesser heavens.

The Record of Famous Mountains (Mingshan Ji) states that the grotto of the Marchmount is a hundred li in circumference, lying between Mount Zhongnan and Mount Taiyi. It is sometimes called Guiyang Palace, and it is the site of many marvelous occurrences. The Grotto-Heaven of Mount Wangwu has a circumference of ten thousand li and is named "Xiaoyou Qingxu Heaven" (the Heaven of Lesser Possession and Pure Emptiness). According to the Inner Biography of Lord Wang (Wang Jun Neizhuan), it lies within Qinshui County of Henei Commandery and is the source of the Ji River. To its north stand the Taihang Mountains, and to its southeast the Beiyu Mountain and Mount Song. Within the grotto, the sun, moon, stars, clouds, vapors, plants, trees, and all living creatures are no different from those in the outer world. Palaces and towers shine upon one another, adorned with gold and jade. It is the dwelling of the Earth Immortals (Di Xian) and the residence of Lord Qingxu.

The Declarations of the Perfected (Zhen Gao) states that these grottoes are what are called the "Yangtai" (Sunlit Terraces), where those who have attained the Dao all go. Mount Weiyu lies in the sea and is the home of Sima Jizhu.

It is further said that the Grotto-Heaven of Mount Kuocang has a circumference of three hundred li. It is where the assistant spirits of the Eastern Marchmount dwell, lying southeast of Kuaiji, and it is a place visited by the various Emperors. The mountain abounds in wondrous phenomena and contains the Jinyun Hall. Its solitary peaks stand upright, its cliffs are steep and elegant, surpassing all other mountains. At the highest point of Mao Xuan Ridge within the mountain, the Director of Destiny (Siming Shen) buried six thousand jin of cinnabar, two zhang deep, and covered it with a flat stone. The springs on both sides of the mountain are slightly reddish, and drinking from them can prolong life. The stone of the Altar of the Celestial Emperor on Mount Mao lies exactly at the center of the Grotto-Heaven, above the Mysterious Window. In the past, the Azure Lad of the Eastern Sea (Dong Hai Qingtong Jun), riding the wind in a carriage to inspect the Grotto-Heavens, once came here.

The stone of Liu Xiang Altar lies directly at the center of the grotto-heaven (dongtian), above the Mysterious Window. In the past, the Lord Qingtong of the Eastern Sea, a perfected immortal of Daoist legend, traveled through the grotto-heavens in his wind-wheel carriage and once came here.

Liu Xiang's Biographies of Immortals (Liexian zhuan) records that Chisongzi (Red Pine Master) was a rain master in the age of Shennong and consumed water jade, a jade regarded as an elixir. He traveled to Mount Kunlun and often lived in the stone chamber of the Queen Mother of the West, rising and descending with the wind and rain, and later ascended and departed. The text also records that Woquan was an old herb-gatherer on Mount Huai who was fond of pine seeds. His body was covered in hair, his pupils were square, and he could fly.

Guangchengzi was an ancient immortal who lived in a stone chamber on Mount Kongtong. When the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) heard of him, he went to visit and asked about the essentials of cultivating the Dao. Guangchengzi replied: "You govern the world, yet the clouds disperse before they gather, and the grass and trees fall before they wither. This shows that the seasons are out of order. A person like this is not qualified to speak of the supreme Dao." The Yellow Emperor withdrew, quieted his mind for three days, and bowed again, facing the direction of the wind. Guangchengzi said: "The subtlety of the Ultimate Dao is profound and dark. Do not look, do not listen; concentrate the spirit and guard stillness, and the body will naturally be upright. The mind must be settled and clear. I am about to leave the gate of boundlessness and roam the realm without limit."

The text also records that Master Baishi was a disciple of Zhonghuang Daoren. He often boiled white stones as food, and so he lived on White Stone Mountain. He also ate dried meat, drank wine, and ate the five grains. He could walk three or four hundred li in a day, and his appearance never seemed to age. Huangshan Jun practiced the methods of nourishing life taught by Pengzu. Even at over one hundred years of age, he still looked youthful. After Pengzu departed, Huangshan Jun recounted Pengzu's words and compiled them into a scripture.

The Shangqing Liujia Jing (Scripture of the Six Jia of Highest Clarity) records that Song Xuande lived in the reign of King Xuan of Zhou. He received the Six Jia Numinous Flying Talismans (liujia lingfei fu), a set of fulu (talismans and registers) used in Daoist practice, and thereby attained the Way of the true numinous beings. He lived on Mount Song.