《净明忠孝全书》

People believe that the path to becoming an immortal means leaving the world behind and severing human ties. Can this view really be right? Master Liu Yuzhen of Xishan inherited the Pure Brightness path of the Immortal Elder of Jingyang, a path grounded in loyalty and filial piety: without loyalty, one cannot fulfill a subject’s duty; without filial piety, one cannot honor one’s parents. The so-called eight hundred immortals all cultivated in accordance with this path.

Alas, if a person is neither loyal nor filial, they are not even fit to be human, much less to become an immortal. If one can fulfill one’s duties of loyalty and filial piety, even the immortal path can be attained; how much more readily, then, can one become a good person? The ancients said, “If you wish to cultivate the path of immortality, first cultivate the way of being a good person.” If you cast aside this foundation, what could you rely on to cultivate the immortal path?

This preface was written by Zhang Gui, Grandee of Splendid Happiness, Duke of Cai, and Director of the Classics Lectures. “Pure Brightness” is a Daoist cultivation tradition centered on loyalty and filial piety; “Immortal Elder of Jingyang” refers to Xu Xun.

When I was serving at the Jixian Academy, a Daoist named Huang Zhonghuang from Hongdu brought me a book and asked me to write a preface. He said, “This was passed down by my teacher, Yuzhenzi. It contains the essential teachings of the Grand Historian of the Daoist Immortals on Pure Brightness, Loyalty, and Filial Piety. I humbly ask you to write a few words to help our tradition endure.”

The aim of this teaching is quite distinctive. Is it not close to what the Confucians call “making bright the bright De and cultivating heavenly rank”? A minister’s loyalty and a child’s filial devotion are innate moral knowledge shared by all since ancient times. They cannot be summed up in a few words, nor can they disappear, for the Five Constant Virtues—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness—are rooted in the human heart. Benevolence embraces the other four virtues and corresponds to spring, so practicing benevolence must take filial devotion as its foundation. The four seasons revolve between Heaven and Earth, while Earth flourishes in each season and corresponds to trustworthiness; therefore, practicing trustworthiness must center on loyalty. Seen in this light, does the key to upholding the Three Bonds and practicing the Five Constant Virtues not lie in loyalty and filial devotion?

Alas, the Way of Yao and Shun amounted to honoring one’s parents and loving one’s brothers; the Way of Confucius amounted to treating others with loyalty and extending to them what one would wish for oneself. From this we can see that the essentials of the Great Dao and highest De lie here. The Grand Historian of the Daoist Immortals lamented the state of society. People, he believed, prized empty talk of mysteries, contenting themselves with discussion and debate while failing to put their words into practice in daily life, and so they strayed ever farther from the Great Dao. He therefore drew on the ethical nature innate in human beings and opened a simple, practical path of cultivation, to educate the people and set customs right. These words may seem plain, but their meaning reaches far; they are truly valuable.

Earlier Confucian scholars used “sincerity” and “reverence” to explain the vastness and depth of Heaven and Earth. If even a single thought lacks sincerity, it cannot be called loyal; if even a single thought lacks reverence, it cannot be called filial. Those who study and wish to fulfill loyalty and filial devotion should begin by nurturing sincerity and maintaining reverence and care. This is the gateway to the Dao. They must keep these principles firmly in mind and put them diligently into practice, without relaxing for even a moment. When their work reaches maturity, selfish desires will be extinguished, the principles of Heaven will shine forth clearly, and the heart will become limpid and bright. Then they can gradually grasp the subtlety of deep cultivation, unite with Heaven and Earth, and communicate with the spirits. They will enter naturally into the profound depths of the Great Dao. What difficulty could there be in that?

The Daoists speak of refining the spirit and nourishing one’s nature. I have not yet attained these states, and so I especially value this teaching, which guides the people to practice loyalty and filial devotion. It truly accords with the balanced and harmonious Great Dao. For this reason, I have written a preface to this book.

Preface by Zhao Shiyan, Grand Master for Glorious Emoluments and Censor-in-Chief of the Jiangnan Circuit of the Censorate.

From ancient times, emperors who established systems of instruction have always made clarifying human relationships their foremost concern. In ties of blood, the foundation lies in the relationship between father and son, while brothers are also ordered by age. In bonds formed through moral duty, the relationship between ruler and minister is most important, while friendship and marriage each have their proper roles. Taken together, these human relationships are often summed up as “loyalty and filial devotion.”

In times of peace and stability, rulers fulfill their duties as rulers, ministers their duties as ministers, fathers their duties as fathers, and sons their duties as sons. When everyone fulfills their responsibilities and observes their ordinary duties, there is no need to single out particular people as loyal ministers or filial sons. Laozi said, “Only when family relationships are troubled do filial sons appear; only when the state is in disorder do loyal ministers appear.” Laozi lived at the end of the Zhou dynasty and saw with his own eyes the decay of human relationships and the decline of laws and instruction. As a result, he could find only one or two people of loyalty and filial devotion among the countless multitudes. His distress at the state of the world and its customs was surely no different from Confucius’s.

Yet Daoist learning is concerned not only with cultivating life but also with practices such as prayer and the warding off of calamities. People in the world, however, see it only as abstruse and empty, and assume it has nothing to do with society as it is. That is not the essence of Daoist teaching. In the summer of the third year of the Zhizhi era, a reclusive man of the Daoist path told me that in the Yuzhang region there had once lived an immortal named Xu Jingyang (Xu Xun, an immortal revered in Daoism), whose teachings also centered on loyalty and filial devotion. It is said that he was born during the Wu kingdom’s Chiwu era and died in the Jin dynasty’s Taikang era, at the age of 136. Could he have arrived at this teaching only after observing human feelings and discerning the changes in worldly affairs?

Daoist methods for cultivating life and warding off calamities have been passed down for nearly a thousand years, yet people have not understood their principles. I also heard from the Xishan Daoist Huang Zhonghuang accounts of the remarkable spiritual encounters between Lord Liu of Yuzhen and Xu Jingyang. I therefore took Confucian teachings as my foundation to clarify the moral principles behind Xu Jingyang’s teaching of loyalty and filial devotion, then drew on Daoist teachings to develop the argument and illuminate its mysterious aspect. Several years have passed since this book began circulating, yet people still have not grasped its purpose.

Looking back on the past and reflecting on the present, I feel deeply moved and cannot fully express my thoughts. Could the deeds of immortals and Daoists have been mere happenstance? Alas, the principles of Heaven and the moral duties of human relationships cannot be extinguished completely, even over thousands of years. If they were absent for even a moment, human society would come to an end. Could the learning of immortals possibly lie outside these principles? Understand this, and long life and enduring vision are found within it; the instruction of governing through Wuwei (non-action) is found within it too. Those who read well, take this to heart.

On the tenth day of the fourth month in the first year of the Taiding era, Yu Ji, Director of Studies at the Directorate of Education, respectfully wrote this.

Accounts of immortals have circulated since ancient times. The legends of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan ascending to Heaven at Ding Lake and King Mu of Zhou attending a banquet at the Jasper Pool are examples. In later ages, people also wrote books recounting ascensions, retreats from the world, and transformations; such figures did indeed exist in those times. Yu Ji, Director of Studies at the Directorate of Education, respectfully composed this piece.

Only the Immortal Xu, the Transcendent of the Capital, cultivated himself through loyalty and filial devotion, ultimately attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal. Even after his ascension, he devoted himself to saving the world. I once said that his achievements were no less than those of Yu the Great, for he did not concern himself solely with his own cultivation. When the time came at Longsha, perfected immortals appeared once more. The remarkable encounter with the Jade Perfected is recorded in the relevant books. I had heard of the orthodox lineage of the Central Yellow, but only now have I come to understand it.

The opening of the recorded sayings declares that Confucian scholars in the world often hear talk of loyalty and filial devotion, but here the emphasis is on truly putting them into practice: deceive nothing, and feel love for everyone. A single thought of deception is disloyal; a single thought of filial devotion can move Heaven. These principles are the fundamental guideposts of everyday human relationships and worldly instruction. Alas, those who cultivate the way beyond the world carefully observe their masters’ teachings without ever straying from them, passing them down from generation to generation and treasuring them like gold and jade. When these teachings on setting the heart right and cultivating oneself are embodied in practice, one feels with solemn reverence as though one’s teachers were present at one’s side. We who belong to the Confucian tradition should blush with shame and feel deeply humbled by this.

The Central Yellow is gentle in appearance and upright in heart; his words are forthright and his conduct proper. The Book of Changes says, “Yellow lower garments: supreme good fortune.” This is because patterned virtue is held within. It also says, “Yellow is central and penetrates what is right; one takes the proper position and rests in one’s place.” Perhaps the name Central Yellow derives from these words. Setting the heart right and cultivating oneself should be done in just this way. Put this principle into wider practice, and above, the lineage of loyalty and filial devotion transmitted by the Transcendent of the Capital may continue; below, it may teach the world and generations to come, so that all may become loyal ministers and dutiful children. Xu Jun’s master and teachings have contributed greatly to this. From this we can see that his lineage of instruction truly came from Yuzhang. How flourishing it is!

Inscribed by Teng Bin, Gentleman of Literary Excellence, Educational Commissioner for the Confucian Schools of Jiangxi and Other Regions, formerly Gentleman-in-Attendance for Hanlin Literary Texts, Associate Compiler of Imperial Edicts, and Compiler at the National History Institute.

All things in the cosmos depend on form and Qi (vital energy), and among them operates a constant principle: this is called “pattern” (li). Those endowed with clear, pure Qi and able to understand how things work can cultivate themselves while also benefiting the world through good deeds, and so become sages, divine beings, or people of supreme wisdom. Those who devote themselves solely to self-cultivation may become reclusive gentlemen or immortals who have attained the Dao (the Way). The opposite is true of those endowed with turbid Qi who do not understand how things work. Human character varies greatly, and people of supreme wisdom are rare. Xu Gong, the Perfected Immortal of Xishan in Hongdu, was such a person.

Xu Gong once served as magistrate of Jingyang County during the Jin dynasty, and the local people remembered his accomplishments. Later, having attained the Dao, he came to Jiangxi, where many who studied under him achieved success. For generations, people along the Western River have told of his deeds, including his slaying of a river-dragon spirit; to this day, they honor him as a deity and remember him with reverence. Clearly, he was not someone who cared only for his own spiritual perfection.

Daoism also speaks of “ascending in a whirlwind and raising the household”—legends of attaining immortality through cultivation, sometimes with one’s entire family ascending to Heaven. Scholar-officials often hesitate to judge whether such tales are true. Yet the Daoist teaching of genuine loyalty and filial devotion must never be denied. It is said that Xu Gong received instruction from the Lords of the Sun and Moon, and inherited the Way of loyalty and filial devotion from Madam Chen and Lord Lan. About twenty years ago, when Master Liu Yuzhen was living in seclusion on Xishan, he received this same teaching. His disciple Huang Yuanji gathered the instructions he had heard over the years into a book, which was printed and circulated.

In the Guihai year of the Zhizhi era, when Xun Shen was serving as an imperial historian, Huang Yuanji gave him the opportunity to read the book. He remarked with admiration: “If this book circulates among the people, and it can lead everyone to restrain anger, curb desire, understand how things work, and put these principles into practice through loyalty and filial devotion, then people may enter the realm of sages and worthies. How could this concern only recluses and immortals?”

The intent of Master Liu Yuzhen is the intent of Xu Gong, the Perfected Immortal; the intent of Xu Gong is the intent of Heaven and Earth. Those who share this purpose should not take the book lightly. If they study it deeply and reflect on it earnestly, perhaps they will grasp its meaning.

Respectfully inscribed by Zeng Xunshen of Luling, Serving in the Hanlin Academy as a Writer-in-Attendance, Gentleman for Service, Concurrently Assistant Draftsman of Edicts and Compiler in the Institute of National History.

The “Commentary on the Words” for the Kun Hexagram in the Book of Changes says, “A noble person—perhaps you are in accord with the principle within.” Respectfully inscribed by Zeng Xunshen of Luling, who served as a Hanlin academician responsible for literary works, an Attendant Gentleman, an Associate Compiler of Edicts, and a Compiler at the National History Institute.

The “Commentary on the Words” for the Kun Hexagram in the Book of Changes also says, “A noble person holds the virtue of centrality and correctness within and understands how things work.” Yellow is the color of the center. In explaining the Kun Hexagram, Confucius took centrality and correctness as fundamental. He believed that only by upholding them could one understand the principles between Heaven and Earth, from ancient times to the present—and that this principle of centrality and correctness must not be allowed to vanish.

Since the Spring and Autumn period, prevailing customs had been eroded and corrupted. People harmed and depleted one another, and the principle of centrality and correctness had grown almost indistinguishable in the gloom. In writing the “Commentary on the Words” for the Book of Changes, Confucius set forth the teaching of “yellow in the center, understanding the principles” in the hope of rescuing the customs of his declining age and guiding all under Heaven back to centrality and correctness. Did Confucius speak these words only because he had no choice? Had he been fortunate enough to live in the age of Yao and Shun, when the people lived in peace and prosperity and sang of good times, why would he have needed to reveal every secret of this principle?

In recent years, someone in Longsha, lamenting the state of the world and seeking to understand its principles, established an altar in a place of soaring phoenixes and stately cranes. The Celestial Immortal came in person, left an inscription at the altar, and gave a special exposition of the principle of “yellow in the center,” transmitting it to Master Yuzhen. The Celestial Immortal’s wish to save the world was the same as Confucius’s: that everyone be loyal and filial, impartial and upright, and fully put the principle of centrality and correctness into practice, so that the enlightened age might attain peace and prosperity.

When Master Zhonghuang Huang brought out the Sayings of Master Yuzhen, I began reading it at once. It first explains the principles of rectifying the heart and keeping one’s intentions sincere, and advocates upholding the bonds of social order and ethical relations. It also says, “True great loyalty means deceiving nothing at all; true great filial devotion means extending care to every part of oneself.” It further says, “All methods are empty; only sincerity is real.” These words show that Master Yuzhen truly grasped the Celestial Immortal’s teaching and used it to guide the people. This was not only the Celestial Immortal’s teaching, but Confucius’s as well—and, further, the principle of “concentrating on the essential and holding fast to the center” that had been upheld since the time of Yao and Shun.

Finally, the book also explains the Celestial Immortal’s Dao sword and iron pillar. These teachings are enough to dispel doubts passed down through the ages. Yet when the Celestial Immortal and Master Yuzhen illuminated these principles for one another, did they too reveal every secret only because they had no choice?

After reading the book through several times, I bowed respectfully, wrote this preface, and returned the book. Preface by Peng Ye, Assistant Gentleman and Professor of Confucian Learning for Jianchang Circuit.

In the fifth month of the summer calendar in the Guihai year, I traveled with my elder friend Sheng Qiming to the capital, to the eastern part of Chengqing Ward, and paid a visit to Master Zhonghuang. The hall was full of guests. Looking at me, the Master said, “I dreamed of you last night, and here you are today. It seems we were fated to meet long ago.” He then passed on to me the Book of Pure Brightness, Loyalty, and Filial Piety and the Recorded Sayings of the Jade Perfected. Before I had finished reading them, the many doubts I had long held in my heart melted away like ice and snow.

A few days later, the Master asked me, “What did you think of the Recorded Sayings?” I replied, “All teachings are empty; only sincerity is real. These principles say it all.” The Master nodded in agreement. After a long silence, he said, “Your natural endowment is very close to the Great Dao. You should spread our teachings; you must apply yourself.” He then brought out several passages from the Recorded Sayings and said, “These have not yet been printed. In the future, they should be printed together.”

In the spring of the Jiǎzǐ year of the Tàidìng era, I returned to the south. In the winter of the Yǐchǒu year, the Master passed away in the capital. In the autumn of the Bǐngyín year, I went to Yùlóng to pay my respects at the Master’s immortal tomb—a Daoist term for the grave of an immortal—and happened to meet his foremost disciple, my elder friend Chen Yunyin. In the Hall of Quiet Elegance, he brought out the Master’s handwritten works from his own collection, along with a compilation of the fine words the Master had spoken in response to questions and challenges over the years. I had heard all these words from the Master himself. His teachings, in truth, carried on the transmission of the Jade Perfected.

Later, at the Altar of Hidden Perfection, I obtained several passages from the Recorded Sayings of the Jade Perfected, preserved by Master Xiong Cangya. They were the very passages Master Zhonghuang had shown me before. I included them in another collection, and also printed and circulated the Yuan dynasty works Record of the Lingbao Altar, Teachings on the Dao, Teachings on the Dharma, and Loyalty and Filial Piety, among others. Together, these works are called the Complete Book of Pure Brightness, Loyalty, and Filial Piety.

Those who share these aims and read these books should carefully observe the precepts and never transgress them. They should honor the books as they would the gods, fear them as they would thunder, and put their teachings into practice. In this way, one can return from the acquired to the innate, and from what has a name to what is nameless. It is like the sun and moon turning from darkness to light, Heaven and Earth passing from night to dawn, or the seasons changing from winter to spring. Could the benefits be limited to riding a crane up to the Jade Palace, enjoying phoenix meat at the Jade Pool, and seeking perfection for oneself alone? These teachings will also spread the transformation of loyalty and filial piety throughout the four quarters, set ethical principles aright, make the Heavenly Principle shine forth, bring harmony to wind and rain, and spare the people from illness and calamity. Above, they can bring about an age of peace under the rule of a sage ruler and worthy ministers; below, they can allow even insects and plants to enter together into a realm of benevolence and long life. Is this not magnificent and flourishing?

On the first day of the twelfth month of the fourth year of the Tàidìng era, the Dīngmǎo year, which fell on the Yǐwèi day, the Pure Brightness Lingbao disciple devoted to loyalty and filial piety, the Daoist Danjiong, Xu Huiziqi of Luling, burned incense, bowed twice, and respectfully set this down.

The first fascicle of the Complete Book of Pure Brightness, Loyalty, and Filial Piety (Jingming Zhongxiao Quanshu) records the life of the Pure Brightness Daoist master, the Perfect Lord Xu of Jingyang.

The Perfect Lord’s surname was Xu, his given name Xun, and his courtesy name Jingzhi. His great-grandfather was named Yan, his grandfather Yu, and his father Su. For generations, his family had lived in Xuchang and was known for its high moral character and reluctance to enter official service. They were said to be descendants of You of Yingyang. At the end of the Han dynasty, Xu Xun’s father fled the turmoil and moved to Nanchang County in Yuzhang Commandery, where he later settled.

In the second year of the Chiwu era of the Wu kingdom (239 CE), Xu Xun’s mother dreamed that a golden phoenix carried a pearl in its beak and placed it in her hand. She then became pregnant and gave birth to Xu Xun. From childhood, he was bright and handsome, openhearted in temperament, and kind in his dealings with others.

Once, he went hunting with a group of people and shot a doe. After her fawn fell to the ground, the doe kept turning back to lick it, continuing until she herself died. Deeply moved, Xu Xun immediately broke his bow and arrows and threw them away, resolving to devote himself to study. He read widely in the classics and histories, and was also well versed in texts on astronomy, geography, the calendar, the Five Phases (Wuxing), and prognostication. He especially loved the arts of immortal cultivation and attained considerable skill in them.

Hearing that Wu Meng of Xi’an had received secret methods from the adept Ding Yi, Xu Xun went to study under him and learned those teachings. Later, he and Guo Pu traveled in search of famous mountains and places suited to living and cultivation. At last, they found the Jin family residence on Mount Xiaoyao and moved there. Xu Xun devoted himself to cultivation each day, seeking neither fame nor an official career. The people of the region were influenced by his filial devotion and kindness toward others, while his friends admired his virtue.

Once, someone brought an iron lamp stand to sell. Xu Xun noticed gold showing through where the lacquer had peeled away. On examining it, he found that it was indeed made of gold. The next day, he sought out the seller and returned it to him.

The court repeatedly bestowed honors on him and summoned him to serve in office. Unable to decline any longer, he became magistrate of Jingyang County in Shu in the first year of Taikang (the reign title of Emperor Wu of Jin, 280 CE), at the age of forty-two. At the start of his tenure, he admonished the officials, telling them to abandon greedy and base conduct and abolish cumbersome, excessively detailed regulations. He released prisoners and reasoned with the people one by one, teaching them loyalty and filial devotion, kindness and compassion, patience and caution, diligence and frugality. Officials and people alike were sincerely convinced, and together declared their willingness to mend their ways.

Earlier, famine had left the people unable to pay their taxes. The commandery and county authorities pursued payment under the law, driving many into exile. The Perfected Lord used divine elixir to transform rubble into gold, which he secretly buried in a plot of county land. He then registered the people who had not yet paid their taxes and sent them to work in the plot. While digging, they found the gold and used it to pay what they owed. The region was also struck by a severe epidemic, in which seven or eight out of every ten people died. The Perfected Lord treated the sick with divine prescriptions he had received in transmission. Wherever he applied talismans and spells, the patients quickly recovered; even the gravely ill could all be cured. Thousands of sick people from neighboring commanderies came each day seeking treatment. He therefore set up bamboo poles by the river ten li outside the city and placed talisman water—water ritually prepared with talismans for people to drink—beneath them. The sick drank it there, while those unable to go themselves took some home to drink. All recovered safely.

The people of Shu made up a song about him: “The people no longer steal; the officials no longer cheat and deceive. Our county magistrate has saved the people’s lives, and illness can no longer harm us.” The Perfected Lord knew that the Jin dynasty was about to fall into turmoil, so he resigned and returned east. Grateful for his kindness, the people brought provisions to see him off, filling the fields as far as the eye could see. Some accompanied him a thousand li before turning back; others followed him all the way to his home and wished to stay there in service, never to return. The Perfected Lord built a thatched hut on open ground east of his residence and lived there. Its surrounding structures enclosed the place like a military camp. Many people adopted his surname, and the area came to be called “Xu Family Camp.”

The Perfected Lord once visited Xinwu and rested in a grove of parasol trees. There were five young girls there…

The Perfected Lord once visited Xinwu and rested among the paulownia trees. Five young girls came to him, each carrying a treasured sword to offer. Recognizing them as sword immortals, he was astonished and accepted the swords. With their help, he gained the power of divine swords.

Later, at Huangtang Jing in Danyang County—a place for Daoist practice and the establishment of an altar—the Perfected Lord asked Mother Chen, a legendary female immortal, about the Dao. Mother Chen passed on to him the teachings of the King of Filial Piety that she had received, along with the bronze talisman and iron warrant of the King of Filial Piety and Fraternal Respect entrusted to her by Master Lan, and a precious scripture recording the methods of the Golden Elixir. She said to Lord Wu, “You once passed a divine formula to Lord Xu and became his teacher. Now, only Lord Xu can carry on the Way of the King of Filial Piety. You should therefore turn back and take him as your teacher.” The two lords politely declined, but privately agreed to visit Mother Chen every year. Sensing this, she said, “You must not come again. I am about to return to the celestial realm.” She took a stalk of fragrant grass, faced south, and tossed it away, saying, “When you return, find where the grass lands and build a shrine for me there. Coming once each autumn will be enough.” After they returned, the two searched south of their residence for the grass and found it had grown into a clump. They built a shrine there and also named it “Huangtang.”

After this, the Perfected Lord met the two sovereigns of the Sun and Moon and received from them the Way of Pure Brightness, the Numinous Treasure, Loyalty, and Filial Piety.

Once, the Perfected Lord passed through Huangtang and saw villagers slaughtering livestock to make offerings to the gods. They were frightened, saying to one another, “If the offerings aren’t generous enough, the gods will grow angry and bring calamity.” The Perfected Lord said, “How dare these evil spirits commit such wicked acts!” That night, while staying at an inn, he summoned the generals of wind and thunder to destroy them.

He also saw people walking long distances along the road, carrying water because they had none nearby. He thrust his staff into the dry pool before the local shrine, and a spring immediately gushed forth for people to drink. It never dried up, even during drought.

The Perfected Lord crossed the river and came to a shop owned by the Zhu family. Though the owner was poor, he received the Perfected Lord with great respect. When the Perfected Lord left, he casually drew a pine tree on the shop wall. From that day on, the shop did twice as much business as before.

The Perfected Lord once refined a divine elixir on Mount Huanglong in Aicheng. A flood dragon spirit caused havoc, raising floodwaters in an attempt to inundate the building where the elixir was being prepared. The Perfected Lord sent divine troops to seize it and pinned it to a rock face with a needle. When the elixir was ready, he first performed a rite at Ge Xian’s stone chamber on Mount Mufu, then took the elixir.

When he reached Xiuchuan, the Perfected Lord admired the stream’s swift current and hard water, and ground his divine sword on a stone by its bank. As he passed through Xian County, also known as Fenning County, the local Earth God came out to pay his respects. The Perfected Lord asked whether any demons there were harming the people, but the Earth God concealed them. Passing a small temple, he was greeted by its god, who reported, “A flood dragon spirit here is wreaking havoc and harming the people. It knew the immortal lord was coming and has fled to Ezhou; it will return later.” The Perfected Lord followed its trail to a bridge and ordered his officials and soldiers to drive the spirit out and kill it.

Angered by the Earth God of Xian County for neglecting his duty, the Perfected Lord sealed the doors of his shrine and ended the local sacrifices to him. To this day, the gates of the Fenning City God’s temple remain closed throughout the year; if anyone opens them, a fire will break out. The Perfected Lord also elevated the god of the small temple, granting him the title “Marquis Who Aids and Protects.”

Hearing that a flood dragon spirit was causing trouble in Xinwu, the Perfected Lord went there to capture it. Terrified, the spirit fled into a cave in the stream, so the Perfected Lord inscribed a talisman on a huge stone and used it to subdue the spirit.

At that time, in Shangliao near Haihun, a giant serpent had taken up residence on a mountain and made a cave its lair. Its breath turned into clouds and mist that stretched for forty li. Anyone who entered the mist was sucked in and swallowed. Boats on the rivers and lakes were often overturned and sunk by it, bringing great suffering to the people. Later, the locals offered sacrifices to it at a small temple, and the imperial court bestowed on it the title “Marquis Who Aids and Protects.”

The Perfected Lord (here referring to Xu Zhenjun, or Xu Xun, worshipped in Daoism) heard that a flood dragon was causing trouble in Xinwu and went there to capture it. The dragon was afraid and hid in a cave beside a stream. The Perfected Lord drew a talisman on a huge stone and used it to seal the cave entrance.

The Perfected Lord gathered his disciples and prepared to rid Shangliao of the giant serpent. As soon as they arrived, residents came from every direction to ask for help. The Perfected Lord told them, “The affairs of the world turn in cycles. Now the time has come for this calamity. I have come to rid you of this menace, and I will not let the serpent live.”

He planted his sword in the ground and silently prayed to Heaven. After a long while, a spring welled up, and a red crow flew past. The Perfected Lord then went to the serpent’s cave. Terrified, the giant serpent retreated inside. The Perfected Lord performed talismanic rites and summoned the Lord of the Local Altar of Haihun, a deity who governed the local land, to drive the serpent out, but it would not emerge. He then summoned the Lord of the Local Altar of Nanchang to help.

At last the giant serpent came out. It raised its head more than ten zhang high, its eyes blazing like torches, and its poisonous breath shot straight into the sky. The Perfected Lord summoned wind and thunder and commanded divine troops and generals to subdue it. Lord Wu stepped onto the serpent’s head and split its forehead with his sword; Lord Shi and Lord Gan cut open its belly. A small serpent several zhang long escaped from inside and fled six or seven li. When it heard the beating of drums and cries of pursuit, it still turned back to look at its mother. The disciples asked to chase it down and kill it, but the Perfected Lord said, “It has not harmed anyone, so it must not be killed without cause. If, five hundred years from now, it endangers the people, I will come forth again to destroy it. Take the pines and cypresses before my altar as a sign: when their branches brush the ground, the time will have come.”

The Perfected Lord also foretold, “For 1,240 years after I become an immortal and depart, eight hundred disciples will appear within the Five Tombs. Their master will come from Yuzhang and will greatly spread my teachings. The time will come when a deep abyss suddenly appears in the middle of the river by the commandery seat; when it extends over the entrance to Shajing, that will be the moment. If the small serpent causes harm then, the eight hundred disciples will naturally go and destroy it. But if it has harmed no living creature, it must not be killed.” The small serpent then entered the river. Today, Wucheng Mountain in Xinjian County is said to be the place named in this tale. After the giant serpent died, its bones became a sandbar called Snake-Bone Islet. Along the route, the Perfected Lord established seven sites known as Jing, places for Daoist cultivation and ritual, to guard the area. These events took place in the ren-shen year, the sixth year of the Yongjia era under Emperor Huai of Jin.

The Perfected Lord’s Daoist arts were profound. Several hundred people asked to become his disciples, and he could not refuse them all one by one. So he transformed charcoal into beautiful women to test them. Only ten resisted temptation and remained unbewitched and untainted. These ten thereafter followed the Perfected Lord as he traveled through the rivers and lakes.

After the Perfected Lord—an honorific title for Xu Xun in Daoism—returned to the regional capital, he inspected the city and encountered a handsome young man, elegantly dressed. The youth gave his surname as Shen. He was courteous and respectful, answered questions with quick wit, and soon took his leave. The Perfected Lord said to his disciples, “The one who just came was not a human being but the spirit of an old flood dragon. It came to test me. I pretended not to understand so that its companions would reveal themselves too.”

They followed the spirit and found that it had turned into a yellow ox, lying on the sand. The Perfected Lord cut paper into the shape of a black ox and sent it to fight the yellow ox. He also ordered Shi Cen to wait with a sword. As the oxen fought fiercely, Shi Cen swung his sword and struck the yellow ox in the thigh. It fled into a well south of the city. The Perfected Lord sent a talisman officer to trace it and learned that it had gone as far as Changsha.

The spirit emerged from Jia Yi’s Well, took human form, and entered the home of Lord Jia Yushi. The flood dragon spirit had admired Jia Yu’s daughter, so it had disguised itself as a young man and gone to pay her a visit. Jia Yu was impressed by its talent and gave his daughter in marriage to it. A few years later, they had two children. Around the turn of spring and summer, the flood dragon spirit would often go out alone, then return in autumn with a great deal of wealth. It had seized these goods after capsizing ships.

That autumn, the flood dragon spirit suddenly came home and told Jia Yu that bandits had robbed it and injured its left leg. The Perfected Lord disguised himself as a doctor and went to visit Jia Yu. As soon as he entered the hall, he shouted, “This flood dragon spirit has harmed many people along the rivers and lakes. I tracked you here. How could I let you escape? Come out at once!” With no way out, the spirit revealed its true form and was slain by the officials and soldiers. Its two children also turned into young flood dragons and were killed. Jia Yu’s daughter was on the verge of transforming as well, but after the Perfected Lord gave her Fulu (talismans and registers), she did not become a demon. The Perfected Lord told Jia Yu, “There is water directly beneath the place where the flood dragon spirit lived. You should move away at once.” Jia Yu followed his advice. Later, the ground there indeed collapsed into a pool so deep that its depth could not be measured.

The Perfected Lord returned to Yuzhang. The surviving companions of the flood dragon spirit were uneasy, so one of them took human form and went to ask the Perfected Lord’s disciple, “I hear your master has a divine sword. I would like to know what power it has.” The disciple replied, “When my master points his divine sword at the sky, the sky splits open; when he points it at the earth, the earth breaks apart; when he points it at the stars, they lose their proper courses; and when he points it at rivers, lakes, or seas, their currents reverse. No evil spirit dares stand against it. It is a sacred treasure.” The visitor asked, “Is there anything it cannot harm?” The disciple joked, “Only winter melons and gourds.” The flood dragon spirit believed him. It turned all its companions into winter melons and gourds, which floated across the river in great numbers, surrounded by a dense demonic aura. The Perfected Lord ordered Shi Cen to walk across the water and destroy them.

The Perfected Lord said, “This is a place where flood dragons dwell. Unless we suppress them, they will bring trouble again in the future.” He therefore ordered the spirits to cast an iron pillar beside a well south of the city and to attach eight iron chains beneath it, binding the earth’s veins. He declared, “If the iron pillar falls and evil spirits rise again, I will return.” From then on, the water demons were driven away and the city lived in peace.

At the summit of Tiaoxiao Mountain are three flood dragon lakes. Caves at their bottoms lead into the great river and connect with the area around Raozhou and Xinzhou. After destroying the flood dragons there, the Perfected Lord established a Yuyang Jing, a Daoist sanctuary for worshipping deities and conducting Zhaijiao (purification rituals), to guard the region. He also cast iron talismans to suppress the mouth of Poyang Lake and block the flood demons’ routes in and out. He cast an iron cover over Yuan Pool in Luling to control the abyss where demons gathered, guarded it with iron talismans, and left a sword there. The following year, the Perfected Lord toured the regional capitals of Changsha, Chenzhou, and Hengzhou, ridding the people of harm along the way. In all, he established more than seventy Jing sanctuaries.

In the second year of the Taining era under Emperor Ming, Xu Xun left a sword in the area. The following year, he traveled through the commanderies of Changsha, Chenzhou, and Hengzhou, among others, ridding the people of harm along the way. He established more than seventy Jing, sites for Daoist practice and ritual.

In the second year of the Taining era under Emperor Ming, the general Wang Dun raised an army in rebellion, marched toward the capital, and camped in the lakeside region. Perfected Lord Xu and Lord Wu went to see Wang Dun, hoping to persuade him to stop. Guo Pu was then serving in Wang Dun’s staff, so the two asked him to arrange an introduction. Wang Dun, whose courtesy name was Chuzhong, hosted a banquet for them and asked, “I dreamed that a tree split open the sky. What do you think it means?” Lord Wu replied, “A tree splitting open the sky forms the character ‘wei.’ You would do best not to act rashly.” Wang Dun’s expression changed when he heard this, and he asked Guo Pu to divine the outcome. Guo Pu said, “This venture will not succeed.” Wang Dun asked, “How much longer will I live?” Guo Pu replied, “If you raise an army, disaster will soon be upon you.” Furious, Wang Dun asked Guo Pu, “How much longer will you live?” Guo Pu answered, “My life will end at noon today.” Wang Dun ordered his guards to seize Guo Pu and behead him. Perfected Lord Xu tossed his cup into the air; it turned into a white dove and circled the roof beams. As Wang Dun looked up for a moment, the two immortals vanished. Wang Dun was eventually defeated.

The two immortals returned to Jinling, summoned a dragon-drawn carriage, and traveled back from Golden Gate Cave on Purple Cloud Peak of Mount Lu. When they reached Heavenly Treasure Cave, they returned to their former place of seclusion. For the next several decades, Perfected Lord Xu taught Daoist methods to his disciples every day and no longer concerned himself with worldly affairs. In his daily words and conduct he was no different from ordinary people, except that immortal cranes often circled his dwelling and auspicious clouds gathered around it.

On the first day of the eighth month in the Jiaxu year, the second year of the Ningkang era under Emperor Xiaowu, clouds bore a ceremonial procession down from the sky. The two immortals arrived in the courtyard and read the Jade Emperor’s edict:

“The Emperor proclaims to the youth who cultivates immortality, Xu Xun: Since ages long past, you have devoted yourself to the arduous cultivation of the Dao. Through hardship, your learning and attainment have grown ever deeper, and you have experienced every kind of Daoist method. You have relieved calamities and difficulties, eliminated harm and subdued demons, and brought blessings to the people. Your achievements have been recorded in the Jade Register, and the Perfected Ones have praised you. You are to be promoted as Grand Historian of the Immortals of the Nine Provinces and Great Envoy of Sublime Clarity. You are also to receive a purple feathered robe, a jade standard and precious tally, and a box of jade paste and Golden Elixir. Upon receiving this edict, carry it out at once.”

Perfected Lord Xu bowed twice, climbed the steps, and received the edict. One immortal identified himself as Cui Ziwen, Lord of the Highest Jade Truth; the other as Xia Qiu Zhong, High Minister of Primordial Truth. They told Perfected Lord Xu the date on which he would ascend to heaven, then departed.

Perfected Lord Xu summoned his disciples and the elders of the local community, told them he would soon leave, and held a banquet to bid them farewell. He also composed a five-character admonitory poem for each of his eleven disciples. On the sacred day that month, he held a grand purification gathering. Daoist practitioners and local people, young and old alike, came to attend. At noon, immortal music sounded in the distance and auspicious clouds filled the sky. Feathered canopies and dragon-drawn carriages arrived, surrounded by attendants and guards, immortal boys and celestial maidens.

The two envoys who had brought the edict descended once more and read aloud:

“The Emperor proclaims to the youth who cultivates immortality, Xu Xun: Your past-life offenses of taking life recklessly and concealing your failure to make offerings to your ancestors have been forgiven. The merits you have accumulated in this life by using talismans and talismanic water to heal the sick, punish evil, and cut away poison and harm have also been reported. The Director of Destinies at Qianshan has been ordered to convey the Golden Elixir to the human world, seal your body, and settle your old debts, so that you yourself, your family, your kitchen, your dwelling, and all your blessings may belong to the Three Heavens, the Daoist realms of immortals. You must immediately purify yourself of defilement and carry your native soil as you ascend into the sky. On your left, the Mighty Heavenly Warriors and Flowing Gold Fire Bells will protect you, illuminating and guarding the Central Yellow. Do not be careless or distracted. Your distant ancestor is further to be posthumously ennobled as Assistant Minister of Jade Void; your great-grandfather Yan as Military Guard of the Grand Tenuity; your ancestor Yu as Keeper of Registers and Records for the Supreme Ultimate; and your father Su as Immortal Official of the Central Peak. The residence where you live is to be named the Left Office of the Immortal Court.”

The Lord of the Highest Jade Truth said that although Perfected Lord Xu had many disciples, only six were suited to ascend with him; each of the others had a date of ascent of their own. He then saluted Perfected Lord Xu and invited him to board the dragon carriage. Chen Xun held a register and led the way; Zhou Guang drove the carriage. Huang Renlan and his father’s clan accompanied them, while Xu Lie and his mother’s clan followed. Perfected Lord Xu’s family, forty-two people in all, ascended at the same time. Even the chickens and dogs flew up with them.

Perfected Lord Xu left behind a bell used in cultivation and a stone casket, saying, “The world changes, and these things will eventually become relics. Let them remain here as keepsakes.”

A servant named Xu Da and his wife were buying rice on the western ridge. When they heard that Perfected Lord Xu had ascended, they hurried back. Their cart overturned, spilling the rice across the ground, and the spilled grains all sprouted again. When the couple arrived, they wept and begged to follow him. Perfected Lord Xu therefore taught them the arts of terrestrial immortals, and the two went into seclusion in the mountains.

Soon after the immortal procession rose into the sky, a medicine mortar, a carriage hub, a chicken coop, and several mice fell to the ground. It was said that these things had originally ascended with the procession, but fell because the chickens in the coop and the mice had once stolen and eaten elixir. The mice landed with their intestines trailing out, yet did not die. Later generations who witnessed these sights all regarded them as the fulfillment of auspicious omens.

Earlier, when Perfected Lord Xu returned from Jingyang, he had given Shu brocade to Madam Chen and used it to make curtains for the hall. On this day, the brocade suddenly flew up, circled the old residence, and then rose once more into the clouds.

Perfected Lord Xu was born on the twenty-eighth day of the first month in the Jiwei year, the second year of the Chiwu era under the Great Emperor of Wu. He lived to the age of 136. All disciples who study the Way of Pure Brightness honor him with the title “Lord, Master of the Dao.”

After the Perfected Lord Xu Jingyang ascended to immortality, local people and Xu Jian, a grandson of his clan, built a shrine at the site of his former residence. They wrote the 120 poems he had left behind on bamboo slips, which people drew to seek answers about good and ill fortune. These were called “sacred lots.” His remaining possessions, including a bell, a carriage, a case, and a mortar, were also kept in the shrine.

During the reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui, the practice of burning incense and cultivating the Dao at the shrine was interrupted for a time. In the Yongchun era of the Tang, the Celestial Master Hu Huichao rebuilt it. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang held Perfected Lord Xu in especially high regard. During the Song, Emperors Taizong, Zhenzong, and Renzong each bestowed imperial calligraphy and changed the shrine’s name plaque to “Yulong.” They also forbade the cutting of firewood on famous mountains and exempted the local people from taxes. In the second year of the Zhenghe era, Emperor Huizong of the Song bestowed a jade tablet and honored Perfected Lord Xu with the title “Perfected Lord of Divine Merit and Wondrous Deliverance.” In the sixth year of Zhenghe, the shrine was renamed a Daoist palace, and the words “Longevity” were added to its name.

On the first day of the fifth month, Emperor Huizong issued an order to the Ministry of Rites, recounting a dream he had experienced:

“While I was reading in the Hall of Governance and Integrity, I seemed to enter a dreamlike state. I saw a Daoist coming from the north side of the East Glorious Gate. He wore a Nine-Flower crown and a crimson ritual robe. Beside him were two attendants in blue, carrying a sword and a silk cord. Behind them came two more attendants dressed in colorful Daoist garments, holding a seal and a staff. He walked up to the palace steps, bowed to me, then climbed the steps on the left side of the hall. I felt he was no ordinary Daoist, so I asked, ‘Who are you? Why have you come without an imperial summons?’

“He replied, ‘I am Xu Jingyang, temporarily in charge of an office in the Nine Heavens. The Lord on High has ordered me to inspect the Kingdom of Xiquye in the west. On my way, I passed through my native place and saw an evil aura, so I came to pay you a visit.’

“I invited him to sit and asked, ‘What is the cause of this calamity?’ He replied, ‘A fleet carrying 360,000 bolts of silk from Hunan and Hubei sank in the water. A minor dragon was truly responsible. The previous dynasty should not have made this minor dragon a king. During the Yongjia upheaval, it was originally condemned to death. It cut open its mother’s belly and escaped, but before it had harmed anyone, it was pardoned. Now it dares to bring calamity upon the state. When I return, I will deal with it myself and not allow it to remain among the Yangtze and Huai rivers.’

“In the dream I thanked him, then asked, ‘I suffer from an abscess called anshichuang, and no medicine can cure it. Does the Perfected Lord have a remedy?’ He took out a small gourd and poured out a green-bean-sized pill. After chanting an incantation, he rubbed it on the sore. I felt as though a flowing, creamy liquid spread through my whole body and seeped into my bones, bringing coolness and ease. Then he bowed and left. After a few steps, he turned back and said, ‘My former residence has long lain in ruins. I hope Your Majesty will give it some consideration.’

“I suddenly awoke. Within a few days, the officials indeed reported that the fleet carrying silk had been sunk by wind and waves. I consulted the gazetteer and found that Mount Mei in Fenning County had a Xu family Sword-Grinding Pool. I therefore ordered an image of the Perfected Lord to be painted as he had appeared in my dream, bestowed it on the Palace of Auspicious Preservation at Shangqing, and allocated funds for repairs.

“Several months later, I dreamed again that the Perfected Lord had returned just as before. He thanked me and said, ‘Fenning is a place I once passed through, and Your Majesty has already taken pains to build there. But the traces I left at West Mountain still remain. The buildings are cramped and humble, however, and unfit to receive visitors from all parts who come to pay their respects. I hope Your Majesty will have them further restored.’

“When I awoke, I issued an edict to Hongzhou, ordering the Yulong Palace of Longevity to be rebuilt.”

During the Jianyan era, Jin troops raided the south of the Yangtze and planned to burn the Daoist palace. Suddenly, water surged from between the pillars, and the fire would not catch. The Jin commander was greatly astonished and wrote on the wall: “The Jin Kingdom’s Dragon-and-Tiger Supreme General comes to offer his loyalty, appointed commander-in-chief and supreme commander of the headquarters’ vanguard. After our great army destroyed this place, we looked everywhere at the sacred images. Their decorations were so splendid and dignified that we did not dare burn them.” The inscription was dated the second day of the first month of the eighth year of the Tianhui era.

When the abbot at the time heard what had happened, the troops gathered their weapons and departed.

Every object left behind by Perfected Xu (the Daoist forebear revered by the Pure Brightness tradition) is guarded by spirits and must not be treated with disrespect. The cypress tree in front of the hall, planted by the Perfected himself, grows lush or withers, and people often regard its condition as a sign of the temple’s prosperity or decline. Boiling its branches to make a decoction can cure various illnesses. The Perfected’s sacred image is richly adorned, and people dare not burn it. On the second day of the first lunar month in the eighth year of the Tianhui era, the person in charge of the temple understood the reason for this. He put away the weapons and left.

In the past, divine dragons often appeared at the Cinnabar Well. Later, Hu Dongzhen used Fulu (talismans and registers) and stones to subdue them, and erected an iron pillar. During the Tang dynasty, when Yan Zhuan served as governor of the prefecture, he did not believe these stories and once ordered people to excavate the Cinnabar Well. Soon thunder and lightning raged, violent winds arose, the river flooded, and the city walls shook. Terrified, Yan Zhuan kowtowed and admitted his error. Only after a long while did the storm subside.

Yan Zhuan also forcibly took away the bell used for cultivation and placed it in a Buddhist monastery. When struck, it sounded dull, as though someone were beating wood and earth, so he had no choice but to return it to the temple. The prefectural governor Xu Deng ordered the bell taken to the government office. Before he had a chance to inspect it, the bell flew back to the temple on its own that very night.

Although the stone casket had a seam, it could not be opened. After Zhang Shanan seized Hongzhou during the Tang dynasty, he forcibly pried open the casket and found an inscription in cinnabar script on the inside of the lid: “In the five hundredth year, the rebel Zhang Shanan will open this.” Zhang Shanan was frightened and tried to scrape and wash the words away, but could not remove them. In the end, he hid the lid of the stone casket.

There are many other strange occurrences among the traces left by Perfected Xu, too numerous to recount. For instance, beside Longsha there is a Sword-Grinding Pool whose sandy banks rise steeply and are scarcely ever silted up. In Xinjian County, leeches once swarmed in Lake Tanzao, but after medicine was thrown in, they disappeared forever. To this day, there are no mosquitoes at the inns in Songhu City. A flood dragon entered Miaozhen Cave in Fengcheng County; people sealed it with a cedarwood wedge, which has not decayed to this day. In Cangxi, Fengxin County, a flood dragon was concealed in the stream. People split a huge rock beside it with a sword and drew a talisman on the stone to subdue it.

Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan dynasty bestowed on Perfected Xu the honorific title: “Perfected Lord of the Mysterious Response and Miraculous Aid of the Supreme Dao.”

A Biography of Master Hongya, Teacher of the Pure Brightness Scripture

The scripture master, surnamed Zhang and named Yun (also written Yun), was known by the title Hongya and the courtesy name Zangzhen. His lineage can no longer be verified. According to legend, he once served alongside Chisongzi as a teacher to the Divine Farmer. The Zhengao says that Master Hongya is now an Immortal Earl of Qingcheng.

During the Sui dynasty, Master Hongya appeared again on Mount Gushe in Jinyang, and was also seen on West Mountain in Yuzhang. He read and fished on a rocky ledge along the riverbank west of the city, a place now called Diaoyutai, or Fishing Terrace. In the ninth year of Kaihuang, Yuzhang was renamed Hongzhou; it is said this was done because of the Master.

The Master stood seven feet five inches tall, with refined brows and eyes and a voice as deep and resonant as a bell. He was skilled at playing the qin and writing, and enjoyed letting out long, ringing calls. He once met the Lord of the Sun and the Lord of the Moon, who transmitted to him the Way of Pure Brightness, Lingbao, loyalty, and filial piety.

The Master usually wore a black cap, sometimes a horned kerchief or a longzhen kerchief, and a deerskin coat. At other times he wore a red coarse-hemp shirt, a black rhinoceros-horn belt, and short boots. When he traveled, he rode a white mule named Xuejing, or Snow Essence, accompanied by five strangely featured boys named Ju, Li, Mu, Ge, and Duo. His belongings included a six-sided fan, a drooping-cloud hat (also called a white-rattan hat), a square wooden stirrup, the Two Mysterious Books, a wooden ruyi scepter, a bamboo staff, a longevity gourd, a Wei Hui pot, and a “non-supporting” ladle. He also had a Changying pot and a Changman cup, said to pour out wine on their own.

He often entered and left the city, arriving in the morning and departing at dusk, and no one could trace his movements. During the Shengli era of Empress Wu Zetian, the court summoned him, but he did not respond. During the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, he was summoned again and met the emperor at Zhanlu Hall. The emperor asked him casually, “I hear you are skilled at letting out long calls. Would you let me hear one?” Master Hongya answered with a long call, clear and melodious.

The emperor asked, “How do I compare with Yao and Shun? And how do you compare with Xu You?” The Master replied, “Your Majesty’s virtue surpasses that of Yao and Shun; my own conduct falls short of Xu You’s. In the past, Yao summoned Xu You, but Xu You did not go. Now Your Majesty has summoned me, and I have come.” The emperor greatly admired him and appointed him Grand Minister of Ceremonies. Later, he sought to promote him to Minister of State, but the Master declined both appointments.

One day, the Master submitted a memorial saying, “Why should Your Majesty begrudge me a mountain or a stretch of water, and not let me follow in the footsteps of Chaofu and Xu You?” The emperor then issued an edict allowing him to return to the mountains. After that, the Master abstained from grain and nourished himself through breath cultivation. He often traveled between West Mountain and Mount Gushe, and also visited Mount Zhongnan, Mount Taihua, Mount Qingcheng, and Mount Wangwu. He kept company with the two Masters of the Eastern and Western Luo regions, and often spoke of the Golden Elixir, the Flower Pool, and the arts of changing form and refining transformation. These Daoist arts were so subtle and wondrous that ordinary people could scarcely understand them.

Every morning, he rode his white mule with his attendants from West Mountain, crossed the Zhang River, and entered Hong City, yet no one ever saw him return. One day, a boatman on the Zhang River grew suspicious and told his son to follow and observe him. Master Hongya sold medicine in the city and traveled about before arriving at the former residence of Peng, the Immortal of Wuyang, who had served as a superintendent of the Ministry of Works during the Jin dynasty. The site was a blessed place for cultivating the Dao, now called Pengzhen Temple. There he joined disciples who practiced immortality in sweeping the stones and burning incense. They discussed mysterious principles, read secret texts, played weiqi and shuanglu (an ancient board game), and recited poetry for a long while. Then he mounted his white mule and, with his attendants, entered the well where Peng the Immortal had once made elixirs and departed.

The boatman’s son continued to follow him. The road had been flat and clear, but after they had gone a short distance, the sound of oars suddenly arose. The son said, “That is the sound of the oars on my boat.” Only then did the Master realize someone was following him. He asked the son about it, and the son told him the truth. The Master then asked, “Would you like to come with me?” The son said he would not. The Master told him to close his eyes and stroked the crown of his head with his hand; the son immediately found himself back on the boat. From then on, Master Hongya no longer entered the city.

It is said that he traveled this way for ninety-three years before vanishing, with no one knowing what became of him. Today, West Mountain has a Hongya Well beside Wujing Spring. The well is unfathomably deep, and its water rushes without pause in every season, sounding like thunder. Even people standing nearby cannot hear one another speak, and during the hottest days of summer its chill raises gooseflesh. An old tradition says that the well connects with Peng the Immortal’s alchemical well. Many maple trees grow beside it. It is said that after completing his elixir, the Master rode Xuejing up from the maples into the cloud realm; traces of Xuejing can still be seen on the trees.

West of the well stands Ziqing Palace, formerly called Yingsheng Palace, where the Master cultivated the Dao and made his home. Three poems are carved in stone there.

The first says: “Last year I had no fields to till; this spring I lack even money for wine. Let flowers and birds laugh as they will; I’ll just feign drunkenness and lie on the terrace.”

The second says: “My tune is low, and no one appreciates it; my aims are lofty, and so I draw blame. I cannot fathom the hearts of worldly people—how am I supposed to live among them?”

The third says: “I enter the city not to seek profit, and pass the gates of the court not to seek fame. Sometimes I keep company with ordinary folk, and for a while go along with their ways.”

The Master wrote commentaries on the Laozi, the Book of Changes, the Three Rites, and the Gongyang Commentary, and these works have been handed down. All who study the Way of Pure Brightness honor him as the Master of the Scriptures.

The Master’s surname was Hu and his given name was Huichao. He was also known as Huasu, and his courtesy name was Basu. No one knew where he came from, and no one could say how old he was. When asked, he always said he was fifty-two that year; decades later, when asked again, he gave the same answer. He was tall and distinguished in bearing. When alone, he seemed no different from anyone else, but in a crowd he stood a head taller than those around him. People of the time therefore called him “Hu the Immortal.” When greeting people, he did not use a court tablet but simply clasped his hands.

He once met the Two Lords of the Sun and Moon and received the Way of Pure Brightness, Numinous Treasure, Loyalty, and Filial Piety—a method of cultivation transmitted by the Jingming tradition and centered on loyalty and filial piety. This Daoist teaching was so mysterious and subtle that others could not fathom it.

In the early Tang, he lived in seclusion around Hongjing on West Mountain in Hongzhou, often traveling to and from Hongcheng. One day, as he walked through the market, he saw a household stricken with grief and went over to ask what had happened. The man explained that a temple stood outside the city, and each year its deity chose a young woman as a consort. The next day it was his daughter’s turn, and the whole family was grieving. The Master said, “I’ll get rid of it for you.” He summoned wind and thunder with a cry, then burned and demolished the temple and destroyed a huge camphor tree beside it. Beneath the roots lay many human bones. He pulled up the roots and threw them, along with the bones, into the river. The roots floated upstream into Qingjiang territory, to what is now Zhangshu Town. Grateful, the people of the prefecture built a Daoist temple on the site of the shrine. It is the present-day Xuanzhuan Temple of Yuzhang.

During the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong of the Tang, the emperor heard of the Master’s deeds and summoned him to court, but he did not answer the summons. After Emperor Gaozong came to the throne, he summoned the Master again. This time, the Master went and was given lodgings in the palace. A demon was haunting the palace, coming out at night to harm people. The emperor asked whether the Master could drive it away. The Master agreed and searched the palace. When he reached the western palace wall, he pointed to a spot and said, “The demon is here.” He ordered the guards to dig. A few feet down, they found more than ten old foxes and many human bones. Once the foxes were killed, the strange occurrences in the palace stopped. The emperor was delighted and offered the Master gifts, but he accepted none of them and repeatedly asked to return to the mountain. The emperor agreed, ordered all the officials to see him off, and composed a poem for him.

The Master returned to West Mountain and lived at Youwei Temple. The temple had fallen into disrepair. He asked its abbot why it had not been restored, and the abbot replied that there was not enough money or labor. The Master then went to the mouth of Zhangmu River in Gao’an, ninety li from the temple. He ordered the men transporting timber to bind the logs tightly together, then have each group lodge on the riverbank. At dusk, he wrote a black talisman in the air. At midnight, a storm arose; by dawn, the rafts had reached the temple’s altar. Along the way, ridges and gullies had been cleared, and trees that blocked the route had been laid flat. The Master also dug up a pit of coins at the foot of the mountain—three hundred thousand cash—to pay for the labor. Whatever parts of the halls could not be completed by human hands were built at night by spirits and ghosts under his command. He also dug seven wells outside the gate to prevent fires.

Empress Wu Zetian summoned the Master to Wucheng Hall and asked him about immortals. He spoke only of Dao and De, and of the foundations of imperial governance and moral instruction, then asked to return to the mountain. Empress Wu ordered a messenger to escort him back with gold and jade. On the way, when he passed through Shanfu, the emperor sent him a letter praising his lofty virtue and his long-ago transcendence of worldly life. He compared him to Guangchengzi of the time of the Yellow Emperor and to the Old Man of the Riverbank from the Han dynasty. The emperor lamented that the Master had traveled a thousand li to reach Sanchuan, and that now, as he departed, all the emperor could do was gaze toward the clouds in longing and bid him a lingering farewell.

The Master returned to the ancient altar of Master Hongya to refine the Elixir. He spent three years there. The emperor issued an edict urging him to come to court. After moving into the palace, the Master suddenly left one day. The emperor sighed in regret for a long time, then sent a messenger with generous gifts to escort him back to the mountain. The Master returned to Xumujing on West Mountain and said, “When I came here before, I lodged with the Xumu family. Now hundreds of years have passed.”

In the third year of Chang’an in the Tang, the Master ordered his disciples to build a brick tomb at Fulong, northwest of Youwei Temple. They placed inside it two Taixuan True Talismans, a Seven-Star Sword, and a Numinous Treasure staff. The work was completed in just three days. The Master arranged his robes and cap and sat on a rope bed. Clouds and cranes circled in the sky, while the sounds of people and horses continued outside the wall. The Master had already passed into immortality. The prefectural authorities reported the matter to the court, which bestowed on him the posthumous title “Master of the Grotto of Truth.” All those who studied the Jingming teachings honored him as the “Lord of the Dharma.”

The Master’s surname was Guo and his given name was Pu; his courtesy name was Jingchun. He came from Hedong. He loved the study of the classics, had broad learning and exceptional talent, but was not skilled at conversation. He excelled at composing poetry and rhapsodies and was regarded as the foremost writer of the Eastern Jin. He was fond of ancient texts and unusual written forms, and was also versed in Yin-Yang arts and numerology: methods for inferring changes in fortune and misfortune through Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, and related principles. A man surnamed Guo was living in Hedong as a guest and was skilled at divination, so Guo Pu became his student. Master Guo passed on to him the nine scrolls of the Qingnang Book. From then on, Guo Pu mastered the Five Phases, astronomy, geography, and the arts of divination. He often helped people avert calamity and turn misfortune aside, using methods of remarkable subtlety.

During the reigns of Emperor Hui and Emperor Huai, Guo Pu foresaw that the Central Plains would soon fall into turmoil, so he withdrew to the southeast. When he arrived at the residence of General Zhao Gu, Zhao’s fine horse had just died. Zhao was so distressed that he would not receive visitors. Guo Pu said, “I can bring the horse back to life.” After an aide went in to announce him, Zhao came out to ask his advice. Guo Pu said, “Gather twenty or thirty strong soldiers, each carrying a long pole. Go east for thirty li to a hilltop shrine dedicated to the local earth deity. Strike the shrine with the poles, and you will find something there. Bring it back quickly, and the horse will live.” Zhao did as he was told. They caught a creature resembling a monkey and brought it back. On seeing the dead horse, it breathed toward the horse’s nostrils for a while. Before long, the horse rose to its feet as if nothing had happened, while the creature suddenly vanished.

After Emperor Yuan crossed the Yangtze, Wang Dao appointed Guo Pu as a military aide. Guo served his mother with great filial devotion. After she died, he performed a divination himself to choose her burial site. He selected a place in Jiyang, only a hundred paces from the water. Some people thought the site was too close to the water, but Guo Pu said, “This place will soon become dry land.” Before long, silt accumulated, the shoreline receded by dozens of li, and the area became mulberry fields.

In the second year of the Daming era, the year Jia-shen, Wang Dun raised troops in rebellion and stationed himself in the Hu region. Guo Pu went to see him. Wang Dun said, “I dreamed that a piece of wood split open the sky. What is this an omen of?” Guo Pu replied, “A piece of wood splitting open the sky makes the character wei. If Your Excellency raises troops, you are certain to fail and will not succeed.” He also spoke at length about the principles of loyalty to one’s ruler and filial duty. Wang Dun grew angry and asked him, “How long do I have left to live?” Guo Pu said, “If you keep to a subject’s proper duty, your lifespan is difficult to measure. If you do not quickly mend your ways, calamity will soon arrive.” Wang Dun then asked, “How long do you have to live?” Guo Pu replied, “My life will end at noon today.” Wang Dun became even angrier and ordered him to be executed. Later, however, someone saw Guo Pu in Danyang. For this reason, people came to believe that he had departed through bingjie, a Daoist legendary means of leaving the body and transforming one’s physical form by passing through the ordeal of weapons.

Guo Pu wrote tens of thousands of words in poetry, rhapsodies, and other works. These included the sixty-scroll Donglin Jing, the ten-scroll Xinlin, and a work titled Buyun. He also wrote commentaries on the Erya, the Sancang, the Fangyan, the Tale of King Mu, and the Shanhai Jing, all of which have been handed down. Disciples who study the Way of Jingming honor him with the title “Master Supervising and Guiding the Practice.”

Liu Yuzhen, the recluse of Xishan, was named Liu Yu, styled Yizhen, and known as Yuzhenzi. His ancestors came from Shimen in Fanyi. His great-grandfather, Liu Zonghan, moved to Jianchang in Nankang and named the place where he lived “Shimen” to show that he had not forgotten his roots. During the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song, a member of the Liu family passed the jinshi examination and later served as registrar of Lai’an County in Chuzhou. For generations, the family studied and passed down the Book of Songs and the Book of Rites. Liu Yu’s father was named Gang, and his mother’s surname was Wu. Liu Yu was born on the twentieth day of the eighth month of the Ding-si year of the Baoyou era (1257). At dawn that day, red clouds covered the roof, and the neighbors all thought it a strange omen. Later, his father moved again, settling in Zhongxiao Township in Xinjian, Longxing.

Liu Yu was perceptive from childhood. He began his studies at the age of five and devoted himself to understanding the central meaning of the books. Around the age of twenty, his parents died one after the other, and he observed the mourning rites with strict propriety. His family was poor, so he supported himself by farming. Believing that worldly affairs were not worth attachment, he devoted himself to the study of the immortals.

At first, the Grand Historian of the Capital of Immortals, Perfected Lord Xu (the immortal Xu Xun, revered in Daoism), performed rites at Xishan in Yuzhang during the Jiaxu year of the Ningkang era of the Jin dynasty…

At the beginning, the Daoist master and Grand Historian of Transcendence, Xu Zhenjun—an honorific title of Xu Zhenjun—ascended to immortality at Mount Xi in Yuzhang in the jiāxū year of the Ningkang era during the Jin dynasty. He once left a prophecy: “Within 1,240 years after I depart this world, disciples will appear in the Wuling region. It is a misunderstanding to call them Earth Immortals; there will be eight hundred of them in all. Their master will come from the west bank of the Yuzhang River and vigorously spread my teachings. When a sandbar suddenly rises in the middle of the river in the commandery and extends past the mouth of Shajing, the prophecy will be fulfilled.”

In the wushen year of the Jianyan era, only seven hundred years after Xu Zhenjun’s ascension, warfare had raged without cease, and the people and all living things had suffered calamity. He Zhengong and the others prayed to Xu Zhenjun, asking him to show compassion and save them. Before long, Xu Zhenjun manifested at Yuchuan and told them that he would descend at Yulong Palace on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the xinhai year. When the appointed day arrived, the people gathered to welcome him. At noon, dense clouds and mist churned and descended from the sky, then rose straight up from the western side of the hall into the Hall of the Jade Register. Xu Zhenjun descended and transmitted the Scripture of Flying Immortals and Deliverance of Humanity: Great Pure Brightness Teaching of Loyalty and Filial Piety.

After receiving this teaching, He Zhengong established the Yizhen Altar and transmitted registers and talismans to more than five hundred disciples. They dispelled calamities and lifted misfortune, bringing peace to the people. More than two hundred years have now passed, and this tradition has gradually declined.

In the Renwu year of the Zhiyuan era under the Yuan dynasty, the court ordered Longxing Circuit to be renamed Longxing. In the fifth month of that year, an incident took place on a sandbar outside Zhangjiang Gate.

That autumn, as the Master passed by Xieyou Ridge on West Mountain, he met Hu, a Celestial Master of the Cavern of Perfection, an honorific title in Daoism. Hu told him his name. The Master bowed and asked, “Celestial Master, why are you here?” Hu replied, “Longsha has already risen, and the great teaching of Pure Brightness is about to flourish. Eight hundred disciples should appear, and you will be their teacher. On the Gengshen day of the twelfth month in the Bingshen year, the Perfected Lord will descend upon your home at midnight. How will you meet the True Lord? It is midnight now, so I have come especially to tell you.” With that, he vanished. The Master secretly rejoiced.

The following spring, the Master met Hu again on Yulong Forbidden Mountain and went forward to pay his respects. Hu said, “I have come again to convey the Perfected Lord’s will. You may go to Wujing Plain on Zhonghuang Hall Mountain in the heart of West Mountain, build the Yuzhen Altar, and live there in seclusion to cultivate the Dao. You should know that the Perfected Lord was born from the Solar Emperor. Immortal accounts say that at his birth there was an auspicious dream of a golden phoenix carrying a pearl, but this is not what truly happened. In fact, the Golden Crow within the sun released its vital essence, which became Qi in the heavens and condensed into physical form on earth. When heaven and earth first opened, it descended to Hongjing; later it came to Haicang. When the Perfected Lord descended into the world, it came down from the land of Fusang, pierced the summit of Mount Kunlun, then traveled underground along the wind wheel and water abyss, and finally rose from the Well of Hongya, answering to the Qi of West Mountain. That is why this place is called Wujing Plain.”

The two lords of the sun and moon mentioned here were charged with recording the affairs of the Perfected Lord, as proof for transmitting the Dao to later generations. Wherever the Perfected Lord is, myriad spirits protect him. His appearances and transformations cannot be controlled by human power. The Perfected Lord was born on the twenty-eighth day of the first month, a Wuwu day, in the Jiwei year of the Chiwun era of the Wu kingdom. That is why this place is called Wujing Plain. Jiwei belongs to Fire, while the primordial Wuwu in heaven symbolizes the sun; the Jiwei year that followed symbolizes the birth of its residual Qi. The first month signifies that the human way begins with the Yin month, while the twenty-eighth day signifies that the moon, nearing darkness, shines anew. Heaven’s will opened the path of the immortals, making the year correspond with Chiwun. Later, when snakes were slain at Haihun, a red crow flew past, which also accorded with this. Now the immortal cycle is about to turn again, and Wujing Plain will come into view. In the year of the Green Goat, at the time of the Upper Primordial era, you will be able to guard Mount Lu from within the Purple Clarity Palace, and the great teaching of Pure Brightness will flourish.”

Hu then explained the principles of Pure Brightness to the Master. After some time, he took his leave. By the time the Master came out of the mountain, two days had passed.

From then on, the master devoted himself with still greater diligence and vigor. At Xiaoxing, he established the Tengsheng Daoist Monastery and taught the people through the good way. People from near and far heard of him, admired him, and came to follow his teachings.

On a jiazi day in the eleventh month of the jiawu year, he met Guo, the Immortal Earl of the Water Court. Guo taught him the art of “mapping mountains and laying out waters”—the methods for constructing and planning ritual sites in accordance with the features of mountains and rivers. Later, the master visited Wujing Plain on Huangtang Mountain and indeed found the former dwelling of the Daoist Wei. It had once been a place where the Perfected Lord practiced cultivation, as well as the retreat of Master Zhang of Hongya, who belonged to Ziqing. The master exchanged farmland for the site, chose a place to build a house, and settled there. The numinous official Deng presented him with a poem: “In seeking the old traces of Hongya, he fulfilled the prophecy of Songsha.” This was what the poem referred to.

On a jia-yin day in the first month of the jiwei year of the Yuanzhen era, the master’s spirit traveled to the Jade Perfected Court. There he met the Perfected Lord, Master Zhang, and Master Hu. The three perfected immortals had just returned from paying homage at the Jade Perfected Court, and the master bowed to them. The Perfected Lord told him to ask to see the “Yang Crow.” Master Zhang then drew a three-legged crow from his sleeve and showed it to him.

In the gengshen year of the Shangyuan era, the master went to Ziqing with his disciples Wang Zhen ding and Fang Gongcheng. They climbed the Pahong Tower, burned incense, and prayed silently. They smelled a strong sulfur odor, so they waited by the railing. Suddenly, a streak of light fell into the incense burner. Looking inside, they found Wujing. It was about the size of a coconut, neither like iron nor stone, glossy black in color and heavy in substance. The master took it and kept it. That night, Master Hu transmitted the Great Dao to him and said he would return to Ziqing at the end of the following year. He told the master to inform his disciples that the Master-Lord was about to descend, and to gather together to await and welcome him.

On a gengshen day in the twelfth month, Wang Zhen ding, Fang Gongcheng, Hu Ciyou, and others gathered at the master’s home. The master said, “Someone bound to us by deep affinity will come of his own accord, without being summoned.” That night, heavy snow fell. At the beginning of the first watch, Huang Yuanji, a ritual master from Yulong Palace, suddenly arrived. The master asked him, “The weather is bitterly cold, and the year is nearly over. What brings you here from so far away?” Huang Yuanji replied, “Last night I dreamed that Celestial Master Hu told me there was an important matter at Liu Yuzhen’s home and that I should hurry there, so I came.”

The master and his disciples then lit bright torches, burned incense to fumigate the altar, and waited with sincere devotion. At midnight, as the master gazed into the sky, the Master-Lord suddenly descended. He immediately led his disciples down the steps to greet him with bows. Yellow clouds filled the air, neither like smoke nor mist, and surrounded the Master-Lord as he rose into the hall. The Master-Lord transmitted the Record of the Jade Perfected’s Numinous Treasure Altar. At the bottom of the paper he wrote: “To the disciple Liu Yuzhen: on the morning of the first day of the first month, a jiazi day in the dingyou year, ascend the mountain summit to transmit the Supreme Way.” Soon afterward, the vision faded. Guo then transmitted the altar memorial, the document used to establish an altar and perform rites.

On New Year’s Eve, the weather was cold and overcast, and the snow continued to fall. The master purified himself through fasting and waited for the perfected immortals to descend. After midnight, the door of the mountain hall opened, and a divine being clad in armor and wearing a helmet came before him, saying, “The Perfected Lord summons you.” The master took a lantern and climbed the mountain. Looking up, he saw the stars shining clearly. Before long, the immortal retinue descended. The master gazed up at them and bowed, then offered dates and oranges laid on cypress leaves.

The Perfected Lord told him, “This mountain overlooks Luangang to the south and leans against Heling to the north. When I practiced cultivation here long ago, I paid homage to the Most High here. The Most High commanded the two Lords of the Sun and Moon to descend to this place and transmit the Supreme Way to me. That is why it is called the Numinous Treasure Altar of Homage to Heaven. Now I too shall transmit to you the True Teaching of the Central Yellow Great Way of the Eight Extremities. You must receive it with reverence.

“Of my eight hundred disciples, you are the foremost. Your names have long been recorded among the eight hundred grotto-heavens of Hualin, engraved on blue jade and suspended high above the cinnabar cliffs. You must also urge your disciples: do not deceive your own hearts, do not harm living beings, keep loyalty and filial devotion in your hearts, and always be ready to help and save others. When your merit and practice are complete, you will all meet in the grotto-heavens. What could be more joyful?

“If you devote yourselves to carrying out these teachings, each of you will receive blessings in keeping with the degree of your cultivation and accumulated De, and in the end you will not sink into ruin. But if anyone refuses to discipline himself, beginning with diligence and ending in negligence, he will suffer the calamity of wind-blades. You are now spreading the teachings and accumulating merit. After passing through three lifetimes, you will refine away your Yin and impure Qi and ascend to immortality in broad daylight, equal to you and me. Strive, strive.”

With that, the Perfected Lord rose into the sky and departed. The master bowed as he saw him off, gazing upward for a long time. He returned only when the figure had vanished from sight.

On a jiawu day in the tenth month, the master was staying at the Qingyi Hall of Yulong. On a bingshen day, Master Hu came again to transmit Daoist methods and explain the essentials of the Three-Five Flying Steps and Zhengyi’s Method for Cutting Down Evil. “Flying Steps” refers to carrying out rites by following prescribed steps; “Cutting Down Evil” is a Zhengyi method for driving away evil spirits and dispelling harmful influences.

From this point on, he began to expound the Great Dao and instruct later students. The cultivation methods he transmitted that day concluded at sunset. On the Jiawu day in the tenth month, he stayed at the Qingyi Hall in Yulong. On the Bingshen day, Lord Hu came again to transmit Daoist methods and explain the essentials of the Five-Three Flying Steps and the Orthodox Unity rite for cutting down evil. The Five-Three Flying Steps are ritual movements in which Daoists tread the astral patterns; cutting down evil in Orthodox Unity refers to rites for expelling demons and suppressing harmful spirits.

The methods he taught took loyalty and filial piety as their foundation. Their chief aims were reverence for Heaven and respect for the Dao, saving the living, and delivering the dead. They were concise and uncomplicated. His disciples asked, “The methods transmitted earlier by the True Lord He were rather elaborate, but what you teach now is extremely brief. Why are they different?” The master replied, “In the Shaoxing era, the immortal opportunity was still far off, so for a time we relied on ritual arts to aid the people and spread the teachings; the methods were therefore more elaborate. Now Longsha has appeared, and the immortal opportunity is near. The people urgently need to be delivered, so we spread the teachings through the Dao, and the methods have become simpler. That is the difference. But both ultimately lead to the same foundation, so there is no need to doubt.”

He also told his disciples, “Through ties from previous lives, you and I have been fortunate enough to encounter the teachings of the Great Dao. The joy of this is beyond words. The Jinglu is now largely prepared. First, we should offer blessings together for long life, to express our loyalty; then we should remember our forebears, to make filial piety manifest. As long as you cultivate yourselves, act with care, accumulate De, and follow the Dao, you can have a clear conscience. I will now sincerely pray to the Master Lord on your behalf: may he send down the essence of the sun and the radiance of the moon to refine and deliver your departed ancestors, freeing them from their burdens in the netherworld.”

One day in the tenth month, he ascended the Chaotian Altar, burned incense and made his memorial offering, then sat on the ground in stillness, gathering his spirit. He placed two ceramic vessels on the altar. Before long, beams of flying light appeared in the east and west, like golden threads descending from the edge of the sky into the vessels. The liquid on the left was like cinnabar; the fluid on the right was like mercury. He used these liquids to write talismans and registers. When the rite was over, nothing remained. Seven days later, the disciples all dreamed that their ancestors said they were grateful to the True Lord for rescuing and refining them anew. They had passed from Yin back to Yang and had already ascended to the ranks of the immortals.

On the gengshen day of the tenth month the following year, Lord Guo came again to transmit Daoist methods. Lord Deng also often came to discuss the Book of Changes, and the master therefore had an especially profound understanding of it. Fang Gongcheng once discussed hexagram lines, images, and number theory. That night, a sudden gust of wind blew out the candle. The master gave a gentle puff, and the candle relit. Fang Gongcheng asked in amazement, but the master calmly said, “You speak of the Book of Changes in texts, but you do not yet understand the Book of Changes within the body. Once you understand its principles, even what has gone out can shine again. What is strange about that?” Fang Gongcheng immediately bowed and asked to become his formal disciple.

In his daily life, the master often met and conversed with groups of immortals. He was especially close to Lord Zhang, Lord Hu, Lord Guo, and Lord Deng. Lord Zhang once invited him to Hongjing. He tossed his fan into the water and commanded it to float on the surface and carry them across. Lord Zhang also gave him a formula for a wish-fulfilling elixir, telling him to gather sweet flag from Hongjing and prepare medicine to treat the sick. Lord Guo once took him on a tour of the water palace. There he saw a huge blue monkey chained beneath the gate. Lord Guo pointed to it and said, “This is Wuzhiqi, whom the Great Yu confined.”

The Master’s reputation for cultivating the Dao grew ever greater, yet he became increasingly humble and unassuming. From time to time, he prayed for blessings on behalf of others, warded off calamities, and dispelled misfortune, always employing wondrous methods. The Hidden Truth Grotto, the True Serenity Hermitage, and other places were built in succession, while various secret teachings and essential methods were gradually transmitted.

In the first month of the great Dazhi Wushen year, on the Dingmao day, he cast a black crystal—a Daoist token or ritual object—into Hong Well and said, “Someone deeply bound by fate will naturally obtain it.” He then entrusted the responsibility for transmitting the teachings to Huang Yuanji and told him, “I came into this life at the beginning of the great enterprise of Daoism. When I appear in the world again, I will meet with eight hundred disciples. My allotted years are now nearly spent. After I die, please cremate my body in the quiet of night and bury the ashes at Zhaoxian Plain; three years later, move the burial to an island.”

On the Guisi day of the second month, he went to bid farewell at Ziqing Palace and Cuiyan Temple. On the Jiawu day, he appeared ill, and his disciples all hurried to gather around him. At dawn on the Bingshen day, he rose and sat upright on his couch. At noon, he raised his hand in greeting, then lay down on his side beside the couch and died. He was fifty-two years old. His disciples carried out his funeral arrangements according to his final instructions. Three years later, when they opened the tomb to inspect it, they found it empty.

The Master’s learning took the rectification of the heart and sincerity of intention as its foundation, and was put into practice through action. He did not affect an air of superiority to appear noble, nor did he bend his words to please others. He spoke no falsehoods and was not given to many words. Everything he said concerned heavenly principles and the moral instruction of the world. He fully understood the central teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, taking Laozi’s teaching as his guiding principle. His writings included the Recorded Sayings of Jade Truth and the Secret Essentials of Pure Brightness, comprising 137 sections in all.

Inscription on the Stele of Master Zhonghuang

Huang Jun Yuanji, courtesy name Xiwen, was born into a distinguished family in Fengcheng, Yuzhang. His father was named Huang Liangjun, and his mother’s surname was Wu. At the age of twelve, he entered Yulong Wanshou Palace and served Venerable Master Zhu of the Qingyi Hall. After Master Zhu’s death, he followed Venerable Master Wang Yuehang. Master Wang took a liking to him and taught him the cultivation of the Dao.

Master Wang was disciplined and immaculate, poor and frugal, with the bearing of an ancient sage. He was also skilled in medicine. He gave away the proceeds from his medical practice, and whenever his savings grew slightly, he would close his doors and turn away those seeking treatment. Xiwen asked to learn medicine, hoping to make it his profession, but Master Wang refused. “It is not that I begrudge teaching you,” he said. “The art of medicine is exceedingly subtle. A lapse in judgment could cause someone to die because of me, so it is no simple matter. I do not believe medicine should be used as a means of profit. Fortunately, I have been able to set this skill aside, seeking only to make fewer mistakes. I truly fear it could bring trouble upon you. You would do better to return and seek the Way of stillness, so that you may accomplish something.” Master Wang later died.

After a long time, there was a Master Liu Yuzhen in the Western Mountains. He was a virtuous old Confucian scholar who lived in seclusion in a remote place and had encountered extraordinary spiritual events. He said, “The thousand-year-old prophecy of Longsha, made by Lord Xu of Jingyang in the Jin dynasty—Xu Xun—has now reached the time of its fulfillment. Master Liu is the foremost of the eight hundred immortals.” Master Liu especially esteemed Xiwen and believed the Daoist teachings could be entrusted to him. When he was about to die, he entrusted the lineage to Xiwen.

Master Liu’s teaching took the cleansing and clarification of the original mind as its foundation, and gave priority to loyalty and filial piety in self-cultivation and conduct. Xiwen served Master Liu as he would his own father, and Master Liu’s wife as he would his own mother. Even when traveling far, he always informed them of his plans beforehand. He followed Master Liu’s instructions with the reverence one would show in the presence of Heaven, Earth, and the spirits. Later, he chose a site in the mountains and established three altars: Yuzhen, Yinzhen, and Dongzhen. There he transmitted the Daoist teachings to his disciples.

In the third year of the Zhizhi era, Xiwen brought Master Liu’s teachings to the capital. Many senior officials, nobles, and scholars treated him with respect and sought his guidance; all praised and admired him. The following year, the era name changed to Taiding, and the thirty-ninth Celestial Master Zhang of the Han lineage came to court. Court officials recommended Xiwen, saying, “Master Zhonghuang is upright and resolute, and skilled at handling affairs. He once served as superintendent of a Daoist monastery, where he managed the community with great strictness, causing some people to dislike him. Yet the monastery’s agricultural yields increased and its buildings were repaired and put in order, all through his fair and effective administration. Those who had once disagreed with him later came to praise and befriend him. After that, he studied the teachings of loyalty and filial piety from Jingyang under Master Yuzhen. He set aside his status, returned to a state of harmony and simplicity, and became a man of broad understanding. He should receive special recognition.”

The court therefore issued an edict appointing Xiwen “Dharma Master Who Purifies the Brightness, Honors De, and Promotes the Dao,” and ranked him among the eminent figures of the religious community. Yulong Wanshou Palace had planned to invite him to oversee its ritual practice and administrative affairs, but before this could happen, the Grand Master of the Xuanjiao school kept him at Chongzhen Wanshou Palace. A year later, the Grand Master intended to submit his title to the court and present the emperor’s edict of appointment. Xiwen, however, remained there peacefully, considering it his duty only to make his master’s teachings clear. His saying, “Clear emptiness comes day by day, and all impurities are cleansed,” perhaps came close to describing this state.

On the eleventh day of the twelfth month, Xiwen wrote letters of farewell to his disciples Chen Tianhe and the others. He told his attendants, “At midnight tonight, I will depart.” When the time came, his attendants informed him. Xiwen said, “I am returning to the ruins of Yuzhen. Tomorrow, outside the eastern gate of the city, purify my remains by fire. When the firewood has burned away and the flames have died, if a south wind blows, it will be my answer to you.” This is exactly what happened. His attendants carried his ritual sword on their backs, preparing to take it to the Western Mountains for burial.

Xiwen lived to the age of fifty-five and had been a Daoist priest for forty years. Among the disciples he guided were Chen Tianhe, Liu Zhenchuan, Xiong Xuanhui, Liu Sifu, and Huang Tongli. Many received from him the teachings of the Jingming tradition on loyalty and filial piety; there are too many to name individually.

Master Zhao of Zhongshan was a man of the Dao. He had once come with Xiwen and asked someone to compose an epitaph for him. Out of respect for Master Zhao’s request, I have written this inscription:

The old ruins of the Western Mountains were the abode of ancient immortals;

Their wondrous traces appeared and vanished, through two periods of five hundred years.

The Yang essence, the refined substance of brightness and Yang Qi, shone forth, revealing its marvels;

I received his transmission and inherited the mysterious De of the Dao.

His deathless longevity could serve as a model for the world;

Then suddenly he departed, his path impossible to trace.

In words of golden sound and jade luster, I compose this inscription for him,

Declaring that he has returned to the realm of truth and rests in the land of the Infinite.

Dan Jiongzi, also known as the Daoist Dan Jiong, was surnamed Xu and named Yi. He was also called Hui, and his courtesy name was Ziqi. He was born at the hour of the Tiger on the twenty-seventh day of the eighth month in the xinmao year of the Zhiyuan era under the Yuan. He married a woman of the Liu family, and they had a son named Shijin. His ancestors were a prominent family in Fengcheng. Later, they took up official posts in Luling and settled there.

His grandfather, Master Yugu, was upright in conduct and widely learned. He had earned a name in the civil examinations under the Southern Song, but both his sons died young. Ziqi lost his father in childhood, yet was exceptionally bright and wanted no company with ordinary people. He often shut himself away to read and sat upright for entire days. His grandfather took him to visit Master Liu Yangwu, the direct heir in the Xuxi line, who was skilled at judging literary works. Liu recognized Ziqi’s talent, an honor for the literary world. On Ziqi’s first visit, Liu asked what he studied, then gave him a subject for a poem. Ziqi composed it at once, to Liu’s great admiration. Drawing on Du Fu’s praise of the Xu family’s exceptional children in “Song of the Two Sons of Master Xu,” Liu changed his name to Ziqi and wrote a preface to his poetry collection. He praised Ziqi’s five-character verse as spare and subtle, with a distinctly archaic flavor, and his regulated verse as nimble in its shifts, fluent, and graceful. These qualities came both from natural talent and from later study.

In the spring of the wuwu year, Ziqi went to the capital to pursue his studies. His writing and learning won the admiration of Censor Li Yifei, Director Ma Jiugao of the Court of Imperial Regalia, Right Chancellor Qifeng, Grand Councilor Daci Du, and others. Through them, he came to know many distinguished scholars and prominent figures at the heart of the court. In the spring of the guihai year, Emperor Yingzong ordered the selection of people skilled at writing scriptures in gold ink. Several hundred candidates sat the examination, and Ziqi ranked among the highest. The project was soon set aside.

Later, Ziqi heard that Master Zhonghuang had received the Dao of the Pure Brightness of the Perfected Immortal of the Capital and was living at Chongzhen Palace. He went to study under him. On meeting Ziqi, Master Zhonghuang said he had dreamed of him the night before, and that their meeting seemed bound by a past-life affinity; together, they should spread the Daoist teachings. Ziqi thus learned Master Zhonghuang’s subtle teachings of the Eight Extremes. He then went to Changchun Palace to study under Perfected Lan, where he grasped the Quanzhen teaching of Wuwei (non-action). He was also granted the title “Dharma Master of Pure Brightness, Matched with the Dao, Spiritually Manifest and Efficacious.” From then on, he no longer cared for rank or reputation. Recommendations from powerful court officials and repeated summons could not sway him.

In the spring of the jiazi year, he decided to return home to care for his aging mother. For more than twenty years, he served her devotedly, staying by her side with a gentle expression and tending to her daily needs according to her wishes. After she died, he also carried out her funeral rites properly. When he first returned home, an epidemic was raging in the household, and some people urged him not to go back. Ziqi replied, “How can someone who has already reached his own door fail to enter the hall and pay his respects to his mother?” He went in all the same. It is said that the fearsome malign spirits in the house soon dispersed, and the sick recovered as though they had never been ill. The biographer remarks that without profound cultivation of the Dao and deep De, matters could not have settled so quickly.

That year also brought a severe drought, and the villagers asked him to pray for rain. After he prayed for the region, the hardship eased. More and more people came to seek him as a teacher and study the Dao. Many were learned scholars, and even people in their sixties or seventies wanted to follow him, saying, “I want to learn the Dao.” Ziqi was generous and forthright, valued integrity, kept his word, and was skilled at explaining and guiding others. When discussing abstruse principles, he analyzed them closely and traced their origins, making his explanations feel penetrating and apt. For decades, whenever drought or flood, poor harvests or abundance troubled the villages across hundreds of miles, people asked him to pray, and he went. His biography says that his prayers were often answered by thunder and rain: drought-stricken land yielded good harvests, and overcast skies cleared. He also treated the sick among the people, drove away malaria, and dealt with many strange disturbances, such as pig-people wailing and wood spirits causing trouble. The biography attributes these deeds to his unflagging discipline in cultivation, whose inner effects naturally appeared outwardly.

Scholars often called him Master Qifeng, or the Daoist Dan Jiong. His dwelling was quiet and bright, and he named it “Dan Jiong.” Lord Zhang of the Liu kingdom wrote the inscription and a record about it. His poetry collection, titled A Cup of Water, Jade Firmament, had a preface by Lord Teng. The books he taught, including Pure Brightness and Loyalty and Filial Piety, had long been printed and circulated. The ritual texts he composed himself were dignified and elegant, and several volumes of them circulated in the world.

In the spring of the gengyin year, he sent a poem to Luo Wenkui of the Inner Preceptor’s Office, recalling their earlier days listening to rain in a long corridor and writing with sweeping strokes. He lamented that a century of life was like a dream and worldly affairs like clouds, and asked after his old friend. He also sent a poem to Sheng Ximing, an envoy of the Censorate, saying that they had been apart for more than ten years but could still exchange letters across a thousand mountains. Each person’s fortunes in life had their allotted measure; wealth and rank could easily change the bonds of friendship. He urged his old friend to cherish what he had learned throughout his life. At the parting of his disciple Zhong Yanwen, he wrote that he was now exactly sixty and, content with his place, sought nothing more; that spring grass by a dreamlike pond stirred poetic feeling, while the moonlight filled the tower as he sang of plum blossoms in the Jiangnan winter; that from that day a new beginning was counted, though the mind of old age was no longer as it had been in youth; and that once the elixir was refined, he would be free to visit grottoes and famed mountains as he pleased.

He also inscribed a verse on his own portrait: “In life, I am you; after death, you are me. Between these two, who truly recognizes the original me? The moon does not dwell in the center of the water’s ripples; it may be reflected anywhere across the four seas and five lakes.” Through the portrait and the moon’s reflection in water, he expressed his reflections on bodily form and the true self.

On the fifteenth day of the fifth month, he asked his disciple Xiao Shangxian to offer thanks on his behalf to the celestial generals and clerks of his religious lineage. He also held a jishi, a food offering ceremony for the spirits and wandering souls, and gathered villagers and friends to say farewell. During the gathering, he spoke a few words to the guests. At noon the next day, he asked for paper and brush and wrote his death verse: “This stinking skin-bag, once cast aside, will have nothing to hold it back. My body is in a blazing red furnace, yet my mind is beyond the bright moon and clear breeze.” He then threw down the brush, sat upright, and died. The biography says that a jade-colored tendon more than a foot long flowed from his nose. When they looked again a short while later, he had passed away. He lived in the world for sixty years and guided several hundred disciples.

The first scroll of The Complete Book of Pure Brightness, Loyalty, and Filial Piety ends here.

The Complete Book of Pure Brightness, Loyalty, and Filial Piety, Scroll Two

Compiled by Huang Yuanji, a Dharma Master who transmitted the teachings of Pure Brightness; collated and corrected by Xu Hui, a disciple of the later lineage.

“Record of the Altar of the Jade Perfected and Numinous Treasure,” written by Xu Xun.

The numinous and splendid Qi of Zhongling gathered on the Western Mountain, forming a great treasure. The Western Mountain brings together the vital essences of ancient and modern times; it is an important place between Heaven and Earth where immortals dwell. Most people of the Dao emerged from here. After I received the Supreme Dao of Pure Brightness, Zhang Hongya, Hu Baisu, and others also followed the same Dao as I did.

There are prophecies about Longsha and records about Songsha; both speak of the Western Mountain’s hidden secrets of the Numinous Treasure. A phoenix flies before it, and an immortal crane stands behind it. The dark crystal is stabilized, and the immortal lineage is continued. What is this wondrous and numinous thing? At first it was called “Great Simplicity.” When Heaven and Earth separated, its essence became manifest, and the Numinous Treasure took form. It is therefore a treasure endowed with numinous power. In Heaven it is called the “Yellow Center,” on Earth the “Dark Crystal,” and within the human body the “Cinnabar Gate,” a place symbolizing the gateway to the numinous in Neidan cultivation. Only if one cherishes this Numinous Treasure will its efficacy appear; if one does not cherish it, it will not manifest its power.

If a person of the Dao can treasure this Numinous Treasure, they will naturally possess tier upon tier of lofty halls. Through inner contemplation of the Yellow Court, the abode of the deities and organs within the body, and by moving according to the “Three-Five Flying Steps,” a practice used in Daoist visualization and ritual footwork, the spirits will present their reports at Jade Capital, the residence of the Celestial Emperor. In this way, one can align with a thousand years of good fortune and attain the allotment of eight hundred years of immortal life, riding a crane to and from the Jade Palace and cooking phoenixes for food at the Jade Pool. In their eyes, the pearls and treasures of the mortal world are no more than a shard of tile between Heaven and Earth.

I have a disciple named Master Jade Perfected, who came at my request to seek out the ancient sites. If he can cherish this Numinous Treasure, his numinous nature will become manifest. Among the eight hundred assembled perfected ones are those called Jade Perfected, Hidden Perfected, and Cavern Perfected. Though Numinous Perfected and Treasure Perfected bear different titles, they all return to the true Dao. When the perfected ones gather their spirit and Qi, the Golden Crow, the divine bird symbolizing the sun, gives birth to numinous life; when the Numinous Treasure gathers its vital essence, the Jade Rabbit, the divine creature symbolizing the moon, reveals its form.

Heaven bestowed this Dao, and Earth brought forth this treasure. Cherish it and cultivate it, and Heaven and Earth will unite. Follow the teachings of the assembled perfected ones, and you will carry on my work. A person of the Dao is not entangled by worldly disturbances. Able to assist this Dao, they cut down evil and subdue violence, their merit extending throughout the cosmos and surpassing Jade Clarity, one of the Three Pure Ones. Is this not a great achievement?

Thereupon, I composed this inscription:

The Golden Crow circles through the heavens, spreading its radiance; in the land of Hongjing, auspicious signs appear. Zhongling gathers all that is numinous and graceful, while Longsha gives rise to outstanding people. Only after eight hundred years did the Lingbao treasures—scriptures and ritual implements honored in Daoism—come to be obtained. Yuzhen, a virtuous immortal, withdrew from the world and cultivated De; thus, she established her own dwelling.

The Teaching of the Great Dao of Pure Brightness on Transforming the Ordinary World

Pure Brightness is the formless Great Dao, the foundation of all things before Heaven. In Heaven, it is called “Supreme Clear Emptiness”; between Heaven and Earth, it is called “Central Yellow Eight”; within the human body, it is called “Cinnabar Origin, Crimson Palace,” the place where the mind and spirit dwell. These three share one source and differ only in name. All are called profound mysteries: the source from which deep mysteries and myriad wondrous principles arise. To understand this is Pure Brightness.

Stillness and clarity are purity; emptiness gives rise to brightness. The realm of Supreme Clear Emptiness is Pure Brightness. “Central Yellow Eight” is the heart of Heaven and Earth, while “Cinnabar Origin, Crimson Palace” is the human heart. Heaven therefore takes “Central Yellow and the Eight Directions” as the means to receive and respond to the root of the Supreme. People, in turn, should be wholly loyal and filial, repaying the kindness of their ruler and parents. Loyalty and filial devotion are the foundation of the Great Dao. Thus, the exemplary person works at the root: once the root is established, the Dao grows from it. Filial care for one’s parents and respect for one’s elder siblings are the foundation of benevolence.

If one neglects the root and focuses only on cultivation, it is like a master craftsman with no materials: no matter how skilled, he cannot make an object. Only people like the great Shun and Bi Gan, without relying on cultivation, devoted themselves fully to loyalty and filial piety; they did not deliberately seek the Dao, yet the Dao was naturally complete within them. Even lowly jackals and wolves feel affection between parent and child, and ants observe the distinction between ruler and subject. If even animals understand loyalty and filial piety, how much more should people—and practitioners of the Dao—understand them?

The Great Dao of Pure Brightness teaches that there is one principle and one source, though they take different forms. The principle is one because, wherever people wish to go, they must enter and leave through a doorway. How, then, could people in the world fail to follow this Great Dao? The source is one, though its forms differ: the Dao gives rise to One, One gives rise to Two, Two gives rise to Three, and Three gives rise to the myriad things. Of all things, human beings are the most honored. If they are disloyal and unfilial, are they not worse than jackals, wolves, and ants? If they cannot attain Pure Brightness, are they not worse than dung beetles that drink dew?

All things receive the innate nature of this Great Dao of loyalty and filial piety. How could practitioners of the Dao fail to understand it? By the command of the Most High, I have established the gate of the Great Dao of loyalty and filial piety. This teaching is easy to understand and easy to practice, and it should be diligently spread. When people spread the Great Dao, this does not mean that the Dao cultivates something on their behalf. The key to cultivation lies not in meditating on Chan, questioning the Dao, retreating into the mountains, or refining the body. It lies in establishing the root through loyalty and filial piety, so that the heart becomes pure and clear. When the four virtues of loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and care are complete, the spirit gradually becomes open and luminous. Even without dedicated cultivation, the Dao will naturally be realized. Trust these words, and you can proceed directly to Pure Brightness.

The formless, limitless Great Dao—the source from which all things arise before they are differentiated—gives birth to the One. The One gives birth to the two forces of Yin and Yang; these two forces give birth to the Four Images, and the Four Images give birth to the Eight Trigrams (Bagua). These levels are collectively called the Central Yellow, the Eight Extremities, and the Nine Palaces. The Great Dao is established in the Central Yellow, while magical arts are deployed throughout the Eight Extremities. Yin and Yang stand in opposition; movement and stillness alternate, each corresponding to the other as inner and outer aspects. The Orthodox Way is held within the heart, while magical arts are used to govern the external world. When the heart is upright and all directions are governed, Heaven can be made clear and Earth peaceful.

The commentary says: “Limitless clarity and emptiness” is called “Pure Brightness” (Jingming), and the place where the Great Dao resides is called the “Central Yellow.” Magical arts deployed in the eight directions are called the “Eight Extremities.” The ritual steps that bring together the Four Images and orient toward the Three Heavens are called the “Flying Steps of Three and Five,” a magical rite performed according to directional and celestial principles. Uprighting the heart and governing the external world is called “Zhengyi’s Beheading of Evil.” Those who practice the arts and wish to govern the external world must first upright their hearts; to upright their hearts, they must first rid themselves of desires. Without selfish desires, the heart naturally returns to Zhengyi, or Orthodox Unity. Once the heart is upright, the Dao and its arts are complete.

After the Limitless comes the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji). “Limitless” refers to the state of pure clarity and radiance. The scripture says, “The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth; the named is the source of the myriad things.” Once the Supreme Ultimate divided, the two forms of Yin and Yang were established, and humanity came into being. Among all that lies between Heaven and Earth, humans are the most spiritually endowed; therefore, they are named alongside Heaven and Earth as the “Three Powers.”

Heaven and Earth have the nurturing of life as their fundamental intent, and people, too, should make the heart of Heaven and Earth their own. In the ancient, primordial age, the human heart was joined to Heaven and Earth, tranquil and practicing Wuwei (non-action). By the middle age, people could no longer maintain Wuwei, and outward manifestations gradually multiplied, though the teaching of pure clarity had not yet wholly declined. In the later age, people acted with deliberate effort, and their ways became increasingly varied—far removed from the state in which “the nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth.”

The Most High—a Daoist honorific for the supreme divinity—promoted the virtue of nurturing life and took pity on the varied circumstances of humankind. Thus, it became necessary to make the laws clear and to teach with compassion. “Law” means standards and restraints: restraining what is bad so that people return to goodness; restraining what is unkind so that they return to benevolence; and restraining disloyalty and lack of filial piety so that they return to loyalty and filial devotion. The teaching of pure clarity was transmitted by the Most High to the Two Lords of the Sun and Moon, and by them to Grand Historian Xu (Xu Xun, the founding patriarch revered by the Way of Pure Clarity). Grand Historian Xu then spread the teaching, ensuring its transmission.

Those who practice this method have accumulated profound merit and deeds before they can encounter this supreme teaching. You should carefully uphold its precepts and never violate them; revere it as you revere the divine, stand in awe of it as you do of thunder, and follow it with respect. In this way, you can return from the later state to the primordial state, and from the named to the nameless. It is like the sun and moon passing from darkness to brightness, Heaven and Earth welcoming daylight after night, or the seasons moving from winter into spring. The Dao is present in these transformations.

The teaching of pure clarity spread across the vast lands in every direction. Grand Historian Xu was lofty in his Daoist attainment and esteemed in virtue, with achievements extending throughout the Nine Provinces. Those who practice this method can also, when their merit and deeds are complete, attain the Hidden Jade Truth—a state of profound concealment and return to the Real described in Daoist teaching. They will embody the entirety of the methods of pure clarity and unite with the state of Wuwei.

“Memorial on Establishing an Altar to the Jade Truth” (by Guo Pu): “The numinous powers of Heaven and the treasures of Earth are brought to fulfillment through this; the Great Dao is concealed within the Jade Truth. At its generation, it is nameless; when it manifests, it follows its fixed destiny. Now, those who embody the entirety of the methods of pure clarity unite with Wuwei.”

Through this, the numinous treasures of Heaven and Earth are brought to fruition, while the Great Dao lies hidden in the Jade Truth—the Dao’s genuine, subtle essence. Its arising has no name, yet its manifestations follow their own patterns. Now an altar has been established at Huangtang Mountain to honor and uphold the Great Dao, pray for the nation’s long life, and repay the kindness of one’s parents. The Dao is present in these very acts. Master Xianjun set down the record, and I have composed a memorial to present it. The memorial says:

The Longsha prophecy foretells that an immortal will appear after eight hundred years; it all begins with the Jade Truth. Within the auspicious radiance of the Dark Crystal, seen once every three thousand years, lies the Lingbao—the scriptures and sacred treasures revered in Daoism. As the cycles of Qi are about to turn, an altar is established. The Whitewater Perfected One should be taught, so that all may once again follow this Dao together. Then look to the reclusive adept at Huang Mountain: he will accomplish works of special distinction. His name will be entered in the Laurel Register, his reputation will be fragrant, and that very day he will be recorded alongside the others in the Jade Register of the Immortal Realm. When the peaches of immortality ripen, they will all go together to feast in the Jade Palace.

End of volume two of The Complete Book of Pure Brightness, Loyalty, and Filial Piety.

Volume Three of The Complete Book of Pure Brightness, Loyalty, and Filial Piety

Compiled by Huang Yuanji, Dharma Master of the Pure Brightness Teaching

Corrected by Xu Hui, a disciple of the succeeding lineage

Collected Sayings of Master Jade Truth, Pure and Refined: Inner Collection

Someone asked, “There are many methods of cultivation, past and present. Why is only this teaching called ‘Pure Brightness, Loyalty, and Filial Piety’?”

The Master replied, “There is no other meaning. ‘Pure Brightness’ means setting the heart straight and treating others with sincerity. ‘Loyalty and filial piety’ means upholding ethical relationships and moral order. Scholars have simply heard these words so often that they often pay them no mind. Here, we strive to put them into practice.”

The Master said, “Great loyalty means deceiving nothing and no one. Great filial piety means caring for everything as though it were one’s own body.”

The Master said, “What is purity? It is to remain unstained by external things. What is brightness? It is to remain unmoved by external things. When one is unstained and unmoved, loyalty and filial piety will naturally be realized.”

The Master added, “Loyalty means loyalty to the ruler. The heart is sovereign over the myriad spirits; even a single thought that deceives one’s own original heart is disloyal.”

The master said, “Children who serve their parents may think they have done all they can, yet this alone does not amount to true filial piety. They must devote themselves wholeheartedly to filial conduct until their parents approve of it in their hearts. Then Heaven, too, will approve. Only when this is achieved can one be said to have moved Heaven through the Way of filial piety.”

Someone asked, “So much time has passed since antiquity, and the classics are so numerous. Those of us younger people with limited learning do not know where to begin in grasping their essential teachings. In the Jingming tradition of Daoism, what are the most important points in the teachings on correcting one’s mind and nature and cultivating oneself, and on true loyalty and the fullest filial piety? Master, please briefly offer us some guidance.”

The master said, “Since I began my studies and practice in my youth, I have put into practice just thirty words. Over the years, I have found them deeply beneficial and have truly drawn strength from them. I will now tell you what they are: ‘Restrain anger and curb desire; understand principle and let the mind remain clear. If the heart departs by even the slightest degree from the Heavenly Principle, hidden transgressions will follow. Even a moment’s utterance of deviant words will violate a prohibition and bring shame.’ This means: control anger and suppress desire; understand what is right and do not let the mind grow clouded. If the heart departs from the Heavenly Principle by even the smallest degree, transgressions will accumulate unseen. Even if one speaks deviant words for only a moment, one will violate a prohibition and incur shame.”

Someone asked, “Please explain these words in detail.”

The Master said: Human nature is originally bright and communicates upward with Heaven. Yet, over many lifetimes, it has gradually been shaped by habitual conditioning. When people give free rein to resentment and desire, act against what is right, and cloud their understanding of principle, they lose the proper Way of being human. How, then, could they stand alongside Heaven and Earth and be called the “Three Powers” (Heaven, Earth, and humanity)?

“Resentment” means more than anger and hatred. Jealousy, narrow-mindedness, an inability to make room for others, being harsh under the guise of discernment, and refusing to let even a small matter go—all these belong to resentment. If one becomes deeply alert to it and makes a sincere effort to root it out, broadens one’s heart, the fire of anger will naturally not arise.

“Desire” means more than lustful craving. Excessive affection, attachment to a person or thing, clinging to what is among the things of the world, or inwardly coveting something and being unable to let it go—all these belong to desire. If one can block desire at its source, where thoughts of attachment first arise, and remain clear-minded in one’s conduct, the waters of desire will naturally not overflow.

Yet to accomplish this, one must also understand principle. To understand principle is to keep the Heavenly principle within the heart from being obscured. When the heart holds the Heavenly principle, right principle is present within it. For example, to honor and love one’s parents is to remember this principle and one’s own origins—to understand that one has roots and a source. If someone stands between Heaven and Earth, grows from childhood to adulthood, yet does not know to honor, obey, and serve their parents, have they not lost their senses and their original heart? The same is true of failing to honor one’s ruler and teachers, of brothers lacking affection and respect for one another, and of friends neglecting trustworthiness and loyalty. Beyond these, whenever someone stubbornly upholds private interests and acts without regard for what is right, they are obscuring the Heavenly principle within their heart.

Once the Heavenly principle in the heart is obscured, it is like a bright mirror inexplicably covered with dust and ink. Such faults accumulate over time. A person may remain confused throughout life without realizing that their original heart has been obscured and their original spirit—the source of life and spirit—has been plunged into darkness. When they close their eyes in death, they will therefore fall into the shadowy realm, suffer for a long time, and find it difficult to escape.

Observe people in the world: those who give free rein to anger damage their harmony and harm themselves; those who give free rein to desire sink into decline and injure their spiritual nature; those who act against principle and obscure it see their original spirit grow weaker and their merit and blessings diminish, all without noticing. If they suddenly awaken and correct themselves at once, restraining anger will bring the heart’s fire downward; moderating desire will bring the Kidney Water upward; understanding principle and no longer obscuring the original heart will strengthen the original spirit and increase merit and blessings day by day. As Water rises and Fire descends, spirit and vitality harmonize and support one another. “True Earth,” a term in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) for the root that harmonizes and governs body and mind, serves as their master. This True Earth is the understanding of the “principle of the Yellow Center,” the fundamental principle of balance and harmonization. This is the teaching of rectifying the mind and cultivating oneself, and the true principle of loyalty and filial devotion. Through long practice, one can recover one’s original, pure, luminous nature. The Dao is found within it.

The twenty characters that follow are the Heavenly admonitions inscribed on the stone drum of Mount Wangwu. They describe a practice to be carried out quietly in daily life. Whenever one acts in even the slightest way contrary to the rules, the light of one’s original spirit is already being dimmed unseen. If such acts accumulate over time without repentance, the whole person will eventually become darkened.

One should also take care in conversation: speak only after making sure one’s words will not harm others. Even a phrase or half a sentence that goes against what is right calls for caution. Some people like to utter words that diminish their blessings, speaking freely and without restraint, unaware that spirits are listening in the void. The “ugly demons who patrol the void” mentioned in the scripture are the Flying Heaven Great Ugly Demon Kings described in the Scripture on Deliverance of Humanity. There are many such spirits. Commissioned by the High Emperor to assist the Three Officials—Heaven, Earth, and Water—they keep watch over people’s transgressions and frequently fly through the air to observe the human world. Speaking perverse words violates the prohibitions. This is what is meant by “Heaven is high, yet hears what is low.” But those who hear these words often take them as ordinary talk and pay them no heed. When someone gives rise to such thoughts and speaks them aloud, their merit and blessings diminish; as these diminish, calamity follows. These are consequences brought about by one’s own conduct. As the scripture says, “What one’s own karma has summoned, one must ultimately bear.” Given this, how could ordinary people fail to be cautious in every word and action? How much more so those who aspire to cultivate the Dao?

The Master said: People in this world often harbor a spark of anger, a flood of desire, and a tangle of selfish thoughts within themselves. Unable to restrain them, they obstruct many good things they might otherwise accomplish, yet sadly remain unaware of it. If they can bring these thoughts under control and practice for a long time, they will naturally experience firsthand the wonders of the true Yin-Yang and the transformations of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), and thereby attain the Dao.

The Master said: The great teaching of Jingming (Pure Brightness), the teachings of the Jingming Dao, accords with the principles of balance and centrality and can be practiced throughout the world.

The Master said: The Great Teaching of Pure Brightness, the teachings of the Pure Brightness tradition, is a learning that is centered and unbiased, in accord with the Great Dao. It can be put into practice throughout the world and passed down to later generations without causing harm. Its essential point is not to deceive or obscure one’s own heart, nor to damage one’s innate nature and life. This is true loyalty and the highest filial piety.

Serve your ancestors and care for your parents. Treat others with fairness and loyalty, and be upright and selfless; become a person of the highest moral character in the world. Each day, reflect again and again: looking up, be without shame before Heaven; looking down, be without shame before other people; and within your heart, have nothing to reproach yourself for. When difficult matters arise, handle them with clear understanding, as skillfully as Cook Ding carving an ox, responding aptly and appropriately at every step in accord with Heavenly principle. If you persist in this, rising early and retiring late, keeping loyalty and filial devotion always in your heart, then even if others do not know, Heaven will know. Do not scheme to obtain blessings deliberately. In time, the outcome you hope for will come of itself.

Understand that this teaching does not call for matted hair and dirt, or for sinking into stillness and emptiness. The ancients said, “There is no need to act in order to escape the world and become someone who violates human relationships and moral instruction.” They also said, “If you wish to cultivate the Dao of immortality, first cultivate the human way well.” I often see people in the world who claim to study the Dao yet spend all day scheming. They have not rid themselves of crooked and perverse thoughts, and their sinister, unrighteous conduct remains. Even if they speak constantly of yellow sprouts and white snow, black mercury and red lead—terms from Daoist alchemy—in the end it is all empty fantasy. Thus, among the countless thousands who study the Dao, not even one or two ultimately succeed. Why is this? Simply because they have not first put their hearts in order.

The ancients said, “A thousand empty words are worth less than one honest word.” Seeking immortality and studying the Dao is like building a fine house. First clear away the broken tiles and stones, cut down the brambles and weeds, tamp the ground, and lay a firm foundation. Then set the posts and beams, put on the roof, and smooth the walls, until the work is complete and the house is sound. If you leave the brambles and rubble uncleared and fail to level and tamp the ground, yet hurry to set posts and beams and build the roof and walls, then once wind and rain batter it and floods wash over it, the house will tilt and collapse, and all your labor will be wasted.

It is also like building a stone bridge across a river. First you must study the terrain and establish yourself on solid ground. Then, in a stable place, lay timber and set stones, secure the foundations, and build upward step by step. Only after laying and protecting the bridge deck will the foundations endure. Then even pounding waves, torrential rain, and fierce winds will not make the bridge sway. Its strength and durability have no other cause: its roots run deep and its footing is firm. How can those whose hearts are not good and whose foundations are shallow and unstable expect to achieve anything?

Only the Pure Brightness teaching of Lord Duxian Zhenjun, an immortal revered by the Pure Brightness tradition, takes loyalty and filial piety as the foundation of cultivation. It enables people to awaken suddenly to the heart’s original clarity and purity, and to strive to practice true loyalty and filial devotion in their own nature. In this way they become masters of the myriad spirits and models for later students. Those who cultivate themselves without deficiency and focus their minds, whose merit is complete and whose De is exalted and Dao revered, can ascend with their homes and remain imperishable for ten thousand years. This is in no way comparable to those who neglect inner cultivation and seek only outside themselves.

Why do I say this? Everyone already has Heavenly principle within the heart; they have simply not yet truly acknowledged or experienced it. A predecessor said, “When your heart is made upright, the Dao will acknowledge you; then you will be able to reveal yourself without a single flaw.” Think carefully about what is honest and upright and what is crooked; what is true and what is false. Do not presume that you have already attained the Great Dao. Strive to cultivate; strive to cultivate.

The Master said, “In the end, all the methods of this world are empty; only sincerity is real.”

The Master said, “In the heavens there is a realm called the ‘Central Yellow Eight Extremities’ (the central domain that governs the eight directions between Heaven and Earth), established to repay the supreme foundation. Its function is to separate and block the dark, turbid Qi of the middle and lower realms, preventing it from rising into the pure, empty domain. The human body also has a Central Yellow Eight Extremities, which likewise blocks the foul, turbid Qi of the lower burner (the lower part of the body), preventing it from steaming up into the heart chamber (the place where the heart resides). This refers to the diaphragm. The resentful, angry Qi produced by disloyalty and lack of filial piety in the world, if it reaches the Central Yellow Eight Extremities in the heavens, will transform into floods, droughts, and pestilence. Different kinds of Qi respond to one another according to their nature and bring about consequences; the same principle can be applied by analogy. Good fortune and misfortune have no fixed path; people bring them upon themselves. That is what this means. Only the Qi of loyalty and filial piety can reach straight into the pure, empty domain, like an arrow striking its target. Even baleful stars (stars that bring calamity) will retreat before it.”

The Master said, “When practicing the Daoist methods, one should maintain right mindfulness in the course of daily life and leisure. This is the work of setting the heart right. When the heart is upright, the Dao is within it. But if one’s intentions are crooked and one uses Daoist methods to drive out evil, one is helping evildoers do wrong. This brings no benefit and instead causes harm.”

Someone asked, “Since ancient times, those who studied the Dao and sought immortality have all spoken of cultivation. Why does the Jingming tradition (a Daoist school centered on purity, clarity, loyalty, and filial piety) speak of it so rarely?”

The Master said, “I conceal…”

The Master said, “I once heard the Perfected Lord Du (a revered Daoist deity and an important founding patriarch of the Jingming tradition) say that the Great Teaching of Jingming is about rectifying the heart and cultivating oneself. It is not what the world calls the practice of refining and nourishing Jing and Qi. To rectify the heart and cultivate oneself means to teach people to set their nature and thoughts in order. In ancient times, people were simple and honest, and worldly customs had not yet grown corrupt. Why would anyone have needed to set things in order or cultivate them? People’s words and actions naturally accorded with the Dao. Later, people gradually became deceitful, and customs steadily declined. In their actions, they often obscured their original hearts, remaining confused without realizing it, and could commit all kinds of wrongdoing.

“Some who aspire to the Great Dao refuse to work on their original hearts and restrain their selfish desires. Instead, they mistakenly take the refining and nourishing of Jing and Qi to be the highest and everlasting wondrous method. The Most High (a Daoist honorific for the Dao, also often referring to the Patriarch of the Dao) feared that the true Way would thereby become obscured, so he revealed this teaching to the Lords of the Sun and Moon, who in turn passed it on to the Perfected Lord Du. They did so in the hope that people who study the Dao in later generations would, through genuine loyalty and filial piety, return to their original state of purity and clarity. Nothing surpasses this in the wondrous work of cultivation: it is the teaching of returning to the ancient Way.

“Later, Celestial Master Hu reaffirmed that the foundation is to live by loyalty and filial piety, keeping the heart pure and clear. Once the four virtues, including loyalty and filial piety, are fully embodied, the spirits will gradually become responsive. There is no need for deliberate cultivation; one will naturally attain the Dao. These words are truly credible and can lead people toward the state of Jingming. If the words of the Perfected Lord Du and Celestial Master Hu cannot be trusted, what words can?

“People of the world often neglect the work of restraining selfish desires and rectifying their thoughts, turning instead to other methods of cultivation. They do not realize that trying to ascend to the heavens without first setting the heart in order is like walking backward while hoping to reach a destination ahead. Today, the Way of Jingming is widely taught. If discerning people can follow this teaching, they can be said to advance a thousand miles in a single day.

“By and large, those who live by loyalty and filial piety and keep their hearts pure and clear will find that their own nature and heart connect with and respond to Heaven’s ‘Yellow Central Dao Qi’ (the Dao Qi that resides at the center and harmonizes the myriad things). In time, they will unite with the Dao and realize their true nature, like all rivers flowing into the sea. How could one fail to devote oneself to this cultivation?”

The Master said, “Heaven has its celestial patterns, Earth its terrestrial forms, and people their human affairs. These are the principles of the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—and they have held true from ancient times to the present. There is no denying them. The Way of Pure Brightness does not reject the ordinary affairs of human life. It asks only that we rectify the heart and respond to things appropriately: when affairs arise, the heart should respond; in ordinary times, it should remain quiet.

“Someone asked: ‘The teaching says that Heaven established the Central Yellow Eight Extremities to repay the Supreme Root. What exactly are the Eight Extremities? Where are they located in the vast heights of the sky? I would be grateful if you would explain.’

“The Master said, ‘This is about first repaying the root, then returning to the source. “Supreme” refers to the Dao; the “Central Yellow Eight Extremities” refer to principle. Principle comes forth from the Dao. When one understands principle, one can repay the root. This is the teaching’s central meaning. The Perfected Lord of All Immortals once told me that within the Nine Palaces of the Central Heaven is a vision called the “Yellow Center Great One.” It is known as the “Heart of Heaven,” and also as the “Ancestral Earth.” It is the source from which all things in the world come into being and the place where all principles converge.

“Ultimately, this is formed after primordial chaos first opens, when accumulated Yang Qi rises, coils, and stretches on without end. It extends for 810,000 li and governs principle. The bodies and minds of people, along with the good and evil, merit and fault of their actions, are all illuminated by its light. Even things as tiny as a mustard seed, a jade tablet, or a grain of millet cannot…”