《大明玄天上帝瑞应图录》

It is often said that what is so vast as to be without form or trace is called “sage,” and that what extends everywhere without limit and is wondrous beyond all fathoming is called “Shen” (spirit). Thus Zhenwu, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven, is able to move between Heaven and Earth, to hold Yin-Yang in his sway, to pass in and out of being and non-being, and to transform past all prediction. Riding the sun and driving the moon, he raises the wind and stirs the thunder, now turning into rain and now becoming cloud. He can dispel disaster and avert misfortune, drive out malign Qi (vital energy), and bring auspicious omens, and he can also harmonize the four seasons and nurture the myriad things.

According to the Daoist scriptures, the deity Zhenwu was originally born by transformation from the primordial Qi of the Beginning Black, the Five Numina, the Mysterious Elder, Great Yin, and Celestial Yi. At birth he was already intelligent and numinous: he could hear and know of affairs far away, and he could clearly discern the most minute things. He devoted himself wholly to the Dao (the Way), and his aspiration accorded with the vast Great Void. Later he entered Mount Wudang to cultivate perfection and refine his practice. With undivided will, concentrating his Shen in cultivation, he at last moved the Primordial Lord of Jade Clarity to transmit to him the Unsurpassed Great Dao. When the merits of his cultivation were complete, he mounted a dragon and ascended, returning to his original station. From then on his name has shone through ten thousand generations, enduring as long as Heaven and Earth and shining together with the sun and moon.

Mount Wudang was formerly called Mount Taihe. Legend has it that this place was worthy to bear the awesome numen of the deity Zhenwu, and so it was renamed Wudang. The range stretches more than eight hundred li, with seventy-two peaks, thirty-six cliffs, and twenty-four ravines. The highest peak is called Tianzhu Peak, and the finest of the scenery is called Zixiao. The Southern Cliff meets the clouds above and overlooks a deep valley below, spanning a secluded grotto-heaven and rising above a blessed land. Both Zixiao and the Southern Cliff have palaces and monasteries. Thirty li north of the Southern Cliff stands the Five Dragons Palace, and another forty li on, at the foot of the mountain, stands Zhenqing Palace. All these establishments are places for sacrificing to the deities and praying for blessings.

In the warfare at the end of the Yuan dynasty, these palaces and monasteries were entirely destroyed. Weeds grew thick, bricks and tiles lay scattered, and for a long time no one restored them. Later, when the realm flourished, the Emperor Taizu Gao pacified the world with only a small force, and the deity Zhenwu secretly protected him, manifesting his numinous efficacy. When I raised troops to quell internal disorder, Zhenwu likewise assisted at my side, swift in action and thunderous in majesty, leaving clear proofs of his response. At the beginning of my reign the deity again bestowed favor many times, filling me with awe and gratitude. The langmei tree bore fruit once more, the harvests were abundant year after year, and auspicious omens of every kind appeared in succession—all of them extraordinary signs plain to see.

Day and night I hold this in reverent remembrance, yet I do not know how to repay the deity’s grace. I also think of the profound kindness of my father the emperor and my mother the empress in raising me, vast and boundless as the azure Heaven, impossible ever to repay in full. Mount Wudang is where the deity Zhenwu dwells, so I ordered my ministers to choose a fine site several tens of li east of the Five Dragons Palace and to build there the Jade Void Palace of the Mysterious Heaven. I further had built, at Zixiao, the Southern Cliff, and the Five Dragons, the Great Mystery Purple Empyrean Palace, the Great Sage Southern Cliff Palace, and the Flourishing Sage Five Dragons Palace, and I had a bronze hall cast atop Tianzhu Peak, its exterior adorned with gold, with divine images fashioned for worship in perpetuity.

From the beginning of construction until the work was completed, the deity Zhenwu manifested many times. Auspicious light illumined the sky, the peaks gave forth radiance, the plants and trees seemed all the brighter, and numinous Qi gathered and dispersed in changing forms. All these sights were seen with their own eyes, and people knelt in reverence one after another. The langmei bore several times as much fruit as before. From deep underground, long-hidden treasures came to light; a golden pestle leapt forth, Jing (essence) and Qi condensed, and a mysterious substance shone and flowed. These numinous signs appeared in abundance, more than can be recorded one by one. Such, in general, is the responsive efficacy of the deity Zhenwu.

I therefore appointed Daoist priests as superintendents to manage the various palaces and monasteries and to set the affairs of sacrifice in order, so as to express repayment to the deity. Above, this is to offer rites for the spirits in Heaven of my father, the Emperor Taizu Gao, and my mother, the Empress Xiaoci Gao; below, it is to pray for blessings for the subjects of the realm.

The deity roams within the formless immensity, and his transformations have no fixed direction. Wherever there is a stimulus, there is a response, and there is no place he cannot reach. Yet without these palaces and monasteries it would be hard to express my sincerity, and hard for the reverence of all under Heaven to have a place to rest. The clear and harmonious Qi of the mountains and rivers gathers here and accords, within and without, with the divine spirit. When the deity descends and comes and goes, looking back upon the places he once traveled, he will surely linger here as well. The building of these palaces and monasteries, then, truly cannot be dispensed with.

I respectfully set these matters down in writing and have them carved on a stone stele in the mountains, so as to make manifest the merits of the deity Zhenwu and transmit them through ten thousand generations.

On the third day of the twelfth month of the sixteenth year of the Yongle reign.

Imperial Edict

In the various palaces and monasteries of the Great Peak of Taihe Mountain (Wudang Mountain), there are those who devote themselves single-mindedly to cultivation. They quietly nourish their spirit (Shen), preserve their true nature, and hold exclusively to simplicity; they keep far from external disturbances and cut off dealings with worldly affairs. Their practice of quiet cultivation must not be disturbed for even a moment. All who come and go or wander about are forbidden to stir up trouble or make a clamor, disturbing their quiet cultivation or obstructing their cultivation of the Dao (the Way); those who violate this order shall be punished as for a grave offense.

If anyone is utterly sincere in heart, looks with admiration toward the path of cultivating the Dao, and wishes to transcend the mundane world, and if that person truly and earnestly investigates the truth and seeks instruction in the methods of the Dao, such a person does not fall under this prohibition.

If a Daoist priest does not attend single-mindedly to the affairs of his own teaching, stirs up trouble and harms others, or corrupts the rules left by the ancestral masters, then, where the circumstances are relatively light, he shall at once be reprimanded and expelled from the mountain gate; where the circumstances are serious, the matter shall be reported to the court and punished as a grave offense.

On the eighteenth day of the tenth month of the eleventh year of the Yongle reign.

Imperial Decree

The prohibition provides: if a Daoist priest does not attend single-mindedly to the affairs of his own teaching, stirs up trouble and harms others, or corrupts the rules left by the ancestral masters, then, where the circumstances are relatively light, he shall at once be reprimanded and expelled from the mountain gate; where the circumstances are serious, the matter shall be reported to the court and punished as a grave offense.

On the eighteenth day of the tenth month of the eleventh year of the Yongle reign.

Imperial decree.

Imperial edict to Zhang Yuqing, the Perfected One who inherits the teaching of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school (the transmission leader of the Zhengyi lineage):

Mount Wudang is a mountain renowned throughout the world, and the place where the Great Emperor Zhenwu (a revered deity of Daoism) attained the Dao (the Way), manifested efficacious signs, and moved and transformed the people. At the end of the Yuan dynasty, the palaces and temples on the mountain were all destroyed in the chaos of war, and the Daoist priests and hermits who cultivated and studied the Dao thereby lost their support.

With sincere reverence in my heart, I ordered palaces and temples to be built: above, to offer memorial rites for the spirits in heaven of the imperial father and imperial mother (my late parents); below, to pray for blessings for the people of the realm, so that wind and rain come in their proper seasons, disasters do not arise, the harvest is abundant year after year, and every household enjoys plenty.

The palaces and temples have now been completed, and the deities have repeatedly manifested auspicious and efficacious signs: a round divine radiance, bright and resplendent, displaying the five colors, with the divine images clearly appearing within the light. Hundreds of thousands of people saw this with their own eyes, and all marveled in astonishment. Names have now been bestowed: the Palace of the Jade Void of the Mysterious Heaven (Xuantian Yuxu Gong), the Palace of the Purple Empyrean of Great Mystery (Taixuan Zixiao Gong), the Palace of the Five Dragons of Rising Sageliness (Xingsheng Wulong Gong), and the Palace of the Southern Cliff of Great Sageliness (Dasheng Nanyan Gong).

Yet these famous mountains and sacred sites must be presided over and watched by Daoist priests of profound cultivation. Sun Biyun, of the Right Zhengyi rank, has already been appointed abbot of the Palace of the Southern Cliff of Great Sageliness; for the other three, you are each to select two persons of accomplished practice in the Dao to serve as abbots. Further select Daoist priests who are sincere and reverent and careful in observing ritual propriety—fifty for each place—to take charge of watching over them. If the full number cannot be chosen all at once, then assign to the four places however many have actually been selected, to keep watch. They are to cultivate with earnest diligence and to revive the Daoist teaching.

This edict is hereby issued.

The twenty-fifth day of the eighth month of the eleventh year of Yongle.

The Emperor commands Zhang Xin, Marquis of Longping, Mu Xin, the imperial son-in-law and commandant, and the others:

At present, Zhang Yuqing, the Zhenren (Perfected Person) who inherits the teaching of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school, has recommended Daoist priests and assigned the various Daoist officials. The Daoist official Ren Ziyuan and the Daoist priest Shao Qingfang are appointed tidian (officials in charge of temple affairs) of Xuantian Yuxu Palace; the eminent Daoist Zhou Weizhong concurrently serves as tidian, and Lin Ziliang serves as deputy of the palace. At Xingsheng Wulong Palace, Li Shizhong serves as abbot (presiding over the affairs of the temple), and the Daoist priest Hao Jizu serves as tidian. At Taixuan Zixiao Palace, Li Youyan and Hu Guya serve as tidian. At Dasheng Nanyan Palace, Sun Biyun of the Right Zhengyi has already been appointed abbot, with Wang Yizhong serving as tidian to assist him. The names of the temples in each place shall follow those listed in this edict. This is hereby made known.

The edict was issued on the eleventh day of the ninth month in the eleventh year of the Yongle reign.

The Emperor commands Li Suxi, a Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoist priest of Wulong Palace:

In former times, a lofty perfected one (a high-ranking immortal who had attained the Dao) cultivated the Dao (the Way) on the famous mountain of Wudang. He broke off a plum branch, planted it beside a lang tree, and prayed, saying, “When my cultivation of the Dao is accomplished, this branch will come back to life, blossom, and bear fruit, until the fruit is fully ripe.” Later this indeed came to pass. From that time on, people used this tree to foretell whether the year’s harvest would be abundant or poor: in years of peace and bumper harvest, its flowers and fruit flourished; in years of poor harvest, the tree blossomed but bore no fruit. The tree remains to this day. According to local elders, it had not blossomed or borne fruit for a very long time.

Recently you, Li Suxi, sent several hundred fruits and had someone present them. This is truly rare. Perhaps your sincerity moved the lofty perfected one; in praying for blessings on behalf of the state, you elicited the spirits to bestow this auspicious sign as a portent of a bumper harvest. For this reason, the court specially dispatches the Daoist priest Wan Daoyuan, bearing incense, to the ritual ground of the lofty perfected one to burn incense and offer worship, thereby repaying the divine favor. At the same time you are granted one bolt of colored satin, one set of silk inner and outer garments, and forty ingots of paper currency. You should exert yourself to the utmost and continue to pray for abundant blessings. This edict is hereby issued.

On the nineteenth day of the sixth month of the third year of Yongle.

The emperor issued an edict to Li Suxi, a Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoist of the Wulong Gong (Five Dragons Palace): Last year the Gaozhen—an honorific in Daoism for high-ranking divine perfected ones and immortal perfected beings—manifested an auspicious omen, and the langmei bore fruit, foretelling a bountiful harvest. You sent someone to present it, and this year the same thing has occurred again, which is truly rare. Consultation of the ancient books shows that the fruiting of the langmei sometimes happens only once in a hundred years and is therefore regarded as especially uncommon. That it has now appeared twice in succession within two years is entirely due to the Gaozhen’s protection of the state and to the sincerity of your prayers for blessing. We specially dispatch the Daoist Chen Yongfu, carrying incense, to the ritual sanctuary of the Gaozhen to offer thanks to the spirits. At the same time we bestow upon you one bolt of colored satin, one set of silk garments of outer and inner layers, and forty ingots of paper money. You should be all the more diligent and earnest in your progress, so as to attain the ultimate Dao (the Way). This edict is hereby issued.

On the fifth day of the seventh month of the fourth year of Yongle.

Brilliant radiance shone upon the yellow placard.

The latter half of the original text repeats such phrases as “the fifth day of the seventh month of the fourth year of Yongle” and “resplendent glory of the yellow placard,” and contains broken, repetitive wording such as “guoding” (“state ingot”), which is suspected to result from defective copying or typesetting and cannot be interpreted coherently.

By command of the present dynasty, Zhang Xin, Marquis of Longping, and Mu Xin, the imperial son-in-law and commandant-escort, led more than two hundred thousand soldiers, commoners, and craftsmen in raising palaces and temples on Mount Wudang. The emperor’s edict was written with the utmost clarity and posted in full upon yellow placards. On the gengzi day of the ninth month, in the autumn of the tenth year of Yongle, construction formally began. First they hung the yellow placards along the street before the Xuantian Yuxu Palace and built a tall pavilion to shelter them. Carved railings stood all around, coated in brilliant vermilion lacquer, so that the mountains and forests shone with uncommon brightness. Officials, soldiers, and civilians who passed beneath the pavilion were without exception solemn and reverent.

Reading the emperor’s edict with reverence, people understood that so vast a work as the building of these palaces and temples arose from the emperor’s sincere devotion, undertaken expressly to manifest and repay the grace of the deities who had protected the realm. Upward, it was to pray for blessings upon the spirits in heaven of Grand Emperor Taizu and Grand Empress Xiaoci; downward, it was to pray for blessings upon the people of the realm. The significance of the matter was indeed profound.

Thereupon the people of the prefecture, supporting the old and leading the young, gathered in wonder to watch the spectacle. The streets were packed with crowds, and word spread in every direction. Even those who lived in remote mountains and secluded valleys, together with Daoist priests and Buddhist monks, came in groups, each eager to see. Local elders all sighed with feeling, saying that never in their lives had they beheld such a sight.

Thereafter a bright radiance often shone from the pavilion into the sky. Auspicious clouds encircled it, and rosy rays of light answered one another. Rare birds and transcendent cranes flew back and forth, crying as they wheeled. The Marquis of Longping, the imperial son-in-law, and the scholars and common people congratulated one another, saying: “Of all the palaces and temples raised through the ages, none has been grander than today’s. Heaven and the human world ought to respond to one another. That such auspicious signs have appeared is truly a great event of the present dynasty, and a propitious omen of peace for ten thousand generations.”

People then painted these scenes just as they were, copied out writings urging reverence, and hung them upon the pavilion, so that myriad generations to come might know what they ought to revere.

Heiyun Mai Ganying

(The phrase “Heiyun Mai Ganying” appears twice at the end of the original text and is retained here as in the original. What “Heiyun Mai” specifically refers to cannot be determined from this passage alone.)

When the present dynasty built the palaces and temples on Mount Wudang, the emperor personally composed the sacrificial address and dispatched Zhang Xin, Marquis of Longping, together with Mu Xin, the commandant-escort, to go and, with reverence and solemnity, offer sacrifice and announcement to the god Zhenwu, True Warrior of the North Pole. After receiving their orders, Zhang Xin and the others remained careful day and night and dared not grow slack.

In the ninth month, in the autumn of the tenth year of Yongle, they arrived at Mount Wudang. The eighteenth day of that month, the day gengzi, was auspicious, and they held the rite of sacrificial announcement. On the night before, Zhang Xin and Mu Xin led the officials in keeping the fast and changing into ceremonial dress, and they lodged at the Xuantian Yuxu Palace (Palace of the Jade Void of Mysterious Heaven). On the day of the rite they set out the offerings on the foundation of the main hall, entered the place of sacrifice with devout and reverent hearts, and began the ceremonies.

At that time heaven and earth were clear, the moonlight bright, and the stars plainly visible. Looking up, the company saw a mass of black cloud rising in the northwest, about the size of a cartwheel. It drifted over and covered the summit, hovering some one zhang above the mountaintop. Now rising and now falling, seeming to approach and then to withdraw, it circled and gathered, changing beyond reckoning in the space of a glance. From within the cloud came the muffled crash of thunder and lightning, and the faint shapes of banners and ceremonial regalia showed through. For a long while the black cloud remained suspended in the air, as though the deity, majestic in manifestation, had descended overhead to look on and to receive the sacrificial announcement.

When the sacrifice was over, the black cloud suddenly vanished. Heaven and earth grew clear and still once more, and no sound was left behind. All present had seen this with their own eyes, and none failed to be astonished and filled with reverence. They held that the emperor, in raising shrines and temples to repay the god’s favor, had acted from a sincere heart, and that officials at every level had carefully carried out their charge; thus on the day of the announcement they had moved the divine to respond, and this numinous sign had appeared. They therefore respectfully recorded what they had witnessed.

Qianlin Yingxiang (title, meaning “Auspicious Signs Appear at Qianlin”)

It is said that the leaves of the Qianlin trees (qianlin) on Wudang Mountain can cure all manner of illnesses. From ancient times people have held them in deep reverence, yet no one had ever truly obtained the leaves.

In the autumn of the tenth year of the Yongle reign, the court ordered Zhang Xin, Marquis of Longping, and Mu Xin, the imperial son-in-law and Commandant-escort, to supervise the construction of the palaces and temples on Wudang Mountain. The following spring, just as the grasses and trees were about to revive, a Qianlin tree on Tianzhu Peak sprouted and grew. Its fine leaves were dense and abundant, lustrous as beautiful jade; its trunk leaned against the mountain rock, and its fragrance was pure and elegant, unlike that of other flowers and plants. People therefore enclosed it with carved railings and forbade any disrespect or profanation.

In less than ten days, hundreds of Qianlin trees suddenly appeared as well at Yuxu Palace, Nanyan, Zixiao Palace, Wulong, and other places. They flourished beneath auspicious clouds and brilliant sunshine, spreading their branches and leaves in gentle winds and sweet rains. Their deep shade stretched without a break, and an emerald green covered the valleys. Local residents who saw them were without exception astonished and full of praise, taking this to be a sight never known before. When people from all directions heard of it, they too vied to come and look.

The flowers of the Qianlin trees bloomed in rivalry, and a red glow shone through the groves; a radiance like colored clouds caught the sunlight and dazzled the eyes. Rare birds with emerald plumage flew in to roost, their calls clear and bright, remaining day and night without departing, so that those who came to watch held the trees in still greater reverence. By this time the leaves had unfolded in even ranks, and their fragrance was rich and strong. Zhang Xin and Mu Xin conferred, saying, “That Qianlin leaves can cure illness is a saying known since ancient times. Moreover, this year the trees have grown with exceptional luxuriance—could it be that the true immortals have manifested themselves, thereby displaying this numinous marvel?” They therefore gathered the leaves with reverent care and presented them to the court, and appended an account of the matter to the Qisheng lu (Record of Inaugurating the Sage), so as to make known this strange and auspicious omen.

Langmei Presents an Auspicious Omen (Langmei cheng rui): this means “the Langmei manifests an auspicious omen,” and is the title appended after this passage.

At the Five Dragons Palace on Mount Wudang there stands a langmei (the plum tree spoken of in the scripture). Tradition tells that when a lofty perfected one (a Zhenren who had succeeded in cultivation) was cultivating the Dao (the Way), he broke off a branch of plum blossom and set it into a lang tree. Looking up to heaven, he vowed, “If I succeed in cultivation, this plum branch will blossom and bear fruit.” In time the vow was fulfilled, and the Perfected One Dong of an earlier age had already recorded the matter in full.

In the autumn of the tenth year of Yongle in the present dynasty, the court charged Zhang Xin, Marquis of Longping, and Mu Xin, the imperial son-in-law and commandant, with overseeing the building of the official monasteries on Mount Wudang (Daoist palaces erected by the court). In the spring of the eleventh year the langmei came into flower. Its blossoms were red mingled with white; a faint fragrance drifted on the air, and the open tracery of the branches could be seen and smelled by people both near and far. By the fifth month the fruit had ripened. The fruits lay scattered like pearls and fine jade, their colors answering one another with a sheen like emerald, filling every branch in numbers beyond counting. Lit by the glow of rosy clouds and by the sun, their hues shone with unusual brilliance. All who saw them marveled and said, “Of this fruit it is said that immortals come to look into the matter. From ancient times to the present, no one has ever seen fruiting so abundant, with whole branches alight. This must be because the perfect sincerity of our emperor has called forth a response, so that even an immortal fruit such as the langmei manifests an auspicious sign.”

Zhang Xin and Mu Xin gathered the fruit and presented it to the court, so as to make its numinous marvel plain; they also set the event down in writing, that later readers might know to revere it and give it credence.

The Spirit Leaves a Great Tree

At the close of the scripture the words “the spirit leaves a great tree” are written once again.

The court ordered Zhang Xin, Marquis of Longping, and Mu Xin, the imperial commandant-escort, to build the palaces and abbeys of Mount Wudang. More than one hundred thousand timbers were required. All were shipped from the riverbank at Hankou to Junyang, and fortified posts were established along the route to assist the transport.

On the tenth day of the eleventh month in the tenth year of the Yongle era, Guo Jin, Vice Minister of Works, Zhuge Ping, a director in the Ministry of Personnel, and others were escorting a shipment of timber past Wuchang when they saw a great log standing in the river before the Yellow Crane Tower. About one chi of it rose above the water, like a stone pillar. The current raced and beat against it day and night, yet it did not stir in the least. They then sounded the depth and found the water to be five zhang and five chi deep, while the log itself was only four zhang long, so that its lower end still hung suspended in the water. Everyone thought this exceedingly strange.

They made a cable fast from a boat, and with scarcely any effort the great log followed the vessel to the bank. The company held that spirits had deliberately kept it there for some important use. They therefore ordered men to escort the great log up the mountain. Soldiers and civilians along the river who witnessed the event were, without exception, astonished and filled with reverence, regarding it as a numinous marvel.

The Marquis of Longping and the commandant-escort then arranged drums, music, and ceremonial regalia to receive it, and conveyed the great log to the Xuantian Yuxu Palace (Palace of the Jade Void of the Dark Heaven). They also reported the matter to the court. The court decided to use it as the ridge beam of the main hall, so that later generations for ten thousand ages might look upon it. The episode was painted as an illustration and appended to the Qisheng lu (Record of the Inauguration of the Sage).

Waters Surging the Great Bell

“Waters Surging the Great Bell” (Shui yong hongzhong) is the title of the illustration attached to this section. Here the scripture (jing) offers no further explanation of the particular episode to which the illustration’s title refers.

The court ordered the Marquis of Longping, Zhang Xin, and the Commandant-escort Mu Xin to oversee the construction of the palaces and temples on Mount Wudang. On the night of the sixteenth day of the fifth month in the eleventh year of the Yongle reign (1413), commoners of Xiangtan County, including Liu Zhong, came by boat to Yangbo Shoal in Guanghua County. Suddenly they met a fierce black wind, with thunder and rain together, so that the boat could not go forward and was blown to the bank, where it came to rest. After a while the wind ceased, and they saw a great bell float up out of the water, tall and massive in form.

Together they prayed, saying, “We wish to convey this bell to the palaces and temples of Wudang, so as to make manifest the power of the gods. May the divinities bestow an auspicious sign.” After the prayer they loaded the bell onto the boat and continued on their way. All along the route the wind was calm and the waves were still; sailing with a favorable wind for two days and two nights, they reached Junzhou.

When the Marquis of Longping, Zhang Xin, and the Commandant-escort Mu Xin heard of the matter, they were greatly delighted and said, “This bell has lain submerged for a long time, yet it has appeared from the water precisely when the palaces and temples of Mount Wudang are being built. Is this not the gods secretly extending their protection? It will add luster to this famous mountain and become a numinous omen handed down through ten thousand ages.” They therefore arranged an honor guard with drums and music to receive it, conveyed the bell to the Yuxu Palace of Mysterious Heaven, and enshrined it there, burning incense and paying homage morning and evening. They also recorded the event, hoping that it would be transmitted for a long time.

The court ordered the construction of the palaces and temples of Mount Wudang and appointed the Marquis of Longping, Zhang Xin, and the Commandant-escort Mu Xin to take overall charge of the work. On the twenty-fifth day of the fifth month in the eleventh year of Yongle, the bronze hall on the Great Summit of Mount Wudang was under repair. That day a round radiance rose from beneath the spring in a mountain ravine, soared into the sky, brilliant in five colors, and lit the valley. Within the radiance there further appeared the sacred image of the Heavenly True (a holy form venerated in Daoism): clad in a black robe, with hair hanging loose, standing in the air, while auspicious clouds below encircled and upheld the figure.

On the twenty-fifth day of the fifth month in the eleventh year of the Yongle reign (1413), a sacred image appeared once more before the summit of Dading. The sacred image sat upright within the light, hair unbound and hanging loose; two celestial deities stood in attendance on either side, hands clasped, as if responding to the sacred image. Two further divine generals stood in front, with auspicious clouds gathered in support below.

On the twenty-sixth day of the fifth month, a circular halo appeared once more upon Tianzhu Peak of Dading. Within the light the sacred image was revealed again, two celestial deities attending behind it, with white clouds gathered in support below.

On the twenty-first day of the sixth month, Zixiao Palace was being restored as a blessed site (referring to the temple and the numinous landscape surrounding it). That day, a five-colored circular radiance appeared before the government office, and within the light a sacred image could be seen seated upright. To the left of the sacred image a banner stood erect, its flag streaming in the wind, and in the evening haze a celestial general held the banner; to the right a divine general stood holding a sword with both hands. White clouds gathered in support below, and within the clouds a tortoise and a snake were seen coiled together. A long time passed, and the extraordinary manifestations that appeared thereafter continued without cease. More than two hundred thousand officials, soldiers, and common people in the mountains all witnessed this auspicious vision with their own eyes. None failed to stand in solemn reverence; rejoicing and stirring with excitement, they congratulated one another, saying: “All this is because the emperor’s sincere heart has moved and communicated with the gods and spirits, and he has thereby received the manifestation and blessing of the Tianzhen (the divine perfected beings, as they are called in Daoism). This is a grand event never known since ancient times. It is truly an omen of the state’s lasting peace, and a blessing for all the people under heaven.” These events were then painted in sequence and recorded as above.

On the seventeenth day of the eighth month in the eleventh year of the Yongle reign, colored decoration was applied to the halls of Dading. That day, dark clouds surrounded a five-colored circular radiance. Within the light the sacred image appeared, with two celestial deities standing in attendance on the left and right. The events were painted in sequence as above.

On the seventeenth day of the eighth month, the sacred image appeared once more within the light before the summit of Dading. The sacred image wore a black robe, its two sleeves streaming as if stirred by the wind. In front, a divine general holding a sword led the way; behind, a divine general followed in attendance.

On the seventeenth day of the eighth month of the eleventh year of Yongle, the sacred image appeared for the third time within the light. Before the sacred image, a divine general led the way, and behind it another divine general attended, bearing a seal.

On the same day, the sacred image appeared for the fourth time within the light. Before the sacred image, a divine general bearing a sword led the way, and behind it another divine general attended, holding a black banner.

On the same day, the sacred image appeared for the fifth time within the light. The sacred image sat upright upon black clouds, with a celestial deity standing in attendance on each side.

On the nineteenth day of the eighth month of the eleventh year of Yongle, the temple halls were completed. On this day a five-colored circular halo appeared, and within the halo the forms of the holy perfected ones of the celestial realm were revealed.

On the same day, the sacred image again appeared for the fifth time within the light. The sacred image sat upright upon black clouds, with a celestial deity standing in attendance on each side.

On the same day, within the five-colored circular radiance the forms of the holy perfected ones of the celestial realm were revealed, and below, black clouds encircled them in protection.

On the same day, the sacred image once more appeared within the light, with a divine general attending behind it.