《清微仙谱》

What does it mean to say that the Dao (the Way) precedes Taiji (Supreme Ultimate)—the primordial state before Heaven and Earth took form? Before Heaven and Earth had yet come into being, Taiji already existed; can the Dao, then, still stand prior to Taiji? I have heard the scriptures say: “Yuan is the beginning of Heaven and Earth.” And is not this so-called “beginning” precisely that which exists prior to Heaven and Earth?

Today the sun and moon course through the heavens, wind and rain spread abroad and bring moisture, and thunder rumbles and shakes. People know this to be the creative transformation of Heaven, yet they do not know that it is the working of the Dao. Alas—if the working of the Dao were for even a single moment not operating within it, the creative transformation of Heaven would cease as well. Does not the Yijing (Classic of Changes) say: “How great is Qian Yuan! The myriad things begin from it, and it presides over Heaven”? It also says: “Acting before Heaven, Heaven does not oppose it.” If even Heaven does not go against the Dao, how much less do human beings? How much less ghosts and spirits? The mysteries of the Dao, therefore, can from this point no longer go unproclaimed.

Thus the transmission of the Dao begins with Yuanshi (one of the supreme deities venerated in Daoism) and is next passed on to Yuchen and Laojun. After one further generation of transmission, it branches into four lineages: Zhenyuan, Taihua, Guanling, and Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity). When it reaches the tenth generation… the original text breaks off here, and what follows is unfinished.

Thus this transmission was never broken off. It originally issued from Yuanshi Tianzun (the Primordial Heavenly Worthy), and later divided into two branches, Yuchen and Laojun (Lord Lao). Carried further, it gave rise to four schools: Zhenyuan, Taihua, Guanling, and Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity). Across ten generations, when it reached Ancestral Prime Lord Zhaoning, it was gathered once more into a single line. It was then transmitted for another eight generations, down to Perfected Being Hunyin, Master Nan.

Master Nan inquired deeply into both the Dao of Heaven and human affairs. He held a prominent office in the Song dynasty. Later he met Perfected Being Baoyi and received the “Ultimate Dao” (the highest methods of the Dao, as Daoism speaks of them). He was then able to command ghosts and spirits, summon thunder and rain, and even stir the envoys of the celestial realm and the offices of the immortals. In his later years he met Master Huang of Leikun, judged him no ordinary person, and transmitted to him all the books he himself had studied.

Master Huang devoted himself to study and to writing, setting forth the tenets of this school, so that the related texts became greatly complete from that time on. Whenever there was something to pray for, he seemed able, as if holding a credential, to seek a response without show or agitation from the subtle and unfathomable deities of Heaven and Earth. The fulfillment was often exact to the smallest measure, with not a moment’s delay. How wondrous this was! Princes and great ministers of the time vied to invite him to their side, and those who came from every region to study numbered as many as a thousand. Some glimpsed only a part; some learned only the surface. Yet once they put what they had gained to the test, it often took effect.

Master Huang, however, treasured these texts and did not transmit them lightly. Thus, though many came to study, very few truly saw the whole of the secret transmission. Recently he entered court by imperial summons for an audience. Only after he was permitted to return to the mountain did I have the chance to bow and enter his school. Whenever there was leisure, we would talk at ease of the subtleties of the methods of the Dao, and the master would explain them again and again until they were fully clear. Although I met him rather late, I was the one who received the deepest instruction.

One day the master said to me, “I am advanced in years and have met many people, yet I have not found anyone who, like you, can silently comprehend and grasp the meaning in the heart, and who can also believe firmly and practice in earnest. This is surely something Heaven has given you; it is not what human effort can accomplish.” He then brought out all the books he had received from Master Nan and transmitted them to me.

When I knelt and received these books, I secretly vowed: although I entered the master’s school very late, I was able to receive and comprehend his teaching; now that I have also obtained his texts, how dare I fail to circulate them widely, so that readers across many kalpas may have the chance to be among the first to see them, and no longer sigh that the immortal mountain of Penglai lies far beyond the Weak Waters, beyond any chance of being seen in person? I therefore respectfully had them carved on solid woodblocks, wishing to share them with all under Heaven who set their hearts on the Dao.

And so I say: this Dao, traced to its origin, already existed before Heaven and Earth took form; as for its final reach, it will still endure after Heaven and Earth have perished. Alas! Those who cultivate this Dao will be transmitted together with it through the infinite.

In the gui-si year of the Zhiyuan era, on the day of pure Yin in the month of pure Yang, Chen Cai of Jian’an, a student of later times, burned incense, clasped his hands, and carefully set this down.

The Primordial Lord of the Qingwei Dao lineage—the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning venerated by Qingwei Daoism—is the embodiment of the supremely true Great Dao (Dao, the Way). Formless and nameless, empty yet spontaneous, he is the source of the transformations of the myriad things and cannot readily be put into words.

Before the great kalpa, he condensed the primordial Qi (Qi, vital energy—the original breath at the first arising of heaven and earth), manifested a visible form, and revealed a content of utmost mystery and wonder, which he bestowed upon Dao Lord Yuchen. This scripture (Jing) later came to be called the Jade Register of Responsive Transformation of the Scripture of Wondrous Mystery and was secretly kept in the Hall of Pure Mystery and Jade Blossoms. Dao Lord Yuchen is a deity brought forth in due season from the primordial Qi of Great Change, the earliest vital energy of the cosmos. Dwelling on high in the Supreme Clarity, he propagates the supreme Dao, embodies the realm of the utmost and the supremely numinous, and, in the form of jade ritual models and tokens of trust, transmitted them to the Celestial Emperor of True Origin and Wondrous Transformation of Qingwei.

The Celestial Emperor of True Origin and Wondrous Transformation of Qingwei bears the title “Erping Yingyun Kaitu.” He assists the Way of Heaven and holds the guiding principles in his grasp, dwelling on high in the Great Vastness. He discerns the principles of mystery and spontaneity, broadly unfolds the laws of the myriad things, and endures together with the Great Dao. In the Qin dynasty he descended to the Palace of Cavernous Wonder and Preserving Transformation in the capital of the state of Zhu—that is, the Prefecture of Qingwei Wondrous Transformation, also called the Prefecture of Wondrous Transformation of the Palace of the Primordial Beginning’s Myriad Transformations. In appearance he wears a blue-green gun robe, the ceremonial dress of an emperor.

Yuanjun Yang Che of the True Cycle of the Wondrous Dao of the Nine Heavens is a transformation of the single primordial Qi of the Primordial Beginning. Her countenance is blue-green and her hair hangs loose; her body takes a dragon form. Riding streams of flame, she passes in and out of the Three Realms and is known as the deity who governs the pivot of thunder, the spirit in charge of thunder affairs. In the Qin dynasty she descended to the Palace of the Long Plain of the Nine Heavens in Hezhong Prefecture. Thereafter she spread the Great Dao, transmitted and practiced the scriptures of mystery and wonder, and passed the scriptural methods on to Yuanjun Xu Lingqing of Cavernous Illumination of the Nine Heavens.

Yuanjun Xu Lingqing of Cavernous Illumination of the Nine Heavens descended to Jianzhou in the Qin dynasty. She has phoenix eyes and crescent brows, her hair gathered in a topknot, and the looks of a person in her twenties or thirties. She wears green robes and often holds a jade register. United with the Great Dao, her spiritual powers and transformations cannot be fathomed. She dwells in the Palace of Cavernous Clarity and Nurturing Mystery of the Nine Heavens. Taking the jade Brahma utterances of the Mysterious Capital as her text, she transmitted them to Perfected Zhu Xuan of the Jade Hall and the Celestial Mountain.

Perfected Zhu Xuan of the Jade Hall and the Celestial Mountain was a native of the Eastern Capital in the Qin period, with a fine beard, a fair face, and thick eyebrows. As the Zhou dynasty was about to decline and the age fell into disorder, he entered Langzhou and paid his respects at Xu’s Palace of Mystery. Taking the jade Brahma utterances of the Mysterious Capital as his text, he transmitted…

Zhu Xuan, titled Yutang Tianshan Zhenren (Perfected of the Jade Hall and the Celestial Mountain), was a native of Dongjing in the territory of Qin. His beard and whiskers were elegant, his complexion fair and clear, and his eyebrows thick. When the royal house of Zhou declined and the world fell into turmoil, he went to Langzhou to call upon Xu Yuanjun, realized the great Dao (the Way), and became an immortal perfected. He lived in the Xuanling Palace of the Phoenix Pavilion at the Taiqing Palace on Mount Jinhua. Later he transmitted the Chapter of Leiyuan Zhenguang (the Thunder Prime’s Vibrating Light) to Bu Ji.

Bu Ji, titled Taixuan Qinghui Zhaohua Fusang Zhenjun (Perfected Lord of Great Mystery and Azure Grace Who Summons Transformation at Fusang), wore a green crown, and his face was as fair and lustrous as jade. He was a native of Suizhou. During the warfare at the end of the Qin, he came to Langzhou to escape calamity, took the Perfected Zhu as his teacher, and devoted himself to realizing the wondrous subtlety of the Dao in emptiness and stillness, at last attaining the rank of Taixuan. The Perfected Zhu dwelt in Zhaoling Prefecture between the lunar mansions Jiao and Kang, and transmitted to Guang Rong the “Jade Talisman of the Great Dao’s Primordial Measure and Primordial Light.”

Guang Rong, titled Zhaoning Shenyao Baotian Daohua Yuanjun (Primordial Lady of Manifest Concentration and Spirit Radiance Who Protects Heaven and Transforms the Dao), was a native of Fengzhou in the Qin period. Amid the displacement of war she entered the Western Capital, grasped the subtle meaning of the Jade Talisman, united with the Dao, and concentrated her spirit to enter the Mystery. After Emperor Gaozu of Han had pacified the realm, she ascended as a perfected immortal in Henan Prefecture and resided in Shenyao Prefecture of the divine continent upon the sea. She transmitted the Precious Chapter of Jade Blossoms to Qiu Mu.

Qiu Mu, titled Mingqing Daohua Yuanjun (Primordial Lady of Clear Brightness and the Flowering of the Dao), was a native of Shouzhou in the early Han. She grasped the essentials of the Precious Chapter of Jade Blossoms, commanded the myriad movements of Qi (vital energy), and understood the wondrous use of Fulu (talismans and registers); she united with the Dao and concentrated her spirit to enter the Mystery. After Emperor Gaozu of Han had pacified the realm, she ascended as a perfected immortal in Henan Prefecture and resided in Shenyao Prefecture of the divine continent upon the sea. She transmitted the Precious Chapter of Jade Blossoms to Qiu Mu. (Here the original text repeats Qiu Mu’s title and the content of the transmission.)

Qin Mingqinghui Zhenren Shifu was a person of the Han dynasty and an incarnation of the Great Emperor of Donghua (Eastern Florescence). His bearing was resolute and his talent and learning outstanding; he embodied the heavenly Dao and lived in the Tongming Cavern on Mount Longqiu.

Wang Hong, titled Qingwei Dongguang Baoheng Zihua Yuanhe Mingdao Taiyi Shenjing Yuanjun (Primordial Lady of Qingwei Cavern Light, Precious Balance, Purple Blossom, Primordial Harmony, the Illumined Dao, and the Divine Radiance of the Great Unity), was also named Zheng Hong. Her countenance was as full and round as the full moon; her eyebrows joined in a single line; she had phoenix eyes, wore her hair loose, held a precious sword, and wore vermilion shoes. She was an incarnation of Taiyi Yuebo (the lunar comet of the Great Unity), presided over the mysterious pivot, and lived in Zihui Palace to the right of Taichong Tower in the Mystic Capital. Later she transmitted to the human world the secret instructions of Qingwei and the Yuanshi Incense of the Myriad Spirits.

Xie Jin’gang, the Tongmiao Yuanhua Taiyi Chonghe Yuanjun (Primordial Sovereign of Penetrating Marvels, Primordial Transformation, Great Unity, and Surging Harmony), was born in accord with the true Dao (the Way) of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) and is a differentiated transformation body of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. He conceals and reveals himself through change; his origins are remote and profound, and no one has ever been able to fathom them completely. The Yuanjun often transforms his bodily form with extreme subtlety, so that others cannot recognize him. In secret he turns the pivot of Heaven and Earth and commands the myriad spirits. Without relying on tangible ritual implements such as talismanic diagrams or paper and cinnabar, he manifests an image according to wherever he is and displays the wondrous workings of the Great Dao. He possesses inner instructions, transmitted in the world by word of mouth, and he dwells in the Chonghe Mansion on the qiongyao jade terrace to the left of the Yanggu altar.

Peng Hanyuan, the Qingwei Maochen Baoyun Jinming Yuanjun (Primordial Sovereign of Clear Subtlety, Flourishing Dawn, Preservation of Destiny, and Golden Brilliance), wears her hair in double topknots. Her complexion is like jade, her brows like a crescent moon, and her eyes like those of a phoenix, and she often wears a smile. She is dressed in plain robes with a crimson skirt, holds a precious sword, and rides a fire dragon. She dwells in the Danzhao Mansion between the Well and Ghost lunar lodges, commands the thirty thousand troops of the Danzhao division of wind, fire, and thunder, leads them in person, and transmits to the world the essentials of the Daoist methods of Qingwei.

Pang Qiaodao, the Xihua Tonghui Yuanjun (Primordial Sovereign of Western Florescence and Penetrating Beneficence), has charge of the forbidden books, precious canonical texts, and celestial-pattern chronologies of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, and is responsible for upholding and regulating the cycles of the kalpas and for settling and guarding Heaven and Earth. She wears a cloud crown and azure robes. She once manifested during the Shenjue reign period of the Han dynasty and later took up residence at Gengchu Parish (zhi). Gengchu Parish lies in Sizhu County of Hanzhou, twenty-five li from the county seat, and there are two such places. She dwells in the Guangzhen Palace of Xihua, from which she transmitted the Three Dao and the Three Jing (scriptures/classics), and she presides over the Three Realms. She later transformed into Song Yicheng, the Taihe Yixuan Yuanjun (Primordial Sovereign of Great Harmony and Yixuan), assumed the office of propagating the teaching of the Three Heavens, and dwells in the Maoyi Mansion.

Xu Dong, the Lingmiao Hecheng Yuanjun (Primordial Sovereign of Numinous Marvel and Harmonious Clarity), was a native of Pengzhou in the Eastern Han. Her immortal bearing is dignified and solemn, and she understands the methods of the Dao by nature. She once came forth in the world as a teacher, and her names and titles have been more than one. She has charge of the subtle and wondrous Dao of Qingwei and dwells in the Qionghe Mansion.

The Perfected Lord Xu Xun, Emissary of Exalted Illumination, Mysterious Response of the Supreme Dao (the Way), of Divine Merit and Wondrous Deliverance, is treated in the Original Biography of Xu Xun. The Perfected Lord grasped the mysteries of the precelestial Dao, aiding the world and relieving the people; his deeds are too many to record one by one. For this reason the admonitory text says: “Golden scriptures and jade seal-script, once transmitted in the world, must neither be divulged rashly nor kept secret and left untransmitted.” Later he passed the Jingming (Pure Brightness) method on to later generations. These inner secrets are profound and remote, and hard to liken to any concrete form. The Perfected Lord dwells in the Palace of Pure Celebration in the Jade Capital, commands the Bureau of the Celestial Pivot, and presides over the subtle principles of the Qingwei (Pure Tenuity) tradition.

Celestial Officer of Floating Radiance of the Southern Ridge, Lang Qi.

The Celestial Officer, Venerable Emperor of the Southern Ridge, holds the pivot of the Thunder Ministry. In the Tang dynasty he descended to the Western Capital and transmitted scriptures (Jing) to deliver and transform the people of the world. His appearance was like that of a person dressed in mourning robes, and he resides in the Palace of Floating Radiance at the Southern Pole.

The Primordial Consort Who Protects Illumination, the Holy Mother of Mysterious Light, Wang Yue, courtesy name Huan, also called Xuanguang, is the Primordial Lady of Purple Radiance, Primordial Consort of Pure Splendor, of Cinnabar Firmness and Jade Exaltation, Who Protects Illumination, and she dwells in the Palace of Primordial Subtlety of Pure Splendor. The Primordial Lady is the mysterious and subtle Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of the Golden Mother of Plain Radiance, and the numinous spirit of the Mysterious Dipper of Celestial Unity. She oversees the sources of the rivers and administers the Water Mansions; the four great spirits of darkness are all subordinate to her, and she has charge of transmitting scriptures. In the Tang dynasty she descended into the human world, took charge of the teaching, and mastered the secrets of the Qingwei tradition, residing in the Palace of Luminous Purity of the Eastern Sea. Later she transformed into:

The Primordial Lady of Primordial Mechanism and Primordial Numen of Qingwei, Long Ji. Her paired temple-locks hang down; she has the looks of a jade maiden and a faintly ruddy complexion, wears a purple robe and a green skirt, holds a precious sword, and rides a white dragon. She dwells in the Dongyuan Bureau and governs the transformative working of the Qingwei tradition.

She transformed again into:

The Primordial Lady of Numinous Harmony of Qingwei, Guan Jingqing. She wears a phoenix crown; her face is like jade, her brows are naturally formed, and she has phoenix eyes. She wears a purple robe and an azure skirt, is girt with a broad sash, has vermilion shoes on her feet, and holds a jade tablet. By the secret instructions of Qingwei she transmits scriptures and delivers the people of the world, dwelling in the Zhangyuan Bureau beneath the palace towers of Numinous Light in the Heaven of Qingwei. Later she transformed yet again into…

The Holy Mother of Numinous Radiance, Zhu Sui, wore a dragon crown and green robes. In the time of Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang, she stood on a rock upon a sandy islet beside the river in Guiyang Jun. She transmitted the mysteries of the Primordial Great Dao (the Way) of the Qingwei school to the Ancestral Primordial Lady Zhaoning of the Golden Portal.

Shangqing: The Opening of the Charts

The Most High and Holy Great Lord of the Dao, Yuchen of Shangqing, is the exalted deity of the Qi (vital energy) of Imperial Unity, in whom Yin-Yang blend and the returning wind condenses. He sets purple Qi and white Qi coursing along intersecting paths, so that the Great Dao is manifested amid the obscure, the subtle, and the mysterious; and when the kalpa-cycle arrives, he composes writings, opens the teaching, and saves the people of the world. He transmitted the Dao to the Great Heavenly Emperor of the Purple Sanctum and Grand Florescence.

The Great Heavenly Emperor realizes the Great Dao and condenses its mysterious subtlety, so that the myriad things are brought into clear manifestation. Wearing crimson robes, he dwells in the Huaming Palace of Taiwei, and he transmitted the Dao to the Supreme Lord of the Dao of Mysterious Origin, the Latter-Day Sage of Great Peace and Imperial Sovereign of the Golden Portal.

The Lord of the Dao employs the mysterious Great Dao to aid the myriad things and is revered throughout the Three Realms. He wears the ceremonial robes of an emperor, dwells in the Purple Void Palace of the Golden Portal, and conducts himself according to the ritual forms of bowing and looking upward, advancing and withdrawing. The Lord of the Dao transmitted the Dao to the Primordial Lady, Grandmother of the Myriad Qi and Western Perfected of Grand Florescence.

With the One Qi this Primordial Lady conceives and nurtures the perfected numina. She is the teaching master of the host of immortals, and the ceaseless generation and transformation of all things proceed from her. Her methods of the Dao are passed from mouth to ear and are not recorded in writing. She dwells in the Palace of Western Gold and Great Simplicity at the White Jade Turtle Terrace, and she transmitted the Dao to the Lord of the Dao, the Azure Lad—Lord Mu, Director of Destinies of Fangzhu and Eastern Florescence, and Senior Minister of the Golden Portal.

This Lord of the Dao accords with the Qi of the Nine Yang, nourishes the myriad things, holds every transformation under his command, and turns them back toward the original source. He wears azure robes and dwells in Fangzhu Palace.

Primordial Lady Li of Great Simplicity, Jade Immortal of the Pure Abyss, of White Mountain Palace and Senior Tutor of the Golden Portal, was a native of Xianyang. Her feats of numinous power and transformation are all recorded in the biographies of the immortals. Ranked among the Three Heavens, she served as Senior Tutor, had charge of the affairs of the Central Marchmount, and carried on the essential purport of the Shangqing methods of the Dao. Later, the Jade Register of the One Qi of the Primordial Beginning and the Wensu Jing (scripture/classic) that she transmitted circulated in the world. Jade Immortal Mountain lies ninety li northeast of the Central Marchmount.

(In the original text the passage on Zhu Sui appears twice; the later occurrence adds that she stood on a rock upon the river islet. The passage on the Lord of the Dao, the Azure Lad, Lord Mu, Director of Destinies of Fangzhu and Eastern Florescence and Senior Minister of the Golden Portal, is likewise repeated once. The account above has been narrated by combining their contents.)

Wang Yuan, Senior Chancellor of the Golden Portal and Perfected (Zhenren) of Comprehensive Truth of the Western Citadel, courtesy name Fangping, has his deeds recorded in the Biographies of Immortals. He wears green robes, has the appearance of a Perfected, keeps a beard in three strands, and has phoenix eyes. He resides in the Left Bureau beneath the portals of Chengchang Palace of the Golden Portal.

Wang Ai, Heavenly King of Xiaoyou and Perfected of Pure Vacuity, courtesy name Zideng, also known as the Perfected of Grand Simplicity Embracing the One, has his deeds recorded in the Biographies of Immortals. His eyebrows are somewhat dark, he has phoenix eyes, and his eyes are red. He wears purple robes and has the appearance of a Perfected. He resides in the Central Bureau beneath the portals of the Boju Office of Xiaoyou.

The various Perfected transmitted the pivotal essentials of the Dao (the Way) to Wei Huacun, Senior Guardian of the Golden Portal and Primordial Lady (Yuanjun) of Lofty Prime Purple Vacuity, courtesy name Xian’an. The Primordial Lady’s deeds are recorded in her own biography. She received the celestial talismans and accorded with the tenor of the age; she oversees thunder, jade characters, and golden writings, and holds comprehensive command of the methods of the Dao. She wears the crown of Highest Clarity (Shangqing) and crimson robes, resides in the Left Bureau of the Office of Lofty Prime Purple Vacuity, and governs the Palace of Lofty Prime Celestial Radiance, which is the place of the Primordial Lady of the Southern Pole of the Senior Guardian’s Grand Elixir Palace.

Later, she transformed into Li Qian, Primordial Lady and Primordial Sovereign of the Black Pivot of Clear Tenuity (Qingwei), in order to set forth the classics (Jing) and manifest in responsive transformation in the world.

The Primordial Lady of Illumining Spirit, Radiant Grace, and Ardent Response, courtesy name Wenji, bears the esoteric taboo-name (a concealed Daoist appellation) Qingyuan.

The Primordial Lady presides over the pivotal mechanisms of the pure Brahma realms, and she seals and governs the exalted keys of the three realms of heaven, earth, and humanity. She holds jade tablets, with which she issues proclamations. She later resided in the Chonghua Bureau on Linong Mountain in the sea.

This Perfected’s deeds are recorded in the Biographies of Immortals of Maoshan and the Genealogy of the Great Cavern (Dadong). She resides in the Palace of Purple Documents and the Elixir Assembly.

Xu Pian, Senior Minister of Eastern Florescence and Immortal Elder of Highest Clarity, had the childhood name Yufu. The Immortal Elder’s deeds are recorded in the Biographies of Immortals of Maoshan and the Genealogy of the Great Cavern. He has the appearance of a Perfected, wears green robes, and resides beneath the portals of the Right Bureau of the Office of Purple Yang and Morning Clouds.

The Primordial Lady of Highest Clarity, the Holy Mother of Western Florescence, also known as the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) of Contending Brightness and Yellow Simplicity of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao), is Mother Chen of Huangtang Abbey; the mother’s name is Ying.

According to the biography, this person received the three chapters of the Shangming Yushu (Jade Book of Supreme Brilliance), bestowed by the lofty immortals of Shangqing (Highest Clarity). Devoting himself wholeheartedly to cultivating the supreme Dao (the Way), he moved the Mingwang (Bright King) of the Way of Filial Piety within the Dipper, who then transmitted to him the hidden writings of the Dao. He wore an ornate crown and purple robes, resided in the Liangguang Palace of Xihua, and had charge of the repository of the charts and texts of Yuanshi (the Primordial Beginning).

He transmitted the methods of the Dao to Xu Xun, Chief Immortal and Grand Scribe of the Nine Provinces and Grand Envoy of Lofty Brilliance. Xu Xun in turn transmitted them to Wen Yong, the Yuanjun (Primordial Sovereign) of Daqing Taixuan. Wen Yong was a man of the Tang dynasty. He attained the Shangqing way of divine transformation and was able to fly and roam between heaven and earth. Coming to Shenhua Stream in the Western Capital, and because the methods of the Dao were exquisitely subtle, he transmitted them to Ancestral Yuanjun. Ancestral Yuanjun had the appearance of a beautiful woman and a bodily form that changed without fixed shape, and resided in the Jinghui Taihe Palace.

The Essential Tenets of Lingbao

The Yuchen Daojun (Dao Lord of the Jade Dawn) is the Celestial Worthy of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure). He brought the three Qi (vital energy) into union and thereby made the true Dao manifest, and through primordial Qi he transformed and generated the myriad things. Because he showed compassion toward living beings, widely practiced the bestowal of benefit, and universally delivered beings without number, Lingbao was honored as the ancestor of the myriad spirits. Jade slips and jasper writings were broadly transmitted to awaken and instruct, exalting the supreme great Dao. Thereupon a decree was issued.

The Taixuan Zhenren (Realized Person) of the First Mystery is Yuluoqiao, Qingyang (Azure Yang) Heavenly Lord of the Wondrous Dao of Yuqing (Jade Clarity). He wears azure robes, governs the Longfan Palace of Yingming Prefecture in the Xuandu (Mysterious Capital), and resides in the Xuanshang Palace of Qingyang.

The Taixuan Zhenren of the Second Mystery is Guangmiaoyin, Danyang (Cinnabar Yang) Heavenly Lord of the Wondrous Transformation of Shangqing. He wears purple robes, governs the Puzhao Palace of Zongcang Prefecture in the Xuandu, and resides in the Xuanzhong Palace of Danyang.

The Taixuan Zhenren of the Third Mystery is Zhendingguang, Ziyang (Purple Yang) Heavenly Lord of the Wondrous Response of Taiqing (Great Clarity). He wears white robes, governs the Guangqing Palace of Zhengchang Prefecture in the Xuandu, and resides in the Xuancheng Palace of Ziyang.

The three Perfected listed above all bear the form of Celestial Worthies. Their station stands high in Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), the supreme celestial realm of which Daoism speaks, and their titles correspond to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). The Lord of the Dao (the Way) conferred on them the True Talismans of Manifest Response—Fulu (talismans and registers) symbolizing the mandate to carry out the methods. They preside over the Office of the Great Lingbao Rites in the Huanglu Court, and the Thirty-six Lords of Lingbao, together with the Twenty-four Talismans, all come under their authority.

The Perfected of Taiji, Xu Laile, is recorded in the Biographies of Immortals. He comprehended the mystery of Taiji embracing the Three and accorded with the Five Methods of the Middle Covenant, dwelling beneath the palace gates of Imperial Radiance at Taiji. Later he transmitted the methods of the Dao to the Inner Chancellor of Taiji, the True Lord of Shangqing (Supreme Clarity) of Penetrating Response and Trusted Protection, and to the Immortal Duke of the Left Palace, Ge Xuan. Ge Xuan, whose courtesy name was Xiaoxian, is likewise treated in the Biographies of Immortals. A man of the Shuhao period, he received the wondrous Dao of Lord Xu, traveled widely among the famous mountains, and so moved the Three Perfected of Taiji that they descended and transmitted to him the precious Jing (scriptures) of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen). Single-mindedly devoted to saving the people of the world, he was enrolled in the court of the Celestial Emperor and resided in the Palace of the Numinous Bureau of Taiji. This is recorded in the Diary of Immortal Ge’s Daily Life. He governed the Bureau of Taiji and transmitted the methods of the Dao to the Perfected Zheng Siyuan, of Taiji Qingrong and Inner Assistant of the Northern Numen.

The Perfected Zheng Siyuan received from his teacher the essential tenets of Lingbao and was ranked in the upper grade; his deeds are recorded separately in the Biographies of Immortals. He dwelt beneath the palace gates of the Yuanchong Prefecture of Taiji. Later he transmitted the methods of the Dao to the Lesser Immortal Elder Baopu, Ge Hong. Ge Hong received the transmission of the core method of Taiji, visited blessed lands far and wide, ascended into the Golden Portal, and left writings to be handed down through the ages.

Thereafter the methods of the Dao were transmitted to Yuanjun Wenyong of Taiqing (Great Clarity) and Taixuan, and were then inherited by the Ancestral Yuanjun.

The Orthodox Lineage of the Dao and De (Virtue/Power)

The Elder Lord of Mysterious Origin of the Golden Portal is the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and De. The Elder Lord of Mysterious Origin manifested by transformation in the world and, in middle antiquity, composed writings and established his teaching. From high antiquity, ever since the sovereign emperors, down to the age of the Fiery Han, he changed his name and title with the times and, generation after generation, served as teacher to emperors and kings. He advocated Wuwei (non-action) and natural spontaneity, compassion and frugality, and a return to the root and the restoration of one’s original nature. When he passed the barrier, he transmitted… (the original text is unfinished here).

Yin Xi, Master Wenshi, the Perfected Commander of the Pass, was a grandee of King Kang of Zhou. Skilled at observing celestial phenomena and the affairs of the world, he saw purple clouds of Qi (vital energy) moving off toward the west. By the time of King Zhao of Zhou he served as Commander of Hangu Pass. He ordered his subordinate officers to await the one who was coming; knowing himself that a sage was about to arrive, he went out of the pass to receive him. He grasped the essential meaning of the Daodejing and later ascended into the realm of the formless.

The Perfected of Great Mystery, Zhao Long, had large eyes and the appearance of a Perfected, and wore crimson robes.

The Perfected of the Celestial Mountain, Hong Bin, had elegant whiskers and the appearance of a Perfected, and wore crimson robes.

The Perfected Above the Mystery, Lu Hui, was fair of complexion and had the appearance of a Perfected; he wore azure robes and later ascended into the realm of the formless.

From the Zhou dynasty to the Tang, more than a thousand years had already passed. The three Perfected succeeded one another in turn and obtained the principles of preserving and nourishing life over a long span. At times they withdrew and at times they appeared, meeting the world under different names, which shows that the great Dao (the Way) is not far from ordinary people. Thus Taiqing Taixuan Yuanjun Wen Yong received this transmission; later the Ancestral Yuanjun came forth into the world and continued the transmission of the Daoist lineage.

The Origins of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity)

The tenets of Zhengyi transmitted by the Most High Lord Lao of Mysterious Origin at first bore different names because of the books in which they were written, yet all of them run through one and the same principle—what distinction could there be? By the end of the Han, human hearts had grown fickle and shallow, and the ways of the age were especially corrupt. Only then, out of pity for all living beings, did the Most High devise means of teaching and transformation; this was not his original intention, but something he was compelled to do. If a person can understand the principle of remaining impartial and unbiased, single-minded and undivided, why wait for the Heavenly Worthy to establish a separate teaching? As for the instruction that urges people to correct their faults, turn toward goodness, and keep far from evil, together with the rites of transmitting the Jing (scriptures/classics) and conferring registers of ritual methods, all of it comes in the end to teaching people to do good, and thereby to renew them completely and improve their De (Virtue/Power).

Zhang Daoling—Holy Teacher of the Three Heavens, Supreme Minister of Grand Mystery, and Perfected Lord of Zhengyi—has his deeds recorded in the biographies of the immortals. He was a descendant of Zhang Zifang (Zhang Liang) of the Han and a native of Pei. Innately intelligent and spiritually extraordinary, he widely studied the classics and literary writings, and through spiritual response received in person from the Most High the Way of the Covenant of Awe. The emperor of Han summoned him, but he did not answer the call. In the second year of Yongshou under Emperor Huan of the Han, he ascended to Heaven in broad daylight, administered the Bureau of Grand Mystery, commanded the Office of Primordial Radiance, and dwelt in the Jade-Pure Palace of the Primordial Capital.

The Successor Master (the one who inherits the master’s position), Zhang Heng, Perfected of Grand Clarity and Palace Attendant, was the eldest son of the True Lord; his deeds are recorded in the biographies of immortals.

The Continuing Master (the teacher who transmits the methods of the Dao [the Way]), Zhang Lu, Perfected of Grand Clarity and Marquis of Langzhong, was the second son of the True Lord; his deeds are recorded in the biographies of immortals.

The senior Female Master-Lord, Wenji, was consort to the King of Ling; next was Wenguang, the Third Worthy, consort to the King of Yan. The fourth, Zhi the Fourth Master, together with those before her, all ascended as immortals and departed through hidden transformation. Thereafter, generation after generation, they entered and left the world, coming and going without a trace. They transmitted the methods of the Dao to Wen Yong, Primal Lord of Grand Clarity and Supreme Mystery, so that the Ancestral Primal Lord might inherit this blessing.

Convergence with the Dao

The Lady of the Primordial Numen of the Nine Qi (vital energy), Chief Perfected of the Mystic Capital of the Supreme Court, Attendant of the Origin in the Clear and Subtle.

The Primordial Lord Zushu, titled Taihuang Jingming Dongyang Jinque Zhaoning Miaodao Baoxian Yuanjun, had the personal name Suidao and the courtesy name Fangzhong. Tradition holds that he was an incarnation of the Yuebei star, born during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang in Lingling Commandery, in present-day Guangxi. His complexion was dark like a jujube, his eyes were large, and he stood seven chi tall. Even as a child he showed firm discipline and a natural spiritual sensitivity. His parents could not hold him back, and so he left home to cultivate the Dao (the Way).

Zushu wandered among famous mountains. On a riverside rock in Guiyang Prefecture he met the Consort Huming Yuanfei, who transformed into a spiritual light. The Holy Mother then transmitted to him the mysteries of Qingwei (Pure Subtlety), the natural and primordial teaching. At times Zushu would sit on a rock with a bamboo hairpin in his hair, his arms bare and a sword in his hand, and whistle to summon wind and thunder, flying through the human world.

Later he came to the vicinity of the Western Capital and, in a quiet spot in the mountains, met the Dongshen (Cavern Spirit) at Hua Stream. There he came into communion with the Lady Taiqing Taixuan Wenyuan Yuanjun. The Lady took the form of a beautiful woman bathing in the stream, and Zushu waited on her with a towel and led her up onto the bank. Over the following nights she changed into men, women, fierce beasts, and other forms, setting every kind of trial before him, yet he never grew lax. Seeing that his sincerity was steadfast, she had him drift downstream on a wooden raft, then brought him back to where he began. She passed on to him in full the essentials of the Shangqing, Lingbao, Daode, and Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) methods, and then vanished from sight.

Zushu mastered the mysteries of these five lineages of Daoist method and also took charge of matters of thunder and lightning. His appearance varied: at times he rode a dragon and wielded a sword, commanding the many spirits; at other times he wore a golden crown and plain robes and dwelt in dignity in his cavern abode. He was fierce in temperament and strict in his commands, and even the thunder deities were held to rigorous account by him.

Now he presides over the Qingwei Dongzhao Fu (Cavern-Illumination Office) and oversees the teachings. Those who inherit the teachings must give their utmost loyalty, for the slightest deviation will bring immediate rebuke. He is also known as Tonghua Yihui Yuanjun, and later took the incarnate form of Xiuduan, the Qingwei Chaling Zhaohua Yuanjun. Xiuduan wore the hair in a high coiffure, had a fair complexion, and in appearance... [Note: the original text breaks off at the words "fair in aspect, willow," and then repeats the lines beginning "should exert utmost loyalty." As a result, the description of Xiuduan's appearance is missing.]

Qingwei Chaling Zhaohua Yuanjun (Primordial Lady) Xiu Duan was dignified in appearance. She wore her hair in a high bun, had a fair complexion, eyebrows like willow leaves, and eyes like almonds. Dressed in blue-green robes and clad in golden armor, she held an axe and rode a black dragon. She resided in Yanghua Prefecture, where she transmitted and promoted the Qingwei methods of the Dao (the Way).

Qiongshi Neiying Dongqing Yuanjun Guo Yulong, also known as Shangjing Yuanjun, was a disciple in the lineage of the ancestral Yuanjun. A native of the capital, she had an immortal bearing that was solemn and majestic. She inherited the methods of the Dao transmitted by her teacher’s line, held the office of Qingwei Taixia Shichen (Court Attendant of the Great Aurora), and resided in Zixu Prefecture.

Ziguang Yaozhen Fuhe Yuanjun Fu Yangqing, courtesy name Zifang, was a disciple under Guo Yuanjun. A native of Fengzhou, she upheld a singular and pure integrity and principle, inherited the pivotal essentials of the methods of the Dao from earlier generations, rose to the rank of Upper Assistant of the Three Heavens, and resided in Changyao Prefecture on Mount Taihua in the Western Sea.

Longguang Daoming Yuanjun Yao Zhuang upheld a singular and pure integrity and principle, inherited the pivotal essentials of the methods of the Dao from earlier generations, rose to the rank of Upper Assistant of the Three Heavens, and resided in Changyao Prefecture on Mount Taihua in the Western Sea.

Longguang Daoming Yuanjun Yao Zhuang, courtesy name Shuqi, also known as Guangchang Yuanjun, was a disciple under Fu Yuanjun. A native of the Western Capital, she commanded thunder, accorded with the essential purport of the methods of the Dao, held the office of Scripture Attendant of the Two Heavens, and resided in Longhui Prefecture, also called Guangsang Chonghe Prefecture.

Xiangyuan Ziying Yuhui Yuanjun Gao Shiyi, titled Ziqing Miaohua Yuying Linghui Yuanjun, was a disciple under Yao Yuanjun. She was born amid the emerald ravines of Mount Wei in the land of Yan; at her birth the radiance of Shen (spirit) filled the chamber. She inherited the methods of the Dao transmitted by her teacher’s line, held the office of Attendant of the Three Heavens, was also known as Gaoyun Ziying Yuanjun, and resided in Dongyao Jingfeng Prefecture. She subsequently transmitted the teaching to:

Xihua Qingxu Zhenren (Perfected Person) Hua Ying. The perfected one was a native of Fengxiang, with full, rounded eyes and a handsome beard. He resigned his official post and devoted himself to studying the Dao, was ranked among the Three Heavens, and served as Left Minister of Qingwei Mingyuan and Supreme Steward of Dongyang. He later transmitted the teaching to:

Qingcheng Tonghui Zhenren Zhu Dongyuan. The perfected one was a native of Chengdu, with full, rounded eyes and a handsome beard. He lived in seclusion on Mount Qingcheng, expounded the secret essentials of the thunder methods, and served as Supreme Steward of Dongyang. He later transmitted the teaching to:

Qingcheng Tonghui Zhenren Zhu Dongyuan. The perfected one was a native of Chengdu, with full, rounded eyes and a handsome beard. He lived in seclusion on Mount Qingcheng, expounded the secret essentials of the thunder methods, and served as Senior Minister of the Qingwei Cavern Guard and Commissioner of the Shenxiao Jade Pivot. He subsequently transmitted the teaching to……

Li Shaowei, Perfected Person Baoyi of Yunshan

The Perfected Person (Zhenren) Li Shaowei was a native of Baofeng Yishui in Fangzhou. The site of his former residence still remains; local people call it the “Residence of Li the Thunder Lord.” He was born into a family of Fangling that had held office for generations. He later renounced secular life, awakened to the Dao (the Way), and cultivated perfection, and through a spiritual response he perceived that a master had come to transmit the methods of the Dao. He was afterward ranked as Duyuan Youqing of the Qingwei (an immortal office of the Qingwei school). Celestial officials then descended, conveying a sovereign’s mandate that appointed him Commissioner of the Five Thunders Court (an immortal office in charge of the ritual affairs of the Five Thunders). Thereafter he ascended and roamed the Three Realms, his comings and goings now hidden, now revealed, and impossible to predict.

Nan Bidao, Perfected Person Hunyin of Meishan

The Perfected Person Nan Bidao was originally surnamed Dongnan, with the given name Gui, and was a native of Meishan. He was born in a bingchen year, on the third day of the eleventh month, at the yin hour. In his youth he passed the Confucian civil examinations and entered official service. He once held a deputy post in Huyou. One night he dreamed that a divine being told him his master was about to arrive. At daybreak he went to the outskirts to receive him, and the visitor’s appearance was indeed like that seen in the dream. When he asked the man’s name, he learned that it was the Perfected Person Baoyi, Li Shaowei.

Nan Bidao welcomed Li Shaowei home and received him with the rites of discipleship. Li repeatedly tested Nan Bidao with difficult tasks; seeing that his resolve was as firm as metal and stone, he transmitted to him all the profound and secret methods of the Dao. When the transmission was complete, Li Shaowei transformed into golden light and departed.

Later, Nan Bidao took up the post of Guangcao (an office in charge of the waterborne grain transport of Guangnan). Near noon, a celestial clerk dressed in red descended from the sky and declared that, by command of the Supreme Thearch, he was granted the title “Envoy of the Six Penetrations within the Dipper, in Charge of Water” (an immortal office connected with the Northern Dipper and the duties of the Water Bureau), and was ordered to serve concurrently as Immortal Minister Baohe of the Qingwei. Afterward he assisted Emperor Lizong of the Song. He offered remonstrances many times, but they were not adopted, so he withdrew into seclusion, and in the end his whereabouts were unknown. People held that he had already become an immortal and departed.

Huang Shunshen, the Bishui Leiyuan Zhenren (Perfected), was a son of an eminent family of Minzhong (the area of present-day Fujian). His given name was Yingyan and his sobriquet Danshanren, and his native place is the present Jianning Prefecture. He was born in a jia-shen year, at the wei hour on the fifth day of the intercalary eighth month. Through the hereditary privilege of his grandfather he obtained the qualification to enter official service. Exceptionally gifted, with an appearance of antique elegance and refined grace, he was intelligent by nature and thoroughly read in the classics (jing), the histories, and the hundred schools.

At the age of sixteen he accompanied his father, who held a staff post at Guangcao. When his father fell ill, the Nan Zhenren treated him with talismanic methods (fulu); thunder crashed through the courtyard, and the illness was cured at once. Seeing that the young man’s bone structure accorded with immortality, the Nan Zhenren transmitted to him the whole of the arts he himself had received.

During the Baoyou period Huang Shunshen was appointed jianyue (reviewer). Zhao Mengduan, elder brother of Emperor Lizong of the Song, together with the military commissioner (jiedushi), all served him as their teacher. Lizong summoned him and with his own hand wrote the four characters “Leiyuan Zhenren,” bestowing them upon him. In the bing-xu year of the Zhiyuan era the court issued an edict summoning him to court; his replies were clear and quick, and the emperor treated him with ritual courtesy. Before long he asked to withdraw into the mountains. After permission was granted, the court also provided a carriage to escort him home.

Huang Shunshen’s disciples numbered several hundred. The methods of Qingwei Dao (the Way) are now widely current, and not a few of their followers have grasped the essential mysteries, propagated his methods, and displayed spiritual efficacy. Huang Shunshen once wrote a preface to the Leiting Gangmu, saying: “When the Five Mounds are verified, the Ultimate Person has already appeared; thereafter there will surely follow those drawn up like rushes with their roots still joined (worthy talents arising one after another). How could it be only thus?”