《云笈七签》Vol. 39

Burning incense while presenting a petition can also bring one into communion with the gods. The three middle altars were established for officials of the court. Fresh flowers and fruit were placed on the altar, and drums were beaten to summon the spirits. After earnest prayer, the petition was sent upward in the incense smoke. The altar stood nine feet above the ground, and it too could bring one into communion with the gods.

The three middle altars were as follows: the upper altar, called the “Yellow Register Altar for Extending Life,” arranged six hundred and forty star positions; the middle altar, called the “Yellow Register Altar for Attaining Auspiciousness,” arranged four hundred and ninety; and the lower altar, called the “Yellow Register Altar for Dispelling Evil,” arranged three hundred and sixty. The ritual implements, offerings, and ceremonial regulations used at these three altars differed according to rank.

The three lower altars were established for ordinary scholars and common people. The upper altar, called the “Life-Continuing Altar,” arranged two hundred and forty star positions; the middle altar, called the “Blessings-Gathering Altar,” arranged one hundred and twenty; and the lower altar, called the “Disaster-Averting Altar,” arranged eighty-one. The ceremonial regulations also varied according to rank.

In addition to these nine kinds of altar, there was the “Altar for Responding to Circumstances,” with sixty-four, forty-nine, or twenty-four star positions. Its ritual implements and offerings were provided according to rank, and scholars and common people could arrange them as their means allowed. If subjects wished to pray for the emperor’s protection, they should establish the “Altar for Praying for Grain and Auspicious Times,” with one thousand two hundred star positions. If they wished to avert disaster and pray for blessings on behalf of their parents, teachers, elders, or other respected persons, they should conduct a Jiao ritual and establish an altar, adding the appropriate arrangements as the ritual required.

After Shouzhen received this method through ritual obeisance, many efficacious events later occurred, too numerous to record one by one.

During the Qiande era, Emperor Taizong was still living in the residence of the Prince of Jin. Having heard that these rites were highly efficacious, he sent an attendant to the palace with a token, gifts, incense, and candles, to establish an altar in accordance with the prescribed Jiao ritual…

During the Qiande era, Emperor Taizong was still Prince of Jin. Hearing that many miracles had taken place at this Daoist temple, he sent attendants with a letter, gifts, incense, and candles to perform a Zhaijiao rite and offer prayers there. After fasting and burning incense, the envoy announced, “The Prince of Jin has long admired the divine powers of the deity. He wishes to set aside funds to enlarge the halls and submit a memorial requesting an official name for the temple.”

The Perfected Lord replied, “In time, I will encounter a ruler in an age of peace. The second emperor of the Song dynasty will build the Shangqing Taiping Palace, with twelve halls and shrines arranged in solemn splendor like the stars across the Three Realms. The time for this has already been ordained, and it cannot be spoken of lightly. Simply tell the prince that Heaven has already arranged the year in which this temple will be expanded. The time has not yet come.”

When the envoy returned and reported this, Taizong was astonished and abandoned his plans to expand the temple and request an official name for it.

Emperor Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin, founder of the Song dynasty) had long heard of this matter, but did not fully believe its miraculous aspects. He sent an envoy carrying incense, candles, and a qingci—a written prayer presented to the gods in Daoist rites—to a Daoist temple to pray. He also summoned Shouzhen to the palace and questioned him in detail. Shouzhen recounted everything point by point and said, “Unless one’s heart and intentions are wholly sincere, the gods will not descend.” He also submitted to the emperor an account of the sacred beings’ manifestation.

Taizu ordered a young palace eunuch at his side to let out a loud whoop, then asked Shouzhen, “Would the gods speak in this manner?” Shouzhen replied, “If Your Majesty believes that I am speaking nonsense, you may order an investigation and punish me—even have me beheaded and displayed in public. But please do not use such words to show disrespect to the sacred beings.”

Taizu ordered Shouzhen to remain at Jianlong Abbey. The next day, Taizu sent the palace attendant Wang Jien to the abbey to perform a jiao—a Daoist rite in which an altar is set up to worship the gods. A long time passed, but nothing happened. Wang Jien performed the rite again and prayed with devotion. Before long, the Perfected Lord spoke from above: “I am an assistant minister to the Great Sage of the High Heavens, the Jade Emperor. Bearing a talismanic command, I have descended to protect the state and altars of the Song, and to establish its enduring foundations. I am no mountain spirit or forest demon. Yet now a boy has been made to whoop, and that sound compared to my words. This is improper! Simply tell the ruler that the celestial palaces have been completed and the jade locks opened. The Prince of Jin has a benevolent heart; the Prince of Jin has a benevolent heart.” These words numbered more than a hundred characters.

Wang Jien was both astonished and afraid. Daring not to conceal anything, he carefully recorded the divine message and submitted it to the emperor. He also reported in person that the gods’ voices had been perfectly clear and that everyone who heard them was deeply shaken. Taizu fell silent, finding the matter extraordinary. It was the night of the nineteenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of Kaibao.

The next day, Taizu died, and Taizong succeeded him. Before long, Taizong summoned Shouzhen to Qionglin Garden and held a grand zhou tian jiao, a Daoist rite offering sacrifices to all the gods of the celestial sphere. An altar called “Extending the Mandate and Protecting Life” was erected, and prayers were offered to prolong the dynasty’s fortunes and safeguard life. After the rite, the Perfected Lord spoke to the palace attendant Wang Jien, saying, “I have something to say. You must submit it to the emperor on my behalf. Say: …”

In the first year of Jianlong, the immortals, by order of the Celestial Emperor, rode dragons down into the human world to support and protect the ruler. Sweeping away demons and monsters was no more than a wave of their hands; they wielded their divine powers in every direction to restore order throughout the realm. The nation’s good fortune had flourished, bringing lasting peace. The people lived and worked in contentment, preserving their inborn nature. Tributes came from the eight directions, offered with reverent bows; all spirits stood in awe, submitted, and called themselves subjects. When princes wished the ruler long life, they should burn incense and pray, each side remaining devout and pure in honoring ruler and parents.

“I have a million swift-moving divine generals, along with many spirit officials, the divine functionaries who oversee their respective duties. If loyalty and filial piety are practiced, the state will enjoy lasting peace and stability, and the people will live and work in contentment, preserving their nature. The eight directions will come to pay homage, and all spirits will submit and call themselves subjects. When princes wish the ruler long life, they should burn incense and pray, honoring ruler and parents with reverence. I will grant blessings to the loyal and filial; those who rebel will surely be punished. When rewards and punishments are fair and impartial, there will be no defiling energy in Heaven and no disorderly dust on Earth. By caring for the people and governing the state, we will surpass former generations, keeping the foundation of our realm fresh and enduring for ten thousand years.”

Jien recorded these words on bamboo slips and presented them to the emperor the following day. Taizong was greatly astonished. Bowing his head in gratitude, he said, “This is good fortune for the state and a joyous blessing for the ancestral temples. I sincerely thank the Most High Sage for granting us these wise words.” He then ordered the slips sealed away in the inner palace. Before long, he sent the palace attendant Wang Shoujie and the Court Historian Wang Guicong to build a Daoist palace at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain.

When the site for building the palace at Zhongnan Town was being selected by divination, the Perfected Lord suddenly appeared and said to Wang Guicong and the others, “This is the place for building the palace of the Lord on High. It must not be changed.” The palace site was therefore settled. Three years later, the palace was complete.

At the center of the palace stood four main halls. The first was the Jade Emperor’s Hall of Manifest Radiance, followed in order by the Hall of Ziwei, the Hall of the Seven Origins, and the hall where the Perfected Lord resided. Outside the eastern side gallery stood four halls: those of Tianpeng, the Nine Luminaries, the Eastern Dipper, and the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water. Outside the western side gallery stood four more: those of the Twelve Original Spirits of Zhenwu, the Western Dipper, and the Celestial Court. There were also a Hall of the Divine Officials and a Pavilion of the Southern Dipper, along with statues of the gods of the constellations. The bell tower, scripture tower, and rooms for purification and Daoist practice were all provided as well. When construction was finished, a stele was erected to record the event, bearing the title “Shangqing Palace of Great Peace.” The palace’s layout followed exactly the arrangements the Perfected Lord had specified in advance.

The court appointed a regular attending official to oversee the palace’s affairs and selected Daoist priests to burn incense and practice there. Each year, on the Three Primes days, the Perfected Lord’s birthday, and his natal day, palace emissaries were sent to conduct Zhaijiao (purification rituals). On nights when the gods were worshipped, the emperor would also face the palace from afar and pay his respects. People were often sent to pray there during floods or droughts, and when the state was about to undertake major actions.

Just after the palace was completed, the Perfected Lord appeared again and said to Wang Guicong and the others, “You carried out the imperial order to build the palace and truly made an effort. But why did you leave out the Sun and Moon Glory Gates? Why are the walls of the eight small halls not painted? The paving of the steps and courtyards is also incomplete. You sought only to finish quickly and win favor. Heaven will not erase your merits, but neither will it pardon your offenses.”

Shoujie and Wang Guicong were deeply alarmed when they heard this. But the completed project had already been reported to the court, and there was no time to add what was missing. They could only bow their heads, admit their fault, and beg for forgiveness. Later, when they went to court, both received promotions and were granted one thousand taels of silver. Before long, however, Shoujie fell ill and died, while Wang Guicong died amid the turmoil of war. Their fates bore out the Perfected Lord’s words: “Merits will not be erased, and offenses will not be pardoned.”

At the beginning of the Taiping Xingguo era, Emperor Taizong personally led a campaign against Taiyuan. The Perfected Lord—the deity who had descended and manifested—suddenly sent a message to Shouzhen: “His Majesty has reached the area around Fenzhou and Jinzhou. The cities will soon be recovered. You should have the supervising officials and palace attendants conduct a Zhaijiao (Daoist purification ritual) to report their thanks for the victory to the Supreme Emperor.”

Shouzhen and the others said, “This is a matter of state. Let us wait until news of victory arrives before proceeding.” The Perfected Lord replied, “The outcome has already been decided by Heaven.”

More than ten days later, news of victory came from the Song army. The supervising officials and others reported the matter to the emperor. Taizong then sent the palace attendant Lu Wenshou, carrying incense and medicines from the imperial treasury and a prayer text written in the emperor’s own hand, to a Daoist temple to conduct a Zhaijiao and offer thanks to the Supreme Emperor.

That evening, the Perfected Lord delivered this message: “His Majesty has conducted this grand ritual, and the Supreme Emperor and the spirits of the heavens are all pleased. The nation’s good fortune will endure for a long time, surpassing that of the Tang dynasty.”

In the sixth year, Shouzhen entered the palace on the day of the Qianming Festival to offer congratulations. He was summoned to an audience and reported in person: “The Sacred Perfected One has descended, humbly deigning to protect and bless the flourishing court. I ask Your Majesty to issue an edict granting the deity an honorific title, in gratitude for the divine beneficence.” The emperor approved his request. Before long, the court issued an edict declaring: “The deity of Taiping Palace, commissioned by Heaven, has descended among humankind. The people offer reverent sacrifices, and the deity responds, manifesting signs and widely protecting the people, repeatedly bestowing profound blessings. An honorific title should be added to repay this divine grace. The deity shall be enfeoffed as ‘General Who Assists the Sage.’”

When the edict arrived at the palace, Shouzhen burned incense and reported it to the deity. The Perfected Lord suddenly sent down this message: “You should submit a memorial asking: When the emperor speaks of ‘assisting the Sage,’ which sage is being assisted?” Shouzhen was troubled and uncertain for several days and did not dare to reply. The Perfected Lord said again: “Go ahead and submit the memorial at once. The emperor will not blame you.” Shouzhen then drafted the memorial and presented it. After reading it, Taizong summoned his close ministers and said: “The sage assisted by the Jade Emperor’s aide is the Lord on High. This meaning should be conveyed to Shouzhen, so that he may report it to the deity.”

Thereafter, an imperial messenger arrived at Taiping Palace to convey the emperor’s instruction. Shouzhen went into the hall, burned incense, and reported it to the Perfected Lord. The Perfected Lord said: “That is the right interpretation.”

In the seventh year, Shouzhen entered the palace again to offer congratulations. The Perfected Lord suddenly sent down this message: “I have something for you to convey to the emperor: When the Great Dao flourishes, secret schemes of evil will perish, and all the sages of the heavens will rejoice. The Song dynasty’s realm will endure for a long time, and a favorable era of peace and prosperity has only just begun. The ruler should set his heart aright and bring his wisdom to light, always cherishing the people and governing the state with care. The realm’s legacy of ten thousand years will flourish forever, and the imperial family’s descendants will continue from generation to generation.”

When Shouzhen returned to court, he submitted these words in a memorial. The emperor bestowed purple robes on him and granted him the title “Master Chongyuan.” From then on, whenever the court sent an envoy to conduct a Zhaijiao purification ritual and report to the deity, the Perfected Lord would sometimes send down a message, which Shouzhen would secretly report to the emperor.

In the early years of the Zhidao era, the Perfected Lord suddenly descended and said to Shouzhen, “In the early years of Jianlong, I obeyed the command of the Supreme Emperor and came down to the human world to protect the ruler of that time. Now the dynasty’s foundations are secure, the state will endure for a long time, and an age of peace and prosperity is about to welcome a wise ruler. My time in the human world has come to an end, and I must return to Heaven. From now on, you will never hear me speak again. Whenever the state holds prayers, simply burn incense with reverence and purity, face north, and pray to me. Even though I will no longer descend to speak, I will still bestow blessings and protect the state and its altars of soil and grain.”

He added, “It has now been thirty-five years since you first encountered me when I descended to the human world. You have served with wholehearted diligence and achieved much. The Supreme Emperor has already issued a heavenly mandate, directing me to bestow blessings and protect the state and its altars of soil and grain.” He continued, “It has now been thirty-five years since you first encountered me when I descended to the human world. You have served with wholehearted diligence and achieved much. The Supreme Emperor has issued a heavenly mandate appointing you lord of the Five Soils, a deity charged with the land. When your term is complete, I will advance you to the rank of an immortal official. You, too, will not remain in the human world much longer.” From then on, the Perfected Lord no longer descended to deliver messages.

On the sixteenth day of the intercalary seventh month of the following year, Shouzhen told his disciples, “I have received the heavenly mandate, and now I must depart.” Having said this, he died. Later, when the emperor ascended the throne, he honored the rites for worshipping the Perfected Lord, largely following the established precedents. When the emperor received the auspicious mandate known as the Yuanfu and performed the Fengshan rites on Mount Tai, and when he built the Palace of Jade Purity and Radiant Response, a Hall of Congealed Mandate was also built in the palace’s northwest corner, in the Pavilion of Treasured Talismans. Behind the hall, they built the Pavilion of Congealed Mandate to enshrine the Perfected Lord.

In the seventh year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era, the emperor issued an edict:

“Heaven has bestowed a precious Mandate, and I rely on the protection of the highest divine powers. Now that remarkable auspicious signs have appeared, we should sincerely repay this favor and respectfully augment the deity’s title. This is an important ceremony of state and expresses our profound intention to protect the people. What is more, the deity assists in proclaiming the Dao’s transforming power, makes clear the duties of the gods, presides over the unseen protection of all living beings, and displays divine might in a blessed land.

“When the foundations of the dynasty had only just been laid, the deity sent down signs, and auspicious portents of the realm’s governance had already appeared. When the late emperor succeeded to the throne, the fulfillment of those signs was revealed in advance. We therefore repeatedly built splendid temples and prepared rites of reverence, receiving boundless blessings and helping the state’s great enterprise to flourish without cease. I reflect that my virtue and ability are meager, yet I have inherited the throne and govern a vast territory. At a time when the rites are continually being renewed, auspicious signs arrive one after another. Remembering the deity’s protection in the unseen realms, I dare not slacken; I have always served and honored the deity with reverence. I therefore intend to augment the exalted title further and offer worship in accordance with the grandest rites, expressing the deepest sincerity. In this way, I hope to fulfill the rites of reverent gratitude. May the deity gladly accept these devout offerings and protect all things in peace forever.

“Let this edict now be promulgated and the officials in charge informed: they are to understand my intention and jointly carry out this matter. The title of General Yisheng is to be raised to ‘True Lord Yisheng Baode.’”

After the True Lord descended into the world, he would sometimes impart instructions, which people then recorded. In the areas around Qizhou and Yongzhou, whenever demons and spirits caused grave disturbances, people prayed with sincere devotion. Shouzhen would pray on their behalf and, upon receiving the command, go to deal with the matter; there was nothing he could not drive away and quell. The accounts of his efficacious deeds are too numerous to recount. Here I record only some of what I have heard.

Shouzhen often went to pay his respects at the Jade Emperor’s Hall. He saw the words “Hall of Pervasive Radiance” inscribed above the hall, but did not understand what they meant. He burned incense and prayed: “I do not understand the meaning of ‘pervasive radiance.’ I beg the Perfected Lord to explain it to me.”

The Perfected Lord said: “The Lord on High dwells in the highest of the Three Heavens and rules over all the heavens. Among the immortals in the myriad forms of Heaven and Earth, none fail to acknowledge him as their sovereign. The Lord on High often ascends to the golden hall. The radiance of the hall shines upon him, and the radiance of his own person illuminates the hall. Their lights reflect one another, shining out in every direction; nowhere is beyond their reach. That is why it is called the ‘Hall of Pervasive Radiance.’ The lords of the heavens, the attendants of the myriad spirits, the immortals, and the Buddhas all come to pay their respects. Looking up at the hall, the immortals see the Lord on High seated in majesty amid a great radiance. After they withdraw, the light continues to shine throughout the heavens.”

“To attend an audience” means to come and pay one’s respects. “Brahma-Buddhas” is a Daoist-scriptural term for the Buddhas of the Buddhist tradition.

There was an elderly man surnamed Wang, already over seventy. In his youth, he had served generals and marshals; in old age, he retired to Zhongnan Town. He was bold and spirited, and could recount every detail of events from the Five Dynasties period. Whenever he heard absurd rumors about demons and spirits, he would clench his fists and grit his teeth in anger.

When the Perfected Lord, a revered Daoist deity, first descended, Elder Wang did not fully believe. Later, after witnessing supernatural events with his own eyes, he gladly turned to him in devotion. From then on, he went to the Daoist temple twice every day to burn incense and pay his respects. He never missed a visit, even in wind and rain, frost or snow.

One day, he suddenly asked Shouzhen to open the hall doors. After gazing upon the deity, paying his respects, and burning incense, he said through tears, “I have always been strong-willed. As a boy, I served in the army and never believed in evil spirits; I have always held fast to the righteous way. In this life, I have been fortunate enough to encounter the True One, a Daoist title for a great perfected being or revered deity. Now I am frail, and my time is near. I only hope that after death I may preserve both body and spirit and remain by the Perfected Lord’s side, ready to serve. That would be enough to satisfy me.” The Perfected Lord sent down an edict granting his request. Before long, Elder Wang died without having been ill.

More than ten days later, Shouzhen suddenly heard someone in the air call his name in front of the Perfected Lord’s hall. The voice said, “I am General Iron Wheel. Why have you not registered me at all?” Shouzhen looked up and asked, “There are four generals beside the Perfected Lord, who regularly attend him in the hall. I have always reverently honored them, but I do not know which star General Iron Wheel is, or what divine rank he holds.”

The voice from the air replied, “I am Elder Wang. I once made a most sincere wish, asking to serve at the Perfected Lord’s side. Now the Perfected Lord has accepted me, and I govern the Iron Wheel, ranked beneath the four generals. In future, when you hold a Jiao offering ritual to the gods, do not forget my title.”

The Perfected Lord once said to Shouzhen: “Whenever I tour the celestial realm, I am accompanied by the spirit officials—the divine functionaries of Heaven—and swift-moving officers and soldiers, numbering more than a million. As soon as baleful stars such as comets and broom stars, or any strange forces of calamity, learn where my procession is headed, they hide and flee far away. The gods of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Four Great Guardians, and the Four Seas can all be summoned to obey my commands. As for the spirits and demons of the human world, they are beneath consideration.

“Seeing that you are an upright person, I passed the sword art on to you so that you might heal people’s afflictions and pray to avert disasters on their behalf. You must practice diligently and never slacken. Accumulate merit, establish a good name, and extend your kindness to all things. Heaven sees everything and will record your name. If you neglect the Great Dao, treat the teachings lightly, or fail to abide by the way of stillness and emptiness, you will be punished by unseen forces. If I grow angry, all things will turn to dust in an instant. Could you bear that?

“Yet whenever you have been punished, it has been because my young general became angry at your lack of focus and care. You should treat him with reverence. They can know the thoughts that arise in your heart before you do. Do not deceive yourself, or you will bring calamity upon yourself.”

One day, Shouzhen calmly burned incense and respectfully asked, “I have read Buddhist teachings that say no one in heaven or on earth surpasses the Buddha. I would like to know what rank the Buddha holds above the Three Pure Ones. Please offer me true guidance and dispel my confusion.”

The Perfected Lord replied, “The Buddha is a sage from the West who attained the Dao. Among the Three Pure Ones, there is another realm, the Brahmā Heaven (the heavenly realm described in Buddhism), where he resides. In his relationship to the Lord on High, he is like one of the Nine Ministers of the human world, a high official who assists the Son of Heaven.”

Shouzhen asked, “Buddhism has spread widely and flourished in the world. Why is this?”

The Perfected Lord said, “Buddhism’s arrival in the Central Land was the will of the Lord on High; its rise and decline as the world changes are also the will of the Lord on High.”

Shouzhen asked again, “The scriptures of Daoism and Buddhism have both circulated in the world. Which should one honor in order to receive blessings?”

The Perfected Lord said, “The Classic of the Way and Its Virtue (Daode Jing) of the Most High is vast enough to encompass everything and subtle enough to contain the smallest things. It concerns self-cultivation and refining one’s practice, as well as governing the family and ruling the state. If people can grasp its central teaching and understand its wondrous applications, then follow it at all times, sincerely believe in it, and put it into practice, surely it offers more than an increase in blessings. One might say that every benefit can be gained from it.

“The Buddhist Sutra in Forty-Two Sections teaches people to gather in their thoughts and cultivate their nature, to cast off greed and stay clear of calamity. It offers instruction through compassion and warns people by describing various evil deeds. Its teachings, too, accord with the Great Dao. Those who honor it and seek blessings will naturally find their blessings boundless.

“As for the Duke of Zhou and Confucius, both hold places among the ranks of immortals. The Five Classics and the Six Books contain methods for ordering the world and instructing the people. Though people often recite them, most do not put them into practice. If they can recite them aloud, understand them inwardly, and put that understanding into action, constantly upholding the ways of benevolence, righteousness, trustworthiness, propriety, and wisdom, they can not only set their own words and conduct right; the principles of long life and enduring vision will not be beyond their reach.”

Shouzhen once respectfully asked, “At the Shrine of the Valley Spirit in Chigu, Mount Zhongnan, people from the nearby villages often go to pray and make offerings. They slaughter cattle and pigs as sacrifices, set out wine and food, drink and play music amid noisy festivities, and the people beat drums and dance. Can they receive the protection of the spirits by doing this?”

The Perfected Lord replied, “Mount Zhongnan has been a sacred mountain and blessed place since ancient times, where the ordinary world meets the realm of the sages. This has been said in every age. But stirring up demons and inviting in baleful influences, then taking lives to pray for blessings—if they expect to gain blessings this way, they may be very far from receiving them!” Later, bandits hid beneath the shrine. Those pursuing them piled up firewood and burned them to death, and the shrine itself was reduced to ashes. No more supernatural events occurred there.

Toward the end of the Jianlong era, Liu Hang, a successful candidate in the imperial examinations from Chang’an, was a gifted writer, superior to his peers. He once went to the palace to bow and pray, saying, “I wish to know how high or low my future official rank will be. Please grant me a divine pronouncement.” The Perfected Lord delivered this oracle: “Heaven gave you literary talent, but did not give you official rank or emoluments. If you study the Dao and withdraw from public life, living quietly, you may yet prolong your life. If you recklessly seek advancement in officialdom, you may shorten your years.” Liu Hang was displeased and left. Three years later, his official career had indeed come to nothing, and he died.

During the reign period Yongxi, Master Xiyi, Chen Tuan of Mount Hua, died in a stone chamber in Zhangchao Valley. People widely said that he had “ascended on feathered wings”—the Daoist term for attaining immortality through cultivation and leaving behind the mortal body. While offering prayers, Shouzhen burned incense and reported: “Chen Tuan of Mount Hua has just died. People today say he underwent ‘corpse liberation’—the Daoist belief that a cultivator’s body remains behind while the spirit departs to become immortal. I do not know whether his practice and merit have reached the rank of an immortal. I humbly ask the High Perfected to offer some guidance.”

The Perfected Lord gave this response: “Chen Tuan refined Qi and nurtured Shen, and indeed grasped the essentials of cultivation. But his merit in benefiting the people is not yet sufficient. He can only take charge of a certain office.”

During the reign period Duangong, Gao Ningyou, a Vice Director of the Ministry of Revenue who administered Fengxiang Prefecture, once visited the palace to pay his respects. After he left, the Perfected Lord suddenly gave this message to Li Zhu, an official overseeing the shrine: “Gao Ningyou’s conduct falls short of loyalty and trustworthiness. He will die before long.” Li Zhu made a private note of it. Soon after, Gao’s term ended and he returned to the capital, where he became a judicial commissioner of the Three Offices. Hearing this, Li Zhu again burned incense and reported: “Gao Ningyou now holds this office. How can he still be destined for misfortune?” The Perfected Lord replied: “His time of death is near.” A few months later, Gao Ningyou died.

During the reign period Qiande, Song Bai, Minister of Personnel, lived in Zhouzhi. His younger brother Song Xian, whose childhood name was Qige, was possessed by a fox spirit when he was over ten years old. He often cried out loudly and behaved irrationally; at times he was so strong that several people could barely restrain him. The family could not control him, and he would shove and strike any doctor who came to treat him.

Song Bai therefore observed purification and calmed his mind, then sent relatives and friends to the palace to pray for divine protection. The Perfected Lord gave this message: “Go home. I will send Shouzhen.” Shouzhen went as commanded. As soon as he arrived at the Song residence and sat down in the guest hall, Qige sensed his presence and became so panicked that he could not compose himself. The family hurried out to greet Shouzhen with bows. After questioning them in detail, Shouzhen shouted Qige’s name sternly. Before long, Qige came out of the room, timidly tugging at his own hair and murmuring in response. When he reached Shouzhen, he trembled all over and broke into a sweat, holding his breath in terror.

Shouzhen rebuked him at length. Only then did the spirit reveal itself and kowtow, confessing its guilt. Shouzhen used a ritual method to kill it, and it died at once. Qige collapsed on the floor and remained unconscious for a long while. When he came to, he had fully recovered.

The Perfected Lord once suddenly said to Shouzhen, “Dozens of fox spirits have made their home in the Li Jing temple below the mountain, where they have settled in. The local earth god has just sent someone to report them, worried that they will work mischief and harm people. Go quickly and drive them away.”

Shouzhen accepted the order and set out with his sword. Before long, he sat down in front of the temple and shouted several times. Soon, all the fox spirits came out and lined up before him in fear. Shouzhen rebuked them: “This is a place where the Perfected Lord descends. How can you live here among us? I will spare your lives for now. Return at once to the woods and wilds, and do not let blood stain my numinous sword!” The fox spirits looked at one another, then crawled away in disarray.

Shouzhen had not been gone long before he returned. Wang Deyuan, a Daoist who lived in the palace, asked where he had gone, and Shouzhen told him the whole story. Wang Deyuan said, “The round trip from here to the temple is twenty li. How could you have returned so quickly?” Shouzhen replied, “When I left the temple, I cut off a low branch from a tree in the courtyard with my sword and left it on the ground. You can check.” At dawn, Wang Deyuan rode over to investigate. Sure enough, in front of the temple he smelled a foul stench so strong it was hard to approach, and he found the severed branch. When he returned, he bowed once more and praised the event as wondrous.

At that time, several hundred demon foxes also lived in Binzhou city, where they often appeared in strange forms. When Shouzhen heard about them, he burned incense and reported the matter to the Perfected Lord, describing the whole situation in detail and asking for permission to go and rid the city of the demons. The Perfected Lord issued this instruction: “These fox demons once took the form of bodhisattvas in the southern mountains of Chang’an, persuading local people to donate money to build temples. Of those people, eight or nine out of ten turned their hearts toward goodness. For this reason, the Highest Lord granted the fox demons a talismanic mandate and appointed them earth gods of Binzhou. Their term of office is limited. When it ends, they will leave of their own accord and cause no harm. You need not go.”

During the Kaibao era, a mountain spirit—a creature said to haunt the hills—troubled the household of Chen Yingmei in Fengxiang Prefecture. The monster kept hurling roof tiles into the courtyard until they covered the ground. At times it also sent out flames, trying to burn down the house. The family’s possessions were steadily lost, and their relatives were deeply worried. The Chen family hired ritual specialists to perform rites and drive out the evil, and also invited monks to chant scriptures, but nothing stopped the strange events. Later, they moved far away to escape, yet the monster followed them.

At a loss, Chen Yingmei purified himself, held incense, and went in person to a Daoist temple to pray with devotion. The Perfected Lord, a revered deity, sent down an instruction and said to Shouzhen, “Quickly accept my command and go eliminate it.” Shouzhen bowed, slung his sword on his back, mounted his horse, and rode for two nights to reach the Chen home. The sound of tiles being thrown was still as clamorous as before. Onlookers crowded the place, all saying, “This Daoist will surely be unable to subdue the monster.”

Shouzhen washed and purified himself, straightened his clothes, and entered the house with his sword. The strange events suddenly stopped. That night, he set up an altar in the courtyard. Standing on it, he breathed upon his sword and called out slowly in a stern voice: “Where is the mountain spirit? If you mean to keep causing trouble, come out and face me. Otherwise, leave this place far behind and go ten thousand li away, and I will pardon your offense.” After a while, all was silent around them; not a sound could be heard. From then on, the Chen household was at peace. Later, Chen Yingmei followed Shouzhen to the Daoist temple and held a Zhaijiao rite to give thanks.

A wealthy family named Yang in Chang’an was also plagued by ghosts. The monsters threw tiles and set fires, changing their tricks countless times in a single day. The whole family was terrified and unsettled, with nowhere to find safety. At the time, there was a ritual specialist named Li the Ghost Catcher, especially skilled at drawing talismans and using prohibitions. The Yang family summoned him, but as soon as he reached the doorway, it was as though something had ensnared him: he got up, then fell down. This happened three times, and at last he fled in disarray. The Yang family then invited a group of monks to establish a ritual site, chant scriptures, and sing Buddhist hymns to drive away the monsters. Before long, it seemed as though…

Something seized their Daoist ritual implements. Some were thrown onto the roof, while others were cast into a well. The monks were terrified and uneasy, and could only leave. Later, even the stone blocks used for pounding clothes flew up through the air, chasing one another in groups of two or three before landing in the middle of the courtyard. When they struck other objects, however, those objects were left entirely undamaged. There were many other strange occurrences like these, too many to record one by one.

Yang had long heard of the efficacy of the True Lord, a revered Daoist deity. He therefore took incense, candles, and other offerings himself and hurried there to pray, reporting these strange events in detail and asking for the evil spirits to be driven away. The True Lord delivered a divine pronouncement: “You should return at once. I will send Shouzhen to follow.” Shouzhen immediately bowed again and went to the Yang household. So many local officials and residents came to watch that they filled the entrance. Shouzhen changed his clothes, adjusted his cap, recited incantations, and brandished his sword. He then went to the four corners of the residence and performed rites. The strange sounds stopped at once, and all around grew quiet.

Shouzhen said to Yang, “The evil spirits have been subdued! Please hold a jiao rite to drive them away.” At dusk, Shouzhen set up an altar and burned memorial petitions. After completing the rites, he departed. The people of the entire city bowed and praised him. When Shouzhen returned, Yang also went to the Daoist temple and held a jiao rite in thanks.

The phrase at the end, “you fu ran wu sheng,” repeats the earlier phrase “qi guai ji ji ran wu sheng.” Both mean that the strange sounds stopped at once and quiet returned.

Another wealthy man, named Liu Wencan, was suddenly bewitched by a fox spirit. His mind grew confused, and he could not keep himself calm. At the marketplace, he met a Daoist who said to him, “An aura of demonic influence clings to your face. Some evil being must have attached itself to you. The True Lord, a revered deity, is about to descend. If you pray sincerely, your illness will surely be cured.”

Liu Wencan gathered incense and candles himself and set out, traveling day and night. Along the way, spirits pursued him, taking the forms of monks, nuns, women, merchants, and others. They tried every means to lure him away, keeping him from moving forward. Liu Wencan grew confused again. Later, when he met the Daoist on the road once more, he told him everything that had happened. The Daoist said, “They are all spirits. You must go straight ahead without the slightest hesitation, or the horde of demons will kill you.”

Liu Wencan understood. Within a few days, he hurried to the Daoist temple. He purified himself through fasting, prayed earnestly, and bowed a hundred times before the hall. The True Lord delivered this message: “I know you have traveled a great distance. I now command Shouzhen to drive away the evil spirits for you.” That evening, Shouzhen had Liu Wencan stand in the courtyard. Holding a treasured sword, he sprayed water from his mouth and shouted repeatedly. Liu Wencan at once grew dazed and collapsed to the ground. After a while, he got up and said, “When the master shouted just now, I saw several figures like divine generals. Each seized two ghosts and carried them away.” Overcome with fear, Liu Wencan himself collapsed without realizing it. Now his mind felt clear, as if he had just woken from a drunken stupor. He bowed a hundred times and departed.

Since the True Lord’s descent, officials and common people have traveled great distances without complaint. Some pray sincerely from afar; others fast before coming to pay their respects, seeking the True Lord’s blessings and protection. The True Lord sometimes gives instructions and admonitions, usually tailored to people’s character and habits: ministers should take loyalty as their foundation, and children should take filial piety as theirs. He teaches maxims to the upright and sincere, and warns the greedy and cruel with words suited to the matter at hand. His words are plain and easy to understand, and have a certain rhythm, but few people have truly heard these teachings. What has survived in transmission is recorded below.

During the Qiande era, Feng Dongyuan, a Daoist priest at Bailu Abbey on Mount Li, burned incense and prayed with sincere devotion: “For many years I have studied the Confucian classics and followed Laozi’s teachings. Yet in cultivating body and mind and refining my De, I still have not grasped the true essentials. By good fortune, I have encountered the Most High (a revered Daoist deity), and humbly ask for your guidance.”

The Perfected Lord descended and gave these instructions: “Only when your practice reaches a certain depth will you understand stillness. As thoughts of the body fade, your spirit becomes free and at ease. Let the light of your mind illuminate the true void and penetrate the hidden and subtle; only then can you attain the Great Return (the consummate state sought through cultivation). Observe movement and stillness without obstruction. Enter the state of the rarefied and ineffable (the Dao’s nature, beyond sight and sound), and you will accord with nature. When your merits and practice are complete, your spiritual powers will be beyond measure, and your transformations may even soar to heaven. You will hold your own life, death, coming, and going in your hands. The Three Officials (deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water) will pardon your past transgressions; the Directorate of Destinies (the divine office that governs human lifespans and registers of life) will erase your record of offenses; and the Six Dings (six guardian deities in Daoism) will submit a petition on your behalf to the Celestial Court. All who wish to cultivate the Dao must understand the source of the supreme Great Dao.”

Feng Dongyuan bowed repeatedly, offered his heartfelt thanks, and departed.

During the Kaibao era, Lu Chong, an Investigating Censor, received an imperial order to serve as prefect of Fengxiang. He went to the palace to pay his respects to the Perfected One, Shouzhen, then established a ritual altar at the prefectural office to pray and ask the divine Perfected Ones to descend. A jiao is a Daoist purification and blessing ritual. That evening, Lu Chong purified his body and mind and prayed sincerely: “Though I bear an official post, I cannot personally perform the rites before the Perfected One. I can only offer sacrifices such as duckweed and water plants, and sincerely ask the divine Perfected One to look upon me with compassion. I beg you to bestow true words and guide the ignorant.”

The Perfected Lord descended and said: “Serve your sovereign wholeheartedly and be a loyal minister. Do not covet ill-gotten wealth or heed wicked counsel. Administer justice in criminal cases with clarity, aid the people, and make your conduct accord with the kingly way; in the end, you will become a good person. If you keep accumulating faults and offenses, you will surely sink into suffering. All living beings possess an originally formless nature, yet dwell within a form-bound body. Since time immemorial, people have been unable to awaken to themselves. In truth, there is also a realm of Limitlessness, a state beyond the bounds of day and night. It merges with the Great Void, profound and remote, yet governed by the same principle.”

The Perfected Lord continued: “Within the four quarters of Heaven and Earth, most living beings do not understand this principle. They commit evil deeds and press blindly onward, like blind people rushing toward rivers and seas. If they can use wisdom to observe, they can cross a thousand layers of danger.”

Lu Chong bowed again in thanks, recorded these words, and respectfully preserved them.

One day, Wang Guicong, an Assistant Remonstrator, fasted and quieted his mind, then went to the palace, burned incense, and prayed earnestly: “I am merely an ordinary and lowly person, burdened with grave offenses. Fortunately, I have encountered the Most High Perfected One. I beg you to bestow numinous and wondrous teachings. How should I cultivate myself so that I may attain longevity?”

The Perfected Lord descended and said: “I urge you to cultivate; nothing matters more than diligence. If you are diligent and never slacken, the highest sages will know it. To bring peace to the world, civil governance and military preparedness must be used together: without civil governance, affairs of state cannot be put in order; when force is used, it should benefit the sovereign.

“Receive your salary, but do not disobey the king’s commands. Do good and follow what is auspicious, while remaining content with poverty. The conduct of the poor accords with Heaven and Earth; to covet filthy wealth is like casting fire into ice. Ice gradually extinguishes fire, and those who accumulate evil deeds will ultimately bring calamity upon themselves. That calamity will also reach seven generations of their ancestors, causing suffering in the underworld to ensnare their kin.

“I lower a thousand-foot line to fish for those who share an affinity with the Dao. The Dao is exalted, and De is precious; the Great Dao can bring forth and nurture all things. The head of living beings symbolizes Heaven, their feet symbolize Earth, and the center of the body is empty, all of which accords with truth. When doors and windows are cut out to build a house, there is something within it that has neither form nor shadow, is fathomlessly deep, and cannot be known by people. If you can know it, you can attain long life.

“Yang Qi is in Heaven, Yin Qi is in Earth, and the two Qis of Yin and Yang harmonize according to their own true principle. The transformations and creation within the void are inherently so; all things, too, arise from nature. Heaven is not beyond reach in its height, nor is Earth lowly in its depths. The Great Dao blends into the principle of emptiness and nothingness. If those who cultivate the Dao wish to understand this, here is the path to cultivation and reverence for the wondrous Dao.”

During the Kaibao era, Chancellor Shen Lun was bedridden for a long time. With sincere devotion, he sent a messenger to a Daoist temple to perform a Zhaijiao rite and pray for guidance, saying, “My body and mind are impure, and I am troubled by illness. I do not know how to cultivate myself so that I may be free of this affliction. I earnestly beg the holy immortals to give me their words and guide someone as ignorant as I am.”

The Perfected Lord sent down this revelation: “What is numinous and wondrous does not fall ill; the body is naturally at peace. If the body is ill, turn back and examine yourself.” The messenger recorded the words and brought them back to Shen Lun. After reading them, Shen Lun held the text in his hands and exclaimed with delight, “I understand.” Before long, he recovered. He then sent someone back to the temple to perform a Zhaijiao rite in gratitude.

The Daoist Wang Deyuan once traveled through Zhongnan Mountain and stayed at a Daoist temple. He diligently offered incense and honored the gods, and he also valued the cultivation of health. Yet he was narrow-minded and often lost his temper. One day, the Perfected Lord suddenly sent down a message to admonish him: “If you wish to learn the Dao and cultivate the Real, you must first tend to your temperament, bringing it into harmony with nature and peacefulness. Forget all manner of contrivance, and do not exhaust your spirit. Maintain a gentle, peaceful, quiet, and clear mind, and then you will see the Dao.”

The Perfected Lord further admonished him: “Do not cling to what is within, and do not cling to what is without. As the true spirit comes and goes, let your heart remain free of attachment. Wherever you dwell in peace is your home. Each person should apply themselves diligently to cultivation; do not wait for one another. Do not wait: those who attain the Dao first have no stagnation in their hearts. The realm of true emptiness and wondrous joy is heaven. When you unite with the holy immortals, you can dispel all manner of karmic burdens.”

It is also said: The subtle principles can be attained only through personal practice, and one’s every action in daily life should accord with the Great Dao. When you can experience “true emptiness”—a state beyond attachment and discrimination—in your work, your heart will be free of distress. Become one with the Great Void, the boundless expanse of emptiness, and silent joy will arise naturally. Whether amid the earth furnace and the celestial stove or in everyday life, the principles followed by ordinary people and sages are one and the same. Constantly contemplate yourself with wisdom, and it may be possible to attain the Way in this lifetime.

Deyuan said, “I once received the True Lord’s teaching, but I do not understand what the earlier passage means by ‘joining the sages in extinguishing all sins.’ I respectfully ask you to explain.”

The True Lord replied, “If you can dispel vexation, calm your mind and spirit, refine your heart and cultivate the Real, and continually accumulate merit, then when your cultivation and deeds are complete, the Nivan Palace—the upper Dantian in the head—and all the joints throughout your body will become fully connected. Your original spirit will become numinous and responsive, and you will naturally reach the same state as the sages. The wondrous joys of the heavenly realms are everywhere; how could karmic offenses remain? That is why it says, ‘joining the sages in extinguishing all sins.’”

During the Taiping Xingguo era, Li Zhu, an Assistant Director of the Bureau of Carriages, once served as prefect of Fengxiang Prefecture and personally witnessed miraculous events. Not long afterward, he was also ordered to oversee Daoist temples. He served for more than ten years in all, with a resolute and upright character. The True Lord bestowed more than ten teachings over time, of which several were recorded. One of them said:

“In the early Jianlong years, I began to receive the teaching of Xiyi—the subtle, profound Dao that cannot be put into words. The Supreme Emperor commanded me, and all the sages knew of it. I descended riding a dragon, with the constellations following in my train. The Five Sacred Peaks received their orders to govern the earth spirits. In secret, I assist the state and quietly support an age of enlightened rule. I chose Li Zhu so that he would know the date of my descent. This matter must not be disclosed lightly, lest Heaven’s secrets be revealed.”

It also said, “Assist the state in your own distinctive way, as I do; govern the people by following what is right; manage your household with kindness and goodwill; and be as if drunk without drinking wine. Sober, govern the people; ‘drunk,’ nourish the spirit. This is the way to prolong life. I urge the prefect to remember it.”

It also said, “For an official to govern well, the key is to be upright and clear-minded, and to understand affairs through wisdom. Be as I am: as if drunk without drinking wine. Sober, govern the people; ‘drunk,’ nourish the spirit. This is the way to prolong life. I urge the prefect to remember it.”

It is also said: In office, you should be fair, upright, and clear-minded, handling affairs with integrity and discernment. Observe the workings of Heaven and act in accordance with the Dao, while quietly accumulating De. When enjoying the salary and rank bestowed by the ruler, always remain mindful and reverent. You should purify your thoughts and transform yourself, leave the ordinary world and move toward the sacred, and seek long life. The joys of the celestial palace surpass those of the human world. In that immortal realm, where day and night do not divide time, let your name endure.

It is also said: A prefectural governor—the official in charge of a prefecture’s affairs—has lived as a human being through many generations and was born in China. You should be as honest and upright as I am, taking no crooked or improper path. Join me in accumulating good deeds and merit, assisting a wise ruler, clearing the people’s grievances, and keeping matters of punishment and litigation in mind. If the Lord on High learns of your good reputation, he will enroll you among the celestial officials. You should strive to acquire resources that will remain in the world even after you have given them away. Build only tangible images of the gods; through this, accumulate merit that accompanies you and gain boundless blessings. Do not procrastinate, for time passes swiftly. The spirit officials will reward your meritorious deeds, and the celestial administration will increase your blessings. If you follow each of my teachings, you will surely prolong your life.

It is also said: When a person is past seventy, few days remain in this world. You cannot afford to delay, for time passes swiftly. The spirit officials will reward your meritorious deeds, and the celestial administration will increase your blessings. If you follow each of my teachings, you will surely prolong your life.

It is also said: Once you are past seventy, few days remain in this world. Even if you live to a hundred, how many years does that amount to? The underworld is truly terrifying, and it is difficult to plead for mercy before its authorities. If you have accumulated merit, there is no need to fear; if you have accumulated sins, you will surely be punished. Your descendants cannot bear your guilt for you. You should awaken to this in time and stop living in delusion.

It is also said: Whether you have a connection or not depends on the bonds of blessings, De, and karmic forces. For those with a connection, blessings arrive; those without one are entangled by karma. Grave sins committed through body, speech, and mind weaken the foundations of faith. If you follow my words, you will be as secure as if you were relying on Mount Tai.

It is also said: Heed my teachings, and you will surely prolong your life and enjoy health and peace. As long as you cultivate the true Dao with utmost sincerity and without faltering, in this very life you can be as though standing before the Jade Emperor.

He also said, “Because you are sincere and devout, the stars have descended. They came riding on the mysterious wind and departed upon the ritual rain. They restore clear sight and hearing to those who are ignorant and deluded, turn the hearts of those who have long done evil, and guide everyone back to the right path. Because you established an altar and reported to Heaven in a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), even the wicked have come to revere and submit. This is all to your credit. I have already reported your deeds to the Supreme God on your behalf, bringing you blessings in return. Let a pure heart become purer still, a spotless heart more spotless, and a bright heart brighter still. Do not begin diligently and then grow lax, or change course halfway through, turning what is upright into what is defiled and good deeds into evil ones. If a spirit official submits a report about this, and the Supreme God learns of it, he will judge that you have betrayed my teaching.”

Then, on the night of the tenth day of the seventh month, the Perfected Lord issued a decree: “You have loyally and diligently served the state, showing kindness and care to the people. Continue to apply yourself, and do not go against my admonitions. All the evil deeds you committed before you met me, I have helped you erase. After meeting me, you must not create further evil karma. The divine officials at your side have already recorded your merits. From morning until night, continue to accumulate good merit together with me. Do not grow lax or disobey my sacred words.”

He also said, “Simply carry out the ruler’s affairs, clear away grievances and redress injustices, and I will often send spirit officials to protect and assist you. Whatever matters arise, act justly and follow my sacred words. Now that the Peaceful Lord is carrying out his teachings, events will unfold in their own course. You need not worry.”

He also said, “Tuo Tuo, do not fret; the military government will naturally be secure. In all matters, follow the kingly way and let the people of the world say what they will.”

He also said, “Piously make offerings to the Highest Mystery on the ruler’s behalf, praying that the Song dynasty’s altars of state remain peaceful for long.”

He also said, “Tuo Tuo, do not fret; the military government will naturally be secure. In all matters, follow the kingly way and let the people of the world say what they will.”

He also said, “Piously make offerings to the Highest Mystery on the ruler’s behalf, praying that the Song dynasty’s altars of state remain peaceful for long. Before long, peace and joy will prevail throughout the world, and your whole family will receive blessings, their good fortune firmly rooted like a mountain.”

He also said, “Those entrusted with leadership should serve with reverence and wholehearted devotion, keeping their minds focused and helping bring peace to all under Heaven. The Celestial Court has already assigned you your duties, so you must handle every matter with even greater care and diligence. The assembled holy beings know you; therefore, your conduct and actions must be upright and worthy of respect. When your merits and virtues are complete, you will be able to dwell in Heaven for a long time and serve the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest deities revered in Daoism.”

He also said, “While you are alive, do not worry needlessly; after death, there is no need for distress either. The presiding authorities will judge the affairs of the human world, and how many years can an ordinary person live? If you simply follow the teachings of the sages, you may pursue long life and ascend to Heaven.”

Whenever Zhu received a scripture, he would recite it from morning until night. He once said to Zhu, “When you reach the age of eighty, if you have not cultivated your abilities, your physical form will inevitably perish and your soul will ascend to Heaven. Even so, you will still be assigned a position to oversee.” Zhu bowed twice and said, “In this life, I have had the good fortune to encounter the High Perfected (shangzhen), exalted immortals who have descended, and to hear their secret teachings many times. If I am fortunate enough to receive a position in the future, I hope to serve alongside Shouzhen.” The Perfected Lord said, “In earthly office, Shouzhen is not your equal; in rank in Heaven, however, you are not Shouzhen’s equal. If you devote yourself wholeheartedly to the right path, you too may have the chance to ascend the ranks of the immortals.”

During the Chunhua era, Zhao Pu, the Western Capital’s military governor and Secretariat Director, sent an envoy to make preparations for a ritual and devoutly perform a Daoist purification rite (zhaijiao), seeking to learn what fortune or misfortune lay ahead. The Perfected Lord gave this instruction: “Zhao Pu has rendered great service in supporting the state, and the Lord on High knows this. Therefore, you have been granted blessings and years of life. Yet you once harmed commoners and caused people to suffer injustice, leaving grievances in the underworld as well. You should recite the true scriptures and make your plea to Heaven and Earth, first repenting for your past wrongs. I will also convey your plea to the Lord on High in the hope that this burden of guilt may be dispelled. Your official rank and lifespan have both been allotted their limits.” After recording these words, the envoy departed. Zhao Pu knelt and read them to the end, moved to tears. He then burned incense and confessed his guilt, and sent people to a Daoist temple to perform a purification rite.

Jia Huangzhong, who served as an Investigating Censor and Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, once sent someone to pray sincerely, asking the Perfected Lord to grant instruction. The Perfected Lord delivered these words: “When a sagely and enlightened ruler appoints a minister, the minister should serve the ruler wholeheartedly. Use the Dao to assist the present age, and model your intentions on the ancients. Good and evil deeds must never be concealed; crooked and wicked conduct will surely be discovered. Only when ruler and minister share one heart and follow the Dao can they accomplish great deeds.” He also said: “Care for the people with all your heart, and make rewards and punishments fair. If you follow my words, your whole family will be safe.”

Zhang Zhuo, a Palace Attendant, once asked the Perfected Lord for instruction. The Perfected Lord said: “The Great Dao nurtures your nature, while the Qi of Yin-Yang gives rise to your body. Work diligently to accomplish deeds and cultivate De for me.” He also said: “Care for the people with all your heart, and make rewards and punishments fair. If you follow my words, your whole family will be safe.”

Zhang Zhuo once again asked the Perfected Lord for instruction. The Perfected Lord said: “The Great Dao nurtures your nature, while the Qi of Yin-Yang gives rise to your body. Be diligent in practicing the Dao and cultivating perfection. As an official, you should always hold to a heart of fairness and integrity, and constantly worry about and show compassion for the people. When the right opportunity comes, assist a wise ruler. Heaven knows whether you are upright or corrupt. Wealth and status gained by improper means will not last, while a simple life can bring a person into accord with the Way of Heaven. Do not let people call you rich just because you have money, and do not worry if others mock you for being poor. True abundance has its own place. Hold fast to your integrity and, even in poverty, you will have no cause for shame.”

He also said: “Though your outward appearance is that of an ordinary person, your nature is extraordinary. You should show your integrity in service to the state. Even if your household has more than a thousand people, you must bear responsibility yourself when there is wrongdoing.” He also said: “You need only take in the harmonious Qi of Yang, then use the heavenly stove to fumigate and refine it. The earthly furnace has another purpose; meanwhile, cultivate your De day by day. In this way, longevity and blessings will accumulate. If you reach the utmost clarity of the realm of True Emptiness, you can experience the wondrous principle within emptiness and guide those with an affinity for the Dao to salvation.” The phrases “harmonious Qi of Yang,” “heavenly stove,” and “earthly furnace” are Daoist terms for cultivation, involving the regulation of breath and practices of furnace and stove refinement.

The Daoist Zhou Wuben once went to the palace and presented a memorial, asking the Perfected Lord to grant instruction. The Perfected Lord said: “You write a petition and pray to Heaven, yet you do not realize that mountains and passes still lie between your intentions and Heaven. The immortal palace is actually close at hand, but your inner cultivation and outer practice are both still incomplete. The officials of the underworld investigated and kept their records, and found no faults of yours; therefore, you were spared from falling into Fengdu, the legendary underworld, for several hundred years. Follow my instruction and the Dao I teach, and returning to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest celestial realm revered in Daoism, will not be difficult.”

The text then repeats the instruction that “the immortal palace is close at hand, while inner and outer practice remain incomplete,” and begins with the words “Zhang Shou.” These lines urge people to cultivate in accordance with the Dao, accumulate good deeds, and uphold integrity, in the hope of avoiding punishment in the underworld and returning to the Three Pure Ones.

Zhang Yuanji, the son of Zhang Shouzhen, often went to a Daoist temple after fasting. The Perfected Lord descended and said to him, “Your father, Zhang Shouzhen, once met me, so I allowed his descendants to receive blessings. Have you not heard of Zhang Daoling of Mount Longhu in Xinzhou? His descendants have continued to flourish down to the present day because he met a high-ranking sacred being. After attaining the Dao, the blessings came to fruition among his descendants. You too have a bond with me. If you honor your parents at home, remain loyal to the emperor when you hold office and receive a stipend, and conduct yourself well so that your name is known in the world, is that not a fine thing?”

The Perfected Lord also instructed him, “Do not wander idly through the streets when you have nothing to do. Study diligently, and you will make a name for yourself. When your reputation spreads throughout the world, the Dao’s protection can continue to shelter your descendants for a long time.” He added, “You know in your own heart what wrongs you have committed. Good and evil accompany you every day. You knowingly go against the Way of Heaven, yet still ask me about it. Could it be that you are the one who is confused?”

During the Chunhua era, the Perfected Lord descended and said to Zhang Shouzhen, “Now that a wise and enlightened ruler has appeared, cultivating De can move the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest deities revered in Daoism. When Heaven brings people back to the right path, warfare can cease throughout the four seas. When the eight directions look up to a wise ruler, the five grains can all yield abundant harvests. I urge you to cultivate De, and the Lord on High will grant you long life.” The Perfected Lord also said, “The bandits in the west of the passes have risen in response to the times. The court should order them to be pacified or captured, and officials and envoys must not harm ordinary people. While the court is cultivating De, the true bandits must be put down.”

The Perfected Lord once descended and admonished the assistant Daoist, who supported Daoist affairs: “A thousand people have a thousand different thoughts, and the views of ten thousand people are not necessarily all correct. If your thoughts and actions are out of step with the times, it will be difficult to communicate with the sages or to agree with them on what to do.”

The Perfected Lord also once descended and admonished the officials: “Uphold loyalty and trustworthiness at all times, so that your own De accords with the Way of Heaven. Civil and military officials should each fulfill their duties, and worthy people will naturally emerge. Lay a lasting, secure foundation for the ruler, and remain concerned about whether the people are hungry or cold. Practice De over the long term, bringing it into accord with the Dao. Burn incense and pray with sincerity, reporting to the spirits in the void. May the state be secure and the ruler endure; may all join in supporting him and usher in years of peace.”

He once issued an admonition to his court ministers, saying: “A minister should be a pillar that supports the state and helps establish its achievements. He should also be broad as the sea, assisting a wise ruler. When King Wen of Zhou governed the realm, it was like the age when Emperor Yao was on the throne: loyal ministers assisted their rulers, and together they governed the world. A minister serving a ruler should act decisively and uprightly. Even when facing life and death, he should remain mindful of and accept the ruler’s grace. In daily life, he should constantly do good, bringing his conduct into accord with it. He should be equally careful from beginning to end in all he does, and need not fear for his own safety.”

“Memorial Presenting the Deeds of the True Lord Who Assists the Sage and Protects Virtue”

I, Qinruo, have heard it said that… “To assist in governing the realm, one needs loyal ministers. A minister serving a ruler should act decisively and uprightly; even when facing life and death, he should remain mindful of the ruler’s grace. He should constantly do good in daily life, bringing his conduct into accord with it. He should be equally careful from beginning to end in all he does, and need not fear for his own safety.”

(The original repeats the title of the piece here.)

I, Qinruo, submit this respectful memorial: I have heard that when Heaven looks down with favor and issues its mandate, a sage is born at the proper time, and supreme spirits must appear to assist and protect him by bringing what is hidden into the light. The Mo and Xun record the power of their protection, while the Ya and Song recount and praise these deeds. Examining the unseen signs and responses of past and present, one can see that Heaven and humanity truly resonate with one another. I, Qinruo, offer my heartfelt congratulations and bow twice.

Through the blessing bestowed by the spirits, an auspicious current of De (Virtue/Power) has endured, and a vast national destiny has begun—profound and far-reaching. Yuchen, a revered celestial deity in Daoism, assisted by carrying out the luminous authority of the Golden Palace, the abode of the Heavenly Emperor. He sent down pure and numinous Qi (vital energy), bringing the people to single-minded devotion and revealing the unfathomable workings of creation through Yin-Yang transformation. The spirits helped a great state inaugurate its destiny and disclosed to Emperor Shenzong the heavenly mandate to inherit the throne. The signs appeared before events came to light, inspiring astonishment in all who heard of them.

The court then enlarged and repaired the Jing shrine, a Daoist sanctuary for worshipping the spirits, bestowed upon it an honorable title, and held a solemn and grand ceremony. Auspicious signs duly followed. Officials, local scholars, and common people alike bowed in reverence before the spirits’ clear and dignified countenances. They purified body and mind and waited for the spirits’ instruction. The spirits admonished each person according to their nature and capacity, sometimes using words of goodness to rouse those lost in confusion. Their earnest teachings penetrated what was hidden; even the simple and unlearned grasped their true meaning inwardly.

At times, evil forces caused disturbances unknown even to ancient texts such as the Xia Ding. At other times, illness took deep root and strange phenomena appeared, beyond the diagnosis of even the renowned physicians of the Qin. Yet the spirits listened to sincere and fervent prayers and sent guidance from afar. When true instruction arrived, all evil influences were sure to disperse. Deep and mysterious visions thus appeared in the human world, while spirit journeys swift as the wind soon returned to Heaven. These events will be recorded for ages in the fragrant registers of sacrifice, and the spirits will secretly bestow auspicious protection and favor. All the words transmitted in secret have been preserved in the old records; I have now arranged and compiled them for posterity.

I know that my talent is slight and my rank low, yet I have received the sage ruler’s decree. I can only purify my mind, look upward as I recite, and wash my hands before bearing these records with care. Though I cannot plumb the full depth of their meaning, I have nevertheless done my best to arrange and explain them. I reflect privately that the great deeds left behind by the Highest Perfected Ones—the Shangzhen, exalted deities revered in Daoism—are clear proof of the flourishing age we now enjoy. How could someone as ordinary and shallow as I dare to describe them rashly…

I humbly beg Your Imperial Majesty to lower the jeweled strands of your crown, read this book in person, and take up your brush to compose an essay, bestowing upon it an elegant title. In this way, the worthy deeds it records may be remembered, and a preface placed at its beginning to make clear the reverence and devotion with which the Dao is honored, so that Your Majesty’s abundant benevolence may endure through the ages. I look up to Your Majesty’s countenance and await your sacred judgment, my heart beset with fear and anxiety, my sweat flowing without cease. The Records of the True Lord that I have compiled comprise three volumes; I now respectfully submit them together with this memorial. Your servant, in utmost reverence and fear, bows his head twice in obeisance and respectfully submits this report.

◎ Imperial Reply

We have read the memorial and understand it in full. The mysterious and wondrous Dao is vast and profound, its foundation lying in emptiness and stillness. The highest spirits have no fixed form, yet manifest themselves clearly and respond skillfully to the world. The Jade Void’s Primordial Assistant, a revered deity who aids the celestial realm, holds a high rank among the immortals and perfected beings. In secret, he helps bring all things in the world to completion and makes manifest the unseen protection that shelters them.

When the founding ancestor received the Mandate, the spirits bestowed blessings upon the realm and showed their efficacy. When Our father, the late emperor, inherited this good fortune, they again revealed signs foretelling the moment when imperial authority would be conferred. To repay the spirits for their gracious favors, the court began building a special Daoist temple and performing solemn liturgies to dispel calamity and pray for blessings, thereby granting good fortune to all the people under Heaven. At the places where the spirits appear in their hidden and subtle forms and descend to take up residence, incense wafts through the air and their miraculous traces are plain to see. The spirits offer earnest instruction and display a majesty beyond measure. Their responses come swiftly, like an echo answering a call; their celestial carriages arrive and depart just as swiftly, leaving no trace.

We admire and accept this divine grace, and have always honored it with reverence: we have enshrined the deity’s image in a solemn palace-temple and presented an honorific title at the Dark Capital, a Daoist paradise or temple. Since the secret edict remains intact, and since the people’s gratitude for the spirits’ grace runs so deep, We wished to gather and compile these accounts to make the auspicious signs known.

You hold a position at the center of government, assisting in the affairs of state and strengthening the realm. Your learning has long been broad, making you well suited to this task of compilation. You carefully organized the texts, sealed the manuscript, and presented it, requesting that We write a preface and bestow a title upon it. Having read your memorial once more, We find Our own learning and ability too shallow to recount the spirits’ illustrious merits. We now reluctantly grant your request, deeply ashamed that We are unequal to it; yet We will always remember your good intentions and reverent devotion. Your petition is approved.

Volume 104 · Biographies Section · Biography 2

◎ “Biography of Lord Su, Upper Minister of Mystic Islet” — Compiled by Zhou Jitong

My late master’s surname was Su, his given name Lin, and his courtesy name Zixuan. He came from Qushui in Puyang. In his youth, his character and aspirations set him apart from others; he was exceptional and detached from the ordinary world. His resolve to seek out people who had attained the Dao grew stronger with each passing day.

He often traveled to the Zhao region carrying a shoulder pole and baskets, and became a disciple of Master Qinchao. He was twenty-one at the time, and studied methods for refining Qi (vital energy) and nourishing life. In his early years, Qinchao had served as a household attendant under King Kang of Zhou. Later, through cultivating inner practices, he mastered techniques for refining Jing (essence) and alchemy. He could travel through water and fly through the air. By then he was already nine hundred years old. He sought only long life and freedom from death, and had not yet become a flying immortal. Later, he rode a red carp into the water, though at times he also appeared among people. Su Lin was not satisfied with this; his aim was to ascend through the air.

Later, Su Lin changed masters and studied under Master Qiu, an immortal of Mount Hua. In the time of King Tang of Shang, Master Qiu had been a carpenter. He had practiced embryonic breathing, a method of cultivation in which breathing exercises and inner nourishment replace ordinary food, as well as techniques for concentrating the Shen (spirit) and guarding the Hun soul. These practices had benefited him greatly. Master Qiu told Su Lin, “You truly have an affinity for immortality and should study the true Daoist methods. The path I have followed is no longer worth your pursuing.” He then introduced Su Lin to Juanzi.

Tianzi was a perfected person, one who had attained the Dao and become an immortal. After meeting Lin, he taught him the secrets of cultivation and told him, “To become a perfected person in this world, you must first take medicinal substances to eliminate the Three Corpses and kill the grain worms.

“The first of the Three Corpses is called Qinggu. It harms the eyes, causing dim vision, wrinkles, bad breath, and tooth loss. This happens because the Qi of Qinggu penetrates the Niwan, the Daoist spirit palace in the head.

“The second is called Baigu. It harms the five organs, causing the mind to weaken and one’s strength to diminish, making one prone to forgetfulness and mental confusion. This happens because Baigu runs through and depletes the fluids of the six viscera.

“The third is called the Blood Corpse. It harms the stomach and intestines, causing abdominal distension, emaciation, a troubled mind, and an inability to concentrate. One feels hungry without eating, often grieves and sighs, grows mentally dull and sluggish, and becomes confused in thought. This happens because the Blood Corpse moves through and gnaws at the Gate of the Soul Embryo, an aperture associated with the soul and spirit.

“If you do not eliminate the Three Corpses, taking medicinal substances will merely stop you from eating grain; the worms inside you will still not die. Abstaining from the five flavors alone, even if you diligently practice breathing exercises, will bring no benefit. The worms will continue to multiply inside you, and seeking long life and immortality by these means is impossible. Therefore, if methods of ingesting substances do not also address the way of life and death…”

This is caused by the mischief of three kinds of ghosts: Qinggu, Baigu, and Xueshi. Even after one has ceased eating grains, the body can still feel heavy and sluggish, while the spirit grows drowsy and clouded. Dreams, too, are unreal, their contents inverted and confused, and lustful thoughts cannot be dispelled. This is because worms within the body disturb the Five Spirits, the deities that govern mental activity within the human body.

Anyone seeking the true Dao should first take the Worm-Controlling Pills, also known as the “Pills for the Primordial Spirit to Remove the Root.” Anyone who hopes to become a perfected person should first take the Immortal-Controlling Pills. These are the Elixir of the Great Highest One’s Eightfold Jade, Flying Essence. All who seek long life, freedom from death, and entry into the realm of immortals and perfected beings first take the Worm-Controlling Pills to expel the corpse worms and lay the foundation for longevity. How can one become immortal with worms in the belly? How can one attain the true Dao when the body is rife with ghostly evils? These worms are exceedingly vicious and bring about an early death, so they should be expelled.

Later, Juanzi told Lin, “I have been summoned by the Heavenly Emperor and am to be appointed Grand Master of the Four Offices of Zhonghuang, a celestial post, while also taking charge as Lord of the Northern Sea. I will leave the human world and never return.” Later, Lin went to Juanzi’s quiet dwelling and found a letter he had left for him.

The letter read: “The Five Dippers and Three Ones is a secret method treasured by the Great Emperor, associated with the stars of the Five Dippers and the visualization practice known as the Three Ones. With twenty years of focused contemplation and cultivation, one can behold the Three Ones and receive their teachings. Simply possessing the Three Ones is enough to attain long life and imperishable existence—how much more so if one can also keep them within! Those able to visualize the Three Ones will have their names recorded on a jade register of heaven. How much more, then, for those who can meet the Three Ones face to face! By advancing further and visualizing the Cavern Chamber, one may become a Lord of Shangqing; by understanding the Three Primordials—Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, or the three origins associated with them—one may become a Lord of the Five Emperors. The reason the Later Sage, the Lord of the Golden Portal, can ride swift flashes of thunder and travel through the ten directions of heaven is precisely that he cultivated the ways of the Cavern Chamber, the Three Primordials, and the True One.

“I took medicinal substances in my cultivation for three hundred years, practiced Qi circulation for five hundred years, devoted myself to visualization for six hundred years, kept the Three Ones within for three hundred years, cultivated the Cavern Chamber for six hundred years, and guarded the Mysterious Elixir—the gathering place of essence and Qi in internal alchemy—for five hundred years. During this time, I also roamed famous mountains, explored the Eight Seas, traveled among the Five Sacred Peaks, and rested in grottoes. I delighted in trees and grasses, and kept company with birds and beasts. Rivers breathed out vital essence; hills were lush with vegetation. I admired the beauty of all things and observed the changing seasons of cold and heat. I hunted and fished along the Long Flow and wandered beside secluded waters. In the mountains I quieted my mind, contemplated the true Dao, and nurtured primordial Qi. When I summoned the Six Ding, the Jade Maidens appeared to protect me. I traveled freely through the Six Directions, bound by nothing.

“I guarded my body and longed for the true Dao, cultivating for more than two thousand eight hundred years. I was truly content to become a lesser immortal and never sought fame or distinction. Now at last I have been summoned to ascend to heaven and take up a celestial office. Looking back toward the human world, I feel sorrow in my heart and sigh at the thought of leaving. I am about to depart; let us part here. You must practice diligently. We will meet again in the Chamber of Whirling Winds, where immortals dwell.”

After reading the letter, Lin wept without stopping. He wandered about, bowing toward the sky. From then on, all trace of Juanzi vanished.

The Mysterious Elixir refers to the deity within the Niwan Palace, which Daoism locates in the head and associates with the inner spirits of the mind. The methods of cultivation come from the Taishang Suling Jue. By maintaining the “Three Ones,” one can become an Earthly Perfected One; by maintaining the “Cave Chamber,” one can become a Realized Person; and by maintaining the “Mysterious Elixir,” one can become an official of Taiwei. Lin Jin honored and practiced these Daoist methods, and in time attained the Dao. He traveled throughout the world in search of famous mountains. He could manifest in multiple forms and make himself disappear, and once rested in seclusion at Danling. He also took on the appearance of an ugly man and sold shoes in the streets and lanes, testing how well people could discern the truth. After attaining the Dao, he lodged wherever he pleased, withdrawing from sight and transforming himself. His movements were extraordinary, and people of his time could not recognize him.

On the sixth day of the third month in the second year of the Shenjue era of Emperor Yuan of Han, Lin Jin told Ji Tong, “Yesterday I received a summons from Xuanzhou. I have been appointed a True Mandate Senior Minister and, concurrently, a Court Attendant of Taiyi. It is time for us to part.” The next morning, a cloud chariot and a feathered canopy appeared. Dragons drew the chariot, tigers followed in its train, and several thousand attendants came to welcome him. That very day, Lin Jin ascended to heaven and slowly traveled northwest. After a long while, clouds veiled him, and his figure vanished.

Before Lin Jin departed, Taiyi had sent an envoy down to the human realm to appoint him a Perfected One of the Central Peak. Later, the Most High sent Wang Lang down to appoint him an Earthly Perfected One of the Five Peaks, with his residence established at Danling. I witnessed my former teacher attain the Dao and become an immortal. He was invested with rank and office three times in succession before finally ascending to heaven. This was perhaps because his virtue was profound and sublime, and he had long been attuned to the mysterious Dao. His wondrous transformations arose from emptiness and stillness; his spirit was clear and tranquil, reaching in every direction. Like a dragon rising with a phoenix in its wake, he strode into the Gate of Truth. At times he vanished, at times he appeared, traveling to and fro in the human world and undergoing the trials of ordinary life. His Daoist arts were wondrous, and his methods precious; paper and brush could never fully convey them. Here I have recorded only a brief account of my master’s life, for later adepts of the Dao to read.

◎ Biography of the Perfected One of Taihe (with an account of Ziyangzi)

The Perfected One of Great Harmony, Yin Gui, whose courtesy name was Gongdu, was from Taiyuan and was a cousin of Master Wenshi. In his youth, he studied astronomy and was also well versed in the lore of omens and portents, the theories by which people in ancient times interpreted celestial phenomena and foretold fortune and misfortune. He later came to serve Master Wenshi. Master Wenshi taught him to consume the flowers of yellow essence and passed on to him more than a hundred Daoist scriptures, personally explaining the essential methods of practice in each one.

After Master Wenshi attained the Dao and ascended to immortality, Yin Gui remained at his residence with the hermit Du Chong and others to study and cultivate. He was then twenty-eight years old. He gave up food and relied solely on the practice of Qi circulation, devoting himself to profound Daoist methods. The Great High One took pity on him, bestowed upon him the title “Perfected One of Great Harmony,” and appointed him to oversee the immortal officials of Duyang Palace.

Yin Gui sometimes traveled abroad, carrying with him more than ten tubes of divine elixirs. He journeyed throughout the land, helping those with whom he had a destined connection. At times he refined gold and silver to aid the poor; at others, he administered elixirs to rescue people from danger. All who came to beg his help received blessings and protection.

At times he attended court in Jade Capital, the celestial city of Daoist legend, to examine the good and evil deeds of living beings and the resulting rewards, retributions, and allotted destinies. At other times, he discussed the laws governing the varying speeds of Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, and the stars. Sometimes he feasted and traveled among the heavens, inspecting the registers of immortals and talismans, and determining the ranks, affiliations, and administration of the immortals. He also discussed the codes of conduct and ritual comportment for pure youths and those newly initiated into the immortal path. He would make inspection rounds through the regions, reviewing the blessings earned by people through accumulated merit, cultivation, and purification rites offered in prayer. He supervised the scriptures, methods, medicines, and dietary practices of men and women studying the Dao. He traveled through famous mountains and great rivers, consulting the registers kept by divine offices that recorded the sins and blessings of spirits and ghosts. He also took part in discussions of wind and rain, thunder and lightning, floods and droughts, and the abundance or scarcity of the harvest.

Wherever he went, he might appear as a Daoist priest, a Confucian scholar, a child, or an old man; no single identity could define him. At times, he also joined many Perfected Ones and immortals…

Upon attaining the Dao, one may ride dragons and harness phoenixes to fly through the sky. Taking the void as one's carriage and the clouds and vapors as one's road, one speeds along like a cloud and moves as swiftly as lightning, passing freely between the visible and the invisible. One can also divide the body and scatter the shadow, travelling to every place to gather and visit. Sometimes they tour the grotto-heavens of the Five Sacred Peaks, sometimes they proceed to the immortal palaces of the Ten Continents, journeying to the remote lands of the eight directions and entering the profound realms of the dark netherworld. At other times they drink the waters of the Azure Sea, draw in the clouds of the Mysterious Mound, pick red immortal blossoms in the Langqiong Garden, and gather red immortal fruits in the Jade Garden.

Accordingly, the Shangqing Qiongwen Dizhang (Jade Text of the Shangqing Emperor's Seal) records that Taihe Zhenren, Taihua Zhenren, the Lord of Longevity of the Three Heavens, the Supervisor-General of the Southern Pole who Controls the Prohibitions, the Central Marquis of the Western Terrace, the True Lord of the Northern Emperor, the Prince of the Nine Numinous Spirits, the Numinous Consort of Tailing, the Jade Youth of Red Essence, Master Xuangu of the Dark Valley, Chisong Zi of the Southern Peak, Wang Qiao of the Central Mountain, Zhenren Ziyang, the Lord Wang of the Western City, Master Zhonghuang, Zhao Boxuan, and Shan Zhongzong, together cultivated the supreme methods of the Three Perfect Scriptures. Their faces shone with a golden radiance, and round halos appeared behind their necks. They ascended into the high heavens by way of the void and feasted in the Purple Court (the palace gardens of the celestial realm). They could enact all manner of transformations and roam at will; at a single call, the spirits summoned would arrive at once. They could summon the multitude of spirits, subdue demons, govern life and death, and ride clouds and mount vapors to come and go within the court of the Celestial Emperor.

Appended: Yuanyangzi

Yuanyangzi was an immortal, born at the far end of the North Pole and raised within the void. He moved in accord with Heaven and Earth, circling together with the sun and moon. He wore the natural Qi, held rigidity within, and kept a gentle heart. He roamed freely beyond the vast expanse of the cosmos, and he once lingered at the Central Peak (one of the Five Sacred Peaks), observing how the harmonious Qi disperses, probing the laws governing the operation of the myriad things, examining the order in which the sun, moon, and stars move, and inquiring into the full course of prosperity and decline.

Later he encountered Laojun (the honorific title for Laozi in Daoism). Out of compassion for Yuanyang, Laojun bestowed upon him a scripture called the Huangting Jing (Scripture of the Yellow Court). This text addresses the source of Taisu (the original Qi from which all things are formed), the ultimate principles of Yin-Yang transformation, the essential methods for regulating body and mind, and the techniques of nourishing the Shen (spirit) through cultivation.

People of high antiquity cultivated themselves by following the true meaning of the scripture; after the middle antiquity, however, people no longer grasped its essential points. Errors crept into the transmission of the text, and this situation has persisted for a long time. It is said that Huang and Lao (the Yellow Emperor and Laozi) composed this scripture so that all who studied it might attain the status of immortals. From the time of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi onward, many gifted Confucian scholars annotated it, yet none fully grasped the original intent of Huang and Lao, and so the essential meaning of the scripture was lost.

Yuanyangzi felt disheartened by this. He withdrew and reflected repeatedly, gathered the subtle prophetic verses of Huang and Lao (texts that foretell or reveal hidden principles), and produced a broad commentary upon them. He said that he himself still could not exhaust the profound meaning of the Great Dao; the Dao is deep and far-reaching, and these annotations can only allow learners to gain a slight understanding.

It is said that the one who received the Huangting Jing was Laozi. The Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) offers another account: "Huang" refers to the Yellow Emperor and "Lao" refers to Laozi. Here, the Taishang Jing is also taken as the correct designation.

Du Chong, the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji Zhenren), styled Xuanyi, was a native of Haojing. In the year dingsi of King Zhao of Zhou's reign, he heard that Master Wenshi had already attained perfection (dengzhen), and he took up residence at the Ziling Residence to study the profound principles and the Dao. At that time, five reclusive gentlemen-scholars came from distant lands. All were quiet and sparing in speech, deep in their inner composure, and upright and unsullied in conduct. They refined their cultivation through mutual exchange without contending for precedence, and they jointly upheld the principle of humility and freedom from self-boasting. Later, King Mu of Zhou heard of them and had Taoist temples and shrines built for them, and he appointed Du Chong as a Daoist priest. Du Chong's bearing rivaled that of the hermits Chao Fu and Xu You, and his virtue was sufficient to serve as a model for all. For this reason, the Son of Heaven treated him with courtesy and did not regard him as a subject, and the feudal lords, who respected him, did not confer any rank upon him. This was because he devoted himself wholeheartedly to propagating and practicing the Dao.

Du Chong lived in quiet seclusion within a tranquil chamber, chanting the meanings of the Daodejing. He frequently regulated and nurtured the Qi and bodily fluids (jinye) within his body and practiced tuna, the regulation of breath to nourish the Qi. After more than twenty years of such cultivation, he sensed the descent of the Perfected Master Zhan during a peaceful sleep. Two attendants stood beside the Master, holding a jade case. Du Chong bowed his head and begged for instruction, and he received a case containing the Nine Flowers Elixir Formula (Jiuhua Danfang). Master Zhan told him: "When Laozi and Master Yin convened the Great Emperor and assembled the Perfected at Mount Bating in the Eastern Sea, the immortals of the mountains, rivers, and grottoes throughout the world all answered the summons, regardless of distance. At that time, the Earth Office, which governs matters of the earthly realm, recommended you for your diligent cultivation, and so Laozi ordered me to transmit this scripture to you."

Du Chong prepared and took the elixir according to its formula, and his body took on a jade-like luster. His five viscera became strong and moist, and his appearance and breath grew refined and pure. Later, he sensed the Perfected Li Jun transmitting the Taishang Suling Dongxuan Daiyou Miaojing (Wondrous Scripture of the Great Existence of the Mysterious Cavern of the Supreme Numinous Spirit). Du Chong continued his practice of this text and also achieved notable results. Thereby he was released from the bonds of the womb, dissolved his inner knots, preserved his life and condensed his true Qi, governed the multitude of spirits, and was able to perceive all manner of profound mysteries.

King Mu of Zhou was devoutly reverent toward Daoism and sought to become an immortal. He rode with a companion on the "Steed of Lingering Wind" (Yifeng zhi Jun), a legendary divine horse said to cover a thousand li in a day, and galloped onward. Along the way he came to Mount Kunlun and ascended the Xuanpu Palace. He then traveled west to Mount Turtle, where in the Chamber of Green Jade he paid his respects to the Queen Mother of the West. Heading east, he journeyed across the Azure Sea and offered homage to the Venerable Elder (Zhangren), an immortal's honorific, and he plucked blossoms from the Ruo tree. He then went north to Xuanlong and south to Changli, where he and his companion drank the numinous marrow of Jiang Mountain. King Mu commanded tigers and leopards, directed the myriad numinous beings, and could pass into the realm of the netherworld. His spiritual powers were unfathomable.

He lived to more than one hundred and twenty years. In the jihai year of King Yi's reign, the Lord of Shangqing dispatched an immortal official from the heavens to welcome him, bestowed upon him the immortal scriptures, and enfeoffed him as Perfected of Taiji (Taiji Zhenren). Later he was further appointed as the Immortal King of Mount Wangwu.

Taiqing Zhenren (Perfected of Great Clarity) Song Lun, courtesy name Dexuan, was a native of Luoyang. In the jiachen year of King Li's reign, he entered the Dao (Dao) and began cultivation. From then on he devoted himself wholly to practice, calming his spirit and stilling his breath, embracing and guarding his original qi (yuanqi) and keeping his mind at peace, and he took no part in worldly affairs. Each day he recited the Five Thousand Characters (the Daodejing) several times and took medicinal herbs such as huangjing (Polygonatum) and baizhu (Atractylodes). After more than twenty years of this practice, he finally sensed the descent of Lord Lao.

Around Lord Lao's head appeared a circle of light, and golden radiance shone from his face. He wore a robe of nine-colored Lili cloth and a crown of seven-radiance dawn brilliance. Six immortal youths attended him on either side, carrying on their backs the true writings and holding talismans and registers (fulu). Song Lun prostrated himself and begged for compassion. Lord Lao then said to him: "I possess a scripture of the Great Dao and the Vehicle of Penetrating Perfection that manifests in visible forms. It arose at the beginning of the Three Primordials and issued from the Court of the Nine Mysteries. The Five Virtues join in harmony, the Six Qi (liuqi) gather their essence, and true qi is divided and light is emitted, so that life may be preserved and its span extended. If you practice it, you will quickly ascend on the clouds to the heavens, moving freely between existence and non-existence, and perceiving the dim and profound realms. The sun, moon, and stars will shine together, the Yin and Yang breaths will be filled with spirit, your transformations will follow your mind, and you will ascend to the immortal realm of Shangqing (Highest Clarity)."

Song Lun bowed in thanks and received it. Lord Lao opened his store of texts and took out the Lingfei Liujia Susou Danfu (Talismans of the Plain Memorial of the Six Jia of the Numinous Flight, a Daoist talismanic scripture) and gave it to him. After Song Lun received and practiced the scripture, he naturally came into communion with the spirits. Six jade youths often attended him in turn. He could perceive things as a deity does, and his words never failed to come true. He could look at a cliff and step over it, cross waves and ford dangers without needing ferries or roads. At times he transformed himself into a roe deer or a doe, and at other times he took the form of a dove or pigeon, flying across the fields, using these transformations to test people's intentions.

Song Lun lived to over ninety years of age. During the reign of King Jing, he received the immortal writings, became Taiqing Zhenren, and was ordered to oversee the register of immortals of the Central Marchmount (Zhongyue).

The treatise states: According to the Biography of the Immortal Masters of Louguan and the Louguan… as recorded in…

According to both the Biography of the Immortal Master of Louguan (Louguan Xianshi Zhuan) and the Original Record of Louguan (Louguan Benji), King Kang of Zhou heard that Master Yin was determined to attain immortality, so he appointed him Grand Master and bestowed a fine title upon him. Beside his residence, Master Yin gathered grass and built a tower, and for this reason the place came to be called Louguan (Tower of Observation). In the reign of King Zhao of Zhou, Grand Master Yin encountered Lord Lao (Laojun), and afterward attained the Dao and became an immortal. King Mu of Zhou, who revered the traces the earlier master had left behind, had a shrine and a temple built there, gathered recluses who cultivated the Dao, and established the office of Daoist priest (daoshi). From that time on, this lineage has continued without interruption to the present.

The Louguan Stele (Louguan Bei) also records that Louguan was built by Guanling Yin Xi, Grand Master of King Kang of Zhou, and that it received its name because he gathered grass to make a tower. When King Mu of Zhou traveled west on tour, and Duke Wen of Qin hunted to the east, both deliberately altered their itineraries to personally honor the Daoist tradition. The First Emperor of Qin built a temple to the south of Louguan, and Emperor Wu of Han established a palace to its north. Inscriptions left by visitors from the Jin and Song dynasties still survive. Households that maintained the temple shrines during the Qin and Han dynasties also continued their service without break.

Judging from these accounts, the claim that Lord Lao departed westward through Hangu Pass during the reign of King Zhao of Zhou is well grounded. Some scholars, however, place this event during the reigns of King You, King Li, King Ping, or King Jing of Zhou.

The passage holds that some of these accounts are later embellishments by people who never saw the Biography of Lord Lao (Laojun Benji, a biographical record of Laozi's deeds). Legends place sightings of Lord Lao (Laozi) in the reign of King You of Zhou and during Confucius's lifetime, and the author explains that these encounters took place after Lord Lao had completed his conversion of the barbarians (Huahu) and returned to the Central Plains to manifest himself and teach the Dao.

Some say that Lord Lao traveled west from Sanguan Pass. The author cites the Biography of Lord Lao as transmitted by Celestial Master Zhang: after Laozi finished teaching, he traveled with Master Wenshi (traditionally identified as the Guan Warden, Yin Xi) through Chicheng and Shangyu Mountain, then passed Nüji Mountain, Jitou Mountain, Tianzhu Mountain, and Taibai Mountain. When King Zhaoxiang of Qin heard of this, he built a walled town on the western slope of Taibai Mountain, and traces of it remain in the area of Sanguan Pass to this day. Laozi passed through this place and then ascended Mount Kunlun, which is why local sites still bear names such as "Yin Xi City" and "Lord Lao's Resting Post." On this evidence, Lord Lao did not pass through Sanguan Pass in the year Guichou.

Some argue that since the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) does not mention these events, they must be false. The author rebuts this by pointing out that the Nine Heavens and Nine Ramparts (the levels of the heavenly and earthly realms in Daoist cosmology), the sources of mountains and rivers, and local customs cover the whole world, and historical works could never record them all, let alone every dwelling or every past event. If only what appears in historical records were accepted as fact, then the genealogies, books, prophetic texts (chenwei), and scriptures of the world would all have to be treated as false. Is this single temple and this one legend the only exception? These accounts have circulated for a long time, and there are tangible traces that can still be examined.

In the reign of King Xuan of Zhou, it is said, someone in the outskirts heard a woodcutter singing: "Wear the golden kerchief and enter the Gate of Heaven; call out to the Long Essence and draw in the Mysterious Spring; strike the Heavenly Drum and nourish the Niwan (Mud Pellet)." The people of the time could not understand the meaning, but Lord Lao said, "This is one who can preserve the state, and his words are very secret." What is referred to here is a person cultivating the supreme and perfect Dao (a Daoist term for the highest path of practice). In the song, "Niwan" designates a cultivation site within the head, while "Heavenly Drum" usually refers to a sound produced by methods such as tapping the teeth together, a term of Daoist cultivation.

The title of the Biography of the Perfected Taiyuan, Supreme Minister of the Eastern Peak, the Lord of Destiny notes that it was written by the disciple and Zhonghou Immortal Li Dao (courtesy name Anlin). The perfected subject of the biography was surnamed Mao, personal name Ying, courtesy name Shushen.

The Perfected Person (Zhenren), one who has attained the Dao, was surnamed Mao, with the personal name Ying and the courtesy name Shushen. He was a native of Nanguan in Xianyang. His ancestors descended from the Ji clan and later took Mao as their surname. The family had for generations accumulated virtue and practiced benevolence, so that their blessings extended across a hundred generations, and worthy men arose one after another.

Mao Ying's great-great-grandfather was named Meng, with the courtesy name Chucheng. He was deeply versed in the profound and far-reaching principles of the mysterious, and was also skilled at observing the rise and fall of worldly affairs. Knowing that the Zhou dynasty was about to decline, he no longer took office under the feudal lords. Later he became a disciple of Master Guigu of Beiguo Beia, and withdrew to live on Mount Hua. There he wandered among its peaks and moved freely through its deep caves, quietly yearning for the Way of the immortals. He kept far from the mundane world and lived in stillness and transcendence.

Mao Ying's great-grandfather was named Yan, with the courtesy name Taineng, and was the fourth son of Mao Meng. He held office during the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, first serving as a Retainer (sheren) and then steadily rising to Colonel of Chariots and Cavalry (cheqi xiaowei). He was enfeoffed as Marquis Gong of Changping. He assisted in governance and upheld the order of the realm, and in his time he achieved merit.

Mao Ying's grandfather was named Jia, with the courtesy name Zhenglun, and once held office…

King Zhuang of Qin appointed Qin Jia as Marquis of Guangxin. After the First Emperor ascended the throne, Jia devoted himself to assisting the royal house. During the reign of King Zhuangxiang, Qin gradually annexed Bashu, Hanzhong, Wan, and Ying, establishing Nanjun Commandery. It also seized the territory east of Shangjun, setting up Hedong, Taiyuan, and Shangdang Commanderies, and its borders extended east to Xingyang. Qin then destroyed the Eastern and Western Zhou and established Sanchuan Commandery.

Qin appointed Lü Buwei as Chancellor and enfeoffed him as Marquis Wenxin. It also made Jia Marquis Dexin and had both of them attract retainers and wandering scholars, in preparation for unifying the world. In the sixth year of the First Emperor, the five states of Han, Wei, Zhao, Wei, and Chu jointly attacked Qin and seized Shouling. The First Emperor sent Jia to lead troops against them, and Jia won merit in battle. When the state of Wei threatened the eastern capital, Jia again led troops, captured the city, and pacified the region. The First Emperor admired Jia's ambition and integrity and bestowed upon him five thousand catties of gold.

In the twenty-fifth year of the First Emperor, Qin mobilized its forces on a large scale. It sent Jia to attack the Liaodong region of Yan, capturing the King of Yan before returning. Jia was then sent to pacify the region of Jing, and the lands south of the Yangtze all submitted. That same year, Kuaiji Commandery was established, and Jia died while leading troops at Kuaiji. The First Emperor grieved over his loyalty and buried him southwest of Longshou Mountain in Chang'an with the honors due to a chancellor.

Jia had six sons, all of whom were quite renowned at the time. The First Emperor granted each of them an official post and a title so that they could inherit their father's status, and each was also given a surname. The sixth son, Zuo, courtesy name Yanying, held no office and did not seek learning. He wished only to farm in the countryside, and he was the father of Ying. Zuo had three sons: the eldest, Ying, courtesy name Shushen; the second, Gu, courtesy name Jiwei; and the youngest, Zhong, courtesy name Sihe.

Mao Ying had, from childhood, an aspiration set apart from others, and his natural talent was outstanding. His mind was lofty, his temperament transcendent, and his ambitions far-reaching. He did not pursue fame or worldly distinction, and he did not associate with people whose inclinations differed from his own. He loved only the Dao of stillness and emptiness, and his mind was tranquil and remote.

At the age of eighteen, Mao Ying left his family and entered Mount Heng to cultivate the Way. He studied the Daodejing (Classic of the Dao and De) of Laozi and the Commentary on the Changes (Zhouyi zhuan), learned the arts of the mountains, and took medicinal substances associated with these practices. He lived in seclusion among deep, precipitous cliffs, maintained a pure character within the spirited mountain ridges, revered the mysterious realm of the Dao, and resolved to remain cut off from the mundane world for a long time.

In the ninth month, on the day gengzi of the thirtieth year of the Qin First Emperor, Mao Ying's great-grandfather Mao Meng ascended to the heavens in broad daylight, riding a cloud and a dragon from Mount Hua. Before this, a song had circulated among the local people: "The one who attained the way of the immortals is named Mao Chucheng. He ascended on a dragon into the Taiqing (the lofty heavenly realm in Daoist teaching), and at times descends to visit the Xuanzhou (a legendary immortal land) and Red City. After him, the next to attain the Way is I, Mao Ying. Should a ruler wish to learn this Way, he may rename the la sacrifice as Jiaping."

Upon hearing the song, the First Emperor asked about its meaning. The local elders told him that it was a song left by an immortal, urging him to seek the Way of longevity. Delighted, the emperor was moved to pursue the immortals, and for this reason he renamed the la sacrifice "Jiaping."

Mao Ying cultivated the Way on Mount Heng for six years, devoting himself wholeheartedly to longing for the supreme Dao. Through his sincere devotion he received a mysterious revelation: in his sleep he seemed to hear profound discourses on the Way, and he dreamed that the Jade Maiden of Supreme Mystery (a female immortal in Daoist legend) held a jade tablet (a document made of jade) and led him onward. The Jade Maiden told him, "In the western city there is a Lord Wang who has already attained the Way, and he can be your teacher. Why do you not go to seek him out and receive his instruction?"

On hearing this, Mao Ying's mind was suddenly opened, and his spirit grew clear and bright, as though he had grasped the Way he had sought for so long. At dawn the next day, he gazed far toward the east, climbed the high ridges, crossed perilous mountain paths, and set out for the western city. He observed a fast of three months, expressing his reverence through bathing and purifying his body and facing the place he admired. Then he pressed on through thorns and hardships, bowed before the sacred mountain, and at last met Lord Wang.

Twenty years later, Wei Ying followed Lord Wang westward to Mount Tortoise to pay his respects to the Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wangmu). He kowtowed and said to her: "I am lowly in station and humble in birth, as withered as a dried bone, yet I dare, in this mortal body, to admire the longevity of dragons and phoenixes. Like a mushroom that lives and dies within a single morning, I secretly hope to receive the lasting span of sun and moon. Though I look up to the Way of long life, I do not know how to obtain it. The paths to seeking the Dao are difficult and blocked, and my aspiration has nowhere to rest. I constantly fear that I will die before I have learned anything, perishing in the hardships of the quest and becoming a laughingstock to worldly people. Therefore, in the past I carried my book case into hiding in a secluded forest, longing to find the arts of long life passed down by a master, and later I met Lord Wang. Lord Wang took pity on my earnest pursuit of the Dao and taught me the essentials for nourishing the body, along with fuqi (the practice of regulating the breath to nourish life). I then began to practice these methods in a quiet, purified study chamber."

Lord Wang then solemnly warned me that the human body is not jade or stone and cannot be sustained by willpower alone. Qi is also not something that follows the changing seasons and arises naturally within the body. One must be skillful in regulating its entering and exiting so that the breath remains smooth and moderate. When the jinye (bodily fluids) are harmonized and properly nourished, the form and the spirit will not fall out of balance. Sustained attentive sensing and accumulated practice keep the hun and po (the ethereal and corporeal souls) from becoming stagnant. Adjusting oneself according to one's own constitution, so that the breath is just right, keeps the form and the jing (essence) and qi from being exhausted, and so the body, this dwelling place, will not decay. If one tires the shen (spirit) through constant running about, and lets the jinye drain away with each exhalation and inhalation, the form will decline day by day and the spirit will wither. Lifespan will shorten year by year, and the body will weaken month by month. For this reason, one should subtly seek out the methods of prolonging life.

The Queen Mother said: "Your heart's resolve to pursue the Dao is most sincere. In the past I received the essential teachings from my former master, the Celestial Venerable of Original Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), and from the Supreme Emperor Lord of Fusang of the August Heaven (Huangtian Fusang Taidijun). Are you willing to hear them?" She then personally transmitted to Wei Ying the Way of the Jade Pendant and Golden Earring (Yupei Jindang Zhi Dao) and the Scripture of the Mysterious Perfection of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji Xuanzhen Jing).

Wei Ying received the teaching with reverence and stood up after bowing his head. The Queen Mother then told him: "What is called the 'golden earring' (jindang) is the inner true essence hidden within the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) canopy and shadow. What is called the 'jade pendant' (yupei) is the secret, profound principle of Taishang (the Most High), and the precious canon of ascent through the cavern-heavens (dongtian). Those who obtain these methods can all ascend to the clouds, travel up to the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji), dwell in the high heavens, and roam the Purple Void (Zixu), the realm of the immortals. The content that I mentioned earlier, which the Celestial Venerable of Original Beginning and the Supreme Lord transmitted, is the chapter on the 'Jade Pendant and Golden Earring' in the Hidden Book of the Two Radiances of Taixiao (Taixiao Erjing Yinshu). There is also the Inner True Talismans of the Two Radiances of Yin and Yang (Yinyang Erjing Neizhenfu), which should be practiced together with this scripture. It is a method of Taishang and is transmitted only to the Siming (Director of Destinies), the spirit official who governs human lifespan, life, and death. You possess the qualities of a jade tablet and mysterious staff, your name has been entered in the golden register, your inner light is manifest, and you bear the Shangqing mandate. It seems you should become a Supreme Minister and take up the office of Siming. This method will be transmitted to you later. However, if you have not first heard the Way of the Mingtang Xuanzhen (the Mysterious Perfection of the Bright Hall), you will not be able to obtain the Hidden Book of Taixiao."

Ying bid farewell to his master and returned to his home district. He wore a rope about his body and mingled with ordinary people, without making any effort to appear different from them. He told others that he had studied Confucian and secular learning in a valley north of Mount Heng, and that he had been forty-nine years old at the time.

Ying's parents were still alive. When his father heard that he had studied the Way of the Mingtang Xuanzhen (the Daoist cultivation methods of the Mingtang and Xuanzhen) but had not obtained the Taixiao Yinshu (the Hidden Writ of the Great Clarity, a secret Daoist scripture), he was furious. He scolded Ying, saying, "You are a son who is not filial. You do not personally attend to and support your parents, but instead chase after strange and deluded affairs and wander from place to place. I ought to treat you as though I had no son." With that, he raised his staff to beat him.

Ying knelt at length and apologized, saying, "I have received the mandate to cultivate the Dao, and so I ought, by rights, to attain it. The Dao and worldly affairs are difficult to pursue together. Although I have left home and cannot attend to and support you day and night, this is not without benefit. It keeps the household safe and allows our parents to live long in old age. I have already received the fulu (talismans and registers, the tokens and decrees transmitted by a Daoist master) from my sacred teacher. Those who assist me are the heavenly troops, and those who attend and guard me are the immortal youths and jade maidens.

"Now that my Dao has been accomplished, you must not strike me. I fear it will bring the scrutiny of the Three Officials (the deities in Daoism who govern heaven, earth, and water), and that would be no small matter. Outwardly, Father, you keep to the rites, but inwardly your mind still aspires to cultivate virtue and seek profound principles and has not let go. That is why you are testing my condition, so that the crowd will no longer harbor doubts."

Thereupon his father raised the staff against Ying, but just as he was about to bring it down, the staff snapped into several dozen pieces, which flew off like arrows shot from a bow. One struck a wall and pierced through it; another struck a pillar and left a dent in it. Only then did his father realize that Ying was no ordinary person, and his anger subsided. Ying said, "What I said just now was precisely out of fear that something like this would happen. If it had struck someone else by chance, that would have been a bad thing."

By the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Han, Mao Ying's two younger brothers had both risen to prominent office. Mao Zhong served as Grand Master of the Five Offices (Wuguan Dafu) and Governor of Xihe, and Mao Gu became Commandant of the Palace Guards (Zhi Jinwu). When the two set out for their posts, several hundred people from the village came to see them off. Mao Ying was also among the crowd, and he said to the guests, "Although I have not attained a salary of two thousand piculs and a high official post, I hold the office of the immortal spirits (xianling). On the third day of the fourth month next year, I too will take up my post. Will we be able to gather again as we do today?" The guests all agreed to come on that day.

On the appointed day, the several qing of land before Mao Ying's gate suddenly became level and clean, without so much as a blade of grass. Blue silk canopies were raised across the ground, and within them several layers of white felt were spread, enough to seat several hundred people. Those near and far talked of it, and the roads were crowded with those coming to attend. The number of guests was several times that of the farewell for Mao Zhong and Mao Gu.

When all the guests had arrived, Mao Ying hosted them lavishly. No attendants were to be seen, yet golden plates and jade cups moved of their own accord to each person, bearing rare delicacies and exotic fruits whose names no one knew. The wine was fragrant and mellow, and musicians played silk and bamboo strings, bells, and chimes, the sound shaking heaven and earth, while a musky fragrance drifted for several li. The food kept being replenished, and all of the more than six hundred guests ate and drank their fill.

On the next day, the procession came to escort Mao Ying to his post. The civil officials wore red robes with white sashes, several hundred strong. The military ranks had armored soldiers, ceremonial guards with ivory banners, and weapons of every kind, dazzling to behold. Mao Ying bade farewell to his family and kin, and said to the young men of his clan, "True immortals who dwell in seclusion and cultivate the Dao (Dao) hold concealment of their traces as their foremost principle. They should not display brilliance or go out of their way to adorn themselves in ways that startle the eyes and ears of others. The reason I did not quietly withdraw and vanish to Kongtong Mountain is that I wished to use this affair to guide and inspire my two younger brothers to admire the Way of the immortals (xiandao). Was it merely so that Mao Gu and Mao Zhong might turn from their errors? Anyone in the world with lofty aspirations should set their hearts on pursuing the Way of the immortals and hoping to attain transcendence."

Having said this, Mao Ying returned to Mount Jurong (Jurong Shan). The local people therefore renamed Jurong Mountain the Mountain of Lord Mao.

"At that time, my second younger brother was still in office. They heard that our elder brother Ying's deeds were lofty, profound, and mysterious: he had ascended to immortality in broad daylight, riding the wind and flying through the air, crossing over waves and fording ferry crossings, with spirit attendants (divine officials who served the gods) following at his side. These accounts spread on the lips of the common people, and his ceremonial retinue, canopies, and banners shone across the realm. Only then did my second brother come to believe that the transformation into an immortal could be cultivated, and that spirits could be summoned through sincere response. He also came to understand that the immortals Songqiao (the legendary immortals Red Pine Zi and Wangzi Qiao) were not fabrications, and that Dinghu (the place where the Yellow Emperor was said to have ascended to heaven on a dragon) was a real event."

"Thereupon the two of them resigned from office together and returned home. Their years were already advanced when they began to practice the rudimentary methods our elder brother had left behind. But without oral instructions (kouJue), the cultivation brought no benefit. The two of them looked at each other and sighed: 'Our elder brother has already attained the Dao, and he is no ordinary person. Why not go to him, seek the secret teachings from him in person, rather than remaining here, following those recipe books, and hoping to get through our lives that way? Even if this journey fails to bring us learning, since our elder brother has already become an immortal, he will surely not let us die in vain.'"

"So they left home together, helping one another into their carriage and setting out to seek out our elder brother. On the sixth day of the third month in the fifth year of the Yongguang era of Emperor Yuan of the Han, they crossed the river to Dongshan, and at last met our elder brother. Brothers meeting one another, their hearts swelled with both sorrow and joy, and with tears streaming down they said: 'You have awakened far too late!'"

On the sixth day of the third month of the fifth year of the Yongguang era under Emperor Yuan of the Han, Ying crossed the river to Dongshan to seek out his elder brother, and at last the two were reunited. Overcome with both sorrow and joy, the brothers wept, and the elder said, "I have awakened too late!" The two younger brothers knelt and said, "We were stubborn and dull by nature, and we did not understand De (Virtue). We beg you to grant us the method of longevity and save us, your brothers."

Ying replied, "You are already old, and it will be hard to make up for lost time. Even if you obtained the true secret, you could only attain the rank of earth immortal (dixian), an immortal who dwells among people. As for the great art of Shangqing (the high-level methods for ascending to the heavens), it is not something I learned. For now, you should first practice the easier methods in sequence, so that your bodies can be sustained."

Ying then taught the two brothers to eat the qingya (the green shoots of newly sprouted plants) and to practice the method of swallowing qi and fluids (yan qi ye), a regimen of swallowing breath and saliva to nourish life. These practices were meant to halt aging, restore a depleted body, and strengthen the sinews and bones, and they were also said to slow aging and make a person deathless. He then had them observe a long fast of three years before transmitting the higher practices. He taught them to visualize the mysterious true qi within the Mingtang (the inner palace of the body), using it to regulate and circulate the jing (essence) so that the hun (ethereal soul) was settled and at peace.

Within three years, they devoted their utmost sincerity and concentrated their thoughts, and at last they saw divine light. The Six Dings (the six guardian deities of Daoist lore) came to serve them, and heavenly troops came to guard them. Afterward, Ying passed the same method on to them once more, teaching them to visualize the mysterious true qi in the Mingtang in order to regulate their jing and settle their hun. Within another three years, they were wholehearted and single-minded, the divine light appeared, the Six Dings attended them, and the heavenly troops guarded them. Ying then gave each brother a dose of the Nine-Cycle Returning Elixir (a elixir refined through Daoist practice) and a divine formula (shenfang). Each received and swallowed his portion, and so they attained the Dao (the Way) of the immortals.

After that, the immortal envoys each conferred upon Mao Gu and Mao Zhong a hundred-character heavenly writ from the Zisu (Purple Essence) scripture. Mao Gu and Mao Zhong received them with ritual bows, while officiants at their side proclaimed the rites and corrected the ceremonial procedures.

The Zisu Wen (Purple Essence Text) states: "The Most High (Taishang) has issued a command, and the heavenly realm holds the true writ. The writ says: Mao Gu of Xianyang, residing at the Southern Pass, courtesy name Jiwei, has received the mandate to become an immortal. His office is Fixer of Registers (dinglu), concurrently overseeing the Perfected (zhenren) of the earthly realm. He is responsible for recommending persons of the Dao, the Way, and for examining their years of life and their destinies. He is diligent and reverent in his post, follows the decrees of the four quarters, and governs the palaces, halls, and grotto-abodes of Mount Gouqu in Danyang. Mao Gu, you should exert yourself and conduct your affairs with caution, for the heavens will take note."

The text further states: "Mao Zhong, younger brother of Mao Ying and Mao Gu, is endowed with outstanding talent and upright conduct. Though he returned to the proper Way late, his thoughts are subtle and his intentions sincere. He has slain the evil ghosts under the jurisdiction of the Six Heavens (in Daoism, the heavenly domains that symbolize the forces of malevolent spirits), and his wisdom and reputation are distinguished. He now temporarily holds the office of the Three Officials (Heaven, Earth, and Water), preserving people's lives and establishing their registers. He serves as overall administrator of Mount Tai (Daizong), governing the rolls of the dead and the life-registers of the living. His celestial rank is that of Earth Immortal, and he is outstanding among the Nine Palaces. He is to admonish and enlighten young children, opening the path to the accomplishment of the Dao; he is to instruct the female officials and transmit subtle and efficacious methods to the multitude.

He is also to govern the hundred ghosts, supervise wicked spirits, and assess goblins; survey the sources of waters and manage the flow of rivers, lakes, and seas; seal and administer the gold and grain, and record and store the jade elixir; and oversee the cultivation of spirit herbs such as the Dragon Fungus and the Night-Luminous Grotto Grass. He governs at Mount Liangchang, guards the entrance of the Northern Grotto, and garrisons the gate of the Yin Palace. Once the envoy had finished conferring the writ, he departed."

In the eighth month of the second year of the Yuanshou era under Emperor Ping of the Han, on the day Yiyou, the Five Emperors descended with their attendant officials, each riding a carriage that matched his direction and color. Acting on the command of the Grand Emperor, they conferred upon Ying the title Sīmìng Dōngqīng Shàngzhēn Jūn (Superior Perfected Lord, Eastern Minister of Fate). The decree was written on tablets of purple jade and engraved in gold.

The decree states that Ying is by nature empty and still, with a lofty and luminous mind, devoted to seeking the profound and mysterious principles. From youth he wore his hair loose and lived in seclusion on Mount Bei, cultivating stillness among the forests and marshes and concentrating his thought on the way of the immortals. He climbed high peaks and crossed deep valleys in search of a teacher, not sparing his body and venturing far from home. Single-minded in pursuit of the Dao (the Way), he followed his nature, and at last he met an enlightened master and received precious scriptural sections of the Way.

He cut his hair as a sworn pledge and did not spare his body. He found contentment in clothing himself with cords and was not ashamed of hunger or cold. What he pursued was only the Dao, and what he guarded was only the True. His aspiration reached the Heavenly Emperor and moved Tàixuán (the Supreme Mystery, the profound and mysterious Dao).

The decree then repeats its praise: he devoted himself single-mindedly to the Dao, followed his nature, met an enlightened master, and received numinous writings. It again notes that he cut his hair as a pledge and gave up his body, that he remained content with hardship, and that he pursued only the Dao and guarded only the True.

You have devoted your true heart to the Dao, and your sincere intent has moved the Supreme Lord, so that you have responded to the profound mystery of the Taixuan (Supreme Mystery). We now respectfully confer upon you the exalted rank of Perfected Person of Supreme Origin (Taiyuan Zhenren) and appoint you Divine Lord of Destiny and Chief Minister of the Eastern Peak, charged with the spiritual offices of the Eastern Peak and the registers of life and death.

Your heart is upright and even, your integrity as firm as metal and stone, and your sincere devotion is sufficient to move the multitudes. Your spirit is clear and lofty. We therefore bestow upon you the jade axe, the green banner, and the Strategy of the Eight Majesties, instruments with which you may campaign against the realm of Yuanze and resist the myriad spirits. You once cultivated yourself amid the cold mountain forests and secluded valleys, penetrated the mysteries, revered the true Dao, and, in the deep mountains, devoted yourself single-mindedly to the Way, opening your heart and displaying utter sincerity. Now we grant you the purple-plumed insignia and a magnificent crown spreading like lotus petals, by which you may summon and command the myriad numinous beings, seal the mountains, and call forth the clouds.

You abandoned your household and set out alone, leaving your kin and delighting in the pursuit of immortality. You endured hardship and peril, and in winter you walked the mountains and rivers with your body bared. We therefore bestow upon you the embroidered feathered mantle of purple and the vivid painted ornaments, by which you may ascend the stairs of the clouds at ease and travel in the company of the Jade Perfected (jade immortals).

You have often traveled through the dense and secluded mountain forests, treading upon perilous places, and you have held fast to your resolve without ever fearing or flinching. We therefore bestow upon you a carriage drawn by a piebald dragon and a chariot pulled by a white tiger, so that you may roam the vast heavens in peace and drive your chariot to the halls of the Celestial Emperor. You have braved thorns and brambles and bitter frost and snow, singlemindedly seeking an audience with the Clear Perfected, and you have never been startled or shaken. We therefore bestow upon you the curved, dawn-like canopy, the curtains of jade and jewel, and the palace of green jade, so that you may tour the Nine Palaces and quietly nourish your spirit in cultivation.

You have kept far from glory and profit, your will untiring, and you have dwelt in the deep mountains, quietly contemplating amid the myriad trees. We therefore bestow upon you the flaming golden bells and the twin pearls as bright as the moon, so that you may present memorials to the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Celestial Court and convey messages in communion with the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) realm.

Your will is steadfast and pure. You are not swayed by idle rumors or entangled in worldly affairs, and your character is genuine, luminous both within and without. We therefore bestow upon you brocaded banners, embroidered pennants, and a black staff with white plumes, so that you may summon the six Yin spirits, with Jade Maidens attending your chariot.

You hold compassion in your heart, treat all things with kindness, quietly aid living beings, and give careful attention even to the smallest creatures. We therefore bestow upon you the phoenix-and-simurgh flute, the golden bell, and the jade chime, so that you may harmonize your breath and spirit in the tranquil immortal halls, delight the spirits with celestial music, and move the numinous host to dance.

You have endured hunger and thirst to nourish your spirit and have suffered hardship in seeking the Dao. Nothing could bewilder you, and evil qi could not corrupt your purity. We therefore bestow upon you the purple jade elixir, the jade draught, and the golden jar, so that you may attain long life, shine together with the sun, moon, and stars, and have your name inscribed upon the jade tablets of the cinnabar register.

You govern the pure mysterious qi, and your purple radiance shines in all four directions. Your heart's light is like the interplay of sun and moon, and your spiritual luster illuminates the Taixia (Supreme Dawn Mist) heavens. You are indeed the eldest among the perfected, and therefore we name you "Taiyuan." You possess the nine virtues and move in response to the Taiwei (Supreme Tenuity) heavens. Heaven and humanity join with your clear and unclouded mind, and though no agreement was made, you naturally return to the same accord. Now we repay your former aspirations with nine categories of rewards.

Your mind and spirit are bright and open, a dwelling for the Four Spirits. Your cinnabar spirit shines forth, and you uphold uprightness without yielding or changing. You manage affairs with rectitude and steadiness, penetrating the subtle and discerning all without omission. We now appoint you to preside over the office of Chief Minister, to oversee the affairs of the Eastern Peak, and to hold concurrently the charge of Lord of Destiny, governing the registers of names and the ledgers of records. We bestow upon you forty Jade Youths and forty Jade Maidens, who shall accompany you in and out of the Taiwei heavens and attend to affairs in the Taiji Celestial Court. Your seat of governance shall be the Palace of the Jade Cavern of the Red City, under your direction, and every movement within the palace shall be reported to you.

Then Yin bade farewell to his two younger brothers and set off with Lord Wang for the Palace of the Jade Cavern of the Red City. Along the way, the spirits of the mountains and rivers and the officials who governed each region came out to greet them, announce their arrival, and lead the way, numbering in the tens of millions. Upon arriving, Yin took up his post at the Palace of the Jade Cavern of the Red City, where every movement and every stillness had to be reported.

When it was time to leave, Yin said to his two younger brothers: "I am now departing. Having official duties from here on, I cannot visit you as often as before, nor can I meet with you morning and evening. Let us agree to come to this mountain twice a year, on the eighteenth day of the third month and the second day of the twelfth month. On those dates, my teacher and the Perfected Taixu Zhenchi of the Southern Marchmount will come to visit and gather with you here, so you must remember this appointment. If there are people who love the Daoist arts, have them wait here for me, and I will personally arrange for them and instruct those who have not yet attained understanding."

Thereupon Ji Wei and Si remained in the cave to cultivate, and outside the cave a Daoist temple was also built. The Dao of the Way extended to all things, its grace reached the common people, and its virtue reached even the birds and beasts, so that each found its proper place. The spirits perceived misfortune and fortune clearly, and both good and evil, with their attendant guilt or merit, were made manifest. Once the inner cultivation of the Dao was fully integrated, the outward teaching could also proceed smoothly. As a result, wind and rain came in their proper seasons, the five grains yielded abundant harvests, and illness and plague no longer arose, nor did violence and calamity appear.

The local elders sang: "Mao Mountain adjoins Jinling, and the rivers and lakes lie along the lower reaches. Three immortals ride white cranes, each governing a mountain peak. They summon the rain to irrigate the parched rice fields, and even the dry-land crops grow lush. Wives and children all dwell in peace within their homes, so that we no longer suffer a hundred kinds of sorrow. The white cranes fly toward the blue sky—when will they return to roam among us once more?"

"Biography Section, Volume 105, Historical Biographies, Part 3: The Biography of the Perfected Qingling Pei Jun," composed by the disciple Deng Yunzi.

Perfected Qingling, Lord Pei, whose courtesy name was Xuanren, was a native of Xiayang in Youfeng. He was born in the second year of the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Han. He was clear-minded and upright, with a dignified and unadorned bearing. He was good at conversation and laughter, and his eyes were bright and spirited. His arms hung down to his knees, and his voice was high and clear, so that when he called out it rang like a bell. His family honored both Buddhism and Daoism. In his teens he stayed awake day and night, concentrating on reflection and on the recitation of scriptures.

One year, on the eighth day of the fourth month, Pei rode in a carriage with Zhao Kangzi of Fengyi and Hao Jicheng of Shangdang on their way to a Buddhist temple (fotu). It was overcast and rainy when a poor man in a threadbare cloth robe and a yellow headband walked up behind the carriage and asked for a ride. Pei courteously questioned him but received no reply, so he got down and helped the stranger up into the carriage. Zhao Kangzi and Hao Jicheng were angered and scolded, "Who is this person, to climb into our carriage?" Pei explained and persuaded them, and only then did they agree to let the stranger ride with them. Pei himself walked behind the carriage, his expression unchanged. The stranger rode at ease, and Pei felt no embarrassment.

As they neared the temple, the stranger said, "My home is nearby." He then got down from the carriage and vanished in an instant. At the temple was a Daoist adept named Zhi Ziyuan, who was well versed in Daoist arts (daoshu) and was an elder practitioner. He was said to be one hundred and seventy years old. Upon seeing Pei, he sighed, "From my youth to my old age I have met many people, but I have never seen anyone like you." He then invited Pei into a quiet inner room and laid out a generous meal. After they had eaten, he led Pei to an even more secluded place, asked him to sit, and said, "I am skilled at physiognomy, and no one surpasses me. Your eyes resemble the Yaoguang star of the Big Dipper. And judging by the form of your body from the back downward, you resemble Hekui. You are destined to gain high rank, and you will also become an immortal (shenxian). You will be able to cherish and enjoy all the blessings that people in the world long for. However, the gateway to your cultivation (xiuxing zhi jinliang) has not yet been opened, and your seven qi, the vital energies involved in practice, are not yet pure and harmonious. Unless you encounter a mysterious matter, you will lack the affinity to accomplish it." He then quietly transmitted to Pei the secret arts of his own practice. The adept continued, "These are the secret methods of inner cultivation for longevity, which no one in the world knows. Formerly, when I traveled to Mount Jiao and Mount Biezu, I encountered the immortal Mr. Jiang, who was also Chi Jiangzi Yu, and he gave me the *Shen……

For more than one hundred and seven years since my master transmitted five secret methods to me, I have followed them in practice and still feel abundant Qi (vital energy) and a strong body, with no sense of aging. Yet my practice has often strayed from the right path through laziness, and I have not been able to truly set aside worldly entanglements. Thus, although I have prolonged my life, I have not become an immortal. This is still because my practice has frequently violated the prescribed methods and lacked focused contemplation and understanding. Now I pass these secrets on to you. You must treasure them carefully and not transmit them lightly.

The first method is to visualize the Five Stars (wuxing) so that one's body corresponds with the numinous stars of the five directions. When practicing, one should usually sit in a quiet, secluded room after midnight, when yang energy first begins to arise, and draw in the Qi of the five directions. Sit on the bed facing the direction determined by the month's construction star (yuejian), first knock the teeth nine times, then swallow saliva thirty times. When this is finished, visualize the Five Stars: the northern star Chenxing (Mercury) above the head, the eastern star Suixing (Jupiter) on the left, the western star Taibai (Venus) on the right, the southern star Yinghuo (Mars) between the two knees, and the central star Zhenxing (Saturn) in the heart.

After long practice, whether one is at home or traveling far, one should frequently visualize the stars and never forget them. The scripture holds that in this way one can avoid all manner of calamity and remain undisturbed. Afterward, if one suddenly encounters five old men, they are said to be the spirits of the Five Stars. When meeting them, one may ask about the method of ascending to immortality. These five spirits jointly protect the practitioner's body, enabling them to ascend to heaven in broad daylight.

Beginning practice, one first chooses the first ten days of the month, the upper ten-day period, on a Jiazi day (jiazi ri), and takes as the start date a "Kai" (Opening) or "Chu" (Removal) day, auspicious categories in traditional date selection (zeri shu). One selects an hour when vital qi (qi) is abundant, namely after midnight. One should not practice while greatly intoxicated, overfull, or in poor physical condition, as this will cause illness. The practitioner should concentrate the mind, with thoughts held deep and far-reaching. The text states that this method of nourishing life, practiced by men and women together, must be guarded carefully and not transmitted to unsuitable persons. Both men and women should gather qi and nourish jing (essence) and blood. This is not a cultivation that relies on external substances; its core is "gathering the yin to benefit the yang" (cai yin yi yang). If one practices according to the method, the breath and bodily fluids will circulate and harmonize, and the jing and qi will gather and blend, so that over a long period both the old and the young may return to the state of childlike innocence.

Before entering the quiet chamber (jingshi, the room for quiet practice), one should first forget one's own body and external things. Then one knocks the teeth seven times and recites the incantation:

"White Primordial Gold Essence, Five Flowers spreading and giving birth; the Yellow Venerable Lord of the Center, who harmonizes the hun and po souls and gathers in the essential qi; the Supreme Great Essence of the Emperor, who condenses the bodily fluids and nourishes the bone spirit; the Supreme Great True One, who causes the Six Qi to coil and circulate within the body; the Upper Essence Mysterious Venerable Lord, who restores my spirit and nourishes the marrow of the brain, so that I may be united and refine and nurture the embryonic fetus, guarding the treasure."

After the recitation, the man focuses his intention on the kidney region, consolidates and secures the jing, refines and nurtures it, and causes it to ascend from the jiaji (the middle of the spine, the region between the shoulder blades) to the Niwan (Mud Pellet), the upper Dantian in the head as described in Neidan (internal alchemy). This is called "returning to the origin" (huanyuan). The woman focuses her intention on the heart region, nourishes the spirit, and refines the inner fire, keeping still. She causes the breath to descend from between the two breasts to the kidneys, then ascend along the spine to the Mud Pellet. This is called "transforming into the true" (huazhen). Nourishing continuously within the danjiong (the state of inner refinement in which the jing is sealed and stored) for a hundred days will bring spiritual penetration. If one practices over a long period, one will naturally attain perfection, reaching the state of long life, dwelling in the world, and not dying.

Third, one uses the Wuxing Ziwen (Purple Writings of the Five Phases, talismanic or secret writings grounded in the Five Phases concept) to eliminate the Three Corpses (sanshi), the three corpse-worms said in Daoist belief to dwell in the body and obstruct cultivation.

The third method is called the Wuxing Ziwen (Purple Writ of the Five Phases), and it is used to purge the sanshi (Three Corpses), spirits or worms said to dwell in the body and obstruct cultivation. It is usually performed at noon on the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month, with the eyes gently closed and the face turned toward the south. "Gently closed" means the eyes are shut but not pressed tightly.

One visualizes green qi (Qi) arising from the two eyes, red qi arising in the heart, and yellow qi arising from the navel. These three streams are made to circle one another, merge into a single current, and pass through the whole body. After a while, one visualizes the body, both inside and out, as bright and luminous, like the light of a fire. This is held for some time, after which one knocks the teeth together fourteen times and swallows the saliva in the mouth fourteen times. These steps are a method of training the physical form and expelling the corpse-worms through visualization (cunxiang) and regulated breathing (tiaoxi). With long practice, it is said, the body will give off five kinds of fragrance, the eyes will grow bright, the ears will become keen, and one will ultimately attain immortality without death.

The fourth method is called the Yinde Zhi Shenxian Zhi Dao (The Way of Hidden Virtue Leading to Immortality). The scripture states that on each jiazi day (a day within the sexagenary cycle used for counting days), after bathing, one should burn incense on the left side of the sleeping bed in one's dwelling during the early part of the jiazi day. The practice is said to make the eyes bright and the ears keen, and to lead to immortality without death.

The fourth method is called "the Way of Hidden Virtue That Leads to Immortality." The text says that after bathing on a Jiazi day, during the first ten days of that month, one should burn incense on both sides of one's bed. If this is kept up over a long period, celestial immortals and Jade Maidens will descend.

Another method is to raise a white dog and a white chicken, naming the dog "White Spirit" (Bailing) and the chicken "White Essence" (Baijing). On the Eight Seasonal Nodes, which are the beginning of spring, the spring equinox, the beginning of summer, the summer solstice, the beginning of autumn, the autumn equinox, the beginning of winter, and the winter solstice, or when one enters the Five Sacred Peaks or climbs famous mountains, one should quietly place the chicken and dog in a place where immortals dwell, then leave without looking back. The celestial perfected and the heavenly officials will then bestow upon the practitioner elixir herbs such as fungus essences and numinous plants.

There is also a method in which one writes a memorial on plain silk, one foot two inches long, in cinnabar ink. The text reads: "So-and-so, of such-and-such village, in such-and-such county, in such-and-such prefecture, hopes to obtain long life, to ascend as an immortal and transcend the mortal world, and to rise to Shangqing (Highest Clarity). I earnestly beseech the Perfected of Supreme Divinity, the numinous powers of the Five Peaks, and the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus to pardon my transgressions." After writing, one ties a pair of gold rings together with blue silk and wraps the memorial around them. Then one performs two bows facing north, places the memorial on a stone, and burns it to ash. The gold rings are hidden in a concealed crevice in the rocks, and one departs without turning back. If gold rings are unavailable, a pair of tiaotuo may be substituted. A tiaotuo is a ring-shaped ornament, which the ancients called a "tolerant bead."

Such methods must be practiced with caution and kept secret. They should not be disclosed to gossips or to those who harbor jealousy, for doing so will bring no benefit and may instead invite calamity. After ten repetitions, the Five Emperors and the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus will in turn issue orders to pardon the practitioner's faults, enter his name in the registry of living immortals, and record it among the immortal rolls. When one enters the mountains to seek fungus essences and numinous herbs, whatever one seeks will be obtained. Mountain spirits and Jade Maidens will come to guard the practitioner, wolves, tigers, and all manner of calamity will not dare approach, and the spirits will grant their protection, aiding the person in attaining the Dao and opening the mind, so that evil ghosts and ancient demons will not dare to disturb him.

The scripture states that this method is easy to accomplish and carries no danger. A Daoist adept who does not know this technique will easily meet with misfortune when entering the mountains and will repeatedly be tested by ghosts and spirits. In the human world, such a person will often encounter hardship and sickness, find it difficult to prosper in wealth, and struggle to have his wishes fulfilled. If one practices accordingly, one can attain long life and become an immortal.

Fifth, on the midday of the Spring Beginning (lichun), the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji Zhenren) meets with the immortals in the Palace of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji Gong) and records their titles on jade tablets (yujian). At midnight that day, the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate faces due north, gazes up at the North Star (Beiji Xing), performs the ritual of repeated bows and kowtows, and confesses the transgressions committed, asking for pardon. When the confession is finished, the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate bows twice more and then stops.

On a midday in the spring season, the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate again meets with the immortals in the Palace of the Supreme Ultimate and records their immortal names on jade tablets. At midnight that day, the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate still faces due north and gazes up at the North Star, performs the ritual of repeated bows and kowtows, sets forth the extent of their own faults, and asks for absolution. Once this is complete, the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate bows twice more.

On the midday of the Spring Equinox, the Perfected Taisu of Yaotai on Mount Kunlun joins the officials of the immortal ranks in collating and correcting the true scriptures (zhenjing).

On the midday of the Beginning of Summer (lixia), the Five Emperors of Shangqing meet with the immortals in the Purple Tenuity Palace (Ziwei Gong) and summon four perfected, to deliberate on the merits and faults of those who seek the Dao.

On the midday of the Summer Solstice, the Three Officials (Sanguan) of heaven assemble at the office of the Lord of the River of Fate (Siming Hehou) to determine the transgressions and blessings of the common people, and on this basis they either add to the lifespans of the people or subtract from their allotted years.

On the midday of the Beginning of Autumn (liqiu), the perfected of the Five Sacred Peaks proceed to the Mount Huangfang Yunting, the dwelling of the Central Yellow Lord (Huang Laojun), and gather with the immortal officials to adjudicate the divine diagrams (shentu) and spirit elixirs (lingyao) of the world.

On the midday of the Autumn Equinox, the Great Emperor of the Supreme August (Shanghuang Dadi) ascends the Observatory of the Tai-wei at the Jade Clarity Lingque Gate. The perfected of the Supreme Lord (Taishang) proceed to Mount Huangfang Yunting, the dwelling of the Central Yellow Lord, and gather with the immortal officials to adjudicate the divine diagrams and spirit elixirs of the world.

At the noon of the autumnal equinox, the Supreme Emperor of Heaven (Shanghuang Dadi) ascended the Taiwei Observatory of the Numinous Gate of Jade Clarity (Yuqing Lingque). Together with the Three Venerable Lords (Taishang Sanlao Jun), the Perfected Lords of the Northern Pole, the Great Spirits of the Eight Seas, the Venerable Spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue), and many celestial officials, he assembled to deliberate on the transgressions and blessings of all living beings under heaven. They also examined whether those who study the Dao were diligent or negligent. Each matter was recorded item by item and handed to the Director of Destinies (Siming Shen) for safekeeping.

At the noon of the Beginning of Winter, the Perfected Yangtai (Yangtai Zhenren) met with celestial officials and Jade Maidens (yunü) to evaluate those who had recently attained the Dao and been newly entered in the registers of immortals. At the noon of the Winter Solstice, the celestial immortals met Lord Qingtong of the Eastern Sea at the Great Palaces of Eastern Brilliance in the various regions, and the names of the immortals were inscribed in golden books.

On each of the Eight Seasonal Nodes (bajie ri): the Beginning of Spring, the Spring Equinox, the Beginning of Summer, the Summer Solstice, the Beginning of Autumn, the Autumnal Equinox, the Beginning of Winter, and the Winter Solstice, one should repent of one's own faults and those of the seven generations of ancestors, at either midnight or noon. In doing so, the faults are erased, and sustained over the long term, one may attain immortality and longevity. However, the autumnal equinox is the time when the Supreme Divine Perfected examines the immortals, and those who are not truly cultivating the Dao should not rashly perform acts of repentance on this day.

The Perfected and celestial officials gather at noon on the Eight Seasonal Nodes and disperse only after three days. Those who wish to cultivate the Dao should first observe purification fasting (zhaijie) and not let these days pass by. There is also another method: on each of the Eight Seasonal Nodes, go to the Five Sacred Peaks or famous mountains where immortals and Perfected dwell, and within the deep, secluded cliffs, meet with the immortals for three days before departing. Cultivators should likewise fast beforehand and not miss these days.

Yet another method is this: on each of the Eight Seasonal Nodes, go to the Five Sacred Peaks or other famous mountains, and in deep, hidden rock caverns, secretly burn incense and offer a prayer, saying: "Mysterious Supreme Nine Numinous Ones, Lofty Gods of Great Perfection, grant that I may attain longevity, that what I seek in my heart may be fulfilled, that a hundred blessings may come as I wish, and that my life may be as enduring as the sacred mountains. On this festival I climb the mountain in person to petition for long life." When the prayer is finished, scatter the incense on all sides, do not look back, and return directly. Practiced regularly, this brings longevity and immortality and fulfills one's wishes. The Jade Maidens will come to one's dwelling, and the numinous spirits will guard one's person.

If someone lives in seclusion and cultivates, with the mind in accord with the Dao, but is unable to climb the mountains, they may still entrust their intention, pray with sincerity, and single-mindedly yearn for the true Dao. This is no different from going in person to the famous mountains. What matters is a sincere heart and an undivided will, steadfastly holding to the correct way, for only then will there be a response.

The above is the content on the essential matters of inner Dao cultivation from Chijiang Ziyu's Five Secret Instructions (Wushou Yinjue).

He bowed again, received these instructions, and went home to study them closely and practice in accordance with them. He lived constantly in a secluded room and did not pursue fame or pleasure. Later he took poria (fuling) and consumed the sweet dew brewed from flowers and herbs, along with nourishing delicacies. After eleven years of this cultivation, he could see light in his eyes at night and was often able to remain awake for long stretches, from morning until noon.

At the age of twenty-three, the commandery summoned him to serve as Gongcao (a clerk who assisted the commandery governor with administrative affairs), but he did not answer the summons. Soon afterward, the provincial authorities summoned him to serve as Zhubu (an official in charge of documents). He was later transferred to Biejia (an aide to the provincial inspector) and recommended as a Xiucai (a cultivated scholar). He traveled to Chang'an, paid respects to the Boshi (an academician), and placed first in the examinations. He then moved to the Shangshu (Secretariat), where he served successively as Xuancao Lang (Secretary of Official Selection), Yushi Zhongcheng (Censor-in-Chief), Sanqi Changshi (Gentleman Attendant at the Palace), and Shizhong (Attendant Secretary). He was next appointed Beijun Houzhong (Chief Commander of the Northern Army), and for his merit in campaigns against the Xiongnu he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Suiyang. He was later promoted to Governor of Jizhou.

At that time, Liu Anzhi, the Biejia, was forty-five years old. He had originally invited him to serve as Zhubu.