《歷世真仙體道通鑑》Vol. 13

Comprehensive Mirror of the Dao and the Embodiments of Perfected Immortals Through the Ages, fascicle 13

An Qisheng

An Qisheng was from Fuxiang in Langya. He once sold medicine on the shores of the Eastern Sea. People at the time all called him “the Elder of a Thousand Years.” When the First Emperor of Qin toured the eastern regions, he summoned An Qisheng and spoke with him for three days and nights. Finding him extraordinary, the emperor bestowed on him tens of millions in cash, along with gold and jade ornaments. When An Qisheng left Fuxiang Pavilion, he left all these gifts behind, returning only a pair of red-jade shoes. He also left a letter that said, “In a thousand years, come find me beneath Mount Penglai.”

The First Emperor then sent Xu Shi, Lu Sheng, and several hundred others out to sea to search for An Qisheng. Before they reached Mount Penglai, they encountered storms and had no choice but to turn back. The First Emperor also had shrines built for An Qisheng at Fuxiang Pavilion and in dozens of places along the coast.

The Treatise on the Suburban Sacrifices in the Book of Han says, “An Qisheng was an immortal who could travel to and from Penglai. When he felt affinity with someone, he appeared to meet them; when he did not, he vanished.” Yan Shigu’s commentary explains that “affinity” means that their Dao accorded with one another.

The Record of the Primordial Origin says that An Qisheng later transmitted the Dao to Ma Mingsheng, who passed it on to Yin Changsheng, who in turn transmitted it to Master Erzhu.

According to another account in the Records of the Grand Historian, Le Chengong, a member of the Yue Yi clan, was skilled in studying the learning of Huang-Lao—the Daoist teachings represented by the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. He said that his own teacher was the Old Man of the Yellow River, whose origins were unknown. The Old Man of the Yellow River taught An Qisheng; An Qisheng taught Mao Xigong; Mao Xigong taught Le Xiagong; Le Xiagong taught Le Chengong; and Le Chengong taught Gai Gong. Later, Gai Gong taught Cao, the Chancellor, in the areas of Gaomi and Jiaoxi.

The Records of the Grand Historian also says that in the first year of Emperor Hui of Han, Cao Can became chancellor of Qi. He summoned the local elders and Confucian scholars and asked them how to bring peace to the people. Several hundred Confucian scholars each offered their own views, which differed from one another, and Cao Can could not decide what to do. Hearing that Gai Gong was skilled in the learning of Huang-Lao, Cao Can sent someone with generous gifts to invite him. Gai Gong told Cao Can that the key to governing lay in quietude and Wuwei (non-action), allowing the people to settle naturally. He also explained similar principles in detail. Cao Can adopted his methods, and during his nine years as chancellor of Qi, the people of Qi lived in peace.

The Traditions of Immortals records a certain Elder Wang, whose name is unknown. He became friends with Lu Nüsheng and Feng Junda, and together they sought the Dao and traveled among famous mountains. Once, south of Mount Tai, they encountered an immortal riding a white deer down from the mountain, with more than ten young women by his side. Recognizing him as an immortal, the three men bowed and asked him to teach them ways to prolong life.

The immortal asked, “Do you know An Qisheng?” Then he said, “I am An Qisheng. Your sincerity has already moved …” The original text breaks off here.

The Most High Sovereign of Heaven sent me to pass on to you the secret of transcending the world. So he said to Yi: “The way to become an immortal is not far away; seek it within yourself. Do not indulge in wild thoughts or deliberate action. You need not practice breathing techniques or circulate Qi. Simply allow the True Oneness—the pure primordial Qi spoken of in Daoism—to fill you within, and you can attain long life and ascend to the heavens. Do not let your thoughts become confused and chaotic, needlessly wasting your life. The Most High says: ‘It continues without end, seeming almost to exist; when you use it, do not exert yourself too much.’ This is the true Dao.” Having finished speaking, the Most High ascended to heaven and departed.

The Baopuzi also says that An Qisheng was born with eyebrows and temples shaped like a dragon’s. Through cultivation and taking liquid gold, an immortal elixir used in Daoist practices of refinement, he attained long life. He remained in the human world, sometimes extending his life for a thousand years, and only then departed.

Your servant Daoyi says: Qin Shi Huang was an extravagant and cruel ruler. How could he be fit to speak of the Dao? An Qisheng left behind gold and jade before departing in order to show him his own purity and lack of greed. By saying, “Come find me at Penglai after a thousand years,” he meant to show that Qin Shi Huang could never learn the way of immortality. Yet Qin Shi Huang tried to force the matter through his power in a single moment, sending people out to sea to search for Penglai. How could he possibly succeed? An Qisheng did not deliberately conceal the way of immortality; Qin Shi Huang was simply incapable of reaching the Dao.

The Daodejing says: “Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat the myriad things as straw dogs. The sage is not benevolent; he treats the people as straw dogs.” Qin Shi Huang indulged his desires for what he saw and heard, driving the people of the realm to exhaustion without ever letting them rest. His intentions were utterly at odds with those of Heaven and Earth and the sage. He abandoned Dao and De, yet sought long life. Outside the Dao, where could there be immortals? This is why An Qisheng refused to leave any trace of himself in the human world and departed for Penglai.

Ma Mingsheng

Ma Mingsheng, whose name is also written “Mingsheng,” was from Linzi in the state of Qi. His original surname was He, and his courtesy name was Junshi; some say it was Xian or Bao. In his youth, he served as a county clerk. While pursuing bandits, he was wounded by them. At that time, the Lady Great Zhen, a female immortal in Daoist legend, happened to be traveling to the Eastern Peak. Seeing him injured, she took pity on him. He was then close to death.

After a long while, he suddenly saw a young woman of sixteen or seventeen, dressed in splendid clothes and of unsurpassed beauty, come up to him and ask, “Why are you wounded and bleeding?” Junshi answered truthfully. The Lady said, “Your injuries are severe. A sharp blade has pierced your lungs, your five organs are damaged, blood has stagnated in the Crimson Palace—the place within the body where blood is stored—and Qi is striking the outer walls of your intestines. This is a critical condition that threatens your life. What can be done?”

Junshi knew she was a divine being. He kowtowed and pleaded with her to save him. The Lady took a pill, about the size of a small bean, from a little tube tucked behind her elbow and told him to swallow it. He recovered at once.

Once the wound had stopped bleeding and healed, the pain disappeared as well. Junshi bowed repeatedly in thanks, then knelt and said, “My family’s wealth is too little to repay you. I do not know how I could return your kindness. I can only do what little I can to repay the favor you have shown me.”

The Lady said, “If you are determined to repay me, I can grant your wish. Would you like to come with me?” Junshi then changed his name, calling himself Ma Mingsheng, and followed the Lady, serving her.

The Lady lived in a stone chamber on a sheer cliff of Mount Daizong in the Eastern Peak—that is, Mount Tai. The chamber hung suspended above and below, concealed deep among layer upon layer of cliffs, more than a thousand zhang from the ground. Inside were a golden bed, a jade table, and all kinds of rare treasures, in a place no human could reach. At first, Ma Mingsheng had only wanted to learn how to treat knife wounds. After seeing immortals come and go, he learned that the world held a way to live forever. He served the Lady morning and evening, provided for her daily needs, and cleaned the stone chamber without ever slackening.

The Lady conjured all kinds of illusions to confuse and test him, including ghosts, monsters, wolves, and tigers. Ma Mingsheng remained clear-minded and composed, without the slightest fear. She also sent him elsewhere to spend the night, then, while he rested, sent beautiful women to tempt him and entice him into intimacy. Ma Mingsheng held firm to his resolve, remained calm and self-possessed, and harbored no improper thoughts.

At times the Lady would be away for five or ten days; at other times, for twenty days or a month. While she was gone, Ma Mingsheng often saw immortals and honored guests traveling to and fro on dragons and phoenixes, and others arriving to pay their respects. The chamber was filled all day with true immortals. Whenever a guest arrived, the Lady would send Ma Mingsheng to an outer room. Sometimes exquisite food and fruit appeared at once, along with fragrant wines and extraordinary brews whose names he could not identify; at other times, the Lady invited Ma Mingsheng to sit and eat with her.

He also heard the sound of zithers in the air and the winding, beautiful voices of singers. Sometimes the Lady played the zithers herself: a single string could sound five different tones at once, and the clear, far-reaching music carried for several miles. Flocks of birds gathered around the cave where the stone chamber stood, circling in flight and refusing to leave, no matter how they were driven away. This was music in which heavenly beings and nature were in harmony, so wondrous that words could not describe it.

The Lady usually lived in the stone chamber and often shared a room with Ma Mingsheng, though they slept on separate beds. In that secluded place, they were generally alone together. Sometimes the Lady went out without saying where she was going. Ma Mingsheng only saw that a white dragon often came to meet her. She would put on a robe patterned with the radiance of clouds and ride away on the white dragon. Her robe was adorned with bright moon pearls, with pearls set into its seams as well; she wore jade pendants and a golden Taixuan crown, a Daoist headdress, yet no attendants were ever seen at her side.

After they returned, the dragon left on its own. No one knew where it went. In the stone chamber stood a jade bed spread with purple brocade bedding, with crimson gauze curtains hanging around it. The chamber also contained an array of precious garments and vessels, as well as boxes of gold and other dark and yellow hues, and fine silk fabrics. They were all things unknown in the human world, and Mingsheng could not identify their names one by one.

There were also two scrolls of plain silk, titled Scripture of the Way of the Most High of the Nine Heavens. Mingsheng never dared to open them. He simply attended to the offerings, cleaned, and guarded the stone chamber. He did not dare even to sneak a look at the garments and vessels, much less ask for any of them. Five years passed this way. He grew ever more diligent and reverent, never slacking.

The lady said to him with a sigh, “You are truly someone who can be taught, and you will surely attain the Dao. Though you are mortal, you neither covet nor show disrespect. You have always reverently looked up to the numinous Qi, without ever faltering. Since you seek immortality, how could you fail to attain the Dao?”

She then told Mingsheng her surname, name, and origins. “My surname is Wang, my given name Wanluo, and my courtesy name Bosui. I once served the Most Perfect One of the Mysterious Capital. I have a son who serves as Director and Censor of the Three Heavens’ Most High Bureau. He oversees and inspects the officials of the Celestial Court, a post equivalent to that of an official who assists the sovereign in the human world. In his youth, he repeatedly abandoned his post to roam about and indulge himself, neglecting his duties. His supervising officials therefore submitted a memorial impeaching him. He was demoted to the Eastern Peak and entered among the staff of the Retired Perfected King, where he serves as a teacher of spirits and ghosts. A new holder of the post is appointed every five hundred years.

“He has come this time to inspect and urge on his successor, so that he may put his duties in order and make amends for his faults. I have been in the human world for a long time. Now, by the sovereign’s command and in response to the Most High’s summons, I can stay no longer. Knowing how focused and careful you have always been, I have told you these things because I wish to teach you the methods for attaining immortality and extending life.

“But the methods I received are a practice for the body of the naturally formed Dragon Embryo of Supreme Harmony. They may be passed only to Perfected Ones of the Three Heavens, not to beginners on the Way, and were never meant for you to hear. Even if you happened to hear them, you might not be able to use them to cultivate yourself. Anqi Sheng, the immortal of legend, knows the method of the Golden Liquid and Returning Elixir. His art is secret and essential, belonging to the Way of the Nine Lords and the Great One. Once perfected, it allows one to ascend to Heaven in broad daylight. Anqi Sheng will come tomorrow, and I will entrust you to him. Follow him for a time, and these arts will naturally be passed on to you.”

The next day, Anqi Sheng arrived. He rode a mottled qilin and wore crimson robes, a distant-travel crown, jade ornaments, and a pouch shaped like a tiger’s head at his waist. He appeared to be about twenty years old, with a fair and dignified bearing. Six or seven immortals followed behind him.

Everyone held tally tablets in their hands and stood guard nearby. When they saw the Lady, they bowed respectfully and referred to themselves as “your subordinate.” Before long, they brought out wine, fruit, and food, and hosted a banquet that lasted about half a day. The Lady said to Mingsheng, “I can’t keep you here any longer. Go with this gentleman; there is no need to worry about me. I will visit you often, too.” She then gave Mingsheng two five-character poems so that they could comfort one another through them.

With tears in his eyes, Mingsheng said goodbye and prepared to follow An Qisheng in cultivating the Way of the Nine Elixirs. The first poem the Lady gave him said:

“For now, leave Yongcheng, the city in the realm of immortals, and set out for the slopes of Mount Dai. Look up toward the palace towers of Great Clarity: only lofty, steep pavilions are visible among the clouds. Perfected Beings come and go through the empty skies, in a scene of great splendor. They refine and nourish the body, preserve their natural nature, and with every movement draw in the Qi of Supreme Harmony. In the morning they pay court to the King of the Nine Heavens; at dusk they return to dwell in the Western Florescence Palace. When Jing and Qi circulate, one can ascend and soar; through breathing practices, one cultivates the Green Tooth, a term in Daoist Neidan referring to Jing and Qi. The true numinous elixir is not made by refining metals and stones; it arises naturally, like a song carried on the wind. It can rise above the clouds, clad in feathered robes, light and drifting. The Five Sacred Peaks are not my dwelling place; the Mysterious Capital, the Daoist realm of immortals, is my home. Look down at those who chase fame and profit, clinging to them like snails and toads. Look back at the filth of the mortal world: people’s troubles are always entangled with one another. If you have not yet grasped the mysterious aim, why cling to carving and embellishment? Calamities often arise from revealing the secrets of the Dao. Be sure to guard them carefully and keep them hidden, and you may receive abundant blessings.”

The second poem said:

“Long ago I lived in the Kunlun Palace, where I discussed with others the Way of extending life. Though Golden Liquid can prolong life, it is still no match for the immortal realm of Supreme Harmony. I ascended the Terrace of Dark Spirits, settled my mind, and chanted in remembrance of the numinous beings. Suddenly I met the King of Tangsang and the Perfected Ones of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Capital. They rode in chariots drawn by purple dragons; how radiant their faces were! They showed me the path to long life, invited me to the Ford of Nature, told me the art of the great bird’s flight, and taught me the ‘Jade Embryo Chapter.’ Jade cream gathered the mysterious Qi, and the Plain Maiden explained it to me. I bent down to drink the delicacies of the Jade Phoenix, then rose skyward through the Three Heavens. The net of clouds lies beneath your feet; even the Five Sacred Peaks can be revisited for a time. How far away can the Mysterious Capital be? Mount Penglai is right at your feet. Those who pass on the teachings draw near to one another in affection, become friends, and together become immortals in heaven. As for traveling through the human world and facing punishment and calamity, neither the foolish nor the wise can escape. Keep the secrets hidden and your body and household will endure; reveal them, and body and life will be ruined.”

After hearing the poems, Mingsheng followed An Qisheng, carrying his book chest. They went west to Mount Nüji, north to Yuanqiu, and south to Qinlu; they also secretly visited Mount Qingcheng and Mount Jiuyi, traveling throughout the world. For twenty years he endured every hardship. An Qisheng then said, “You truly have the makings of an immortal. Your devotion and reverence surpass even mine.” He then transmitted to him the “Formula for the Divine Elixir of Golden Liquid of Great Clarity,” and told him, “If you have not yet…”

To ascend to Heaven, first take half a dose of the elixir. After Ma Mingsheng took it, he bade farewell to the people of the world and departed.

Ma Mingsheng then entered Mount Huayin and refined the Golden Elixir according to the formula. Taking half a dose enabled him to become an immortal. His appearance was no different from that of ordinary people, so no one realized he was more than mortal. During the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, only Grand Tutor Hu Guang knew that Ma Mingsheng possessed Daoist arts. He once went to visit him and asked about the fate of the state and other important matters. At first, Ma Mingsheng did not reply. Later, he told Hu Guang what would happen, and nothing he said failed to come true.

Later, people wondered why Ma Mingsheng showed no signs of aging. He therefore took another half dose of the Golden Elixir and ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. Before departing, he left three poems for later generations. This took place in the third year of the Guanghe era.

The first poem says:

How long can the great harmony of Heaven and Earth endure? Human life, in the end, does not last long. Life is like morning dew, dried up as soon as the sun rises; it is also like waking from sleep, gone in the blink of an eye. Though people understand that life goes on without end, they harm their lives because they do not know how to remain calm and keep their minds steady.

I will seek out the realized ones, clear and quiet my spirit, and take in the essence of the sun and moon. I will linger in Kunling Palace and travel to and from the Mysterious Capital. Juanzi will guide me on my wanderings, and Taizhen will let me pay a visit. In the morning I will pay my respects before the Queen Mother; at dusk I will return to the ridges of Mount Zhong. I will look up to pluck blossoms like fine jade, and look down to sip the water of the Linlang Well. A thousand years are no more than a moment; ten thousand years pass like a flash of lightning.

The second poem says:

Heaven and Earth have their own enduring order, but human life is the most precarious. In youth, life is like an arrow loosed from a taut bowstring; in an instant, it flies away as lightly as a small arrow. Even radiant beauty will turn to dust, and no plant in the forest can remain green forever. Flourishing growth must wither, and frost brings sorrow. All that exists will perish; all that thrives will decline.

The realized one plays freely at the mysterious ford, living among the myriad things without being burdened by them. His spirit and Qi are balanced and harmonious, dwelling amid the Purple Empyrean, while his body rests among mountains and waters. Facing emptiness and stillness, he forgets his cares, gazes into the distance, and lets body and mind stretch out freely. What disturbance from the dusty world could reach him? The true Dao is vast and boundless by nature.

The third poem says:

The turbid world truly gives cause for lament; what worldly pleasures are worth pursuing? I shake out my robes, brush away the dust, leave the world behind, and drift off alone. Amid the quiet mountain rocks, I set aside every thought, and the wondrous realized one wanders with me. At sunset I ride in a chariot drawn by a swan; at dawn I arrive in a cloud chariot, and at dusk depart upon the whirling wind. The sounds of people clamor throughout Heaven and Earth. How could all that noise ever touch me?

Yin Changsheng

Yin Changsheng was from Xinye. On the ji-chou day of the third month in the eighth year of the Yongyuan era of Emperor He of Han, a woman of the Yin clan was made empress. This empress was Yin Changsheng’s great-granddaughter. Yin Changsheng grew up in a wealthy family, but had no liking for power or high status. He secretly withdrew into seclusion and devoted himself to practicing Daoist arts. Later, he heard that Ma Mingsheng had obtained the method of long life and immortality, so he traveled through the famous mountains in search of him. He came to Nanyang…

Later, Changsheng had the opportunity to meet Mingsheng at Mount Taihe. He willingly became his servant, personally carrying and putting on his shoes and serving him with tireless devotion. Mingsheng did not teach him methods of cultivation for transcending the mundane world. Instead, morning and evening, he spoke at length with him about the honors and riches of the age, the management of household affairs, and the tending of gardens.

More than ten years passed this way, and Changsheng never slackened. At that time, twelve people served Mingsheng alongside him. They all grew resentful and left; only Changsheng became still more respectful toward Mingsheng. Mingsheng often rebuked him for mistakes in his speech, but Changsheng always apologized with a pleasant expression and a respectful heart. Another twenty years passed.

Later, during a quiet moment, Mingsheng asked Changsheng what he wanted. Changsheng knelt and replied, “I ask only for long life. Now I have entrusted my humble self to the Heavenly Craftsman—that is, the immortal master—and I dare not press for anything, nor fear that I may have to wait too long.”

Moved by his words, Mingsheng said, “You truly are someone capable of attaining the Dao.” He then took Changsheng into Mount Qingcheng, where he refined yellow earth by boiling it and made gold to show him. He also established an altar and swore an oath; that very day, he transmitted to Changsheng the Great Clarity Divine Elixir of Golden Liquor, an immortal elixir in Daoist tradition.

As Mingsheng was about to leave, Changsheng bowed his head to the ground in thanks, then asked the immortal master to stay a little longer. After paying his respects, he said, “From childhood, your disciple has loved comfort and pleasure. Now I hope to become humble and compliant, to restrain myself, and to devote myself to self-cultivation. If I merely live in a mountain valley without spreading the Great Dao, supporting De, or expounding its profound teachings, and let the days pass until I grow old, that is not what your disciple desires.

“I have devoted myself to seeking long life, giving up my own comfort to search for a perfected person. Fortunately, Heaven granted me a favorable opportunity, and I was blessed to meet you. It has been twenty-two years since I first took up a broom to serve you. My efforts have achieved nothing; I have often worried that I would grow weak and fall behind. Now my strength has waned, and I have shown no small measure of success. I have failed to repay the care you have given me. Day and night, I am filled with gratitude and joy. You told me I could be renewed, and then immediately passed on a numinous formula to me, extending the life of this body that was about to turn to ashes, as rain and dew revive withered trees and plants. It is like a breathless person waking again, or a blind person regaining sight and hearing. Such kindness is truly beyond what I can bear, and cannot be repaid with a few shallow words.

“Once, in the year Gengchen, I heard that you had discussed transmitting the immortal arts with the Perfected Person of Mount Heng, Lord Hongya, Master Yuncheng, and several immortal maidens of Yingzhou. I heard that the transmission required an oath, with silk as its token, and that teacher and disciple had to seal their bond with a belt. Before receiving the Great Medicine, one had to offer sacrifice to the Nine Elders of the Immortal Capital, the Venerable One of the Nine Qi, and other immortal perfected beings, and pray before receiving the medicine. Without performing the proper rites, the Great Medicine could not be received successfully. At the time, I held a post in the Canon Chamber and was serving nearby; I also heard the immortal perfected beings discuss the whole matter…”

The teachings about the Dao and the steps for alchemical practice have already been passed on. Since you have come to ask again today, I will not repeat them. Perhaps it is not that you have failed to pass on everything you learned, but that you worry your disciples will be confused by your explanations. Ming Sheng comforted him: “I am holding nothing back. By nature, you delight in the mysterious Dao and devote yourself to refining Qi—the cultivation of vital energy in Daoist practice—so that it may harmonize with the spirits. The spirit officials, divine attendants who oversee and protect such matters in Daoism, will appear to observe your practice. There is no need to keep explaining this to ordinary people or taking their words to heart.”

Thereupon, Changsheng entered a stone chamber on Wudang Mountain to prepare elixirs and took half a dose. He did not ascend to heaven at once. Instead, he refined tens of thousands of jin of gold and used it to aid the poor throughout the realm, whether he knew them or not. He traveled everywhere without his wife and children, and all his family lived long lives. Later, he and Wei Zhi entered Mount Pingdu in Zhongzhou to practice and take elixirs, then ascended to heaven in broad daylight. Before departing, he wrote nine essays and said: “In ancient times, many people attained the Dao and became immortals; they cannot all be recorded. If we consider only the time since the founding of the Han dynasty, there were forty-five accomplished people who attained the Dao and became immortals, and by the end of the Han there were already sixty. Twenty-eight departed through corpse liberation—the Daoist transformation in which one sheds the physical form and becomes immortal—while the rest ascended to heaven in broad daylight.”

He also wrote a preface in his own hand: “In the first year of Yan Guang under the Han, I received from an immortal, north of the mountains at Xinye, the essential instructions for the divine elixir. When my practice is complete, I will leave the human world and hide a copy in a famous mountain. Whoever finds it may join the ranks of the Perfected and travel freely between realms. These may be called the essential instructions for seeking long life in this world. The key lies in the divine elixir, the circulation of Qi, and Daoyin—cultivating body and mind through breathing and bodily movements. Bending and stretching, taking herbal substances, and the like can bring only more superficial arts of the Dao. They cannot free you from the human world forever and make you a celestial immortal. If you wish to hear of the Great Dao, these are its essential teachings. Practice depends on sustained effort; it is not something only those born with exceptional gifts can achieve. Those of the highest attainment should strive diligently in practice, while the most foolish will laugh and say it is not true. If you can understand the Way of the divine elixir, you can endure for a long time.”

Thereupon, he copied the alchemical scripture in three copies on yellow silk and gold tablets, hiding them on Mount Song, Mount Hua, and Mount Huan. He also made a copy on silk and gave it to a disciple, instructing him to pass it down through the generations. He left three poems in four-character lines as well. His “Poem on Leaving the World” reads:

“My ancestors served Tang Yao and Yu Shun; in the Han, our family’s purple documents were passed on anew. I alone loved the arts of the Dao and lived as a commoner, with lofty aspirations and no service to kings or lords. Having gained long life by clinging to life, what more could I seek? I rise beyond the dusty world into the vast sky, riding the wind and driving the clouds. Qingyao rides on wings and keeps me company. I can enter fire without being burned and step into water without getting wet. I wander freely in the realm of Taiji, without worry or care; I roam at ease in the immortal capital, looking back upon the human world with compassion…”

The lives of people pass away like flowing water, soon turning to dust. People hurry about in pursuit of survival, unwilling to pause even for a moment. My sage master—the teacher who transmitted the Daoist arts—realized the truth of the Great Dao and ascended through transformation, taking his place among immortals such as Chisongzi and Wang Ziqiao. There were twelve of us studying together. We endured twenty years of winter and summer, yet many grew lax, their resolve and conduct wavering. How lamentable! Your fates are determined by Heaven. Heaven does not transmit the Daoist arts lightly; they must ultimately pass to the worthy. Now your bodies lie buried in dark earth. When will you return? Alas, those who come later, study diligently and do not let worldly wealth and rank entangle you. Once the divine elixir is refined, you can ascend to the nine heavens and live as long as the sun, moon, and stars—far beyond a thousand or ten thousand years!

When I was young, as my hair was just beginning to grow, I already loved the Dao and De. I left home to follow my teacher and traveled in every direction. I set aside the Five Classics and turned away from worldly affairs, living at ease. I practiced for more than twenty years near famous mountains. In the cold, I did not think to add more clothing; when hungry, I did not think to eat. I dared not think of returning home, and even when exhausted, I dared not rest. I served my sage master, carefully observing his words and expressions and doing everything I could to please him. Only after my face had become grimy and thick calluses had formed on the soles of my feet did I finally earn his compassion and approval, and receive the essential secrets. This debt of gratitude is beyond measure. From then on, my wife and children could all extend their lives and enjoy boundless good fortune and longevity. The arts of transmuting yellow and white—refining substances into gold and silver—brought me countless riches. I could also command ghosts and spirits, with jade maidens serving at my side. Through the power of the divine elixir, I transcended the mundane world. (This account appears on a stone stele at Jingde Abbey on Mount Pingdu and has been passed down to the present day.)

Ge Hong of Danyang in the Jin dynasty said: I once heard a saying: “If you never go out at night, you will not know that others travel the roads after dark.” If no one has become an immortal in our time, how can people know that, among the mountains and forests throughout the world, there are those secretly studying the Dao and attaining immortality? Yin Jun (Yin Changsheng) had already taken the divine medicine. Though he had not yet ascended to Heaven, he was upright and solemn. Like naturally responds to like; so he was able to associate with immortals and seek them out. From this we can see that such people truly existed among the immortals of recent times. Yet worldly people insist otherwise: if they have never heard of something, they believe it does not exist. Is this not deeply lamentable?

As for those recluses living in the countryside, they find fulfillment in their withdrawal from the world and take pleasure in the classical texts. They do not show off their literary talent or broadcast their reputations; nor do they associate with the powerful or seek advancement. Yet no one knows them. How much less, then, would people know the immortals? Why should immortals be in any hurry to let people of short lives and narrow understanding know what they do?

Your servant Daoyi says: Yin Changsheng endured hardship in serving his teacher. Even without receiving the transmission, he never slackened; his sincerity reached its utmost degree, beyond what ordinary people can achieve. The twelve others who served Ma Mingsheng alongside him at the time all left in resentment. Only he…

After years of reverently cultivating the Dao, he finally attained the Way. The Dao De Jing says: “Learn what others do not learn, make up for the mistakes people often make, and thereby help the myriad things follow their natural course; do not dare to place yourself ahead of them.” This is the Way to long life.

Wei Boyang

Wei Boyang was from the state of Wu. Though born into a distinguished family, he had a natural love of Daoist arts and did not wish to become an official. He lived quietly at home, cultivating his nature and body. People of the time did not know his background and thought he was simply managing civil affairs and caring for his health.

Later, he went into the mountains to refine a divine elixir, taking three disciples with him. He knew that two of them were not entirely sincere. Once the elixir was ready, he cautioned them: “Though the Golden Elixir has been refined, we must test it first. Feed it to the white dog. If the dog can fly after eating it, people may take it; if the dog dies, it must not be taken.”

Wei Boyang had brought a white dog with him into the mountains. At that point the elixir had not yet reached the proper stage, and its preparation was unfinished, so it was poisonous and would cause anyone who took it to die temporarily. Wei Boyang deliberately fed some of it to the dog, and the dog did indeed die.

He then asked his disciples, “It seems the elixir may not have succeeded. Now that it is ready, we fed it to the dog, and the dog died. Perhaps this goes against the will of the spirits. If we take it, we may die just as the dog did. What should we do?” The disciples asked in return, “Master, do you intend to take it?” Wei Boyang replied, “I turned my back on ordinary life and left my family and livelihood to enter the mountains in search of the Dao. If I fail to become an immortal, I will have no face to return and meet people. I accept both death and life. I should take it.”

Wei Boyang immediately swallowed the elixir, and as soon as it entered his mouth, he died. The disciples looked at one another and said, “We refined the elixir to seek long life, but taking it has killed him. What are we to do?” Only one disciple said, “Our master is no ordinary person. Could his death after taking the elixir have some other purpose?” He too swallowed the elixir, and likewise died as soon as it entered his mouth.

The other two disciples conferred: “We refined the elixir to seek long life, but those who take it die at once. What good is that? If we do not take it, at least we can live for several more decades in this world.” So they did not take the elixir. Together, they left the mountains, intending to find coffins and funeral goods for Wei Boyang and the disciple who had died.

As soon as the two had left, Wei Boyang got up and placed some of the elixir he had swallowed into the mouth of the disciple and the white dog. After a while, they both awoke. Wei Boyang departed with the disciple, whose surname was Yu, and the white dog. On the way he met a man who had gone into the mountains to gather firewood. He wrote a letter and asked the man to take it back to their home village and convey his regards to the two disciples.

After reading the book, the disciple was deeply troubled. Wei Boyang wrote the Cantong qi and Wuxiang lei, together comprising two volumes. On the surface, the books seem to explain the Zhouyi; in fact, they borrow its images and numerical patterns of hexagrams and lines to explain the principles of alchemical practice. Another account holds that the Cantong qi was composed during the Eastern Han.

Wei Boyang was from Shangyu in Kuaiji. His family was prominent, with generations of officials, but he himself never entered government service. He devoted himself to cultivating the Dao, quietly nurturing his mind and will, and pursuing emptiness, stillness, and Wuwei (non-action). In his eyes, splendid carriages, horses, robes, and caps were no more valuable than chaff. Nothing is known about his teachers. It is only recorded that he obtained the ancient Longhu jing and grasped its subtle meaning. Later, drawing on the Zhouyi, he wrote the Cantong qi in three sections. Another account says that, feeling the book had not yet explained every subtle point, he went on to write a further section, Busai yituo, to expound the hidden meanings of the alchemical classic. His writings often express their ideas through allegories and things in the world, presenting their teachings through interwoven words that are at times veiled and at times plain.

Wei Boyang wrote the Cantong qi because he believed that alchemical cultivation and the transformations of Heaven and Earth follow the same principles. He therefore used the images of the Zhouyi’s hexagrams to explain the methods of alchemy. The book has been handed down to the present day. Several scholars later wrote commentaries on it, among them Zhenyizi Peng Xiao, whose explanation is considered the most accurate. It is said that after completing his alchemy, Wei Boyang became an immortal and departed; through this, the book was fortunate enough to survive.

Your servant Daoyi says: “The Daode jing teaches, ‘The Dao is the mystery of the myriad things and the treasure of the good.’ Wei Boyang was a good man. He did not keep this treasure for himself, but shared it with everyone under Heaven. This was the highest expression of goodness.”

According to tradition, after Guang Chengzi revealed the mysteries of the “Three Elixirs and Nine Cauldrons” and explained the supreme Dao, the methods of immortals for ingesting and refining elixirs were transmitted from the Five Emperors through the Xia dynasty, but only became known to people from time to time. The mysteries of the alchemical Dao were nearly lost. In the Yin and Zhou periods, the Supreme Lord Lao once again took human form and was born into the world, and the teaching began to flourish anew. In the Western Han, various immortals again transmitted it obscurely through songs and poems, but the alchemical Dao was still not fully explained. Only when Wei Boyang used the principles of the Yi to compose the Cantong qi were the profound subtleties of the supreme Dao explained as fully as possible. He also established principles for people throughout the world to follow, ensuring that the teaching would endure. Thus the good man’s treasure was brought into the light.

This teaching flourished during the Han and Jin dynasties and grew still more prosperous during the Sui and Tang. It continues to be transmitted to this day. Is this not due to Wei Boyang’s achievement?