《歷世真仙體道通鑑》Vol. 24

Comprehensive Mirror of Immortals Through the Ages: Cultivating the Dao, Volume 23

Compiled and edited by Zhao Daoyi, Daoist of the Palace of Ten Thousand Years of Sacred Longevity on Floating Cloud Mountain

Ge Xiangong

Ge Xiangong (Ge Xuan, courtesy name Xiaoxian) was surnamed Ge and given the name Xuan, with the courtesy name Xiaoxian. His family had originally lived in Langya, and generations of his ancestors had served as officials. His great-grandfather Lu had served the Han dynasty as General of the Chariots and Cavalry and had been enfeoffed as Marquis of Xiapi. Later, he yielded his fief to his younger brother Wentuo and traveled south to Jiangdong, living freely among its mountains and waters. When he reached Jurong in Danyang, he found the landscape beautiful and the people’s customs simple and sincere, which suited him well. Around that time, a grandson of his second-youngest brother arrived to serve as a deputy official in the commandery, so Ge settled there.

The immortal’s grandfather, Ge Ju, served the Han dynasty as a Chamberlain for the Palace Gates, an attendant official in the palace. His father, Ge Xiaoru, held several posts, including Grand Herald, who oversaw ritual and reception affairs, and later rose to become a Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat. The Ge family traced its ancestry to the Ge Tian clan. Because an ancestor was enfeoffed in Ge, the family took the name of that fief as its surname. The family was known for generations of loyalty, honesty, and virtue, and its members had served as feudal lords across the ages.

The immortal was originally a Great Luo Perfected One, a high-ranking immortal in Daoism, who had descended into the human world. He was born on the eighth day of the fourth month in the jiachen year, the seventh year of the Yanxi era under Emperor Huan of the Later Han. His father had always believed in the Daoist teachings. He therefore sent someone with incense, flowers, and money to the local Xuanching Temple to obtain scented water for bathing the child.

At that time there was a natural Daoist named Zhi Daoji, whose origins were unknown. Hearing that a boy had been born into the Secretary’s household, he said gladly to the messenger, “Last night I dreamed that the Perfected One of Penetrating Mystery descended from Great Luo Heaven and said to me, ‘Since we parted long ago, countless kalpas have passed. Have you forgotten me?’ I bowed and called myself his disciple, asking to receive the supreme, authentic eye of the Dao. When you return, tell the Secretary all this. Tomorrow I will come to congratulate him on the birth of this extraordinary child.”

The messenger returned and reported everything as it had happened. The next day, Zhi Daoji came as promised to offer his congratulations. The Secretary told him that the child had just been born and that he hoped the boy would become the family’s heir. Zhi Daoji asked to see the child. At first the child’s mother was reluctant, but the father had the baby brought out. The moment Zhi Daoji saw him, he could not help but show reverence.

The Secretary asked in surprise, “You foresaw this auspicious sign and came especially to offer your congratulations. Is there some reason for it?” Zhi Daoji replied, “A purple aura surrounds this child, shaped like a jeweled canopy. Divine light moves around him, shining brilliantly. In the future he will become an immortal; he is unlike an ordinary child.” The Secretary said, “The realm of immortals and sages is distant and unfathomable, and their transformations are too subtle to comprehend. It is truly impossible to know what lies ahead. I only hope he lives a long life and becomes the family’s heir. That would be enough for me.”

Zhi Daoji …

That man was wise and intelligent, yet had come into the human world only for a time. The Nine Heavens celebrated his arrival, and the ancestors of seven generations rejoiced with them.

The living were blessed on his account, while the dead were able to ascend to Heaven. Daoji then recalled the True Man’s merits from previous lives, paid respects to the Immortals and Sages of the Ten Directions, and prayed that all might enjoy peace and good fortune forever. When the rites were complete, he composed a hymn in praise of the Immortal Lord:

“Though the body undergoes the transformations of reincarnation, the soul and spirit have never perished for even an instant. Deep blessings were accumulated in former lives; his aspirations did not begin only today. The True Man of the Great Luo descended, with Immortals and Sages concealing the True Dao as they emerged from Heaven. Fragrant flowers washed clean the embryo of my cultivation. Who will believe these subtle words? The wondrous signs and protective blessings have now reached completion. The heart of the Dao transcends duality, becoming whole and undivided, revealing the original primordial Qi. Having awakened alone to the true, he no longer clings to delusion; with an open heart and mind, he rises beyond the realm of the Great Vehicle.”

After completing the hymn, Daoji bowed deeply and took his leave. In an instant, he had vanished.

When the Immortal Lord was eight, he lost his parents, yet already understood the value of study and self-reliance. From childhood he was exceptionally bright, his talents evident, his natural endowments extraordinary, and his temperament clear and discerning. By the age of thirteen, he had mastered the past and present. He had read widely in the scriptures, biographies, writings of the various masters, and histories. Whenever he saw a piece of his father’s handwriting or one of his belongings, he would look up to Heaven and weep aloud; even the birds cried mournfully for him. He lamented, “The mountains and rivers remain as they were, yet my revered father has returned to emptiness. Since there is a Dao of long life and deathlessness in the world, why not seek to cultivate it?”

So he withdrew to the mountains and journeyed far in search of unusual teachers. He often played the zither and recited the Zhuangzi and Laozi. His life was peaceful and unadorned, his heart content, with no other ambitions. By the age of fifteen or sixteen, his reputation had spread throughout the Jiangnan region. Worthy men of the time wished to recruit him as an official aide. The Immortal Lord replied, “Eating coarse food, wearing rough cloth, using a stone for a pillow, and drinking from mountain springs—this is the life I delight in. How could I abandon it for that other life?” He then donned the robes of a Daoist and entered Tiantai Mountain, Chicheng Mountain, and Shangyu Mountain, devoting himself to seeking the Dao in the hope of gaining insight.

Later, he met the True Man Zuo Yuanfang. Zuo Yuanfang transmitted to him the Scripture of the Nine Elixirs and Golden Liquids for Immortality, methods for refining Qi and nourishing the body, secret arts for treating illness and dispelling ghosts, and the Wondrous Scripture of the Three Origins and the One True Essence. He cultivated these teachings for three years, accumulating merit and wondrous efficacy.

On the first day of the first month of the second year of the Guanghe era under Emperor Ling of Han, he received a divine response: the Supreme Venerable Lord had issued a command. The Supreme Ultimate True Man Xu Laile and others descended together upon Tiantai Mountain. The Lord rode in the Jade Chariot of the Eight Radiances, a vehicle used by Immortals, with more than a thousand attendants around him. The True Man of Orthodox Unity was also in attendance. The Lord called himself the “Supreme One True Man of the Mysterious One.” He appointed Zhen Dingguang as High Mystery Master of the Cavern Scripture, and ordered Wang Sizhen, the Immortal Attendant of the Scriptures, to open the Nine-Rayed Jade Casket and take out the Great Cavern Lingbao Scripture of the Cavern Mystery, comprising thirty-six sections.

He transmitted to the immortal Ge Xuan two methods for the Shangqing Purification Ritual, as well as three kinds of purification rites and seven kinds of purification rites.

The three kinds of purification rites were the Golden Register Purification, used to protect and stabilize the fortunes of the state; the Jade Register Purification, used to protect the empress, feudal lords, and nobles; and the Yellow Register Purification, used to deliver the Nine Ancestors and Seven Forebears from suffering like an endless night, so that they might be free of it forever.

The seven kinds of purification rites were the Illumination of Truth Purification, used to deliver the dead in the netherworld and resolve all manner of grievances; the Natural Purification, performed for the benefit of all beings, to pray for blessings and atone for sins, and also as a method of cultivating the Dao and aspiring to immortality; the Three Offices Purification, used to repent of offenses against the precepts and to dispel the scrutiny and punishment of the Three Officials—the Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, and Water Official in Daoism; the Eight Seasonal Nodes Purification, used to atone before the Mysterious Ancestors (one’s forebears) and for oneself, and to erase charges of wrongdoing from the Black Register, a record of sins; the Cavern Spirit Purification, which prized simplicity and was used to seek immortality and protect the state; the Teaching Observance Purification, which valued quietude and simplicity and was used to heal illness and ward off calamities; and the Ordeal of Earth and Ashes Purification, in which hardship and steadfast observance were regarded as meritorious, and which was used to repent and pray for blessings.

He also gave the immortal Ge Xuan forty-five scrolls of the Scripture of the Wheel of Encouragement and Admonition, along with scriptures such as The Boundless Penetration of the Mysterious and Turning the Spirit Within to Enter Samadhi, so that he could spread the teachings among the people. He further told him, “You should constantly keep in mind the Perfected One of Emptiness and Nonbeing and the Most High Great Dharma King, whom the vast thousandfold world calls Laozi. Laozi is the great master of the Dharma in the realm of mystery.”

He also showed him the Heavenly Bureau’s register of the people’s sins and blessings—that is, the Scripture of Response and Retribution. He added, “When your merit is complete and reaches three thousand, you can ascend to Heaven in broad daylight. If you accumulate more than enough good deeds and virtue, you can descend among the people seated in a cloud chariot. As long as you continue to propagate the Great Dao, you will naturally attain long life and deathlessness.”

The immortal bowed and kowtowed in gratitude. To this day, Tongbai Monastery on Mount Tiantai still preserves the Hall of the Wheel of the Dharma, the place where the Three Perfected Ones bestowed scriptures, and the Altar for Receiving Edicts, which the immortal built by commanding spirits and ghosts.

When the immortal was eighteen or nineteen, his cultivation of the immortal Dao gradually began to bear fruit. He then traveled through mountains and seas, appearing and disappearing in an instant. Later, he journeyed east to Mount Kuocang to visit his uncle. His uncle, named Mi and styled Xiaogong, was then teaching students and studying the scriptures. Talented scholars from all directions came to him one after another, and he had established a lecture hall at home. When the immortal returned and paid his respects, his uncle asked why he had been wandering so widely, then expressed his concern: “I often think of you living in secluded, tranquil places, with little contact with people. You have gazed up at the blue clouds and looked down over the sea, enduring every peril and hardship. You have even done what the ancients feared to do. The world is now flourishing, and all three kingdoms are seeking talented people. With your wide learning and extraordinary abilities, you are sure to stand out.” The immortal replied, “I am dull by nature, and…”

Tongshi, also known as Xiangong, could have used his ancestors’ reputation to seek office and wealth. Instead, he declined the invitation of those in power and had no wish to emerge from seclusion to assist in governing, as Yi Yin had done. He had once resolved to live in a mountain cave, entrusting his heart to the clouds and rosy mists, and to wander among mountains and streams for pleasure. He hoped to associate with Juanzi and become friends with Chisongzi.

His only concern was the learning and reputation of his uncle, Yuan Hongdao. His uncle lectured on the Five Classics, reviving the Confucian teachings associated with Zhu and Si—the places where Confucius taught—and bringing the teachings represented by the Book of Songs and its “Ya” poems to prominence in his own age. Now that the realm was at peace under the Three Kingdoms, it was right to esteem rule through Wuwei (non-action). Xuan Kuangyuan had firmly rejected worldly honors, yet hoped his uncle would take office, assist the Son of Heaven in governing the realm, and leave blessings for generations to come.

Yuan Hongdao replied, “You surpass ordinary people and have already reached the realm of sages and worthies. I cannot compare with you. You should diligently cultivate the way of nourishing life and approach life’s end with care. If you do so, what difficulty could there be in ascending to Heaven from Dinghu and becoming an immortal?” After taking leave of his uncle, Xiangong resumed his travels through Mount Kuocang, Mount Heng in the South, Mount Luofu, and other places, seeking a site for refining the Golden Elixir. Later, he passed Mount Yusi and came to Mount Gezao. Climbing its eastern peak, he looked out and said, “The mountain’s shape resembles a covered vessel, its color is like black dye, its soil is fertile, and its waters are clear. This is truly a place where immortals dwell, and an excellent place for me to refine the Golden Elixir.”

He also reflected that after refining the Golden Elixir, he would need to accumulate Yin virtue on a great scale and save living beings. Only then might he be entered in the registers of the Three Heavens and take his place among the immortals of the Nine Heavens with a clear conscience. He lamented the fall of the Han dynasty and the wars among the Three Kingdoms, as droughts, floods, and famines followed one another. Those who died in war and from hunger were beyond counting; countless lonely souls and stranded spirits sank into evil paths, unable to escape the cycle of rebirth.

For this reason, he edited and compiled Lingbao scriptures and Daoist liturgical texts, preparing the Great Rite of Sacrificial Refinement, the Precious Register for Birth in Heaven, as well as talismans and secret instructions. He submitted them to the Heavenly Emperor and established a ritual altar. On auspicious days and nights, such as the Three Primordial Festivals and the Eight Seasonal Festivals, he summoned the lonely souls and stranded spirits from the great hells in all ten directions to gather before the altar. There they underwent sacrificial refinement, received talismans and registers, and were delivered to rebirth.

After these rites were performed, signs of spiritual response appeared on many occasions. On the night of the Lower Primordial Festival in the Jiawu year, while the sacrificial refinement was underway, a ghost king five zhang tall, dressed in a crimson robe, came before the altar. After bowing and paying his respects, he said, “I was once a ghost king in the underworld, ruling over suffering souls. Through countless kalpas we have endured hardship and sunk into evil paths, with no hope of escape. Fortunately, each time Xiangong has generously established a ritual banquet, performed sacrificial refinement to deliver the souls of the dead, and bestowed talismans to save those in the netherworld. Millions have thereby been able to attain rebirth…”

All the people thereby received benefits and blessings. Having heard the sound of the teaching together and felt gratitude for its grace, they could not express their thanks in full, so they came at once to pay their respects and offer thanks. They also heard that the Dark Northern Emperor (the emperor of the northern celestial realm) had issued an edict to the ghosts in the various prisons, saying: “The Perfected Ge has for many years performed rites to refine the souls of the dead. His merit and virtue are profound, and his name has already been entered in the jade books and golden registers. Five years from now, the Three Heavens (the threefold celestial realm in Daoist teaching) will issue an imperial decree, grant him a title, and enroll him in the Celestial Bureaucracy (the offices of the heavenly realm).” Having spoken, the visitors took their leave and departed.

Thereupon, the Immortal Duke entrusted the scriptures and ritual methods, precious registers, talismanic writings, and lists of instructions used in the rites of refinement to the Zongtan altar of Gezao and the Chongxu altar. He passed them on to later students so that they could widely rescue beings sunk in suffering.

The Immortal Duke also reflected that people are fortunate to be born human and live in places of comfort, yet indulge their desires and fail to cultivate the Orthodox Way. Their offenses accumulate day by day, and the karmic consequences are difficult to repay. Only the secret scriptures of the Three Vehicles of Lingbao can guide beings to repent of their offenses and rescue the souls of the dead who are in suffering, enabling them to understand the Orthodox Way. He therefore gathered the true scriptures from the various collections of Shangqing and Lingbao, selected their essential teachings, and compiled a work in ten volumes, titled The Great Repentance Rite of Compassion for the Nine Hells. He circulated it throughout the world.

If devout men and women encounter calamity in their homes, or a family member dies, they may establish a grand ritual altar and solemnly enshrine images of the perfected ones, then bow and recite The Great Repentance of the Nine Hells. In this way, the living may receive blessings and good fortune, while the dead may be delivered and reborn. Both past karma and newly committed offenses can be dispelled. The souls of the dead who suffer can escape the torments of the netherworld and receive grace. This repentance rite spread far and wide, bringing immeasurable benefit.

The Immortal Duke received and upheld the various true scriptures of Shangqing and Lingbao, devoting himself to their study and recitation. He also supplemented and expanded the commentaries on the Dao De Jing in the scriptural collections of Dongshen and Taiqing, and wrote prefaces to the scriptures, placing them at the beginning of each text. He also supplied section titles for the Qingjing Jing, saying: “I received the transmission of the true Dao and recited this scripture ten thousand times. I once received it from the Sovereign Lord of Eastern Florescence. The Sovereign Lord of Eastern Florescence received it from the Sovereign Lord of the Golden Tower, and the Sovereign Lord of the Golden Tower received it from the Queen Mother of the West. The scripture was passed down entirely by word of mouth and was never written down. Only now have I recorded it for the world.” From this we can see that the written transmission of this scripture truly began with the Immortal Duke.

Long ago, the Immortal Duke encountered a perfected master, who taught him the arts of dividing his form into myriad transformations and responding to inspiration with ever-changing powers. He could sit on burning firewood and let fierce flames engulf him, yet his clothes and headwear would not scorch. He could also drink deeply from a spring and lie in its waters without getting wet. When he met friends or relatives on the road, he often invited them to stop and rest. He would break off a blade of grass, pierce a tree with it, and the tree’s sap would flow out like spring water. He would fill a cup, and only then would the flow stop. He urged his guest to drink; the cup was filled with sweet, delicious wine. He would take tiles, stones, and grass...

The Immortal Lord (the original text’s title for an immortal, here referring to a particular immortal) urged his guest: “These are all fruits and nuts. Go ahead and eat them; they’re all dried meat and dates.” He once went boating with a guest. When the guest saw more than a dozen talismans in a box, he asked, “Could you show me what these talismans can do?”

The Immortal Lord took out a talisman and tossed it into the water. It drifted downstream. “What do you think?” he asked. “Anyone could toss something into the water, and it would do that,” the guest replied. The Immortal Lord took out another talisman and threw it in. This one traveled upstream. “What do you think now?” he asked. “That’s remarkable,” the guest said. The Immortal Lord threw in a third talisman, which neither floated up nor sank down. After a while, the first talisman came down from upstream, and the second traveled up from downstream. The two met in the river, and all three gathered together and stopped. Only after a long time did the Immortal Lord retrieve them.

On another occasion, the Immortal Lord saw someone selling a large fish by the water. He said to the seller, “I’d like to borrow that fish to visit the River Earl, the legendary water deity.” “The fish is already dead,” the seller replied. “That’s all right,” said the Immortal Lord. He drew a talisman on paper with cinnabar, placed the paper in the fish’s mouth, and tossed the fish into the water. At once, the fish sprang to life and swam away.

Once, a guest came to visit the Immortal Lord. As soon as he had sat down, more guests arrived one after another. The Immortal Lord rose to welcome them, and they all went inside and took their seats. Then he chatted and laughed with them as freely as before. It was bitterly cold, and he said, “My home is poor, and I have no way to light a brazier for warmth. I’ll try to conjure up a fire so we can all warm ourselves.” With that, he breathed out from his mouth, and flames immediately blazed up. Before long, the room was filled with firelight.

In the height of summer, the Immortal Lord lay down to rest and had someone spread white powder over his belly. He told his guests, “It’s too hot to perform any other tricks.” Then he slowly rubbed his belly against a roof beam, leaving the powder on it.

While dining with his guests, the Immortal Lord spoke of wondrous transformations. One guest said, “When we’ve finished eating, show us something extraordinary.” Before the meal was over, the Immortal Lord said, “Are you all eager to see it?” He spat out the rice in his mouth, and every grain turned into a flying bee. The bees buzzed around the room, and some landed on the guests. Everyone trembled with fear, but the bees did not sting. After a long while, the Immortal Lord opened his mouth, and the bees flew back inside, turning once more into grains of rice. He continued eating.

He also pointed at a bed and made it move by itself. He pointed at frogs and various insects and made them fly. He made swallows, sparrows, turtles, and other animals dance to a rhythm, moving like people.

In winter, the Immortal Lord brought out fresh melons and dates for his guests; in summer, he served ice and snow. He also had someone throw several dozen coins into a well, one by one. Holding a vessel at the well’s mouth, he called for the coins to come out. They flew up from the well one by one, landing exactly where they had been thrown in.

The Immortal Lord also served his guests wine. Without anyone carrying them, the wine cups moved by themselves to the guests. If a guest had not finished drinking, the cup would not leave.

The Immortal Lord once set out on a journey and came upon a shrine. Anyone who passed by had to dismount a hundred paces from it; otherwise, they would be warned. Beside the shrine stood dozens of large trees, where several birds were perched. People were all afraid and dared not offend them. The Immortal Lord, however, rode straight past in his carriage. Suddenly, a fierce wind rose, and dust blotted out the sky. His attendants were terrified. The Immortal Lord shouted angrily, “You petty evil spirits—how dare you act like this!” He raised his hand and pointed at the wind, which stopped at once. He then ordered someone to throw a talisman into the shrine. All the birds in the trees fell dead to the ground, and the shrine itself burst into flames.

When the Immortal Lord passed through Wukang, he saw that someone in a household was ill and had invited a shaman to perform rites for evil spirits. The spirit possessing the shaman told the Immortal Lord to drink wine, but he refused. The spirit appeared and spoke rudely. The Immortal Lord rebuked it sharply: “Wicked demon, how dare you act like this!” He then ordered the Altar Officer, a divine official in charge of the land, to seize the spirit by the head, pin it against a pillar, and whip it. People heard only the sound of the beating, while blood spread across the ground. Terrified, the spirit quickly apologized: “I have offended a perfected being. I beg your forgiveness.” The Immortal Lord asked, “What kind of evil spirit are you?” The spirit promptly confessed that it was a mountain demon from the hills behind them. The Immortal Lord said, “I can pardon your offense, but you must make the sick person recover within three days. Otherwise, I will punish you severely and show no mercy.”

The Immortal Lord once passed through Huayin and saw a scholar who had strayed into the dwelling of a snake spirit and was in mortal danger. Taking the form of a farmer driving a yellow ox to plow, the Immortal Lord found an opportunity to tell the scholar, “You have entered a place you should never have gone. This woman is actually a snake spirit. She has eaten countless living people.” The Immortal Lord also took him to look inside an ancient well, where they saw it filled with white bones. He then told the scholar to watch the snake spirit discreetly. Once he had seen what she really was, he should flee eastward; the Immortal Lord would come to his aid.

The scholar followed the Immortal Lord’s instructions and looked. Sure enough, he discovered that the woman was a snake spirit. Behind her curtains, she glared with fangs bared, and a small snake clung to her side. The Immortal Lord killed the snake spirit. Many small snakes rushed to its aid, but he slew them one by one. Afterward, the Immortal Lord gave the scholar a talisman to swallow. The scholar immediately vomited up things like earthworms and toads, and at last his life was saved.

Long ago, the Immortal Lord received from the Supreme Lord Lao, one of the highest deities revered in Daoism, the Thunderclap Fire Bureau Thunder Method, a Daoist method for commanding thunder deities and wielding thunder magic. Through it, he directed the thunder deities to punish those who strayed from the righteous way. On the first day of the first month in the second year of the Wu-era Chiwū reign (239 CE), the Immortal Lord ascended Mount Laosheng to meditate in stillness and cultivate the Dao. At midday, he received from the Supreme Lord Lao the “Precepts and Regulations for a Thousand Perfected Ones,” a Daoist text of rules and precepts. He then explained and expounded its teachings to the assembled perfected beings, and passed them down to the world. The Immortal Lord also practiced cultivation at Purple Canopy Mountain in Jingmen Commandery.

During a bitter winter snowstorm, the Immortal Lord Ge (Ge Xuan, a Daoist of the Eastern Han dynasty) went barefoot, wearing tattered clothes. The two daughters of the Qu family saw him and, feeling sorry for him as he endured the cold, stayed up all night making him a pair of shoes. The next day, they went to bring the shoes to the place where he was refining elixirs, only to find that the Immortal Lord Ge had already left. Only the ashes in the furnace remained, still warm. The sisters stirred through the ashes and found an elixir pellet, which they shared and swallowed. From then on, their minds and spirits felt clear, and they no longer felt hunger or thirst. They devoted themselves to longing for stillness and quiet, and later withdrew into seclusion, never to be seen again. People at the time said that they had become immortals. (See Record of the Ma Xian Temple by Sima Zizheng.)

The Immortal Lord Ge and the Celestial Master (Tianshi) complement one another, and traces and legends left by them are especially numerous in Shu. So much time has passed that people today can scarcely know them, and they cannot all be recounted here. The Immortal Lord Ge once cultivated himself in a small grotto-heaven on Mount Magu in Xujiang. He dug five wells to correspond to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and also to align with the five planets. Even today, the water in the wells rises and falls, filling and ebbing in turn from one to five, as though following a set pattern. (These wells are in front of Anshan on Mount Magu.)

At the time, the ruler of Wu received the Immortal Lord Ge as an honored guest. One day, as the two sat in a tall tower, the ruler saw people by the roadside offering prayers to the local earth deity for rain. He asked, “The people are hoping for rain. Can they pray for it and obtain it?” The Immortal Lord Ge replied, “They can.” He then wrote Fulu (talismans and registers), and had someone take them to be burned at the local shrine. Before long, the sky darkened, wind and thunder rose, and heavy rain began to fall at once. The rain greatly eased the drought affecting the crops.

Once, the Immortal Lord Ge accompanied the ruler of Wu by boat to the mouth of the Three Rivers. A fierce wind arose, scattering and sinking many boats, and the Immortal Lord Ge’s boat disappeared from sight. The ruler sighed, “The Immortal Lord Ge has Daoist arts. How could he be unable to escape this disaster?” He sent people to search for him. After a night had passed, they suddenly saw the Immortal Lord Ge walking across the surface of the water. When he reached them, he still seemed drunk. He explained, “Last night, Wu Zixu (a prominent minister of the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period) insisted that I stay and drink with him, so I was delayed and kept Your Majesty waiting here.” The ruler was delighted and said, “The spirits often invite you. This is the state attained through the cultivation of Dao and De.”

One day, the Immortal Lord Ge was leisurely traveling in the region of Kuaiji. A merchant from Kuaiji was returning from the sea when, as he passed a shrine, he suddenly saw a shrine attendant stop him and ask him to deliver a letter to the Immortal Lord Ge on Mount Kuaiji. The attendant then tossed a case containing the letter into his boat. Its lid seemed to be nailed shut and could not be pulled open. When the merchant returned to Kuaiji, he handed the case to the Immortal Lord Ge. As soon as the Immortal Lord Ge took it, the case opened by itself. The letter was signed “Taiji” (the Supreme Ultimate)…

The writings beneath the attic in the residence of the Immortal Lord of the Left Palace (Zuo Ci) were all in ancient tadpole script. It was only after people saw these writings that they learned the Immortal Lord’s name had long since been entered among the palaces of the Celestial Gate.

One day, the Ruler of Wu invited the Immortal Lord to the palace hall, where incense was burned and a purification rite was arranged. His disciples Zhang Tai, Kong Long, Zheng Siyuan, and others stood nearby in attendance. The ruler said, “My understanding is shallow, and I have yet to grasp the subtle principles of the mysterious. I very much wish to hear about the Way of the immortals. Master, please instruct me in the secret canons, purification and practice, and the shortcuts to cultivating the Real. Which categories of Daoist scriptures are most important? Which secrets of talismans and diagrams are most profound?”

The Immortal Lord rose from his seat and replied respectfully, “Since Your Majesty has honored me with this special question, I dare not conceal anything. Yet these matters are not what a ruler ought to devote himself to above all else. If, in the intervals between attending to affairs of state, you can quiet your mind and hold to the One, you will not be far from the Dao.

“The Way of the immortals is subtle and profound, and it is recorded in various alchemical scriptures. Those who study the Dao and cultivate immortality should first observe the precepts and set their conduct in order; only then can they gradually enter the path. Once their practice is established, they may take numinous medicines, practice breath and movement exercises to guide primordial Qi, absorb the Qi of Great Harmony, breathe in the Qi of Yin and Yang, and steadily cultivate Neidan. In this way they can become terrestrial immortals: they will not be burned if they enter fire, nor drenched if they enter water; they can also pass through calamities, avoid misfortune, and welcome good fortune. But these powers can be attained only through purification and purity.

“This scripture comes from the Taishang Lingbao Dongxuan Dadao Wuji Ziran Zhenyi Wucheng Wen, anciently called the Inner Book of the Three Sovereigns. It discusses the affairs of immortals, and all its many mysteries return to the Great Method of Lingbao. In the past, Celestial Master Zhang attained the Dao and became an immortal. He personally met the Most High Lord Lao, who transmitted to him the Zhengyi Alliance’s Might secrets for cultivating the Real, together with the Lingbao Fivefold Text. The scripture places purification first. The writings of the Great Method of Lingbao are concise, but their meaning is vast and profound, and cannot be summarized in every detail.

“Terrestrial immortals first ascend to numinous mountains and become lords among the mountain spirits. This usually takes six hundred years, though some require three hundred. Afterward, all can be admitted to the ranks of celestial immortals. Only those who have cultivated the Ninefold-Transmuted Golden Liquid Elixir and the Golden Liquid and Jade Nectar can ride clouds and dragons and ascend in broad daylight. As for the Scripture of the Great Cavern, reciting it can bring ascension; sitting upright, one can see the worlds in the ten directions, without taking elixirs.

“Only those who have an immortal’s bones in their destiny may have the chance to read this scripture. Even if they steal the numinous text, they will be like someone who has grown wings but cannot fly. A master must transmit it and, through oral instructions, reveal the method for opening Heaven and Earth. Only a true immortal may pass it on. The Inner Writings of the Three Sovereigns and the Inner Chapters of the Numinous Diagrams of the Five Peaks, Ten Lands, Divine Isles, Seven Transformations, and Seven Treasures are all treasured by the high immortals…”

The original text ends here, unfinished.

Cultivation of the Dao must proceed gradually, from subtle beginnings to manifest results, and from what is near toward what is far; no steps can be skipped. The Lingbao talisman diagrams and texts, belonging to the Lingbao tradition, are supreme and exceedingly precious. They can help people survive the “calamity of the Great Yang Nine Hundred and Six,” a major catastrophe described in the scriptures. Perfected Beings who transcend the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—also do so by relying on this Dao.

The ruler of Wu said, “Through the blessings and good fortune accumulated from karmic ties in past lives, I was able to become a ruler. I have also had the good fortune to encounter an immortal’s presence. Now that I have heard this wondrous teaching of the Dao, though I am absorbed in worldly pleasures, I still hold it in reverence. I have had these teachings written on golden tablets and sealed in a jade casket. I dare not show them carelessly to those unworthy of them. I wish to honor and follow them throughout my life.” The Immortal Lord replied, “Your Majesty’s conduct is truly admirable.”

At that time, a man named Shi Daowei heard from afar that the Immortal Lord had attained the Dao, and came to seek him as a teacher. After bowing, he asked, “I have heard that the Dao recognizes neither precedence nor succession, and is not bound by past or present. I wonder whether the Dao itself differs in any way.” The Immortal Lord replied, “The Dao has no distinctions of rank or worth, nor differences of form or name; that is why it is called the ‘Dao.’ Laozi was born before Heaven and Earth. During the reign of a ruler of the Shang dynasty, he appeared in the world in transformed form, widely proclaimed Daoist teachings, and instructed the people of China and those beyond its borders. He followed the nature of all things and remained forever beyond birth and death.”

The Immortal Lord continued, “The left belongs to Yang, and Yang governs life; the right belongs to Yin, and Yin governs death. Utter Yin has no life, while utter Yang knows no extinction: this is the natural principle of the Dao. Yet the Great Dao is profound and hidden, and is not transmitted to worldly people. Unless one is a rare Perfected Being in all the world, one cannot hear of it.”

Daowei bowed again and exclaimed, “Well said! I wish to hear its principles.” The Immortal Lord replied, “A person cannot seek immortality until their merits and virtues are complete. The good ties you accumulated in past lives have now come to fruition, and your merits and virtues are complete. In a former life, I was already your teacher. Now our karmic ties have brought us together, and you are about to be delivered from the mortal world.”

The Immortal Lord then established an altar on Mount Tiantai and transmitted to Daowei the Diagram of the True Forms of the Five Sacred Peaks, a talismanic chart depicting the peaks’ forms and bearing religious significance. He told him, “This is a token of command transmitted by the Most High, Taishang, a title for the supreme deity or the Dao. Carry it as you travel among the famous mountains in all eight directions, and the Three Realms will welcome you.” He also gave him scriptures including the Scripture of the Golden Elixir of the Most High, the Five Appellations of Lingbao’s Natural Way, the Text of Precious Radiance, the Inner Writings of the Three Sovereigns, the Wondrous Scripture of Great Being, the Golden Books and Jade Radiance, the Purple Texts of the Numinous Books, the Thirty-Nine Chapters of the Great Cavern, the Hidden Book of the Great Empyrean, and the Diagrams and Registers of the Bright Mirror, along with a stalk of Taiji Dragon-Tendril Zhi fungus. After formally declaring the transmission before the immortal officials, he instructed his disciple to wear these items on his person. The Immortal Lord also ordered his disciple Zheng Siyuan to transmit the complete oral instructions.

He further told Siyuan and the others, “In the past, I followed Master Zuo Yuanfang and received the Diagram of the Five Sacred Peaks and the Scripture of the Golden Elixir on Mount Chicheng. Now I transmit them to you. As for the various talismans and registers, and the Three Caverns—the Cavern of Truth, Cavern of Mystery, and Cavern of the Spirits…” The source text ends here unfinished.

These scriptures were taught to me in Kuaiji by the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate, Xu Laile, an immortal revered in Daoism. I have already spread them to Gezao, a blessed sacred mountain west of the great river. These are forbidden writings from the celestial realm, guarded by flying immortals. Now I entrust this Great Method to you and instruct you to honor and practice it.

However, the Nine Heavens strictly forbid transmitting this method to unsuitable people. If you meet someone sincerely devoted to the Dao, follow the Clear Statutes of the Four Poles, the rules and regulations governing the transmission of Daoist methods, and wait until the proper years and occasion before teaching it.

Siyuan and the others bowed twice and accepted the precepts and instructions. The Immortal Lord then gave Daowei a single dose of immortal medicine, enabling him to abstain from grain and lose his appetite for the Five Flavors and other foods. He could travel to distant famous mountains and leave worldly affairs behind. After taking the immortal medicine and the Flowing Radiance Seven Luminaries Purple Pill, Daowei at once felt his body grow light and his mind and spirit become joyful, free of thoughts and desires. When his hundred-day purification period was over, the Immortal Lord said to him again, “You should return to Mount Song and observe purification for three years. After that, go to Mount Wangwu, clear your mind through purification, and devote yourself to practicing the Great Method.”

Daowei had received the essentials of the practice, precious scriptures, and spiritual medicines. Since he could go without food or water, he asked to stay and serve the Immortal Lord. The Immortal Lord said, “If you think of me in your heart, you will see me; there is no need to cling to me. You still have an ordinary human body, and you have only just begun your studies. You have not yet attained penetrating vision, the ability to perceive the hidden realm and see what ordinary people cannot. You should climb Mount Song. There you will meet the Perfected Ones, who will teach you further. In five years, I will pass the secret teachings to you as well and help you attain the immortal Dao. Then you will be able to see what has no form and behold the worlds in all ten directions as clearly as things in the palm of your hand or reflected in a mirror.”

“You should dwell at Langfeng Terrace for three hundred years, after which you will ascend to Heaven. Once the immortal Dao has been attained, some ascend to Heaven in broad daylight during their own lifetime. Others must wait ten years, several decades, several centuries, or even three thousand, five thousand, or ten thousand years before they can ascend. Until then, they dwell temporarily on the Five Peaks, in famous mountains, grotto heavens and blessed lands, or among the ten continents and three islands in the Eight Seas. There are palaces of seven treasures, jade towers and chambers, and a boundless abundance of naturally occurring gold, silver, pearls, jade, immortal medicines, and all manner of rare treasures. Music arises naturally from the Great Void. Luan birds and phoenixes, qilin, flit about and play among jade trees and forests of precious gems. When the breeze passes through, it sounds in graceful, refined melodies, as beautiful as the Nine Shao. Immortals who have not yet ascended dwell in palaces among these mountains, feasting at ease and living in peace. Is it not a blessing that you can go there together? Accumulate good deeds in abundance, and one day you will travel among the Five Peaks and pay your respects to the Perfected Ones. I cannot remain here now…”

The Immortal Duke Ge and the other Perfected Ones traveled and rested in the mountains. After fasting for seven days, Ge Hong could take the lingzhi mushrooms he had gathered earlier and no longer needed to eat. His spirit and energy were calm, and he felt at ease in body and mind, seemingly free from any worry about aging. What is more, he could continue his practice of the scriptures and methods of the Great Dao.

Later, on Mount Tiantai, the Immortal Duke Ge said to Zheng Siyuan, “The various scriptures and Fulu I have transmitted—including the Shangqing, the Three Caverns, and the Lingbao Zhongmeng—are to be divided when I ascend to Heaven and become an immortal. One copy should go to Mount Gezao, and another to the disciples of my household, so they may record them from generation to generation and transmit them to those who have the Dao. They must not be passed casually to unsuitable people, nor shown to those who should not see them. When a suitable person appears, they should be transmitted; do not keep them secret and withhold them.”

He also told his disciples, “I will travel among the Five Sacred Mountains. I will stop at Penglai along the way, then return briefly to the capital to pay my respects to the ruler of Wu and take my leave.”

He further said to his younger cousin, Xi Yan, a secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, “Among my disciples today are some who are capable and talented, widely learned, and well regarded at court—people able to bring honor to our family. I worry that none of them will study the way of immortality. Yet if they devote themselves to studying literature and its principles, live by noble virtue, take joy in the joys of the world and share in its sorrows, they will still be exemplary gentlemen. How much higher could official rank and emoluments be than this? If the true way of the immortals has not come to an end, then after I ascend to Heaven, a child of intelligence and understanding, refined and unassuming in character, and versed in the mysteries, should be born. He will withdraw from the world, hold to lofty aims, and keep a quiet, empty mind; he will be able to revive the lineage of the immortals.”

Later, Ge Hong, whose courtesy name was Zhichuan, did indeed appear. The Biographies in the Book of Jin record that Ge Hong studied a wide range of texts and was especially fond of the way of the immortals and methods for cultivating body and mind. He once served as an official under the Jin, but though he held office, he remained attentive to the way of the immortals. He requested an appointment as magistrate of Goulu County because cinnabar was plentiful there, and he hoped to use it to refine the Great Elixir and complete his practice. Later, he became a disciple of Zheng Siyuan, who had studied under the Immortal Duke, and received secret Fulu transmitted at various levels, including the Shangqing, the Three Caverns, and the Lingbao Zhongmeng, as well as the Essentials of the Nine Elixirs. Afterward, he took his wife and children to Mount Luofu, set up an altar, and prayed to Heaven and Earth in gratitude. They consumed the Great Elixir, and the whole family ascended to immortality. Thus the Immortal Duke’s earlier prophecy came true.

One day, the Immortal Duke took leave of the ruler of Wu, saying, “I come from the mountains and forests and hold a humble position. For a long time, I have been honored with Your Majesty’s favor. Now I am temporarily leaving the court, and I fear we may have no chance to meet again. I hope Your Majesty will put an end to warfare, care for the people, and treat others with sincerity, so that the state may enjoy lasting stability and the whole realm lasting peace.”

The ruler of Wu said, “Your nature is pure and noble, your insight exceptional, your Dao cultivation exalted, and your name recorded among the immortals. How could you remain for long in the dusty world?” Hearing that the Immortal Duke had attained the Dao, the Crown Prince Deng then built a separate residence and invited him to stay there, often visiting him to ask for guidance.

The Immortal Duke said, “The subtlety of the utmost Dao is remote and obscure, difficult to see; its ultimate state is dark and still, without sound or speech…”

Close your eyes and do not look; stop your ears and do not listen. Gather your spirit and quiet your mind, and your body will naturally become upright. You must be still and clear.

Do not overwork your body or dissipate your spirit; in this way, you can live a long life. These were the words Guangchengzi spoke when answering the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, who had come to seek his instruction.

Now, Your Highness occupies the position of heir apparent and will one day inherit the throne. The most important things are to clear your mind and curb your desires, keep your distance from treacherous flatterers, honor the worthy, and appoint outstanding people, so that the realm may be peaceful and prosperous. You must also adapt government affairs to the four seasons and care for the people. This is the blessing of peace throughout the four seas and lasting prosperity; how could it be merely one person’s good fortune?

The Crown Prince said, “The principles you have set out indeed accord with current opinion. I too wish to cultivate myself first, and then govern the state. But the alchemical scriptures, which discuss the practice of refining elixirs, cannot be understood in haste; nor can the subtle depths of the Supreme Dao be fully explored after attending to a busy round of official duties.”

The Crown Prince then asked the Immortal Lord, “Zhuang Zhou said that regarding matters beyond the four quarters of Heaven and Earth, sages acknowledge that they exist but do not discuss them; regarding matters within the four quarters of Heaven and Earth, sages can discuss them but do not pass judgment. Why is this?”

The Immortal Lord replied, “Matters within the four quarters of Heaven and Earth are constrained by bodily form, appearances, and the laws of Yin-Yang, so they can still be discussed. People rarely see what lies beyond the four quarters of Heaven and Earth; it belongs to a distant, empty realm. Sages do not describe it, which is why it is said that they ‘acknowledge that it exists but do not discuss it.’”

The Crown Prince praised this answer.

On the first day of the first month of the second year of Jiahe (233 CE), the Immortal Lord took his leave of the Crown Prince and departed. After leaving the capital, he said to his disciples, “Recently I have stayed here on account of the ruler’s affairs, and time has passed swiftly. I am growing old. Though I have built up my practice, the Golden Elixir is not yet complete. I cannot let the years go to waste.” He then went straight to Gezao Mountain, chose a site beside its eastern peak, and built a hermitage called “Cloud Reclining.” He also constructed an altar and set up a furnace. Settling there, he withdrew from worldly affairs and practiced the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, a term in Daoist alchemy.

At that time, auspicious clouds and radiance shone over the valley. Three years later, the Great Elixir was complete, and he bathed the elixir in the Golden Sand Pool at the mouth of a cave. The spring water suddenly swelled, and the golden sand churned. The Immortal Lord said, “The fire in this elixir is still too strong; it cannot be taken yet.” He therefore stored it in a stone chamber on the eastern cliff, intending to offer thanks to Heaven and Earth before taking it. To this day, the golden sand in the elixir pool still churns of its own accord, a wondrous trace left behind as evidence.

The Immortal Lord practiced at twenty-two different sites, but nowhere did he achieve success. Nearby places such as Chicheng, Changsheng, Zhaoxian, Beishan, Maling, Xishan, and Chongxu also have immortal altars and traces of elixir making. Only at Gezao Mountain did he succeed in refining the Golden Elixir. He then composed the “Song of the Flowing Pearl,” which says: “Flowing Pearl, Flowing Pearl, you make my body your servant, rushing…” The original text ends here, incomplete.

He traveled throughout the four directions, reading widely and searching through all kinds of texts, yet never attained understanding. His thoughts remained as confused as a fool’s. He used up every mineral medicine for alchemy, exhausted his supplies of mercury and his wealth, and at last slapped his knee and sighed: “I am already sixty years old, yet my cultivation has still brought no results.”

Fortunately, a master offered guidance: primordial Qi (the fundamental energy from which heaven, earth, and all things arise) emerges from the deep and hidden realm of nothingness, and abides in a state of hazy obscurity. In cultivation, distinguish true Yin from true Yang (the mutually complementary energies of internal alchemy), and regulate the rhythm of each inhalation and exhalation. First guard the Golden Cauldron, then discern the Jade Furnace. Use the Fire of Li to stir the Kan Water in the sea, causing it to rise as Jade Elixir in the empty expanse and irrigate the inner chamber, the place of cultivation within the body. Its sweet-dew essence circulates and nourishes; the wondrous workings of the celestial mechanism and true dew are beyond comparison with anything in the world. A perfected person who guides others must have the resolve of a great man. May you aspire to remain beside heaven and earth for ages, and together behold the immortal capital. Keep these words in mind at all times, and remember what I have told you.

When the Immortal Lord (referring to Ge Xuan) refined elixirs, he often ground medicinal substances in a stone mortar set into the rock face on the western peak. Once, he accidentally dropped a particle of the medicine. A bird happened to eat it and thereby gained eternal life. Even today, on bright moonlit nights when the air is still and clear, one can hear the bird making a “ding-dang” sound like a pestle striking a mortar. For this reason, people call it the “Medicine-Pounding Bird.”

When the immortal Qin Gao heard that the Immortal Lord had attained the Dao, he came from the Eastern Sea riding two carp and visited him at Woyun Hermitage. The two drank freely, then, drunk, slept soundly among the white clouds. When Qin Gao awoke, the two carp had turned to stone. The Immortal Lord then gave him two cranes to ride away on. The two stones remain on the back mountain to this day.

In the first year of Chiwū (the Wuwu year), on the first day of the eleventh month, the Most High (a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity) successively issued three edicts and sent a celestial official to deliver them to the Blessed Abode, the dwelling place of immortals. The first edict said:

“By command of the Most High, written in jade: Ge Xuan, disciple of the unsurpassed path of immortality, diligently cultivated in previous lives and, through many kalpas, accumulated merit. He gave up his body in acts of generosity and rescued those in peril. His profound accumulated merit moved the powers of response, and so the Most High ordered his name entered in the registers of the Mysterious Capital, the Daoist realm of immortals, and included among the ranks of the high immortals. Thus he is wise and perceptive, born into a virtuous family; his talent is like fine jade, his character as pure and refined as an orchid. His gifts are exceptional, setting him apart from others. He does not covet worldly honor and privilege, but preserves his simple nature. He devotes himself to studying the immortal scriptures, restrains his radiance and guards the One in cultivation, and wanders freely among the mountains and forests, with no longing for the court or the marketplace. With a compassionate heart, he delivers and aids the people, always sincere and tireless. Now that his cultivation of the Dao and De is complete, he deserves to receive an immortal mandate. I now bestow upon you the Heavenly Treasure Feather Robe, the Cinnabar Cloud Embroidered Shawl, the Flying Gauze Skirt, the Lotus Jewel Crown, the Golden True Spirit-Tiger Staff, and the Banner for Commanding Demons. With these, you may command the seas and mountains, summon mountain spirits, and carry out whatever you wish…”

The original text ends here, unfinished.

The second edict granting him a celestial mandate said:

“By command, Ge Xuan, disciple of the Supreme School of Immortals: You have long observed purification and fasting, stilled your mind and silently recited, devoted yourself to visualization, and practiced with diligence and never slackened. Therefore, I grant you once more the Jade Carriage of the Eight Luminaries (an image of the Daoist immortal realm; the Jade Carriage is the vehicle of the immortals), drawn by dragons and riding upon clouds. A round radiance shall appear upon your brow. I bestow upon you a golden seal and jade writs, in recognition of your virtue in earlier years. You shall become a guiding authority of the Daoist tradition, looked up to and followed by worthy people in generations to come, and shall preside over the Dharma Wheel. This matter has been taught by the exalted deity Taishang and confirmed by the Three Heavens (the three celestial realms in Daoist belief).”

The third edict granting him a celestial mandate said:

“By command, Ge Xuan, disciple of the Supreme School of Immortals: Through your virtue, you have spread the Great Dao and taught those who have not yet awakened. You have offered aid far and wide to living beings, enabling them all to transcend the ordinary and attain sagehood. Your work is complete and your reputation has spread afar. The High Perfected Ones (immortals of high rank in Daoism) trust you, and the spirits of the Three Realms honor you. Your grace extends throughout the Ten Directions, and your majestic virtue is sufficient to aid all living beings. You shall be granted the title of Immortal Lord of the Left Palace of Taiji in the Jade Capital of Taishang, and shall oversee the office of the Great Demon Kings of the Six Heavens in the Three Realms, as well as the promulgation of the scriptures and registers of the Three Caverns (the Three Caverns scriptures and related ordination documents). I bestow upon you five hundred Jade Youths and five hundred Jade Maidens, true immortals, as attendants. In their left hands they shall bear embroidered banners of the Nine Luminaries; in their right, they shall hold the Perfect Scripture of the Cavern of Mystery. Carrying dragon banners and tiger tallies, they shall tour the Nine Palaces of Shangqing. Three times each year, you shall pay court at the Golden Gate of the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis of Taishang. The Emperor of Heaven shall carry out the commands bestowed by Taishang according to their written form, and all shall follow the established precedents of the Three Heavens.”

At noon on the first day of the eleventh month, the Jiazi day of the Wu-Wu year, the first year of the Chiwู era (238 CE), the Emperor of Heaven, from afar, respectfully carried out the command and sent the edict to Mount Huotong (also called Mount Huo).

The Immortal Lord’s Golden Elixir had been refined, and the Jade Emperor had granted him a mandate three times. Knowing he could not remain in the human world for long, he thought he should first establish an altar and perform a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) to give thanks to Heaven and Earth, the mountains and rivers, and the deities of every quarter; only then could he take the elixir. So he built an altar in Futing and named it the Altar of the Eight Luminaries. After choosing an auspicious day, he ascended the altar, reported his thanks, and performed a grand Zhaijiao lasting three days. Then, kneeling, he swallowed the Golden Elixir. At that moment, flowers drifted down from the sky, and divine light illuminated the heavens.

The Immortal Lord then said to his disciples: “Now that I have taken the Golden Elixir, an edict will surely descend from Heaven. The day of my ascent is near.” Afterward, he secretly stored the scriptures and registers of the Three Caverns and Four Supplements (Daoist scriptures and related ordination documents) above the sacred altar, hoping that in time a disciple of our tradition would uphold them with sincere devotion, allowing these secret canons and sacred texts to be passed down and spread throughout the world.

At noon on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the seventh year of Wu’s Chiwу era (244 CE), clear, resonant immortal music suddenly sounded, and banners and ceremonial standards filled the sky. Qilin arrived one after another from the heavens, drawing feathered carriages; Immortal Youths, Jade Maidens, and numinous officers escorted them before and behind as they descended…

As he descended to the altar, the Flying Celestial King held a jade edict—the proclamation of the heavenly realm. The immortal Lord Ge Xuan stood upright with a tablet in his hands and knelt before the Gate of Heaven, awaiting the proclamation.

The edict read: “By decree to Ge Xuan, supreme master of the Lingbao scriptures, registers, and great teachings, and disciple of the Way of the Immortals: For long years you have devoted yourself to cultivating the Great Dao and have skillfully nurtured the Embryonic Essence, the innate Jing and Qi spoken of in cultivation. You have expounded the true scriptures, performed rites to refine the souls of the fallen, gathered the immortals’ texts, and clarified their teachings for students of later generations. Truly, you have aided the world through hidden virtue, cultivating in secret and aligning yourself with the true Dao. Your name has been entered in the immortal registers of the Jade Capital, and your body shall return to the heavenly realm. We specially confer upon you the immortal rank of Lord of the Left Palace of Taiji in the Supreme Jade Capital, and appoint you to oversee the Great Demon Kings of the Three Realms and Six Heavens, with authority over the scriptures, Fulu, and related affairs of the Three Caverns and Four Supplements. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Jiazi year, at noon, you may ascend directly to the Celestial Court. You are also bestowed a jade casket, a Golden Elixir, immortal robes, and other gifts. The Supreme One issues this edict; upon receiving it, the Celestial Emperor shall welcome you in accordance with the law. All shall follow the ancient precedents of the Three Heavens. The Celestial Emperor is commanded to honor the decree from afar and proclaim this edict at the Futing of Gezao Mountain.”

Lord Ge Xuan bowed twice toward the Gate of Heaven. After receiving the edict, he bade farewell to his disciples and fellow villagers beside the eastern peak. He climbed the Dressing Terrace, donned a robe of feathered silk, and placed a lotus crown on his head. A round halo shone behind his neck. He held a jade tablet and wore a crimson skirt, vermilion shoes, and ringing jade ornaments. He mounted the Eightfold Radiance carriage, escorted before and behind by rainbow pennants and crimson standards. Immortal boys and jade maidens flanked him as guards and attendants. Auspicious clouds and white cranes circled the blue sky as he rose slowly toward heaven.

His disciples and fellow villagers could not bear to part with him. Lord Ge therefore paused his carriage and wrote three five-character poems for them to pass down and recite, to inspire people in generations to come. Ge Xuan was eighty-one years old when he ascended to heaven. The three poems follow in order.

The first:

“The Perfected One once left teachings behind,

taking pity on this lonely, foolish child.

I favored false doctrines and did not trust the Great Dao;

from this came turmoil and disaster.

Life and body are brief as morning dew;

where could regret ever find its end?

My sins are too great to conceal;

who can undo the harm they have spread?

In darkness, I know not when I shall be free;

only when the kalpa ends will it cease.

Reborn into a poor and lowly family,

I shall again be forced to labor.

My limbs may be maimed and incomplete;

I may limp through the marketplace begging.

Yet I will not know this is retribution for accumulated sins;

I will blame Heaven instead and refuse to rely on the spirits.

The Great Dao is constant and Wuwei;

to spread it, begin by doing good.

Now I can rise lightly and ascend to heaven

because I cultivated and established merit.

May you, too, attain this way:

may all beings in the Three Realms bow their heads

and dwell in peace and ease within the Purple Palace.

The immortal carriage rests amid the void;

human life flows away like water.”

As he was about to depart, Ge Xuan wrote this song, briefly describing the wondrous mysteries of cultivating the Dao. His second song says:

“I am now about to ascend to Heaven. When I think of you scholars and outstanding men, my heart is filled with concern for you. The Dao’s essential nature is empty and still, yet within that stillness there is a subtle substance of its own. It seems dim and obscure, yet in its farthest and most hidden depths there is light. Do not say that the Dao is empty and absurd; what I fear is that people’s hearts are not sincere enough. Why not climb a famous mountain and recite this Dongzhen Scripture, one of the Daoist scriptures? Recite it once, chant it once, and its mysterious sound will resound through the Great Clarity, the pure and empty celestial realm of Daoist belief. The Most High, a revered Daoist deity, appears in his golden sacred form, and all the immortals answer together. Fragrant flowers spread in the ten directions, while sandalwood incense rises in smoke. The August Lady plays the Nine Shao, and phoenixes sing in harmony. Dragon chariots come to greet me, covering the sky; canopies of splendor light the deepest shadows. Then I leisurely ascend the towering Terrace of Ten Thousand Ren, and the Lord of the Heavens suddenly descends into the courtyard. The Eight Kings offer elixir; after drinking and rinsing with it, the body becomes light and strong, rising aloft. I roam freely between being and nonbeing, radiant light flowing around me, beyond body and name. Divine youths stand at my side, and I naturally pay audience to the myriad spirits. Riding the drifting Chariot of the Eight Luminaries, I feast and wander in the White Jade Capital, the Daoist paradise. Seven generations of ancestors ascend to the Hall of Blessing, and all my departed kin are delivered to new life. If lords and princes hold firmly to the Great Dao, they can surely become upright men of the realm. Those of lofty virtue can bring fulfillment to all who come within their reach.”

The third song says:

“Roam freely among mountains and waters; breathe in and out the harmonious vital energy of Heaven and Earth. Rouse the spirit and let the breath return to Xiyi, the Daoist realm that is subtle and formless. Quietly chant the Dao De Jing, and devote yourself with utmost sincerity to cultivating the wondrous Dao; in the unseen depths, you will resonate with the Dao. Now I am about to proclaim this Way, riding a flying chariot drawn by nine dragons, drifting onward through purple clouds. Splendid radiance illuminates the celestial road, while red clouds gather before the Heavenly Emperor. I take a brief detour to the Palace of Penglai, and in an instant I have ascended to Heaven. Many Perfected Ones gather there, their forms lofty as they soar beyond layer upon layer of mysterious realms. Their immortal bodies are firm and will not decay through endless ages; their golden faces grow brighter with each passing day. Thinking of the joys of the upper realm, I forget the mortal world. Yet I grieve for all living beings: who can escape death and decay? In the end, this is a condition of the netherworld. Those who cultivate the Great Dao for a long time can enter a realm without separation or obstruction. The Great Dao is wondrous and beyond measure; the wise call me a worthy man. If one can spread the many mysterious teachings, one may lighten the body, soar aloft, and become an immortal.”

When the songs were finished, the cloud chariot slowly rose into the sky and disappeared.

The Immortal Lord, Ge Xuan, wrote the Preface to the Dao De Jing, three volumes of prescriptions for abstaining from grain and taking substances, nineteen volumes of the Scripture on Entering the Mountains and Meditating with Concentration, as well as these songs of the immortals, which have been handed down to the world. The Book of Wu records: “The former emperor was fond of Daoist arts. Ge Xuan once associated with those who practiced the Way of the immortals, and the emperor respected him, having the Dongxuan Abbey built for him at Fang Mountain.” Later, the Immortal Lord ascended to Heaven in broad daylight from Mount Gezao. To this day, the cauldron used for decocting medicines and the mortar for pounding elixirs remain at Fang Mountain. According to the Gazetteer of Territories, the Fang Mountain Abbey was built in the second year of Chiwu.

On the twenty-eighth day of the second month in the third year of Chongning (1104), by imperial decree, Ge Xiangong’s altar on Mount Gezao, in Qingjiang County of Linjiang Army, was granted an honorific title.

Mount Gezao is a place of striking beauty, with splendid mountains and waters, and a dwelling place of immortals and sages. Whenever someone possesses deep virtue, outstanding achievements, and a reputation that shines in the world, I must grant them a title according to proper ceremony and offer sacrifices to them. As for perfected beings—the immortals who have attained the Dao—they leave teachings and establish a name; they understand the foundations of the Great Dao, come and go without constraint, and roam together with the Dao. The altar on Mount Gezao has stood within the palace of jade (a Daoist temple) for many years. It has brought blessings, warded off calamities, and allowed the people to live in peace and recover, greatly benefiting them. I bestow praise and honor upon you and confer an especially exalted title. May you gladly accept the sacrifices and protect this place for a long time. You are hereby granted the title “Perfected Being of Responsive Mystery.”

On the seventeenth day of the third month in the sixth year of Chunyou (1246), by imperial decree, Ge Xiangong of Mount Gezao, under the jurisdiction of Qingjiang County in Linjiang Army, was granted the title “Perfected Being of Responsive Mystery.”

Zhuang Zhou said, “The spirit-like person puts all things to work, so that they suffer no harm or illness, and the harvests are abundant.” Perhaps this is what is meant by an immortal. You cultivated the Dao on a famous mountain and attained its profound mysteries. People throughout the world have long told how you ascended to become an immortal; this is already widely known. During the Chongning era, the court granted you a title. Recently, local officials, responding to the people’s request, submitted a memorial reporting that your prayers have been answered and that harvests have repeatedly been abundant year after year. I have no particular fondness for the claims of ritual practitioners, but I commend you for benefiting the people, and have therefore ordered the officials of ritual to add to your title. As for riding clouds and winds and roaming beyond the eight directions, why would you need to concern yourself with titles? Still, I shall use this occasion to express my praise. You are hereby granted the title “True Lord of Responsive Mystery and Faithful Protection.”

Comprehensive Mirror of Perfected Immortals Through the Ages, Volume 23