《歷世真仙體道通鑑》Vol. 28

Wu Meng, whose courtesy name was Shiyun, was from Puyang. He served as magistrate of Xi’an County in the state of Wu, and later settled there. The place is now known as Fenning County.

Wu Meng was devoted to his parents by nature. When he was a child, during the summer, he would keep his hands still and not drive away the mosquitoes, fearing that if he chased them off, they would go and bite his parents instead. At the age of forty, he received a miraculous formula from the adept Ding Yi. He later became a disciple of Bao Jing, governor of Nanhai, and learned secret methods from him. During the Huanglong era of Wu, Heaven sent down the White Cloud Talisman, a Daoist talisman, and bestowed it on Wu Meng. From then on, his Daoist arts became widely known in Wu and Jin.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Jin, Xu Zhenjun, a Daoist immortal of legend, studied magical arts under Wu Shiyun, who taught him all the secret essentials. Toward the end of the Yongjia era, Du Tao invaded Shu and captured its prefectures and counties. After Xu Zhenjun slew a great serpent, Wu Shiyun said, “The serpent is a spirit monster of Shu. Once it is dead, Du Tao will also be destroyed.” Events later proved him right.

Once, a violent storm suddenly arose. Wu Shiyun wrote a talisman and tossed it onto the roof. A green bird carried the talisman away in its beak, and the wind immediately stopped. When someone asked him why, he replied, “A boat on South Lake was caught in this storm. Two Daoist adepts aboard it were calling on Heaven for help, so I used this method to stop the wind.” An inquiry later confirmed that this was exactly what had happened.

Yu Qing, the magistrate of Xi’an County, had been dead for three days when Wu Shiyun said, “His allotted years are not yet over. I should appeal to Heaven on his behalf.” He then lay down beside Yu Qing’s body. Several days later, Wu Shiyun and Yu Qing awoke together. Yu Qing’s younger brother, Yu Bao, a Director of Writing, was deeply moved by this extraordinary event and recorded it in the Records of Searching for the Supernatural, a work that later circulated widely.

Once, Wu Shiyun was crossing the Yuzhang River when a storm arose and no boat was available. He used the white feather fan in his hand to paddle across the water. The onlookers were astonished. The Book of Jin also records that Wu Meng was from Yuzhang and was renowned for filial conduct from a young age. At the age of forty, his fellow townsman Ding Yi taught him a miraculous formula. Later, without using a boat, he crossed the river by paddling with a white feather fan, to everyone’s amazement.

In the second year of the Ningkang era under Emperor Xiaowu of Jin, after Xu Zhenjun ascended to Heaven, Wu Shiyun returned to Xi’an. On the fifteenth day of the tenth month that year, the Supreme Emperor ordered the Perfected One Zhou Guang to bring an edict summoning Wu Shiyun. Wu Shiyun then rode in a white deer carriage, accompanied by four disciples, and ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. His residence was called “Purple…”

Yunfu (today’s Pingjing Wuxian Temple, west of Wuxian Village in Fenning County) received an imperial decree conferring the title of Perfected One in the fifth month of the second Zhenghe year of Emperor Huizong of the Song (1112). The decree read:

“Hongdu is a blessed land, and the Purple Palace is home to ranked immortals. Since tales of your wondrous deeds have long been told, how could we fail to honor and revere you in good time? In your early years, you studied the utmost Dao and came to understand its secret instructions. You helped spread the teachings of Daoism, and people called you their benevolent father. Your deeds and cultivation had only just reached completion when you ascended to the imperial realm. Your former home still stands west of the great river. The local people pray to you and their wishes are always answered; they all rely on you. We now grant you a new title to make your fine De known. This is indeed Our command; may you look upon it with favor.” You are hereby specially conferred the title “Perfected One of Divine Might.”

Chen Xun

Chen Xun, courtesy name Xiaoju, was from Shu. He was widely learned and had seen and heard much. At the time, the Kingdom of Wei sent Zhong Hui and Deng Ai to attack Shu, and Liu Shan surrendered. Xiaoju was still young, but already longed to transcend the world. He went to Mount Qingcheng, became a disciple of Gu Yuanzi, and sought to learn the methods for attaining long life and transcending the world.

Later, he heard that Perfected Xu (Xu Xun) was governing benevolently in Jingyang and bringing benefits to the people. He went to the government office to meet him and offered to serve as a clerk. Perfected Xu valued him highly and entrusted him with clerical duties. Chen Xun did much to teach the villagers and bring peace to the people. Perfected Xu then took him as a disciple and confidant, placing him in charge of the scriptures and the medicine furnace.

When Perfected Xu ascended, he ordered Chen Xun to lead the way before him, carrying a staff. In former times, a Xiaoju Daoist sanctuary stood in the west corridor of Yulong Palace. It was called the Abode of Receiving the Immortals, and within it grew a large cypress that Chen Xun had planted himself. The sanctuary faced south. In the second Zhenghe year of Emperor Huizong of the Song, the court issued a decree conferring on Chen Xun the title “Perfected One of Upright Distinction.” The decree said, in essence: “In your early years, you sincerely sought the Dao under a teacher. Among the Dao Lord’s disciples, you alone mastered its secret essentials. Your cultivation had only just reached completion when you ascended to heaven bearing a banner. Your image remains to this day west of the great river.” The rest of the decree was the same as the one honoring Wuxian.

Zhou Guang

Zhou Guang, courtesy name Huichang, was from Luling and descended from the great general Zhou Yu. As a boy, he loved astronomy and music. As he grew older, he became well versed in the teaching of Wuwei (non-action) and tranquility. He once traveled through Ba and Shu with like-minded companions and, at Mount Yuntai, learned the Han dynasty Celestial Masters’ methods for driving away harmful spirits and relieving people’s suffering.

When he heard that Perfected Xu was in Jingyang, he went straight to the government office to meet him and offered to serve as his subordinate. Perfected Xu accepted him and assigned him to attend to his needs and care for his daily affairs. Zhou Guang served diligently morning and evening, following the Daoist methods without ever slackening. When he returned to his own residence, the people on either side of his household also followed his arrangements. Later, he went to the west side of his residence…

About a hundred paces away, Zeng Xingguo once built a house and lived there. After the Perfected Lord ascended to Heaven, Hui often rode with Zeng Xingguo in a dragon carriage as they rose into the heavens. The residence was called the “Mansion of Proclaimed Edicts.” During the Baotai era of the Tang dynasty, the regional governor Zhou Shaozhen restored the residence in honor of the Patriarch and renamed it the Mansion of Proclaimed Edicts. Stone inscriptions from that time still remain. Today, the site is called Taixu Temple.

In the second year of Zhenghe in the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty (1112), the court posthumously conferred the title Perfected One of Primal Penetration. The edict said, in essence: “In your youth, you withdrew to the mountains and took the Immortal Lord as your teacher. Your mastery of the Dao’s methods was profound and wondrous, and you received the true transmission of the Immortal Way. Your cultivation of the Dao and your accumulated merit had just reached completion when you ascended together into the heavenly realm. West of the great river, your former traces remain in solemn remembrance.” The rest is the same as in the “Edict for Lord Wu.”

Zeng Heng

Zeng Heng, courtesy name Xingguo, was from Sishui and descended from Shen. In his youth he became a Daoist priest. Gifted and quick-witted, he was widely learned and exceptionally talented. He studied the teachings of the Three Celestial Masters and could foresee the future. He visited every famous mountain and great peak he could reach. He mastered wondrous methods and sacred talismans, and his treatments never failed to work.

The spirit-being Sun Deng saw him and said, “Your features are handsome, and your mind and spirit are keen. If you diligently refine yourself and devote yourself to cultivation, you will one day become an Immortal who transcends the world. Strive toward this.” Later, Zeng Heng lived in seclusion in Fengcheng County, Yuzhang Commandery. Hearing that Xu Zhenjun (Xu Xun, an immortal revered in Daoism) was renowned far and wide, he went to meet him and offered to serve at his side. Xu Zhenjun valued him highly and passed on to him divine prescriptions and secret oral teachings. Later, Zeng Heng rode a dragon carriage up to Heaven. Zhenyang Temple in Fengcheng County today marks the site he left behind.

In the second year of Zhenghe in the reign of Emperor Huizong, the court posthumously conferred on Zeng Heng the title Perfected One of Divine Grace. The edict said, in essence: “Your features were handsome, your mind and spirit keen, and your natural gifts exceptional. You took the Immortal Lord as your teacher, in accord with your aspirations and the Dao. Your cultivation of the Dao and your accumulated merit had just reached completion when you journeyed together through the heavenly realm. West of the great river, an altar and a well remain to this day.” The rest is the same as in the “Edict for Lord Wu.”

Shi He

Shi He, courtesy name Daoyang, was from Julu. In his youth he became a Daoist priest and entered Mount Siming, where he met a spirit-being and learned fetal breathing—a health practice cultivated through breath regulation—and other wondrous arts. He was thus able to go without sleep or food, command spirits and drive away malevolent forces. He could also transmute gold and jade, and provided relief to the poor. The people benefited from his kindness, and his fame spread far and wide.

During the reign of Emperor Xiaohuai, Shi He heard that Xu Zhenjun’s filial virtue and magical arts were flourishing south of the Yangtze. He set out on foot to meet him and offered to become his disciple. Xu Zhenjun accepted him, taught him secret methods, and then sent him back to the mountain to instruct his followers. Emperor Ming of Jin summoned him to the palace by imperial decree to ask him about the Dao’s methods. Shi He firmly refused to stay and ultimately returned to the mountain, where he remained under Xu Zhenjun’s protection and served at his side. In the Ning… era of Emperor Xiaowu,

…In the second year, Chen Xiaoju held the investiture document in his hands and led the way as he accompanied him in ascending to Heaven. His former residence remained in Yuzhang City and was called the “Purple Canopy Residence”; it stands on the site of today’s Nanchang County government office. The Fengxian Temple in Muyang County, Donghai, was where he had once lived in seclusion. In the second year of the Zhenghe era under Emperor Huizong of the Song, the court bestowed on him the title “Perfected One of Vast Beneficence.” The investiture document said, in essence: You were born in Donghai, and people of the world say you have the makings of an immortal. You found a teacher on your own, and so Hongfan went ahead to guide you while a dragon tally accompanied you as you ascended to Heaven together. Your former residence still stands west of the great river. The opening and closing passages of the document are the same as those in the proclamation for Lord Wu.

Gan Zhan

Gan Zhan, courtesy name Bowu, was from Fengcheng. His fellow villagers respected him for his filial devotion. When war broke out, he withdrew to the countryside and took an interest in the arts of immortality and longevity. Hearing that Perfected Lord Xu (Xu Xun, a Daoist immortal in legend) practiced filial devotion, performed wondrous arts, and rid the people of harm, Gan Zhan went to him and earnestly asked to follow and serve him. Seeing that Gan Zhan had exceptional ability, Perfected Lord Xu accepted his request.

After Perfected Lord Xu ascended to Heaven, he passed on the secrets of the Golden Elixir to Gan Zhan. Gan Zhan later returned to Fengcheng, where he bestowed kindness and performed good deeds. At noon on the seventh day of the first month in the first year of the Dajian era under Emperor Xuan of Chen, a decree descended from Heaven, and he departed in a carriage drawn by a qilin, riding away on the clouds. (Today’s Qingdu Temple in the county is where the elixirs were kept at that time.) His former residence was called “Huayang Pavilion.” A Feihuang Temple was built there to enshrine and worship him.

In the second year of the Zhenghe era under Emperor Huizong of the Song, the court bestowed on him the title “Perfected One of Refined Practice.” The investiture document said, in essence: In your youth you already cherished the Dao; as an adult, you served an immortal lord for many years. You drove away demons and evil spirits, earning great merit. When your practice and virtue were complete, you ascended to Heaven and dwelt among the immortals. Your former residence still stands west of the great river. The opening and closing passages of the document are the same as those in the proclamation for Lord Wu.

Shi Cen

Shi Cen, courtesy name Taiyu, was from Pei Commandery. His grandfather, Shi Shuo, had served as an official in the state of Wu, so the family moved to Chiwuxian in Jiujiang. Shi Cen was imposing in appearance, brave and strong, and physically powerful. He was skilled with the bow and arrow and with the sword.

When Perfected Lord Xu first led his disciples to slay the great serpent in Haihun County, more than three hundred local volunteers happened to come to help in the battle. Shi Cen was among them. He respectfully asked Perfected Lord Xu to take him in and let him serve, and Perfected Lord Xu agreed. From then on, Shi Cen often stood beside him with a treasured sword in hand, together with Gan Bowu, serving at Perfected Lord Xu’s side.

At dawn on the twenty-eighth day of the tenth month in the second year of the Ningkang era under Emperor Xiaowu of the Jin, Shi Cen saw a boy appear in the sunlight in the east, riding on colored clouds and holding a white document of appointment. The boy rode a blue-green dragon down to his residence. After reading aloud the Jade Emperor’s decree, Shi Cen rode the dragon away on the clouds. To the southeast of Perfected Lord Xu’s former residence, two…

In the inner hall stands an altar called the Purple Jade Palace, where he lived. On a rock by the river at Xiling Town stands a Daoist temple, whose present plaque reads “Perfect Virtue.” It is also known as the Great Jade Viewing Terrace and is located in Nanchang. Similar viewing terraces can be found in other places; they were all used to watch for water demons. (The Tang dynasty immortal Shi Jianwu later lived here in seclusion and fished, so the place is also called the Fishing Terrace.) In the second year of the Zhenghe era under Emperor Huizong of the Song, Shi Jianwu was honored with the title “True Person of Courage and Insight.” The imperial decree said, in essence: “By nature you are courageous and perceptive. You were able to find a teacher on your own and receive the words of the Highest Dao. After entering the chamber to cultivate the Way, the workings of the numinous became manifest, and you ascended to the imperial realm. West of the great river, your former home still remains.” (The beginning and end of this passage match what Wu Jungao recorded.)

Peng Kang

Peng Kang, whose courtesy name was Wuyang, was from Lanling. Recommended for his filial conduct and integrity, he entered government service under the Jin dynasty, held several posts, and rose to become Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. He secretly cultivated the immortal Way. Later, citing illness, he resigned from his court post, took Xu Zhenjun as his teacher, and married his beloved daughter to Xu Zhenjun’s son.

(Older accounts call Peng Kang’s daughter the wife of Xu Zhenjun; this is incorrect. The old records call her his “son’s wife,” which is correct. Xu Zhenjun transformed into charcoal at the end of the Yongjia era under Emperor Huai of Jin, and Peng Kang’s wife once slew a serpent demon. By the dates, Peng Kang was then seventy-six years old. How could he have personally arranged a marriage at that age? It is also often said that Xu Zhenjun’s wife was surnamed Zhou. The Xiaodao Zan has now been consulted, and one of its pieces is titled “Lady Zhou’s Reply to Mother Xu’s Question.” Its meaning is exceptionally subtle. It may be that “Lady Historian” was the wife’s modest self-reference. So calling her “Lady Historian” may be appropriate; the newer Daoist canon’s title “Holy Mother” is not.)

Seeing that Peng Kang was respectful and sincere, Xu Zhenjun explained the various secret essentials to him in detail and urged him to return to office. In the second year of the Yonghe era under Emperor Mu of Jin, Peng Kang resigned and withdrew from public life. He traveled south and settled with his entire family in the city of Yuzhang. He visited Xu Zhenjun again and diligently sought instruction morning and evening, steadily advancing in his cultivation of the Way. On the twenty-fourth day of the eighth month in the second year of the Yongchu era under Emperor Gaozu of Song (the Gazetteer of Administrative Regions gives the second year of the Yixi era), all twenty-six members of Peng Kang’s family ascended to heaven in broad daylight. (The Zonghua Temple in the capital now stands on this site.) In the second year of the Zhenghe era under Emperor Huizong of the Song, Peng Kang was honored with the title “True Person of Hidden Blessing.” The imperial decree said, in essence: “You were indifferent to fame and profit and devoted yourself to cultivation. With utmost sincerity you drew near to your teacher and received the secret essentials. Your merit and practice had only just reached completion when you ascended to the imperial realm. West of the great river, your former home is still preserved, and the immortal chamber and numinous altar still bear solemn traces of the past.” (The beginning and end of this passage match what Wu Jungao recorded.)

Xu Lie

Xu Lie, whose courtesy name was Daowei, was from Nanchang. He lost his father when he was young and became known for his filial devotion in serving his mother. His mother apparently…

Xu Zhenjun (Xu Xun)'s second elder sister was Xu Mu. Xu Zhenjun had two elder sisters, and Xu Mu was the eldest. (The Yi Lu records that Xu Junlie of Nanchang was of the same clan as Zhongli Junjia. Since Junjia was Xu Jun's nephew through his sister, the claim that Xu Mu was Xu Zhenjun's sister is well grounded.)

After Xu Mu was widowed, Xu Zhenjun had a dwelling built for her a few dozen paces west of his own residence. There she lived, and mother and son often heard the subtleties of the Dao discussed. Whenever Xu Zhenjun went out, Xu Mu managed the household affairs for him. Immortal guests and reclusive cultivators also came to visit her. (Celestial Master Hu's Shizao Ci (Lyrics on the Stone Stove) says: "I once came here long ago and was a guest at Xu Mu's home.")

Later, mother and son together received an edict from the Jade Emperor and were admitted into the ranks of the immortals, ascending to heaven. The Daoist monastery west of the wall, which is their former residence, is now called the "Heyi Mansion" (Heyi Fu). In the second year of the Zhenghe reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song, the court bestowed on Xu Mu the title "Perfected Mistress Heping" (Heping Zhenren). The imperial decree broadly states: You studied the Way of Zhenjun and grasped the essentials of the Five Refinements. Your nature was calm and peaceful, and your conduct accorded with the transforming nurture of the Great Dao, so at last you ascended to the heavenly realm together with your mother. Your old home still stands west of the Yangtze. (The opening and closing of this decree are the same as those of Lord Wu's decree.)

Zhong Li Jia

Zhongli Jia, courtesy name Gongyang, also styled Chaomu, was a native of Nanchang and the son of Xu Zhenjun's second sister. He lost both parents while young and was naturally simple and detached. Xu Zhenjun once sighed over his aptitude for receiving the Dao and so transmitted to him marvelous arts by which he could rescue others. He also passed on profound secret formulas that enabled him to command and expel ghosts and spirits.

When Xu Zhenjun ascended to heaven, Zhongli Jia was the first to receive the bestowal of the Golden Elixir (Jindan). On the fifteenth day of the tenth month of that year, a carriage of blue-green jade descended from the sky to welcome Gongyang. He received the summons, boarded the precious carriage, and departed. The western source of Elephant Tooth Mountain in Xinjian County was where he once lived, and there stands a Daoist temple called "Danling" (Elixir Mound), where the stone mortar he used for refining medicine still survives. Zhongli Jia's title is "Zhong Yu Fu" (Mansion of Zhong the Jade). In the second year of the Zhenghe reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song, the court conferred on him the title "Perfected Universal Benefactor" (Puhui Zhenren). The imperial decree broadly states: You practiced the arts of cultivation and nourishment, mastered the talismans, registers, and prohibitive methods, and broadly bestowed benefit on people near and far, so your merit was outstanding. After Zhenjun transmitted his secrets to you, you ascended to the heavenly realm. Your old home still stands west of the Yangtze. (The opening and closing of this decree are the same as those of Lord Wu's decree.)

Huang Renlan

Huang Renlan, courtesy name Ziting, was a native of Gao'an. His father, Huang Fu, courtesy name Wanshi, had been recommended for office through the filial and incorrupt examination (xiaolian) and rose to the rank of censor. Huang Renlan had a striking bearing and a serene, deep-reaching capacity. Xu Zhenjun gave his daughter to him in marriage, and he fully received Xu Zhenjun's Daoist arts. Later, he served as Clerk of Qingzhou, and once rode out alone on horseback...

After he took office, he left his wife at home to attend to his parents, yet he would return every night, and no one knew of it. One night, a servant reported that laughter and talk could be heard from Madam Xu's courtyard. His mother went to ask her about it. Xu replied, "Huang Lang has come." His mother said, "My son is serving in an office thousands of miles away. How could he be here in the blink of an eye?"

Xu answered, "He has attained the Way of the immortals (xian dao) and can travel a thousand li in an instant. He warned me not to reveal this, so I did not dare let Mother-in-law know."

His mother said, "If that is so, let me see him."

That night, after Ziting returned, Xu told him what had happened. Toward dawn, Ziting had no choice but to come out and pay his respects to his parents. His parents said, "Renlan, though he serves in a distant province, always returns quietly to us at night. The Way of the immortals he has cultivated is deeply secret and must not be disclosed. I fear that if it is revealed, he will incur punishment and bring trouble on the whole family."

When they had finished speaking, Ziting took out his bamboo staff and transformed it into a azure dragon, and he rode the dragon away. His father, Wanshi, then also came to know that the Way of the immortals was worthy of admiration, and he served the Perfected Lord as a disciple, observing the proper courtesies of a student.

Only Ziting's two younger brothers were fierce by temperament and unrestrained, spending their days hunting. Even when their father and elder brother ascended to heaven by imperial summons, they remained in the hunting grounds. They said, "We are by nature willful and cannot become immortals. Let our elder brother lead the whole family up to heaven, and let the two of us stay behind to hunt deer."

Ziting sighed at the fact that his brothers had different natural endowments. He broke off a blade of grass and transformed it into a deer, so as to lead them to put aside their deluded desires. Afterward, he rose toward the east on a cloud together with his parents and thirty-two members of the household, following the celestial carriage of the Perfected Lord. The two younger brothers later retired to the Western Hill. (This place is today's Fanggang Temple, which the local people commonly call Huang Chao's Fourth and Fifth Sons.)

After the immortals' procession departed, a stone ball and a medicine mortar fell down from among the clouds. (The Xiangfu Daoist Temple in Gao'an County, Ruizhou, formerly called the Temple of Praying for Immortals, was their former residence.) Nearby is also a place named "Madam Xu's Dropped Hairpin Islet."

In the second year of the Zhenghe reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty, the court issued an edict conferring on him the title "Perfected of the Penetrating Way" (Chongdao Zhenren). The sense of the edict reads: "You have inherited the blessings of Perfected Chuping, your endowment is exceptional, and you studied under the Daoist Lord, thoroughly comprehending its subtle Way. Your merit was just complete when you ascended to roam among the immortal realms. West of the Great River, your old residence still survives to this day." (The opening and closing of this edict are the same as those of the edict for Master Wu.)

Renlan's father, Fu, also requested to become a disciple of the Perfected Lord. Because he was a relative of the palace, the Perfected Lord received him as a guest and therefore did not include him among the eleven disciples. After the disciples received the Dharma, each was permitted to transmit it within his own clan, and each established a name for his own altar and retreat (tan jing), the place where the Way was transmitted and its rites performed. In accordance with the ritual forms of their teaching, large sites were called "palaces" (fu) and small ones "pavilions" (ting). When practicing the Way, the rites were also named according to the number of participants. Lan Gong

Once upon a time there lived an extraordinary man named Lan Qi, whose name people dared not speak aloud, so they called him Lan Gong (Lord Lan). He first lived in Jiuyuan Village, Gaoping Township, in Qufu County of Yanzhou. Lan Gong's household numbered over a hundred people, all of whom cultivated themselves diligently and practiced filial piety. Because of this, the True Lord of the Dipper descended to his home, calling himself King of Filial Piety and Fraternal Respect, named Hongkang and courtesy-named Bozhong.

The King said to Lan Gong: "The Initial Qi transformed into the Great Dao, and in the sun it is called the Filial Piety Immortal King; the Primordial Qi transformed into the Utmost Dao, and in the moon it is called the Filial Piety Luminous King; the Mysterious Qi transformed into Filial Piety, and in the Dipper it is called the King of Filial Piety and Fraternal Respect. Filial piety moves Heaven, so the sun and moon shine because of it; it moves the earth, so the myriad things grow because of it; it moves the people, so the Kingly Way is thereby accomplished. I dwell beneath Shangqing (the Highest Clarity, the celestial realm in Daoist teaching) and have taken on a human body to proclaim the teaching of filial piety. In the Later Jin dynasty there will be a True Lord named Xu Xun, who will transmit the essential purport of my filial piety and become foremost among the immortals."

Thereupon, the King entrusted to Lan Gong the Secret Decrees, the Precious Scripture of the Golden Elixir, and the copper talismans and iron registers, instructing him to pass them on to the Female Perfected Shen Mu of Huangtang Jing in Danyang, a female Daoist adept. He further admonished Lan Gong: "In the future there will be a seeker of immortality named Xu Xun; you should transmit these to him." Then the King took Lan Gong on an excursion into the countryside, pointing to three ancient tombs by the roadside and saying: "These are the traces left by your three rebirths and liberations. The first tomb is where you left your remains after shijie (the Daoist 'liberation by corpse-release,' in which the body remains behind as the spirit departs to become an immortal). The person in the second tomb has undergone taiyin lianxing (refining the form through the Yin qi of the moon), and the form has now been refined and is about to rise. The third tomb contains only the shed bones. You should move the road beside the tombs so that people and livestock do not trample them."

When the King had finished speaking, he ascended to Heaven. Lan Gong then posted notices to inform travelers and closed off the old road. The people, however, considered him a deluder of the masses who had presumptuously rerouted the road, and they seized him and delivered him to the government office. The magistrate questioned him about what proof he had that his account was true, and Lan Gong reported the earlier events in full detail. The magistrate said: "If what you say is false, you will be punished." Lan Gong replied: "What I say is genuinely grounded. How could the King of Filial Piety speak falsely?"

The magistrate then took Lan Gong to the burial ground, where they confronted the matter face to face and opened the tombs to examine them. In the first tomb there was indeed a yellow robe. In the second tomb there was a person whose face looked young and whose frame was slight and delicate, appearing as though just awakened from sleep. In the third tomb lay a skeleton whose bones were still joined together. The onlookers were all astonished. The magistrate carried the robe back and presented it to the Prefect; when the Prefect put it on, however, it did not fit him, so he returned it to Lan Gong. When Lan Gong put it on, he became exactly like the person in the tomb...

The crowd merged into a single body and rose lightly into the air. The officials, filled with remorse, bowed and asked earnestly, "When will you descend to the human world again?"

Lord Lan leaned down and told them, "From now on, I will come down sometimes once every ten days and sometimes once every hundred days, to promote filial piety (xiao dao) and rescue those who have lost their way. Later, a fifteen-year-old boy in Wu Capital and a three-year-old spirit child in Danyang will appear, both transformations of true immortals (zhen xian). They will spread the teaching of filial piety and pass it on to those who aspire to achieve the immortal Way."

Minister Dao Yi comments: Lan Qi cultivated the Way (dao) over many lifetimes and never forgot the Great Dao (da dao). His sincerity moved a perfected one (zhen ren) of the Northern Dipper to descend and explain filial piety to him, so that people of later generations could awaken to understanding and find the path to becoming true immortals. Few have matched Lan Qi's utter devotion. The record of his three lives of liberation and transformation is plainly visible and deeply moving. As for the wondrous union of his body and spirit and his rising into the air, all of it came from a single unwavering sincerity, and only after four lives did he finally complete the immortal Way. How could it be attained in a single morning or evening? The Daodejing says, "One who does not lose their root endures long; one who is not forgotten after death possesses true longevity." Does this not describe Lan Qi exactly?

Xu Da

Xu Da was the servant of the True Lord (zhen jun). On the day the True Lord ascended, Xu Da and his wife were pushing a cart of rice out of the city to sell it, in what is now Xiling city. When they heard that the True Lord had ascended to heaven, they abandoned the cart and hurried home. By the time they arrived, the immortal's procession had already departed. The couple beat their chests and wailed, begging to follow the True Lord. The True Lord told them that their good deeds and merit were not yet complete, so they were not fit to ascend. Instead, he taught them the arts of the earth immortal (di xian). The couple then retired together to the Western Mountain.

The cart they had left behind overturned, and the rice scattered on the ground sprouted ears of grain. Today the local places called "Overturned Cart Ridge" and "Raw Rice Market" are said to have taken their names from this event. After the couple went into seclusion, they did not want to be recognized, so they changed their surname to Wu. Later, they were recognized anyway, so they changed it again, to Gan.

Each of the couple left behind a poem that has been passed down. Lord Gan's poem reads:

Since the Illustrious Lord ascended to heaven,
I have moved in and out of the mortal world until today.
I am not hiding my name or mixing myself into worldly life;
I only sell firewood and wine so that I can forget the dust of the mortal heart.

His wife wrote:

Drunk, I rise to dance and sing freely, treading upon fallen petals;
the sash of my green silk skirt is tied with cinnabar.
I come and go in the city, selling a few medicinal herbs;
the Western Mountain is my home.

She also wrote:

Moving in and out of the immortal realms, I forget how long spring has been gone;
how would I know whether the mortal world is cold or warm?
My home lies deep in the Western Mountain,
and besides the white clouds, who would ever come to my door?

Once, Lord Gan went out travelling and was gone for a long time. His wife wandered alone beside the jiao altar (jiao tan, the ritual altar) and composed a poem out of her feelings. The poem opens with the line "Yesterday, because..." and the scripture breaks off at this point.

When I traveled to the Cuiwei jiao altar (jiaotan, the altar where the jiao offering was held), the wind was cold and the flowers were sparse, and the apricot blossoms were already few. The green peach tree sent word on my behalf: "Why, once you went into the human world, did you never return?"

When Xu the Grandee and his wife heard that the True Lord (Zhenjun) was about to ascend to heaven, they begged earnestly to follow him. The True Lord told them that the number of people ordered to ascend with him had long been fixed, that fate could not be altered, and that he could not grant their request. Beforehand, therefore, he had arranged for them to leave the house on errands. By the time they returned, their carriage had overturned, and it was already too late.

Even now, some people claim to have seen the True Lord. The Jishen lu (Record of Divine Investigations) records that in the western mountains of Hongzhou there was a woodcutter who called himself Gan Da. No one knew his full name. He often appeared in the villages, and when he met people he only cupped his hands in salute and never spoke. If anyone tried to question him, he would bow and leave.

A young man waited for him to come out, bowed, and said, "I wish to serve you, Master." Gan Da was startled and was about to leave, but the young man quickly seized the coarse cloth of his garment and followed him. "Who are you?" Gan Da asked. "I wish to serve you, Master," the young man replied. He kept bowing as he followed Gan Da over treacherous, difficult paths, and he would not leave.

After a long while, Gan Da sat down beside a stream and asked, "Would you like some tea?" "Yes," the young man replied. Gan Da then took tea powder from his robe, placed it in the young man's palm, and had him cup water and swallow it. After drinking, the young man lay still for a long time. When he awoke, Gan Da was gone. He followed the mountain path the woodcutter had taken, searching for a way out, and found himself within the borders of Fenning County. A few days later he returned home, and from then on his body was light and vigorous, and he had no illness.

Hu Huichao

Celestial Master (Tianshi) Hu Huichao, courtesy name Basu, was of unknown origin, and no one knew how many years he had lived. In the Shangyuan era of the Tang Gaozong reign, he came from Lushan and settled at the Hongjing spring in Xishan of Yuzhang. He wore a cloth scarf on his head and a coarse hempen robe, walked on foot, and carried a staff on his back.

When he visited the Youwei Guan (Youwei Monastery), he saw fellow Daoists and held no tablet (hu) in his hands; he merely raised his hands in salute. His beard and eyebrows were long and fine, his build and appearance were imposing, and he looked about forty years old. He was not especially tall, yet whenever he stood in a crowd his head rose above the others, and even when standing beside elders, people only reached his shoulders. For this reason his contemporaries called him the "Tall Immortal Hu" (Hu Changxian ren).

When someone asked his age, he answered that he was fifty-two. Decades later, when asked again, he still gave the same answer. When he spoke of the rises and falls of order and chaos from the Jin and Song dynasties onward, even the minute details of his account were accurate. He liked to discuss Zhang Hua, the Jin Minister of Works, and he spoke with the familiarity of an old friend, so broad was his learning.

Some said that Xu Wujun had transmitted to him the Way of prolonging life, refining form and spirit, and transcending the Three Primes and Nine Cycles (sanyuan jiuji). He could issue fu talismans and proclamations to summon spirits and command thunder and rain. When the discussion reached Tao Hongjing, the original text breaks off at the character jiao (meaning "to collate"), so the sense remains incomplete.

The Celestial Master (Tianshi) also took part in the compilation of the Taiqing Jing (Scripture of Great Clarity), seventy volumes kept in the Huayang Cavern on Mount Mao. On the stitched spines at the back of the volumes were written the names of Song-dynasty people, and anyone who consulted the texts could see them. The Celestial Master also said, "I was here once before and lodged at Xumu, so I do not know which dynasty I actually belong to."

Whenever he came upon exposed skeletal remains beside the road, he would bury them. If he heard that ancient vessels or precious objects lay somewhere, digging at the place he indicated would reliably turn them up. When he encountered evil spirits causing trouble, he regarded them as enemies and was certain to destroy them.

At that time, a camphor tree in the west gate of Yuzhang had become a spirit. It took the form of a one-legged deity, ran wild, and lured people into improper sacrifices. On seeing this, the Celestial Master rebuked it, wrote a talisman and performed a rite to restrain it, then ordered men to cut down the tree, piled firewood and straw around it, poured oil over it, and set it alight. The demon was thereby destroyed. Afterward a monastery was built on the site. It was formerly named "Xinguo," and its plaque now reads "Tianqing."

Once, when the Celestial Master travelled through the Weiguan monastery, it had already fallen into ruin in the early Tang dynasty. He asked the abbot why it had not been repaired, and the abbot replied that there was a shortage of labor and materials. The Celestial Master immediately set out, and within less than a month a raft drifted from the Zhangmu River mouth in Gao'an, ninety li from the monastery. He ordered the raftsmen to tie the raft securely and then each go to lodge on the riverbank. That evening he drew a black talisman in the air, and at midnight wind, rain, and thunder rose violently. At dawn the raft had arrived before the monastery's altar. As it passed through mountain ridges and ravines, the trees along its path were all flattened and broken.

The Celestial Master also unearthed a cellar of money at the foot of the mountain, a total of 300,000 coins, which was used to pay the costs of labor. Halls and other structures that could not have been completed by human hands were built by ghosts and spirits at night. Three wells were also dug outside the monastery gate to guard against fire. Popular belief called this "the prohibition of fire," and for this reason the monastery has never suffered a fire down to the present day.

Later, the Celestial Master's extraordinary deeds gradually came to light. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang, he happened to come to the capital, where by imperial decree he expelled a fox demon from the Shouchun Palace and was bestowed the title "Master of Cavern Perfection" (Dongzhen Xiansheng). In the time of Empress Wu Zetian, the court summoned him by means of a cart whose wheels were wrapped in cattail reeds. The Celestial Master hid deep in the valleys, and although the prefectural and county officials searched for him urgently, they never found him. Only then did he reluctantly come out of the mountains, and after arriving in the capital he was received at the Wucheng Hall. Wu Zetian asked him about the arts of the Dao, and the Celestial Master spoke only of De (Virtue) and of the fundamentals of how rulers govern and transform the people. Wu Zetian was greatly pleased and wished to keep him in the capital, entrusting him with the refining of elixirs. The Celestial Master courteously declined and asked to return to the mountains to cultivate. Wu Zetian ordered envoys to send him back with gifts of gold and jade. When he reached Shanfu, the Celestial Master received an imperial letter from Wu Zetian, which read: "Master, your attainment of the Dao is profound, and you have long transcended worldly dust, like Guangchengzi of the Yellow Emperor's era or the Heshang Gong of the Han. Yet you, Master, have not hesitated to travel a thousand……"

……Arriving here for the appointment at the Three Rivers, I found that the emperor's carriage had already departed, and I could only watch the immortal's robes receding into the distance. Later, I crossed the river and gazed after the canopy of the carriage drawn by cranes, which grew ever more remote. Looking up at the clouds and wind, I was overcome with melancholy. If I could obtain Nine-Turn elixir (elixir refined through repeated cycles), I would hope the immortal might leave me a single pill.

The Celestial Master (Tianshi) then refined elixirs near the ancient altar of Master Hongya, for three years in all. The emperor issued an edict urging him to the capital, and once he arrived, he was lodged within the imperial palace. The Celestial Master asked leave to return to the mountains, but the emperor insisted on keeping him and would not let him go. One morning, the Celestial Master suddenly departed. When the emperor heard of it, he sighed in regret for a long time. He sent an envoy bearing generous gifts, together with a poem:

"The lofty one's aspirations agree with mine; he wears the garments of the mountains and returns to his mountain dwelling. From afar I hear the sound of wind and moon, gradually receding beyond the mist and haze. Among the green peaks one can glimpse the deep cavern-abodes, where cinnabar is refined in jade furnaces. Today you have ascended the Starry Ford, and I crane my neck to gaze after the spirit raft that carries you."

The Celestial Master returned to Xishan and resided at the Xumu Jing Temple. There stood the Sanqing Central Gate and Zhenjun Hall (the hall enshrining the Three Pure Ones and the Zhenjun; the hall stood on the site of the old pavilion at present-day Xianjing Han). It is said that all of these were built by spirits and ghosts. The pillars and beams of the hall rise in tiers, and the carving of the ridgepoles is a craft that human artisans might be able to imitate. Yet the pillars stand upright without leaning, and the structure is so firm and enduring that it could not have been achieved by human strength alone. On a beam hangs a plaque inscribed in his own hand with a reign-year, its brushwork bold and vigorous. He also personally painted his own portrait on the wall of the rear hall.

While the Celestial Master dwelt on Xishan, the local people served him with the respect due a teacher. Within a radius of a thousand li, there were no epidemics, no floods or droughts, and no calamities of fierce birds harming people or innocents dying young. The people far and near relied on his protection.

On the sixteenth day of the second month of the third year of the Changan era, he instructed his disciples to build a brick tomb on Fulong Ridge, northwest of Youwei Temple, and to place within it one each of the Taixuan True Talisman, the Two-Seven Star Spirit Sword, and the Lingbao divining staff. Three days later, the preparations were complete. The Celestial Master dressed neatly and sat upright on a rope-bed (a simple seat), and a rare fragrance filled the room. From the sky came the sound of clouds and cranes, and beyond the walls the clamor of horses and men rose without cease. When the crowd looked again, he had already undergone liberation from the corpse (a Daoist expression for the perfected being leaving the physical body behind).

The provincial authorities reported the matter to the court. The emperor bestowed money and silk to fund a zhaijiao (purification ritual with altar offerings), and posthumously conferred upon him the title "Master Dongzhen." The epitaph composed by Sima Zhen of Gusu is extremely detailed in its account.

In the Kaiyuan era, the Celestial Master again came down from the mountains and was honored by the Ming Emperor. The emperor wrote a poem to send him back to the mountains:

"The immortal guest tires of the human world, his temperament still and solitary like a lone cloud. Our parting words are not yet finished, and before my eyes ten thousand layers of mist and water already separate us."

There is also a legend that three princesses of the Ming Emperor once studied the Way under the Celestial Master: the Princess Yuzhen, the Second Princess Yuzhen, and the Princess Zhenyi. In time they attained accomplishment, and all of them withdrew into seclusion and departed, soaring away on phoenixes.

Master Dong later also withdrew into seclusion. The Lingyun Abbey on Mount Fulong today is where he lived after returning to the mountains, and it is also where the princess followed him to study the Daoist arts.

More than ten li south of Lingyun Abbey, on level ground, stands a mountain with three tombs on it. This is where Master Dong again stored his sword, seal, and fulu (talismans and registers), and the local people call it the "Three Coffins" (sanguo). To this day, the site remains under the administration of Lingyun Abbey.

Master Dong had many disciples and favored students. The most famous among them were Celestial Master (Tianshi) Wan, Celestial Master Lin, Linchuan Jingshan, and Huanghua Gu.

At the Weiguan (Wandering Abbey) there was a portrait of Celestial Master Hu painted on a wall. One day, when the wall was about to collapse, a wandering Daoist suddenly appeared, took a rubbing of the portrait onto a wooden board, and the image was exactly as it had been. That same evening the wall fell, and the Daoist disappeared without a trace.

The gate hall was rebuilt by imperial decree in the sixth year of the Zhenghe era of Emperor Huizong of the Song, when the original structures were torn down. Today, only the wooden board bearing the rubbed portrait remains.

Complete Mirror of the Perfected Immortals Who Embodied the Dao Through the Ages, Scroll 27