《歷世真仙體道通鑑》Vol. 31

Comprehensive Mirror of the Perfected Immortals Who Embodied the Dao Through the Ages (Lishi Zhenxian Tidao Tongjian), Scroll 30

(Compiled by the Daoist Zhao Daoyi of the Shengshou Wannian Palace on Mount Fuyun)

Liang Chen

The Daoist Liang Chen, courtesy name Kaocheng, was a native of Fufeng in the Jingzhao commandery. He had broad learning in the classics and histories, and he studied with great care the arts of Yin-Yang divination (the reading of auspicious and inauspicious signs from the changes of Yin and Yang and from celestial phenomena). He did not value fame or profit, nor did he crave fine food. He sought only quiet leisure and contentment in himself.

One day a physiognomist saw him and said, "This boy's eyes give off a white radiance, and his countenance gathers true qi. He is no ordinary person." Later, Liang Chen indeed came to love the way of the immortals.

In the early Xianxi reign period of Emperor Yuan of the Great Wei, he took as his teacher Dharma Master Zheng of Louguan (Louguan, "Watchtower Abbey," a major Daoist center in Shaanxi). He was then seventeen. He was kind and gentle by nature, did not like to contend with others, and was loved by all. He often dreamed that he was roaming with immortals, sometimes ascending famous mountains and sometimes drinking stone marrow (shisui, a legendary drink of the immortals), and so he found his own kind of delight in these dreams.

In the second year of the Yongxing reign of Emperor Hui of the Jin, the yichou year, on the fifth day of the fifth month, the Venerable Lord Lao sent the Perfected Yin Gui to descend to Louguan. Liang Chen then served him as a disciple. More than a month later, Yin Gui first transmitted to him the methods of refining qi (lianqi) and of concealing the body, then the technique of the Water-Stone Returning Elixir (the method of compounding elixirs from water, minerals, and similar substances), and finally the Six Jia Talismans and the methods of gathering and taking the Yellow Flowers of the sun and moon (the practices of using talismans and of gathering and ingesting the essence of sun and moon).

Afterward, Liang Chen withdrew to live on Mount Zhongnan. He practiced the refinement of qi and swallowed talismans, and he mastered all of these methods thoroughly. He also searched widely for cinnabar, and once he had brought it back he refined it and took it. When he spoke, his voice was clear and his enunciation distinct, so that those who revered and served him gradually grew in number.

Liang Chen then went deep into the mountain crags and secluded valleys to cultivate himself. Once, a great snow blocked the roads, and birds and beasts froze to death. Liang Chen alone kept to stillness, and his will remained firm. Thus the marvelous qi of the Perfected naturally gathered around him. He could see things beneath the ground, and he could hear sounds several li away.

One day he suddenly told his disciples, "A friend is waiting for me on the southern peak, and I must go now." Having said this, he put on his crown and robes and went out. Clouds and mists filled the air and concealed his form, and only the faint sound of drums and music could be heard in the sky. In the first year of the Daxing reign of Emperor Yuan, the wuyin year, the Hunyuan Shilu records that he could fly and transform himself. Three years later his elixir was complete, and in broad daylight he ascended to heaven.

Sun Che

The Daoist Sun Che, courtesy name Zhongxuan, was of unknown origin. He served as the registrar (jishi, the master who transmitted the Daoist registers and enrolled disciples) for Yin Tong. His temperament was upright and unbending, he did not like to talk, and his outward appearance seemed somewhat dull. Yet his inner cultivation was deep, so no one could fathom him.

In the early Zhao reign period of the Former Zhao, he took Master Wang as his teacher. He was then eighteen. When Master Wang went out with him, people all called Master Wang "Great Refiner" (dalianshi, a title of honor for a senior adept).

Sun Che was known as the "Little Refiner" (Xiao Lianshi) and was held in high esteem at the time, and more and more people came to visit and seek his instruction. Eventually he withdrew into seclusion. At times he lived at Louguan, at times he slept in the treetops, and at other times he stayed in remote places where few people went. In his daily life he wove kudzu vines into mats, which he sat on with his eyes closed, as if pondering something.

When people treated him with disdain, he remained humble and self-possessed. As a result, they felt ashamed and left in unease. Sun Che often judged a person's fortune or misfortune simply by looking at his expression, before the other person had spoken. When he was past seventy, in spring of the eighth year of the Jianyuan era of the Qin, he suddenly said to his attendant, "I must go away for a while." Having said this, he shook out his robe and departed, and from then on no one knew where he had gone. His friend Ma Jian missed him and placed the kudzu mat in a quiet chamber as an object of veneration. After a few days, people often heard voices speaking from the mat. Such were the broad outlines of Sun Che's numinous deeds.

The commentator Chen Daoyi says: Sun Che stayed far from worldly dust and devoted himself single-mindedly to the Dao and to cultivating perfection. When others treated him with contempt, he remained humble and self-possessed, and so those people came to feel that they had acted improperly and left in shame. The Daodejing says, "Because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend with him." It also says, "The Sage's way is to act without contending for victory." These words describe Sun Che exactly.

Master Ma Jian (Fashi)

Master Ma Jian, courtesy name Yuanyue, was a native of Youfeng in Jingzhao. He was the initiating master (dushi) of Yin Tong, that is, the teacher who guided Yin Tong into the Way. At sixteen he stood eight chi tall, had large, thick earlobes, and his hands hung down past his knees. He had a "Fuxi bone" (a physiognomic term for a prominent ridge across the forehead), and vertical lines ran across his palms. He did not crave sensual pleasures or fame and profit, he was widely learned in the classics and histories, and he was especially skilled in the poetry and rhapsodies of the Book of Odes and the Songs of Chu. The people of the local commanderies and counties all regarded him as extraordinary. When he was summoned to take office, he did not respond.

In the Ganlu era of the Qin, Ma Jian registered as a Daoist and studied the Way under Sun Che at Louguan. He was seventeen at the time, and Sun Che transmitted to him the essential principles of the Daoist school. The texts and classics he mastered included the Five Talismanic True Writings, the Inner Writings of the Three Sovereigns, the Daodejing, the Lingbao scriptures, and the arts of dunjia (the hidden stems) and divination through celestial signs.

His skill in medicinal arts was also exquisite. He practiced methods such as abstaining from grains, drinking only water, eating jujube paste, and taking decoctions of asparagus root, atractylodes, and a wine made from pokeweed root. He also cultivated the Five-Directions Cloud Fangs, the Six Jia talismans, the inner sounds of the various heavens, and such gates of practice as circulating qi and daoyin (guided breathing and stretching). As for commanding spirits and subduing evil forces, he mastered the rites of the Eight Attendants, the Six Dings, the Twenty-Four Spirits, and the essential rites of the Three Sovereigns. Whenever he performed these, they were never without efficacy.

When Yao Chang heard of Ma Jian's deeds, he regarded him as remarkable and sent an envoy to summon him. Ma Jian declined on the grounds of illness. Yao Chang admired his integrity, so he bestowed incense and candles on him and showed him generous courtesy. Ma Jian's aspiration for the Way grew even firmer, and he treated people with kindness and took pleasure in helping them, so that more and more people came to join him each day. One day, a deity descended and said to him, "Master, in your past..."

Having now diligently cultivated the Way, his elixir name has already been entered in the Jade Calendar, and his white tablet has been stored on the Dark Terrace (Xuantai), the place where Daoist belief holds the registers of immortals to be kept. So long as he preserves his allotted years, he will surely transcend the mundane world. Why should he rush about in prayers, or exhaust himself with summoning spirits and exorcising demons? He need only practice in tranquility, bringing his body and mind into harmony with the Three Simplicities (sansu), the pure and empty vital essences described in Daoist teaching, regulating the Five Spirits (wushen), the spirits dwelling in the body's five viscera, cutting off all external sounds, sights, and sensory input, and holding fast alone to a state of stillness and clarity. Thus he nourished his spirit, cultivated simplicity, and no longer went out, yet perfected beings often came down to visit him.

He lived to ninety-eight. On the first day of the tenth month of winter in the fifth year of the Dayan era under the Northern Wei emperor Taiwu, he said to his disciple Yin Tong, "The practices I have undertaken and the responses I have received throughout my life should be kept secret and not revealed." Before long, a white cloud drifted in from the northwest and covered his chamber. After a moment he returned to the true realm. Only a lingering fragrance was heard, and the white cloud then rose toward the south.

Yin Tong

The Daoist Yin Tong, courtesy name Linggen, was a descendant of the Perfected Yin Gui. In his youth he studied Confucianism and read widely in the classics, the masters, and the histories. He often sighed at how worldly affairs were illusory and never lasting, and so he frequently gazed up at the sky and sighed. His parents did not understand his intentions and pressed him to marry and take office. Yin Tong knelt and said, "I have heard that Perfected Zhang ascended to heaven, that Zhen'nan inherited his fine reputation, and that Lord Mao attained the Way and became an immortal. Even a prefect could sincerely turn toward the Dao. How much more should we, who carry the virtue left by our ancestor, the Taiji Perfected, bring it to light and continue it? I hope to pursue the Way according to my own aspirations." His parents consented, and he went off lightly, as if floating away.

At that time the realm was plagued by bandits and constant warfare, and Yin Tong passed through great dangers, braving peril to reach Louguan. At the age of twenty-six, in the early Shiguang years under the Northern Wei emperor Taiwu, he served the Dharma Master Ma Jian and practiced diligently for many years, until he was granted the secret texts of the Perfected, including the Jade Script and the Golden Writings. Later his parents passed away one after the other. Having fulfilled the rites of filial piety, his aspiration to emulate the Perfected and to single-mindedly guard the Way grew firmer day by day. Morning and evening he burned incense and performed obeisance, never once growing slack. For several decades he took herbs such as yellow essence (huangjing), realgar, and asparagus root, and his body gradually grew strong and clear while his temperament became ever more keen. He was especially devoted to healing: those he could cure, he treated, and those he judged beyond saving, he declared truly beyond rescue.

Emperor Taiwu esteemed Daoism, and upon hearing of Yin Tong's reputation he held him in great respect, often sending envoys with incense and candles to invite him to hold purification rituals (zhaijiao) and perform the Way. From then on, people from everywhere who came seeking an audience streamed in without end. Yin Tong always kept the accumulation of merit and virtue in mind, giving to others without seeking return and distributing his wealth without hoarding any of it.

At that time his nephew Fa-xing, together with Niu Wenhou, Wang Daoyi, and others, came one after another, bringing seven disciples, to seek together the traces of the immortal Way. From then on, the style of the immortals and the authentic teaching of Daoism flourished once more. Yin Tong lived to 101, his ears keen and his eyes bright, and he was especially able to write at night. Coming to the second year of the Taihe era under Emperor Xiaowen...

Thirteenth year (the second year of the Chengming era was changed to Taihe; recent printed editions of the History of the Northern Dynasties contain many omissions). On the eighth day of the fourth month, he suddenly took his final leave of his disciples. Not long afterward he passed away peacefully, his complexion as calm as usual. A sword he had kept for many years was seen west of the Shengzhen Mausoleum of Laozi, where several divine lamps appeared. Their light shone upon the sword and then gradually faded away.

Niu Wenhou

The Daoist priest Niu Wenhou was a native of Longxi. He was gifted and quick to learn, and his knowledge encompassed both past and present. He was especially well versed in the Zhuangzi and the Laozi, and he had a thorough command of astronomy and geography. He was skilled at teaching people, guiding each according to his or her temperament to practice loyalty and filial piety. When exhorting others, he explained the principle of retribution for good and evil; when enforcing strict prohibitions, he relied on the regulations of Fulu (talismans and registers). Through his efforts, Daoist teaching flourished once more, and many people abandoned wrongdoing and turned toward goodness.

Niu Wenhou lectured on scriptures and preached for others, but he never set his mind on money or material gain. When he could not avoid accepting offerings, he took only a small amount and declined most of what was offered. When he visited impoverished households, he would quietly send someone with supplies, taking care that no one knew where the goods had come from. Each winter, when the cold was severe, he scattered grain on the ground so that birds, beasts, and insects would have food to eat. He accumulated merit in secret and extended his kindness to many people, and even to the smallest living creatures. Through long years of cultivating himself and accumulating merit, his resolve grew ever firmer.

In the eighth month of the fifth year of the Datong era under Emperor Wen of the Western Wei, on the twenty-eighth day, he dreamed that a young Daoist attendant dressed in blue came to tell him: "The Supreme Emperor (Shangdi) has issued a command: you should pack your belongings as soon as possible, for you must depart tomorrow." When he awoke, he took leave of his disciples. The next day, after bathing, he indeed passed away, at the age of eighty-two.

Wang Daoyi

The Daoist priest Wang Daoyi lived during the Northern Wei. He read widely and was also versed in the weft-texts (weihou), a body of learning used in ancient times to infer celestial phenomena and to foretell good and ill fortune. He knew that on Mount Zhongnan there was a place where Yin Xi had ascended to immortality (a place where, according to legend, Yin Xi attained the Dao and became an immortal). Later, during the Taihe era of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei, he came to dwell here from Mount Gushe, bringing six or seven of his disciples with him.

At first, Niu Wenhou, Yin Linjian, and more than forty other Daoist priests were propagating Daoist teaching here, and both the court and the common people, high and low, revered and believed in them. At that time the harvests had failed, and the funds for maintaining the resident Daoist temple were nearly insufficient. Wang Daoyi undertook the construction of temple halls on a large scale, employing craftsmen and laborers, with over a hundred workers on site every day, yet the necessary funds never ran short. Some people found this strange and secretly looked into it, and discovered that the storehouse held everything needed, and that no matter how much was withdrawn, it never diminished. Everyone understood this to be a miraculous transformation wrought by Wang Daoyi, with spirits secretly assisting him. As a result, the towers, halls, altars, and temple buildings were all renewed. Only the Hall of Laozi built by the First Emperor of Qin remained unrepaired, because its scale was so vast……〔The original text breaks off here.〕

He did not adorn himself. His disciples gathered more than ten thousand volumes of Daoist scriptures (daojing), and he bore all the costs himself, never asking anyone for help. By nature he was open-minded and unburdened by worldly ties. Voices were often heard inside his room, and when disciples secretly went to look, they found that immimmortals had descended to meet with him. During the Yongping era (Yongping nianjian) of Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei, when he was about to return to the True (fanzhen, a Daoist term for an adept's return to the immortal realm), white clouds filled his room and rare fragrances spread through the courtyard. They did not dissipate until a day later. Villagers saw Daoyi riding away on a deer.

Chen Baochi

Master Zhengyi (Zhengyi Xiansheng), Chen Baochi, was a native of Yingchuan. At the age of twenty-one, he refused both marriage and official service. In the eighteenth year of the Taihe era (Taihe shiba nian) under Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei, he entered the Louguan (Louguan, the name of a Daoist monastery) and became a disciple of the Daoist master Wang Daoyi. Not long after, Wang Daoyi ascended to immortality (yuhua, a Daoist term for attaining transcendence). Chen Baochi then traveled to Huayin, where he met the Perfected Lu Jing and received secret methods before returning. From that point on, he was sincere, humble, and self-restrained. He practiced according to the methods of the Daoist rites and recited the Dadong Jing (Dadong Jing, the Great Cavern Scripture). After long cultivation, he gradually developed spiritual responsiveness, and rare birds and strange beasts often came to guard him.

Each morning he went to the Laozi shrine (Laozi ci). On each of the eight festival days (bajie, Daoist festivals), he cast dragon tablets (longjian, sacrificial documents bearing prayers and sunk in water). At such times a white tiger would gently coil around him, accompanying and escorting him as he came and went. Once, when a man harbored ill intent, the tiger roared and charged, striking the locust tree beside the left side of the monastery gate, and the man fled in terror. For this reason, people called that tree the "Tiger Tree" (laohu mu).

Because of his virtuous power and responsiveness, Chen Baochi could penetrate the hidden realms (youming, the unseen world of spirits and ghosts beyond ordinary human perception) and reach anywhere. Before an event showed any sign, he could detect the evil spirits behind it in advance. When someone was harmed by demons, he would perform a spell of restraint, and the demons would immediately cease.

Emperor Wen of the Western Wei respected his extraordinary qualities and summoned him to the Yanying Hall (Yanying dian) to discuss the Dao. At that time, the Grand Preceptor, the Duke of Anding, and the scholars of the court all followed him to study. Chen Baochi lived to the age of seventy-six. On the seventeenth day of the third month in the fifteenth year of the Datong era (Datong shiwu nian) under the Western Wei, he told his disciples, "Yesterday I dreamed that an immortal official summoned me, but I did not go. I will not remain in this world much longer. Why should I rejoice at arrival and grieve at departure? The way of life and death is like a dream; waking and dreaming follow the same principle. You should understand this and not grieve." After he finished speaking, he passed away suddenly. The emperor issued an edict posthumously conferring on him the title "Master Zhengyi."

Wang Yan

The Daoist Wang Yan, styled Ziyuan, was a native of Fufeng. He loved Daoist arts from the age of nine. In the third year of the Datong era under the Western Wei (the Dingsi year), he took up Daoist practice and became a disciple of Master Zhengyi, Chen Baochi. At eighteen, he studied at the Louguan and formed a friendship with the Perfected Li Shun. Soon after, he went to the Yuntai Abbey (Yuntai guan) on Mount Hua, where he became a disciple of the Perfected Jiao Kuang and received the secret instructions of the Sandong (Sandong, the Three Caverns) and the true scriptures. He ate only pine nuts and drank only mountain spring water, seeking to understand the principles of cultivating the real.

Emperor Wu of the Zhou dynasty heard of the reputation of Master Jiao (Jiao Zhenren), a Daoist practitioner, and sent an envoy to summon him. Master Jiao told the envoy, "Daoism has been in decline for a long time, and there are few people to support and revive it. I will answer the imperial summons and come down from the mountain to propagate the Great Dao. After that, I must take my leave."

He stayed in the capital for some time and was then granted permission to return to the Yuntai Monastery (Yuntai Guan) on the Western Peak. The court also issued an edict to expand the monastery so that he could live there. However, the mountain had more stone than soil, and transporting earth was extremely difficult. Master Jiao silently prayed to Heaven, and suddenly earth welled up beside the monastery. However much was taken, it never ran out.

Once, troubled by a shortage of oil, he set down a single vessel. After a night, the vessel was full of oil, and it remained in surplus even after long use. Whenever guests were about to arrive, two blue birds always flew ahead to sing and announce them. When Master Jiao ascended the Immortal's Palm Peak or climbed the Lotus Peak, he moved as lightly as if he were walking on level ground. When he went out in his daily comings and goings, tigers often followed meekly at his side, as if guarding him.

At that time, the people of the realm were absorbed in Buddhism, yet some within the Buddhist community could not uphold meditation and the precepts. Instead, they used teachings of karmic retribution to frighten the common people, and the abuses grew steadily worse. The court therefore moved to rectify Buddhism, and Daoism was implicated, nearly to the point of extinction. Only Master Jiao's reputation still earned the emperor's respect. The emperor summoned him to the palace and asked about the essentials of the Dao. The emperor also planned to build a Daoist Pavilion of the Way and ordered that the scriptures of the Three Caverns (Sandong), along with liturgies (keyi), precepts, flying talismans, and talismans and registers (fulu), be collated and organized. These texts amounted to more than eighty fascicles. Master Jiao further compiled the Sandong Zhunang (Pearl Satchel of the Three Caverns) in seven fascicles, and the court issued an edict distributing these works to Daoist monasteries. Through this, Daoism revived.

During the Daxiang reign era of the Zhou, when Emperor Wen of the Sui came to the throne by abdication, he housed Master Jiao at the Xuandu Monastery and issued an edict asking him to oversee the affairs of the monastery. In the sixth year of the Kaihuang era (the year bingwu), the emperor personally summoned him to the Daxing Hall. There Master Jiao observed a sincere fast and received the Great Precepts of Wisdom (a Daoist code of discipline). He was then appointed to oversee the ritual deportment of the Daoist community, and the title "Weiyi" (ritual deportment) was first established from this point. At that time, the high officials and great ministers all deeply respected him and submitted to his guidance.

On an auspicious day in the third month of spring in the fourth year of the Renshou era, Master Jiao told his disciples, "I wish to return to the Western Peak, but I fear the emperor will not yet grant permission." On the ninth day, he ascended to immortality (yuhua, the Daoist term for an adept's death) at the Xiandu Monastery. White cranes were heard crying and circled before the courtyard gate. The emperor found this marvelous and sent men to escort the body for burial on the Western Peak. When they reached the tomb, however, they found only an empty coffin.

Your minister Dao Yi remarks: Wang Yannian studied the Dao in his youth and met an enlightened master. He was able to sustain the teaching and establish its lineages, and he could also move the spirits so that all things responded. When Emperor Wu issued the edict to build the Yuntai Monastery, he worried about the difficulty of moving earth. He silently prayed to Heaven and Earth, and suddenly earth welled up in inexhaustible quantity. This was brought about by sincerity moving Heaven. How could such a thing be easy to accomplish? The Daodejing says: "Heaven…"

As the Daodejing (Dao De Jing) says, "The Dao shows no partiality, yet it always helps the good." This is exactly the principle at work here.

Li Shunxing was a native of Jingzhao (roughly the area of present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi). His mother dreamed that a bright star descended from the sky, and afterward she became pregnant. When Shunxing was born, a Daoist priest came and said, "This child was a practitioner of the Dao in a previous life and is temporarily lodging in his mother's womb."

Shunxing was only nine when he already loved stillness and emptiness. He often sat upright without moving, his expression calm and settled. His parents understood his aspirations and had him take Master Zhengyi as his teacher. At eleven he entered the Daoist registers and, following a Daoist who regularly recited the Dadong Jing (Scripture of the Great Cavern), he persisted for a long time without ever slackening. Master Zhengyi set up an altar for him and transmitted the Daodejing and the Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Scripture). He told him, "Although you are still young, your mind has already accorded with the true Dao. If you can investigate and practice the esoteric methods and recite them for three years, you will be able to ascend in broad daylight. You should make every effort."

Shunxing therefore practiced and recited sincerely in his dwelling. Before three years had passed, on the night of the autumn equinox, several thousand flying immortals suddenly gathered in the air, and their divine light illuminated the room. He went outside to look, and two figures said, "By decree of the Supreme Emperor, the immortal officials are waiting for you in the Purple Pavilion Rock Chamber. I am the deity on duty, sent to summon you." Shunxing then rode the wind and in an instant arrived there.

He saw three immortals, each seated on a couch, enveloped by clouds and mists of five colors that hung like curtains. Their attendants held ceremonial staves and banners in numbers too great to count. Shunxing bowed to them and asked for the way of ascension, saying, "I have virtue from past lives and am ranked among the Perfected. To ascend bodily together with my spirit would not be difficult."

The immortals replied, "Taishang (the honorific title for the Supreme Deity in Daoism) sent you down into the world so that you might accumulate merit. You have now been sincere in fasting and recitation for some time, but your merit has not yet reached others. How could you ascend at once?" Shunxing earnestly asked that the immortals use his case to encourage people in the world, and he further asked, "Can the continual accumulation of merit and the practice of good deeds repay the faults of a past life?"

The immortals said, "Good! You have such a heart, and it is truly worthy of compassion. Your endowment accords with the true Dao, but your mortal body has not yet been shed." They then ordered the attendant scripture gentleman to open the Repository of the Nine-Colored Flowing Mist and take out three scriptures, which were placed before the three immortals.

The elder immortal personally took out the Taishang Yuzhen Jinguang Jing (Scripture of the Golden Light of the Taishang Jade Perfected) and said, "I am the Highest Clarity (Shangqing) Perfected Zhao Boyuan. Long ago I received this scripture from the Azure Youth of the Eastern Florescence, and by practicing it I became a Perfected. Now I transmit it to you, and you should cultivate it." Then the other immortal took out the Shenzhou Qizhuan Qibian Wutian Jing (Scripture of the Seven Transformations and Seven Changes of the Divine Continent Dance) and said, "I am the Highest Clarity Perfected Zhang Zhongyi. Long ago I received this scripture from the Heavenly King of Xiaoyou, and having practiced it, I became a Perfected. Now I transmit it to you..."

"You must cultivate diligently." The three immortals then took the true scripture from the two immortals and added this charge: "I am Perfected Shangqing Li Shaojun. Long ago I upheld this scripture, and that is how I ascended to the immortal realm. Because I have a karmic bond with you, I have come specially to guard you and to transmit the method of crossing over the world (dushi). If you cultivate according to the Siji liturgical regulations (Siji Keyi, the Daoist ritual code), you will ascend to immortality after seven years. For seven hundred years, the scripture may be passed to no more than three people. If no suitable person appears, it should be sealed away in a famous mountain."

"The immortal scripture and the cultivation techniques now given to you will bring about the work of teaching the world quickly, provided you study them with single-minded focus and perseverance, and you yourself will reach immortality in a short time. Without this method of cultivation, the spirits cannot perceive you, and your body cannot become pure and luminous. You would then be recorded by the Eight Emperors (Ba Di, the eight celestial sovereigns of Daoist belief) and overturned by the Six Heavens (Liu Tian, the six heavens of the Daoist divine order). How, then, could you teach the world? The true principle lies entirely in this. If you study diligently, you will naturally meet with the spirits."

Li Shaojun then composed a verse: "The supreme Dao originally has no form, and it receives names only because of the myriad things. If a person studies with diligence aimed upward, the immortal Dao will naturally be attained. The Jade Emperor summons the Red Infant (Chizi), and the Golden Perfected (Jin Zhen) governs the Yellow Court (Huangting). The six kinds of awareness have already met the mysterious Dao, and the eight afflictions have thereby dissolved. The light of the spirits appears in the darkness; through seven transformations, the empty and tranquil heart shines clear in all four directions. Between one breath and the next, ten thousand changes arise; between looking down and looking up, one pays court to the hundred spirits. Blending with the dusty world, one roams the immortal paths; driving the swift chariot, one holds the banner of clouds. I wish to be in accord with you, my worthy companions, and I will meet you by appointment at Penglai and Yingzhou, the isles of the immortals."

Before long, the three immortals drove away in their chariot and returned to the place where they had originally lived. After Li returned, he recited the scripture and practiced according to its methods. At the age of seventeen he had achieved the Way, and his transformations were endless. Whatever situation he faced and whoever he met, he responded with ease and was never obstructed. When Zheng Yi learned of this, he treated Li with even greater respect. Some who harbored doubts secretly tested him with scalding water and fire, but he never showed any sign of heat. When he was made to walk on fire or enter water, he was neither burned nor drowned.

At that time, Emperor Wen of the Western Wei heard of his reputation and issued an edict ordering more than one hundred wards (fang, city districts) of the capital to hold purification rites for blessing on the same day. Li was able to attend all of them. Although the emperor knew that he could divide himself and cast shadows, he suspected that Li could only reach nearby places and not distant ones. He therefore issued another edict ordering the prefectures of Qi, Ning, Tong, and Hua to hold rites inviting him on the same day. Li arrived at all of them as well. From then on, both the court and the common people revered and trusted him.

At first, people did not know his powers and called him "Master Li the Adept" (Li Lianshi, one who cultivates the Dao). After he displayed spirit-responsiveness and marvelous transformations, they called him "Sage Master Li" (Li Shengshi). When he was thirty-eight years old, in the sixth year of the Datong era (540 CE), he feigned illness and bade farewell to the world. On the day of his burial, one of his nephews met him on the road at Mount Li. Li said to the nephew, "If the Son of Heaven has not yet forgotten me, make an image of me here, seated facing north. I will eliminate the lewd customs of the north on the nation's behalf." After the nephew returned...

Only then did his family realize that he had undergone corpse liberation—a Daoist term for a practitioner’s body disappearing as he attained the Dao and ascended to immortality. They reported the matter truthfully. The court sent officials to investigate, but they found the coffin empty. A shrine was then built for him in the Shawan.

Hou Kai

The Daoist Hou Kai, whose courtesy name was Faxian, was from the Jingzhao region. At the age of fourteen, he devoted himself to studying the scriptures and became especially well versed in the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi. With lofty aspirations, he had no wish to marry or enter government service, so he became a disciple of Master Zhengyi. At nineteen, during the Zhengshi era of Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei, he became a Daoist and received instruction in secret methods of the Mysterious Writ. He practiced them diligently morning and evening, growing more conscientious with time.

Master Zhengyi said to him, “Though your resolve is firm, you cultivate your character, and you never slacken in practicing the Dao, you may find it difficult to make progress unless you withdraw to the mountains and forests.” Hou Kai replied, “The Dao is within the heart. Why must one live in the mountains and forests?” Master Zhengyi said, “I too know that the Dao is everywhere, and that practicing it among ordinary people can bring results. Yet since ancient times, most who attained immortality first dwelt in the mountains and forests, then emerged to live among people once their cultivation was complete. The Highest Perfected Ones, too, have said: ‘The Scripture of the Great Grotto of Truth cannot be chanted among ordinary people; if it is, great demons will come to disturb you.’ Moreover, when the Immortal Elder Ge (Ge Xuan) was about to ascend to immortality, he took leave of his disciple Zheng Siyuan and asked him, ‘Why do you not climb a famous mountain and recite the Scripture of the Great Grotto of Truth? Each time you recite and chant it, its mysterious sound reaches the Great Purity, the highest heaven in Daoist belief.’ From this we can see that withdrawing to the mountains for cultivation is not a matter of craving anything; it naturally accords with the principles of practicing the Dao taught in the scriptures. You admire stillness and Wuwei (non-action), so withdrawing to the mountains suits you.”

Hou Kai said, “Though withdrawing to the mountains may preserve one’s true nature, does leaving ordinary life mean one can escape the constraints of precepts and rules?” His master praised these words, then added, “The difficulty of the Dao lies in practicing it, not in knowing it. If you can truly persevere from beginning to end, the Dao will be within your heart.”

After Master Zhengyi passed away—a Daoist expression for the death of one who has attained the Dao—Hou Kai chose to live in Hangu and practiced the “Three Leaps Method.” The original annotation says this method was associated with ancient sexual cultivation practices; it also suggests that “Three Leaps” may be a later copying error, and that the original may have referred to the “High Leap Method.” He recited the Scripture of the Great Grotto and the Inner Writ of the Three Sovereigns, and practiced techniques for summoning spirits and driving away evil through talismanic writing. Clear springs flowed around his dwelling, and the drooping branches of three pine trees gave the place a secluded, tranquil atmosphere suited to cultivating the Dao. It was therefore called the Three Pines Abbey. Anyone afflicted by mountain spirits and demons, from near or far, came to seek his help…

Someone once rescued Yu Kai. At times he used exorcistic incantations, Daoist spells intended to drive away evil and cure illness; at other times he applied talisman arts, using Fulu (talismans and registers). The illness then disappeared at once, and no other symptoms appeared. He told his disciples, “In the past, Fei Changfang lost his talismans and was killed by ghosts. I have not lost mine, and in the end I will return to the true Dao. If worldly people do not understand the truth and think I am Fei Changfang, let them.”

He lived to the age of eighty-six and passed away in the tenth month of winter, the second year of Emperor Wu of Zhou’s Jiande era.

Yan Da

The Daoist master Yan Da, whose courtesy name was Daotong, was from Fufeng. From childhood, he aspired to the Dao beyond the ordinary world. Whenever he received a flower or a fruit, he respectfully offered it before an image of a deity. Master Hou of Louguan, a Daoist master of the Louguan tradition, saw this and thought highly of his character.

Later, during the Yongxing era of Emperor Mingyuan of Wei, Yan Da entered the Daoist path. He was then only twenty years old. Alongside his fasting and cultivation, he often sought instruction in important scriptures. He went on to study profound texts closely and gained broad knowledge of various Daoist arts.

During Emperor Wu of Zhou’s Jiande era, the emperor summoned Yan Da and Wang Yan to a side hall. The court had already suppressed Buddhism and was also consulting its high officials, intending to abolish Daoism as well. The emperor asked Yan Da, “Between Daoism and Buddhism, which is superior?” Yan Da replied, “Your Majesty is the host, and a guest naturally takes second place.” The emperor asked, “How do you distinguish host from guest?” Yan Da said, “Buddhism came from the west. Is it not the guest? Daoism arose in the Central Plains. Is it not the host?” The emperor said, “If the guest is going back west, should the host not see him off?” Yan Da replied, “The guest’s return benefits the west; the host’s staying here does no harm to China. There is no need to detain those who are leaving, and those who remain can protect themselves. Why see them off?” The emperor praised his answer.

Nevertheless, Daoism could not escape some reductions. Apart from the temples and shrines of the Five Sacred Peaks, all other Daoist temples were abolished. The emperor specially had Tongdao Abbey built for Yan Da to the left of Tiangu, and selected ten Daoists from Louguan to work together in promoting Daoism.

At the time, Wang Yan wanted to select more people. Yan Da said, “In antiquity, those who understood the Way first cultivated themselves, then helped others. The emperor does not wish to abolish Daoism now; he only wants to reduce excess. Daoism values having the right people. If its profound principles are revived, why would large numbers be necessary? The more people there are, the more entanglements arise, and this can become a stain on Daoism. The Dao should not be mixed with other things. Once it is mixed, things multiply; when things multiply, people are easily confused; when people are confused, the situation falls into disorder; and when disorder prevails, truth is lost. How could that be of any benefit?”

Thereupon Yan Da, Wang Yan, Su Daobiao, Cheng Faming, Zhou Huasheng, Wang Zhenwei, Shi Daole, Yu Changwen, Zhang Facheng, and Fu Daocong formed bonds through their Daoist arts without being bound by formalities, advancing and withdrawing together. People of the time called them …

After the ten immortal elders of Tiangu appeared in succession, Daoism flourished again during the Sui dynasty. In the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen, the emperor ordered two Daoist temples to be rebuilt, required Daoist priests to be carefully selected, and repeatedly issued edicts praying for good fortune. From then on, Daoism was revered both at court and among the people.

On the seventeenth day of the third month in the fifth year of the Daye era, Emperor Yang of the Sui listened to Master Zhou, a Daoist priest surnamed Zhou, play the zither. Afterward, the emperor said, “The music has moved the spirits; an immortal should descend.” He then ordered another piece to be played. Before it was finished, the emperor suddenly died, returning to his original state at the age of ninety-one.

Yu Zhang

Yu Zhang, courtesy name Changwen, was from You Fufeng. When he was seven, his parents taught him to read the Classic of Filial Piety. After a few days, he said, “I have heard of the Daode Jing and would like to learn to recite it.” His parents were astonished, but followed his wishes and let him study it.

Yu Zhang practiced under Master Hou. In the ninth year of the Datong era of the Western Wei, he shaved his head and entered the Daoist path. He received the headcloth, purification bottle, and other implements used by Daoist priests, and remained with Master Hou for fourteen years in all. Taking pity on him, Master Hou taught him many essential methods transmitted by the perfected beings of the Three Caverns, the classifications of Daoist scriptures and practices, sharing everything he knew. Master Hou once said, “The talismanic mandates of the perfected beings are not things that ordinary people may pass on casually. Now that I have received them, I must naturally treat them with reverence.” He then drew cloud-script and dragon emblems, among other Fulu, in a quiet chamber, and used them on others with great solemnity. They often proved efficacious.

Just then, the court issued an edict selecting ten Daoist priests who strictly observed the precepts to live at the Tongdao Abbey. Yu Zhang was among them. Yet he continued to yearn for the Dao and for becoming perfected, and hoped to live in a secluded place. In the second year of the Daxiang era under Emperor Jing of the Zhou, he chose a site below the western ridge of the abbey. He cut thatch and piled stones to build a dwelling, and recited verse among the mountain forests and springs. He took huangjing, poria, and mountain rehmannia, and also practiced Daoist methods and rites such as breath cultivation, swallowing talismans, dispatching memorials to Heaven, and performing Zhaijiao rites. He practiced diligently for many years without interruption.

In the seventeenth year of the Kaihuang era under Emperor Wen of the Sui, Yu Zhang received from the Elder of Imperial Transformation, the Taiji True Lord, the sixty stem-branch combinations and the talismanic seals of the Five Emperors and Five Sacred Peaks—136 in all. He also received instruction on the origin of Heaven and Earth, the origins of Fulu, and the procedures for using them. He established an altar and, in order, recorded the dates when he received the Fulu, along with the warnings and oral instructions transmitted by the perfected beings. He titled the book Opening Sequence. From then on, his determination to understand the true Dao grew ever firmer. He dispelled demons and drove out harmful spirits, displaying transformations of immeasurable wonder. Increasing numbers of ordinary people also received his protection.

On the fourteenth day of the sixth month in the tenth year of the Daye era under Emperor Yang of the Sui, Yu Zhang underwent feathering and ascended—the Daoist term for a perfected person’s death—at the age of eighty-two. On the day of his burial, a white light rose from his coffin. People believed that he had attained the Dao of shedding his mortal form and becoming an immortal.

Zhang Fale

The Daoist Zhang Fale was from Nanyang. He studied Daoist teachings from childhood and had a natural love of mountain springs and rocky landscapes. As soon as he reached his teens, he settled at Louguan and served Master Yin Qi, attending to his teacher with wholehearted diligence. After many years, Master Yin Qi, moved by his hard work, passed on to him the essentials of Daoist practice. On the night of their transmission oath, a sacred lamp shone brightly, and auspicious clouds drifted by in a play of colors. Afterward, Zhang Fale continued to serve his teacher, taking care of everyday tasks such as managing cloths and water vessels and arranging tables. He was unfailingly attentive to proper courtesies.

Later, he sought out remote and unusual places and chose a dwelling west of Geng Valley. Wearing patched clothes and eating vegetarian food, he declined worldly company. Each day he recited the Five Thousand Words (the Daodejing) and practiced the “Female Unity” method, a Daoist discipline of guarding primordial unity and nurturing body and mind. He refined and nourished his body and vital energy, held fast to primordial unity, and preserved his true nature. After thirty years of practice, clouds often rose among the beams and rafters of his dwelling, while rosy light gathered by the windows and doors. People called his residence Cloud Dwelling Abbey.

In time, his Daoist attainment gradually bore fruit, and spiritual responses appeared of their own accord. A tiger would spring and leap on the ground, roaring so loudly that the sound shook the sky, but Zhang Fale was not afraid when he saw it. The tiger came and went frequently, growing tame until it seemed to guard him. Visitors who behaved casually or lacked sincerity would be driven back by the tiger and could not approach. At dawn and dusk, he often heard the faint sound of a divine bell but could not tell where it came from. On days of purification, a person dressed in grass cloth would often bring aloeswood incense and several dried dates. When Zhang Fale went outside to look, the person had vanished.

In the third year of the Western Wei Emperor Fei’s reign, on the fifteenth day of the third month, Zhang Fale said to his disciple Zhang Tong, “Although I have already received hidden spiritual responses, my merit is not yet complete. Recently, a spirit told me that I have little time left in this world and will soon entrust my body to the deep earth. Matters in the underworld more than two hundred years from now are best kept secret, but you may learn a little of them.” At dawn on the fifteenth day of the fourth month, he died leaning against a table. At that moment, a white vapor like a cloud streamed out through the window. It was more than a zhang long and did not disperse until the time it takes to eat a meal had passed.

Ju Guozhen

The Daoist master Ju Guozhen was from Wugong. He was kindhearted and sincere, and loved the study of immortals. At the age of thirty, he cut off worldly ties and went to Louguan to serve Master You. This was the fourth year of Emperor Wen’s Renshou era in the Sui dynasty. Besides burning incense and practicing cultivation, he constantly recited scriptures and kept the thought of guarding the One in his heart. He set fame and profit aside and put anger and joy behind him. He ate vegetarian food, wore patched clothes, and maintained his discipline without slackening. When someone gave him something, he passed it on to others as soon as he received it. When people looked down on or insulted him, he never grew angry.

Master You praised his conduct and bestowed on him the Daoist disciplines and talismans known as the Siming Precepts and Registers and the Sealing and Summoning Talismans and Charters. Ju Guozhen practiced according to their methods, with diligence and care. Whenever he ascended the altar to recite scriptures, he never stopped short of the prescribed number of repetitions, even when winter winds cut to the bone or summer heat was hard to bear. One day, he suddenly fell ill, and someone urged him…

Treating illness with medicines is called “the Way prevailing.” So long as the power of the Daoist methods prevails over the illness, the illness can be dispelled. What is there to worry about? He was utterly convinced of this.

From then on, people near and far admired his teachings and came to him in such numbers that they could not be counted. He lived to the age of sixty. On the thirteenth day of the fifth month in the summer of the eighth year of the Zhenguan era under Emperor Taizong of Tang (634), while he was asleep in the daytime, his disciples suddenly heard the sound of carriages and horses. A short while later, the tiled-roof house began to shake. The Daoist master then departed through transcendence, as Daoism describes the passing of one who has attained the Dao.

Comprehensive Mirror of Immortals Through the Ages: Embodying the Dao, juan 30.