《歷世真仙體道通鑑》Vol. 8

Volume Eight of The Comprehensive Mirror of Perfected Immortals Throughout the Ages (the original volume numbering gives this as “Volume Eight”)

Yin Xi

The supreme Perfected One Yin Xi, courtesy name Gongwen. Once, when his mother was sleeping during the day, she dreamed that a red cloud descended from the sky and circled her body. When Yin Xi was born, lotus flowers sprang up on the ground in their home, bright and flourishing in color. His eyes shone with spiritual light, and he carried himself with elegance. When his arms hung at his sides, his hands reached below his knees. He was dignified in appearance, with the features of a heavenly being.

In his youth, Yin Xi delighted in studying the ancient classics. He mastered astronomy and the secret arts of prognostication and portent interpretation, which used celestial signs and auspicious omens to predict fortune and misfortune. He observed the heavens above and examined the myriad things below, seeing through everything; even ghosts and spirits could not conceal the truth from him. Broad-minded and exceptionally gifted, he was not bound by worldly conventions. He was willing to sacrifice himself to help others and sought no fame or advancement, so his reputation spread far and wide.

During the reign of King Kang of Zhou, Yin Xi served as a senior official. He was later summoned to the Eastern Palace, where he became the crown prince’s guest, teacher, and friend. He built a thatched tower and studied the celestial patterns with devoted attention, contemplating the Great Dao. The place therefore came to be called the Tower Observatory. At that time, he saw purple Qi traveling westward from the east, and the heavens displayed auspicious signs. He knew that a sage would soon pass through the frontier gate on his way west. He therefore asked to be appointed commandant of Hangu Pass, and the Zhou king granted his request.

Long ago, during a primordial cosmic cycle, there was a sage named the Most High Lord Lao, a supreme deity revered in Daoism. Since the opening of Heaven and Earth, he had continually proclaimed the Great Dao, descending into the world in successive ages to serve as teacher to rulers. (For details, see Volume Two above. Accounts of his descents from the Sovereign of Heaven through the Celestial Master Xuantong, and after Guo Shuzi in the Zhou dynasty, are found in The Record of the Primordial Chaos.)

In the seventeenth year of Yin King Yang Jia, the Most High Lord Lao sent forth a transformation of his divine Qi from the Great Clarity realm and descended into the world, entering the womb of the Mysterious and Wondrous Jade Maiden. After eighty-one years, he was born on the fifteenth day of the second month, in the gengchen year, the ninth year of King Wu Ding’s reign. His hair was already completely white at birth, so he was called “Laozi,” meaning “Old Master.” Laozi was the Lord Lao.

In the jia-yin year, the forty-third year of King Wu Ding’s reign, Laozi rode a white deer up to Heaven from Bozhou. (For details, see the later volume, “Record of the Supreme Primordial Lady.”) In the twenty-first year of Xin Zhou, he descended again at the southern foot of Mount Qi. When Ji Chang, King Wen of Zhou, held the title of Earl of the West, he summoned Laozi to serve as Keeper of the Archives, an official responsible for the texts. Under King Wu of Zhou, he became the Historian at the Pillar; under King Cheng of Zhou, he continued to hold that office. He later traveled through the western lands of Daqin, Zhugan, and others, where he was known as the “Ancient Master” and taught the local people. (Zhugan lay west of the Kunlun Mountains; it was not Tianzhu, the land referred to as Tiandu.)

During the reign of King Kang of Zhou, he returned to the Zhou court and once again served as Historian at the Pillar…

During the reign of King Zhao of Zhou, Yin Xi resigned from office and returned to the region of Bo to live in seclusion. The Old Lord (Taishang Laojun) again wished to travel to the Western Regions to spread his teachings. In the twenty-third year of King Zhao’s reign, the guichou year, on the renwu day of the fifth month, he set out in a cart drawn by a green ox, its canopy arched like a dome. Xu Jia drove the cart as they prepared to travel west through Hangu Pass.

After observing the celestial signs, Yin Xi, the pass official at Hangu, concluded that the cycle of yang numbers was nearing its end at nine, and that Venus was in its ruling position among the stars. The Year Star and the Moon were also shining together in their full strength. According to calculations based on the Yin-Yang calendar, within ninety days a great sage would pass through the area around the capital. So he instructed the pass guard Sun Jing: “If you encounter anyone whose appearance, clothing, and cart and horses are unlike those of ordinary people, do not let them pass.”

Yin Xi undertook a purification fast in advance and ordered the road cleared for forty li. He had incense burned along both sides of the road as he awaited the entry of a Heavenly Perfected, an immortal who had attained the Dao. On the twelfth day of the seventh month, the jiazi day, an old man with white hair, a long beard, and elongated ears arrived at the pass in a white carriage drawn by a green ox. The guard said to him, “The pass official has ordered you to wait here for a moment.” He then went inside to report to Yin Xi.

Yin Xi said, “The Great Dao has arrived today. At last I can meet the sage!” He immediately put on his court robes, went out to greet the old man, knelt, and bowed with his forehead to the ground. He pleaded, “I beg you, sir, to pause your journey for a while.” The Old Lord replied, “I am a poor old man who lives east of the pass, while my fields lie to the west. I am only going across for a little while to gather firewood. Why are you stopping me? Please let me pass.”

Yin Xi bowed again and said, “Surely you are not merely going to gather firewood. I have long heard that a great sage is about to travel west. You have journeyed far and are covered in the dust of the road. Please rest for a while.” The Old Lord said, “I hear that in Zhugan, the ancient name for the region around India, there is an ancient master who is skilled at entering the state of Wuwei (non-action), and who endures forever without perishing. That is why I am going there, through this pass. Why do you insist on keeping me here?”

Yin Xi replied, “Now that I have seen with my own eyes your extraordinary, sagely appearance, I know you are the supreme one of Heaven. What is there to see in distant foreign lands? Please do not refuse; take pity on me, if only for a little while.” The Old Lord asked, “How did you recognize me?”

Yin Xi answered, “Last year, in the tenth month, the star called Heavenly Principle moved westward and passed through the Mao constellation. From the first day of this month onward, the Rong wind, a gentle spring breeze, has blown eastward three times. In the east, the true Qi appeared in the shape of a dragon and serpent, then moved west. These are all signs that a great sage is about to arrive. In my youth I loved studying the Fen, the Yi, and secret books on astronomy and prophecy. I observe the heavens above and examine the earth below, and the signs I see always prove true. That is why I knew a sage would pass through the gate. I have thought of this day and night without pause. Now, by good fortune, I have encountered your immortal carriage. I beg you, in your compassion, to instruct me and dispel my ignorance.”

Laojun, who saves beings sunk in darkness, saw that Yin Xi had passed all three of his tests and smiled with delight. “Good! You understand me, and I have come to understand you. You possess insight that reaches the spirits; you should be able to transcend the world of dust.”

Overjoyed, Yin Xi—the Keeper of the Hangu Pass—leapt up and bowed twice, saying, “May I ask the Great Sage to tell me your name?” Laojun replied, “My name stretches beyond all bounds, from one kalpa to the next; it cannot be recounted in full. My surname now is Li, my courtesy name Boyang, and my title Laodan. (‘Dan’ is the same as ‘Dan’ in another pronunciation, and may also be written with that character.)”

Yin Xi then prepared a seat for Laojun at the official residence and attended to him, bringing water and combing his hair as a disciple would. Laojun’s charioteer, Xu Jia, had been hired by him many years before, at an agreed wage of one hundred coins a day. By the time they reached the pass, seven million three hundred thousand coins had accrued in unpaid wages.

When Xu Jia saw Laojun leave the official residence and travel far afield, he hurried to demand his wages. Laojun said to him, “I am going to the Western Sea, Daqin, Jibin, Tianzhu, Anxi, and other lands. I need you to drive my chariot. When we return, I will pay you wages calculated at the value of gold.” Xu Jia agreed and drove the chariot as arranged.

At the pass, Laojun let the Azure Ox graze in the fields. To test Xu Jia, he transformed an auspicious herb into a beautiful woman. She went to the place where the ox was grazing and repeatedly tried to tempt Xu Jia with her words. Bewitched by her, Xu Jia wanted to stay behind, breaking his earlier agreement. He went to the Keeper of the Pass to lodge a complaint and demand his wages from Laojun.

Laojun said to Xu Jia, “You have followed me for more than two hundred years; you should have died long ago. I gave you the Great Dark Talisman of Life, and that is why you have lived until now. Why do you fail to remember this kindness and instead bring a complaint against me?” As soon as he had spoken, the life-giving talisman flew out of Xu Jia’s mouth, its vermilion characters still as fresh as if newly written. Xu Jia immediately turned into a heap of white bones.

Moved by pity for Xu Jia, who had lost his life after straying from his true nature, Yin Xi bowed to plead on his behalf. He asked Laojun to forgive Xu Jia’s offense and grant him life again, offering to pay the debt himself. Deeply compassionate, Laojun replied, “Very well.” He cast the Great Dark Talisman of Life back to Xu Jia, who came to life at once.

Laojun said, “I did not blame you. You broke your earlier agreement, and that brought about your death. Now I will repay your wages.” Yin Xi handed the money to Xu Jia, then bowed and saw him off. Xu Jia asked to stay, but Laojun refused. Xu Jia lay prostrate and slapped his own face, saying, “I have already received the Sage’s kindness, and you deliberately pardoned my offense. Now even my withered bones have regained life. I will keep this kindness engraved in my heart. I wish to follow your chariot.” Laojun still would not agree.

Laojun remained at the pass for Yin Xi for more than a hundred days. After observing ritual purification, Yin Xi bowed twice and knelt to plead with him: “I am a mortal of the world of dust, fortunate enough to have encountered a Sage…” The original text ends here.

“I am willing to offer myself and entrust my life to you, asking only to hear of the Great Dao.” Lao Jun said, “Your question is profound indeed.

“The Great Dao takes keeping to the True as its foundation and is divided into three grades. It takes ‘One’ as its standard and uprightness as its virtue.”

Xi said, “The Dao has three grades. How should one practice in order to become an immortal?” Lao Jun replied:

“If you can understand ‘One,’ all things will become interconnected. Close off the desires, enter a quiet chamber, refine gold, and consume Qi (vital energy): this is the highest grade of practice. If you understand this principle, hold fast to it and do not lose it.”

Xi heard this and leapt with joy. Bowing his head, he asked, “How does one refine gold?”

Lao Jun said, “This is a wondrous art. From the Most True High God onward, no one has attained the Dao without relying on the Golden Elixir. Even after passing through the Ninefold Darkness, a place of extreme gloom and remoteness, and entering the obscure depths, one can ascend and descend through the Void, rising together through divine illumination.”

Xi bowed and said, “Please explain its essential principles.”

Lao Jun said, “Red lead and black tin are the foundation of refining the Great Elixir. Turning red into black is true cultivation: extract the essence from the black and the marrow from the red, then refine these two substances. No medicine compares with this. Put red into black, and you can preserve everlasting life; put black into red, and you can become a celestial immortal.”

Xi said, “The Great Dao is truly sublime, but my learning is shallow and I have not yet understood it. Please instruct me.”

Lao Jun said, “The first is lead; lead is the ruler. The second is mercury; mercury is the minister. If the lead is not true, the mercury will be difficult to unite with it. If lead can unite with mercury, its inner support will not be lost. The Green-Waisted Messenger and the Red-Blood General—names for substances or their functions in alchemy—bring together two different kinds of matter. White mercury becomes the brain, and Yellow Sprout becomes the root. Make lead into powder and refine mercury into fine dust. Yin occupies the position of Yang, and Yang’s number is adjusted to Yin. The sun gradually waxes full while the moon gradually wanes; cold and heat each have their proper bounds. The patterns and forms of Heaven and Earth unfold from this and become clear to view. This is my Great Dao, through which Heaven and Earth endure forever.”

Xi bowed in thanks and said, “I have respectfully heard the essential principles of the medicines. How should one understand the shape of the furnace and vessel, and the timing of water and fire?”

Lao Jun sang:

“The furnace and vessel are three cun and five fen in diameter, with a furnace mouth four cun and eight fen wide. The rim extends two cun, its thickness even throughout. The belly of the furnace is divided into three layers, where the medicines are placed. During their warming and nurturing, Yin is above and Yang below, moving in mutual circulation. Apply fierce fire at the beginning and end of the furnace; use gentle fire in the middle. From start to finish, the process takes seventy days, divided into thirty ten-day periods. Harmonize the inner and outer aspects for a total of two hundred days, and carefully regulate the fire’s timing. Yin fire refines the white and yellow medicines, which gather together like silver and support the practitioner.

“Once the medicines are placed in the furnace, they can be kept there in peaceful nurture. They circulate back and forth but do not leave the furnace’s gate. Gradually nurture the great nature until the vital essence and Qi are pure and unified; in the end, return to ‘One’ and recover the original source. Completing this cycle of cultivation truly requires diligence and hardship. Guard it closely; do not lose your way or fall into confusion. This path is distant and profound. If you understand how Heaven and Earth converge within it, the Qi of Zi and Wu can purify the hun and po souls, grant long life, and lead one into the realm of immortals.

“Those who love the Great Dao should seek out this text and read it, pondering it carefully.”

The sun and moon are the essences of Heaven and Earth. The trigrams cycle endlessly, and their transformations can be seen clearly. The waxing and waning phases of the moon correspond to the thirty-day cycle. Yin and Yang wax and wane in a cycle of arising and passing away; the twelve months are further divided into the twenty-four solar terms. All the transformations of the myriad things are contained within these trigrams and seasonal cycles. Mercury is a single substance, yet it can undergo repeated transformations and become the product of Yin and Yang joined together. This is like Yin and Yang paired in Heaven and Earth, then coming together, as if a husband and wife were united. Only then did I understand that within the gourd there is a world of its own.

He sang again: “The Golden Elixir restored with liquid gold, like an immortal flower, flows and turns, soaring on clouds to ascend the Heavenly Mound. The red and yellow substance is quickly refined. The male and female should mingle freely and transform into pearls and jade. It can soar and transform, and make the traveling kitchen appear—a wondrous thing in Daoist lore that provides food wherever one goes. Spiritual beings and jade maidens travel with me; I enter and leave without hindrance, in accord with the Dao of Heaven. Its essence congeals like frost, yet can also sink and float. If you honor it, it will surely come to meet you. Here the essential instructions for liquid gold come to an end.”

Once the elixir has been refined, it can be made into golden vessels for use as eating utensils, and through it one can also attain longevity. But gold must first be tested through refining; only after it has been successfully refined may it be consumed. Thus it is said: “Gold can be refined, and the people of the world can also be delivered.” So the Lord Lao transmitted to Xi the Eight Talisman Scripture of Great Clarity, the Scripture of Observing Heaven in Great Clarity, the Scripture of the Nine Capitals, the Scripture of the Divine Elixir, the Scripture of Liquid Gold, as well as the secrets of the Eight Refinings, the Ninefold-Turn Elixir of Return, and subduing fire.

The Lord Lao also told him: “If you truly wish to become an immortal, you should first take the Elixir of Return and liquid gold. If you do not take them, all your toil will be in vain. Once you are afflicted by cold, heat, wind, damp, or other illness-causing influences, even the Director of Destinies, who governs human lifespans, cannot save you. How can you fail to exert yourself? Devote your mind to refining the elixir and protect yourself in good time. Do not pass the secret instructions to foolish people, lest they mock and slander the divine Dao and thereby add to your own transgressions. Alas, those who live like corpses, even if they possess all things and hold the rank of kings and lords, will not live beyond a hundred years. In the end they turn to dust—how tragic. Refining the divine elixir requires only a brief period of labor; once it is complete, you can become an immortal, live as long as Heaven, and enjoy yourself to the full. What could be more delightful?”

Xi asked, “Are there two Daoist methods, one for refining gold and one for cultivating Qi?” The Lord Lao replied: “The essences of Heaven and Earth and the root of Yin and Yang are these two kinds of Qi. The Yang Dragon, Yin Tiger, Wood Liquid, and Metal Essence combine through the meeting of the two Qi and are refined into what is called Waidan (external alchemy). Regulate the breath, refine, nourish, and store it; exhale the old Qi and take in the new. The Qi rises into the Muddy Pellet, a Neidan term for the head, and flows downward into the Dantian, circulating without cease. At dawn it gathers at the Crimson Palace, a Neidan term for the heart; gather the essential Qi of the Five Storehouses to nourish the hundred spirits—this is Neidan (internal alchemy). If those who cultivate the Dao can successfully refine Neidan, they can extend their years and prolong their lives.

Through cultivating Waidan (external alchemy), by refining elixirs in the furnace, one can ascend to Heaven. “Three Ones and Nine Contemplations”—meditating on the three “One” deities within the body and undertaking nine forms of visualization—is the key to internal cultivation. The Nine Elixirs and the Golden Liquid represent the highest attainments of external refinement. By cultivating both the inner and outer practices, one is sure to bring the Dao to completion.

Xi again asked for instruction: “You have already taught me the method of refining gold. I would also like to ask how to practice breathing in Qi.”

Laojun said: “The foundation of breathing in Qi lies in guarding Jing and Qi. Receive the Scripture of Mysterious Illumination, and you will understand the essentials of nurturing life: as you move in and out of the hidden realm, secure the Cloud Gate above and the numinous root below. These principles are not hard to understand, but they are difficult to put into practice. When the body moves, De disperses; the more the breath escapes, the farther one strays from the Dao. When Jing and Qi are depleted, the hun and po souls are harmed; when the eyes dart about, the po spirit becomes disordered.

“So the sage stills the body, guards the original Qi, gathers Jing, and cherishes the gaze. In this way, Dao and De become empty, still, and concentrated, while the hun and po souls grow settled and secure. When the body is focused and the spirit does not scatter, the many Daoist arts can gradually be achieved. One should often lie on one’s back after midnight, clasping the hands firmly to gather Jing and Qi. Breathe in clear Qi through the nose and slowly exhale through the mouth. Then guard the Three Ones once more and practice the Nine Contemplations indoors. When spirit and Qi are settled, the immortal Dao is near.”

Laojun then transmitted to Xi the thirty-five chapters of the Central Scripture of the Jade Calendar. Xi said: “I beg you to explain the essentials of the Three Ones.”

Laojun said: “The Way of the Three Ones is held in high regard by the immortals, and few people in the world have heard of it. You must guard it carefully. One inch inward from the space between the eyebrows is the Hall of Light; two inches inward is the Cavern Chamber; three inches inward is the Muddy Pellet, the palace of the Upper Dantian. Within it is a red child, whose courtesy name is Yuanxian and whose personal name is Diqing. In the heart is the Crimson Palace, the palace of the Middle Dantian. Within it is a perfected person, whose courtesy name is Zidan and whose personal name is Guangjian. Three inches inward from the navel is the Life Gate Dantian palace. Within it is an infant, whose courtesy name is Yuanyang and whose personal name is Xuangu. Each of these three is three inches tall and wears a red headscarf, clothes, and shoes. These are the Three Ones. (Another account says that the upper One wears purple, the middle One red, and the lower One yellow; all three look like infants.)

“In the Lower Dantian are placed a golden bed and a jade table. One often stirs the essence with a golden furnace and jade spoon, then feeds it to the deities in the upper, middle, and lower centers. The Three Ones should be visualized day and night. If you wish for long life, you must understand the Three Ones. If you can keep hold of the One, the One will also protect you. Qi transforms into Jing, Jing into Shen, and Shen changes into an infant. The infant rises to become a perfected person, and the perfected person then becomes a red child. This is the True One.

“Another account says that false methods of the Dao nurture only the body, while true methods nurture the spirit. When the spirit is cultivated toward truth, the Dao runs through everything. It can disappear from view or reveal itself. Shen can fly, and the body can move mountains. Once the body has turned to dust, what more is there to recognize?”

You have repeatedly accumulated transgressions in pursuit of sensual pleasures. The fragrances and delicacies cherished by the nose and mouth can also become sources of affliction. The body suffers from pain and itching, cold and heat; the mind is burdened by these things, and worry and distress follow one another. If you do not quickly dispel these troubles, your vitality will wane day by day, and your life will be difficult to prolong. This condition has persisted for a long time. You should first reduce your desires and keep your mind from indulging itself.

In daily life, dwell in a quiet place and devote yourself to contemplation in a purification chamber. Even tens of thousands of volumes of alchemical writings cannot compare with guarding the One. Make emptiness your body and Wuwei (non-action) your mind. Though the body exists, do not cling to it; though the mind exists, do not cling to it. Only then can this be called guarding the spirit. Guarding the spirit enables you to commune with the mysterious Dao; this is called being united with the Dao.

It is like high mountains and great marshes: they do not deliberately summon insects, fish, birds, or beasts, yet these gather there naturally. If people can be empty, still, and free of deliberate action, without striving to pursue the Dao, the Dao will naturally return to them. (For the rest, see the Scripture of the Ascent to the West.)

The Old Lord then transmitted to Xi the “Method of Nine Refinements of the Sun’s Golden Truth,” calling it “Contemplation of the Nine Chambers.” The nine methods of contemplation are, in order: first, dispel improper thoughts; second, rectify body and mind; third, bring thoughts into alignment with what is right; fourth, strengthen right thoughts; fifth, bring right thoughts to their utmost; sixth, enter deeply into right thoughts; seventh, contemplate the True and Correct; eighth, contemplate the Profound Cavern; ninth, contemplate the Great Cavern. Enter these nine chambers and practice the nine methods in sequence: you will be able to unite your form with the sun and, in the end, attain the Dao together with it. Yin Xi received these secret methods, bowed in homage, and reverently accepted this mysterious gift.

Yin Xi then pleaded illness and resigned from office. On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he welcomed the Old Lord into his home. Later he asked the Old Lord again, “I am foolish and do not know what I should ask. I beg you to guide me further.”

The Old Lord said, “If you wish to cultivate your person and nourish your nature, practice the Dao and nourish your form, gather primordial Qi and become a spirit, and reach a state without beginning or end, you must first become still. Heaven is settled through stillness; the spirit transforms through stillness; people are born and nurtured through stillness. When you are about to enter stillness, turn your hearing inward and look within: let your mind form no delusive thoughts, your mouth speak no reckless words, and your body make no rash movements. Experience color within the colorless, sound within the soundless, and flavor within the flavorless; take wordless words as your teaching. Then visions of divine brightness will descend, blessings and De will arrive, and harmonious Qi will respond.

“If you wish to make the spirit still, first bathe and observe purification for twenty-five days. Then refine and cultivate yourself with care, bringing your hun and po souls into harmony; only after that may you enter the chamber to practice. Once inside, a cinnabar serpent may come to rest upon your heart, the Queen Mother of the West may descend, or a Dao body may appear. These are all spirits within your own body testing you. Do not be startled or afraid. If someone asks you a question and you do not answer, or if there is an act of offense or harm…”

Do not be afraid. Simply calm your mind and steady your will, and the visions will naturally disappear. From the twenty-fifth day, the forty-fifth day, and the successive stages thereafter, up to the one hundred and eightieth day, divine beings will appear; they are all testing you. Remain at ease and do not respond, and they will be unable to harm you. If fear keeps you from passing the test, you will lose the Dao, so you must be cautious.

After the one hundred and eightieth day, the room will naturally grow bright. You will know in advance matters of good and ill fortune, safety and danger, life and death. The palaces and offices within your body—that is, the dwellings of the deities within the body—will also appear one by one. After the two hundred and eightieth day, all illnesses will be dispelled. After a full year, the scars on your body will vanish. After a thousand days, your body and spirit will have reached a wondrous state, and you will become a perfected person. At that time, I will transmit to you such methods as the Supreme Clarity Highest Teachings, including the Ximiao Zhen Neijie, the Three Caverns True Scriptures, the Lingbao Talisman Charts, and the Taixuan. You will then be able to teach sincere, benevolent people to cultivate themselves into immortals, so that the Dao teachings will not be cut off.

Xi bowed repeatedly and offered his thanks. The Old Lord then said to him, “I solemnly tell you: the Ancient Master is none other than myself. I once took form in Zhugan, the ancient name for the region of India. Now I will return to the nameless realm, enduring without end, seeming to exist and yet not to exist. I am about to depart, and will return to the source.”

As the Old Lord was about to travel west, Xi bowed and begged to accompany him. The Old Lord said, “I roam beyond Heaven and Earth, coming and going through the mysterious and hidden realms. The four directions above and below, and the lands of the Eight Extremities, have no bounds. How could you follow me?”

Xi replied, “Even if I must walk through boiling water and fire, plunge into the abyss, flee beneath the earth, or ascend into the heavens; even if I am broken to pieces and lose my life, I am willing to follow the Great Immortal.”

The Old Lord said, “Those who have attained the Dao can see all things and hear all things. Their transformations are limitless; sometimes they vanish, sometimes they appear. Yet even they may not be able to travel far with me. Your bone structure accords with the Dao, and if you cultivate in accordance with the teachings, you may become a perfected immortal one day. But you have attained the Dao only recently and cannot yet reach the realm of the divine. How, then, could you transform freely and follow me?”

Xi bowed again and asked, “Could you explain the Way of communicating with the divine and transforming?”

The Old Lord said, “The breath of life and the forms of the body are all like illusions. The process by which creation first takes shape and Yin-Yang undergoes change is called birth and death. The process by which things change with the cycles of their allotted destiny and alter as their forms shift is called transformation and metamorphosis. The Creator’s craft is wondrous and its power profound, so it can neither be exhausted nor brought to an end. Transformations that depend on physical form display their craft openly and have less power, and so they arise and perish in turn. Only when you understand that illusion and metamorphosis are no different from birth and death have you begun…”

Laojun spoke to Yin Xi about the Way of transformation, saying, “If you can devote yourself wholeheartedly to cultivating this Way, you will be able to let body and mind merge with nature. Then I can travel with you through the various lands and teach the people.”

Twenty-eight days later, Yin Xi joyfully burned incense and bowed again, asking, “I am fortunate to have heard the Great Dao, and my joy is beyond words. I hope you will grant me a book that explains the purpose of the Great Dao, so it may be passed down to later generations.” Laojun said, “Very well. You should become the leader of the perfected ones, bring blessings to people in the world, and spread the Great Dao. I entrust to you the five thousand words of the Dao De Jing. I have never passed this book on lightly; normally, it is transmitted only once every thousand years. You must cultivate it diligently.” Yin Xi received it with a bow, then gladly recited and practiced it. He succeeded in cultivating the Dao and passed the scripture on to later students.

In the fourth month of the following year, the year of Jia-yin, on the twenty-eighth day, Laojun took leave of Yin Xi on a hill south of his residence and ascended to heaven. (Laojun did not travel westward but ascended to heaven again because he was waiting for Guan Yin to complete his cultivation of the Dao, so that they could travel together to the Western Regions to teach.) Grief-stricken and unable to bear their parting, Yin Xi asked Laojun to stay. Laojun again instructed him to remove worldly grime, quiet distracting thoughts, and calm his mind while keeping to the One—that is, focusing on and maintaining his original mind. He then told him, “After a thousand days, you may come to the Qingyang market in Shu to find me.”

As soon as he had spoken, Laojun rose into the air and sat upright on a cloud. His face shone with five-colored light, and golden radiance illuminated the four directions. He slowly ascended, his light illuminating the lodge in five-colored, mysterious yellow hues. Only after a long time did it disappear. Yin Xi gazed toward the heavens, weeping and reluctant to part. That day, the rivers rose and the mountains shook. Five-colored light pierced through Taiwei (the Records of the Grand Historian has “Ziwei” here, referring to a celestial region) and shone in all directions. (From the ninth year of King Gaozong of Yin to this point, 274 years had passed.)

Yin Xi then compiled into thirty-six chapters Laojun’s teachings on governing the state and cultivating oneself, as well as his instructions on abstaining from extravagance and eliminating desire. Since these words were spoken as Laojun was about to ascend westward to a distant land, the book was titled the Scripture of Ascending West.

(The simple cart that carried Laojun has been regarded as a treasure throughout the generations, and is said to remain preserved to this day. The platform from which he ascended to heaven lies south of Louguan; local people traditionally call it “Laojun’s Mound.” It is said that when Laojun ascended, five-colored light pierced through Ziwei and illuminated the four directions. King Zhao of Zhou asked the Grand Historian whether this was an auspicious or inauspicious sign. The Grand Historian replied that a sage would travel westward, and that a thousand years later his teachings would return here. The king then ordered the event to be recorded at the suburban altar.)

Yin Xi heard that signs of the Old Lord’s descent into the world had appeared. He withdrew to a quiet fast in a thatched tower, cut off ordinary affairs, and devoted himself to cultivation for three years, until his work was complete. His mind and spirit became wholly unified, and his body seemed to melt and disperse. He felt neither hunger nor thirst, and feared neither cold nor heat. He could probe the workings of fate and understand the subtle principles of change, grasping the meaning of “one spirit giving rise to myriad transformations” and attaining a wondrous state.

He then composed a work in nine chapters, titled The Master of the Pass.

In the year Ding-si, Yin Xi traveled to western Shu and sought the Old Lord at Qingyang Market, a marketplace where sheep were sold. According to legend, the Old Lord ascended to heaven in the year Jia-yin, then in the year Yi-mao divided his form in the Palace of Supreme Subtlety and descended into the world in Shu, born into the Li family of a high official. Earlier, the Old Lord had commanded the Azure Dragon of the Azure Emperor to transform into a sheep. Its fleece was pure white, while its body was the color of blue gold. It often kept the infant company, and the child was deeply fond of it.

One day, the sheep suddenly went missing. The servant boy searched everywhere and finally found it in the marketplace. After arriving in Shu, Yin Xi asked people throughout the region, but no one knew where Qingyang Market was. Suddenly he saw a boy leading a sheep and thought, “There is an azure sheep, and this is a marketplace. Could this be the place where the Sage Master told me to seek him?” He asked the boy whose sheep it was and where he was taking it.

The boy replied, “The lady of my household has given birth to a child, and the child is very fond of this sheep. It went missing two days ago, and the child has been crying without stopping. Now that I’ve found it, I’m taking it home.” Yin Xi asked him to tell the lady, “Yin Xi has arrived.”

The boy went inside and delivered the message. The child immediately straightened his clothes, rose, and said, “Show Yin Xi in.” When Yin Xi entered, the courtyard and buildings suddenly became vast and lofty, and a lotus seat appeared. The Old Lord manifested as a figure several zhang tall, white-gold in color and radiant as the sun. A halo encircled his head; he wore a crown of the Seven Luminaries, a robe of Morning Essence, and a mantle of nine-colored silk. He sat upon the lotus seat. Everyone in the household was astonished.

The Old Lord said, “I dwell in Supreme Subtlety and take the True One as my own being. Receiving the Qi of Great Harmony, I descended into the world; manifesting the light of numinous awareness, I became human. Host and guest depend on one another. What is there to find strange in this?”

Yin Xi fell prostrate and wept, overcome by grief and joy, his heart filled with immeasurable comfort. He bowed his head and said, “I never imagined we would meet again, and that I would have the fortune to behold your heavenly countenance. I do not know whether the Compassionate Venerable One, moving between being and nonbeing, has been well of late.”

The Old Lord replied calmly, “Since we parted, what have you gained, and what have you lost? You have guarded the Dao and held to the One. Have you benefited from this?”

Yin Xi bowed his head and replied, “Ever since I received your grace…”

After broadly grasping the subtle principles of the essential teachings—the key instructions for cultivating the Dao—he brought blessings to his ancestors, so that they all received boundless good fortune.

Laojun said, “Good. I left you behind because you had lived in the human world for a long time and were deeply entangled in bonds of affection. Although you had once received the scriptures and instructions, you had not yet completed your cultivation. That is why I waited for you here. Now you have preserved your body and refined your breath. After three years of practice, you have attained the realm of true mystery: purple veins have formed in your heart, and divine radiance shines on your face. Your name has been entered in the Celestial Register, and your jade document has been placed in the Purple Palace, the celestial abode of immortals. Your breath now connects with Taiwei, the celestial palace of stars. Your body is about to be released, and you will unite with the true Dao.”

Xi bowed twice and touched his head to the ground in thanks. “The Sage Master’s kindness is greater than Heaven and Earth, and his care surpasses that of my parents. Heaven and Earth can cover and support all things, but they could not enable me to attain the Dao. My parents could give birth to and raise me, but they could not make me immortal.”

Laojun said, “This, too, is due to the immortal affinity destined for you.” He then ordered that the perfected beings of the Three Realms be summoned. The celestial emperors, divine kings of the Ten Directions, and assembled immortals arrived through the air in an instant, each bearing incense and flowers. They bowed and awaited his command. Laojun directed the Five Elders, the Great Emperors, and the True Guardians of the Four Extremes to bestow on Xi a jade register inscribed in golden script, and to confer on him the title “Master Wenshi,” ranking him among the Supreme Perfected. He granted him a purple hibiscus crown, a flying blue-feathered skirt, a red robe with green sleeves, a rainbow-colored robe symbolizing the harmony of Heaven and Earth, a yellow silk sash patterned with netting, and a nine-colored baton. He also granted him five thousand jade boys and five thousand jade maidens. Xi’s rank stood above that of the twenty-four Heavenly Kings, and he was appointed to command eighty thousand immortals.

Xi bowed low and said, “I am merely an ordinary person of the dusty world. To meet the Great Sage and be raised from the dead is a fortune earned through a thousand lifetimes of cultivation. My only wish, and my greatest honor, would be to stay and do menial sweeping, or to serve as an attendant when you travel. Now I have been given such an exalted title and such generous honors. I am ashamed that my virtue is not sufficient to merit them, and I truly dare not accept.”

Laojun said, “For a long time you have revered the Great Dao and quietly accumulated virtue. The deeds of your cultivation have reached Heaven’s hearing. Through diligent and arduous practice, your mysterious work is complete. This is not because I favor you. You must continue to exert yourself.” Xi could not refuse, so he bowed again and accepted the command. Only then was he able to rise through the air, follow Laojun’s carriage as an attendant, and roam in all directions.

Laojun then expounded the Scripture of Original Yang to the Great Official Holy Mother. More than two hundred people, young and old, lived in her household, and her entire family ascended to Heaven at once. A commentary explains that Laojun descended into her household because his accumulated merit was deep and his immortal affinity had ripened, and that he rose only after this. Today, Chengdu still has Qingyang Palace, as well as the historic sites known as the Terrace of the Descent and the Boyang Terrace.

“Stele Inscription Composed by Le Penggui, Director of Edicts, on Imperial Order”

The Venerable Lord said to Perfected Yin, “You wish to follow me on a distant journey. Now that your Dao practice has been completed, you may travel and behold the lands beyond the eight directions.” Then the Venerable Lord breathed out the Hidden Writings of the Eight Directions, secret texts for transmitting the Dao, and gave them to him. Perfected Yin accepted them with joy. Once the transmission was complete, the Venerable Lord summoned a cloud carriage of the Eight Luminaries and rode forth. Five-colored divine dragons drew the carriage, which bore a vermilion banner of the Flowing Firmament and Imperial Heaven and was sheltered by a canopy of ninefold radiance. Immortal cranes led the way; twelve guard officers and divine attendants followed with banners. Behind them, ninety thousand flying immortals drove wheels of rushing wind, while lions cleared the road and phoenixes escorted the carriage.

They first journeyed east. Accompanied by Perfected Yin and the Four Heavenly Kings, they reached the Sun Cave at Mount Changyang. There they gathered red elixir mulberries from the Fusang tree and scattered the vermilion blossoms of the Ruomu tree. They gazed upon the blue sea, drew water from the Eastern Well, and passed through the Palace of Yu Pond. The God King of the Sun Valley, the Azure Youth of the Eastern Sea, and the assembled immortals welcomed them with a feast of elixir mulberries, vermilion fruit, golden nectar, and blue-green wine. Next they climbed Mount Ancestor, wandered through fields of numinous fungi, gathered herbs that nourish the spirit, and rested at Penglai Palace.

They then turned south and traveled to Mount Feng, climbed the Green Mound, and passed through the Purple Palace. Perfected One of Great Origin and the Master of the Purple Palace presented them with nectar of ninefold radiance, white-patterned jade blossoms, and white seeds from the green forest. This mountain is also called Mount Xiao. It produces blossoms of ninefold radiance and fireproof cloth. They next climbed Mount Changli, crossed the Red Ford, and entered the Great Cinnabar Palace. The Lady of the South Pole welcomed them with jade blossoms, jade wine, and red numinous fire-dates. Afterward, they went to Mount Jiang, viewed the land of flowing fire, and rested at the Gate of Vermilion Mound. Perfected One of Great Harmony and the Lord of the Canopy presented them with vermilion marrow from the Flame Ridge, flying cinnabar, purple peaches, and liquid of cloud waves.

They then journeyed west, climbing the Turtle Terrace and entering the Seven Treasures Garden. They admired the flying, dark-purple patterns and passed through the Gate of Flowing Essence. Lady Mother of the Nine Numen and Primordial Lady of Great Simplicity offered them jade-patterned dates, each as large as a bottle. She also ordered her attendants to set out soul-restoring incense, dark-radiance blue-green peaches, and golden-purple crossing pears. They then crossed the Weak River by boat, climbed Phoenix Mountain, entered the Jade Pond, and rested at Mount Kunwu. The Heavenly Lord of the White Emperor gathered seven-bright stone fungi, flowing-essence jade paste, and golden-radiance elixir wine as offerings.

Next they journeyed north to Mount Empty Cavern and passed through the Palace of the Yin Cavern. The True Lord of the North Pole offered them ten-knotted spirit herbs, dark-cloud plums, and Empty Cavern melons, which ripen only once every four kalpas. They climbed Dark Mound, toured the Eight Refined Pools of Northern Yin, and rested at the Plain of Vast Cold. The Immortal Earl of Great Mystery presented them with vermilion-tree elixir fruits and Threefold Mystery purple apples. Afterward, they climbed once more to…

Mount Zhongyue Kunlun—here, not Mount Song, one of the Five Sacred Peaks in the human world, but the divine mountain beyond the seas—holds the Jade Terrace of the Mysterious Garden. Wandering there, one can see forests of precious jade adorned with the Seven Treasures, hear the cries of nine-plumed phoenixes, and gaze up at the sun, moon, and stars shining together. Looking down over the lands in all directions, it seems as though the whole world lies in one’s palm.

On the mountain stand golden terraces, jade towers, and palaces of the Seven Treasures, shining day and night. This is where the Heavenly Emperor and the divine kings descend to dwell and wander. One side of the mountain has two hundred and forty gates, surrounded by forests formed of pearls, jade, and other treasures. Purple blossoms, vermilion fruit, and emerald leaves make wondrous sounds, like zithers and lutes played together, their melodies all in accord with the lü pitch standards of antiquity. Immortals of the Nine Palaces of Great Mystery live there. Food from the heavenly kitchens appears of its own accord, and the immortals come and go as they please. The heavenly musicians perform with refined and peerless skill; the beauty of their music is beyond description. This is a serene immortal capital beyond the human world, a splendid realm where divine immortals and perfected beings gather to look upon its wonders.

When Perfected Yin first took up the office of Child of Purity, a post serving the elders of the Daoist tradition, he accompanied and attended Laozi, and once traveled through these places with him. They also visited the famous mountains of the Five Sacred Peaks throughout the world, the grotto heavens and palace sanctuaries, as well as the four seas, rivers, grotto springs, and underwater palaces. The presiding deities of these places were called, variously, Sage Emperors, Perfected Kings, dukes, or marquises. When the spirits sought Laozi’s instruction, they often spoke of Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, Yin-Yang and the seasons, the length of cosmic cycles, the fate of rulers, the length of their lives, their safety and decline, the fortunes and misfortunes of the people, and the stages of advancement in learning the Dao and becoming immortal. They also asked how to harmonize the seasons and dispel the calamities of the Yang Nine and the Hundred Six. At times they asked about the foundations of Dao and De, and the meaning of the Dao’s subtle, imperceptible depths. Laozi always answered their requests, but his words were profound and obscure, beyond the ability of people in the world to pass on.

Laozi said to Perfected Yin, “I will take you to pay court at Yuchen, the palace of the celestial realm, and tour the dwelling of the Heavenly Emperor.” As soon as he had spoken, wondrous music rang out, and cloud chariots converged from the eight directions. They rose slowly into the void and then traveled throughout the Nine Heavens. The Heavenly Emperors of each realm came to welcome Laozi and invited him into their palaces, offering jade blossoms and fruit, moon dew and cloud nectar, and numinous mushrooms and immortal fruits. Radiant colors shimmered throughout the feast as celestial music played in profusion, accompanied by wondrous songs of unsurpassed beauty. The Heavenly Emperors, immortals, and perfected beings of each realm all bowed to Laozi and asked him about the “Dao of the One Emperor,” the supreme, wondrous, and perfectly true Dao that arises naturally.

Then the True Lord Taiyou of the Upper Origin, the Immortal Lord Taiji of the Middle Origin, and the Immortal Count Taiqing of the Lower Origin arrived in cloud chariots of blue-green radiance and yellow silk, driving dark-green horned dragons, qilin, and lions. Light shimmered between the chariots, while flowing rosy clouds, phoenixes, and flying cranes…

Among the procession of immortals were banners symbolizing the essence of the sun and summoning Perfected Ones, tally tokens symbolizing the radiance of the moon and summoning heavenly demons, and flags symbolizing starlight and summoning immortals. The attendant deities and immortal officials in the numinous palaces numbered one hundred and fifty thousand: seventy thousand in the Upper Origin, fifty thousand in the Middle Origin, and thirty thousand in the Lower Origin. Their carriages, canopies, banners, and tally tokens also differed according to rank. Each immortal held incense and flowers as they bowed to welcome the Venerable Lord.

After the Venerable Lord ascended to the Palace of the Jeweled Pearl in the Cinnabar City at the Sun Gate of Highest Clarity, he ordered Yin Xi—the keeper of the pass when Laozi traveled west—to pay respects to the High Sage, Jade Dawn, Supreme Lord of the Great Dao. The Lord bestowed twelve precious treasures on Yin Xi, including Ring-Hard Cinnabar, Hidden Dragon Fungus, Pearl Essence, and Jade Nectar.

Yin Xi then accompanied the Venerable Lord down to Numinous Mountain in Tianshui, and from there they traveled to the Western Regions. (Qiling Mountain, in what is now Qinzhou, is said to retain the Western Ascension Terrace and the Hall of the Sage’s Image at its foot.) When the Venerable Lord first left the Zhou court, he traveled to Daqin, Anxi, Yuezhi, Wuge, Zhugan, and other lands to teach their people. There he was known as “the Ancient Master.” The rulers and people of these countries all followed his teachings. After returning to the Central Plains, the Venerable Lord set out again with Yin Xi, the Unsurpassed Perfected One, to spread the Dao in Jibin. He then taught in Tiaozhi, Yutian, and other places, subduing ninety-five heterodox traditions—schools of cultivation outside the Daoist orthodoxy.

In the fourth year of King Mu’s reign, the jia-shen year, the Venerable Lord descended by the Eastern Sea and traveled to Fusang. There he met the Great Emperor and reviewed the ranks and titles of the immortals. He also manifested in the Western Sea and taught in the country of Sulin, then soon ascended to heaven once more.

In his youth, King Mu was devoted to the way of the immortals. He climbed Mount Chong and visited the Jade Pool, then returned. He reigned for fifty-four years and lived to the age of one hundred and four. By then Yin Xi had traveled far into the shifting sands, leaving behind his grass-built tower south of Mount Zhongnan. Remembering Yin Xi’s traces, King Mu ordered a carriage sent there, built a Daoist temple, and established a shrine. He also invited seven Daoists, including Du Chong, to oversee the rites.

During the reign of King Yi of Zhou, the Venerable Lord and the Three Masters of Mysterious Antiquity descended to Three Learning Mountain in Mianzhu, Shu, and taught Li Zhendo the way of ascending to immortality. (The place is now called “Zhendo’s seat of practice.”) In the twenty-first year of King Li’s reign, the jia-chen year, the Venerable Lord descended to the Tower-Observatory and taught the Daoist Song Lun the Way of Central Vision, the Scripture of Communing with the True, and methods of cultivation including the Six Jia of Numinous Flight, Plain Memorials, and Cinnabar Talismans.

In the twelfth month of the twenty-third year of King Ping of Zhou, the guimao year, the Venerable Lord once again passed through the frontier gate to teach the various states. He then journeyed through the Western Sea and reached Liulin…

After inspecting the meritorious deeds and practices of the assembled immortals (shenxian) in the Upper Continent, the King returned to Heaven. During King Ding’s reign, he asked the Old Lord which immortals lived in the world. The Old Lord replied, “On Mount Tai is Master Zhan Qin; on the Southern Marchmount is Master Kuang Xu; on the Western Marchmount is Yin Xi; on the Northern Marchmount is the Yellow Elder; and on the Central Marchmount is Master Gu—that is, myself.”

In the eighth year of King Xian of Zhou, the year Gengshen, during the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin, the Old Lord traveled east. With Perfected Yin and others, he journeyed through Shangyu, Chicheng, and Mount Meng, then visited the Great Emperor of Fusang once more to take part in inspecting the assembled immortals. Before long, he withdrew to Mount Jingshi, near Luoyang.

At that time, five old men with yellow hair gathered. Some rode cranes; others wore feathered robes and held staffs of green bamboo. Together they discussed the principles governing Heaven and Earth. No one in the world knew where they came from. The Old Lord wrote scriptures totaling about one hundred thousand characters. Beside him stood two divine beings holding golden pots filled with ink as thick and black as lacquer, which they used to make copies. When the ink was written on wood or stone, the characters would transform into seal script and Zhou script.

In the ninth year of King Nan of Zhou, the year Yimao, the Old Lord traveled with Perfected Yin and other immortals through Mount Nüji, Mount Difeng, Mount Tianzhu, and other places. Then he again set out west from San Pass, crossed the Flowing Sands, climbed Mount Kunlun, and returned to the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity and the Land of Great Mystery. When Duke Zhao of Qin heard of this, he regretted that he had not been able to meet the Old Lord. To commemorate the sage, he built a walled town on the western foothills, where the Old Lord had passed. The ruins of Laoting Post Station and Yin Xi City still remain today.

Yin Gui

Perfected Taihe Yin Gui, courtesy name Gongdu, was from Taiyuan and a cousin of Master Wenshi (Yin Xi). In his youth, he studied astronomy and also mastered apocryphal prognostications, the art of predicting good and ill fortune. He later became a disciple of Master Wenshi. The master taught him to consume yellow essence flowers and transmitted to him more than a hundred Daoist scriptures, along with their accompanying oral instructions.

After Master Wenshi attained the Dao and ascended to immortality, Yin Gui continued his studies at the master’s residence with the recluse Du Chong and others. He was then twenty-eight years old. He gave up grain foods to cultivate his Jing and Qi, and devoted himself to practicing profound Daoist methods. The Most High took pity on him, bestowed on him the title Perfected Taihe, and appointed him to govern the immortal officials of Duyang Palace.

Yin Gui sometimes traveled abroad, carrying more than ten tubes of divine elixirs with him. He journeyed far and wide, helping those with whom he had a destined connection. At times he refined gold and silver to aid the poor; at others he used elixirs to save the critically ill. Most who came to seek his help benefited from it. His comings and goings, and the way he appeared and disappeared, were beyond prediction. Thus the Jade Writings of Shangqing, Imperial Chapters say: “Perfected Taihe and …”

Taihua the Perfected, Lord of Long Life of the Three Heavens, Lord in Charge of the South Pole, the Central Marquis of the Western Terrace, the Ninefold Spirit Prince, True One of the North Emperor, the Immortal Consort of Great Numen, the Jade Youth of Red Essence, Master of the Dark Valley, Red Pine Master of Mount Heng in the South, Wang Qiao of Zhongshan, the Perfected of Purple Yang, Lord Wang of the Western City, Master of Central Yellow, Zhao Boxuan, Shan Zhongzong, and others all practiced the supreme methods in the Three True Treasures Scripture. Their faces shone with golden light, and round halos appeared above their heads. They could ascend to heaven through the void and feast and roam in the Purple Court, the celestial realm of immortals. Their transformations were endless, and they traveled wherever they pleased. At a single summons, the spirits arrived at once. They could call upon the myriad numina, subdue demons, determine life and death, ride clouds and mist, and enter and leave the court of the Celestial Emperor.

In the second year of Yongxing under Emperor Hui of Jin, he came from the east to the Daoist temple of Perfected Yin. He wore a crown reaching to heaven and carried a spirit-commanding baton; he was dressed in a crimson skirt and draped in a yellow mantle. The Daoist Liang Chen bowed to him and asked to hear about the Daoist practices he himself had cultivated. He said to Liang Chen: “I am the Supreme Perfected, and a younger cousin of Master Wenshi. When Master Wenshi attained the Dao and became an immortal, I was thirty-eight years old. I had already given up grain, cultivated my breath, and devoted myself to practicing the Great Dao. The Most High took pity on me and granted me ascent to Taihe Palace, where I was appointed to govern the immortal officials of Duyang Palace.

“Duyang Palace stretches four thousand li from east to west and is seven hundred li from north to south. It has nine tiers of golden walls and ten jade towers. Its palace halls contain more robes, precious curios, divine fungi, and numinous herbs than can be listed. The palace keeps a million scrolls of scriptures, including those of Shangqing, Yuanyang, and the Great Cavern, all guarded by golden youths and jade maidens. The sun, moon, stars, and clouds appear there of their own accord, their radiance flowing outward to illuminate the four quarters.

“The immortals in the palace number tens of thousands. Each gives off divine light, shining with a clear and empty brilliance. They live forever, free and at ease in Wuwei. Some travel throughout the world; some attend court at the Jade Capital, the celestial realm where the Celestial Emperor resides, proclaiming and examining the good and evil consequences of people’s actions and the allotted spans of their lives. Some discuss the patterns governing the movements of heaven and earth, the sun and moon, and the stars, as well as the length of cosmic cycles. Some host banquets for the gods of the heavens, jointly determining the ranks, duties, and jurisdictions recorded in the registers of the immortals. Some establish rules of bearing and conduct for young initiates just entering the immortal path. Some inspect the regions below, overseeing the blessings earned by the people through meritorious deeds, cultivating De, and holding purification rituals and rites. Some supervise men and women who study the Dao as they practice scripture-based methods and the arts of medicinal elixirs. Others travel through famous mountains and great rivers, inspect the affairs of divine officials, and examine the causes of guilt and blessing. Still others discuss wind, rain, thunder, lightning, droughts, floods, and whether the harvests will be abundant or poor.”

He sometimes appears in ever-changing forms: at one time a Daoist priest, at another a Confucian scholar, a child, or an old man. No single fixed identity can define him. At times he rides with many perfected beings and immortals, borne on dragons and phoenixes, riding clouds and commanding the wind as they race through the empty sky. At times he appears in the human world; at others he vanishes without a trace. He can also divide his form and scatter his manifestations, traveling far and wide.

Sometimes he journeys through the grotto heavens of the Five Sacred Peaks; sometimes he visits the immortal islands of the Ten Isles. Sometimes he reaches the remote wilderness in the eight directions; sometimes he enters the depths of the Ninefold Underworld. At times he fishes beside the azure sea; at others he gathers snow from Xuanzhou. Sometimes he plucks cinnabar blossoms in Langyuan; sometimes he gathers crimson fruit in the Jade Garden. These abilities were all attained through his own long accumulation of merit and study of numinous writings, forged through years of hardship and toil.

He said: “I am now more than thirteen hundred years old and have experienced many things. They cannot be recorded in these brief writings of yours, so I will speak only in general terms of the main events. On the first day of the eighth month, I suddenly rose into the air and slowly ascended to heaven. People could still clearly hear the sound of the sheng and flute; only my belongings and clothes were left behind.”

Your servant Daoyi says: Yin Gui’s cultivation of the Dao was profound, and his De was subtle and refined; his achievements and practice were exceptional. He could divide his forms and shadows, and his spiritual powers were vast. The Daode Jing says: “In ancient times, those who were skilled in cultivating the Dao were subtle, mysterious, profound, and difficult to fathom. Precisely because they were difficult to fathom, one can only try to describe their appearance.” A person like Yin Gui truly grasped the meaning of these words.

Note: The Five Sacred Peaks are China’s five great mountains. The Ten Isles, Langyuan, and the Jade Garden are legendary Daoist paradises. Numinous writings refer to Daoist scriptures or talismans transmitted in secret; the “Ninefold Underworld” refers to the depths of the underworld.