《凝陽董真人遇仙記》

Plain Interpretation of "The Record of Dong the Solar Condensation Perfected One's Encounter with Immortals"

Perfected One Dong (an honorific title for accomplished Daoist practitioners) traced his ancestry to Long'an. Originally surnamed Shuhu, he was commonly known as Dong, with the given name Shouzhi and courtesy name Kuanfu. His Daoist name was Ningyangzi, and he was of Jurchen ethnicity. His father passed away young without holding office, and his mother also died early. He married a woman of the Xilie clan, with whom he had one son and two daughters. Because his grandfather served as an official in Shaanxi, the entire family settled in the Zhongnan Mountains. During the Dading era's Gengzi year (a Jin dynasty reign period), authorities suddenly conscripted soldiers at night, and Perfected One Dong was enlisted into the border garrison at Longzhou's Qianyang Town, where he eventually made his home.

Perfected One Dong was innately simple and virtuous, with an extraordinary bearing. From childhood, he was exceptionally filial, and as he grew older, he stood out from the crowd. Though he lived among soldiers, his conduct far surpassed that of his peers. His heart yearned for the Dao, yet he lacked the means to pursue it. Later, he was fortunate enough to encounter three immortals: Perfected One of Solar Yang (Zhongli Quan), Perfected One of Pure Yang (Lü Dongbin), and Perfected One of Sea Toad (Liu Haichan). These three immortals, recognizing his deep cultivation in past lives, manifested multiple times to enlighten him. They deliberately afflicted him with illness, leading to his discharge from military service, allowing him to devote himself entirely to Daoist practice.

After attaining the Dao, the three immortals cured his ailments using elixirs and acupuncture. They bestowed upon him the "Iron Horse Star Seal" (a Daoist ritual implement) for protection, granted him talismanic water (water empowered by incantations) and prescriptions to heal and save others. At times, they left poems to admonish him; at others, they gifted wine to enlighten him. They tested his virtue, pointed out his shortcomings, sometimes descending to his thatched hut, other times meeting him by chance on the road. In broad daylight, the manifestations of these immortals were clearly visible—such was the depth of their karmic connection.

After encountering the immortals, Perfected One Dong renounced worldly life, building a hermitage in the regions of Deshun and Qinlong to cultivate the Dao. He taught according to circumstance, gathering many followers. Those who sought medicine received it; those who were ill were healed. When he spoke of thunder, thunder roared; when he prayed for rain, rain fell. He could also project his spirit into dreams and manifest in transformed bodies. The goodness or evil in people's thoughts—he knew them all beforehand. His poetry and prose transcended the mundane, utterly free of worldly dust.

Perfected One Dong was born on the 28th day of the 12th month in the Zhenglong Gengchen year. He enlisted during the Dading Gengzi year and was transferred to the southern garrison of Deshun Prefecture on the 1st day of the 9th month in the Mingchang Yimao year. On the 11th day of the 9th month, while eating breakfast, he suddenly saw an immortal descend...

Plain Interpretation of "The Record of Immortal Dong Ningyang's Divine Encounter"

Immortal Dong stood eight chi tall (approximately 1.85 meters), with his hair tied in double topknots, a ruddy-purple complexion, and a thick beard. One day, a Daoist in a blue robe and straw sandals, carrying a sword, came to his door and called out: "Wu [a term of address for Dong], though you live in seclusion within the military camp, I have come specifically to guide you—why do you not come forth?" Startled, Dong fell from his bed and immediately lost consciousness. Those around him helped and cared for him, but he remained unconscious for seven days before waking—only to find his limbs paralyzed. The camp commander sent imperial physicians to examine him, and upon their diagnosis, granted him leave to return to his hometown in Qianyang to recuperate.

On the afternoon of the third day of the third month in the Bingchen year of the Cheng’an era (1196), Dong again saw a divine being clad in white standing before his gate, pointing at him and laughing heartily. Struggling to bow in reverence, Dong watched as the divine figure vanished. He instructed his family to clean the house thoroughly that night, hoping the divine being would reappear. Sure enough, at midnight on the fifteenth day, the radiant figure descended once more, filling the room with an extraordinary fragrance. The divine being took out three golden elixirs (Jindan) to calm the spirit (Shen) and seven medicinal pellets to stabilize the corporeal soul (Po), instructing Dong that after consuming them, his body would grow hot but he should not fear. After taking the medicine, Dong fully recovered.

At noon on the twenty-seventh day of the third month, the divine being descended again. When Dong admitted that he only recognized the bell in the temple, the divine being laughed and said: "You know only how to strike the bell, yet remain ignorant of its true origin. I am Han Zhongli [one of the Eight Immortals]. Because your past lives lacked sufficient merit (De), I bestow upon you the iron horse ritual implement to carry with you always. This year, pestilence runs rampant—so I further grant you sacred water (Fa Shui), talismans (Fulu), and medicine to heal others and amend your past shortcomings." From then on, whenever Dong burned incense and prayed for medicine, pills would descend from the sky, curing illnesses without fail. Those who prayed with sincere devotion could also witness the divine being manifesting in person. Each time Dong administered the sacred water, he drank it first before giving it to others.

Plain Interpretation of "Record of Immortal Dong Ningyang's Encounter with a Sage"

Immortal Dong (a Daoist practitioner) drank an extraordinary amount of water daily, though no one knew exactly how much. On the first day of the first lunar month in the year of Dingchou, he encountered a peculiar man: tall in stature, with a sallow complexion, disheveled hair, bare feet, and his body covered in thick hair. A hemp rope was tied around his waist, and he walked with his hands resting on his shoulders, gazing upward while begging in the marketplace. He would only accept a single copper coin—if offered two, he would say, "A beggar only needs one—why give two?" Upon receiving the coin, he would point at the giver and sigh, "You, at least, have discernment."

The beggar used the coins he collected to buy meat, wrapping the meat and any remaining coins in paper before taking them to the riverbank. There, he dug into the sand with his hands, buried the meat, and shaped the mound like a grave, sticking branches into it and hanging paper money. Beside it, he placed dates and pears. When onlookers gathered, he pointed to the fruit and asked, "Oh dates, oh pears—how did you come to be?" Suddenly, he plunged his hands into the buried meat, scattering the dirt violently while muttering things like, "The fruit will not wait to ripen." This bizarre behavior continued for months, earning him the nickname "Shoulder-Resting Gentleman."

Immortal Dong often discussed the path of cultivation (xiuzhen, the Daoist practice of refining oneself to attain immortality) with this gentleman. The latter used various metaphors to urge Dong to leave worldly life behind and devote himself to spiritual practice. Eventually, Dong grasped his meaning and expressed his willingness to follow him. However, the gentleman said the time was not yet right, revealing himself as "Master Liu of the Yellow Face," a native of Ruicheng in Xiezhou. When asked about the essential teachings of cultivation, he wrote:

"Eradicate the Three Corpses (the three malevolent spirits residing in the human body, according to Daoist belief),

Let water flow westward to Yangzhou—

Only then will it be time to withdraw."

He emphasized the importance of focused intent: when Jing (essence) is stabilized, Qi (vital energy) is stabilized; when Qi is stabilized, Shen (spirit) remains settled. Only when these three gather without scattering does true cultivation begin.

Before parting, he left a cryptic verse:

"Coming, there is no cultivation, no form or substance;

Going, there is no cultivation, no form or substance.

Yet within this lies the secret of creation—

Only then may one attain the state of 'No-Thing' (the realm of Dao)."

On the Mid-Autumn Festival in the eighth lunar month, while practicing archery with others, Immortal Dong still found himself longing for this extraordinary man.

Plain Interpretation of "The Record of Daoist Dong Ningyang's Encounter with Immortals"

Daoist Dong engaged in a drinking contest with friends, which led to a relapse of his chronic illness. In the tenth lunar month, when the Longzhou authorities summoned him for conscription, his severe condition exempted him from military service. He was then carried by sedan chair to White Slope Hermitage to recuperate, but after half a year, medicine proved ineffective. On the winter solstice, he lamented: "This grave illness afflicts me—is this the sages punishing me? When will I recover?"

On the first day of the first lunar month in the wuwu year of the Cheng'an era (1198), he suddenly heard a voice from the sky say: "You claim to cultivate the Dao—how dare you indulge in wine and meat? This is the root of your illness." Upon hearing this, Daoist Dong immediately vowed to reform. At noon on the seventh day of the same month, a gentleman arrived—his face sallow, wearing a black headscarf, with a long beard, clothed in simple robes, and straw sandals, carrying a bamboo hat (this was Master Liu Zhi). After inquiring about the illness, he said: "I will perform acupuncture for you now, and by midnight, you will be healed." He had Daoist Dong sit with his knees against his own and proceeded to needle the Baihui (Hundred Meetings), Hegu (Union Valley), and Yongquan (Bubbling Spring) acupoints. When finished, the man introduced himself as "Liu" and departed. At midnight, thunder rumbled loudly, startling Daoist Dong awake—only to find his waist and knees completely healed. That night, heavy snow fell, and the next day, everyone marveled to see him sweeping the snow away.

On the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month in the gengshen year of Cheng'an (1200), Daoist Dong encountered the same divine being again at Qianyang Hermitage and immediately knelt in reverence. The immortal said: "It seems you have yet to fully awaken. Previously, I bestowed upon you the Iron Horse (a cultivation tool). Now, I grant you the Seven-Star Treasure Seal (a practice implement symbolizing the Big Dipper). This seal and horse are primordial treasures, as is the Seven-Star Sword of Wisdom (representing the wisdom to sever delusions). Cultivate according to the method—I shall return to guide you. Do not disclose this." As Daoist Dong bowed in gratitude, the immortal vanished.

In the early hours of the seventeenth day of the winter month in the renxu year of Taihe (1202), Daoist Dong once more heard a voice from the sky instructing: "Meet at the Three Rivers Crossing." He hurried to the southern bank of the Xu River Gorge, where he saw two immortals (Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin) already seated upon a boulder. He immediately approached and prostrated himself before them.

The immortal said: "Your body is covered in filth—why not cleanse yourself in the water?" Master Dong replied, "Very well." The immortal then pointed to a large fish in the water and asked, "Can you catch it?" The master waded upstream in pursuit but failed to seize it. Next, the immortal indicated a giant turtle and inquired, "Can you climb onto its back?" The master attempted with difficulty but again could not succeed. The two immortals clapped their hands and laughed, saying, "You can neither catch the fish nor mount the turtle. When you've cleansed your impurities and can accomplish these feats, we shall return to guide you."

The immortals instructed the master to gaze southwest, and as he lifted his head to look, they suddenly vanished. Emerging from the water and donning his robes, the master bowed in gratitude toward the sky before returning. Back at the Daoist temple, he felt an intense heat coursing through his body that persisted for over ten days. Thereafter, he bathed daily at dawn in the Three Rivers, gradually abstaining from food while attaining inner realizations, often sitting in silent contemplation of the celestial truths.

In the year Guihai (1263), though already following the Daoist path, Master Dong still maintained household ties. His wife, of the Xilie clan, having witnessed his miraculous encounter with the immortals, finally relinquished worldly attachments and permitted his formal ordination. On the night of the fifteenth day of the second month in the year Yichou (1265), Zhongli Quan (one of the Eight Immortals) descended upon his dwelling, illuminating the space with divine radiance as bright as daylight. Prostrating himself, the master sought guidance. The immortal admonished: "Do not casually administer medicines to others, lest you err in saving lives and impair your cultivation of merit (De). When Lü the Immortal (Lü Dongbin) and I previously had you cleanse your filth and pursue fish and turtles in the Three Rivers—did you grasp the deeper meaning?"

The master confessed his ignorance. The immortal expounded: "The filth represents distracting thoughts; the fish and turtle symbolize your nature and life (Xingming, the spirit and vital energy). The essence of practice lies in purging mental impurities and stilling delusions until your spiritual terrace (the mind) becomes pristine and empty. Only then can nature and life unite to refine the Golden Elixir (Jindan) and achieve ascension. Remember this: though healing the world seems virtuous, craving recognition for saving lives will obscure your true self. Even with superb medical skill, a single mistake creates karmic burdens. Better to relinquish such pursuits, avoid contention, and abandon greed and resentment. Since ancient times, beings have drifted in the bitter sea of rebirth—when will liberation come? Cherish your Qi, nurture your Shen (spirit), fortify your roots, reform through goodness, and past transgressions will dissolve naturally, leading to the realm of Wuwei (non-action)."

Finally, the immortal left this admonitory "Verse on Healing Practice":

"Urging you to heal may seem kind,

Yet true cultivation lies elsewhere.

Saving others while losing yourself—

What use is such hollow virtue?

Though skilled medicine wins praise,

One misstep brings endless karmic debt.

Is this not tragically misguided?

Ponder deeply: this is not the Way.

I bid you lay aside your remedies,

Free your spirit from such toil.

Ignore this warning at your peril—

The wheel of rebirth grinds endlessly.

Release fame and dispute,

Again I urge: cast off desire and wrath.

Since dawn of time we've traded bones (through rebirth)—

When will this trafficking cease?

Guard your Qi, tend your Shen,

Like roots anchoring a mighty tree.

Reform through goodness, return to truth,

And past transgressions shall melt away."

This passage recounts the mystical encounters and revelations of Master Dong Ningyang (an honorific title for accomplished Daoist practitioners) with celestial beings:

The immortals warned that practitioners who fail to advance diligently in their cultivation will invite misfortune. Only by stabilizing one's spiritual nature (xing) and consolidating vital energy (ming) can one attain carefree liberation. Those who don't correct their deviations in practice will permanently lose the opportunity to realize the Dao (the Way).

The text documents extraordinary experiences: After drinking wine bestowed by an immortal, Master Dong fell unconscious for seven days. Upon awakening, he found all necessary cultivation implements prepared, with his chamber filled with divine fragrance. Later in Qianyang (modern Shaanxi), he heard celestial guidance from the sky directing him to Deshun (modern Gansu) for his spiritual opportunity.

The following spring, Master Dong met his disciple Lu Ziran, with whom he immediately formed a profound connection. One winter night, he witnessed two immortals descending on clouds: Zhengyang Zhenren (Zhongli Quan, one of the Eight Immortals) wearing blue robes and straw sandals, and Liu Haichan (a patriarch of Northern Daoism) with a golden complexion, beautiful beard, black headscarf and red robe. They revealed Master Dong had been a cultivator in past lives, having previously bestowed upon him the Daoist name "Ningyangzi."

The immortals conferred upon him another title "Elder of Harmonious Light" with the religious name "Shouzhi" (Guardian of Will), imparting essential cultivation methods:

1. The Water-Fire Reversal Technique (regulating internal yin-yang)

2. The Golden Elixir Return Method (Neidan/internal alchemy practice)

3. Secret techniques to prevent the dissipation of true mercury (human vital essence/jing)

4. Essential teachings on lead-mercury coagulation (uniting spirit/shen and qi)

The immortals particularly disclosed that the "Yellow-faced Liu from Ruicheng, Xiezhou" who previously enlightened him was none other than Immortal Liu Haichan. These experiences ultimately led Master Dong to profound awakening.

This poem expounds the methods of attaining transcendence through cultivation. The first verse states: By fully concentrating the spirit (Shen) and nurturing the primordial Qi, one can achieve physical well-being. When the "mercury" (referring to the heart-mind) and "lead" (referring to kidney essence/Jing) naturally coagulate and merge within the body, one transcends the mundane realm—how could such a practitioner fear failing to become an immortal of the Great Luo Heaven?

It then mentions how Master Dong (Ningyangzi) once obtained the "Seven-Star Iron Horse Treasure Seal" ritual implement but initially failed to grasp its profound meaning. The text explains: In the past, I transmitted sword techniques to Lü Dongbin for his practice; now I pass this treasure seal to you, which shares the same origin as Dongbin's lineage.

Two encomiums follow:

The first declares: The Seven-Star Treasure Seal possesses mighty spiritual power, its radiance illuminating the entire cosmos. This Iron Horse Seal dispels malevolent forces as effectively as a divine sword, harmonizing Yin-Yang like the intertwined turtle and serpent.

The second warns: Repeatedly instructing the dull-witted until one's hair turns white. If one squanders this lifetime, after death they'll fall into the underworld—once human form is lost, liberation becomes eternally difficult.

Liu Haichan (Haichan Immortal) also left an encomium: In past lives I was but a poor man, now revealing these karmic connections. Without many lifetimes of cultivation, who would receive such repeated guidance from sages?

A five-character verse then transmits essential instructions:

This Dao I speak of has few practitioners since ancient times. Guard your vital essence (the gourd of quicksilver), don't let the restless mind steal it away. Maintain pristine Wuwei (non-action), untouched by worldly dust. Let no dark clouds of distraction remain—be clear as the bright moon. Speak sparingly, purify the six senses. When the Black Tortoise of the North Sea (kidney Qi) entwines with the Red Serpent of Southern Mountains (heart fire), when cave snowflakes (true Qi) drift within, the alchemical furnace forms naturally. Forge this priceless treasure to journey together to Penglai. These are true cultivation secrets—never hoard them selfishly.

Finally, the lineage is clarified: Several disciples were your dharma companions in past lives. You once established Ningyang Hermitage at Jixiu Temple in Dengzhen Cave of Yuèzhuó Mountain, practicing with Tongxuanzi Chen Xindao. Now disciples like Gushenzi Ma Shanneng follow you. Dengzhen Cave was Zhang Guolao's retreat; Tongxuanzi is the present Bingyangzi Chen Zhihe. Your formal Daoist name will be conferred—first take vows before receiving transmission, then practice with utmost care.

When Master Dong bowed in gratitude, he saw two immortals ascending on colored clouds. Later, recalling their mention of past-life connections, he experienced sudden enlightenment. During the Xīnwèi year at Deshun, when encountering fellow cultivators at Zhen'an Temple, they heard thunderous sounds from Dong's abdomen (a sign of Neidan/internal alchemy achievement) and marveled, requesting him to compose poetry.

"Record of Daoist Master Dong Ningyang's Encounter with Immortals" (Plain Interpretation)

On the 26th day of the second lunar month in the Guiyou year of the Chongqing era, as Daoist Master Dong and his senior fellow disciple Master Chen were returning to Qianyang, the sky darkened with swirling yellow dust. Upon reaching Liujiang Gorge, they suddenly encountered two immortals—none other than Zhongli Quan and Liu Haichan—each standing astride a spotted deer. Master Dong immediately prostrated himself in reverence.

Immortal Zhongli Quan spoke: "The cultivation secrets I previously transmitted to you were given hastily at night, and I feared you might not have fully comprehended them. Let me remind you now: To guide men and women of this world back to the true Dao, one must practice the Great Elixir (Neidan). Nourish the primordial Qi of harmonious spontaneity, employ the True Water and True Fire (Yin-Yang energies), and cause the Mercury and Lead (Jing, Qi, and Shen) to coagulate—refining them through the alchemical process into the Golden Elixir. Without cultivating the heart-nature and stabilizing the spiritual energies, how can one escape the suffering of samsara? Abandon thoughts of greed and anger, extinguish the fires of affliction. For wrath depletes the original Shen, while rage scatters the primordial Qi—once Qi is exhausted, death follows, condemning one to eternal wandering among hungry ghosts with no hope of liberation."

The Scripture of the Hidden Talisman states: "Fire born from Wood inevitably consumes it; treachery born in a state inevitably destroys it." Those who understand this principle and cultivate accordingly are sages. Human anger resembles fire producing smoke—the smoke obscures one's form, unknowingly damaging one's essence. One must subdue the Six Thieves (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) and behead the Three Corpses (three malevolent spirits within the body), severing all worldly attachments.

The Five Phases overcome each other: Fire overcomes Metal, Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, and Water overcomes Fire. In their generative cycle: Metal begets Water, Wood begets Fire—this earthly sequence inevitably entails birth and death. But when Water generates Metal or Fire generates Wood, this celestial inversion transcends the cycle of life and death. The crux of cultivation lies in nurturing "Metal within Water" (the primordial Qi in the kidneys)—this is the method of inverting the Five Phases.

Zhongli Quan concluded with this admonition: "Those who have seen me shall not fall into hell for three lifetimes, but we shall not meet again hereafter. Guard these celestial secrets carefully—never transmit them to the unworthy, lest calamity befall you. When encountering sincere seekers, first have them swear an oath to their ancestors before imparting the teachings." As Master Dong bowed in gratitude, the two immortals ascended into the heavens and vanished.

At that moment, Master Dong perceived another immortal standing amidst the cliffs and pine-covered crags, though his fellow disciple claimed to see nothing. Through Master Dong's devout prayers and repeated prostrations, there indeed appeared an immortal wearing a black headscarf and crimson robe, his sleeves fluttering in the wind.

The Story of Daoist Master Dong Ningyang's Encounter with an Immortal:

In the fourth lunar month, Master Dong set out from Deshun for Qianyang. On the fifteenth day of the ninth month, he departed and arrived at Longzhou by the eighteenth, staying at the South Gate. Around mid-afternoon, he suddenly saw Han Zhongli (one of the Eight Immortals) standing by the riverbank, who asked him, "Where are you going?" Master Dong immediately knelt in reverence and replied, "This disciple has a land dispute in Qianyang that needs resolving." The immortal said, "Which is more valuable—the land or your life? You fixate on that plot yet lose sight of the True Void (Zhenkong, the authentic Dao), clinging to illusory emptiness (jiakong). If you don't awaken soon, you'll fall into stubborn emptiness (wankong, a cultivation error)."

Master Dong asked, "What is True Void?" The immortal answered, "True Void permeates all space yet remains unstained by external things, eternally preserving spiritual awareness." Seeing Master Dong still uncomprehending, the immortal blew a breath of qi, whereupon Master Dong experienced sudden enlightenment. In the blink of an eye, the immortal vanished.

Upon reaching Qianyang, Master Dong never again mentioned the land dispute. Over a month later, when he returned to Deshun, fellow cultivator Zhang Erlang asked him about the principle of yang qi's initial rebirth at the winter solstice, which Master Dong explained through poetic verses.

The following year, Wang Jinqing of Deshun invited Master Dong for a vegetarian feast. At nightfall when escorting the master back to his hermitage, the master instructed Wang to take home an iron ritual horse (famu) for veneration, advising, "Do not fear when you hear thunder." At midnight, tremendous thunderclaps indeed shook the house. When Wang lit a lamp, he found his beard singed by lightning. The next morning, the whole family returned the iron horse with incense and flowers. Master Dong explained: "Last night's thunder came because a calamitous dragon hid in the scabbard upstairs—the heavenly thunder came to reclaim it. Without the iron horse's protection, your household would have suffered disaster." Upon inspection, Wang found dragon claw marks on the scabbard.

In the Bingzi year, when Master Dong returned from Luoshui to the Shousheng Abbey in Deshun, he manifested numerous miraculous signs beyond ordinary comprehension.

In the pine forest behind the temple, Master Dong Ningyang suddenly encountered two immortals (Lü Dongbin and Liu Haichan). The immortals said: "We roam throughout the world disguised as beggars, earnestly exhorting people toward goodness, yet none turn back—such is the weight of their karmic obstructions. People are miserly, greedy, jealous and wicked, steeped in the karma of killing—truly beyond remedy. I have composed these verses: 'Daily I wander the four quarters,/ Playing the beggar in bustling markets to teach./ Men defy Heaven's principles, refusing repentance,/ Wasting their vital spirit (Shen), blinded by worldly attachments./ Bitterly I urge them to understand life-and-death's great matter,/ Yet fools cling to greed and wickedness,/ Rejecting cultivation of their true nature,/ Violating celestial precepts—/ Doomed to eternal suffering in Fengdu's hell.'"

Having spoken, they charged Master Dong to continue spreading their teachings. Liu Haichan added: "We see deluded beings creating endless evil karma—scarcely one in ten thousand awakens. When you encounter men and women, guide them all to accumulate virtue (De) through good deeds. Externally, store up hidden merit; internally, safeguard your vital spirit (Shen). If you preserve your original nature unclouded by desires, your true heart will naturally unite with the Dao. This illusory body is but a temporary amalgam of the four elements (earth, water, fire, wind)—what is there to covet? I too shall impart verses: 'Hearken to my teaching,/ Disciples, mark these words well:/ Never obscure your true heart—/ If evil karma remains unexhausted,/ You'll fall into samsara's torments,/ Rarely regaining human form./ White-haired, don't lament your fate,/ Nor cling to this mortal shell—/ All must decay in time./ In leisure, purify your practice;/ Naturally you'll attain the body of pure Yang (Yang),/ Then join me at Penglai's immortal feast.'"

After receiving these teachings with bowed gratitude, Master Dong saw the two immortals vanish suddenly. Henceforth he propagated their instructions widely, and within years his teachings flourished with numerous followers. In the Wuyin year, when disciples like Lu Ziran inquired about the doctrine's origins, Master Dong revealed its source through poetry.

During the second watch on the twelfth night of the second month in the Rengwu year of Yuanguang, as Master Dong sat in meditation, a sudden thunderclap startled him—a celestial voice declared: "Your karmic destiny lies in Longdi (modern Gansu). You cannot remain here—remember this." Stepping outside, he found nothing unusual. The following Guiwei year, Daoist companions from Longzhou invited him to spread the Dao. Following conditions with compassionate guidance, he inspired universal reverence—followers multiplied, dozens of hermitages arose, and the Dao's influence grew steadily. By the Yiyou year of Zhengda, when severe drought struck the region...

During a severe drought in Longdi (present-day Gansu region), the local people sought the help of Master Dong (an honorific title for accomplished Daoist practitioners) to pray for rain. With compassionate intention, the Master entered deep meditation and connected with the Great Void (Taixu, the Daoist concept of cosmic origin), whereupon rain naturally descended.

On the Zhenyuan Festival in the Bingxu year, the Master admonished his disciples: "I have repeatedly taught you that life and death are grave matters requiring wholehearted cultivation of the Dao. Yet you fritter away your days without earnest practice, idly receiving offerings from the ten directions. How will you ever repay such karmic debts? Every thought and action must accord with celestial principles. Since ancient times, those who attained the Dao accumulated abundant virtue to resonate with heaven and earth. The essence of practice lies in: accumulating merit, refining one's nature, and maintaining purity—thus your Shen (spirit) and Qi will naturally harmonize, and the Golden Elixir (Jindan, the crystallized achievement of Neidan practice) will spontaneously coalesce. When your merits reach fulfillment, the sages will naturally guide you. How much longer can you remain by my side?" Hearing this, the disciples trembled and prostrated in reverence.

On the first day of the tenth month in the Dinghai year, the hermitage was renamed "Yanghao" (Nurturing Vastness). From the 23rd to the 25th, auspicious clouds enshrouded the temple amid peals of thunder and extraordinary fragrances. When the assembly burned incense to inquire about these signs, the Master revealed: "The Patriarch summons me to Penglai Immortal Isle for an assembly—my return approaches. Years ago, Master Zhenyang (Zhongli Quan, one of the Eight Immortals) bestowed upon me seal and steed to aid my cultivation. Now I bequeath the iron horse to Lu Ziran and the Seven-Star Precious Seal to Ma Shanneng, entrusting them with our lineage. Serve them as you have served me." When both initially declined, the Master fixed them with stern gaze, startling the assembly until the tearful recipients acquiesced.

After ritual bathing, the Master requested plain robes. When concerns arose about inadequate warmth, he replied: "As I came, so shall I depart." His final legacy included three gatha verses, the first declaring: "Life is a ferry crossing—/Rowing oars for decades on end" (using the boat metaphor for the spiritual journey).

"Record of Daoist Master Dong Ningyang's Encounter with Immortals" - Modern Interpretation:

Before his passing, Master Dong left three gatha verses. The first stated: "I have severed worldly attachments, my destiny no longer bound by heaven's constraints." The second revealed: "I have mastered the method of spirit condensation (聚神法), using true fire to refine cinnabar (真火炼丹砂) in Daoist alchemical practice, attaining formless mind-state and realizing my original nature." The third declared: "I comprehend divine transformations, creating endlessly - my fate rests in my own hands, beyond heaven and earth's dominion."

After speaking these words, he instructed disciples: "Simply bury me at the mountain's foot when I depart." He peacefully passed during the Wei hour (1-3 PM) on the 25th day of the 10th month in the Dinghai year. Due to turbulent times, he was temporarily interred at Yanghao Hermitage in Dicun village.

Twelve years later (Wuxu year), disciples including Lingyangzi Lu Ziran, moved by time's swift passage, decided to rebury him. Upon opening the coffin, miraculous signs appeared: a sacred purple lingzhi mushroom (紫芝) grew on the northern cliff above the grave, thunder roared during the exhumation, and within the coffin Master Dong's visage remained lifelike, his robes white as frost, emitting extraordinary fragrance. The coffin itself had developed patterns resembling rare flowers and herbs. Awestruck, the disciples formally reinterred him at Turtle Mountain's base the following day.

Master Dong possessed extraordinary endowment - initially trained in martial arts, he later received authentic transmission from three immortals and turned to Daoist cultivation. Originally illiterate, through practice he gained literary ability; once inarticulate, he later spoke with poetic fluency. His writings reached such profound heights that even erudite scholars couldn't match them - a testament to his supreme cultivation attainment that naturally bestowed wisdom and literary talent.

Disciples including Lingyangzi compiled his surviving poetry and writings into the three-volume "Harmonious Radiance Collection" (《和光集》) for publication. The Master's miraculous deeds and transcendent accomplishments stand in stark contrast to those who merely plagiarize earlier works.

(Note: "Refining cinnabar with true fire" refers to Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) practice; the "spirit condensation method" cultivates original spirit (元神); the purple lingzhi mushroom symbolizes celestial auspiciousness in Daoism.)

The Encountering Immortals: Records of Perfected Dong Ningyang documents the experiences of Perfected Dong Ningyang (an honorific title for Daoist adepts) meeting celestial beings. This scripture reveals the fundamental methods of Daoist cultivation and the founding principles of the tradition by chronicling the complete process of the Perfected attaining the Dao and ascending to immortality. Simply opening and reading this text makes these truths abundantly clear. For this reason, we have carefully recorded this significant encounter with immortals to serve as guidance for future generations of practitioners.

(Note: "Perfected" translates 真人 here as the standard rendering for Daoist adepts who have attained the Way. The title preserves the original's reverential tone while distinguishing it from general uses of "real person." The translation maintains the classical cadence of the Chinese while adapting phrasing like "只要打开书卷阅读" into natural English syntax.)