《洞玄靈寶三師記》

This passage forms the opening section of the Dongxuan Lingbao Sanshi Ji (Records of the Three Masters from the Numinous Treasure of the Cavern Mystery), composed by the Tang dynasty Daoist master Liu Chujing, known as the "Guangcheng Xiansheng." It primarily elucidates the vital importance of Daoism's "Three Masters" transmission system.

The text begins by expounding that the essence of the Dao (the Way) is perfect stillness and wuwei (non-action), while its function manifests in generating all things and responding to sentient beings. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), Daoism's supreme deity, initiated the wondrous Dao through five cosmic evolutionary phases (wutai), mastering the mechanisms of creation. He condensed the true principles of Daoist practice into ritual seals (fayin) and transmitted them to the Great Dao Lord of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Dadaojun). The latter further developed these into twelve ritual seals encompassing all profound mysteries, which were then passed down to Lord Lao (Laojun).

The passage then explains the "Three Masters" transmission system: the guiding master (dushi, one's direct teacher), the lineage master (jishi, the teacher of one's guiding master who transmits the Daoist lineage), and the scripture master (jingshi, the teacher of one's lineage master who transmits the canonical methods). These three masters surpass even one's ancestors and parents in importance, for while ancestors can pass down family heritage but cannot enable one to attain the Dao, and parents can give physical life but cannot make one an immortal.

The author laments that while these three ancestral masters possessed sublime virtue (De), systematic records of their lives were lacking. He thus resolved to compile authentic accounts for posterity. The colophon mentions that this record was compiled by the disciple Lu Shenyi of Wuxing, documenting the deeds of the perfected Tian Liangyi (courtesy name Xuying), with the preface completed during the Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan, 15th day of the 7th lunar month) in the gengchen year (exact Tang dynasty year uncertain) of the Tang dynasty.

Finally, it briefly identifies the scripture master as the Great Grotto Perfected Tian of the Shangqing tradition from Mount Heng in Nanyue, named Xuying with the courtesy name Liangyi, originally from the Qi region (present-day Shandong). The passage emphasizes the crucial role of the master-disciple transmission system in achieving Daoist immortality.

This passage records the life of a Daoist practitioner during the Sui and Tang dynasties:

During the Kaihuang era of the Sui dynasty, this cultivator originally lived a few miles west of You County serving his parents. Finding the area too populated for spiritual practice, he left despite the tranquility of the nearby mountains and forests. He later relocated to the vicinity of Mount Heng in the Southern Marchmount (Nanyue). Endowed with innate purity, he embodied the filial piety traditions of the ancient sage-king Shun (Chonghua). For over fifty years at the southeastern foothills of Zigai Peak, he tilled the land to support his parents with unceasing devotion morning and night. Though drawn to mountain retreats for cultivation, he always prioritized filial duties. Only after his parents' passing did he begin wandering among the Five Sacred Peaks.

In the Longshuo era (661-663 CE) of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, he encountered the hidden immortal Master He, who secretly transmitted Daoist methods to him. Thereafter, he dwelled as a recluse in mountain forests with unpredictable movements. Local official Tian Hou, admiring his virtue (De), specially built the "Hall of Descending Truth" (Jiangzhen Tang) in the eastern hall of Nanyue's Daoist temple, inscribing eulogies on its walls to honor his spiritual attainment. Here, the practitioner transmitted the Great Cavern (Dadong) scriptures of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) tradition - a lineage passed from Zhenyi Xiansheng to Celestial Master (Tianshi) Xue, then to him. Having mastered the essence of these teachings, he cultivated for over two hundred years. Though seasons changed, his lifespan seemed boundless, and mountaineers still claim sightings of him today, presumably continuing practice in celestial grotto-heavens.

His four distinguished disciples included Feng Weiliang (Daoist name Qiyao), Chen Guayan (Xianglin), and Xu Lingfu (Fangying). During Emperor Xianzong's Yuanhe era (806-820 CE), they journeyed eastward to spread teachings at Mount Tiantai. When summoned by imperial decree, they declined to leave the mountains. Another disciple, Liu Guangcheng, resided at Mount Heng's base until Emperor Wuzong summoned him to court as Celestial Master to transmit Daoist methods. The Three Caverns (Sandong) scriptures circulating in Jiangzhe regions today all venerate this practitioner's disciple Master Tian as their patriarch.

The concluding eulogy summarizes: The supreme Dao (Dao) is the ineffable essence of pristine simplicity. Our patriarch attained transcendent awakening, silently embodying the Great Way (Dao) - seemingly unlearned yet receiving true transmission. From the blessings initiated by Emperor Shun (of the Gui clan) to the flourishing legacy of Qi's Tian ancestors, they found contentment in poverty while transmitting the classics (the crimson gauze symbolizing Daoist scriptures).

This passage recounts the spiritual journey and accomplishments of Tang Dynasty Daoist master Feng Weiliang. A native of Changle, Feng initially cultivated the Dao at the Central Temple of Mount Heng, where he formed spiritual companionship with fellow practitioners Xu Jun and Chen Jun. Each built their own meditation hut near the temple for dedicated practice. Later, Feng traveled to Mount Tiantai to propagate Daoist teachings. His reputation reached Yuan Zhen, a magistrate of Kuaiji, who voluntarily sought him out as a disciple.

Feng Weiliang took charge of restoring the dilapidated Tongbo Temple on Mount Tiantai, reviving structures like the Shangqing Pavilion and Jiangzhen Hall, thereby continuing the spiritual lineage of senior master Tian Zhenyi. Despite repeated imperial summons to court (conveyed through the respectful "padded-wheel carriage and crane-head missive" protocol), Feng consistently declined official positions. Instead, he established the Qiyao Hermitage in Hualin Valley for secluded cultivation. Frequently venturing alone into Mount Tiantai's sacred sites—Lingxu Peak, Huading Summit, and Stone Bridge—he would often spend months exploring these numinous realms before returning.

His disciples—Ying Yijie, Ye Cangzhi, Liu Chujing, and Shen Guanwu—all became renowned Daoist masters in their own right, spreading this lineage's teachings throughout the land. The concluding eulogy summarizes core Daoist cultivation principles: returning to primordial authenticity from chaos, establishing Dao as one's foundation, receiving transmitted talismanic registers (fulu) through master-disciple transmission, refining the Golden Elixir (jindan, referring to neidan internal alchemy practice), and ultimately achieving celestial ascension.

(Note: The "Three Caverns" refer to the three divisions of Daoist scriptures—Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen; "padded-wheel carriage and crane-head missive" describes the court's ceremonial protocol for summoning revered scholars, using cushioned carriage wheels and crane-adorned documents to show respect.)

This scripture records the life and spiritual lineage of the eminent Daoist master Ying Yijie:

In the secluded valleys of Mount Tongbai (a sacred Daoist mountain), three like-minded practitioners met to cultivate the Way. Along the left bank of Zhejiang, our Daoist teachings flourished so profoundly that even enlightened rulers admired their virtue (De), and military generals became sincere devotees. These cultivators maintained hearts free from worldly attachments—so detached that imperial summons could not move them, until they finally ascended to the immortal realms riding clouds and winds.

The text primarily recounts the life of Master Ying Yijie (honored with the purple robe title "Lord Ying"): His ancestral home was in Runan, later relocating to Jinhua (modern Dongyang, Zhejiang) during the Eastern Jin dynasty. His ancestor Ying Shuning was a renowned scholar of the Kaiyuan era (Tang dynasty), with generations of the family devoted to studying classics and cultivating virtue (De) without pursuing official careers. Master Ying possessed extraordinary spiritual endowment from birth—his mother Lady He dreamed of a meteor entering her window before conceiving him, and he was born in 810 CE (5th year of Yuanhe period). Vegetarian since infancy, he became a disciple of Wu Xuansu at Lingrui Temple in Lanxi County at age seven, studying the Zhuangzi (recorded as Nanhua Zhenjing in Daoist canon) and Zhouyi (Book of Changes). At thirteen he formally renounced worldly life, and by fifteen entered Mount Tiantai to practice Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) methods. He later studied various Daoist traditions at Mount Longhu and elsewhere, ultimately inheriting the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) lineage.

The scripture meticulously documents his spiritual genealogy: Beginning with the venerable Tao Hongjing, transmitted through Wang Yuanzhi, Pan Shizheng, Sima Chengzhen, Xue Jichang, Tian Liangyi, and Feng Weiliang—each generation of these exalted masters possessed purity like evergreen trees, successively ascending the immortal ranks.

This passage from the Records of the Three Masters of Dongxuan Lingbao recounts the life of Daoist master Liu Chujing:

Liu Chujing practiced Daoist cultivation alongside fellow adepts at Xiandu Mountain. In 843 CE during the Tang dynasty, he established a pure altar (a ceremonial platform for Zhaijiao rituals) at Cuiping Cliff southwest of Tongbai Abbey, dedicating himself to spiritual practice. When Li Bao, the regional inspector of Yuezhou, heard of his virtuous conduct (De), he petitioned the court to grant the temple the official name "Abbey of Dao's Origin."

For over fifty subsequent years, Liu maintained his mountain hermitage while steadfastly continuing cultivation. Devotees from the Wu-Yue region flocked to pay homage, with some abandoning worldly life to follow him. From youth, he embodied purity of character, maintaining a jade-like composure far removed from mundane concerns. His daily practice included: entering meditative stillness (zuowang), observing purification fasts, ascending the ritual platform, and studying Fulu (talismans) to perform blessings and avert calamities for the people.

He mastered core Daoist scriptures like the Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Classic) and Dadong Zhenjing (Great Cavern True Scripture), along with esoteric arts like the "Eight Methods of Cloud Divination" and "Three Primordials Ritual Service" (concerning the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth and Water). Through day-night cultivation, he ultimately received true transmission. Though local officials repeatedly petitioned the emperor to grant him the purple robe (highest honor for Daoists), he remained true to his original aspiration.

On his deathbed, he told disciples: "For propagating the Dao, I couldn't fully withdraw from society. What matters in cultivation is sincerity - the Jade Capital (celestial realm) and Fengdu (underworld) are truly separated by just a single thought." After purification rituals on the seventh day of the seventh month in 894 CE, he peacefully departed during the Chou hour (1-3 AM) on the eighth day at age 85. His body remained supple as in life, corresponding to the "higher liberation" (corpse-deliverance) described in Daoist texts. At his passing, the courtyard filled with celestial fragrance and violet mist, while birds and beasts mourned. Seven days later during the refining ritual (transcendence ceremony) in a stone chamber, two feathered immorts appeared bearing jade tablets - clear signs of his achieved ascension.

(Note: Technical terms like "pure altar," "meditative stillness," and "Yellow Court Classic" are preserved with contextual explanations. Cultivation methods and deathbed portents receive background clarification. Reign eras like "Huichang" are converted to CE dates for accessibility.)

This passage recounts the miraculous deeds of three eminent Daoist masters, rendered here in contemporary language:

The text describes an extraordinary scene witnessed by Daoist priest Zhang Jingxuan during winter meditation on Mount Tiantai (a sacred peak in Zhejiang) five years prior. Amidst violet-tinged clouds, three celestial vessels materialized—the first carrying Master Ye Fashan (Tang dynasty adept, known as Jade Firmament Lord Ye), the second bearing Master Liu Chujing (Tang dynasty master, titled Fangying Lord Liu), and the third transporting the Venerable Guangcheng (Du Guangting, grand master of Tang Daoism). When the first two vessels departed ahead, with Guangcheng's following afterward, this mirrored the spiritual hierarchy wherein Ye and Liu attained transcendence earlier, demonstrating the visible signs of cultivation achievement.

Later accounts by literati like Zhang Ying and Luo Yin recorded these events with ornate prose in monastery inscriptions. However, Lu Shenyi (disciple of the Venerable Guangcheng) observed that while such literary records possessed aesthetic refinement, they failed to capture the essence of Daoist transcendence. Thus he compiled this factual account, appended with the Venerable's own eulogy.

The eulogy conveys: The profound Dao's mysteries reside within the Chongxuan scriptures; cultivation methods are distributed among the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen) classics. Precious jade-scripted golden formulas (esoteric Daoist texts) shine like mystical dragons and phoenixes. The Three Luminaries (sun, moon, stars) teachings transmitted by Lord Donghua (a Daoist deity) illuminate deluded paths and awaken worldly minds. It praises the master's (Guangcheng's) virtues: transcending worldly attachments while matching ancient sages' integrity. Through Eight Directions (Bagua) purification and silent veneration of the Three Primes (heaven, earth, water), perfected cultivation enables wind-riding ascension. At Mount Danhuo's grotto-heavens and Mount Chicheng's immortal palaces (Zhejiang's sacred sites), he widely propagated the Dao and established sublime cultivation standards.

Through miraculous visions and sacred poetry, this passage manifests the Tang dynasty's three great masters' spiritual accomplishments and Daoism's core belief in "cultivation leading to transcendence."