《道教靈驗記》Vol. 9

In Mingzhou's Xiangshan County (modern-day Ningbo, Zhejiang), there stood Penglai Temple, which housed a portrait of the renowned Liang dynasty Daoist master Tao Hongjing (the Venerable Tao Zhengbai). This portrait was originally painted by Tao himself on the eastern wall. Local villagers often came to pray before it, with many receiving miraculous responses. A devout believer living near the temple would bow before the portrait every morning. This man frequently traveled to the provincial capital for business, returning home only every few days.

Once, as his boat was crossing the sea near the county town, a sudden violent storm arose, threatening to capsize the vessel. In desperation, he silently invoked the Venerable Tao for help, while the sixty or seventy passengers aboard chanted Buddhist prayers—yet the storm only grew fiercer. Suddenly, they saw a Daoist priest riding a golden light through the clouds, who pressed down the waves with a feathered fan and declared: "The Venerable Tao has come to save you. Do not fear." The moment these words were spoken, the storm immediately subsided. After landing, the man took several companions to Penglai Temple to verify the vision, and they found the portrait's likeness matched exactly the figure they'd seen in the sky. Deeply moved, the group donated funds to renovate the temple in gratitude.

At Chengdu's Yuju Temple (a Daoist abbey), there stood a statue of the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) that had received worship for many years. When a fire later destroyed the abbey's buildings, this statue alone remained unharmed—a marvel the people attributed to its spiritual power. A local man named Fan Yantong suddenly developed a severe skin disease that caused his eyebrows and hair to fall out. Vowing before Xiwangmu's statue that he would fully renovate the temple if healed, he dreamed that night of a jade maiden holding a floral tray who brushed his body with her sleeve, saying: "The Queen Mother has sent me to cure you." Within days his symptoms gradually faded and his hair regrew. True to his word, Fan installed golden lattice windows for the statue, painted the temple eaves in bright colors, and personally returned monthly to offer incense and light lamps. Only in recent years did the statue's miraculous manifestations gradually cease.

This same temple also housed three ancient statues of general deities. When Nanzhao troops once burned the abbey, all buildings were destroyed—yet these statues emerged unscathed. During later reconstruction, people discovered...

When Yan Shilin lay gravely ill for over a month with seemingly incurable sickness, he dreamed of three generals sweeping halberds across his body, removing a black dog-like entity, after which he miraculously recovered. In gratitude, he donated robes and commissioned the repainting of the temple's silk window screens.

The Yellow Demon Deity (Huangmo Shen, a Daoist guardian general) rescued two chancellors—Li Jifu and Xiao Gou. During Li Jifu's transfer from Zhongzhou in May, his boat encountered massive waves in the Three Gorges. Suddenly, a three-faced, six-armed deity with crimson hair and wrathful eyes emerged from the waters to shield the vessel, instantly calming the storm. When thanked, the deity identified himself as the Yellow Demon Deity of Guizhou. Li later constructed a shrine for him at the Purple Pole Palace (Ziji Gong) and erected a commemorative stele. Similarly, Chancellor Xiao Gou, recalled from exile, was saved when the deity lifted his boat through treacherous floods, prompting Xiao to likewise restore the temple and install a memorial tablet.

The Azure Dragon Lord (Qinglong Jun, a Daoist dragon guardian) statue at Huzhou's Kaiyuan Temple was exquisitely crafted, reputedly by imperial artisans of Emperor Xuanzong's era, and proved remarkably efficacious. Before the temple stood a foot-thick pagoda tree by the official road. When the county magistrate ordered it felled, he dreamed of the Azure Dragon Lord declaring the tree would regenerate. Dismissing this, the magistrate suffered excruciating pain with each axe strike his workers made, while a giant serpent emerged from beneath the deity's altar to terrify them. Soon, the magistrate developed sores that only healed after applying scallion paste to the tree's wounds. Over a year later, the tree fully regenerated with lusher foliage than before, and the Azure Dragon Lord's incense offerings flourished thereafter.

The Southern Thearch (Nandi, a Daoist celestial sovereign) at Jingnan's Kaiyuan Temple also demonstrated potent efficacy (the original text briefly notes this deity's similarly verified miracles).

At the Kaiyuan Temple in Jingnan (present-day Jingzhou, Hubei region), there stood a statue of the Southern Emperor deity whose origins had been forgotten. Covered in dust, the idol had received no offerings for years. One night, when a pregnant woman—whose husband was away—went into labor with no neighbors awake to lend lanterns, a mysterious candle suddenly appeared. A maiden arrived to illuminate the birthing chamber, boiled water, and gave the woman a spiritual talisman (fulu). Upon swallowing it, the mother's pain ceased instantly, allowing a smooth delivery. The maiden thoughtfully prepared bathing essentials and nourishing rice wine, caring for her more attentively than family. As the night was cold, she even removed her brocade robe to cover the new mother. Before leaving at dawn, she left the candle behind. When the grateful woman asked her identity, the maiden replied, "The Southern Emperor of Kaiyuan Temple sent me." After the husband returned, the couple visited the temple and discovered the dust-covered statue in the eastern corridor, its canopy damaged. While cleaning it, they realized the "brocade robe" that had covered the woman was actually a missing fragment of the canopy—though merely a square handkerchief in size, it had miraculously expanded to full-body coverage that night. Thereafter, the Southern Emperor's fame spread, drawing endless worshippers, and the statue was lavishly restored.

Another account from the sixth year of Emperor Wenzong's Taihe era (832 CE): Li Deyu, then military governor of Xichuan, dispatched general Cai Ju to Qingcheng Mountain (a sacred Daoist site) to conduct a ritual (zhaijiao) and gather herbs. At Liushi Rock, Cai suddenly encountered a mountain gale and saw two divine figures walking midair—the first, over ten feet tall, wore wide sleeves and a flat crown; the latter, in blue robes, carried a scroll. Startled, Cai asked their identities. The first introduced himself as "Old Bamboo Branch" and revealed his companion as "Gui Zhi Zao," then disclosed a celestial secret: "Deliver this message to Minister Li: Though floods shall strike Shu this year, the merit from your ritual has moved me to shift a rear mountain peak into a dam to avert disaster."

This account records the miraculous manifestations of two Daoist immortals.

First is the story of Ge Gui's divine manifestation: That year, the eastern rivers flooded with waters rising several zhang high, yet the western Shu region remained completely unharmed. Official Li Gong consulted numerous Daoist priests, but none could decipher the cryptic message left by the immortals. Later, Li Gong suddenly realized: "The bamboo branch elder—this must be the manifestation of Zhangren Zhenjun (the principal deity of Mount Qingcheng)." Originally, Ge Gui Hua (a sacred Daoist site) had been the cultivation ground of Immortal Ge Gui, and this manifestation served to demonstrate the efficacy of divine power to the world.

Next are the deeds of Perfected Lord Luo (the famous Tang dynasty Daoist Luo Gongyuan). He cultivated the Dao in the Luojiang Dam area of Haoyang, located at the border between Jiulong and Shifang. Perfected Lord Luo once practiced cultivation on the southern slopes of Mount Qingcheng, now called Luo Family Mountain. During Emperor Xuanzong's reign, he frequently entered the imperial palace to assist the emperor, later retiring to live in reclusion at places like Pengkou and Shifang. Local villagers often saw him take on different forms—sometimes an old woman, sometimes a beggar. Whenever wind and rain became imbalanced or farmland lay barren, he would appear, leading people to believe he was a deity governing weather.

One particularly efficacious story tells of Yang Village residents preparing to pray for rain at Li Bing's temple during a severe drought when they encountered an old woman on the road. She told them: "If you want rain, seek Perfected Lord Luo—other spirits won't help." With these words, she vanished. Realizing this might be Perfected Lord Luo's transformation, the villagers immediately burned incense and prayed at that spot. Soon, dark clouds gathered and rain began falling, bringing abundant precipitation across dozens of li. Later, the villagers built an altar there enshrining Perfected Lord Luo's sacred image. When neighboring villages heard of this, they also invited the sacred image to establish altars in their own communities—each time with immediate results. Today, across seven or eight counties including Shifang and Mianzhu, temples venerating Perfected Lord Luo can be found everywhere.

This passage records two accounts of Daoist spiritual efficacy:

The first story tells of an ascetic appearing by the Pengkou River, dressed like a beggar. He warned local residents of an impending flood and urged them to relocate to higher ground. Those who believed him moved away, while skeptics remained. Five or six days later, a catastrophic flood indeed submerged homes, claiming nearly one-third of the population. Survivors built a shrine and erected a statue to honor this mysterious cultivator.

The second account has two parts:

The first half describes merchant Yang Chu trapped during wartime turmoil, facing exorbitant military levies. Known for his filial devotion to his mother, Yang regularly made offerings at a mountain Daoist temple before a portrait of a Perfected Being (Zhenren). One day, the Perfected manifested as an ordinary man visiting Yang's shop, teaching him an alchemical method to transform iron into gold. Identifying himself as Luo Gongyuan (a famous Daoist immortal from Qingcheng Mountain), the Perfected rewarded Yang's filial piety by solving his financial crisis and later guiding him into mountain cultivation. After receiving the elixir (dan), Yang's parents experienced their white hair turning black, achieving rejuvenation.

The latter half recounts miraculous events at Kaiyuan Temple in Jiazhou (modern Leshan, Sichuan). Originally built during the Northern Zhou dynasty as Hongming Temple, it featured a colossal two-zhang tall (≈6m) Flying Celestial Deity statue trampling two demonic figures in its western hall. The temple's founding Daoist Lü Yuanzao repeatedly dreamed of a sky-piercing divine being, while local devotees often witnessed supernatural phenomena. Though ten statues were planned, only one was completed before the Sui dynasty's collapse due to warfare. This singular statue proved extraordinarily efficacious, with countless verified healings reported by petitioners. The two blue-black demonic figures beneath the deity's feet frequently manifested in villagers' homes. During the Tang Taihe era (827-835), even Chancellor Du Yuanying witnessed these marvels while governing Chengdu.

At that time, the border regions lacked defensive fortifications, allowing the Nanzhao army to invade the Muyuanchuan area. Local minority tribes guided the enemy forces to launch a three-pronged surprise attack, attempting to capture Jiazhou. When the invaders advanced to within forty li of the city, they suddenly panicked and fled. Captured enemy scouts later confessed: the three barbarian divisions had assumed Jiazhou was completely undefended, but midway they saw mountains and plains covered with countless battle flags and soldiers arrayed in formation. Most astonishing were three to five golden-armored divine generals—each standing twenty to thirty feet tall with voices like thunder—commanding mountain troops while treading upon ghostly minions. The barbarian troops, recognizing their inferiority, scattered in retreat. That very day, all three enemy commanders died suddenly—according to their customs, those who perish during campaigns must be buried immediately, so none knew their exact burial sites. The people attributed this to the miraculous protection of the Flying Celestial King (Feitian Shenwang), and his temple incense offerings have continued unbroken ever since.

Another verified account tells of merchant ships crossing the Qutang Gorge when struck by violent storms—one vessel sank while two others teetered on destruction. Suddenly, a deity appeared onshore, dispatching two ghostly attendants (one crimson, one azure) over ten feet tall to stabilize the boats underwater, whereupon the tempest immediately calmed. Only later did witnesses realize these matched the descriptions of the Flying Celestial King's legendary attendants.

The Qianyuan Daoist Temple in Chengdu—a renowned Daoist sanctuary—originally stood in the Silkworm Market before being destroyed by war. Yet miraculously, its four exterior Heavenly King statues (representing Donghua, Nanji, Xiling, and Beizhen) remained completely intact. These golden-armored icons, cast in the style of Chaoyuan Pavilion in Huaqing Palace, showed no weathering despite prolonged exposure. Their numinous efficacy became locally renowned—even the Shu King, returning temporarily to Chengdu after attacking Pengzhou, learned of these marvels.

(Note: The Flying Celestial King is a Daoist guardian deity often depicted as a golden-armored general. Qianyuan Temple's four directional Heavenly Kings mirror Buddhist Four Heavenly Kings in their protective roles.)

During the summer heat, military generals sought convenient locations to station their troops. General Du Kexiu arrived first at the Temple of the Divine King, where he saw a crowd gathered around a statue, murmuring in astonishment. Upon inquiry, he learned that the statue could move on its own. Du Kexiu then placed a vessel of water in the statue's hand and indeed witnessed its arm sway, causing the water to spill. Soon after, the King of Shu arrived and also prayed to the statue, testing its power by saying, "If you can assist me in conquering Pengzhou, please manifest your divine efficacy once more." The statue trembled vigorously for an extended period. Within a month, the Shu army successfully captured Pengzhou, annihilating their formidable foes. In gratitude, the King of Shu ordered the construction of a grand hall with gold, silver, and other treasures to enshrine the miraculous statue.

On the eastern slopes of Mount Qingcheng stood the Hall of the True Lord Zhangren (a revered Daoist deity), nestled against a sheer cliff with a deep stream flowing before it. Though the terrain was perilously narrow, the surrounding mountains offered breathtaking scenery. Since its construction during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, water had to be laboriously fetched from the northeastern cliff and the western stream. During droughts, the task became even more arduous as water had to be carried from the front stream. However, on the thirteenth day of the seventh month during the Jingfu era (reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang), a sudden storm unleashed torrential rains, causing rocks to collapse near the Ghost City section of the northern cliff. A raging torrent surged toward the True Lord Hall, but miraculously, falling stones naturally formed a dam, diverting the flood eastward and sparing the temple from destruction. From then on, a clear spring flowed perpetually from the cliff. The Daoist priests channeled the water into their kitchen using bamboo pipes, and to this day, the sweet and fragrant spring has never ceased.

The Longxing Temple in Xiangzhou had been severely damaged during wartime, leaving only the skeletal frame of its Gate Guardian King statue after its clay exterior crumbled away. A laborer stole the wooden foot bones of the statue to use as firewood. When his wife placed the wood in the stove, it merely charred black without igniting, forcing her to discard it. Later, as she sat by the stove, she inexplicably thrust her own foot into the fire, only realizing the excruciating pain when it was too late. By the time her husband rushed over, her foot was already severely burned. Upon reflection, the laborer remembered that the wood had come from the Guardian King’s statue and hurriedly returned the remaining bones to the temple. News of this incident spread far and wide, leaving people in awe of the divine retribution manifested by the Guardian King.

In Xiangzhou (present-day Xiangyang, Hubei), there stood a dilapidated Temple of the Northern Emperor (dedicated to the Great Emperor of the North Star, Ziwei Beiji) that had fallen into disrepair within military barracks. One night, Prince Zhao Kuangning of Chu heard sounds resembling the clashing of weapons and leather armor on his roof, with roof tiles visibly shaking. Rising quietly to investigate, he witnessed a dark vapor drifting from the direction of the old temple site onto his rooftop.

Finding this phenomenon extraordinary, Prince Zhao secretly offered devout prayers and resolved to rebuild the temple in gratitude for this divine manifestation. The following morning during official duties, fifty previously selected officers who were supposed to report for garrison farming collectively refused orders. Suspecting rebellion, the prince interrogated them and indeed uncovered a conspiracy, subsequently executing all conspirators.

Reflecting on these events, Prince Zhao later remarked: "The Northern Emperor's divine manifestation bore clear omens! The dark vapor's appearance last night foretold this morning's exposed treachery. Had the deity not warned me in secret, disaster would have befallen me." He then restored the Temple of the Northern Emperor with renewed splendor—adorned halls, majestic statues, and dedicated caretakers for incense offerings. From then on, local residents frequented the temple with prayers, receiving numerous divine responses.

(Note: The "Northern Emperor" refers to the Great Emperor of the North Star (Ziwei Beiji), a major Daoist deity governing military affairs and judicial punishments in human affairs. Ancient beliefs held that celestial phenomena often correlated with human fortunes, reflecting the Daoist concept of "cosmic resonance" between heaven and humanity.)