《體玄真人顯異錄》

"Record of Marvelous Manifestations by Master Tixuan" - Modern Interpretation

The Case of the Wooden Deity's Haunting

In Baimo Village southeast of Laiyang, there lived a man named Wang Jin whose wife, Dame Dong, suddenly fell gravely ill (with symptoms resembling stroke). Despite consulting numerous renowned physicians over six months, none could cure her. When word arrived that a certain Master Wang—honored as "Master Tixuan" (the Embodiment of Mystery)—had come to White Slope Hermitage, Wang Jin rode there with servants to seek help. The master initially declined. Returning home, Wang Jin told his family: "If Master Wang won't intervene, Dame Dong may not survive the week." Father and son then walked barefoot to the hermitage to plead, whereupon the master relented.

Upon examination, the master remarked: "So this is the ailment." Pointing to a carved wooden deity before the Buddhist altar, he declared: "Who would have thought this fire-headed idol (referring to the wooden effigy) was the culprit?" He instructed Wang Jin's household to burn the statue. Soon after, Dame Dong suddenly laughed in astonishment: "My illness seems to have vanished!" The entire family bowed in gratitude. As the master prepared to leave, the crowd clutched his robes in earnest entreaty, and only after partaking of their vegetarian feast did he depart.

The Case of the Tile-Beast's Malice

Sun Fu of South Pagoda Village in Fushan County lived comfortably as a brewer, yet his brutish temperament and vulgar speech earned him the nickname "Mad Third Brother" among villagers. He often roamed the mountains with Master Tixuan as a drinking companion.

One day, Sun Fu was stricken with severe dysentery. After a month of failed treatments and agonizing pain, he groaned: "Why hasn't the master come to save me?" At that instant, the master's voice called outside: "Is Mad Third Sun here?" His son Sun Qin rushed out, explaining: "My father lies at death's door." The master replied: "No matter," and cheerfully approached the sickbed.

"Mad Third!" boomed the master. "I've come specifically to drink with you—why not rise?" Sun Fu wheezed: "I'm too ill to swallow water—how could I drink?" The master declared: "I guarantee you won't die," then inspected the premises. Pointing to a roof tile-beast (a ridge ornament) on the eastern annex, he pronounced: "This vile creature is the source." He immediately ordered it smashed.

Returning inside, he asked: "Can you rise now?" Sun Fu admitted: "The pain has ceased, but I lack strength." The master directed Sun's wife, Dame Liang, to prepare congee. When served, he blew Qi (vital energy) over the bowl and personally fed the patient. Sun Fu devoured multiple portions, marveling at their extraordinary fragrance.

Vernacular Interpretation of "Records of the Miraculous Manifestations of Master Ti Xuan"

The Liang family had fine wine, which Master Ti Xuan asked them to bring. After drinking half a jar himself, he gave the remainder to a sick man surnamed Fu. The man’s severe illness was instantly cured. Straightening his clothes, he rose and bowed in gratitude, saying, “Thanks to the Master’s compassion, I’ve been granted a new lease on life. With no means to repay you, I wish to renounce worldly life and become your disciple.” The Master replied, “Those who can devote their entire lives to monastic practice are destined by karmic connections from past lives—it’s not something achieved by chance. I see your past affinities do not suit the monastic path; it’s better to cultivate virtue and accumulate blessings as a layperson.” Soon after, the Master quietly departed, and Fu burned all the debt contracts owed by his neighbors.

Once, Master Ti Xuan stayed temporarily at a newly built hermitage by Shi Ya in Dongni Village, Laiyang. Just after the New Year, his disciple Wang Zhijian suggested, “Since the hermitage is new and lacks many devotees, why not use our current resources to hold a Shangyuan Festival (an important Daoist holiday) purification ritual (Zhaijiao)?” Everyone agreed. The ritual lasted until the 16th day, when the Master instructed, “Whether monastics or lay devotees, all should stay for the vegetarian meal tomorrow.” Later, Zhijian reported, “There are over seventy people, and the remaining food won’t be enough to share.” The Master personally poured the food into an empty vat, saying, “It will suffice.” The next day, each person received four flatbreads, with two extra for those who had traveled far. The food was distributed perfectly, with none left over. The crowd burned incense in awe of this divine marvel, and from then on, dozens of surrounding villages embraced the faith.

On another occasion, Master Ti Xuan went begging for alms in Dongmou’s Gutou Village. A villager named Yu Shen asked, “Does the Master require a vegetarian meal?” The Master nodded. Yu Shen had his wife prepare noodles to serve him, but just as the dough was kneaded, someone suddenly arrived with an invitation: “Magistrate Li is hosting a banquet and awaits the Master’s presence.”

This passage records several miraculous deeds of Master Ti Xuan, an eminent Daoist adept:

The first account tells of the master eating raw flour. A disciple once offered him uncooked noodles, which the master accepted and ate without hesitation. The astonished disciple cautioned, "Venerable Master, your alchemical furnace still contains cinnabar with its true fire burning—how can you consume raw flour?" The master simply smiled in silence and suffered no ill effects after eating.

The second miracle concerns rainmaking during a drought. When Beijing suffered severe drought, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, who long admired the master's reputation, sent envoys to invite him. On the fourteenth day of the seventh lunar month when the master arrived, the commissioner led thousands to beseech him for rain. The master asked, "Do you require one chi (about 1/3 meter) of rainfall?" The crowd exchanged puzzled glances. On the seventeenth day, rain indeed fell across a thousand-li radius, precisely reaching the predicted depth.

The third episode demonstrates prophetic accuracy. Upon parting, the master told the commissioner, "We shall meet again in the capital." Having just assumed office two months prior, the commissioner was perplexed. Yet come mid-autumn, he was promoted to Supervisor of the Household of the Heir Apparent and reunited with the master at Beijing's Taixu Temple. Later, the master predicted the commissioner's transfer to Ninghai, which also came to pass.

Finally, after being demoted to Ninghai's governorship, the commissioner specially visited Shengshui to pay homage to the master, sighing, "I had only heard of immortal masters by reputation before...". These accounts collectively demonstrate the master's extraordinary abilities—divining the future and commanding wind and rain at will.

"Record of Marvelous Manifestations by the Master Who Embodies the Dao" - Modern Interpretation:

Since taking my master as teacher, every time I prayed with sincere devotion, I always received responses from the divine. Before encountering major opportunities, my master would invariably foresee and inform me in advance. I deeply felt how fortunate this mortal body of mine was to receive such grace, and many times wished to cast off worldly entanglements to cultivate like drifting clouds and wild cranes following my master. Yet worldly affairs seldom comply with our wishes, leaving me with nothing but increasing melancholy.

[Spirit Journey to Drink Wine]

When my master was summoned to pass through Cangzhou, a royal relative invited him to stay at his family temple. The next day, a wine steward named Liu came requesting: "Might this humble one trouble the immortal master to grace my meager dwelling?" The master accepted the invitation. After the vegetarian meal, Liu said: "Long have I heard of the master's legendary capacity for drink, yet never had the fortune to witness it. Today being this fortunate meeting, I earnestly beg you to drink freely." The master replied: "I am honored by your kindness. Your fine wine surely surpasses common village brew, but having just eaten, I must rest briefly before drinking."

After Liu withdrew, thunderous snoring was heard from the hall. When he and his wife Zhao went to the cellar to prepare wine, they astonishingly saw the master leaning against the wine vat drinking heartily. Silently returning to the hall, they found the master still fast asleep. Revisiting the cellar, they witnessed the master draining two entire vats in succession. The terrified couple prostrated themselves, whereupon the master awoke laughing: "Thanks to your hospitality, let these two vats count as my gratitude." He then had an attendant fetch an old undershirt as gift: "Though worn, this is precious - it can cure all ailments."

Later when summoned to the capital, this very undershirt indeed healed many patients who came seeking help. The Lius suddenly understood: "Good connections can truly be forged, the Dao's power is real!" They then distributed all their wealth to aid the poor, freed their servants, and both took monastic vows until their lives' end.

[Formless Chess Game]

Once while collecting alms in Fushan County's southern Shuidu village, the master encountered wealthy Wang You who asked: "Would the master play chess with me?" It was deep winter's bitter cold. Wang wore fox-fur hat, quilted robe, leather boots and felt socks, while the master... (text continues)

"Records of the Manifest Wonders of Master Ti Xuan" - Modern Interpretation:

The first passage recounts Master Ti Xuan playing chess with a man named You:

Dressed in tattered clothes with exposed elbows and toes, You jokingly invited the master to the front hall. The master sat facing the wind at the doorway while You, seated beside him, playfully asked how many games they should play. The master suggested three, but You found this too few, so they settled on ten. Before finishing two games, You was already rubbing his hands and stamping his feet from cold, while the master's face remained radiant as if basking in spring breeze. Unable to endure, You conceded defeat before completing three games, marveling that the master had truly attained the state of "no-mind no-thought, forgetting form and body." The master laughed and said this was "a mundane joke that broke our agreement," then departed.

The second passage "Zhuanzhi's Heirs" tells:

Zhuanzhi, from the Shi family of Fushan, came from wealth but remained childless at sixty. One day, the master lifted a stone mortar with his foot in the courtyard, saying its improper placement caused Zhuanzhi's childlessness, and promised him two sons. When everyone laughed at this absurdity, the master solemnly moved the mortar away with his foot. Later, Zhuanzhi indeed fathered two sons named Xingzhu and Qide, convincing all witnesses.

The third passage "Baoyang's Healing" describes:

Gao Rong (courtesy name Baoyang) suffered severe dysentery and couldn't take medicine for a month. The master traveled from Dongmu to South Tower, telling disciples he would save Baoyang. Passing the Yangzhu Temple (dedicated to the solar deity), he broke off a peach-wood branch and stood facing the shrine for a long time. At Gao's house, he requested a small knife, wiped the patient from head to toe with his sleeve, then thrust the blade into the bed mat while commanding the patient to rise. Gao Rong immediately stood up, completely healed.

(Note: The "stone mortar" refers to a grain-pounding tool; "Yangzhu Temple" honors the solar deity; "peach-wood branch" was commonly used for exorcisms.)

Vernacular Interpretation of "Records of the Marvelous Manifestations of Master Ti Xuan"

The Miraculous Healing Porridge

A patient was in critical condition, and Master Ti Xuan (an honorific title for accomplished Daoist practitioners) instructed the family to quickly prepare thick porridge. The family was puzzled: "He can barely drink water—how can he take thick porridge?" The master assured them it would be fine. Once the porridge was ready, the master personally fed it to the patient. At first, the patient struggled to swallow, but after a few sips, he consumed two full bowls, praising its delicious taste. Immediately afterward, he stood up to express his gratitude, completely free of illness, as if fully recovered.

The Rainmaking Miracle

After completing a Zhaijiao (Daoist purification ritual) in Jizhou, Master Ti Xuan was invited by local officials and devotees to stay at Yuqing Temple in Yutian County to escape the summer heat. It was the fifth lunar month, and a severe drought had struck. On the tenth day, the officials and commoners pleaded with the master to pray for rain. The next day, about two inches of rain fell, though the coverage was limited. Though they thanked him in person, they remained unsatisfied. The master said, "You're thanking the wrong person—this wasn’t rain I summoned." By the morning of the thirteenth, after burning incense before the divine statue, the master pointed southward and asked, "Do you see it?" The crowd watched as a wisp of black smoke rose from a well. The master explained, "This is the rain dragon (a divine dragon governing rainfall) drawing water. Heavy rain will soon come." Sure enough, from Chenshi (7–9 AM) until evening, a steady downpour drenched the fields far and wide, ensuring a bountiful harvest that year.

The Resurrected Rooster

In his early years, Master Ti Xuan once visited Dongma Village in Laiyang. A local man named Jiang Shen had long heard of the master’s ability to heal illnesses and dispel evil influences. That day, he invited the master to his home and asked what vegetarian meal (zhai) he should prepare. The master inquired, "Do you have a chicken?" Jiang Shen replied that his family only raised goats, but a relative had just gifted him a rooster that crowed at dawn. The master bluntly asked, "May I eat it?" Jiang Shen agreed and went to catch the rooster, but a fellow villager, Li Shouqing, objected: "Even a gentleman cannot bear to witness killing—how much less a Daoist cultivator? This is no way to revere the master." Jiang Shen countered, "Many prepare fine feasts yet fail to invite the master—how can I begrudge a single chicken?" So he slaughtered and cooked the rooster. The master ate the entire bird with satisfaction before departing. The next morning, everyone was startled to hear a rooster’s crow. Astonished, they asked, "Where is this rooster calling from its perch?" To their amazement, the slaughtered rooster had come back to life.

"Record of Marvelous Manifestations by the Perfected Embodiment of Mystery" Modern Interpretation:

Regarding the Resurrected Chicken:

(Xian) discovered the cooked chicken looked identical to the original one, and upon examining the feathers plucked the previous day, found them all still present. His mind became dazed as if intoxicated. When he reported this to Shouqing, the latter exclaimed in astonishment: "Yesterday I thought that gentleman was merely ordinary, but now it seems he must be a perfected Daoist!" Xian admitted that while he'd heard of this master's ability to cure illnesses and dispel cold, he never imagined one who attained the Dao could possess such powers. Shouqing explained: According to Daoist scriptures, those who attain the Dao can harmonize Yin-Yang (the Two Modes), shape the earth (molding the nine regions), project their spirit in dreams, penetrate metal and stone, and manifest limitless transformations - how much more easily could they revive a chicken? Only then did Xian awaken to realization, sighing: "The master's Dao attainment is as vast as heaven and deep as the sea, while I'm like a chicken under the butcher's knife - how could my shallow understanding fathom such profound attainment?"

The Case of Wang Zhong's Fall:

Wang Zhong from Fushan's Nanshui Village invited a Daoist master for drinks at his home. At the height of merriment, tenant farmer Li Wang from South Village summoned him to divide fields. Wang Zhong called for his horse, urged by his wife. The Daoist master warned: "Don't go - there may be mortal danger." The wife angrily retorted: "Is the master so greedy for wine that he'd prevent business with talk of death?" Rising, the master said: "If you won't believe me, do as you will." Five li northward, Wang Zhong's son-in-law Liu Chun came rushing in panic: "Father-in-law fell from his horse and died! Begging the master to save him!" The master agreed to return. Finding Wang Zhong dead by the roadside with mourners gathered, he stopped their wailing. Taking a bowl of water, he circled the corpse three times while sprinkling, initially declaring it beyond help. Under desperate pleas, he again took water, recited incantations and sprayed it, suddenly commanding: "Wang Zhong, raise your left hand!" The corpse complied, then the right hand, until finally the eyes opened. The astonished crowd asked... (Note: The "projecting Qi while reciting incantations" refers to Daoist ritual magic combining vital energy (Qi) with spellcasting. "Three circumambulations" symbolizes cosmic cycles, as Daoist rites frequently employ the numbers three and nine representing heavenly and earthly revolutions.)

Records of the Marvelous Manifestations of Master Ti Xuan: A Modern Interpretation

1. The Consequences of Disbelief in the Daoist Teachings

A man’s wife asked him why he had fainted. He replied, "All I remember is suddenly feeling dizzy while walking, then following a few people westward for about twenty li. Suddenly, I heard Master Wang (Ti Xuan Zhenren) calling after me, and I found myself at the edge of a deep, wide ravine. If not for Master Wang reaching out to pull me back, I never could have crossed." The crowd pointed and said, "The master is here." The man quickly rose and bowed in gratitude, saying, "It was my fault for not believing in your teachings—that’s why I suffered this calamity. Had you not saved me, I would have become a ghost in the underworld." Hearing this, his wife felt both shame and reverence.

2. The Punishment of a Woman Who Ate Dog Meat

While presiding over a grand Huanglu Zhaijiao (a major Daoist ritual for salvation of the dead) in Linyi County, Jinan Prefecture, Ti Xuan Zhenren witnessed a woman from the Li family suddenly collapse and die before the altar. Without even pausing to tie up his hair, the master rushed to her side. At the hour of Xu (7–9 p.m.), he blew Qi (vital energy) onto the crown of her head and swept his sleeve over her—whereupon she revived. The master explained, "She violated the purity of the ritual by eating dog meat, so the Yuanchen deity (the Year Guardian Spirit) seized her and took her to the Eastern Peak’s underworld. I retrieved her." Upon waking, the woman repented: "It was my fault for doubting Master Wang. I deliberately ate dog meat to test his power, only to be punished with darkness. Thankfully, the master’s radiant light saved me."

3. A Filial Son Seeks Medicine for His Mother

While residing at Huayang Temple in Beijing, Ti Xuan Zhenren encountered a notoriously strict judicial official who, despite his harsh governance, was deeply filial. His mother had suffered from a severe, long-standing illness, and upon hearing that the master’s leftover food could heal, he went to request some. The master gave him a portion, and after consuming it, his mother recovered instantly. The next day, the official returned to the temple to express his gratitude.

(Note: The Huanglu Zhaijiao is Daoism’s most solemn salvation ritual, requiring multiple altars. Yuanchen refers to the Year Guardian Spirit, who governs human fortune and misfortune. The "Eastern Peak" is Mount Tai, believed in Daoism to oversee the underworld.)

Interpretation of The Record of Marvelous Manifestations by Perfected Ti Xuan:

The official (Perfected Ti Xuan), dressed in court robes, performed solemn obeisance by burning incense and kneeling in prayer: "Since childhood I've aspired to virtuous paths, yet after attaining scholarly honors and official position, fearing it might hinder public duties, I dared not let others know. Through years of service across regions—Guanxi, Shandong, Henan, Hebei—I've also sought Buddhist teachings, but encountered mostly mediocrity, finding none worthy of emulation. Today, blessed to meet a true Perfected Being, I earnestly seek instruction, wishing to honor you eternally as my master and forge karmic ties for future spiritual cultivation." The Perfected One bestowed upon him the Daoist name "Qingzhi" and religious appellation "Kaizhenzi." After kowtowing in gratitude, the official prepared tea, fruits, and vegetarian offerings, escorting the Perfected back to the temple at dusk.

The following day, Deputy Commissioner Wulinda Qingzhi gathered Beijing's devout to organize a Huanglu Zhaijiao (Daoist Grand Ritual for universal salvation). All consented joyfully, preparing day and night at Huayang Temple. As ancestral tablets were installed and the ritual progressed for two days, suddenly a "revived" spirit from one tablet frantically pursued a woman as if to seize and accuse her. When restrained and questioned, he initially hesitated, then confessed: "Last year when my capital service ended, on the Ninth Day of the Ninth Moon I returned home. My wife poisoned my noodles, remarried, and left me dead. Learning of the southern Perfected One's salvific ritual here, I sought liberation. Without kin, missing this chance would doom me to eternal darkness." His weeping moved all present. Zhang Erguanren from Rui Prefecture's Haiyang County comforted him: "Now your grievance is revealed. After this ritual concludes, I'll invite the Perfected to Haiyang for another rite to redeem you." Only then did the wronged spirit depart gratefully.

When the Perfected visited Gaozhen Temple in Changli County, Pingzhou, a former sheriff there—a stubborn disbeliever in virtue—fell gravely ill, bedridden over a year while suffering nightly nightmares...

A Vernacular Interpretation of "The Record of Marvelous Manifestations by Master Tixuan":

There was a man constantly plagued by mental unrest, troubled by relatives and servants, whose household was also haunted by malevolent spirits. This caused him to lose appetite and grow physically weak, beyond the help of either shamans or physicians. Hearing of Master Tixuan's presence at a Daoist temple, he had himself carried there seeking treatment. The master sternly rebuked those supporting the man—at first they hesitated to let go, only retreating after his repeated angry commands. Miraculously, the patient found himself able to stand and walk unaided to the master, his condition already half-improved. When the master offered him leftover food from his own meal, the man consumed it all and soon recovered completely.

The master provided a bottle of consecrated water and a talisman (fulu), instructing him in their use. Upon returning home, when the talisman was placed in the main hall, the spirits immediately revealed their hideous true forms, visible to the entire household. Sprinkling the enchanted water drove the specters into a pit, where continued dousing forced out six ghosts of varying sizes who departed supporting each other. With further application, the apparitions vanished completely, bringing lasting peace to the household. The next day the whole family went to offer incense in gratitude. The man reflected on his own harsh and unkind nature, marveling at such miraculous Daoist methods (daofa), and subsequently donated funds to construct the Gaozhen Temple, inspiring over two hundred local families to embrace Daoist devotion.

Another account: Zhang Erguan of Rui Prefecture's Haiyang County invited the master to preside over the grand Yellow Register Purgation (huanglu zhaijiao), a major Daoist rite for salvation of the deceased. During preparations, the master predicted: "This ritual will be extraordinary—auspicious signs shall surely appear." Indeed, on the thirteenth day during the Shen period (3-5pm) when celestial petitions were burned, four phoenixes and twenty cranes circled overhead before flying southwest. At noon on the fourteenth day during the ceremony, the master announced the imminent descent of a Celestial Master (Tianshi). By midday, witnesses saw paired phoenixes leading cranes above the altar amidst five-colored clouds. When skeptics doubted these were divine cranes, several descended low to display their crimson crests. One crane alighted directly before the altar, remaining there until the master's departure on the twentieth day—each feeding time it would crane its neck heavenward and cry, yet never flew away until the master commenced his journey.

(Note: The original text's "Yellow Register Purgation" refers to Daoism's most solemn salvation ritual, while "issuing petitions" denotes the burning of memorials addressed to celestial authorities during the ceremony.)

The Record of Marvelous Manifestations by Perfected Lord Tixuan documents the miraculous displays of two Daoist Perfected Ones (highly realized adepts):

The first account describes a Perfected One (likely Lord Tixuan himself) who, after completing incense-offering rituals to bid farewell to the sacred deities in the western region, was greeted by the resonant cries of an immortal crane. The celestial bird spread its wings and soared, circling three times in the sky before flying southwest. All the devotees (Daoist believers) and officials like Attendant He in the entire city recorded this scene in paintings, preserving it with utmost reverence.

The second account documents another Perfected One's miraculous event: Upon returning from the north to Chongxing Town in Dezhou, he encountered a Grand Master of the Palace of Imperial Entertainments (a high-ranking official) who had served as military commissioner of Cangzhou conducting a grand four-day Yellow Register Retreat (a major Daoist salvation ritual for deceased souls). Though holding the prestigious third-rank court position, this official devoutly observed all Daoist ceremonial protocols. On the fourth night during the ritual, attendees suddenly witnessed:

• The Supreme Lao Jun (highest deity in Daoism) descending upon the altar platform riding five-colored auroral clouds
• The Perfected One prostrating himself in reverent worship
• A peculiar child barely over one chi tall, with extraordinary features and unusual attire, emerging from the Perfected One's incense burner to deliver a report to Lao Jun
• These visions persisted until the ceremonial green memorial (written petition to deities) was consumed by flames

The Grand Master immediately commissioned artists to record this divine manifestation, and copies circulated widely among the people. All eyewitnesses marveled at this rare encounter, declaring it an unprecedented wonder across past and present ages.