《雲笈七籤》Vol. 103

Yunji Qiqian, Volume 103

Compiled and submitted by Zhang Junfang, subject of the Song dynasty, Gentleman for Court Service, Vice Director of the Finance Bureau under the Ministry of Revenue, concurrently Collator of the Jixian Academy, granted the crimson fish-bag, and permitted to wear purple.

Preface to the Biography of the Perfected Lord Yisheng Baode, Imperially Composed by Emperor Zhenzong of Song

I have heard that when Heaven’s will favors the state, it can cause the dynastic fortune to flourish; when the gods make manifest the numinous mandate and the Great Dao, they can assist the ruler in completing his achievements. Examining the records in the classics, these matters coincide in ancient and modern times. Moreover, my Zhao imperial clan had already laid the foundation of its enterprise during the Warring States period, and there have been many cases in which it communicated with and received responses from the gods: sometimes the gods appeared in bodily form in the mountains, and sometimes they appeared in dreams at the imperial residence. These matters are of long standing and are truly credible.

Now the dynasty has inherited the orthodox succession of past ages and founded its rule, and is about to make a grand enterprise flourish; among the hundred deities, the most honored one who can protect the state is the one whose clear and manifest evidence has been shown precisely by the Perfected Lord Yisheng Baode (a high Daoist deity who protects emperors and the state).

When Taizu first received Heaven’s mandate, he observed the deity’s virtuous conduct, but the deity had not yet spoken; when Taizong inherited the sage-bright foundation, the deity followed the time and gave forewarning. As for transmitting the precious instructions of Yuchen (a title of a high Daoist deity or immortal realm), explaining the immortal ranks of Douji (the Northern Dipper and Pole Star, often referring to celestial immortal ranks), announcing that the dynastic fortune would long flourish, and revealing the profound mysteries of the Zhenke (Daoist precepts, laws, and cultivation norms), the divine power was vast and manifest, driving away malevolent specters and evil spirits; the teachings were sincere and broad, proclaiming Heaven-bestowed blessings and peace for the people. Therefore numinous altars were established, the deity’s honorific title was exalted, incense and fire were respectfully offered in worship, and guidance was sought from the foreknowing one. All regions of the realm received protection and peace; how could it be only the Sanqin region (the Guanzhong area) that rejoiced and felt gratitude?

Now, when young, I inherited the ancestral enterprise; I admire the excellent deeds handed down to the present and look up to the merits of the supreme deity in protecting the world. Therefore I examined the statutes and respectfully added an honorific title, as proof of Heaven’s constant manifest response and my late father’s true responsiveness. How could such a great matter be left unrecorded in silence? It should be transmitted to later generations and never erased. Thereupon I issued an edict to the auxiliary ministers to collect and collate the deity’s instructions; after inquiry and search, the compiled volume was quickly completed. When I think of the deity’s majestic bearing, it seems to appear clearly before me; when I recall the deity’s voice and demeanor, it seems I can see them in person. It is truly worthy to be engraved on golden tablets and treasured in the Lantai (imperial library/archive).

I originally wished to write a preface to express my intention of ascribing the merit to the deity, and now, taking advantage of leisure from reading late at night, I record this karmic occasion and its time, entitling it Biography of the Perfected Lord Yisheng Baode.

Biography of the Perfected Lord Yisheng Baode

Meritorious Minister Who Promotes Loyalty, Coordinates Counsel, Shares De (Virtue), Upholds Rectitude, and Assists in Governance; Privy Counsellor; Opening Office and Equal to the Three Excellencies; Acting Minister of Personnel...

Compiled by Wang Qinruo, a Song dynasty official who held the titles Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery, Supreme Pillar of State, and Duke of Taiyuan Commandery.

In the early years of the Jianlong era, there was a commoner named Zhang Shouzhen in Zhouzhi County, Fengxiang Prefecture (around present-day Zhouzhi, Shaanxi). While visiting Mount Zhongnan, he suddenly heard someone in the air calling him, in a clear voice that resounded all around. Startled, Zhang Shouzhen looked about but saw nothing; he had no choice but to walk on silently, his heart uneasy, listening closely. After about several li, he again heard the voice say, “Just go on ahead; I am behind you.” This went on for several days, and Zhang Shouzhen still could not fathom what was happening.

After he returned home, he again heard someone in the house say, “I have been commanded to descend into the human world. Why are you so obstinate and unwilling to listen to me? Had this not been for the great affairs of the Song dynasty, I would long ago have shattered you.” Only then did Zhang Shouzhen realize that this was no ordinary matter, and he was also afraid. He asked, “May I ask which stellar deity you are, to descend in this way? By nature I am dull and straightforward, and I know nothing of the ways of the gods. Please do not intimidate me; I certainly will not serve you.”

The voice said, “I am the Great Sage of High Heaven, an assisting minister of the Jade Emperor. I have been commanded to protect the fortunes of the age and descend riding a dragon. But without a truly cultivated person, my teachings cannot be carried out. You have an extraordinary bone structure and are no ordinary man. You should sincerely practice my Daoist methods.” Zhang Shouzhen said, “I have heard that when a man practices shamanism it is called wu, and when a woman practices it it is called xi. Although I am only a common man, I too am ashamed to become such a person and engage in such matters.”

The voice said again, “I am a deity from Heaven, not a ghost or specter. The Five Sacred Peaks and the Four Great Rivers (the five sacred mountains and the four great waterways) all can be commanded by me. If you turn your heart toward the Dao, diligently offer incense and perform rites, I can have you summoned to court and receive the grace of the true sovereign. How could I be the same as the wu and xi you speak of?”

Zhang Shouzhen said, “Since the divine one instructs me thus, how would I dare not serve with sincerity?” Thereupon he set out wine and meat as an offering. Again he heard the voice say, “I am a divine being; why do you offend me with reeking, polluted things? Considering that you do not yet understand this, I do not blame you. From now on, offer me only incense, tea, vegetarian food, and fresh fruit. Although I do not eat, I will accept your intention.” Zhang Shouzhen bowed his head and apologized.

The voice also said, “I will be your teacher in Heaven, but in the human world you still have another master. Go seek out an eminent worthy and ask him to transmit the Dao to you and ordain you.” So Zhang Shouzhen took as his teacher Mr. Liang Quan of the Ancient Louguan and received ordination as a Daoist priest. Afterward, he chose an empty plot near his dwelling to leave the household life, and within the Palace of the Northern Emperor (Beidi Gong, a Daoist temple dedicated to the northern deity) he built a hall to enshrine and worship the deity, serving with devotion morning and evening and exerting himself to the utmost. The deity said to him, “Seeing how sincere you are…”

The True Lord (Zhenjun, a respectful title for an exalted immortal, here the deity who transmits the methods) told Shouzhen: "I teach those who keep chastity in cultivation that they may use these methods to drive away evil spirits. I will first transmit to you the sword method, so that you may slay demons for the people. Later I will have you establish an altar to pray for the blessing of the state." Shouzhen bowed in gratitude and said: "I am ordinary, coarse, and foolish, sincere to a fault. By good fortune from a previous life, I am now able to take refuge in the Dao. With utmost sincerity, I vow to observe forever the rites and sword methods of the Lingde Altar, and I await the instruction of the spirits with reverence."

The True Lord said: "Sword methods come in three grades. One need only forge a blade of pure steel and, following my oral instructions, one can use it at once. When a person is sick, one may strike with the sword to disperse the malign qi, dissolving it so that the patient is not harmed. If the earth's qi has sunk, or if creatures of the water have transformed into monsters, bringing calamity upon a region and causing anxiety at court, then the highest grade of sword method should be used to subdue them. If spirits of the mountains and marshes, or birds and beasts, bring disorder, startle the common folk, and harm the people, then the middle grade should be used. If chimei wangliang (goblins and water sprites) and similar beings carry malign qi, destroy the myriad creatures, stir up disturbances, and take human lives, then the lowest grade should be used." Shouzhen said: "I have understood the principles of the three grades of sword method."

Regarding the rites for establishing altars, I await your instruction.

The True Lord said: "There are nine methods for establishing altars. The three highest altars are established for the state. The uppermost is called the Shuntian Xingguo Altar (Altar for Aligning with Heaven and Reviving the State). Its stations are laid out according to the constellations of heaven, with three thousand six hundred positions (xingwei, the number of places set out according to the lunar mansions, each representing one deity), and it serves as a Universal Great Jiao (large-scale offering and retreat). Banners, mirrors, swords, bows and arrows, and other ritual implements are displayed in order, gates are set up, and each has fixed regulations. The second is called the Yanzuo Baosheng Altar (Altar for Prolonging Blessings and Preserving Life), with two thousand four hundred stations, serving as a Cosmic Great Jiao. Its implements and regulations are one grade below those of the uppermost altar. The third is called the Qigu Fushi Altar (Altar for Praying for Grain and Timely Blessings), with one thousand two hundred stations, serving as a Luotian Great Jiao. Its implements and regulations are again one grade below the middle altar. If there is an unscheduled petition and there is not time to prepare all three of these altars, one should still remain clean, keep the petitions precise and refined, present fresh flowers and fruit, beat the drum to gather the spirits, pray with sincerity, and burn incense nine chi above the ground to report the petition. In this way, too, one may move the gods to respond."

"The middle three altars are established for officials. The uppermost is called the Huanglu Yanshou Altar (Yellow Register Altar for Extending Life), the Yellow Register being the petition rite by which one reaches the heavenly court to request pardon and seek blessings, with six hundred and forty stations. The middle is called the Huanglu Zhenqing Altar, with four hundred and ninety stations. The lower is called the Huanglu Qu'xie Altar (Yellow Register Altar for Dispelling Evil), with three hundred and sixty stations. The implements and regulations of these three altars differ by grade. The lower three altars are established for scholars and common people. The name of the uppermost of these begins with the character pinyin xu, meaning 'to continue.'"

The Mingtan (an altar arranged according to stellar positions) has a total of two hundred forty star positions; within it, the Jifu (Gathering Blessings) altar has one hundred twenty star positions, and the Quezai (Averting Calamity) altar below it has eighty-one star positions. The ritual protocols and scale used for each type of altar are differentiated by grade. Besides these nine types of ritual altars, there are also altars established for specific matters, with star positions varying at sixty-four, forty-nine, or twenty-four. The items required for conducting rites are also increased or decreased according to the corresponding grade. Scholars and commoners may arrange them at their discretion according to their own means.

If subjects pray for protection on behalf of the emperor, they should establish the Qigu Fushi altar, with a total of one thousand two hundred star positions; if praying for blessings and averting calamities for parents and teachers, they should perform the Jiao ritual (Zhaijiao, a Daoist altar sacrifice and prayer ceremony) and add altar positions according to the needs of the rite.

After Shouzhen bowed in thanks and accepted the command, from then on he often received numinous and efficacious signs, too many to record one by one. During the Qiande era, when Emperor Taizong was still the Prince of Jin, he heard of these miraculous events and sent a close attendant with tokens, gifts, incense, and candles to the palace to perform a Jiao. The envoy fasted, burned incense, and reported: “The Prince of Jin has long heard of the Perfected One’s numinous powers and wishes to prepare stipend money to repair the halls, and to submit a memorial requesting that a name be bestowed upon the temple.”

The Perfected Lord said: “The time destiny I will encounter in the future will be one of Great Peace. The second ruler of your Song dynasty will build the Shangqing Taiping Palace, completing twelve halls and chambers, as majestic as within the Three Realms (the threefold heaven and earth in Daoism). The stars each have their times of motion; one must not rashly predict them. You need only tell the Great King on my behalf: the year and month for the construction and expansion of this temple have long been fixed in Heaven; now is not yet the time.”

After the envoy returned and reported, Taizong was astonished and temporarily halted the matter. Emperor Taizu had heard of this early on but did not quite believe it, so he sent envoys with incense, candles, and qingci (Daoist prayer texts submitted to the heavenly realm) to the palace to perform a Jiao and pray, and summoned Shouzhen to the palace to question him in detail about what had happened. Shouzhen recounted it truthfully and added: “Unless one is utterly sincere and earnest, the spirits will not descend.” He also memorialized the emperor about the deeds of the Highest Sage’s descending spirit.

Taizu summoned a junior Yellow Gate (a low-ranking palace eunuch) beside him, had him give a long whistle at the side, and then said to Shouzhen: “Is this how divine beings speak?” Shouzhen replied: “If Your Majesty believes that I am deceiving the masses with monstrous tales, please order an investigation and have me put to death in the marketplace; but by no means should these words offend the Highest Sage.” Taizu issued an edict for Shouzhen to reside at Jianlong Abbey.

The next day, Taizu sent the inner official Wang Ji’en to the abbey to perform a Jiao. After some time, no response was heard. Wang Ji’en bowed again and prayed devoutly. Soon the Perfected Lord descended and spoke: “I am the assisting minister of the Jade Emperor, Great Sage of High Heaven, and I have descended in compliance with the tally mandate to guard and protect…”

Du Ji of the Song dynasty came to discuss the matter, saying that the state’s foundation was long and secure and was clearly not something that mountain-and-forest specters could influence. To have a child shout now and use this affair as a comparison to my words was truly inappropriate. “Just relay this to the Guanjia (a respectful form of address for the emperor): the heavenly palaces have already been completed, and the jade locks have already been opened. The Prince of Jin has a benevolent heart, the Prince of Jin has a benevolent heart…” In all, there were more than a hundred sentences.

Wang Ji’en, an inner court official, was frightened when he heard this and did not dare conceal it; he recorded the words completely and submitted them to the throne. He also reported in person that the divine voice had been perfectly clear, and that all who heard it were both awed and terrified. Emperor Taizu remained silent, considering the matter extraordinary. This happened on the night of the nineteenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of the Kaibao era. The next day, Taizu passed away, and Taizong succeeded to the throne.

Soon afterward, Taizong summoned Shouzhen to Qionglin Garden and held a Great Zhaijiao (purification ritual) of the Entire Heaven—a large-scale Daoist Zhaijiao offering sacrifices to all deities of the heavenly realm—and established the Altar for Extending the Dynastic Blessing and Preserving Life. After the ceremony, the Perfected Lord (Zhenjun) descended in speech to the inner official Wang Ji’en, saying: “I have something to say; you should report it on my behalf:

“In the first year of Jianlong, I received the command of the Heavenly Emperor and descended riding a dragon to protect the sovereign and sweep away malevolent beings—this was only a minor matter. I acted freely across all directions, set Heaven and Earth in order, and established Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth). The national destiny has already flourished; Chang’an is peaceful and secure; the people live in peace and pursue their work, preserving the pure truth of the Heavenly Dao (the Way). The eight directions send tribute and come to bow their heads; the myriad spirits also submit in reverence and call themselves subjects.

“When imperial princes offer birthday congratulations, they must burn incense and pray; between superiors and subordinates, all should serve ruler and elders with a reverent heart. I have one million swift spirit officials and countless deities. If people practice loyalty and filial piety, I bestow blessings; if people commit rebellious deeds, they will surely be punished. Rewards and punishments are administered justly; in heaven there is no evil or impure Qi (vital energy), and on earth there is no dust or filth. Cherishing the people and governing the state surpasses former ages; the ten-thousand-year foundation is long secure and renews day by day.”

Wang Ji’en recorded these words on bamboo tablets and submitted them the next day. After reading them, Taizong was greatly astonished; he bowed his head in thanks and said: “This is the blessing of the state and the joy of the ancestral temple. I respectfully receive the maxims bestowed by the Supreme Sage.” He ordered the tablets sealed and stored in the inner hall.

Soon afterward, Taizong sent the Inner Offering Official Wang Shoujie and the Imperial Diarist Wang Guicong to build a palace-temple at the foot of the Zhongnan Mountains. Just as the two were about to choose a site at Zhongnan Town, the Perfected Lord (Zhenjun) suddenly descended in speech and said to Wang Guicong and the others: “This is the place where the palace of the Supreme Lord (Shangdi) is to be built; it must not be changed.” The site was thus fixed, and the construction took three years to complete.

In the central part of the temple the Supreme Lord (Shangdi) is enshrined, and four great halls are arranged: in front is the Tongming Hall of the Jade Emperor; next are the Ziwei Hall and the Qiyuan Hall; and then the hall where the Perfected Lord (Zhenjun) resides. Beyond the eastern corridor are the halls of Tianpeng, the Nine Luminaries, the Eastern Dipper, and the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water; beyond the western corridor…

In the palace were enshrined statues of Zhenwu, the Twelve Yuanshen (Primordial Spirits), the Xidou Tiancao (Western Dipper Heavenly Bureau), and other deities. There were four halls, a Lingguan Hall, and a Nandou (South Dipper) Pavilion, with statues of the stellar deities arranged within; a bell tower and a Jing (scripture) tower were also built. The refectory, Dao hall, and other quarters were all fully provided. A stele was erected in the palace to record the matter, inscribed with the title “Shangqing Taiping Palace.” Every part of the establishment followed the arrangement foretold by Zhenjun (the Perfected Lord).

The emperor appointed a Changcan official (one who regularly attended court to see the emperor) to supervise the palace and selected Daoists to burn incense and cultivate there. Every year on the Sanyuan days (Upper, Middle, and Lower Yuan), the emperor’s birthday, and his benming (natal destiny) day, memorials were submitted and prayers offered; the emperor also sent palace envoys to set up Jiao offerings and sacrifice to the deities. On the night of the sacrifice, the emperor would gaze toward the palace from afar, bow, and pray. When floods or droughts occurred, or when the state was about to mobilize troops or undertake major affairs, the palace would usually also set up Jiao offerings and pray.

After the palace was first completed, Zhenjun suddenly descended and said to Wang Guicong and the others: “You received the edict to build the palace and have already done your utmost. But why have you not opened the Sun-Moon Splendor Gate? Why have you not painted the walls of the eight small halls, and why are the steps and the brick-and-stone paving of the courtyard not fully complete? You sought only to finish quickly in hopes of receiving favor. Heaven will neither erase your merit nor pardon your guilt.”

Shoujie and Guicong were terrified when they heard this, but the project had already been memorialized as complete, and there was no time to make additions. They could only knock their heads on the ground and beg forgiveness. Later, when they entered court, they were indeed both promoted and rewarded with one thousand taels of silver. Soon afterward, Shoujie fell ill and died, while Guicong died in military turmoil. This precisely illustrates the warning in Zhenjun’s words: “Heaven does not conceal merit and does not pardon guilt.”

In the early years of the Taiping Xingguo era, Emperor Taizong personally campaigned against Taiyuan. Zhenjun suddenly said to Shouzhen: “The emperor has already reached the Fen and Jin region and will soon take the cities and recover the lost territory. You should have the palace supervising officials and the inner court officials set up a Jiao offering to thank Shangdi (the Supreme Lord) for the victory.” Shouzhen and the others said: “This is a great matter of state; please wait until the victory report arrives.” Zhenjun replied: “Heaven has already determined victory and defeat.”

More than ten days later, news came from the court that the royal army had won. The palace supervising officials and others reported the matter, and the emperor sent the inner official Lu Wenshou with aromatics and medicines from the imperial storehouse and an imperially written prayer text to the palace to set up a Jiao offering and thank Shangdi. That night Zhenjun descended and said: “The emperor has held this great Jiao; Shangdi and all the heavens are greatly delighted. The state’s fortune will long endure, surpassing that of the Tang dynasty.”

In the sixth year of Taiping Xingguo, Shouzhen entered court to offer congratulations on the Qianming Festival (the emperor’s birthday). When the emperor summoned him, he memorialized in person: “The sage Perfected One descends and condescends to aid our flourishing dynasty. I request that an edict be issued to confer an additional honorific title upon Zhenjun, in repayment for the deity’s gracious bestowal.” The emperor granted his request and soon issued an edict saying: “The deity of Taiping Palace received its mandate from Heaven and descended into the human world. We have reverently offered fragrant and pure things in sacrifice, and the deity has already responded…”

He repeatedly manifested miracles to protect the people and time and again bestowed profound blessings; the imperial court ought to grant him an additional honorific title to express its reverence. The court therefore enfeoffed him as the “Yisheng General” (Yisheng Jiangjun, a divine general who assists the sagely sovereign) and issued an edict ordering Shouzhen to wait in the palace, burn incense, and report to the Perfected Lord (Zhenjun, an honorific for a deity).

The Perfected Lord suddenly spoke down to Shouzhen, saying: “You should memorialize the emperor and ask him just whom the one called ‘Assisting the Sage’ is supposed to assist.” Shouzhen was perplexed and frightened for several days and did not dare reply. The Perfected Lord said again: “Just report it quickly; the emperor will not blame you.” Shouzhen then wrote a memorial and submitted it.

After Emperor Taizong read the memorial, he summoned his close ministers and said: “The assistant of the Jade Emperor assists none other than Shangdi (the Supreme God). This meaning should be conveyed to Shouzhen and let him report it to the deity.” Soon afterward, a palace envoy arrived with an imperial decree. Shouzhen went to the hall, burned incense, and reported to the Perfected Lord, who said: “That understanding is correct.”

Seven years later, Shouzhen again went to the capital to offer congratulations. The Perfected Lord suddenly spoke, saying: “I have words that I want you to convey to the emperor.” He then said:

“The Great Dao flourishes and plotting perishes; all the saints of the heavens rejoice. The state of Song has received enduring blessings, and its era of peace and prosperity has just begun. The sovereign should rectify his heart, make clear his wisdom, cherish the people, govern the state, and never slacken at any moment. In this way, the ten-thousand-year foundation will remain firm for long, and the imperial descendants will flourish for generations.”

After receiving these words, Shouzhen went to the capital and memorialized the emperor. The emperor bestowed on Shouzhen a purple robe (the ritual garment conferred on Daoists) and granted him the title Great Master Chongyuan. From then on, whenever the court sent envoys to establish a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and report to the deities, the Perfected Lord would sometimes speak, and Shouzhen would secretly memorialize the emperor.

In the early years of the Zhidao era, the Perfected Lord suddenly said to Shouzhen: “In the early years of the Jianlong era, I received Shangdi’s command to descend to the mortal world to protect the court. Now the dynastic foundation is firm, the state will endure long, and an age of peace and prosperity is about to meet a wise ruler. My time in the human world has come to an end, and I must return to heaven; you will no longer hear my words. If the state has prayers, simply burn incense with reverence and purity and report to me facing north; even though I no longer speak, I will bestow blessings and protect the state.”

The Perfected Lord also said: “From my descent until now, thirty-five years have passed. You have served diligently, and your merit is considerable. Shangdi has already issued a tally mandate (a divinely conferred appointment), appointing you Lord of the Five Shi; when your term is fulfilled, you will be promoted to an immortal official, and you will not remain long in the human world.”

From then on, the Perfected Lord no longer spoke. On the sixteenth day of the intercalary seventh month of the following year, Shouzhen said to his disciples: “I have received the tally mandate; I must leave now.” Having said this, he passed away.

Later, when an emperor ascended the throne, he still honored the Perfected Lord according to the old precedents. When the emperor adopted the reign title “Yuanfu” and held great ceremonies such as the Fengshan sacrifices at Mount Tai, he also built the Jade Purity (Yuqing) ...

Within Zhaoying Palace, at the northwest corner of the Baofu Pavilion, a Ningming Hall was built; behind the hall a Ningming Pavilion was added to enshrine the Zhenjun (Perfected Lord), the revered deity.

In the seventh year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1014), the emperor issued an edict saying:

“Heaven has conferred the precious Heavenly Mandate. We have relied on the protection of the Supreme Deity and have also received extraordinary auspicious omens; therefore We devoutly add an exalted title to the deity. This is an important canonical institution for governing the state and an expression of profound protection for the people.

Moreover, the deity assists in proclaiming the teachings of the Heavenly Dao and makes manifest the numinous efficacy of the gods; he governs protection in the unseen, benefits all beings, and displays divine power in blessed lands. When the dynasty’s foundation had just been established, the deity descended with the way of governance, and its efficacy had already appeared. Later, when Our late father inherited the imperial succession, auspicious signs again came to pass as expected. Therefore We at once built magnificent palace-temples and prepared rituals of reverence, to pray for boundless blessings and to aid the dynasty’s foundation in flourishing and prosperity.

We consider Our own endowments shallow, yet We have inherited and govern a vast territory. Now rituals and statutes have been successively ordered and clarified, and auspicious signs continue to descend. We reflect on the deity’s protection in the unseen, dare not be negligent, and ought to revere him even more. Therefore We further add a higher honorific title and offer sacrifices with solemn ceremonies, expressing Our utmost sincerity, hoping thereby to declare Our intention to revere and repay him. We hope reverently to receive this divine grace, so that all things under Heaven may forever be kept in peace. We now formally issue this edict to inform the chief ministers and officials: the Yisheng General shall be elevated to the title ‘Yisheng Baode Zhenjun’ (the Perfected Lord Who Assists the Sage and Protects De). We hope you will understand Our intent and jointly proclaim and carry out this matter.”

Since the Zhenjun descended into the world, he would sometimes impart teachings to people, and people recorded them. In the Qizhou and Yongzhou regions, wherever demons and malevolent spirits caused serious harm, as long as people prayed sincerely, Shouzhen would go and pray in accordance with the instructions; there was no case that was not driven out and pacified. The accounts of the Zhenjun’s manifestations are too many to recount; here only one heard account is recorded:

Shouzhen once, while paying homage at the Great Hall of the Jade Emperor, saw the three characters “Tongming Hall” inscribed on the hall. He did not understand their meaning, so he burned incense and reported: “I do not quite understand the principle of ‘Tongming’; I earnestly request the Zhenjun to bestow instruction.”

The Zhenjun said:

“The Highest Lord dwells in the Supreme Three Heavens and is the most honored among all heavens. None among the myriad phenomena and assembled immortals fails to submit to him. He often ascends and sits in the golden hall. The light of the hall illuminates the Highest Lord’s body, and the light from the Highest Lord’s body in turn illuminates the golden hall. The light of the hall and that of the Highest Lord interpenetrate and illumine all, hence this hall is called ‘Tongming Hall’ (Hall of Universal Brightness).

The Celestial Lords of the various heavens, the myriad guardian spirits, the assembled immortals, and Brahma and the Buddhas all come to pay homage. Looking up, one sees only the Highest Lord seated in solemn dignity within the great radiance. After the ranks of immortals withdraw, the radiance still shines throughout all heavens.”

There was an old man surnamed Wang, over seventy years old. In his youth he had served a military commander; in old age he retired to Zhongnan Town…

Wang Shouzhen was bold and heroic in spirit, and when he spoke of events from the Five Dynasties period, he recounted them clearly and vividly. Whenever he heard of absurd and strange matters, he would clench his fists and gnash his teeth in anger. At first, when the Perfected Lord (Zhenjun) descended, he did not quite believe it; only after witnessing numinous marvels with his own eyes did he joyfully put his faith in him. From then on, he went twice a day to the palace to burn incense and bow in worship. Whether in wind or rain, or amid frost, snow, and bitter cold, he never missed a single day.

One day, Wang Shouzhen suddenly told the hall attendant to open the hall doors. He gazed up in reverence, bowed, burned incense, and prayed, then said weeping: “By nature I have always been stiff-necked and unyielding. In my youth I joined the army and did not believe in demons; I have always upheld rectitude without partiality. Now I am fortunate enough to encounter the Supreme Perfected, but I am already old and my allotted time is near. I only hope that after death I may return to the right path and be permitted to serve at your side and await your commands; then I shall be fully content.” The Perfected Lord spoke and gave his assent. Before long, the old man died without illness.

More than ten days later, Shouzhen suddenly heard someone in the air calling his name in front of the Perfected Lord’s hall: “I am the Iron Wheel General. Why do you not remember me at all?” Shouzhen looked up and asked, “Beside the Perfected Lord are four generals who constantly serve in the hall. I have always reverently served them, but I do not know which star the Iron Wheel General is, or what rank and position he holds.” The voice from the air replied, “I am Old Wang. Formerly I sincerely made a vow, wishing to serve at the Perfected Lord’s side; now I have been accepted by the Perfected Lord and put in charge of the office of the Iron Wheel, ranked below the four generals. In the future, when you perform the jiao offering ritual—the Daoist rite of establishing an altar, praying, and making offerings to the gods—do not forget my name.”

The Perfected Lord once said to Shouzhen: “I constantly patrol the celestial circuit, accompanied by various Lingguan (spirit officials) and swift-moving spirit troops, numbering more than a million. Comets, baleful stars, and other calamitous anomalies and malevolent influences all know that my carriage is about to arrive and scatter in flight. The famous mountains and great peaks of every region, the mountains and rivers that guard the four quarters, and the sea gods and river gods can all be summoned to receive my commands; as for the spectral beings and evil sprites of the world, they are not even worth mentioning. I consider you upright, so I transmit sword techniques to you, enabling you to relieve the people in emergencies, remove troubles, eliminate disasters, and avert misfortune. You must be diligent and advance without slackening; accumulate merit and virtue, establish a good name, and bestow many blessings upon living beings—Heaven will observe all of this and record your name. If you treat the Great Dao with disrespect, hold the teachings lightly, and fail to guard purity, stillness, emptiness, and quiescence, you will naturally receive punishment from the underworld. If I were to become angry, all things would instantly turn to dust—could you withstand that? However, the punishments you encounter in daily life are all caused by my lesser generals becoming angry because you are not sufficiently focused and cautious. You should treat them with respect. They know in advance what you are thinking; you cannot deceive your own heart, for otherwise you will only bring disaster upon yourself.”

One day, Shouzhen burned incense and sat in quiet meditation. With a reverent heart he asked, “Shouzhen has seen with his own eyes…”

Someone said: “Buddhism declares that in heaven and under heaven there is none higher than the Buddha. But they do not know what the ranks above the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) are actually like. We hope you will bestow true teaching to dispel our ignorance and doubts.”

The Perfected Lord replied: “The Buddha is a sage of the West who attained the Dao, and his rank is within the Three Pure Ones. There is also Brahma dwelling above them; if one compares this to worldly official ranks, Brahma is like the Nine Ministers who serve the Son of Heaven.”

Shouzhen said: “The spread of Buddhism is quite flourishing in the world; what is the reason for this?”

The Perfected Lord said: “The introduction of Buddhism into the Central Plains was the will of emperors; its flourishing or decline follows the rise and fall of the age and is also tied to emperors’ intentions.”

Shouzhen asked again: “The scriptures of Daoism and Buddhism both circulate in the world; I do not know which one to revere in order to obtain blessings.”

The Perfected Lord said: “The Taishang Daode Jing (that is, the Daode Jing) has vast content and is all-encompassing; it discusses everything from cultivating the self and refining conduct to ordering the family and governing the state. If people in the world can comprehend its essential purport, penetrate its wondrous function, and in daily life believe in and practice it, what they gain would be more than added blessings; I think there is no benefit they could not obtain.

“The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections teaches people to gather in their thoughts, cultivate the mind-nature, distance themselves from greed and desire, and avoid disaster; it also admonishes people through hundreds and thousands of precepts. In the final analysis, it likewise penetrates the Dao. If one practices it to seek blessings, the blessings will naturally be inexhaustible as well.

“The Duke of Zhou and Confucius are also listed among the ranks of immortals. The methods of ordering the age and governing the people explained in the Five Classics and Six Classics are also included therein. Although people often recite them, most do not act accordingly. If one can recite them with the mouth, comprehend them in the mind, and then put that comprehension into action, always keeping the principles of benevolence, righteousness, trustworthiness, conduct, ritual propriety, and wisdom in mind, then not only will one’s conduct in the world be rectified; the principle of long life and enduring vision will also not be far away.”

Shouzhen also once asked: “The Red Valley Spirit Shrine in the Zhongnan Mountains—the nearby common people often go there to pray and sacrifice. They kill oxen and pigs as offerings, prepare wine and play music; the scene is noisy, and the people dance along. Can such practices obtain the protection of the spirits?”

The Perfected Lord replied: “Mount Zhongnan is indeed a famous mountain and blessed land; from ancient times it has been so in the human world. But to stir up demons and monsters, attract malevolent influences, and kill living beings to pray for blessings—such conduct actually leads farther from blessings. Later, thieves secretly hid beneath the shrine; those pursuing the thieves piled up firewood and burned it, and the shrine was reduced to ashes, after which there were no further numinous occurrences.”

Toward the end of the Jianlong era, Liu Jie, a jinshi from Chang’an, had considerable literary talent and surpassed his peers. He once went into the palace to perform rites and pray, saying: “I am ignorant and foolish; I wish to know whether my future official rank will be high or low. Please bestow a divine oracle.”

The True Lord (Zhenjun) descended and spoke: "Heaven has bestowed literary talent upon you, but it has not granted you official rank or salary. If you study the Dao (the Way) and withdraw into quiet retirement, you may yet prolong your years; if you vainly seek advancement in office, you will only shorten your life."

Hang was greatly displeased at this and withdrew. Three years later, having accomplished nothing, he died, just as had been foretold.

During the Yongxi era, Chen Tuan, Master Xiyi of Mount Hua (an eminent Daoist), died in a stone chamber in Zhang Chao Valley. Many people said that he had attained immortality through ascension. After performing his morning rites, Shouzhen burned incense and prayed: "Chen Tuan of Mount Hua has recently died, and people of the time say he achieved release from the corpse (shijie, the Daoist term for shedding the physical body to become an immortal). I do not know whether he reached the rank of immortal through his merit and practice. I presume to beg the Perfected One for a brief word of guidance."

The True Lord descended and spoke: "Chen Tuan refined Qi (vital energy) and nourished Shen (spirit), and grasped the essentials of these well. Yet his merit in aiding the people of the world has not reached completion; he merely holds a position of charge."

During the Duangong era, Gao Ningyou, who served as Director of the Bureau of Review in Fengxiang Prefecture, once visited the temple to perform rites. After he left, the True Lord suddenly said to the supervising official Li Zhu: "Gao Ningyou has failed in loyalty and good faith. His death is not far off." Li Zhu quietly noted these words. Before long, Gao's term of office ended and he returned to the capital, where he became a Judge of the Three Finance Bureaus. When Li Zhu heard of this, he again burned incense and prayed: "Now that Gao Ningyou holds this post, how could he still have good fortune?"

The True Lord descended and spoke: "The hour of his death is about to arrive." A few months later, Gao Ningyou died.

During the Qiande era, Song Bai, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, lived in Zhouzhi. His younger brother Song Xian, whose childhood name was Qige, was bewitched by a fox spirit when he was in his early teens. He would often cry out loudly and behave erratically, and would suddenly become strong enough to hold off several men at once. His family could not restrain him, and physicians who came to treat him were always pushed and beaten. Song Bai therefore observed a fast with sincere devotion and sent trusted attendants to the temple to pray, begging for the protection of the spirits.

The True Lord replied: "Go home. I will send Shouzhen." Shouzhen went as commanded. As soon as he arrived at the Song residence and sat down in the guest quarters, Qige sensed him and fell into a panic. The family hurried out to greet him and bow. Shouzhen questioned them in detail about the situation, then called out Qige's name in a stern voice. After a while, Qige came out of the house in response, gripping his own hair, and stood before Shouzhen trembling and terrified. Shouzhen rebuked him at length, until the fox spirit finally revealed its true form, knocked its head on the ground, and confessed its guilt. Shouzhen used his rites to execute it, and it dropped dead on the spot. Qige lay on the ground for a long while before he came to, and afterward he recovered his health.

The True Lord once suddenly said to Shouzhen: "In the temple of Li Jing at the foot of the mountain, there is a fox spirit..."

The foxes had entrenched themselves in their former place in groups. The Earth God came to report it, worried that they would cause mischief and harm the people, and ordered Shouzhen to hurry and drive them away. Shouzhen accepted the command, girded on his sword, and set out.

After a short while, Shouzhen sat before the temple and shouted several rebukes in a loud voice. Soon dozens of fox ghosts all appeared and, in panic, lined up before him. Shouzhen reprimanded them, saying, “This is a place where a Perfected Person (Zhenren) once descended; how can you live mixed together here? I do not wish to kill you now. Hurry back to the mountains, forests, and wild wastes, and do not let blood defile my numinous sword.” The fox ghosts looked at one another, then crawled away in wretched disarray and dispersed.

Shouzhen went and returned alone, and was back before long. The Daoist Wang Deyuan, who was lodging in the temple, asked him where he had gone. Shouzhen told him the matter in detail. Wang Deyuan said, “From here to there is twenty li round trip; how were you so fast?” Shouzhen replied, “When I left the temple I slashed a low branch in the courtyard with my sword; it is still lying on the ground now, and can serve as proof.” Wang Deyuan waited until dawn, rode over to inspect, and indeed smelled before the temple a foul stench so strong it was hard to approach, and found the severed branch. After returning, he bowed again and praised the matter as wondrous.

Later, in Binzhou city, several hundred demon foxes again caused mischief. When Shouzhen heard of it, he burned incense and reported it, explained the matter, and expressed his willingness to receive orders and go subdue the demons. The Perfected Lord (Zhenjun), a high Daoist deity, issued a decree saying, “These fox demons once took the forms of bodhisattvas in the southern mountains of Chang’an and lured the local people into donating goods to build temples. Eight or nine out of ten of those people thereby turned their hearts toward goodness. God on High therefore granted them a talismanic mandate, appointing them Earth Gods of Binzhou. But their term of office has a fixed limit; when the allotted years are complete, they will naturally leave and will not harm the people. You need not go.”

During the Kaibao era, in the household of Chen Yingmei, a commoner of Fengxiang Prefecture, a mountain sprite (shanjiao), a creature of the mountains and forests, caused hauntings. It threw tiles and stones until they filled the courtyard, and from time to time released smoke and fire, intending to burn down the house. The household’s goods were depleted, and his relatives were anxious and distressed. Chen Yingmei invited ritual specialists to perform rites of aversion and also invited monks to recite scriptures, but none could stop the strange occurrences. Later the whole family moved far away to take shelter, yet the mountain sprite still followed them.

At his wit’s end, Chen Yingmei observed abstinence, held incense, and went in person to the temple, where he sincerely reported the matter to the Perfected Lord. The Perfected Lord issued a decree to Shouzhen, saying, “Now immediately receive my command and go remove this calamity for him.” Shouzhen bowed again, strapped the precious sword to his back, spurred his horse, and set out. After two nights he arrived at Chen’s house, but the noise of thrown tiles was still as loud as before. Onlookers packed the surroundings, all saying, “This Daoist priest, I fear…”

Unable to drive away this anomaly, Shouzhen washed and purified himself, dressed properly, took up a sword, and went in. The anomaly suddenly stopped.

That night, Shouzhen set up an altar in the courtyard. After spraying water onto the sword, he stood on the altar and called out slowly in a stern voice: “Mountain goblin spirit, where are you? If you still intend to make trouble, come out and contend with me; otherwise you should leave beyond ten thousand li, and I will pardon your offenses.” After some time, all around was silent, with no sound or movement at all. From then on, the household was peaceful and quiet. Later, the Yang family followed Shouzhen to the palace and held a Zhaijiao (a Daoist ritual of establishing an altar, performing rites, praying to deities, and averting disasters) to give thanks.

There was also a wealthy Yang family in Chang’an that was haunted. The monster hurled tiles about and even set fires, producing many strange occurrences within a single day, so that the whole family was anxious and unsettled. At the time there was a ritual specialist skilled in drawing talismans and prohibition magic named Li Zhuogui, and the Yang family invited him to come. As soon as he reached the gate, he seemed to be entangled by something: he crawled to his feet and immediately fell again; after this happened three times, he could only flee in disgrace.

The Yang family then invited Buddhist monks to set up a ritual assembly, reciting scriptures and chanting Buddhist hymns in order to drive away the malign influence. Before long, something seemed to seize the monks’ ritual implements, throwing some onto the roof and some into the well, and the monks fled in alarm. Later, even the stones used for pounding laundry flew up from midair, chasing one another in twos and threes and landing in the courtyard; when they struck things, those things were not damaged. Strange occurrences of this sort were too many to count.

The Yang family had long heard that the Zhenjun (Perfected Lord, a Daoist honorific for a revered deity) was efficacious, so they personally brought incense, candles, and other items and hurried off to burn incense and pray, describing in detail the strange events in their home and requesting that the malign influence be driven away. The Zhenjun declared: “You should return quickly; I will have Shouzhen go next.” Shouzhen then made obeisance and set out. When he arrived at the Yang residence, the crowd of onlookers packed the gateway. Shouzhen changed his clothes, straightened his cap, recited incantations, brandished his sword, and walked through all four corners of the compound; the anomaly immediately fell silent, without the slightest sound. Shouzhen said to the Yang family: “This malevolent entity has already been subdued. Please set up a Zhaijiao to expel it.” At dusk, he set up an altar and burned memorial petitions (written prayers to the deities); after completing the rites, he left. The people of the whole city bowed their heads in admiration. After Shouzhen returned, the Yang family again went to the palace and held a Zhaijiao to give thanks.

There was also a wealthy man named Liu Wencan, who was suddenly bewitched by a fox spirit. His mind became dazed and his behavior unsettled. In the marketplace he met a Daoist priest, who said to him: “There is an aura of the uncanny on your face; you must have been attached by some evil entity. The Zhenjun is about to descend; you should pray with sincere heart, and this illness will certainly be cured.” Liu Wencan then personally…

Carrying incense and candles, as he hurried along the road morning and evening, Wen Can was pursued by ghosts and demons. Sometimes they transformed into monks, nuns, and women; sometimes into merchants, using every kind of trick to entice him so that he could not go forward. Wen Can was utterly bewildered. Later, on the road he met a cultivator of the Dao and told him everything that had happened. The man said, “These are all ghosts and demons. You should go straight ahead without the slightest retreat; otherwise you will be killed by the horde of monsters.”

When Wen Can heard this, he came to his senses. Before many days had passed, he rushed to the Daoist temple, purified body and mind, undertook a sincere fast, and bowed a hundred times beneath the hall. The Perfected Lord (Zhenjun, the revered divine being) descended and said to him, “I know you have come from afar. Now I will have Shouzhen drive out the evil influences for you.”

That night, Shouzhen had Wen Can stand in the courtyard, then, holding a sword and spraying water from his mouth, shouted loudly several times. Wen Can immediately grew dazed and fell to the ground. After a while, when he woke, he said, “Just now, when the master shouted, I saw several figures like divine generals, each seizing two ghosts and carrying them away. I was so terrified that before I knew it I had fallen down. Now my spirit and thoughts are clear, as if I had just awakened from deep intoxication.” He bowed a hundred times and left.

From the time the Perfected Lord descended, officials and common people came from a thousand li away. Some prayed urgently from distant places; others came to pay homage after fasting, hoping to receive the Perfected Lord’s instructions. Most of what the Perfected Lord said was admonition and encouragement suited to the temperament and habits of the hearer: to those who served as ministers, he set loyalty as the standard; to sons, filial piety; the pure and sincere heard fitting maxims; the greedy and cruel received pointed warnings. His words were plain and easy, and also quite rhythmic. But very few truly had the chance to hear them. The contents that have been transmitted are recorded as follows.

During the Qiande era, the Daoist priest Feng Dongyuan of the White Deer Abbey on Mount Li, while performing morning worship, burned incense and prayed devoutly: “I, Dongyuan, have studied Confucius’s classics and followed Laozi’s teachings for many years, but in cultivating the body and refining conduct I have still not grasped the true essentials. Fortunately I have encountered the Supreme Perfected (the honored divine being); I earnestly beg you to grant me a single word of guidance.”

The Perfected Lord descended and said:

“Only upon reaching the realm does one know stability;

quiet the body and forget the mind’s attachments.

With external things clear and calm, the true nature is empty and luminous;

one must penetrate the hidden and subtle to attain thorough understanding.

This is the root of the Great Dao’s operation;

observe transformation, and there is no obstruction.

Empty, still, and Wuwei (non-action), one joins with nature.

When merit and practice are complete, the divine and wondrous are unfathomable;

transformation has no fixed method, and one may ascend to Heaven.

Advance, withdraw, depart, or remain—all are decided by oneself.

The Three Officials (Sanguan, deities governing Heaven, Earth, and Water) pardon past faults;

the Office of Destinies (the divine bureau in charge of the registers of life) removes the record of sins;

the Six Ding (Liuding, the six yin spirits in Daoism) report this to the heavenly court.

If living beings wish to cultivate the Dao,

they must know the supreme, unsurpassed origin of the Great Dao.”

Dongyuan bowed, gave thanks, and departed.

During the Kaibao era, the Attending Censor Lu Chong was appointed by imperial decree as prefect of Fengxiang Prefecture. He went to the Daoist temple to respectfully invite Shouzhen to the prefectural office, and there set up a Jiao altar (the altar used in Daoist rituals of prayer and sacrifice)…

That night, Chong fasted and purified himself, and prayed with sincerity: “I hold an official post, yet am prevented from bowing before the Perfected Lord’s image. I can only make devout petition with duckweed and water plants used in sacrifice; I ask the Perfected Lord to descend and observe, bestow the true words, and guide this benighted person.”

The Perfected Lord descended with an admonition: “Serve your ruler with all your heart and be a loyal minister; do not covet wealth gained unjustly, and do not heed evil things. Judge criminal cases with fairness; heal and save the people; let all you do accord with the kingly way, and in the end you will become a person of auspicious goodness. If you accumulate sins and faults, you will surely sink into suffering.

Sentient beings originally possess a formless nature, yet they lodge in bodily form. Through countless kalpas, beings have never been able to awaken themselves. There is also the Wuji (Limitless) world and the Land of No Night, where all merges with the Great Void (Taixu), profound and utterly still, and all principles interpenetrate.”

The Perfected Lord also said:

“Within the four directions of heaven and earth, most beings do not understand the karma they have created, and still press forward, like blind people recklessly crossing rivers and seas. If they can use wisdom to observe, they will of themselves pass beyond a thousandfold sea of suffering.”

Chong bowed again, recorded these words, and put them into practice.

One day, Wang Guicong, Left Reminder, fasted and quieted his mind, went into the palace, burned incense, and earnestly pleaded: “I am but a vulgar and lowly person, with boundless sins. Happily I have encountered the Supreme Perfected; may you bestow wondrous instruction: how should I cultivate myself so as to obtain long life?”

The Perfected Lord descended with an admonition: “In urging you to cultivate, what matters most is single-minded diligence and unremitting perseverance. The highest sages will all know your sincerity. An age of Great Peace is about to come; you must both employ the martial and promote the civil. Without civil governance, affairs of state cannot be set right; the use of force, however, will benefit the ruler. When you receive salary, do not defy the royal command; in your conduct you should be auspiciously good, and simply keep to pure poverty. The purely poor can unite with Heaven and Earth; those who greedily seek turbid wealth are like throwing fire into ice—the fire will in the end gradually die out.

Those who do evil bring disaster upon themselves and also involve their ancestors for seven generations. When they reach the underworld, their suffering will further injure their kin. I hang down a thousand-foot line to fish for those who have affinity.

The Dao (the Way) is supreme; De (Virtue/Power) is most honored; the Great Dao gives birth to and nurtures the myriad things. The heads of beings symbolize Heaven, their feet symbolize Earth; when the heart is empty and bright, one accords with truth. Doors and windows are cut out to build a house, yet within the house there is a thing that has neither form nor shadow, profound and hard to fathom; ordinary people cannot recognize it. If one can recognize it, one may attain long life.

Yang Qi (vital energy) is in Heaven, Yin Qi is on Earth; the two Qi of Yin-Yang unite—this truly has its principle. The transformations within the void come about naturally; within the natural, the ten thousand kinds arise. Heaven is not high, Earth is not low; the Great Dao blends the myriad things and returns them to the principle of emptiness. If cultivating beings wish to understand this, this is the gate to practicing and revering the wondrous Dao.”

During the Kaibao era, Shen Lun, the Grand Councilor, had long been bedridden and sincerely sent an envoy…

He went to the temple and set up a Zhaijiao ritual (a Daoist sacrifice-prayer ceremony), reporting to the deities: “I, Lun, am a polluted and ordinary person, and I am troubled by illness. How should I cultivate so as to be freed from these ailments? I respectfully beg the holy perfected ones to bestow words and guide benighted me.”

The Zhenjun (Perfected Lord, a high Daoist deity) descended and spoke: “That which is numinous and wondrous is not subject to illness; the bodily form is naturally at peace. If the body is ill, one should turn the gaze inward and illuminate within.” The messenger recorded these words and gave them to Lun. Holding and reading them, Lun was greatly astonished and delighted, saying, “I understand.” Before long, his illness was indeed cured. He again sent someone to the temple to perform a Zhaijiao ritual in thanks.

When the Daoist Wang Deyuan traveled in the Zhongnan Mountains, he lodged in the temple. He was diligent in offering incense and worshiping the deities, and he also favored nourishing life, but his temperament was narrow and he often grew angry. Suddenly one day the Zhenjun descended and said to him: “In studying the Dao (the Way) and cultivating the Real, you should first regulate your own temperament and make it accord with heavenly harmony; forget all contrived, deliberate affairs and do not wear out your mind and spirit. Only when the mind is harmonious and at ease, still and clear, can the Dao appear.”

The Zhenjun also admonished him: “Do not concern yourself with the inside, nor with the outside. The true spirit comes and goes without obstruction; wherever you dwell in peace and joy is your home. Each person must practice diligently and not wait for one another. Those who awaken first have no obstruction; the wondrous bliss of true emptiness is like paradise, and being equal to the sages, all offenses are dissolved.”

The Zhenjun also said:

“Wondrous principle must be personally practiced. In dealing with people and things, in responding and in advancing or withdrawing, all should accord with the Dao; in every movement one can realize true emptiness. Within true emptiness there is no affliction; merged as one with Taixu (the Great Void), there is naturally a soundless joy. Within the furnace and stove, within heaven and earth, the principle practiced by ordinary people and sages is not two. Always observe yourself with wisdom, and you can awaken in this very life.”

Deyuan said: “Having received your descent and instruction, I still do not understand the earlier phrase, ‘being equal to the sages, all offenses are dissolved.’ Please instruct me further.”

The Zhenjun said: “If you can remove afflictions and enter purity and stillness, refine and nourish the mind and spirit, cultivate the Real and accumulate merit—when merit and practice have accumulated to a certain point, the Niwan (the inner-alchemical locus above the head), all the joints of the body, and the Yuanshen (original spirit) will become numinously unobstructed, and you will naturally be equal to the sages. The wondrous bliss of paradise reaches everywhere; how could there still be all kinds of offenses? Therefore it is said, ‘being equal to the sages, all offenses are dissolved.’”

During the Taiping Xingguo era, Li Zhu, Vice Director of the Bureau of Carriages, served as prefect of Fengxiang Prefecture and saw with his own eyes numinous and miraculous responses; later, by imperial edict, he supervised the palace-temples for more than ten years, and his resolve was quite strict and upright. The words that the Zhenjun descended over time totaled more than ten pieces, and he recorded several of them.

One of them says:

“In the early Jianlong era, I had just received the command of Xiyi Shangdi (the Supreme God Xiyi). All the sages knew that we would descend riding dragons, with the stellar mansions (star deities) accompanying us. The Five Peaks received the command, each taking charge of its own affair, and the low places of the earth were secretly given support…”

You must secretly support the state and help the enlightened age. I wish to let Li Zhu know the date of my descent, but it must not be lightly disclosed, lest the heavenly secrets be leaked.

It also says: You must be different from others and assist the state; govern the people with principle and maintain the household with a compassionate heart. Although you do not drink wine, you can be as detached as if drunk; when clear-headed, govern the people; when entering stillness, regulate Shen and Qi. This is the method for prolonging life. I urge the Palace Master to remember it.

It also says: In office, take fairness and clarity as your standard, joined with wisdom; when handling affairs, be clear-headed and prudent, and observe the workings of the heavenly Dao. Having received the ruler’s salary, you should always harbor a sense of awe. Cleanse body and mind, transform yourself completely, move from the ordinary to the sacred realm, and hasten to the celestial palace of eternal life; its joys surpass those of the mortal world, and it is a place without night. Register your name there.

It also says: The Palace Master has been human for many lifetimes and is born in China in this life. You must be as pure, upright, and straightforward as I am, and not take crooked paths; accumulate goodness and establish merit, assist an enlightened ruler, clear the people of injustice, and keep penal and prison matters in mind.

If the Supreme Lord knows your reputation, the heavenly officials will also examine you. You should understand what to take and what to leave: worldly wealth merely circulates; if you cultivate and make tangible offerings, you will gain merit that follows you and immeasurable blessings. Do not delay, for time flies. The spirit officials will reward your deeds, and the celestial bureaus will add to your blessings. If you can follow my sacred words one by one, you will surely prolong your life.

It also says: You have already passed seventy, and your days in the world will not be long. Even if one wishes you a hundred years of life, you should ask yourself how many years remain. The underworld is to be feared, and the courts of the dead are hard to move by pleading. With merit you need not be alarmed; with accumulated sins you will surely be punished, and even your descendants will find it hard to bear the burden for you. Awaken early, and do not be foolish.

It also says: Whether one has karmic affinity or not, all are pulled by blessings and karma: for those with affinity, blessings arrive; for those without, they are entangled by the force of karma. The great sins created by the three karmas of body, speech, and mind all arise from an unstable root of faith. If you follow my words, you will be as stable as leaning on a great mountain.

It also says: Listen to my words, and you will surely prolong your years and enjoy health and peace. If only you cultivate the true Dao with utmost sincerity and without backsliding, in this life you may hope to see the Jade Emperor.

It also says: Because you prayed devoutly, the stars descended; they came riding the mysterious wind and left riding the Dharma rain, opening the eyes and ears of the benighted and turning back the hearts of those steeped in evil. For this reason the multitude all turned to the right path; all this is because you performed the Jiaogao (a ritual of setting up an altar to pray to the deities and present petitions).

Shangxuan (the deities of the high heavens) thereby also caused all who do evil to come in reverence; this is your merit. I have already reported this matter…

God on High has granted you blessings; you should make what is clear even clearer and what is pure even purer, and those who are discerning should become still more discerning. Do not be diligent at first and then slacken later; nor should you change midway, turning clarity into turbidity and goodness into evil. Otherwise, the Lingguan (the divine clerks in Daoism responsible for surveillance and reporting) will report the matter on high. If God on High learns that you have committed a fault, I too will be implicated.

Again, on the night of the tenth day of the seventh month, the Perfected Lord (Zhenjun, a high Daoist deity) descended with an instruction, saying: “You are loyal and diligent in public service and care for the people; you must be even more conscientious and not violate my admonitions. All the evil deeds you committed before you met me, I have wiped away for you. After meeting me, so long as you do not create further evil karma, the divine clerks around you have already recorded your merits. You must continue morning and evening to accumulate good works and not be slack. These are my holy words.”

The Perfected Lord also said: “So long as you do your utmost in handling government affairs and clear the wrongly accused of injustice, I constantly send Lingguan to protect and assist you. In all matters you must act justly and follow my holy words. Now it happens to be the time when the Lord of Great Peace governs and civilizes; you need not worry about what lies ahead.”

He also said: “Tuo Tuo, do not be troubled; the military office will naturally become stable. In all things follow the kingly way, and let the people of the world talk as they will.”

He also said: “Piously pray and bow to Shangxuan (Heaven Above and the celestial deities) for the ruler, praying that the state altars of the Song dynasty remain long and secure. Before long the world will be at peace, the whole family will rejoice, and blessings will be as firm as a mountain.”

He also said: “Serve the ruler with all your heart and sincerity, and with care assist the Great Peace. In the office you hold in the celestial palace, be more cautious in every matter. All the sages know your deeds; you need only act cautiously. When your merits and virtues are complete, you will be able to dwell forever in the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the highest heavens revered in Daoism).”

He also said: “In life do not worry at random, and after death do not grieve. You are responsible for judging affairs of the world of the living; yet how many years does a mortal have? If you simply follow the holy words and act, you may seek long life and ascend to the celestial realms.”

Each time Zhu received a piece of instruction, he would invariably recite it morning and evening. He once said to Zhu: “When you reach eighty, if you have no achievements in cultivation, your physical form will inevitably perish and your souls ascend to heaven; even so, you should be able to oversee one office.” Zhu bowed again and said: “In this life I am fortunate to encounter the descent of the Supreme Perfected and to have received secret words many times. If in the future I can obtain an office, I wish to be ranked together with Shouzhen.”

The Perfected Lord said: “In human official rank, Shouzhen is no match for you; in celestial rank, you are no match for Shouzhen. So long as your heart returns to the true and sincere Dao, there will be a time when you ascend to the immortal ranks.”

During the Chunhua era, Zhao Pu, Regent of the Western Capital and Director of the Secretariat, once sent envoys to prepare ceremonial rites and devoutly conduct a Zhaijiao (purification ritual, a Daoist prayer and sacrificial rite), seeking to learn of auspicious and inauspicious fortune and misfortune.

The Perfected Lord issued a decree, saying: “Zhao Pu (a famous minister of the Northern Song) rendered great service in assisting the state. God on High (Shangdi) knows this and has granted you blessings and longevity. However, because of great matters you have harmed small matters, and in the Youfu (the underworld office that governs ghosts and spirits) there are also those who have formed enmity with you. You should recite the true scriptures and pray to Heaven and Earth, first repenting your former faults. I too will petition God on High on your behalf, hoping to dissolve this offense. Your official rank and lifespan are already limited.” Thereupon he ordered it to be recorded and departed.

Zhao Pu knelt and read it through, was moved to tears, burned incense and confessed his faults, and sent people to a Daoist temple to hold a Zhaijiao (purification ritual, a Daoist blessing and offering ceremony).

Jia Huangzhong, Supervising Secretary and Assistant Administrator of State Affairs, once sent someone to express sincerity, pray, and request divine instruction. The Perfected Lord issued a decree, saying: “When a sage ruler appoints a minister, the minister should serve the ruler. The way of a minister is to assist the ruler of the age and set his heart on imitating the ancients; he conceals neither good nor evil, and must report treacherous matters. Only when ruler and minister share one heart and unite with the Dao can achievements be established.”

The Perfected Lord also said: “If you cherish the people with your heart, make rewards and punishments fair, and do everything according to my words, your whole family will be safe.”

Zhang Zhuo, Assistant Director of the Palace Administration, once asked the Perfected Lord for instruction. The Perfected Lord said: “The great Dao nurtures your spiritual nature, and the Qi of Yin-Yang forms your body. You should diligently practice the Dao and cultivate the Perfected, be fair and incorruptible in office, always keep the people’s sorrows and hardships in mind, and when the time comes, assist a wise ruler. God on High will hear of this. Even if the impure and wicked are wealthy, they ultimately cannot endure; to be pure, upright, and poor is the way of Heaven and humanity. Do not let people say that wealth and honor were seized from others, and do not fear others mocking poverty; the richness of a true cultivator of the Dao lies in being lofty and pure without shame, so that even in poverty one remains at ease.”

The Perfected Lord also said: “The body is mundane, but the spiritual nature is extraordinary. You must manifest integrity for the sake of the state. In a household of more than a thousand people, if anyone commits an offense, you yourself must also bear responsibility.”

The Perfected Lord also said: “When you ingest the yang-harmonious Qi, the heavenly stove still requires repeated steaming, and the earthly furnace has its own separate use. Cultivating in accordance with the Dao and De, you will advance every day; then you can extend your years, increase your lifespan, accumulate blessings, and ultimately accord with the principle of true emptiness. If you reach the realm of clear void and awaken to its wondrous principle, you can liberate those with karmic affinity.”

The Daoist priest Zhou Wuben once went to the temple and submitted a written petition, asking the Perfected Lord to bestow teachings. The Perfected Lord said: “You write petitions and aspire to Heaven, but alas, your mind is separated from Heaven as if by mountain passes. The immortal palaces are in fact close before your eyes, as if within your palm; it is only that your inner and outer cultivation has not yet been perfected. The underworld officials have already inspected and recorded your words and deeds; they have not sent down punishment, and have spared you from falling into Fengdu (the Daoist underworld) for several hundred years. Following my teachings and practicing the essential Dao I have spoken, restoring the realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the highest divine realm in Daoism) will not be difficult.”

Yuanji, son of Zhang Shouzhen, often went to the temple after observing fasts and precepts. The Perfected Lord issued a decree, saying: “Your father Shouzhen once encountered me, and therefore I have let his descendants receive blessings. Have you not heard that Zhang Daoling of Dragon-Tiger Mountain in Xinzhou (the founder of the Daoist Celestial Master tradition), even to this day the Son of Heaven…”

The descendants of the Sun clan will not be cut off. After the supreme sage who attained the Dao, you have the affinity to meet me, and this karmic connection will also extend to later generations. You should remain at home and serve your parents filially; when you receive a salary, be loyal to the emperor. To establish yourself in conduct and make your name known in the world—is this not a good thing?

He instructed further:

If there is no urgent matter, do not stroll idly in the streets; study diligently, and you will surely make a name for yourself. Let your fame spread throughout the world; the grace of the Dao will protect you and grant you long life.

He also said:

You know your own faults best; good and evil follow you day and night, and to be clear, it is to go against the heavenly Dao. Ask yourself: who exactly is confused?

During the Chunhua era, the Perfected Lord (Zhenjun, a high Daoist deity) descended and instructed Shouzhen, saying:

Now the sage-and-enlightened one has appeared, and the ruler cultivates luminous De (Virtue/Power), moving the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing); Heaven turns to the right path, and throughout the four seas warfare has ceased. The four quarters revere the sage-and-enlightened ruler, and the five grains all ripen in abundance. I urge you to cultivate De, and the Lord on High will bestow long life upon you.

He also said:

The bandits west of the pass causing disorder are due to the times. The court should direct officials and envoys to go and pacify and capture the bandits, and should not kill innocent people. When the court cultivates De, it should root out the true bandits.

He also once descended and admonished the Daoist priest Fu, saying:

A thousand people have a thousand minds, and ten thousand people each have different thoughts; when people’s conduct is not uniform and their intentions cannot connect, it is very difficult to agree to walk together with a sage.

The Perfected Lord also once descended and admonished officials and others, saying:

Always maintain a heart of loyalty and trustworthiness, and make your conduct accord with the heavenly Dao. Civil and military officials each have their duties, and naturally there will be worthy and capable people to serve as those in charge. To make the state’s foundation long-lasting, constantly be concerned whether the people are hungry or cold; practice De over the long term and make it accord with the great Dao. Burn incense and pray devoutly, reporting to the Realm of Void and Mystery (the Daoist term for the subtle and mysterious realm), wishing only that the state be stable and the ruler long-lived. With one heart assist the court and together create years of great peace.

He also once descended and admonished the court ministers, saying:

You are the pillars supporting the world; you should establish merits and assist the worthy and enlightened ruler in governing the world. King Wen’s ordering of the age was like Emperor Yao’s administration; to assist Heaven and Earth and stabilize the state depends on loyal ministers. The ruler should be upright and decisive; loyal ministers, even facing life and death, must repay the imperial grace. Always do good deeds and make your conduct accord with De; be cautious and persevere to the end as at the beginning, and you need not worry about your own safety.

Memorial Presenting the “Record of the Deeds of the Perfected Lord Yisheng Baode (Assisting the Sage and Protecting De)”

Your servant Qinruo submits: I have heard that August Heaven favors the mandate, and the Primordial Sage (a sage who arises in response to Heaven’s mandate) appears at the proper time; there must be a supreme spirit to manifest its hidden assisting power. Its plans and admonitions are used to guard and stabilize the world, and are recorded in the ya and song odes and transmitted to later generations. Examining the constant principles of past and present, one can see that Heaven and humanity resonate with each other. Your servant Qinruo sincerely rejoices, bows his head, and bows again. Reverently speaking: the numinous source sends down blessings, inheriting the Fire virtue (the imperial virtue of dynastic rule) and rising, radiant…

When the Heavenly Mandate was first opened, auspicious omens appeared clearly. The Yuanfu (Chief Auxiliary) in Yuchen (the celestial realm in Daoism) upheld the divine authority of the Jinque (Golden Citadel), sending down numinous spirits and causing the people to be single-minded and undivided; the transformations of Yin-Yang are profound and unfathomable, and through this the mysteries of creation were also revealed.

He assisted the great state in inaugurating its dynastic fortune and announced to Shenzong the omens of inheriting the imperial enterprise. These signs appeared before the events themselves and were heard near and far. Thereupon the court expanded the Jingguan (halls for enshrining and sacrificing to spirits), made solemn offerings, honored his fair name, and held stately grand ceremonies. Blessings arrived in response, and officials, scholars, and even commoners bowed their heads and gazed upon the divine countenance, cleansed their minds, and quietly awaited the deity’s admonitions.

The deity, according to each person’s endowment and depth of understanding, admonished them at the proper time with excellent and wholesome words, awakening them where they were benighted and confused. Earnest and repeated instructions enabled all to grasp the subtle principles therein; ordinary people, too, gradually came to recognize the truth in them. Sometimes chimei (specters of mountains, forests, streams, and marshes) wrought mischief, creatures not even recorded among the monsters in the cauldrons cast by Xia Yu in antiquity; sometimes pathogenic evils penetrated deep into the vital region between the heart and diaphragm, so that even the famous physicians of Qin could hardly diagnose them. In such cases, the deity still condescended to hear people’s devout and earnest prayers and sent guidance from afar.

Wherever the true teaching descended, all evils necessarily dispersed; after obscure and hard-to-fathom prodigies appeared in the human world, the swiftly coming and going deities soon returned to the celestial realm. People long recorded his fragrant merits and virtues, and also secretly received his protection. All secretly transmitted words were preserved in old records; now they have been arranged and edited to be left for those who come later.

This humble minister reverently received the imperial command, united his mind in recitation, washed his hands and carefully held the records, yet could not exhaust their profundity; he could only make a rough arrangement and investigation. I privately consider that the splendid deeds of the Shangzhen (the lofty Perfected who have attained the Dao) are truly clear evidence of the present flourishing age; how could an ordinary person like me describe them at will? I respectfully request Your Imperial Majesty to condescend to read it, wield the brush to compose a text, bestow a title to record the virtue, and write a preface to be placed at the beginning, so as to manifest the intention of reverent observance and cause the state’s blessings and felicity to shine long.

Gazing up at the imperial countenance and respectfully awaiting the sage decree, this minister is filled with trepidation and trembling beyond words. I now submit with this memorial the three scrolls of the compiled Accounts of the Perfected Lord Cheng, respectfully requesting examination. Sincerely fearful and trembling, I bow my head and twice prostrate myself, and respectfully memorialize.

Imperial Rescript

Having read the memorial, we note: the mysterious Dao is the root of all things, profound, remote, and unfathomable; the Supreme Spirit has no fixed form or trace, yet responds clearly and communicates aptly. The Yuanfu in Yuxu (the Daoist celestial realm), occupying the foremost rank among immortals and Perfected, secretly assists and brings worldly affairs to completion, truly manifesting hidden virtue.

When Yizu (the founding sovereign) received the mandate, he sent down blessings and displayed numinous efficacy; when Wenkao (the late emperor) inherited the legacy of blessing, he again foretold the omens that the Heavenly Mandate was about to arrive. The court therefore established special palaces and temples, carried out solemn Keyi (liturgy) such as ranghui (rituals of prayer and sacrifice to avert calamity and seek blessings), and thereby prayed that the common people might receive great felicity. As for his subtle scrutiny of affairs and his response to things in hidden and distant realms…

The Heavenly Worthy, through revelation, earnestly teaches people to cultivate diligently; the majesty He manifests is clearly visible, yet difficult to fathom. His responses are indistinct and subtle, yet as clear as an echo; He drives His divine chariot and departs in an instant.

I admired and received these teachings, and so I reverently upheld them all the more. In the hall of reverence I solemnly enshrined the Heavenly Worthy’s image, and in Yuandu (the immortal palace in Daoist heaven) I offered up His beautiful honorific title. It occurred to me that the secretly transmitted edicts and documents were already at hand, and that the memorials and records were especially abundant; I hoped to compile and arrange them into a book so as to make manifest auspicious and beautiful portents.

You, who hold the central pivot of authority and whose Dao brings light to the realm, are refined in talent and broad in learning; I hope you may complete the compilation and carefully arrange these classics, placing them in yellow silk book wrappers, sealing them in blue-green bags, and presenting them. I earnestly request that you write a preface for the book, and I also hope that you will bestow upon it a title.

My talents are shallow and my learning meager—how could I adequately set forth your lofty virtue? Still, I have reluctantly complied with your earnest request. Thinking of how you approve of this book, I feel deeply ashamed; even after waking I did not forget what you had asked, and so I have carried it out according to your wishes. —Yunji Qiqian, juan 103 (fascicle 103).