《雲笈七籤》Vol. 106

Inner Biography of Lord Wang, the Qingxu Zhenren (Perfected of Pure Emptiness), composed by his disciple Lady Wei Huacun of Nanyue.

Wei Huacun studied under Lord Wang, the Qingxu Zhenren. Lord Wang’s personal name was Bao, courtesy name Zideng; he was a native of Xiangping in Fanyang and a seventh-generation descendant of the Marquis of Anguo. He was born on the twenty-seventh day of the ninth month in the third year of the Jianshao reign of Emperor Yuan of the Han. The Wang clan was illustrious and aristocratic for generation after generation.

Lord Wang’s father was named Kai. Known in his locality for excellent virtue, he was recommended as a Maocai (Flourishing Talent) and successively served as Court Gentleman for Consultation, Grand Officer of the Central Fort, Administrator of Shangdang, Gentleman Attendant at the Yellow Gate, Palace Attendant, General of the Left, and Administrator of Yanmen. Wang Kai was upright and candid, dared to offer remonstrance, was skilled at planning, and treated others with complete sincerity. In discharging his duties and governing the people, he civilized them through ritual propriety, reduced punishments and taxes, and did not govern the people harshly, yet he inspired their reverence. The emperor considered him worthy and promoted him to Three Elders at the Hall, having him accompany the crown prince and lecture on the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Book of Documents, the Analects, the Rites, the Changes, and other classics.

Wang Kai’s explanations were unhurried and broad, and he was good at guiding students. He clarified subtle principles, and the scholar-officials took him as a model; he expounded the meaning of the great Dao, and successive rulers also regarded him as a standard. Later he was promoted to Grand Officer Guanglu, and after his death he was given the posthumous title Marquis Wen.

Lord Wang’s mother was a granddaughter of Sima Qian. She was virtuous and cautious, deeply learned, and her virtue was sufficient to serve as a model for mothers. The Wang clan had a long lineage and deep reserves of virtue; for generations it produced outstanding talent and virtue, and Lord Wang was precisely the distinguished figure among them.

Lord Wang received the wondrous Qi of the Six Harmonies. By nature he had a fine constitution, and his bearing was as lofty and outstanding as a mountain peak. He was endowed with numinous and extraordinary signs and manifested a noble character. His radiance illumined the Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars as spoken of in Daoism—and his demeanor was transcendent, far surpassing ordinary people. In his youth he studied the Five Classics and also ranged widely through the various masters and hundred schools; he mastered calendrical calculation and astrology and deeply investigated Yin-Yang, wind and Qi, and tonal pitch, so that there was nothing he had not read.

His father arranged for him to marry the daughter of Chancellor Kong Guang. Although his wife had entered the household, Lord Wang regarded marriage merely as a matter of harmonizing human relations. He himself remained devoted to pure stillness and contemplation of the Dao, cultivating luminous virtue, seeking lofty realms alone in order to preserve his true nature, and never clinging to the secular world. He was as lofty as one gazing afar at layer upon layer of auspicious clouds, and as vast as one drifting in a boat upon the boundless sea; his spirit dwelt atop the ten thousand things, and his Qi rose beyond the clouds. He was like a wild goose gradually flying toward Denglin, spreading its wings...

Dongyuan hid the phoenix feathers to conceal the south wind; he also hid the dragon flower and sank it into a deep water source. Yet, like the radiance of a night-shining pearl, its light would still shine even when hidden and was hard to cover. Thus his fame spread quickly, his reputation reached the capital and all of Huaxia, and officials from the four directions vied to summon him.

At this time, the gentleman sighed on a quiet, idle night, saying: “The dust of worldly affairs is tangled, people race after gain and loss, and contend with one another over advantage and harm; their vision could not even compare with that of an old swallow gazing at a yuanchu (a mythical divine bird).” He therefore resolved to take leave of his parents and enter Mount Hua to cultivate. Over nine years he endured every hardship; his sincere devotion moved Heaven, the divine illuminated the hidden and subtle, his will joined with mysterious spirituality, and he single-mindedly yearned for the Great Dao of ultimate truth.

One midnight, he suddenly heard among the forests and marshes the sounds of horses and men, of flutes and drums. In a moment, the sounds gradually drew near the mountainside. Looking up, he saw a thousand riders and ten thousand chariots coming from the void. A divine being rode a Three-Pure Cloud Chariot (a carriage formed of three-colored cloud qi), holding a tiger tally and a vermilion axe as he cleared the way ahead; others held staffs and banners, their pennants blotting out the sky. The divine being halted his carriage for a time and said: “I am the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Zhenren Xiliang Ziwen. I have heard that you love the Great Dao and practice diligently in the mountain forests, yet have not grasped the true essentials; I truly pity you. Your diligence and yearning for long life are indeed commendable.”

The gentleman at once ran beneath the chariot wheels, knocked his head on the ground, and struck himself, saying: “I am merely an ordinary person, ignorant and mediocre, low in station; body and mind are stained by worldly habits, and I have indulged my impulses and restless nature, disturbing my original nature. Yet from childhood I have loved the way of nurturing life; I simply do not know how to attain deliverance.”

The Zhenren said: “If one studies the Dao without a teacher and without karmic affinity, one cannot comprehend it on one’s own. I am the Taiji Zhenren, who oversees the affairs of immortals and gods, examines those who study the Dao, and selects upright, genuine cultivators. Your name has already been registered in the Mystic Records, the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) Golden Book, and the Donghua roster; you are ranked in the Qingxu and have entered the realm of Xiaoyou. In the future you will surely preside over precious registers and assume the office of a heavenly king. You need only devote yourself single-mindedly to cultivating the Four Sijing (an important stage in Daoist cultivation) and diligently seek the higher vehicle of Daoic practice; you will naturally be able to accomplish the Dao.”

Later, the gentleman lived in seclusion on Yangluo Mountain, and his sincerity moved Lady Nanji (the Lady of the Southern Pole) and Xicheng Zhenren to descend together. Lady Nanji pointed to Xicheng Zhenren and said: “You will become Wang Zideng’s teacher; Zideng is also a very good disciple.”

After a long while, Xicheng Zhenren sighed deeply and said to him: “Learning the Dao truly cannot be expected to succeed in haste, nor can seeking long life be realized immediately. You must comprehensively order the mysterious arts of the Dao, settle your mind in Xuanyuan (the source of the Dao), strive to accord with the realm of Taimiao, and transcend the layered heavens while advancing without cease. Although the Dao is formless, it truly exists; although the mysterious is deep and hard to illuminate, it is in fact plainly seekable. You should pursue it diligently.”

If the direction of cultivation is wrong, it is difficult to reach the true realm. Even if one broadly explores various wondrous methods, one may still fail to grasp the root. To understand only the aspect of “being” is ultimately insufficient; only by truly comprehending the wondrous principle can one preserve one’s years and lifespan.

Though you single-mindedly seek life and are sincere in attitude, you have not yet seen the boundary of cultivation; though you diligently admire the Dao, you have not yet found the way to enter the gate. This is like searching for a bird’s nest along a rushing torrent, or following tall trees to find fish in deep water.

Therefore, your heart-spirit is exhausted by Daoyin (breathing regulation, bodily movement, and other health-preserving methods), so that the Vermilion Palace (the dwelling place of the heart-spirit) is damaged; the lungs are worn out by regulating the breath, and Shenhua (spiritual radiance) declines accordingly; the liver is labored by watching and gazing, so the hun-essence scatters and is lost; the spleen is depleted by forcibly guarding the spirit, so the Dantian (the place of internal cultivation in Daoism) becomes blocked and impassable; the kidneys are exhausted by forced circulation, and the fluids lose their moistening. The qi of the gallbladder is too urgent and competitive, so the four limbs move in disorder; the five viscera injure one another, the six bowels lose their proper function, the Triple Burner (the channels of qi movement in Daoist medicine) is blocked and not free-flowing, and the eight gates (important passes of the body) are closed, unable to connect.

You rely on food to strengthen the body and on elixirs to consolidate the interior; perhaps this can only delay aging, but you still cannot avoid death. Even if you could live for ten thousand years, what is there in that to value?

Thereupon, on that very day, the Perfected Man of the Western City transmitted to Wang Zideng thirty-one scrolls of scriptures, including The Most High Precious Writ, The Hidden Book of the Eight Pure Ones, The Perfect Scripture of the Great Cavern, The Eight Ways of the Numinous Book, The Purple Measure and Flaming Light, The Stone Essence and Jade Horse, The Tiger Writ of the Divine Perfected, and The Feathered Mystery of the High Immortals; after establishing a covenant and oath according to the rules, he gave them to him. Then the Perfected Man of the Western City took him to view Xuanzhou, and in the blink of an eye they arrived there. Xuanzhou is surrounded by sea on all four sides, with huge waves rising a thousand zhang high; on the island, palaces, towers, jade chambers, and precious rooms are too many to count.

The Perfected Man of the Western City said, “This is the residence of the immortal capital; the Great Lord of the Most High dwells here.” He then led Wang Zideng into the Purple Cassia Palace to pay respects to the Great Lord of the Most High. The Lord wore a feathered robe of flowing rosy clouds, a lotus crown on his head, a sash of divine light around his waist, and held a fire bell in his hand; several hundred maidservants attended at his sides, and dragons and tigers guarded beside the steps. After the Great Lord of the Most High and the Perfected Man of the Western City exchanged salutes, they joined hands and took their seats, while Wang Zideng attended to the side.

The Great Lord of the Most High said, “This is the one called Wang Zideng. In learning the Dao he encountered a good teacher; it seems he will achieve something.” The Perfected Man of the Western City smiled and ordered Wang Zideng to bow. After Wang Zideng finished bowing, the Great Lord of the Most High had him sit facing north, and then a banquet was set. In the interval of a single breath, a sumptuous feast was ready: a thousand kinds of numinous dishes, crimson elixir wine filling the cups; the smoke of sacrificial sandalwood rose, and mysterious fragrance drifted abroad; then the Great Music of Juntian was presented, and the golden ao (an instrument used for immortal music) was struck…

The Seven Rays (Qimang) issued from Kongtong Mountain; their sound was clear and bright, resounding through Tianqiu (Heavenly Mound). Then dragons soared up the cloud cliffs, phoenixes cried out among the mountain ridges; giant whales surged up the waves, cloud qi rose into Taixu (the Great Void), and the wind blew toward distant reaches.

Wondrous songs arose, and the Nine Perfected (Jiuzhen) chanted elegantly; amid the emptiness Yuhua (Jade Flower) sang aloud, and Xifei (Western Consort) danced lightly. The assembled immortals waved their sleeves, the myriad spirits moved slowly, the feathered youths (yutong) clapped in rhythm, and auspicious clouds curled around without dispersing.

At this time, Taishang Zhangren (Grand Elder of the Highest) met with twenty-nine Zhenren. They were all Taizhen Gong (Dukes of Great Perfection) of Xuanzhou. The first Zhenren called himself Zhuxian Daojun (Lord of the Master Immortals). Pointing to one person, he turned to Xicheng Zhenren (Perfected of the Western City) and said, “That person who has come from afar—is he a retainer of the Xicheng immortal prefecture, or a guest-friend of the Supreme Minister (Shangzai)? Look at this youth: his mind-eye is clear and far-reaching, his spirit settled, his bodily form still and concentrated; Yuan Chen does not dazzle, yet the Six Scenes (Liujing) give forth light. He is probably an outstanding one among the Zhenren, and may be counted a person of small virtue. But who exactly is he?”

Xicheng Zhenren laughed and replied, “Why should the Daojun’s present pure tones be mixed with such unrefined, coarse, and petty tunes? Please let me briefly set out the essentials.

“The sage-like artisan of creation split open the undifferentiated mass of Taihun, dividing it into millions of forms; he opened the great storehouse that contains the myriad things and scattered it into endless entities. Therefore the three luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—were established and called Heaven, and instruments for measuring celestial patterns were made; territories were divided and called Earth, and the Five Domains (Wufu; ancient zones graded by distance) were defined. Water clocks were then instituted to distinguish day and night, and the four seasons arranged to reckon years and months; the Five Positions fixed directions, and mountains and rivers marked strategic passes. People built city walls to dwell securely, made weapons for self-defense, used banners, carriages, and clothing to mark status, and nourished themselves with the nine grains.

“All this imitates celestial patterns, while forms exist upon the earth. Sun and moon have the distinction of light and dark; cold and heat have the qi of growth and withering; thunder and lightning have their seasons of arising and ceasing; wind and rain have their patterns of activity and stillness. The various qi float and rise above, and the numerous essences flow and circulate below. The rise and fall of things, the order and disorder of the age, the worthiness or foolishness of human endowment, the good or evil of disposition, the hard or soft of temperament, the length or brevity of lifespan, the noble or base status, the high or low rank, the omens of good and ill fortune, and the times of adversity or prominence—all are presented together.

“Human nature issues from Heaven, while destiny is formed in the person. Therefore nature is established by Heaven, and destiny is followed by humans according to the great Dao; the nature received by humans joins with spirit, blending into one, flowing and moving together, impossible to distinguish in detail.”

Thereupon, Zhuxian Daojun ordered the attendant maiden Fan Yun…

Hua Zhaojun, Zhu Wang, Baotai, and others opened the treasured jade tablets, took out two scrolls of the secret Shangqing (Highest Clarity) scripture, the Dragon-Writing Perfected Scripture of the Eight Spirits, and transmitted them to Zideng. They also bestowed on him two sheng of Cloud-Blue Yang Water and Dawn-Flying Elixir Nectar. After bowing in thanks, Zideng ingested the elixir. The Perfected One then brought him back to West City. Nine years later, Zideng had achieved success in cultivation.

The Perfected One had him ride a Flying Whirlwind Chariot eastward. He crossed the Qiming Azure Sea, ascended Mount Guangsang, entered the Shihui Court, and paid respects to the Grand Emperor Lord. After Zideng performed the kowtow, the Grand Emperor Lord bestowed on him the “Nine Writings of Dragon Radiance,” the “Red Writ of the Purple Phoenix,” the “Shangqing Divine Diagram,” and the “Jade Register of the Eight Daos.”

Next, Zideng traveled south, crossed the Bohai and the Cinnabar Sea, ascended Mount Changli, and paid respects to Madam Purple Origin of the South Pole, also known as the Primordial Lord of the South Pole. She bestowed on him the “Green Writ of the Great Elixir of the Nine Daos Returning to the Mystery.” Zideng also paid respects to the Crimson Terrace Youth and the High Lord of the Flower Canopy, receiving such items as Five Clouds, Night Radiance, Cloud Gem, and Water Frost. The Lady of the South Pole said, “Would I fail to keep the word I gave you before?” Zideng bowed his head in gratitude and then took his leave.

Afterward, Zideng traveled west, crossed the Great Sea of Yuqiu and the Ford of Sinking Feathers, ascended Mount Linong, and paid respects to Madam Dawn of the Purple Canopy and the Jingzhen Dao Lord of the Three August Ones, receiving the “Green Characters of the Jade Dao” and the “Hidden Book of the Great Perfected of Returning Radiance.”

He then journeyed north, crossed the Diaorou Mysterious Sea, passed the Yinlong Upper River and the Gourd Ford, ascended Mount Guangye, and paid respects to the Jade Lord of the Great Dao, the Highest Void Sovereign. It happened that the Jade Lord was on an excursion: he rode the morning radiance of sun and moon, drove the purple light of the primordial beginning, was enveloped in dense yellow cloud-qi, with rays from the eight directions reflecting one another, while countless ascended Perfected Ones followed him.

Zideng bowed again by the roadside. The attendants announced in song: “We have heard that you are going to pay respects to the Shangqing Jade Dawn Emperor Lord and the Xuanqing Primordial Lord of the Six Subtleties.” The two divine lords bestowed on him the “Golden Chapter of the Precious Cavern, Flying Empyrean, and Absolute Mystery” and the “Hidden Book of Taiji,” and also gave him Dragon Bright Pearl, Crimson Harmony, and Cloud Mushroom. After bowing in thanks, Zideng ingested them. Immediately his whole body took on a golden hue; a circular halo appeared above his head, and radiance like that of the sun, moon, and stars shone forth, illuminating his form.

He then ascended the Langfeng Plain and the Xuanpu Palace and paid respects to the Central August Jade Emperor, receiving the “Jade Scripture of Form-Release, Transformation-Escape, and Flowing Radiance.” After that, he crossed the Land of Yujue, forded the Weak River, and went west to the Turtle Terrace to pay respects to the Nine Spirits Great Perfected Lady of Shangqing. He then fasted and purified himself for three months and received the “Precious Radiance of the Three Flowers,” the “Gem Writ and Jade Book,” the “Supreme Register of Numinous Radiance,” and the “Plain Scripture of the Seven Dawns.” He fasted and purified himself for another three years, crossed the vast great river, and ascended Mount Baikongyu.

After a circuitous journey of thirty thousand li, the next day he went to the Ziqing Taisu Qiongque, the immortal palace where Tai Su San Yuan Shang Dao Jun resides. This was the seat of governance of Tai Su San Yuan Shang Dao Jun. Within the palace was the Danling White Jade Palace, its radiance shining and dazzling to the eye; purple clouds drifted down, and seven-colored rays spread out in interwoven layers, congealing above the clouds and sky into wondrous and beautiful scenes, brilliant in dark and yellow, beyond description. Immortal youths and jade maidens stood in attendance on either side of the Heavenly Worthy, great in number.

When he arrived, he kowtowed and bowed again, then came beneath the Qiongque and waited for a long while. Tai Su San Yuan Shang Dao Jun then sent the Embroidered-Robed Envoy Xilin Zao to bestow on him the Golden True Jade Light, the Flowing-Gold Fire Bell, the Huoluo Seven Primordials, and the Eight Scenes Flying Dawn; he also sent the Qingzhen Left Lady Guo Linggai and the Right Yang Yuhua Zhong Feiji, carrying a divine tally and jade seal, to confer them on him. The Dao Lord appointed him Tai Su Qingxu Zhenren, commanding the Xiaoyou Heavenly King and the Right Protector High Duke of the Three Primes and Four Departments, to administer affairs in the Wangwu Mountain cave heaven, and bestowed on him three hundred jade boys and three hundred jade girls.

He was responsible for overseeing scriptures and registers such as the Shangqing Jade Chapters, the Taisu Treasured Mystery, the Taiji Upper Grade, the Nine Heavens Numinous Texts, the Six Harmonies Secret Registers, and the Wondrous Scripture of Mountains and Seas; he also had overall charge of the Three Treasures of Bright Scenery in the cave heavens. He could ride tiger banners, dragon carriages, golden canopies, jade wheels, and the Eight Scenes Flying Chariot, going in and out of Shangqing; at Taisu he received duties, and in Taiji he rested peacefully and dwelt at ease. Later he returned to Xicheng, observed a pure fast for three months, formally received the sacred register, and became Tai Su Qingxu Zhenren.

Inner Biography of Master Zhou, the Perfected of Purple Yang

The Perfected of Purple Yang was surnamed Zhou, given name Yishan, courtesy name Jitong, and was a native of Ruyin. He was a seventh-generation descendant of the Han chancellor Zhou Bo, born into a prominent family whose generations held office. His grandfather Zhou Xuan served as Inspector of Qingzhou during the Yuanfeng era; his father Zhou Mi served as Magistrate of Fanyang. When Zhou Yishan was born, his father was in office. Later his father was promoted repeatedly and eventually rose to Inspector of Chenliu.

At sixteen, Zhou Yishan lived with his father in the commandery and began reading the Classic of Filial Piety, the Analects, and the Zhouyi (Book of Changes). He was steady and taciturn, seldom revealing joy or anger; he enjoyed sitting quietly alone and was not eager to make acquaintances or seek fame, yet his mind was meticulous and concentrated in thought. He often stood facing due east in the early morning before sunrise, rinsed his mouth and swallowed the saliva in his mouth, practiced the method of fuqi (regulating the breath and drawing in Qi), and bowed twice toward the sun. He did this every morning for more than a year. His father found it strange and asked him, “What are you doing?” Zhou Yishan knelt upright and replied, “In my heart I delight in the sun...”

(Continuing from the preceding passage.) Because he “brightened the brilliance of the long daylight,” people bowed to him. Early on the first day of each month, he often went into the markets and lanes, and when he saw people who were poor and starving, he would take off his clothes and give them away. Sometimes he climbed famous mountains and sighed in sorrow; sometimes he entered stone chambers and laughed to himself alone.

When the famous Confucian scholars of Chenliu heard that his virtue was lofty and his nature calm and gracious, they all came to visit him. He always pleaded illness and would not see visitors. Cai Xian, a Palace Attendant of the Han court, was also a famous scholar of Chenliu and was well versed in Daoist arts. After hearing of his virtue, he repeatedly called at his door seeking an audience, but the man still pleaded illness and declined, unwilling to meet him. His father was greatly surprised and angered by this and sternly reprimanded him, urging him to go out and receive the guest. Having no way out, he had to come out and meet him. Cai Xian spoke freely on pure and refined topics, and then discussed the Way of immortals and divine transcendents and matters of transformation. But the man remained silent and withdrawn, gathering his mind and Shen, listening quietly and only nodding in response, without answering a single word.

That year there was a severe drought, and the price of rice rose to a thousand cash per dou; many people starved to death on the roads. He then exhausted his family wealth to relieve those in distress. These good deeds were all done in secret, and those who received help did not know that it was he who had given it. He treated all things as if facing a newborn infant. This was his long accumulation of good virtue and his practice of benevolence.

Later, Huang Tai of Chenliu came and said to him: “I have heard that you delight in Daoist arts and secretly do good; your thoughts are profound and subtle, and your sincere heart has resonated with me, so I have come to visit you. I am Xu Lin, an immortal of the Central Marchmount, courtesy name Zixuan. I was originally a man of Wei and was born in the final years of Duke Ling of Wei. In my youth I loved the Dao and De. I once studied under Master Cen and received techniques for refining the body and averting disaster; later I encountered Lord Qiu, who taught me Fuqi (nourishing life by regulating the breath and inhalation and exhalation) and the methods of returning the Shen and guarding the hun-souls. I practiced these and achieved considerable results, benefiting greatly.

“From your youth you have known how to make the yang Jing and marrow fluids return and not leak away. You also know Daoyin (using bodily movements and breathing to cultivate body and mind), Fuqi, Tunjing (swallowing radiance, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon), and swallowing fluids. Therefore you no longer need Yindan internal techniques to supplement and nourish the fetal origin. However, the Three Insects in your body have not yet been removed, and the Three Corpses (the spirits that Daoism says lurk in the human body and obstruct cultivation) have not yet been eliminated. Thus you have not yet grasped the essentials of Daoyin and Fuqi. You may first take fine pills for controlling the insects to kill the grain insects.

“These insects have three names: the first is Qinggu, the second is Baigu, the third is Xueshi; together they are called the Three Insects. When the Three Insects remain in the body, they make one’s heart oppressed and one’s mind constrained, so that intentions are hard to sustain; as soon as one fasts one feels hungry, and one is also prone to sadness and worry, easily stirred emotionally, so that the Shen and will cannot focus. Even if one eats irregularly and cuts off grain, the body remains heavy and sluggish, barely breathing, with a dull expression…”

If dreams cause distress, confusion, and inversion, and if vulgar and miscellaneous thoughts cannot be eliminated, it is all because these worms are causing mischief in the body and disturbing the five viscera.

The method for killing the worms is as follows: five liang of aconite (fuzi), seven sheng of hemp seed (mazi), six liang of rehmannia (dihuang), seven liang of atractylodes (zhu), seven cun of evodia root (zhuyu gen; use the larger pieces), four liang of cinnamon (gui), and five liang of Yunzhi Ying—seven medicinals in all. First take calamus root (changpu) and decoct it to make a strong wine, making the liquid clear, mellow, and sweet, one and a half dou in total. Chop the seven medicinals and place them in a vessel, then soak them in the wine; they may also be left whole. After soaking for three nights, remove them and sun-dry them; then soak them again for three nights in the previous wine, remove them, and sun-dry them. Repeat this until the wine is exhausted; then sun-dry the medicinals, pound them in an iron mortar, and sift them through a fine sieve into powder. Add white honey and blend to form pills.

Take them in the morning facing east, initially two pills each time, the size of small beans; afterward gradually increase by one pill each time, up to more than ten pills. The text says that this medicine can treat abdominal cramping and hardness, upward-rising Qi (shangqi), and blockage of the heart and chest; it can also make the skin and flesh plump and moist and the body light, vigorous, and lustrous. After one course is completed, it can kill the worms in the body; once the worms die, the Three Corpses (Sanshi)—the deities in Daoist belief that dwell in the human body and obstruct cultivation—will wither and then naturally fall away. This medicine may also be prepared and taken repeatedly; it is not limited to one course.

Afterward, prepare the Four Zhen Pills (Sizhen Wan), adding one liang each of azurite (zengqing) and Polygonatum (huangjing), to cut off grain consumption. If one practices Daoyin and Qi-ingestion (fuqi) but fails to grasp the essentials, one may first take various herbs, including sesame (juzhi), Poria (fuling), atractylodes (zhu), cinnamon (gui), asparagus root (tianmendong), Coptis (huanglian), rehmannia (dihuang), rhubarb (dahuang), peach gum, and peach bark, choosing freely among them. Even if one takes these medicines and obtains some efficacy, without the Nine-Turn Divine Elixir (jiuzhuan shendan) and the Way of Golden Liquid (jinye), one cannot become a flying immortal; one can only prolong life and avoid premature death.

The text urges practitioners to cultivate in sequence. After taking atractylodes for five years, the body will develop radiance, and one may even see through the body and observe the five viscera (wuzang). At this stage, one should then ask the immortals for the secret methods of ascending and becoming an immortal. The immortals say that medicines are of different kinds and immortals are of different ranks: some can ride clouds and dragons and ascend to heaven in broad daylight, become friends of Taiji Zhenren (the Perfected Person of the Supreme Ultimate), and be enfeoffed as lords of immortal palaces, holding posts such as Lord of Managing Truth (Sizhen Gong), Lord of Stabilizing the Origin (Dingyuan Gong), Lord of Great Generation (Taisheng Gong), Grand Master of Central Yellow (Zhonghuang Dafu), Elder of the Nine Qi (Jiuqi Zhangren), and Lord of the Immortal Capital (Xiandu Gong); these are all upper immortals. Some serve as immortal ministers and grand masters, with ranks below the upper immortals; others travel among the Five Peaks or go to the Taiqing Realm and command ghosts and spirits; these are middle immortals. Lower still, some are enfeoffed as masters of a single mountain, overseeing ghosts and spirits.

Some people can fly through the air and gather in the Qingxu Palace on Mount Xiaoyou; this is the second rank among immortals. To be able to eat the five grains without dying, and at noon to cast no shadow beneath the body, is to be a lower immortal. Some undergo shijie (corpse-liberation) in broad daylight, leaving the mortal body behind and departing; after death they enter Taiyin (Great Yin), and only afterward become immortals—this is a rank below that of lower immortals.

The secret essentials of Juanzi that I received belong to the way of middle immortals. Your name has already been recorded in the golden register of the higher realm; in the future you should become a Zhenren (Perfected). My Dao method is not suitable for you, nor is it what a Zhenren studies. Now I transmit to you the method of guarding the Three Ones (shou sanyi, the cultivation practice of visualizing the “Three Ones” deities within the body) and two hundred items from the Wondrous Xiaoyou texts. If you can consume the stone fungus, vermilion stalk, and dried zhi together with me, then my Dao method may be considered fully transmitted. You may travel far to seek a master.

The gentleman bowed twice and received the teaching; after withdrawing, he consumed the divine zhi. Five years later, he could see a thousand li away and travel five hundred li in a day. He then toured famous mountains in search of immortals. He heard that Mr. Luan of Mount Meng could recite the Longqiao Jing, so he went to seek him and on the way encountered Yanmenzi. Yanmenzi transmitted the Longqiao Jing to him.

Later he climbed Mount Wangwu and encountered Zhao Tuozi, from whom he received sixteen pieces of the Zhi Tu (Diagrams of the Divine Mushroom) and secret talismans of the Five Phases. He also encountered Mr. Huang and received the Huangsu Shenfang, the Wudi Liujia Zuoyou Lingfei zhi Shu (Book of the Numinous Flight of the Left and Right of the Five Emperors and Six Jia), and forty-four instructions.

He also climbed Mount Panzhong and encountered Lord Shangwei, from whom he received the Taishu Zhuan and the Zuoyi Hundong Dongmeng zhi Lu and Youyu Suwen Shesha zhi Lü. Then he climbed Mount Songgao and, inside the Taishi Cave Gate, encountered the Central Yellow Old Lord; many immortals were gathered there. He kowtowed and bowed twice, seeking the method of long life and transcendence of the world.

The Yellow Old Lord said, “Can you practice visualization in the Dongfang (the divine chamber within the human body) and see Lord Baiyuan?” He replied, “I indeed constantly visualize in the Dongfang, and I have also seen Lord Baiyuan.”

The Yellow Old Lord said, “Your cultivation is not yet sufficient; you have not yet seen Lord Wuying. You must continue traveling and seek to receive various essential instructions; when the time comes, I will transmit the Highest Perfected Daoist scriptures to you. Seeing Lord Baiyuan is the stage of a lower immortal, and one may live three thousand years; only upon seeing Lord Wuying does one count as a Zhenren, and one may live ten thousand years.”

He bowed in gratitude and received the teaching, then continued traveling through the famous mountains and great marshes of the world. He went west and climbed Mount Baikong, where he encountered Mr. Shaye Bo and received the Taiqing Shangjing. Afterward he climbed Mount Emei, entered the Kongdong Golden Mansion, encountered Mr. Ning, and received the Taidan Yinshu in eight bundles with ten instructions. He also climbed Mount Min, encountered Mr. Yin, and received the Nine Red Mottled Talismans. Then he climbed Mount Qi and encountered...

After Zang Yanfu received the Youle Qusu Jueci, he ascended Mount Liang, where he met Huainan Zicheng and received the Three Diagrams of the Heavenly Pass; then he departed, ascended Niushou Mountain, met Zhang Zifang (Zhang Liang), and received the True Scripture of Great Purity. He next ascended Jiuyi Mountain, met Li Boyang (Laozi), and received Li’s Hidden Scripture.

He then traveled and ascended Zhong Mountain, met Gaoqiu Zi, and received the twenty-seven Golden Elixir Formulas; he ascended Heming Mountain, met Lord Yang’an, and received the Scripture of the Golden Liquid Elixir and the Diagram of the Nine Cauldrons Divine Elixir. After that he ascended Meng Mountain, met Master Qingjing, and received the Huangsu Biography; then he ascended Luhun Mountain, slipped into a cave chamber by the Yi River, met Li Zi’er, and received the Eight Arts of Hiding in the Earth.

He then ascended Rong Mountain, met Zhao Boxuan, and received the Plain Words of the Three Primes; he ascended Yangluo Mountain, met Lord Youyang, and received the Purple Book of Qingyao and the Sequential Practice of the Three and Five; he ascended Huo Mountain, met Lord Siming, and received the Green Diagram of Governing Life and the Register of the Subjects of the Supreme Sovereign.

Thereafter, he ascended Wushu Mountain, met Mo Di, and received the Central Scripture of the Purple Passage and Flaming Light Inner Vision Diagram; he ascended Yaoming Mountain, met the Divine Youth Who Attends the Night of the Great Emperor, and received the Scripture of the Golden Root; he ascended Weiyu Mountain, met Sima Jizhu, and received Stone Essence and Golden Light: Concealing Radiance and Transforming Form.

He then ascended Dating Mountain, met Liu Zixian, and received the Divine Method of Seven Transformations; he came to the Jianmu tree at Duguang, met Gu Xizi, and received the Method of Yellow Qi, the Art of the Great Void, and the Essentials of the Three Ways of Yang Essence; he ascended Tongbai Mountain, met Wang Qiao, and received the Plain Memorial Elixir Talisman.

Next, he ascended Taihua Mountain, met Chisongzi of the Southern Peak, and received the Book of the True Lord of the Upper Prime; he ascended Taiming Mountain, met the Lord of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Capital, and received the Four True Methods of Yellow Water and Moon Radiance; he ascended Heli Mountain, met Huangren, and received the True Scripture of the Eight Pure Ones and the Hidden Book of the Supreme.

He then ascended Jing Mountain, met Master Wanbi of Huangtai, and received the Central Scripture of the Nine True Ones; he ascended Xuanlong Yu Mountain, met ten jade youths and the Elder of the Nine Qi, obtained the white-feathered purple canopy, and learned the method of ingesting Yellow Water and Moon Radiance.

Subsequently he came to Sanglin, ascended Fuguang Mountain, met Lord Qingzhen Xiaotong, and received the Secret Characters of the Golden Book; then he traveled south, passed through Zhuhuo, ascended Danling Mountain, met Gong Zhongyang, and received the True Record of Immortal Taboos. Finally, he traveled west, ascended Kong Mountain, saw Lord Wuying, and then withdrew into the Cave Chamber. In the Cave Chamber, Lord Wuying occupied the left, Lord Baiyuan the right, and Lord Huang-Lao resided at ...

Lord Wuying (Wuying Jun), grandfather of the Upper Prime Red Child (Shangyuan Chizi), wore robes made of golden essence, vermilion and green jade, and fine silk. The garment was crimson, its radiance flowing like morning clouds. He wore a ritual emblem symbolizing the supreme numinous qi, held the Nine Emperors’ evil-dispelling writ, and wore the Crown of Purple Numen Above the Emerald. He occupies the place of Grandfather of the Upper Prime Red Child of the Great Mystery Elixir Spirit (Taixuan Danling). On his left he connects with the qi of the Green Palace, and his breath infuses the myriad spirits; it is said that before heaven and earth had formed, he had already emerged from emptiness.

Lord Baiyuan (Baiyuan Jun), father of the Upper Prime Red Child, wore layered robes of cinnabar jade and brocade-cloud silk. Within his garments a white light radiated, and vermilion flowing light shone upward, its brilliance illuminating the mysterious heaven and earth. He wore a ritual emblem symbolizing the supreme numinous essence, held the arcane prime demon-subduing writ, and wore the black crown that summons dragons. He dwells in the Jade Chamber and Cloud Court and is the father of the Upper Prime Red Child. On his right he leans upon the Chamber of Bright Green and presides over the morning circulation of generative vitality.

Lord Huanglao (Huanglao Jun) at the center is the teacher of the Four Perfected Kings of Taiji. Advanced in years, he governs the Nine Heavens above and roams within Kunlun, with the Yellow Palace Gate outside and the Purple Door within; below, he enters together with Lords Wuying and Baiyuan into the Dongfang (Grotto Chamber), which is three cun round. The “Dongfang” spoken of here is the inner spirit chamber within the body that the practitioner sees when inwardly observing himself. Lord Huanglao’s majestic bearing is complete.

If the practitioner single-mindedly visualizes these spirits and is able to see them, he may become a Zhenren (Perfected): to see Lord Baiyuan is to become a Lower Perfected with a lifespan of three thousand years; to see Lord Wuying is to become a Middle Perfected with a lifespan of ten thousand years; to see Lord Huanglao is to become equal with Heaven, an Upper Perfected whose name is inscribed on the Golden Terrace. After Lord Huanglao arrived, the practitioner bowed again and earnestly requested the essential instructions of Upper Perfection.

Lord Huanglao said, “Go back and contemplate the spirits in your own Dongfang.” The practitioner then closed his eyes and inwardly observed for a long while, and indeed saw in the Dongfang two divine beings—none other than Lords Wuying and Baiyuan. Their clothing and appearance were as though they stood in an empty mountain. Lord Huanglao smiled and said, “This is truly subtle and profound. It is only by applying your mind and pondering that you have been able to master its principle. This is the way of ascending to Heaven in broad daylight. Return to Mount Chang, and there I will transmit to you the Way of Upper Perfection.”

The practitioner returned to the stone chamber on Mount Chang, observed fasts, and recited the Dao. After another ninety-some years, Lords Baiyuan, Wuying, and Huanglao finally caused him to receive and study the thirty-nine chapters of the Dadong Zhenjing (Great Cavern Scripture of Perfection). The scripture says that twenty-one jade youths and twenty-one jade maidens stood in attendance to his left and right, burning incense day and night. He practiced for eleven years and finally rode clouds and drove dragons, ascending to Heaven in broad daylight. He went to the Taiwei Palace to receive the heavenly writ and was enfeoffed as Ziyang Zhenren (Perfected of Purple Yang). He wore the tally of the yellow banner and the writ of the Eight Majesties, girded at the waist with a flowing-gold bell, and was clad in a robe of spontaneity…

The place that passes through the Golden Court and Bronze City of Mount Geyan is what is called Ziyang Palace. In Ziyang Palace dwell eight Perfected beings. It is said that they ascend Mount Kunlun three times a day and each morning also pay audience to the Taiwei Emperor Lord. Mount Panzhong is regarded as a separate palace of Ziyang Palace, that is, the so-called Hidden Palace of Dongting. On Mount Panzhong there is a cave; within the cave a hidden passage leads to Qingxu Xiaoyoutian (Clear Void Small Heaven) of Mount Wangwu and also secretly connects to Langfeng.

Biography of the Perfected Ma Mingsheng

Ma Mingsheng was a native of Linzi in the state of Qi. His original surname was He, and his courtesy name was Junbao. As a young man he served as a county official. Once, while going to arrest bandits, he was instead hacked and wounded by them. He encountered Madam Taizhen (a Perfected immortal in Daoist legend), who was then on her way to the Eastern Peak. Seeing his injury, the lady felt compassion.

Junbao was then close to death. After a long while, he suddenly saw a woman of sixteen or seventeen, magnificently dressed and exceptionally beautiful. She came to his side and asked, “How were you wounded and made to bleed so much?” Junbao answered truthfully. The lady said, “You have suffered a severe blade wound; it has injured your lungs, the five viscera have lost blood, and the blood has congealed in the Jiangfu (Cinnabar Mansion, an important internal organ region in Daoist physiology), with Qi and blood surging beyond the intestines. This is a grave wound that endangers life; I fear you cannot survive.”

Knowing she was a divine being, Junbao kowtowed and begged her to save his life. The lady took a pill the size of a bean from a bamboo tube behind her elbow and ordered him to swallow it. He was immediately healed: the bleeding stopped, the wound closed, and the pain ceased.

Junbao bowed in gratitude again and said, “My family’s means are insufficient to repay you, and I do not know how to requite this kindness; I can only offer my utmost service.” The lady said, “If you are determined to repay me, this intention is very good. Are you willing to come with me?” Junbao then changed his name, called himself Ma Mingsheng, and followed the lady in her service.

The lady entered a stone chamber in the cliffs of Mount Daizong of the Eastern Peak. It was suspended in midair, with layered crags hidden deep, more than a thousand zhang from the ground. In the stone chamber were golden couches, jade tables, and many precious and wondrous objects; it was a place ordinary people could not reach. At first, Mingsheng only wanted to learn the prescription for treating blade wounds; only after seeing immortals come and go did he realize that there was also a way of long life and deathlessness in the world.

Thereafter he served the lady morning and evening, supplied her daily needs, and swept and cleaned without ever slackening. The lady also tested him with illusions of ghosts, monsters, fierce tigers, and various transformations; Mingsheng remained clear-minded and upright throughout and was never afraid. The lady also had him lodge away from her and arranged for a beautiful woman to tease him while he rested, trying to entice him into intimacy with her; Mingsheng’s resolve remained firm...

It is enough only that your mind be calm and settled and free of evil thoughts. The lady sometimes went out and returned after five or ten days; sometimes she was gone for twenty days or a month at a stretch. Each time she returned, one could see immortal guests coming and going, riding dragons and phoenixes, and some people came to pay their respects. True immortals often sat filling the room; as soon as guests arrived, the lady would have Mingsheng go to a separate room outside.

Sometimes exquisite and abundant dishes, rare and wondrous fruits, fragrant wine, and marvelous nectar would arrive before them without their knowing how; their varieties were strange and had no names. The lady sometimes asked Mingsheng to sit down and eat and drink with her. He also heard the sounds of qin and se and exquisite, melodious singing coming from midair. Sometimes the lady herself played the qin and se; on a single string she could produce all five tones at once, and the tones were high and far-reaching, intense and soaring, audible from several li away. Flocks of birds all flew over and gathered among the mountain caves and stone chambers, circling and flying about so that they could not be driven away. This was probably the music of heavenly beings, a wondrous sound spontaneously produced.

In her daily dwelling, the lady always shared a stone chamber with Mingsheng, though they each slept in a separate bed. In that secluded place there were only the two of them. Sometimes when the lady went out, she did not say where she was going; one merely saw that a white dragon often came to meet her. The lady would then put on a cloud-radiance embroidered robe and ride the white dragon away. The robe was studded with bright-moon pearls, and jade pendants adorned its seams and sash; on her head she wore a Golden Flower Taixuan crown, and no attendants were visible. When she returned, the white dragon would depart of itself, no one knew where.

On the jade bed in the stone chamber were spread purple brocade quilts and cushions, and red silk curtains hung about the bed. The room displayed clothing and utensils: precious gold vessels, exquisite treasures hidden in boxes, and objects of black, yellow, and other colors. None of them belonged to the human world, and Mingsheng could not identify them one by one. There were also two scrolls of plain silk books in the chamber, inscribed with the Jiutian Taishang Daojing (Scripture of the Supreme Dao of the Nine Heavens). Mingsheng never dared to unroll them and look at the writing. He was responsible only for providing supplies and sweeping and sprinkling, guarding the stone chamber in the mountain cliff; as for those clothes, ornaments, and playthings, he did not dare to steal a glance, much less open his mouth to ask about them.

Thus five years passed. Mingsheng became ever more diligent and reverent, never slackening. The lady sighed with feeling and said to him, “You are truly someone who can be taught, and you will surely attain the Dao (the Way). You were originally a person of the world, yet you have not indulged yourself or been negligent; you have reverently admired the numinous Qi (lingqi, the Qi of heaven and earth as Daoism calls it) without ever ceasing. Even if you wished to seek death, how could you possibly do so?”

Thereupon the lady told him her own name and origins: “My name is Wanluo, my courtesy name Bosui. I serve Xuandu Taizhen (the Great Perfection of the Mysterious Capital). I have a son who serves in the Santian Taishang Fu (Office of the Supreme Dao of the Three Heavens) as Dusi Sizhi (Director of the Bureau of Supervision), overseeing and investigating the affairs of the celestial bureaucracy; his official rank is equivalent to that of a minister in the human world…” The original text breaks off here.

In your youth, you repeatedly entrusted your official duties to others while you roamed about in unrestrained fashion and neglected your post, so the supervising officials memorialized the throne to impeach you. You were demoted and enrolled among the subordinate officials of the Tuizhen King of the Eastern Peak, taking up a post in charge of ghosts and spirits for a term of five hundred years.

This time I have come especially to see you in order to encourage you henceforth to cultivate yourself, keep to your duties, and administer your office, so as to make amends for your former faults. I have remained in the human world for a long time; now, under the sovereign’s command, I have also been summoned by Taishang (the Supreme Lord, Daoism’s honorific for the highest deity), and I cannot stay any longer. I have considered that you are single-minded and cautious, and so I have told you this on purpose. I originally wished to teach you the methods of long life and the arts of extending your years, but the cultivation method I have received is the “Body of the Natural Dragon Embryo of Great Harmony”; it is only fit to be transmitted to the Zhenren (Perfected Beings) of the Three Heavens and cannot be taught to those who have just begun cultivation. Even if you were to hear it, you might not be able to use it to cultivate your person.

Master Anqi is versed in the Golden Liquid Elixir method (a Daoist alchemical cultivation method); its formulas are secret and essential, yet it can actually be practiced. This is the Dao of the Nine Lords and Taiyi; when cultivated to completion, it enables one to ascend to heaven in broad daylight. Master Anqi will come tomorrow, and I will entrust you to him. Follow him for a period, and he will certainly transmit the methods.

The next day Master Anqi arrived. He rode in a carriage decorated with mottled patterns, wore crimson robes, a Far-Roaming cap, jade pendants, and a tiger-head-shaped sachet at his waist. He appeared to be about twenty years old, with a fair complexion and a dignified, orderly bearing; behind him followed six or seven immortals, all holding tallies and insignia and escorting him. When he saw the Lady, he bowed respectfully and called himself “this lowly official.” Soon wine, fruit, and food were set out, and they feasted for most of the day.

The Lady said to Mingsheng, “I can no longer stay here. Go with this master, and do not be anxious about me. I too will come to see you from time to time.” Then she gave Mingsheng two five-character poems as keepsakes. Mingsheng bade farewell in tears and followed the master to cultivate the Dao of the Nine Elixirs.

The first poem says: I leave Yongcheng for a time, driving my carriage to the side of Mount Dai. I lift my eyes to the palaces of Taiqing; cloud-borne towers rise tall and imposing. In the void Zhenren come and go—how flourishing the scene. Cultivate the bodily form and preserve one’s natural nature; in movement and stillness, draw in the Qi (vital energy) of Great Harmony. At dawn I have audience with the King of the Nine Heavens; at dusk I return to the Xihua lodge. By gathering Jing (essence) and Qi, one can fly upward; by exhaling and inhaling and regulating the breath, one can nourish the green shoots (in Daoist cultivation, the vital essence or germinating vitality generated within the body). The true numinous elixir is not refined from gold or stone; the clear wind naturally plays the song of spontaneity. Soaring up and down beyond the clouds, feathered garments flutter—how light. The Five Peaks are not my dwelling; Xuandu is my home. I look down at those who contend for fame and profit; their infatuation is just like frogs and toads. Looking back at the muddy pollution of the dusty world, worries and troubles always entangle one another. If one has not yet understood the mysterious purport, why labor to carve and polish…?

To eliminate calamities, one must follow the great Dao and not divulge secrets; only by cautiously guarding one’s blessings will fortune endure.

The Second

In former days, in Kunling Palace (a palace of the immortal realm), I discussed with others the way of prolonging life. Although Golden Liquid (jinye, the Daoist immortal elixir) can make people long-lived, it is still not as good as cultivating the Taihe immortal Dao (the immortal Way of Great Harmony). I looked up toward Mingling Terrace (a high terrace in the immortal realm), quieted my mind in visualization, and recited the names of immortals. Suddenly I met the Nine Elders of Fusang, the immortal king. He rode in a chariot drawn by purple horned dragons—how vivid was his countenance! He opened for me the long journey of seeking the immortal Dao, invited me to the Ford of Naturalness (the ford leading to the Dao of Naturalness), told me the art of the soaring swan (a Daoist cultivation technique), and transmitted to me the Jade Womb Chapter. The jade paste congealed mysterious Qi (the subtle primal Qi spoken of in Daoism), and Su Nü (a legendary female immortal) explained it to me. I bent down to absorb the essence of the Lin phoenix and rose upward to the Three Heavens; the cloud net (the cloud paths of the heavenly realm) was beneath my feet. The Five Marchmounts could be revisited for a time; Xuandu (the immortal realm) was not far; Mount Penglai was but near the foot of the mountain.

Those who transmit Dao methods are close and loving to one another; when they become friends, they become heavenly beings. Immortals remove calamities for people and never make fools of the worthy. If one can keep secrets, one may long enjoy blessings and longevity; if one divulges secrets, one’s body will suffer calamity.

Mingsheng then followed Master Anqi. Carrying his book chest, he went west to Mount Nüji, north to Yuanqiu, south to Qinlu, and secretly to Mount Qingcheng and Mount Jiuyi, traveling throughout the world. For twenty years he fully tasted hardship. Master Anqi said to him, “You truly have the constitution for becoming an immortal. Why are you so reverent toward me? I am rather not your equal.” He then transmitted to him the Formulas for the Golden Liquid Divine Elixir of Taiqing (Great Clarity) and told him, “If for the time being you do not wish to ascend to heaven, first take half a dose.”

Master Anqi parted from Mingsheng and left. Mingsheng then entered Mount Huayin and, according to the elixir formula, refined the Golden Elixir. After taking half a dose he became an immortal, but his outward appearance was no different from that of ordinary people, and no one knew he was not a mortal. In the time of Emperor Ling of Han, only Grand Tutor Hu Guang knew that Mingsheng had attained the Dao and once asked him about the fortunes of the state and the length of the dynasty. At first Mingsheng did not answer; only later did he tell him. Nothing he said failed to come true. Later, when people were astonished that his face did not age, he took another half dose of the Golden Elixir and ascended to heaven in broad daylight. Before departing, he wrote three poems and left them for later generations. That year was the third year of Guanghe in the Han.

The First

How long-lasting is the Dao of Taihe, yet human lifespan is ultimately limited. Life is like morning dew: as soon as the sun rises, it quickly disperses; a whole life passes in a flash, as though in the moment of waking from sleep.

People of the world know that life is precious, yet they often harm themselves because they cannot quiet their minds. I will go in search of the True Person, clarify my mind and spirit, absorb the radiant countenance, linger in Kunling Palace, and roam freely in Xuandu. Juanzi leads me out; the immortal Taizhen comes to visit. In the morning I attend before the Queen Mother of the West; by evening I return to the peak of Mount Zhong. I look up to pluck immortal flowers like fine jade and bend down to drink clear springs from the Linlang Well. A thousand years are like a single moment; ten thousand years are as brief as a flash of lightning.

The Second

The original text here only marks “the second” and does not append the poem.

There are constant principles between heaven and earth, yet human life is most perilous and fragile. In youth it is like a startled bowstring, always taut; when life passes away, it is again like a light arrow flying off. Even a bright and lovely countenance will in the end turn to dust. Among the plants and trees in the forest, none can remain forever luxuriant: can green leaves truly endure? Alas, this flourishing must eventually wither. What is sorrowful is that the frost is so severe. Whatever exists will ultimately perish; where there is flourishing, there is decline.

The Zhenren (one who has attained the Dao through cultivation) roams freely in the mysterious ford, with no stagnant entanglements among the myriad things of the world. Shen and Qi soar upward within the Purple Empyrean, while the body dwells among mountains and waters. Facing the void, he forgets substantial existence; harboring thoughts of roaming, he gazes far into the distance. From where come the winds and waves of the dusty world? The true great Dao is, in itself, vast and unobstructed.

III

To dwell in the turbid world is truly cause for sighing; how could worldly pleasures be worth pursuing? Shaking out my garments and brushing off the dust, I leave the world far behind and wander alone, drifting afar. Coming among the lonely mountains, I serenely set aside ten thousand thoughts and let the luminous true nature accompany me.

When the sun sets in the west, I ride a swan goose; at dawn I come in a cloud chariot; at dusk I again drive the soaring wind and depart. Heaven and earth are full of clamor and noise; how could these chaotic sounds cling to me?

Biography of Perfected Lord Yin (with an Account by Perfected Lord Yin Himself)

Yin Changsheng was a man of Xinye. On the jichou day of the third month in the eighth year of the Yongyuan era of Emperor He of Han, a daughter of the Yin clan was installed as empress; this Empress Yin was Yin Changsheng’s great-granddaughter. In his youth Yin Changsheng lived in a wealthy and noble family, yet he did not delight in glory and office; he withdrew in secret and devoted himself single-mindedly to the cultivation of Daoist arts.

Later he heard that Ma Mingsheng had obtained the Dao of long life and transcending the world, so he traveled to famous mountains everywhere in search of him. In the Taihe Mountains of Nanyang he finally met Ma Mingsheng, and willingly became his servant, personally carrying his shoes and other items. Ma Mingsheng did not teach him methods of longevity; he only spoke with him morning and evening about worldly glory and the management of family property. This went on for more than ten years, and Yin Changsheng never slackened.

At that time there were also twelve others serving Ma Mingsheng together with Yin Changsheng; all of them harbored resentment and departed one after another, while only Yin Changsheng became even more reverent. Ma Mingsheng often scolded him for faults in speech, but Yin Changsheng always accepted the reproof with a calm and cheerful face, so that he scarcely had time to thank him. This continued for another twenty years.

Later, on a leisurely day, Ma Mingsheng asked Yin Changsheng what he wanted. Yin Changsheng knelt and replied: “I seek only long life. Now I have entrusted this humble body to my teacher; I dare not rush to success, nor do I fear waiting too long.” Ma Mingsheng took pity on his words and said to him: “You are indeed one who can attain the Dao.”

Afterward, Ma Mingsheng led Yin Changsheng into Mount Qingcheng, boiled and refined yellow earth to make gold and showed it to him; then he set up an altar, made a blood oath, and on that very day transmitted to him the Taiqing Golden Liquid Divine Elixir.

When he was about to leave, Changsheng kowtowed in thanks and asked the immortal to remain a little longer; then he took his leave, saying:

“From childhood, your disciple has delighted in boldness and ease, and has also wished to hold fast to humility and reverence, restraining and exhorting myself as cautiously as if standing on ice or at the edge of a deep valley. Yet I could not propagate the Dao teachings, praise the Dao and De, or expound the mysterious principles; I merely occupied a place in vain, standing rigid like a wall, until old age and bodily decline. For this reason my heart yearned toward long life, and I abandoned the dusty world to seek the true Dao. By the favor of Heaven I was granted a fine opportunity and was fortunate enough to meet you, Master; of my own will I have served you with broom and dustpan for twenty-two years.

“I have exhausted my heart and strength without achieving anything, and I constantly feared I would be cast aside. Now my muscles and strength are weak, and even the small tasks I can perform are hard to carry out; truly I have no way to repay your nurturing kindness, and day and night I sigh over this. You told me that I might obtain renewal of life, and suddenly I received the numinous method. It is like one about to turn to ashes receiving the grace of extended years; like withered grass and trees being moistened by sweet rain; like one whose breath had been cut off coming back to life, or the blind and deaf recovering sight and hearing. The depth of kindness I have received truly cannot be expressed in a few shallow words of thanks.

“In former years, in the Gengchen year of the Great Year cycle, I heard that you, Master, sat in discussion with the Perfected of Nanyue, Lord Hongya, Lord Yuncheng, and several immortal maidens of Yingzhou concerning the transmission. At that time vows were established for the delivery of silk cloth, and there were also covenants of tying a belt as a token when teaching; one should also sacrifice to the Nine Elders of the Immortal Capital, the Nine Qi Zhangren, and other deities, and only after prayer and announcement receive the Great Medicine. If one receives it without such announcement, the Great Medicine cannot be successfully refined. At that time I too was in the secret chamber and once stood beside the curtain; I personally heard the immortals describe the whole course of attaining the Dao, and I also heard the rules for receiving and transmitting elixir methods in former times. Today you have instructed me but no longer mention these matters. Is it that what you transmit is incomplete? Or is it because your disciple is in straitened circumstances that it is so?”

Ma Mingsheng consoled him, saying: “It is not that the transmission is withheld. Your nature loves the mysterious Dao, and you concentrate on regulating the breath and nourishing Qi. The spirits have already observed you in secret and approved you; there is no need to trouble again with those ceremonies merely to win the trust of ordinary people.”

Thereupon Changsheng entered a stone chamber on Mount Wudang to compound the elixir, and he also took half a dose of the elixir. He did not ascend to Heaven at once; instead he produced tens of thousands of jin of gold, which he used to give alms to the poor of the world, whether he knew them or not. He traveled throughout the world, and his wife and children accompanied him; the whole family attained long life. Later he left his family and entered Mount Pingdu, and ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. Before departing he wrote nine chapters, saying:

“In high antiquity many people attained the Dao and became immortals; they cannot be recorded one by one. I will speak only of the period since the founding of the Han dynasty: there were altogether forty-five high-minded persons who attained the Dao and became immortals; counting me, the number is forty-six. Of these, twenty departed by shijie (liberation from the corpse, as Daoism calls it), and the rest all ascended to Heaven in broad daylight.”

Disciple Ge Hong of Danyang, courtesy name ...

Zhichuan (Ge Hong) once heard a common saying: “If you do not walk at night, you will not know that there are still night travelers on the road.” There are indeed people who travel by night in this world; but now, since no one has become an immortal, how can we know that in the mountains and forests across the world there are none who secretly cultivate the Dao and become immortals?

Lord Yin has already taken the divine medicine. Although he has not yet ascended to heaven, precisely because his aspirations are lofty and his Qi is in harmony, he naturally goes to seek out immortals and to seek news and experiences. From this we may know that what we know is only a portion of the immortals of recent times. Worldly people do not think so: whatever they themselves have not heard of, they conclude does not exist—is this not deeply lamentable?

Reclusive scholars in mountains and wilds fulfill their aspirations through a life of withdrawal and amuse themselves by studying the classics. They do not display literary talent, do not spread their reputations, do not deliberately make friends, and do not seek prominence; even so, they are still difficult to know. Why, then, should immortals be eager to let those of shallow understanding and brief lives know their comings and goings?

Yin Zhenjun’s Account of Himself

In the first year of the Yanguang era of the Han (122 CE), a disciple in the mountains of Xinye received from the immortal lord the essential secret of the divine elixir. After his cultivation of the Dao was accomplished, he departed this world and made a copy of the secret, which he hid among the famous mountains. If anyone obtains this secret, he may be ranked among the Zhenren (Perfected) and move freely between the human world and the immortal realms.

What art of deathlessness is there in the world? The key lies in the divine elixir. Circulating Qi and practicing daoyin, bending and stretching, and consuming plants and herbs—these can only attain shallower Daoist arts; they cannot make one forever transcend the world and become a heavenly immortal. If you wish to hear the Dao, these are the essential words: attainment comes from long accumulation and learning, not from nothing. Those of superior resolve should strive diligently in cultivation; the deeply foolish, however, will laugh aloud and regard these words as unbelievable. Only by understanding the way of the divine elixir can one survive long and attain deathless immortality.

Biography of the Zhenren Wu Meng

Wu Meng, courtesy name Shiyun, was a native of Yuzhang. He was extremely filial by nature; even as a child at his parents’ knees, he never displayed an arrogant or negligent expression.

Later, a great serpent appeared on the road in the Haihun Shangliao area and often blocked the way. It used its Qi and breath to draw in travelers, so that journeys along that route ceased. Wu Meng went with his disciples to remove the harm. The great serpent immediately slithered into a deep cave and hid. Wu Meng ordered Lord Du of Nanchang to pursue it. The serpent’s head rose several zhang high; Wu Meng stepped on its tail, went up along its back, and pressed its head down with his foot; his disciples then hacked it to death.

Wu Meng said, “This serpent is a specter from Shu. When the serpent dies, Du Yi will also perish.” And so it turned out as he said.

General Wang Dun invited Wu Meng to come. As he passed Gongting Temple, the temple deity led its subordinate officials out to welcome Wu Meng. Wu Meng said to the deity, “Your tenure as a deity has come to an end; you should not occupy for long a place that is not yours. I will not call you to account.” The deity then withdrew.

When Wu Meng arrived in Shu and met Wang Dun, at that time ...

When an epidemic was raging, Wu Meng set up a marker by the Pu River. Anyone within a hundred paces of the marker who drank the water was cured. By noon, more than a thousand people had come to him asking for water. Sun Dun disliked Wu Meng and seized him from among the seated gathering. Wu Meng suddenly vanished. Sun Dun looked all around; fearing that the crowd was too large and might cause a disturbance, he slowly made his way through the people and returned to his boat. Then heaven and earth darkened and merged, and the boat sped before the wind, reaching home overnight.

His disciples saw two dragons carrying the boat, their eyes as large as vats. Wu Meng said, “Sun Dun has ascended the imperial throne; his allotted span will end this very year.” After Sun Dun died that year, Grand Commandant Yu Liang welcomed Wu Meng to Wuchang. Wu Meng soon returned, declaring that the lifespan he had calculated was exhausted. When he was still fifty li from home, he died. After he was encoffined, people suspected that he had transformed and departed; his disciples opened the coffin and found no corpse inside.

Biography of the Perfected Man Xu Xun

Xu Xun, courtesy name Jingzhi, was a native of Nanchang. In his youth he made his living by hunting with bow and arrow. One day he went into the mountains to shoot deer, and a fawn fell to the ground from the wound where its mother had been struck by the arrow. The doe licked the fawn and died before she had finished. Xu Xun was grieved and moved, and he broke his bow and crossbow and returned home.

Later he heard that in Yuzhang there was a man named Wu Meng who honored filial piety, had achieved success in cultivating the Dao, and could communicate with spirits and reach sagehood. He lamented that his own karmic connection was shallow and that he had not been able to meet Wu Meng in person, so morning and evening he bowed in worship to Wu Meng from afar. Xu Xun persisted for a long time, and his intention grew ever more sincere; Wu Meng also perceived his mind.

When Wu Meng ascended to immortality and departed, he said to his son, “After I leave, a man surnamed Xu and named Xun from the southeast will come to offer you condolences. You must receive him with solemn respect and may transmit the True Talisman to him.” Later Xu Xun indeed came to offer condolences. Wu Meng’s son followed his father’s charge and transmitted the True Talisman to Xu Xun. Xu Xun practiced and cultivated it, and his responsive and numinous efficacy surpassed even that of Wu Meng.

Biography of the Perfected Man Xu Mai

Xu Mai, courtesy name Shuxuan, childhood name Ying, was a native of Jurong in Danyang. His family was prominent, and for generations they held high office. From childhood Xu Mai loved Daoist arts; secretly he devoted himself to seeking the Dao, and his mind and spirit resonated with subtle principles.

He once had Guo Pu divine for him and obtained the hexagram Dazhuang changing into Dayou, with the top six line moving. Guo Pu said to him, “You are greatly auspicious and greatly benefited; this is bestowed by Heaven. You should study the way of long life and ascent to heaven.”

Xu Mai first took Bao Liang as his teacher and studied the Central Section Method and the methods of the Three Sovereigns’ Heavenly Script. Later, one day, he took leave of his family, went out, and did not return. He went east into the mountains of Lin’an County, let down his hair, freed himself from worldly entanglements, and changed his name to Yuanyou. He consumed Atractylodes and Polygonatum and gradually benefited; he concentrated on realizing the subtle Dao, day and night without slackening. Within several years, he secretly communicated with the mysterious, wondrous, empty, and still realm; the True Man Taiyuan registered him in the roster of immortals, and Lord Mao descended and transmitted superior Dao methods to him. Thereafter he excelled in practices such as embryonic breathing, inner observation, and pacing the Dipper, and lived in seclusion cultivating the Dao. Whenever there was a response, he was about to transcend the mortal world…

Xu Ying (elder brother of Xu Mu) later moved to Chishan in Linhai, where he encountered Wang Shilong and Zhao Daoxuan, who transmitted to him the Way of the Supreme. Taking Wang Shilong as his master, Xu Ying learned the Dao of “Untying the Bonds and Reversing the Course,” a cultivation method, and he consumed jade liquid and practiced the method of “paying court to the essence of the brain,” a Daoist practice of cunsi (visualization) for preserving the spirit and returning essence to replenish the brain. Within three years his face was like that of a youth. He was due to attain the Dao, but the Three Officials (Sanguan: Heaven, Earth, and Water) dispatched Zhou Fang, Marquis of the Canonical Handle, and Yan Baihu, Envoy of the Master of Faults, who brought out the cinnabar tablets of the ledger of sins, each holding a copy, and questioned Xu Ying point by point about his transgressions; if he could not answer, they would arrest him. Fortunately aided by Gong Youjie and Li Kailin, Xu Ying, though still deeply frightened, managed a long whistle and answered sternly: “The Great Dao has no partial favorites; it only assists those who do good. Heaven and Earth have no private intentions; they show compassion to beings only according to virtue. Thus the blood shed at the Battle of Banquan did not prevent the Yellow Emperor from ascending to heaven on a dragon; how could the lands of the Three Miao and the wilds of Zhuolu, their grass stained with blood, hinder the great sage’s spiritual transformation and ascent to the heavenly realm? My seventh-generation ancestor Xu Zi’e accumulated benevolence and treasured virtue, his grace extending even to birds and beasts. When famine and plague struck and only one person in a hundred survived, Xu Zi’e dispersed all his wealth to save others and compounded medicines himself; those he saved from the brink of death numbered four hundred and eight. This virtue has benefited our line, and five of us are due to become immortals; their names are all recorded in the Green Palace—how could the likes of you interfere?” Just as he finished speaking, Li Zun, the Middle Marquis, arrived holding a bell, sent by the Lord of Destiny (Siming Jun); Zhou Fang and the others laughed and withdrew. Xu Ying was then able to have his sins expiated and his name recorded in the Eastern Palace, becoming a mid-grade earth immortal (dixian).

Xu Ying’s fifth younger brother, Xu Mi, whose childhood name was Mu, rose in office to Chief Secretary of the Guard Army and Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary. At the age of seventy-two he abandoned worldly affairs to seek the Dao of immortality; he could communicate with spirits and deities and cause Perfected beings to descend. He had previously suffered from illness—cold congestion in the abdomen and difficult urination—when he encountered Lady Ziwei, the twenty-seventh daughter of the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu). The Lady said to Xu Mu: “This illness is caused by litigation among your family’s graves, and there are also wronged ghosts making trouble in the household. Taking baizhu (Atractylodes) will cure it.” Lady Ziwei then wrote the Preface on Taking Atractylodes and transmitted it to him. Xu Mu prepared it according to the prescription and took it for a hundred days; the illness was completely cured, his ears and eyes became keen, and his countenance grew daily younger. The Lord of Destiny further transmitted to him the “Dao of Flying Steps” and told him: “You are deeply versed in wondrous principles and have realized the Great Dao; you penetrate the hidden and subtle, are skilled in emptiness and stillness, your heart holds the void and can contain all things, your virtue is yielding, upright, and firm, generous and compassionate. You widely gather the Dao you have heard and always put it into practice. Roaming at ease with flying steps, your sincere heart broad and open, you may harness dragons and transcend the clouds and smoke, ascend to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and become a friend and teacher of true immortals, an elder of Changli—you will surely receive investiture and reward.”

Muzhong Yishoubo, Xianjing Chuanzuo Shangde Lieshu—his crimson name was Mu. His second son, Huya, was outstanding in talent, with a mysterious and wondrous foundation, and was enrolled in the charts and registers of immortals and perfected. The immortals of all the heavens called him “White Teeth of the Yin Beast.” Lord Dinglu told him that matters of taking medicines are mostly expressed in hidden language, and recorded these names: “The phoenix perches on a tall tree, its white garments bright; its actions follow principle, its mind firm and pure; it concentrates the mind on the empty and mysterious. The Stone Marrow of the Five Lords suits his constitution; he should take it quickly, for it can make the face youthful. After the three and eight have joined in brightness, cultivate the Dao (the Way) of Mysterious Truth; unharness the carriage, lie quietly and rest, and then you may comprehend the Cavern Chapters. The Jade Blade should accord with the timing and proceed as the heart directs; dwelling high in the mysterious realm, hidden and silent, the upright Qi (vital energy) will not decline. The wood powder can remove illness and is suitable for you to take. Afterwards take xun rice and at the same time eat the five grains; do not transgress this. Thus you may replenish the bone marrow, eliminate ailments, and make the skin and flesh full. Then ascend the mountain, chant the Cavern scriptures, and discuss subtle principles. White Teeth of the Yin Beast, if you can seize the moment, you will attain the Dao and not die, and your lifespan will exceed the number of Renchen. Lie quietly amid abundant wood; savor the Baozhou Shu, the Taiji Zhijian, and the Jinshu Xihua; when you study whether the methods of ingestion are practicable, you will understand of yourself. The numinous talismans accord with principle and meaning; ultimately all return to the Divine Cavern, seeking one another.”

Mu’s third son, Yufu, held true nature within, was deep and lofty, and had a fine reputation in his youth. The Minister over the Masses summoned him to serve as a subordinate official, but he did not go. He withdrew to Mount Mao, took Yang Xi as his teacher, and received the Orthodox Law of the Three Heavens and the Phoenix Script of Qusu. Later, Lord Dinglu conferred the Higher Dao upon him and admonished Yufu: “Yufu, if you wish to study the Dao, you should be like one digging a well. The deeper the well is dug, the harder it is to carry away the earth. If you cannot firm your resolve and rectify your conduct, how can you see the springhead?”

Lord Dinglu also said: “In studying the Dao, one must concentrate the spirit and gather the mind, not letting thoughts scatter; remove extravagance and maintain purity and plainness. To be so quiet that one seems to see something in the dark, so joyful that one seems to have understood something within—only then has one reached the gate of the Dao, but not yet entered the inner chamber. This is what is meant by ‘knowing the Dao is easy, studying the Dao is difficult.’ As for being deeply quiet and submerged, carefully savoring, preserving harmony and natural truth, concentrating on the right path, so that the six viscera are not disturbed by external sounds and sights—this is originally easy to do; yet people simply fail to do it, and that is why it seems difficult. Marquis Xu, you must investigate carefully; Yufu, you must understand it well.”

When Yufu was twenty-eight, he transcended and ascended as an immortal. He manifested his form at Dong Mountain and wrote to Mu: “I lodge myself here, gather and restrain Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), dwell in seclusion in the Eastern Grove, and bathe at Mingqiu. Whenever I think that those born with me have already been separated from me, and gaze eastward at the vast flowing waters, I sigh that time passes too swiftly; looking west at the clouded cliffs, sorrow wells up in my heart, as if my old home were right before me, yet distant beyond many layers. I was just about to…”

Turning back toward the Dao (the Way) is merely a matter of forcing oneself to step forward and restrain oneself. So I calmed my mind and pondered; relying on the numinous, wondrous realm of emptiness and stillness, I climbed the steep mountain crags, looked up toward the mysterious true Dao, and let my mind and will fly up to roam in space.

I roused my spirit, and only then did I realize that the bodily form is not the true self. Thereupon I forgot the body and followed the Shen (spirit), letting my mind run free, distancing myself from worldly affairs, forever cutting off mundane business, and settling into quiet mountains and forests. I blocked off all external disturbances, and once my resolve was fixed, I no longer slackened.

My sincerity never ceased, and at last I met an enlightened teacher, from whom I received transmission of wondrous methods and explanations of novel and mysterious principles. With a voice clear and resonant as jade, yet deep and secluded, he transmitted the method of tuna (regulating the breath to cultivate body and mind). He brought calm to my countenance, refined and nourished my bodily form, preserved my sinews and bones, and caused my yuanqi (primordial Qi, the vital energy within the body) to become harmonious and well ordered, until finally the distinction between inner and outer melted away, as though there were no longer any division of inner and outer at all.

I only regretted that I met a good teacher too late, and that my nature had been obstructed so that I could not change early. The process by which I attained the Dao was hard and bitter; as for all its various circumstances, the Perfected Lord Dinglu (Dinglu Zhenjun), a Daoist divine Perfected, will himself explain them for me. Fortunately, through his fulfillment, protection, and succor, I received a kindness that even Heaven and Earth cannot surpass. I have heard that my junior brother has come from afar to seek the supreme method, and has chanced to meet the Perfected (Zhenren). His mind and Shen are deeply still, he contemplates the numinous and wondrous, and his breath returns to emptiness. In joyful accord he enters Taizu (the primordial chaotic Qi spoken of in Daoism), ascends to the height of the Seven Passes (Qiguan), savors the cumulative changes of the Three Luminaries (Sanchen: sun, moon, and stars) in their movement, rises beyond the clouds, and illumines the Nine Mysteries (Jiuxuan: the deep and distant celestial realm). This Dao is truly profound and mysterious, not something people like us are able to hear; and because my own endowments are shallow, I still have no way to look up to it.

However, those of profound cultivation are constantly on guard against danger; those who have just gained something also often stand in the peril of possibly losing it. The signs of misfortune and blessing arise precisely from this. In cultivating the Dao one must be earnest and diligent, causing Shen and Qi to return to unity and Jing (essence) and Qi to coalesce, and with a heart of utter sincerity wait for the Perfected to summon and guide one; perhaps in a brief moment one may receive a response. But if one’s thoughts are tangled and one’s mental strength is scattered among various affairs, then even if one lives to a hundred, there is no hope.

The urgent hardships brought by the Sanguan (Three Officials, deities governing Heaven, Earth, and Water) I have heard before are right before one’s eyes; the blessings obtained through the audits of seven generations have already been sown for later ages. When the times and fortunes change, should one not seize the moment and strive in cultivation? That a matter is almost accomplished yet fails is often one’s own doing. When people act, complications multiply, and from this evil thoughts breed. If you only think of doing good and piling up merit, wearing out your mind and body, diligent in accumulating merit while the myriad things of the world are in turmoil, what benefit can this bring? The sound of the axe whistles—is that truly something to envy? It is only because people have not awakened that they do such things; and why should the axe-holder alone enjoy high position?

Making friends with teachers and companions bears on the correct path and the gains and losses that cultivation follows; entrusting body and mind and yearning for the Perfected must also begin here. Now I settle my Shen in empty and silent mountain caves and hide myself in deep forests; I gather numinous mushrooms from the depths of Qiangu and pick cinnabar herbs, seeking to become Perfected. Previously it was agreed that after attaining the Dao I should return; although the letter has not yet been delivered, there is already some indication of it. I also wish to pause for a time among the mountain wilds and grotto-heavens, to go and mourn and gaze upon my ancestors’ tombs; I did not expect that on this journey I might perhaps also see my junior brother along the way. The letter’s account is brief; as I write, I cannot help feeling still more longing.

— Biography of the Perfected Yang Xi

Yang Xi’s place of origin is unknown. He served as a Sheren (court attendant) under Emperor Jianwen of Jin.

He cultivated the Dao in secret, not wishing to be recognized. From his youth Yang Xi was fond of Daoist arts; he practiced ingestion and cultivation and devoted his mind to the Dao. Later he was able to connect with spiritual Perfected beings on high and repeatedly summoned mysterious transcendents to descend. Lord Mao, An Jiuhua, and others transmitted to him the essential methods of Daoist practice, while Lord Wang of Xicheng taught him to ingest the essences of the sun and moon and to cultivate the Niwan and Jianggong (the head and heart palaces in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation), along with methods for refining the hun-soul, subduing the po-soul, and eliminating the Three Corpses (deities that Daoism holds dwell in the human body, induce people to do evil, and shorten their lifespans).

The Perfected Xuanqing said to Yang Xi: “Cultivating the Dao should be like shooting an arrow. Once the arrow is released, it flies straight forward without looking back; only then can it hit the bullseye. When you resolve to enter the mountains to cultivate the Dao, simply go forward and do not hesitate; only thus can you reach the realm of Ultimate Perfection.” Yang Xi respectfully accepted the teaching, practiced diligently, and in the end attained the Dao and became an immortal. Later, Emperor Jianwen of Jin also took Yang Xi as his teacher and attained the Dao.

Biography of the Perfected Bao Jing

Bao Jing, courtesy name Taixuan, was from Chenliu. From his youth he possessed profound discernment and understood subtle and mysterious principles; inwardly he was calm and focused, but others did not understand him.

The Dongtian Ji (Record of the Cavern Heavens) records that Bao Jing and his younger sister were both later descendants of Li Zhan and Zhang Lü. Li Zhan and Zhang Lü were originally from Beixiang in Duling and once ran an inn together in the area of Wei Bridge. Over a long time they accumulated virtue and performed good deeds, were fond of Daoist arts, and hoped to produce blessed descendants. Thus their blessings extended to Bao Jing and his sister. Although generations had changed and surnames and names had been altered, they were still able to be reborn into one family; though their bloodlines differed, the shelter of their virtue was the same.

Bao Jing mastered classical learning and weft prognostication. He took Zuo Yuanfang as his teacher and studied the Central Section methods as well as the talismanic and summoning arts of the Three Sovereigns and Five Peaks. When he performed these methods they were highly efficacious: he could command ghosts and spirits, seal off mountains, and subdue demons and monsters.

In the first year of Taixing of the Jin, Bao Jing went temporarily to Jiangdong. On the road north of Mount Jiang he met a youth of sixteen or seventeen. The youth was handsome, and though he walked with Bao Jing for several li, his steps were light and unhurried. Bao Jing spurred his horse to catch up but could not overtake him; in an instant the youth gradually drew away. Bao Jing then asked, “Judging by your gait, you must be someone who has attained the Dao?” The youth replied, “I am the immortal Yin Changsheng. Taishang sent me to see Lord Chicheng; because you have a Dao-seeking heart, I was able to meet you.”

Bao Jing immediately dismounted and saluted, asking after him and exchanging greetings. Before he had time to say anything more, Lord Yin said, “In another ten years this place will see war, and blood will flow like a river.” Reckoning by the year, this was exactly the Su Jun Rebellion.

Lord Yin also said, “You have long admired Daoist arts. My meeting with you is meant to bring you to deliverance.” He further explained “shijie” (liberation from the corpse) in immortal methods: one who has attained the Dao uses shijie to shed his form, and this is regarded as a superior way of becoming an immortal. Higher shijie uses a knife, lower shijie uses bamboo or wood; in both cases one must dye a brush with divine elixir and write the “Taishang Taixuan Yinsheng Talisman” on the blade or on the bamboo or wood. After a short while, the recipient of the method disappears...

His physical body died on the bed, but his true form had already fled and did not return home again. People took that knife to be him. Lord Yin (Yin Jun) made ritual implements from bamboo and wood modeled on the shape of the knife and transmitted this Daoist method to Jing. Later, Lord Yin also spoke with Jing about the allotted span of the Jin dynasty’s national fortune: they exaggerated the original account tenfold and a hundredfold in order to show that Emperor Yuan (Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin) had risen as one entrusted with the mandate. Lord Yin claimed that these things had been learned through calculation, and did not say that he himself had personally seen Lord Yin and heard him say so; this was what Lord Yin admonished him that he ought to say.

Yunji Qiqian (Seven Slips from the Cloudy Satchel), Volume 106.