《雲笈七籤》Vol. 118

The mysterious Dao (the Way) originates from the undifferentiated primordial substance; the manifestations of the supreme Shen (spirit) are difficult to fathom. Jing (scriptures/classics) and proclamation texts are used to clarify the intent of the Dao; temple palaces are used to enshrine the spirits; Fulu (talismans and registers) are used to observe Daoist norms; and fasting and prayer are used to express sincere and earnest hearts. The evidences of divine response are not of one kind, which shows that the hidden and hard-to-perceive spirits do not bestow their responses without variation. This is done so that the common people may be awakened and the retribution of good and evil may be made manifest.

Reflecting on my own shallow endowments, I have inherited the governance of Great Peace and received blessings. I wish to strive to observe fasts and covenants without slackening, and also hope to promote the mysterious principles and universally teach all beings. Thus I came to read Du Guangting’s Records of Daoist Verifications, in twenty scrolls. These accounts are clear and concise, while their purport is substantive and thorough; reports and testimonies ancient and modern are all compiled therein, well organized and distinct. Extraordinary accounts in particular can be seen as soon as the book is opened. I hope this work may long circulate, be cut and printed as a book, serve as a model for teaching and transformation, and help promote honest and generous customs. I therefore record the reasons for compiling the book and inscribe them at the beginning of the volume.

Preface by Master Guangcheng

The operation of the Dao is without speech and without action; the substance of the Dao, however, has feeling and fidelity. What is called Wuwei (non-action) means following and allowing all things, letting all things transform themselves; what is called having fidelity means responding to differing circumstances and bestowing teaching. When all things transform themselves, they secretly accord with the Dao of ultimate truth; when teaching is bestowed in response to the times, the meaning of establishing teachings is made evident.

The scripture says, “Treat the good with goodness, and also treat the not-good with goodness.” This shows that Taishang (the Daoist honorific for the supreme deity or the Dao) is broad-minded and regards all beings equally. An ancient text says, “Do not only respect one’s own parents, but also respect the parents of all under Heaven; do not only love one’s own children, but also love the children of all under Heaven.” This shows that the sage follows the great Dao and nurtures the people with compassionate love.

Evil conduct must not be indulged, and good conduct must not be suppressed; they should be judged according to reward and punishment. The scripture says, “If a person has something not good, how can one abandon them and leave them unattended?” Therefore, the establishment of the Son of Heaven and the Three Ducal Ministers (important ancient offices) was the sage’s method for teaching the people to abandon evil and follow good. The scripture also says, “When evil is done in the sight of many, people can punish it according to law; when evil is done in hidden places, ghosts and spirits will punish it.” It also says, “Those who do good attract good Qi (vital energy); those who do evil attract evil Qi.” This is the principle set forth by Taishang to punish evil and encourage good. An ancient text says, “The rewards and punishments of Shangdi (God on High) are not fixed; to those who do good, Heaven sends down…”

Doing good brings all kinds of auspiciousness; doing evil invites all kinds of disaster. This is the principle by which the sage imitates the Dao of Heaven and warns people not to do evil but to do good. From this we see that retribution for sin and blessing is like an echo answering a sound or a shadow following a form—not the slightest bit off. When it comes to such matters, was it only Buddhism (the original text says “Li and Shi,” here broadly referring to Buddhism) that spoke of them? Confucian classics long ago recorded many examples.

King Xuan of Zhou dreamed of Du Bo; the Marquis of Jin dreamed of the Great Li; Crown Prince Gong was innocent; Hun Liangfu suffered harm without guilt; there was retribution in the form of a wild boar; the Marquis of Qi was repaid through the knotting of grass; the death of Liangxiao of the Wei clan; Si Dai and Zheng Xuan being seized and dragged; Liu Lan’s brush—all these matters appear in historical records. They are sufficient to serve as lessons and standards for weighing guilt and blessing and for distinguishing good from evil. Moreover, accumulated good leaves behind blessings, and accumulated evil leaves behind calamity: in secret, ghosts and spirits inspect; in the open, laws and punishments restrain. These are all means of encouraging people to do good and warning them against doing evil.

The Great Dao does not dominate the myriad things; the highest Dao values giving life and nurturing, and would not in itself be harsh toward things that, like the straw dogs used in sacrifice, are ultimately discarded. Yet it makes retribution manifest because such specifically efficacious institutions as ritual registers and talismanic writing are upheld and protected; the Daoist True Texts, numinous statutes, and other scriptures and precepts also have spirits guarding them. If anyone violates or treats them with contempt, they incur guilt. Therefore, from age to age there have already been many related accounts of numinous efficacy. The Collected Testimonies from the Daoist Gate (Daomen Jiyan Ji), in ten scrolls, was compiled by Li Qi of Chengji; the Records of Numinous Responses from the Mysterious Gate (Xuanmen Lingyan Ji), also in ten scrolls, was compiled by Su Huaichu of Shiping. Both books circulated in the world. Now I have sought out elderly people who knew of such matters and collected the deeds I heard, compiling them into the Records of Daoist Numinous Responses (Daojiao Lingyan Ji), twenty scrolls in all, hoping thereby to promote the principle of acting with caution and checking faults in their incipience, and to help people enter the path of honoring goodness. The language is straightforward and does not strive for literary elegance; I have simply recorded these matters.

The Numinous Story of the Divine Halls and Pavilion of the Kaiyuan Abbey in Raozhou Moving Across the Lake

The original site of the Kaiyuan Abbey in Raozhou was on the north bank of the lake, two li from the city wall. In the abbey there were tall halls and pavilions, spacious covered galleries built facing the lake; there were also a water pavilion, a path among the pines, and an empty kiosk, with sparse pines and bamboo and flourishing flowers and trees. Local people often came to escape the summer heat and enjoy spring; it was a famous scenic spot in the whole prefecture.

Later, as the Daoist priests gradually dwindled, the gallery buildings fell into disrepair, and only the Shangqing Pavilion, the Great Hall, the fasting hall, and the three gates remained in the village. Many common people buried their graves within the abbey’s boundaries, so that beyond the altar hall almost everything had become cemetery.

In the second year of Dazhong (an era name of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang), at night the prefecture heard the sound of thousands upon thousands of people, resounding like wind and thunder. When day broke, people discovered that more than forty structures of the Kaiyuan Abbey—halls, pavilions, gatehouses, and assembly halls—had already moved to a flat tract on the south bank of the lake. The arrangement of the buildings, the terrain, and the distances between them were exactly the same as at the old site. The prefect….

When the emperor heard of this, he requested that the temple’s name be changed in order to commend the divine marvel manifested there. An edict agreed to keep the original name, changing only “Shangqing Pavilion” to “Shenyun Pavilion,” and ordered that it be repaired anew. People near and far sincerely submitted and vied with one another in donating goods, so the temple’s halls were restored and made completely new. The Record of the Renewal of the Temple Halls states: when the temple site was moved, the distance for carrying materials exceeded two li and a lake had to be crossed; this was accomplished entirely by divine power, and the success of the affair was the result of the sacred spirits’ response.

Feng Xingxi of Yangzhou Destroys Suling Palace, and Its Spiritual Efficacy Is Manifested

The Suling Palace in Yangzhou is said to have been built by Emperor Wu of Han when Lady Suling descended into the human world. The palace stood before Mount Taibai, and it is said that the place where it was built was exactly where Lady Suling descended. After many years, only ruins remained.

In the year when Emperor Gaozu of Tang arrived in Chang’an and accepted the abdication of Emperor Gong of Sui, he dreamed of a deity dressed in white who said, “I am the lord of Mount Taibai and dwell at Suling Terrace.” The deity also told him that the place had fallen into ruin. Emperor Gaozu then issued an edict to seek out the old site and specially built a terrace and hall, naming it Suling Palace.

During the Kaiyuan era, Celestial Master (Tianshi) Fu once conducted Zhaijiao (purification ritual; a Daoist rite of establishing an altar, making offerings, and invoking the spirits) in the palace by imperial edict. When Emperor Dezong came to the region of Liangzhou and Yangzhou, he intended to visit the site, and so the palace was further expanded and adorned, making its buildings and stonework most magnificent.

Feng Xingxi, from Jinzhou, remotely commanded the Wuding Army of Yangzhou and sent his son to garrison the place. He wanted to demolish the buildings of Suling Palace and rebuild them as a government office. As soon as the workers removed the roof tiles, they found countless venomous snakes living in the eaves’ gutters; unable to proceed, they reported the matter. Feng Xingxi’s son was enraged and ordered the officials to set fire to the palace. They dragged in firewood and kindled it, whereupon thunder and lightning erupted, wind and rain came together, and the officials fled in panic; several of them were struck dead by lightning. The remains of Suling Palace still stood, and from then on no one dared to encroach upon it.

Wen Zhu Terrace: Two Monks Strike the Image of the Celestial Worthy Who Saves from Suffering (Jiuku Tianzun), and Its Spiritual Efficacy Is Manifested

Wen Zhu was a native of Chang’an. His parents had him study at a villa and built a study on a small mound in front of the garden. But he was by nature undisciplined and did not like studying; he loved only to join the neighborhood youths in shooting birds with pellets and catching wild animals, treating these as games. He had every kind of gear he had used for fishing, catching birds, and trapping beasts, as well as bows and arrows, hammers, blades, and so on. Over several years, the birds and beasts he killed or caught were too many to count.

One day a Daoist saw him and said, “Why has your head suddenly become like this?” Wen Zhu was startled and asked what was happening. The Daoist led him beneath the terrace and had him stoop to look into the well water. Wen Zhu saw that his body still looked human, but his head had become a beast’s head. He wanted to ask the Daoist for instruction and repent, so the Daoist told him to look carefully into the well once more…

In the blink of an eye, his body had not changed, but his head had already changed more than a hundred times—now into a bird, now a beast, now a snake, now a fish. When Wen Zhu saw this scene, he was terrified beyond measure.

The Daoist priest said: “All creatures rush about, each clinging to its own life; birds and beasts also treasure their lives. You went against the Heavenly Dao, killing them, and now to receive such retribution is only natural. Each time you change into a head, you must repay one of the lives you killed; however many you killed, you must repay them one by one. As days and months accumulate, when the span of this life ends and your body dies, you will be reborn as different kinds of beings to repay the lives you took. For a thousand or a hundred years, you may not even be able to return to a human body.”

Wen Zhu wept and begged him to save him, saying he was willing to burn his bows, arrows, nets, and other hunting tools as a way to repent and atone for his former sins, cleanse his heart, reform, and never dare commit them again. Seeing his sincere repentance, the Daoist priest told him: “I received the command of Taishang (the Daoist honorific for the highest deity) to save living beings from suffering. My name is Jiuku Zhenren (the Perfected One Who Saves from Suffering). You have an old affinity with the Dao and should have met me long ago; had I not saved you, you would sink forever into suffering.” Thereupon the Daoist priest gave his own clothes to Wen Zhu and told him to cultivate the Dao for the rest of his life, secretly accumulating virtue and helping the world by saving people, widely practicing salvation, for only then could he hope to be absolved of his former sins.

The Daoist priest then rose into the air, several zhang above the ground, and stood on a golden lotus. In his left hand he held a jade bowl, and in his right a willow branch; he wore a golden crown and phoenix shoes, was more than three zhang tall, and emitted five-colored radiance from his whole body that shone to the horizon and illuminated the surroundings. Soon afterward, the priest vanished.

Wen Zhu burned his hunting nets and other tools, put on the celestial robe the priest had left behind, and built a hall to enshrine the divine image he had seen. Day and night he cultivated diligently, burning incense and repenting. More than ten years later, he again moved a true immortal to transmit medicine formulas to him and command him to wander from place to place, healing people’s sufferings. Later, Wen Zhu attained the Dao and departed. The place where he lived is popularly called Wen Zhu Terrace, and the statue of Jiuku Tianzun (the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering) remains there to this day.

Suddenly several monks came wandering to this place. When they saw the divine image, they said: “Since this is Wen Zhu’s sacred site, how is there a Daoist priest’s merit here? It seems the Daoist priest had ill intentions and has occupied our ancient site for many years.” They pulled up a large log, and two of the monks together struck the statue of the Heavenly Worthy, breaking its hands, injuring its ears, and damaging its mouth and nose. They then struck hard at the statue’s neck, but could not damage it; instead they tired themselves out and were left gasping for breath. After the two monks rested a little and looked again at the places where the statue had been injured, all had already restored themselves as before; only their own mouths, ears, noses, and necks were in unbearable pain. When they looked at their own hands, they too…

He was already broken, so he crawled on the ground, wailing and recounting his ordeal to everyone, and only after a long time did he die.

The Miraculous Story of Lord Lao (Laojun) Defeating Bandits at the Taiqing Palace in Bozhou

The Taiqing Palace in Zhenyuan County, Bozhou, is the place where Lord Lao was born.

From the Yin and Zhou down to the Tang, the nine wells and three ancient cypresses in the palace had always remained. During the Wude era, the dead cypresses put forth branches and leaves again; during the Tianbao era, the Taiqing Palace had its halls rebuilt once more. The ancient relics here had already been expanded and repaired as early as the reigns of Emperors Xuan and Huan of Han; Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei and Emperor Wen of Sui also separately established regulations. Bian Shao and Xue Daoheng wrote inscriptions recording these matters.

Portraits of the six Tang emperors—Gaozu, Taizong, Gaozong, Zhongzong, Ruizong, and Xuanzong—were arranged on both sides of Lord Lao’s statue. In the complex there were two palace halls, two Daoist abbeys, more than a thousand ancient cypresses, over seven hundred buildings, and five hundred soldiers stationed to guard it.

During the Xiantong era, Pang Xun occupied Xu Prefecture, and the court mobilized troops from the circuits to encircle and suppress him. When the encirclement was about to close, Pang Xun, fearing he could not hold out, led more than three thousand men straight for the Taiqing Palace, intending to seize the complex as a stronghold. At that time more than a thousand households of refugees were hiding in the palace. They saw black Qi rise from the nine wells, and after a long while the whole river valley grew dark. Then Lord Lao appeared in the sky. Pang Xun’s troops lost their way, trampled one another, and the Qishui Bridge collapsed; all fell into the water and drowned. Before long the sky cleared, and not a single bandit remained.

During the Guangming era, a general under Huang Chao led men to burn the Taiqing Palace and likewise encountered black fog filling the river valley, making it impossible to discern the road. Later another band of bandits wanted to destroy the Taiqing Palace but lost their way, turned instead to the walls of Bozhou, and besieged the city, their attacks growing more urgent. Prefect Pan Chou burned incense facing the Taiqing Palace and prayed, hoping for protection by divine power. Soon black fog surged out from the palace and encircled the area outside the city; a foul wind and poisonous Qi caused those who smelled them to fall immediately, and then swirling heavy snow fell, with extreme cold, so that five or six out of ten died.

At the beginning of the siege, countless divine crows picked up the arrows shot by the bandits and dropped them into the city. The bandits were already astonished by this. Later, inside the city the weather was clear, while outside wind and snow raged. Fearing this divine power, the bandits lifted the siege and withdrew, and soon scattered and perished.

Pan Chou memorialized: Since the great rebellion attacked and entered the capital, all the large and small rebellions, before and after, have been pacified...

For the eighth time, someone attempted to encroach upon Taiqing Palace (the name of a Daoist temple). Some lost their way on the road, and some had dragon deities appear to warn them; in the end, all these perilous schemes were thwarted, and the palace city remained safe and sound. The residents who received protection were countless.

Someone requested that Zhenyuan County be moved near the palace so that people could be settled nearby. The imperial edict argued that if the county were moved beside the palace, it might add filth and desecration; therefore the county seat remained at its original site. Following the precedent of Wannian County, Zhenyuan County was elevated to a Chixian (red county, a county in the capital region), and a qingci (green petition, a document presented to the deities during Daoist Zhaijiao) was bestowed, with orders for people to establish a fast, offer prayers, and swear a covenant.

Verification That Zhenren Zhou’s Dwelling Was the Foundation Site of Shangjing Hall

Zhenren Zhou was named Taixuan and was a disciple of Tao Yinju (Tao Hongjing). He attained the Dao at twenty-one and realized immortal rank earlier than Tao Yinju. The place where he lived is where Ziyang Abbey now stands, in front of Maoling. The terrain there was flat and open, dry and high, truly a blessed land.

Beside the hall was a slightly raised patch of ground that looked like an old house foundation, yet no traces of bricks or tiles could be seen. Taixuan once planted flowers and trees on it. People sometimes saw several figures wearing high caps and broad robes standing there, and also saw armored warriors; they often appeared on quiet nights when the bright moon was in the sky. In the household was a child named Xiaodou, only five or six years old, who once played on that ground and several times was suddenly carried into the courtyard by someone, each time without injury.

One day Taixuan asked Lord Tao about these auspicious and strange phenomena. Lord Tao said, “The old residence of Xu Jun of the Jin dynasty is exactly the foundation site of Shangjing Hall, right here. You should quickly build a quiet room for burning incense; it must not be treated with disrespect or profanation.”

Taixuan asked, “Why are there so many divine guardians at the place where the Shangjing was once stored?” Lord Tao replied, “Where the precious scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen) are kept, the myriad spirits all guard them, and the hundred deities come to pay homage; how could it not be revered?”

Taixuan asked again, “The true scriptures were moved long ago, and this place has been empty for a long time; do the true spirits still guard it?” Lord Tao said, “Where the Shangjing was stored, the earth deities will guard for seven hundred years; where a Daoist abbey and Dharma buildings have been built, they will guard for a thousand years; where Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) scriptures have been placed, benevolent deities will protect for three hundred years. Although the scriptures and ritual objects have been moved, the periods of guardianship have not yet expired, so it remains so.”

So Taixuan built a quiet room and offered incense and lamps morning and evening, but did not dare to worship or practice cunsi (visualization) cultivation inside. He feared that the Dharma position there was exalted and that there was a hierarchical distinction between it and ordinary people.

The Altar of Lady Wei: Verification of Ten Monks Coming to Destroy It and Nine Times Being Devoured by Tigers

The Altar of Lady Wei is located on a huge rock in front of the central peak of Nanyue (the Southern Marchmount). It is a single great slab, about one zhang square, square and stable in form, round below and flat above...

That stone seemed movable when one person tried to push it; but when many people pushed together, it stood firm and did not budge at all. People passed down that it had numinous qualities, and that immortals and recluses often roamed and rested on it. Extraordinary cloud vapors and numinous Qi (vital energy) often shrouded the stone above.

Suddenly more than ten monks, holding torches and wooden staffs, came before the altar at night, intending to harm Gou Xiangu (Xiangu being the immortal maiden’s title). When they reached the immortal maiden’s dwelling, they clearly saw her on the bed, and yet could not see her. Then they went to the altar and pushed over the Madam’s Altar. The altar gave a tremendous crash, as though it had already toppled and fallen. They turned back and raised their torches to look, but the altar could not be moved at all. Realizing that the altar had numinous power, they fled in panic.

At dawn, some had fled to distant villages. All told, they had run at most only a little over ten li. Among the ten companions, nine were bitten to death by tigers; one other had not taken part in their evil deed when the altar was pushed, and so escaped the tiger harm. He told the villagers about this, and people near and far were astonished.

The Veracious Response to Yan Zhuan’s Excavation of the Hongzhou Iron Pillar

The Hongzhou Iron Pillar was cast by the immortal Xu Zhenjun (Xu Xun, revered in Daoism). During the Jin dynasty, in Yuzhang there were giant jiao dragons, long serpents, and water monsters that recklessly harmed people. Lord Xu and his master Lord Wu mastered the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) technique of Slaying Evil and the Three-Five Flying Step (a Daoist method for slaying evil and subduing demons), and were able to subdue all kinds of spirits and monsters. Lord Xu once drew his sword and pursued a jiao dragon from a well in Tanzhou, driving it into this well.

After Lord Xu came out, he said to Lord Wu: “Beneath this well is the lair of jiao and chi dragons. If this place is not suppressed, every three hundred years the jiao dragon will come out to harm the people. Who after that will be able to subdue it?” So Lord Xu commanded ghosts and spirits, had several million jin of iron transported, cast it into an iron pillar, and placed it in the well; the pillar rose several chi above the mouth of the well, like a tall column. He also arranged eight great iron chains beneath the well to lock the earth veins (the earthly Qi that the ancients believed was connected with the mountains, rivers, water, and soil). From then on, the Zhongling region no longer suffered disasters of demonic mischief or drowning floods.

Lord Xu swore: “If later people destroy my iron pillar, the city will be submerged and the river waters will overflow.” Everyone knew of this and therefore did not dare to violate the iron pillar. There was once a fisherman who knocked iron off the pillar to use as weights for his fishing net, damaging quite a bit of the iron pillar; recently the authorities have also strictly prohibited this practice.

When Yan Zhuan (a personal name) held command in Jiangxi, he gave credence to slanderous claims against the iron pillar and sent men to dig it up, intending to smash it. Suddenly violent thunder and lightning struck, and the river water immediately rose; only two or three chi of the iron pillar had been dug when the city began to shake, and people inside and outside the city were terrified. Only then did Yan Zhuan believe in the numinous efficacy of the iron pillar; he burned incense and confessed his fault, and only then stopped the digging. He had also destroyed the Daoist abbey beside the iron pillar; recently the abbey has been rebuilt.

The Veracious Response to Wang Feng and Wu Xinglu’s Destruction and Excavation of the Longxing Abbey in Chengdu

Longxing Abbey in Chengdu was the Zhizhen Abbey of the Later Zhou. Its grounds were broad and opened onto streets on all four sides; the main hall, lecture hall, Wanghua Palace, and stone inscriptions all still remained. Wang Feng had once served under the Prince of Yingchuan and had built a private residence in Xiaoman Ward. Disliking that the homestead was low-lying and damp, he had laborers dig up the earthen wall at the abbey gate and the soil inside the abbey. They dug up a great deal of earth and loaded thousands of carts of it to raise the foundation of his house.

Before the work was finished, several members of his household died one after another. One day, as Wang Feng was returning home from his office, just as he reached the gate, he saw two men dressed in yellow, who said: “Because you took soil from the abbey to build your residence, you must be investigated and confronted.” As soon as the words were spoken, Wang Feng fell from his horse and died.

Inside the abbey there was a bell tower named Lingxiang Terrace; its gate tower was tall and imposing, intricately constructed. The military commissioner Wu Xinglu memorialized to have the gate tower moved to Tianwang Temple, and he also had the bell tower demolished. Now the old traces and all the sights worth viewing have been destroyed.

Some years ago, when the emperor was staying in Shu, the Daoist master Mingdao, Yin Sixuan, said that one of Wu Xinglu’s subordinate officials had died of illness and gone to the underworld, then revived after several days. He said he had seen Wu Xinglu driven by ghost officials to carry timber from Longxing Abbey; he was locked in iron chains and wore instruments of punishment, and had no rest day or night. As soon as the timber was stacked into a pile, it flew away again; carrying it this way, there was no telling when it would end. The ghost official said that if he wished to save his descendants, he should contribute money to rebuild the abbey gate and thereby atone for his offense; but his descendants were poor and unable to do it.

General Liu took soil from Dongming Abbey to build his residence, and retribution later followed

General Liu served in the Right Shence Army and lived near Dongming Abbey. He built a large residence, took soil from inside the abbey to raise and pack the foundation, and also dismantled and took away bricks and adobe, transporting thousands of carts in all. After the work was completed, General Liu suddenly fell ill and lingered for more than ten days. When his condition slightly improved, he suddenly acted as if mad, clawing at the soil and digging at the ground on the steps and in the courtyard; his nails bled, yet he did not stop.

His family held him fast and tried to treat him. He seemed to calm slightly, but then again lay prone on the ground digging at the soil, as if driven by some force. Sometimes people heard him make sounds as though he were being beaten and suffering unbearable pain; he only wept and sobbed and did not answer. Later his illness grew severe again, and his life was in danger. Shamans and doctors exhausted every method, but nothing worked.

Later someone invited a blind man to divine. The blind man said that they should seek the aid of Daoist ritual methods to save him. General Liu had never believed in the Dao, and no Daoist priest had ever come to his house. In desperation, his wife and children went to Jinxian Abbey to obtain talismans to treat him. They placed the talismans before his bed, burned several more talismans, mixed them with water, and made him drink. Only then did General Liu speak: “In my ignorance, I offended the Dao…”

Someone had taken soil from Dongming Abbey to build a private residence. The earth deity in charge of the land memorialized the Heavenly Administration, which handed down a punishment: he was ordered to transport soil to fill in the place that had been dug open. He did not know how many cartloads would be required, but reckoned that if he had to carry it all himself, two or three hundred years would not be enough to finish. If he were even slightly slow or slack, the underworld officials would sternly interrogate, punish, and flog him, with no day of release ever. When he had finished speaking, he sobbed and wailed, as if he were telling of something. The whole family was filled with grief when they heard it.

His wife and children then went to the main hall of Dongming Abbey, burned incense, and prayed, willing to buy another five thousand cartloads of clean soil to fill in the excavated place. They also held a zhai purification ritual to apologize for the offense and beg forgiveness. Only then did his illness improve slightly. One day he again muttered to himself: “The heavenly tally has issued an order: taking soil from a Daoist abbey to build a private residence, even if one fills it back and compensates, still does not redeem the guilt. Twelve years are to be stripped from my allotted lifespan and emoluments; the descendants I implicated may be pardoned.” That very night he died.

I have examined the Daoist precepts: whoever intentionally damages the Great Dao, as well as blessed sites and spirit altars, will have misfortune extend to three generations. Now Mr. Liu, by compensating with soil and apologizing to the gods, had the guilt fall upon himself alone. People should take this as a warning.

The Prince of Nankang dreamed of two divine beings, who foretold that he would later become wealthy and honored, and in the end it came true

Wei Gao, Prince of Nankang, rose to Grand Commandant and Director of the Secretariat and was the son-in-law of Chancellor Zhang. He was deep in magnanimity and broad in capacity and insight; his bearing was plain and somewhat proud, and he did not draw close to conventional people. The Zhang family had been chancellors for generations, with illustrious virtue and prestige and a noble, pure pedigree. The Zhang clan all slighted Wei Gao and looked down on him, yet he did not notice.

Wei Gao suddenly dreamed that two divine beings said to him: “The gods throughout the world all keep registers of people’s names. Your name is registered under Ge Gui; your emoluments will extend throughout all Shu, and wealth and honor are at hand. Why are you still lingering here? Strive onward. In the future you will surely be wealthy and honored; do not forget Ge Gui.” From then on, Wei Gao had the ambition to seek office and discussed it with his wife. She too encouraged him and brought out tens of thousands in gold as travel funds to support his journey.

When Wei Gao reached Qinchuan, it happened that there had been successive years of famine, and prolonged rain would not stop. Recommended by a friend, he was appointed military judge of Longzhou. Soon Emperor Dezong traveled to Fengtian, and the commandery governor fled to avoid trouble. Wei Gao led the guest troops stationed there, supplied and transported military provisions, and helped guard the emperor’s temporary lodging. For his merit he was appointed defense commissioner, and afterward he requested to go to court for an audience. When Dezong saw him, he judged his capacity and insight to be extraordinary. After the rebellion was pacified and the emperor returned to the capital, Wei Gao was awarded the post of Acting Right…

After he was appointed military governor (jiedushi) of Fengxiang, he earnestly declined and asked to be transferred to Xichuan. The court therefore appointed him military governor of Xichuan and had him carry out the handover with Lord Zhang. Lord Zhang led troops to take up the post, while Lord Zhang took a side route back to the capital to avoid his prominence.

In the years that followed, the Shu region enjoyed successive bumper harvests, and gold, silver, and goods accumulated abundantly. Nanzhao (an ancient regime in the southwest) also submitted to the court and requested to be recognized as a vassal. His prestige grew daily, and tribute payments were never in arrears; the court relied on him, and the surrounding peoples therefore feared and submitted to him. He then memorialized the court to permit Nanzhao to establish a study academy, sending hostages and students into it to study the Poetry, the Documents, rites, and music. The students’ writings and calligraphy were outstanding in their time. After Nanzhao obtained his personal handwriting, they carved it in stone to bring glory to their state. He had long since forgotten the matter of Ge Gui.

Later, he dreamed that two divine men said to him: “You enjoy wealth and honor, yet you forget whence this wealth and honor came—how can this be?” When he awoke, he was drenched in sweat and remained terrified for a long time. He then went in person to Yunlin Abbey to burn incense and pray for blessings, and afterward ordered craftsmen to measure timber and choose a day for construction and expansion. When the work was completed, there were forty bays of flying pavilions in the Southern Palace, with tall halls, continuous corridors, layered doors, and deep chambers; metal was also cast and stone steles engraved, doing everything that could be done. He allocated the rents and taxes of Jiulong for use below the mountain, and also established military farms at the foot of the mountain, storing grain that piled up like a mountain. Craftsmen gathered from all quarters. He personally wrote the stele inscription and had it carved beside the cave gate; above it he built multiple stories of pavilions and arranged seventy Bo youths as servants for sweeping and service. He also established five hundred mu of fertile fields to supply grain stored for the fasting hall. This man served in the region for more than twenty years and had already been enfeoffed with the rank of prince. This was precisely his benming Dingmao year—the year Ge Gui transformed and departed.

Kaiyuan Abbey in Guozhou: The Craftsmen Share a Dream and Find Wood as Predicted

Kaiyuan Abbey in Guozhou was near the prefectural city, with high, open terrain and beautiful scenery, and so it was chosen as the site for building the abbey. Although the prefectural office quickly drafted documents and memorialized requesting an abbey plaque, the plan still lacked a main hall. The prefectural office sent out craftsmen and Daoist priests, preparing to go up the Jialing River to the Lizhou area to purchase timber. Before they set out, a Daoist priest and a craftsman simultaneously dreamed that someone said: “There is timber in Zhufeng Pool, enough for use.” This dream occurred three times in succession. Everyone discussed it and said: “The dream omen is like this; surely a wealthy merchant will transport timber down the river. We can wait three or five days and see how things stand; perhaps then we will not need to travel far.” Everyone thought this was a good idea.

One craftsman said: “I will go to the riverbank below Zhufeng Mountain and look, to see whether the merchant’s timber raft has arrived.” He went to search below the mountain. The pool water was clear, and he suddenly saw timber at the bottom of the pool. He asked skilled divers to go down and hook it out, retrieving over a thousand pieces of catalpa wood, and ultimately used this timber to construct…

The Efficacious Response to Chancellor Cui’s Dream of Repairing the Abbey at Qianqiu Terrace in the Northern Capital

The Hall of the Three Worthies (Sanzun), the Bell Tower, the Scripture Pavilion, the Three Gates, and the corridors and buildings were all completed, and the required facilities were fully provided. Bricks and stones were then purchased to build the altar platform. Some of the bricks and stones in the platform were yellow-red, and people suspected that they had not been fired sufficiently, so they discarded them and did not use them. Within two nights, all these bricks and stones had transformed into gold. Later, the funds spent on constructing the halls far exceeded the original budget.

After the halls were completed, preparations were made to sculpt sacred images, and tens of thousands of jin of iron were dug out at Baihe Mountain Abbey and used to cast three iron statues, each only two zhang tall. Today people call them the “sacred images.” People from far and near came to pray before the sacred images, and their petitions were often quickly answered. The Daoist He who oversaw the building of the abbey—his family had been wealthy for generations and had now become a distinguished clan.

To this day, those who engage in small business and seek profit with meager capital often go every three to five days to burn incense and pray before the sacred images. If someone fails to go, or is not sincere enough in prayer, often their business yields no profit and their goods cannot be sold.

The Efficacious Response to Chancellor Cui’s Dream of Repairing the Abbey at Qianqiu Terrace in the Northern Capital

At Qianqiu Terrace in the Northern Capital there was an ancient abbey. The divine images in its halls were solemn, and its towers and terraces were grand and ornate. The site was open and conspicuous, situated within the capital and rising above its surroundings. Many years had passed since the abbey was built, yet it had never been repaired; exposed to wind and rain, it was gradually collapsing.

Chancellor Cui Yanzhao once dreamed that he was strolling in the countryside, seeking out quiet and scenic places, and came below the ancient terrace. Looking up, he saw purple Qi curling around the terrace and auspicious light radiating in all directions, but there was no path by which to ascend. After a long while, he also heard heavenly music and the sounds of reed pipes and flutes, and he grew even more eager to climb up and explore. Yet all around were steep cliffs; it looked close at hand, but seemed separated by ten thousand li.

Suddenly a golden bridge appeared ahead, rising tier upon tier like a ladder, with broad steps. Chancellor Cui climbed along it. Halfway up, the planks of three or four steps were missing and the railings were damaged, so he could not continue upward. Just then he saw a giant golden hand extend a finger to receive him. Before he had firmly grasped the finger, he had already reached the top of the terrace.

He lingered and looked around, and saw that the ancient hall was tottering and the deserted altar was overgrown with weeds. He sighed again and again, then went before the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) and recognized that the golden bridge was the bridge before the Celestial Worthy’s seat, and that the giant golden hand was the Celestial Worthy’s hand. He no longer heard heavenly music or saw purple Qi, and said, “Could it be that the Celestial Worthy has some matter to entrust to me? Why has there been such a transformation?”

The Celestial Worthy suddenly spoke: “You will dwell here in the future; do not forget the dilapidation of this Daoist abbey.” Chancellor Cui immediately woke from the dream.

Ten days later, he was appointed Guardian of the Northern Capital. A month after taking office, his mind remained unsettled and uneasy, as if he had lost something and as if he were in doubt. He therefore ordered a carriage prepared and went out of the city to tour.

He wanted to fulfill his vow. Hearing that Qianqiu Terrace was not far from there, he went to inspect it. He found the ancient hall dilapidated, with deep grass burying and blocking the path. He stepped forward to gaze up at and worship the Tianzun (Heavenly Worthy), and the divine statues and attendants in the hall seemed to him as though he had seen them before. Examining carefully before the throne, he found a golden bridge there, though its railings were destroyed and its planks broken. Looking again at the Heavenly Worthy’s golden arms and fingers, he suddenly became clear-headed and realized that this was exactly what he had seen in his earlier dream.

Thereupon he took out his salary, recruited craftsmen and laborers, repaired and cleared away the ruined parts, and restored the hall. Since the hall was already old, he only added repairs according to its original form; the remaining enclosing walls, corridors, altar courtyard, gatehouse, as well as the polychrome painting, red lacquer, ochre pigment, and gold and kingfisher-feather ornaments, were all fully restored one by one. When the work was complete, incense was burned and flowers offered, and for a time the splendor had no rival.

Chancellor Liu Zhan dreamed of the Heavenly Worthy, who said he would again serve as chancellor; it later came true

When Chancellor Liu Zhan was banished south to Jiaozhi (an ancient place name, roughly in present-day northern Vietnam), he passed through Jiangling. Just as he boarded a small boat and was about to cast off from shore, he turned back and saw beside the road a Daoist abbey whose divine images were solemn but whose halls were decayed and collapsing. On inquiry, he learned that it was Zhenfu Yuzhi Abbey. He entered the gate, climbed the steps, joined his palms, and prayed silently.

That night, in the boat, he dreamed that a Qingtong (a divine youth in Daoist legend) led the way before him and brought him up a great mountain. The pine-forest paths on the mountain stretched on without end; the cliff scenery was wondrously beautiful, and fragrant fungi, secluded grasses, numinous birds, and rare flowers all appeared vividly before his eyes. After walking more than a li, he saw Yuanshi Tianzun (the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning) sitting upright on a jeweled flower throne. Liu Zhan looked up at the Heavenly Worthy’s pure and beautiful countenance and recognized him as the Heavenly Worthy in the Yuzhi Hall. He bowed and prayed, “I have incurred guilt before the court and been banished far away. I do not dare harbor resentment; I only beg to return alive.”

The Heavenly Worthy said, “Your name has already been recorded on the green tablets (the Daoist registers of immortality) and listed within Fangzhu (a legendary immortal realm). Why then worry about worldly hardships? You will again serve as chancellor, and afterward you will attain the Dao. From now on, fast for ten days each month and abstain from desire for three days. Even if you reach the remote, damp south, filled with miasma and haunted by chimei (mountain-and-water demons), you need not fear. The Chen, Wei, Si, and Wu hours are the times I have appointed to meet you.”

After this, as Liu Zhan traveled south to the Hu-Ling region, the military governors of the various regions sent him messages of comfort one after another, and he soon obtained gold and silk. He sent a letter through someone to the Jingzhou Jiedushi, asking him specifically to build a Heavenly Worthy Hall, a fasting hall, and corridors, and to select Daoist priests of upright conduct and single-minded practice to live there. Later, Liu Zhan was indeed summoned back to court and held the central levers of power. When at last he grew weary of the dusty world and departed from it, the words in the dream came true exactly, and even the years and hours foretold were not off by a hair.

Chancellor Li Wei dreamed of the Heavenly Worthy, built a Daoist abbey in accordance with the dream, and it later came true

Chancellor Li Wei (a Tang dynasty official) commanded troops stationed at Bianzhou and concurrently served as Commissioner of the Taiqing Palace. He constantly devoted himself single-mindedly to the Dao…

The Chancellor (prime minister) devoutly contemplated the true Dao. One night he dreamed that he was strolling in the countryside and saw a wondrous five-colored radiance among the grasses and trees. Within the light appeared the image of a Celestial Worthy (Tianzun). Half of the halo above the Celestial Worthy’s head was missing, and in his hand he held a jade mushroom (yuzhi) shaped like a white lotus, with a round, slender stem and eight clearly discernible branches. The Chancellor fixed what he had seen firmly in his mind.

The next day, as the Chancellor escorted a guest out of the city, he turned and saw a Daoist image left in the open. He asked what place this was. On learning that it was Yuzhi Abbey, a temple enshrining Daoist images, he was greatly astonished. He reined in his horse, turned back, and went to pay homage. The courtyard of the abbey was overgrown with sedge and weeds, and the paths were obscured by mugwort; he had to push through brambles to enter. The honored image before him was exactly as he had seen it in the dream. Although the image did not hold a jade mushroom, the name “Yuzhi Abbey” unexpectedly matched his dream. The Chancellor therefore undertook extensive repairs and adornment: the lofty halls were deep and solemn, their flying eaves dazzling and prominent; fasting chambers and lecture halls were fully provided, moonlight shone through the windows, and the frost altar—the platform for Zhaijiao and other Daoist rituals—adjoined the street. Facing the city walls, the abbey became an imposing screen for the whole district.

Alas, the Kaiyuan Emperor honored his ancestors and was deeply immersed in the mysterious Dao; with sincere devotion he moved Heaven and received auspicious bestowals. At Lingfeng he obtained the True Talisman (Zhenfu), a numinous sign symbolizing divine mandate or protection, and in the inner palace he discovered a jade mushroom. The emperor therefore ordered Daoist abbeys to be established in strategic garrison towns and named them “Zhenfu” and “Yuzhi.” He also enfeoffed Mount Taibai as the Duke of Numinous Response and renamed Huayang County Zhenfu County. Auspicious omens had already appeared in former times, and now the fortunate signs were verified once again. Thus the Chancellor and other famous ministers all corresponded to auspicious dreams. As for the repairs of the two abbeys at Yimen and Zhugong, if the Great Dao had not moved the spirits, who could have brought them about?

The Efficacious Response of Chancellor Zheng’s Vow: Repairing Zhenning Abbey in Ningzhou

Tongsheng Abbey in Zhenning County, Ningzhou, was the place established by the Kaiyuan Emperor after he dreamed of twenty-seven Perfected Ones (Zhenren) and ordered images of them to be carved. As years passed, the abbey gradually fell into ruin. In remote regions there had always been few Daoists, and so repairs had long been neglected.

In the year he passed the imperial examination, Chancellor and Minister of Works Zheng Tian once visited and paid homage at this abbey. He also wrote a poem in thirty rhymes recording the abbey’s past. Secretly he made a vow, saying, “If in the future I should become prominent in office, I hope to expand and repair this abbey.”

Later he entered court and took charge of edicts, holding the vital office of chief minister. Busy with government affairs, he for a time forgot his former vow. One night he dreamed that he was wandering through immortal mansions, where assembled immortals enjoyed music and performed the “Great Music of Jun Tian,” the legendary celestial music, giving themselves over fully to pleasure. Before long, ceremonial regalia, banners, and feathered guards descended from the sky. An envoy came down and announced, “The Supreme Lord (Taishang) has commanded that you be summoned to return to Shangqing (Highest Clarity), one of the immortal realms in Daoism.” Thereupon some immortals rode calling immortal cranes, while others mounted flying dragons and soared away. The Chancellor, too, wished to rouse himself….

An immortal’s sleeves fluttered upward as he rose and departed. Turning back with a smile, he said, “When you have fulfilled your wish to build Zhenning Abbey, come back here.” After waking, he remembered the matter of building the Daoist abbey at Zhenning, so he stopped the expenses he had originally devoted to delicacies prepared in his cauldron and used them as construction funds. Li Kan, Minister and commander-in-chief of Binzhou, ordered a commandant to oversee the work. Ten months later, the numinous abbey was completely renewed.

The Chancellor once recounted this dream, believing that the grotto-heaven in the dream was the grotto-heaven of Luochuan, and that the assembled immortals were the twenty-seven Perfected. He was startled that he had once forgotten this matter, and for that reason worked even harder to complete the great project, believing it to be a clear omen of the Great Dao.

The Fulfillment of Chancellor Duan’s Vow to Build the Xiandu Abbey in Zhongzhou

The Xiandu Abbey on Pingdu Mountain in Fengdu County, Zhongzhou, is the place where the Former Han Perfected Wang Fangping and the Later Han Perfected Yin Changsheng attained the Dao and ascended to heaven. The abbey had long been abandoned, leaving only a few old foundations. In the Jin dynasty, Mr. Gao first built the abbey; during the Taiyuan era, Yao Hong repaired it. After that, both the Liang and Sui dynasties renovated it; in the Tang, construction continued, and ornate towers were built, their flying eaves reflecting the sunlight.

Generals and high ministers from Qian, Jing, Shu, Zi, and other regions, when they sometimes moored their boats and climbed the mountain to visit, would often order repairs to the abbey. When Chancellor Duan Wenchang, Duke of Zouping County, was lodging in the area, he had lingered amid the gorges. As he climbed high and gazed out, he lit incense, bowed to the two Perfected, and prayed: “If in the future I become prominent in office and can escape hardship, I will certainly solemnly repair the abbey to repay them.”

In less than ten years, he governed Jiangling. When he first arrived, he already kept the matter of repairing the abbey in mind. Soon he dreamed that the two Perfected, like close friends of ordinary times, led him up a mountain by the river. When they reached the summit, it turned out to be the grotto gate of Lord Yin. The two Perfected then disappeared.

The next day, he took out a month’s salary to repair the abbey, and he set aside an amount equal to a month’s salary as a permanent endowment, fixed funds for the abbey’s daily use, so that the abbey could be regularly maintained. In this way he gave thanks for the gods’ grace.

The Fulfillment of the Red Light at Louguan Warning People to Take Refuge

Louguan was the residence of Yin Xi, a grandee of King Kang of Zhou, and is located in Zhouzhi County, Jingzhao. The scriptures also record that this place has place names such as Shenjiu Township and Wenxian Village, and that it lies at the northern foot of the Zhongnan Mountains. Within the abbey remain halls built by King Mu of Zhou, the First Emperor of Qin, and Emperor Wu of Han, as well as the First Emperor of Qin’s ink traces, Yin Xi’s numinous well, Lord Lao’s Zhige tree, the Ascension Terrace, and other relics from successive eras, such as visiting tablets from the Jin and Song periods and inscriptions from the Qin and Han onward.

When the Tang dynasty was about to receive its mandate, the righteous army rose in Hedong, and a red light shot up into the sky from Louguan for six or seven nights continuously. In the gengzi year of Guangming, bandits...

In the Chang’an Abbey a ray of light once appeared. During the Yining era, when the imperial carriage was about to proceed to Fengxiang and Zhouzhi, a luminous anomaly again appeared in the abbey. Later, as Zhouzhi was about to fall, many officials and commoners seeking refuge flocked to this Daoist abbey. Because its numinous and miraculous deeds were so notable, no one dared to encroach upon it. In the time of Emperor Gaozu, the abbey was granted the name “Zongsheng Abbey.”

Yunji Qiqian (Seven Slips from a Cloudy Satchel), fascicle 117