《雲笈七籤》Vol. 119

Muwen Tianzun (the honorific title of the deity image seen here) manifested in the seventh year of the Kaiyuan era at the Xinxing Nunnery in Xinjin County, Shu Prefecture.

On the eighth day of the fourth month, a great vegetarian feast assembly was held in the nunnery. While the assembled people were eating, a Daoist priest arrived late and sat down among them. The others slighted him and did not arrange a vegetarian meal for him. After the assembly ended, the Daoist rose and entered the Buddha hall, and for a long time did not come out. The people found this strange and vied with one another to enter the hall and search for him, but saw no trace of him. Suddenly they discovered that the Daoist’s form faintly manifested within a hall pillar, yet was clearly visible. The crowd cut and scraped at it with knives and axes, but the image only became more refined. A deity image spontaneously appeared in the hall pillar, about three chi and five cun in height.

The image wore a cloud crown and a rosy-cloud robe. Its left hand held a hand censer, and its right hand held incense, with incense smoke curling upward. Within the crown was a bird resembling a mandarin duck. The feet wore square-toed shoes; beneath the shoes were lotuses, and on the lotus leaf behind the lotus was the image of a divine turtle. Behind the left elbow were cloud wisps joined to flaming radiance, in which appeared the head of an Azure Dragon; before the right shoulder was a tiger turning its head to look to the left. The image was encircled by firelight, like Taiyi Tianzun (a Daoist deity). Its eyebrows, beard, and temple locks were so finely detailed that they seemed painted. Around the body were cloud leaves and celestial flowers in twelve places; above the head halo was also a large flower shaped like a canopy, sheltering the image.

Chief Secretary Zhang Jingzhong reported the matter in detail. The emperor ordered the inner official Lin Zhaoyin to go to Shu to receive and fetch the hall pillar carved with the deity image, and ordered the making of an ornate precious carriage (a ceremonial carriage for welcoming the deity image); after it was properly secured, it was sent to the capital and placed in the palace. The emperor personally went to worship and fasted for three days. After the fast ended, he again ordered the Court of Imperial Insignia to set out a ceremonial guard at Dongming Abbey (a Daoist temple), to proclaim and escort the Tianzun to the abbey for installation, to grandly establish a daochang (ritual site), and to permit officials and commoners to come and venerate it. He also ordered the major Daoist abbeys in the two capitals each to establish a daochang for seven days.

At that time, a monk submitted a memorial to argue that since the deity image had appeared in a temple, it must be an image of Vimalakirti (a Buddhist layman and bodhisattva) and had nothing to do with Daoism. The emperor had a proclamation made, saying: “In Our view, the figure manifested on this pillar wears the crown of a Tianzun, not Vimalakirti’s headcloth.” The monk, realizing that his memorial had been improper, felt ashamed and hired men of strength…

That strongman stole the image-pillar from the ritual ground of Dongming Abbey (a Daoist temple). After enshrining it for a few days, he gradually grew lax. One night he picked up the image-pillar in the ritual ground, tied it securely with a silk cord, and carried it out of the abbey on his back. He passed through streets and lanes and went far away, about ten or more wards, until he was too exhausted to walk and sat down to rest.

After a while dawn came, and he found himself still in front of the ritual ground gate. The crowd then seized him and questioned him about the reason. It turned out that a monk from Ximing Temple had recruited thirty men and sent them to steal the image-pillar. He secretly submitted a detailed report of the matter to Minghuang, who did not pursue the investigation and only had the image-pillar taken into the palace. Later, silk portraits were copied and bestowed upon the various circuits and the chancellor.

The Efficacy of the Iron Heavenly Worthy Image Emerging from the Water in Shifang County, Hanzhou

In Shifang County, Hanzhou, there was an iron image of the Heavenly Worthy (Tianzun), about one zhang two or three chi in height, popularly called the “Black Gold Image.” It was originally beneath the cliffs in Jintang Gorge. Once a great flood washed away the rocks and the image was revealed; sometimes it floated on the water, showing five or six chi above the surface. Beside the image was Changli Hua (a Daoist abbey).

Local Daoist adherents burned incense and prepared banners and fresh flowers to invite the image ashore, but the image immediately sank back into the water and disappeared. After the weather cleared a little, the image again floated to the surface. The people of Changli Hua invited it three times but could not carry it away.

The following summer, when floodwaters surged, the image unexpectedly went upstream and arrived in the waterway behind Xingdao Abbey in Shifang County. The water there was shallow, and no one knew how the image had come to that place. The locals invited it ashore; at first only a hundred people pulled it, and they brought it onto level ground. But when they tried to put it into the main hall, several hundred people pulling together could not move it. So they built a lecture hall and enshrined it there. To this day, although this image has passed through many wars and though its halls were all burned, the image itself has not been damaged.

The Efficacy of Perfected Lord Zhangren of Qingcheng Bestowing Money (with an Appendix on the Efficacy of the Iron Image)

The image of the Perfected Lord in Zhangren Abbey (the Daoist temple dedicated to Perfected Lord Zhangren) on Mount Qingcheng wears the “Crown That Covers Heaven,” the “Robe of Vermilion Light,” and the “Seal of the Three Pavilions”; it is said to govern the Five Peaks and command all spirits. During the Kaiyuan era, Minghuang (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang), moved by a dream, ordered an image to be made by the dry-lacquer technique (wrapping cloth in lacquer to form a statue) and sent into the mountains. The image was originally enshrined in the Tianguo Shrine; later the shrine was moved to its present location because, for the spring and autumn mountain sacrifices, a site closer to the county seat was more convenient, while the Tianguo Shrine lay deep in the mountains.

Decades passed, yet the image’s golden crown remained as bright as when it had just been made. A villager, not understanding the circumstances, was driven to desperation by tax demands and beatings and punishments, and one night fled into the abbey. He fasted and purified himself for several days, took out a few coins and offered them to the Perfected Lord, burned incense, and prayed, saying….

Because the authorities were pressing him for taxes and levies and he had repeatedly been beaten with rods, he thought of taking the crown from the head of the Zhenjun (a Daoist deity) and selling it to pay the tax.

One day, he suddenly saw the Zhenjun in a dream. The Zhenjun said to him: “The crown on my head is not pure gold; it is only gilded with a layer of gold leaf and will not sell for much. Even if you get some money from it, the authorities will pursue the matter, and you may lose your life instead—the disaster would be no small matter. At the mountain gate, in front of the temple, there are ten thousand coins beneath the leaves beside the stele; you may go and take them. Use them to pay the official tax, and keep the rest for household expenses.”

After bowing to the Zhenjun and expressing his thanks, the man went out of the mountain gate and indeed found the money. After he paid off the taxes, his household gradually became well-off. From then on, he sent fragrant oil to the abbey every month. To this day, the crown on the Zhenjun’s head still leans forward. Legend has it that it assumes this posture so that the man could see clearly that the crown was not pure gold.

On Mount Yunding there was an iron-cast Tianzun statue, three or four chi tall, cast during the reign of Wu Zetian by the craftsman Liao Yuanli of Mengyang. Originally there was Xianju Abbey on this mountain, with two cave gates and a stele by Lu Zhaolin. In recent times no Daoist priest has resided there, and it was taken over by Buddhist monks and converted into a Buddhist temple; the stele and caves were also buried and damaged. Only this Tianzun statue survives. The monks repeatedly planned to destroy it but suffered misfortunes; they struck it with hammers, but could not damage it. The monks then made the excuse that the mountain god had spiritual power and sealed up the Tianzun statue. The truth of the matter was thus concealed, and people near and far had no way of knowing it.

When Liao Yuanli had just begun casting the Tianzun statue, purple clouds like city walls appeared in the sky, and five-colored radiance shone from the clouds as though holding up the sun. Everyone looked up and bowed in worship. Suddenly several immortal cranes came flying, leading a great bird. The bird’s wingspan was more than a zhang, its whole body crimson red, and its form resembled a phoenix. The cranes circled the smelting furnace, their calls loud and clear as they answered one another; the great bird flew extremely fast and went straight into the furnace. Just as everyone was marveling, flames thirty to fifty zhang high suddenly blazed up from the furnace, with a sound like thunder. The fire wound upward into the sky, then burst out in all directions and spread over the entire mountain. The crowd fled in panic, smelling only a strange fragrance; the fragrance lasted a whole day before dispersing.

After the Tianzun statue was completed, its appearance was wondrous and solemn. People from all directions came to pray and immediately received blessings; such was its efficacy. How could ordinary mortals destroy it at will?

The Tianzun (Heavenly Worthy) of Wangxian Abbey in Xunyang County, Jinzhou, Is Efficacious in Adjudicating Cases

The Tianzun of Wangxian Abbey in Xunyang County, Jinzhou, has had many accounts of manifesting miraculous efficacy since ancient times. When people of the county encountered lawsuits that were difficult to decide, or matters such as public or private property being seized or stolen…

Zhang Renbiao’s Recitation of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun Proves Efficacious

As long as one burns incense and states one’s case—petitioning the deities—one will receive a response. If someone conceals the truth or falsely accuses others, at night a divine person will come to his door and call him, then order him to go for a confrontation. Those called away will see palaces and government offices: behind the main hall are more than ten pavilions, and in the side corridors are arranged officials of the various departments; the interrogations and inquiries are just like those in human officialdom. Therefore, those who conceal the truth, are cunning and do evil, or form factions for private gain are also sent into prison; and those sent into prison die there. As for those who come for confrontation, as long as they state the circumstances truthfully, they are immediately released and sent back. Thus everyone within the territory revered the divine power, each washed his heart and reformed, doing good and accumulating merit. When someone in the city lost a cat or dog, no matter how small the matter, they would write a petition and paste it on the temple wall, often as many as a hundred sheets. Even today it remains so.

The Daoist priest Zhang Renbiao of the Left Street (Left Street was a post or title in a Daoist administrative office or temple) was eloquent and widely learned, and had once lectured in the inner palace. He was good at responding on the spur of the moment and was powerful in debate; no one could surpass him. Yet in daily life he was frivolous and unrestrained, never spoke sincerely to his companions, and was impatient, cunning, and deceitful, so many looked down on him.

Later he fell ill for more than a month, and doctors could not cure him. He dreamed that Siming (the deity who governs lifespan and destiny) sent people to arrest him: infantry and mounted officers came to his dwelling to seize him, just as in the world they seize thieves and villains. He wanted to flee and hide, but had nowhere to hide and could not break free. They escorted him along desolate paths and through wilderness, surrounded by thorns; he was pulled and dragged, moving as fast as if flying. His clothes caught on the thorns, his skin and flesh were pierced, and the pain was unbearable.

After walking more than thirty li, he saw from afar a black city with smoke and fire billowing above it. Approaching, he saw that it was an iron city. The gate was heavily guarded; those guarding the walls and defending against enemies were strange beings with beast heads and human bodies, entwined with snakes: some had four mouths and eight eyes, others ten arms and nine heads; their teeth were white as frost and snow and sharp as swords—truly like the depictions of hell in the world.

Once inside the gate, however, he saw palaces adorned with pearls and jade, jade towers and golden halls, extraordinarily magnificent, completely different from the scenes at the passes of the underworld. After they went forward four or five li, nothing could be seen. Zhang Renbiao slowly asked the escorts: “What place is this? Why is it different from what we saw outside the gate?” The escort replied: “This is the palace of Taiyi Tianzun (a high Daoist deity). Only after passing here do you reach the office concerned.”

As soon as Zhang Renbiao heard the name “Taiyi,” he suddenly remembered that in his usual lectures he had often urged people to recite “Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun.” He thought to himself: “Could this place now be the Heavenly Worthy…” The original text breaks off here.

How could he not recite it in the palace? He then loudly recited “Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun” (Celestial Worthy of Great Unity Who Saves from Suffering) more than ten times. Those who were pulling and dragging him all laughed and said, “Digging a well only when thirst arrives is like trying to bite one’s own navel—how could it still be in time?”

When Renbiao heard them mocking him, he did not stop and continued reciting more than ten times. His tone was mournful and bitter, his voice full of grief, and tears soaked his clothes. Suddenly a red light illuminated the space around him, and in an instant all those who had been pulling and dragging him departed, leaving him alone in the brightness. He looked around and saw mountains and rivers bright and beautiful, clouds and vapors calm and at ease. Before long, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (a Daoist deity who saves beings from suffering and the dead from distress) appeared before him with more than a thousand attendants.

Renbiao bowed and paid his respects, weeping and choking with grief. He knocked his head to the ground and confessed the faults of his whole life, begging the Celestial Worthy to permit him to repent. The Celestial Worthy sat upright on a five-colored lotus treasure throne, both feet hanging down within two small lotuses. Beneath the throne, nine-headed five-colored lions together supported it, flames spouting from their mouths and encircling the Celestial Worthy. Within the flames was also nine-colored divine light, illuminating the Celestial Worthy’s entire body and the crown of his head; the light and flame were sharp and shot outward, taking the form of thousands upon thousands of spears and swords. Above the Celestial Worthy’s head was a seven-jeweled canopy, and behind him a precious flower of the qianmu tree, its radiance shining through the eight directions. Perfected Ones, Strongmen, Vajra Guardians, Divine Kings, Jade Maidens, and Jade Youths crowded all around, attending and guarding him. The forty-six deities of Yin-Yang and Taiyi each led their own troops and also stood in attendance nearby; cloud chariots and feathered canopies filled the sky.

The Celestial Worthy said to Renbiao: “While people live in the world, they must be careful with the three karmas of body, mouth, and mind (actions, words, and thoughts), as well as with the ten evils (the ten evil deeds spoken of in Buddhist and Daoist tradition). Among the three karmas, the faults of the mouth and tongue are especially serious. When one person speaks recklessly, he may cause thousands and millions of people to follow and act recklessly; those who speak falsely should be the first to bear the guilt. Of the offenses of your three karmas, there was almost nothing you did not commit. If I did not rescue and protect you, you would sink forever into the dark underworld and endure every suffering. Your lifespan has already ended, and you should not have returned to the human world. Now I pardon you and grant you seven more years to influence and awaken the people of the world. You must widely display my portrait, open for people the gate of entry into the Dao, and guide them toward good deeds; be sure to strive to carry this out.”

The Celestial Worthy then had a youth escort Renbiao back, and his illness immediately healed. A few days later, Renbiao took out his own wealth and had the Celestial Worthy’s portrait painted at Suming Abbey. He also spread copies of the portrait outside Dongluo Pass and throughout the capital region, so that more people might be inspired and awakened. Later, when Renbiao left the city, among the wormwood and thorns outside Chunming Gate he saw a place that seemed to have been walked through before. He examined the tips of the thorns and found purple silk threads from clothing hanging there, and on the thorns there were still faint bloodstains. Sure enough, it was the road he had taken on the night he was pursued. Seven years later, Renbiao died.

Li Shao once served as magistrate of Jiameng County. His wife had been dead for eight or nine years. Li Shao ordinarily was not in the capital, but this time he had come to the capital for official selection and was staying at an inn near Sandong Abbey (Abbey of the Three Caverns).

One day he happened to see a familiar maidservant come out from a neighboring house. Looking closely, he saw that it was indeed his deceased maid Xiaoyu. He called to her, and Xiaoyu straightened her lapel and came over. Li Shao asked why she was here, and Xiaoyu replied, “I have been living here with my mistress for more than a year now. I only came out for a short while to buy some things and will go back soon. When I return, I will tell my mistress that you are here.”

Li Shao waited for the time it takes to eat a meal, and only then did Xiaoyu finish buying fruit, tea cakes, and other things and hurry home. After a long while, she invited Li Shao in to see his wife. His wife lived in two rooms, with a small courtyard in front. When the two met, they spoke of life and death, separation and parting; at times they wept, at times they were sorrowful. His wife also repeatedly told Xiaoyu to watch the time.

After a long while, Xiaoyu came to report that the man had arrived. His wife’s expression was wretched and her voice choked as she bowed to Li Shao and asked him to leave. Before Li Shao had gone out the door, a youth came in holding an umbrella. Li Shao hastily hid, and Xiaoyu led him to stand behind a curtain.

His wife went out to welcome the youth. The youth, however, paid her no attention and threw the umbrella to the ground. The umbrella immediately changed into a large cauldron filled with water, and beneath it fierce fire blazed up. Thick smoke and raging flames surged, and in a short while the water came to a boil. The youth took off his dog-skin hat and revealed the form of an ox-headed divine being. Holding a fork, he stood beside the cauldron and threw the wife into it. She screamed in agony, and before long she was boiled until her bones and flesh separated. Then the fire went out, and the ox-headed divine being used the fork to lift out her bones and spread them in the courtyard. Then he raised his umbrella and left.

After a short while, his wife’s body returned to its original state. She slowly rose and said to Li Shao through her tears, “The karmic offenses I committed in my life should by rights bring me three years of punishment. Now I have already suffered more than a year. Every day I must endure this kind of pain; it is truly beyond description.”

When Li Shao saw these transformations and sufferings, he sighed deeply in grief and asked his wife, “Now that we have met, what do you need? Shall I perform meritorious deeds to save you?” His wife said, “Just now I had Xiaoyu invite you here, not because I wanted to entrust you with performing meritorious deeds. Among the neighbors here, there is someone who, because he had a portrait of Taiyi Tianzun (a Daoist deity) painted, was able to escape punishment for his offenses. I have known about this for several months, but have never had the chance to send someone to arrange it. Now that you have come, I have hope of escaping my suffering.”

Li Shao immediately went to Sandong Abbey to look for an image of Taiyi Tianzun, and found that the portrait in the hall was of great age and had already peeled and deteriorated. He then took out money and cloth and asked a painter to paint it anew.

He also held a zhai purification fast in the abbey and prayed, and in only three days he had all the various matters settled. He personally inspected and arranged everything, and was so busy that he had no time to go to his wife’s quarters. Only after the meritorious rites were completed did he get to go and visit her, but he found that the room where she lived was already empty. She had asked the neighbor woman to tell him: “I am deeply grateful to Taiyi (the Great One, a Daoist deity) for granting merit; I have obtained liberation and have gone on to rebirth. Yesterday, between the chen and si hours, Xiaoyu and I left together.” Mr. Shao often urged people to have statues of Taiyi Tianzun made, saying that such blessings would quickly be fulfilled.

Miraculous Record of Yang Shimou Building a Daoist Abbey and Being Rewarded with Long Life

The halls of Qinglin Abbey in Hezhou had long been unrepaired and were dilapidated; the roof leaked especially badly, and rainwater dripped onto the statue of Taishang (the Supreme Lord). The prefect Yang Shimou dreamed that Taishang appeared with a tear track on his left eye. Later, when he toured and paid homage at various Daoist abbeys, performing meritorious deeds and prayers, he came to Qinglin Abbey and only then discovered that before the left eye of the statue there were indeed marks left by leaking rain, so that it looked as if it were weeping.

Thereupon Yang Shimou cleared away weeds and brush, expanded and repaired the abbey, and built two halls, two towers, and an inner gate. The abbey was deep, grand, ornate, and magnificent, unmatched at the time. After the construction was completed, he again dreamed that Taishang said to him: “The merit of your building the abbey has already reached the Xuanfu (the divine immortal bureaucracy spoken of in Daoism); your civilizing influence will extend to ten commanderies.” Thereafter Yang Shimou repeatedly served as a local governor; imperial favor grew ever deeper, and he governed eleven commanderies in succession, living to the age of ninety. (Dazhong era)

Miraculous Record of Lü Xi Building a Daoist Abbey and Immortals Coming and Going

Datong Abbey in Tanglong County, Yizhou, was built in the yisi year, the first year of the Yixi era of the Jin. By the end of the Zhou dynasty, the abbey had been destroyed, leaving almost only its foundations. During the Wude era of the Tang, a local man, Lü Xi, was passing by and encountered a Daoist priest riding a blue donkey who descended from the sky, stood on the abbey’s foundations, paced back and forth, pointing and gesturing for a long time, and then ascended to heaven and departed.

Lü Xi and Fan Zhongliang together received his teachings; on the same day they brought out gold and silk and jointly funded the construction of the abbey. Its Ziwei Pavilion was over eighty chi tall and especially magnificent. Later, Wei Gao, Grand Commandant and Prince of Nankang, further repaired it.

Eight li southwest of the county seat there was also Shicheng Abbey. In the abbey were thirteen stone-carved Tianzun statues, each one zhang and three chi tall. On auspicious days of the fasting months, the bell would sometimes ring of itself; at night divine lamps appeared, and by day immortals came and went. People near and far all knew of these things.

Miraculous Record of the Black-Bearded Laojun Summoning Daizong to Journey Through the Ten Continents and Three Isles

The Black-Bearded Laojun resided on the east side of Guangtian Abbey in Wuben Ward on the Left Street of the capital, at the Sacred Ancestor…

The statues set into the double wall within the courtyard were exquisitely crafted, their forms and features complete and harmonious; their workmanship was so superb that few have ever matched it. Lord Lao (Laojun) had a protruding brow and stood one zhang and five or six chi tall. Attending on either side were twelve Jade Boys and twelve Jade Girls, eight Zhenren (Perfected), and four Vajra Guardians and four Divine Kings. On the murals of both walls were Divine Kings clad in golden armor, eight on each wall, along with a celestial orchestra.

Lord Lao had a black beard and wore a shawl robe patterned with mountains and waters (Daoist ceremonial dress), and a golden nine-phoenix crown; he sat leaning on a low armrest. The canopy and curtains were arranged with great solemnity and completeness. People did not know when these furnishings had been installed or who had made them.

Emperor Daizong once dreamed that two Green Boys summoned him. The Hunyuan Sage Ancestor (Lord Lao’s honorific title) commanded the emperor to accompany him on a journey beyond the Four Seas. In the dream, the emperor followed the two Green Boys to Lord Lao’s side. He wore a crimson gauze robe and a Pingtian crown, held a gui tablet, and stood behind Lord Lao. They traveled through the Ten Continents and Three Isles and the six directions of the universe, reaching every sea, mountain, and river; he remembered all that he saw clearly. Nor did he omit the accompanying retinue and ceremonial insignia.

After waking, the emperor ordered painters to depict the scene from his dream. He showed it to the people of the capital and sought out what he had seen in the dream at Guangtian Abbey. Upon investigation, the ceremonial insignia and figures were found to be identical to those in the dream. The emperor then ordered that an imperial image of himself be sculpted, riding five-colored clouds and standing behind Lord Lao; he also selected seven Daoist priests of lofty virtue to reside in the abbey, burn incense and cultivate, and oversee its affairs. The Inner Treasury and the Bureau of Revenue (the agency in charge of finances) separately allocated the clothing, supplies, and ritual-kitchen expenses they required, and had a stone inscription carved to record this auspicious event.

A Jade Image of Lord Lao Manifests at Yuju and Fulfills the Dream

During the Tianbao era, a radiance often appeared at night in the river before Yuju Abbey. It was seven or eight chi tall, red above and white below, with a tip like smoke. Viewed from afar, people thought there was treasure in the water, so they went in to dredge and search for it, but found nothing.

When Emperor Ming (Xuanzong of Tang) entered Shu, he dreamed that the true visage of the Sage Ancestor was in the river waters. Sure enough, someone saw a divine light and found a jade image of Lord Lao at the place where it shone, and presented it. The jade image was over one chi tall, crystalline and pure, with a round, bright countenance; it seemed almost not to have been made by human hands. After the imperial carriage returned to the capital, this jade image was left at Taiqing Palace as a guardian. The place where the divine light had appeared was called “Shengrong Ba” (Bank of the Sage’s Visage); nearby were other ancient sites such as Yunü Ba (Jade Girl Bank) and Jinsha Spring (Golden Sand Spring), linked one to another. In recent years, the whereabouts of this jade image of Lord Lao have become unknown.

A Natural Stone-Pattern Image of Lord Lao, and the Answering of Prayer for Rain

On the cliff face at Langzhou, naturally formed stone veins presented an image of Lord Lao. Secretariat Drafter Gao Yuan…

The original text breaks off here; the final sentence is incomplete.

Yuan Yu was appointed Prefect of Langzhou, the chief official of the prefecture. That year there was a severe drought, and he went to pray at mountains, rivers, shrines, and temples everywhere, leaving no place unvisited. Suddenly, in front of Yutai Abbey, he gazed into the distance above the woods east of the mountain and saw an unusual cloud vapor. He pushed aside thorns and followed a small path to investigate. Sure enough, he found a cave and a hanging spring there, located where the cliff turned and beneath tall trees. On the stone wall, strange patterns appeared naturally, resembling an image of Lord Lao—Taishang Laojun, the Most High Lord Lao revered in Daoism. In front of Lord Lao was a jade youth holding up his sleeves and bearing a censer, with double topknots rising high; behind him was an image of a divine king, respectful as if awaiting orders.

Yuan Yu burned incense and bowed, praying to build and repair the site and asking for rain. Before he had even returned to the prefectural office, a sweet downpour came, continuing for two nights, and people near and far all said the rain had been sufficient. Thereupon they cut away weeds and cleared the overgrowth, built a fasting palace for observances such as abstinence and sacrifices, and erected a stele to record the matter. They also dammed the hanging spring below to form a square pond, channeled water to make a floating-cup pool, and planted flowers, trees, pines, and bamboo; before long the place became a scenic spot. During the Guangqi era, when the emperor returned to the capital, Guangting submitted a memorial requesting that a Xuanyuan Abbey be established, and the emperor issued an edict praising and approving it. To this day, when the prefecture prays in times of drought or flood, there are still frequent efficacious responses, and its reputation has become even more prominent.

Hermit Lai’s Prophecy That Lord Lao Would Descend as a Young Sovereign Is Fulfilled

Hermit Lai was a man of the rivers and lakes who stayed as a guest in the household of Lord Yang Xuanmo for more than ten years. No one knew what Daoist arts he practiced. Lord Yang always treated him with courtesy, respecting him as both teacher and friend. Hermit Lai mostly remained inside the residence and seldom appeared.

At that time Lord Yang served in the Left Army and had several junior administrative judges under him. Among them were two men, Wang and Liang. Judge Wang was eloquent and exceptionally clever, and people respected him, believing he would surely rise to high office; Judge Liang was modest, quiet, cautious, steady, and sparing of speech, and many kept their distance from him, thinking he would amount to nothing. Only Commander Cheng in the household was close to Judge Liang.

One day, Hermit Lai suddenly said to Commander Cheng at the gate of the residence: “To accomplish anything, one must first recognize a noble person. Do you know who he is?” Commander Cheng replied, “I am dull and benighted—how could I recognize him? Please instruct me, sir.” Hermit Lai said, “Grand Master Liang is a noble person. In the future he will handle confidential and vital affairs. If you wish to establish yourself, achieve merit, and command troops, you must rely on his promotion and support, and you should attach yourself closely to him. Although Grand Master Wang is intelligent, he will not live long and will die in a foreign land. After this, the state will not be at peace; the world will be desolate and chaotic, warfare will break out on all sides, and the fate of the realm will be in grave danger. Taishang Laojun will personally descend into the royal palace and become a young sovereign, in order to sustain the state through this crisis; then the altars of state and grain may…”.

You should remember this: Grand Master Liang oversees the court’s confidential affairs, and my son is charged with guarding the frontier region. Both are in the hands of a young sovereign. You must take care of yourself. From now on, I will no longer remain here.

A few days later, the Chushi (a recluse who cultivates the Dao) took leave of Lord Yang and departed. Cheng thought his words extraordinary, and so he respected Lord Liang, formed a friendship with him, and their relationship became very firm. Before long, Lord Yang was stripped of his authority; a certain Mr. Wang was convicted, exiled to the south, and died on the way. The Chushi’s words therefore seemed all the more fulfilled.

In the autumn of the fourteenth year of Xiantong, Lord Liang served as Inner Privy Commissioner, and Cheng served as military commissioner. On the third day after Emperor Xizong ascended the throne, the two had an audience with the emperor. At that moment the sun had just risen, and its faint light shone on the steps. His Majesty rose to change his clothes and had not yet sat down. Lord Liang suddenly recalled and understood the Chushi’s words, so he went over to the side of the steps and told Cheng about it. Lord Han of the Left Army heard the two speaking privately, found it strange, and questioned them repeatedly. Lord Liang and Cheng then told him the truth. Lord Han, reflecting that a young ruler had just ascended the throne and that court and realm were not yet settled, felt greatly reassured on hearing these words.

After this, Cheng received orders to hold imperial credentials and garrison Cangzhou, and events unfolded exactly as the Chushi had said. For years the Central Plains had been in turmoil and beset by disasters, yet the state was stabilized, the palace city was recovered, and the emperor resided there for several years, his sagely virtue remaining constant throughout. Such was the strength of Emperor Xizong’s restoration.

Jia Xiang Reverently Serves Lord Lao (Laojun) and Obtains Miraculous Efficacy

Jia Xiang’s family had loved the Dao for generations, reverently maintaining incense offerings. He held a post in the Jisi (Accounting Office), and his family was quite well off. He was diligent and meticulous in cultivating the Dao and serving the spirits, even more so than ordinary cultivators. He carried with him a portrait of Lord Lao; wherever he went, even if he stayed only a day and a night, he would set up an incense table and burn incense. The responses and efficacies he obtained from this were too many to describe fully.

After Huang Chao captured Chang’an, the emperor fled west. Jia Xiang took gold and silk and led his family out of the city by the Dongwei Bridge. There were countless robbers along the road, but more than a hundred people in the Jia household and their baggage were all left undisturbed. Later, Jia Xiang repaired houses at the foot of Longjiao Mountain to take refuge from the chaos of war. Officials, literati, and Daoist priests from near and far all came to his home for refuge; he assisted and provided for them one by one. He also invited Daoist priests to recite the Daode Jing and the Duren Jing, and the scrolls recited amounted to no fewer than ten thousand.

Once a band of robbers suddenly surrounded his house. Jia Xiang went inside to report to Lord Lao, then came out and spoke with the robbers. The robbers threw their blades on the ground and gathered around him bowing. When Jia Xiang asked why, they remained silent and kept bowing. After Jia Xiang turned and went inside, the robbers were still bowing, only repeatedly saying that they were guilty. Jia Xiang pitied them, brought out silk cloth and had it given to them, and comforted and exhorted them. After a while, the robbers left one after another, taking nothing. From then on, the household gates were not…

The door was locked, and no one dared force their way in. Someone asked those who had caused the disturbance, “What did you see that made you turn around and bow to him?”

They replied, “I saw many divine soldiers constantly around Jia Xiang, each several zhang tall, with gaping mouths and glaring eyes, as if they meant to swallow people whole. I was terrified out of my wits, my soul scattered and my heart trembling, afraid I would not escape with my life.”

At that time the palace had already been repaired, and the imperial carriage was about to set out on its return journey. Jia Xiang inquired before Laojun (Lord Lao) about auspicious and inauspicious omens for the future. Suddenly he saw beside the incense burner a very luxuriant millet sprout with two ears, swaying in the wind, the ears pointing west. He therefore sold his family property and moved back to Yongxing Ward in the capital. Soon afterward he found that his former residence had been demolished, and he temporarily moved into a compound of ten or twenty small rooms.

Three months later the imperial carriage returned to the capital. Jia Xiang was about to cut the grass and build a house on the old site when he suddenly found six thousand taels of silver beneath the foundation, and his household became even more prosperous. During the five years of warfare that followed, his financial resources never ran short. This was all because he had served Laojun with reverence and single-minded devotion and received the protection of Taishang (the Supreme, a Daoist honorific for the Dao).

The Miraculous Account of Shen Ying’s Offerings to Laojun

Shen Ying of Wuxing had always been devout in the Dao and regularly worshiped Laojun at his own home in Shan County, Yuezhou.

At that time the bandit Qiu Fu rose from among the peasants, gathered followers, and attacked the county town from all sides. The place had no military defenses to begin with, so the officials panicked and fled, and Qiu Fu occupied the county town. The court issued an edict summoning troops from Chenzhou, Xǔzhou, Zhengzhou, Huazhou, Huainan, Zhedong, and Xúzhou to come and suppress him. Eight armies surrounded the town and attacked.

The realm had long been without war, and the common people did not understand fighting. On the day the government troops arrived, everyone in the town hid in nearby villages. Shen Ying hastily locked the outer door and fled, but by mistake he locked a small boy inside the house. When the soldiers and horses arrived, Shen Ying turned back and tried to open the door, but he saw that military tents had already been set up all around and he could not get near, so he had to leave.

After that, victory and defeat alternated and the situation was uncertain. Half the shops in the town were burned; some were occupied by the rebels, and some were retaken by government troops. More than ten months passed before the rebellion was pacified and the fighting ended. The six or seven rooms of Shen Ying’s dwelling were still locked tight, and the fence wall was intact.

He opened the lock and saw that the small boy was safe and sound. When he asked how this had happened, the boy said, “After the door was shut, a child in blue clothes, about thirteen or fourteen, said that Laojun had ordered him to come and play with me. He took me to a large mansion and gave me food, drink, and fruit. After eating, I played with him, and it seemed as though only half a day had passed. Later I heard Laojun tell him to add incense. Just as the incense was lit, I heard the sound of the door opening.” Shen Ying walked in …

…At that time the incense smoke had not yet dispersed. Someone asked him whether he had heard about the nearby fighting, the fire started by lamps and candles, the neighbors being burned, and the people’s panic and fear. He said he had not heard of a single one of these things. It turned out that in the tenth month, war and fire had broken out in a neighboring area. The flames were fierce, and in what seemed like an instant the shops in the market were all burned down; only his house remained safe and untouched. Was this not the power of the Great Sage’s spiritual penetration? Apart from this, who else could have done it?

From then on Ying single-mindedly practiced Xuanmen (the Daoist tradition), seeking the truth and revering the Great Dao, and gradually formed the resolve to withdraw from the world and cultivate the Dao over the long term. He left his hometown, and no one knew where he went; he departed taking only this boy with him.

The Miraculous Account of Yao Hu’s Construction of the Hall of Lord Lao

When Yao Hu, Prefect of Taizhou, was visiting Tiantai Abbey on Mount Tiantai, he ordered men to cut into the cliff and fell trees behind the lecture hall in order to build the Hall of Lord Lao. When they were about to level the foundation, they found a stone casket beneath a huge boulder, about three chi square. Opening the casket, they found another small stone casket inside, containing three liang of cinnabar and a jade tablet nine cun long, two cun wide, and five or six fen thick. Inscribed on the jade tablet were the words: “Though the seas dry up and Mount Tiantai crumbles, the imperial fortune will not be cut off.”

Yao Hu reported the matter to the court. The emperor issued an edict saying: “Heaven sends down blessings, and earth displays auspicious signs. This wondrous writing on the white slip came from the Treasured Hall of Xuanyuan, the hall where Lord Lao is worshipped; it foretells the flourishing of the state’s fortune and shows that earthly treasures have revealed auspicious omens. This is an auspicious sign worthy of celebration, truly the supreme auspicious portent.” He therefore ordered that the matter be given to the History Office for recording and proclaimed throughout the realm. This happened in the thirteenth year of Xiantong, the renchen year.

When Yao Hu was making the statue of Lord Lao, the earth and stone in the mountain were mixed together, and it was difficult to find suitable material for the image. He dreamed that Qingtong, the immortal youth of Daoist legend, told him: “More than a zhang east of the hall there is earth like white chalk; it can be used.” He searched accordingly and indeed found it. With this earth he molded statues of Taishang Laojun and his attendants, eight or nine in all, and the earth was just used up. When the statues were finished, their bearing was vivid, their countenances gentle and solemn, and their heads and features well formed, as though Lord Lao had been born at Wochuan. The pillars on both sides and the three gates also seemed to display miraculous traces, just as auspicious signs had appeared at Xiangye.

Later, people observed fasts and purification and performed ceremonies for these statues. At that time the atmosphere of the sky was harmonious, and wondrous rays shone brightly, as if mingled with the music of sheng, qing, and string and bamboo instruments; everyone regarded this as an auspicious sign. Formerly, when Tongbai Palace had just completed the Hall of the Heavenly Worthy, five-colored cloud qi appeared above the hall; extraordinary clouds also appeared in three wells, and the cloud qi entered the hall and came out again three times. All these events were recorded in the national history to document auspicious omens. The stele inscription composed by Cui Shang of Qinghe records them in detail. This Hall of the Sagely Ancestor also has a separate record.

The Miraculous Account of Yang Nao’er’s Service to Lord Lao

Yang Nao’er was a man of Chengdu. His parents believed in Daoism and often devoutly served Lord Lao, diligent and unremitting…

A child named Dainaor was serving as a guard in the army when he was captured by the enemy and taken to the Nanshan stockade. He was neither wounded nor killed, but day and night he thought of Lord Lao (Laojun, a deity revered in Daoism), hoping to see his parents again.

One night he dreamed that Lord Lao gave him a cloud and ordered an attendant boy to lead the way and escort him to level ground. The boy said, “You may go home now.” When Dainaor woke, he found that he was already outside the stockade, and so he was able to return home. On the very day he arrived, his parents were conducting a hundred-day zhai for him (a religious ritual of continuous observance and prayer for a hundred days).