《雲笈七籤》Vol. 96

Rosy clouds reflect upon the cloud court, purple mist illumines the jade forest, and seven-treasure flowers blaze in splendor. The music of the jade spirits harmonizes naturally like the gong and shang notes; wondrous spirits open people’s hearts, sowing fields of blessing with mysterious song, and vast compassion brings universal salvation to boundless beings.

Heavenly Emperor Lord’s Encomium on the Dadu Miaojing

Mysterious creation originally had no trace; once traces appear, the root of the Dao (the Way) arises. When the spirit roams to the nine heavens, it halts its carriage at the Liuling Palace (a celestial palace). The movement of the Dao flows freely within empty stillness, and wondrous song issues from the great void. The mind and spirit resonate with the realm of utmost stillness, pondering and intoning in the hidden courtyard that subtle Dao, so difficult to see.

Great Emperor Lord’s Encomium on the Dadu Miaojing

Original creation was at first dark and indistinct; morning clouds scatter and the vista grows distant. Beyond the mysterious realm of utmost stillness, all is clear and open. Heaven and Earth, the two principles, divide; Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) coalesce, embracing emptiness to form transformation and nurture the wondrous. One contemplates and cultivates true nature, preserving the Jing and Shen (essence and spirit). Suddenly, dawn opens within the dark; only then do people understand that life is brief and years are limited. As time and destiny alternate, all finally return to the Heavenly Han (the Milky Way, often denoting the celestial realm).

Hymn from the Laojun Bensheng Jing (Scripture of Lord Lao’s Original Birth)

The source of sentient beings is still and Wuwei (non-action); it neither arises nor perishes. Like those who have lost the root, sentient beings lose their own source and are separated from the true source. Deluded thoughts provoke good and evil causes and conditions, and the retribution of misfortune and blessing continues without cease. To calm the sea of suffering, one should dry up the river of desire. Guard the one mind, firm and single; gently uphold it so that practice has no deficiency. With right wisdom penetrate all things; with wondrous insight shatter the knots of affliction. All practices return to one body, and the Three Vehicles (the Buddhist paths of voice-hearer, solitary realizer, and bodhisattva) no longer have separate paths. Attain true purity, far from dust and defilement; body and mind are cool, no longer disturbed by the burning heat of affliction.

Hymn from the Taishang Zhihui Huixuan Jing (Scripture of Supreme Wisdom Returning to the Mysterious)

Numinous immortals ride auspicious cloud Qi and drive dragons across mysterious waves; the auspicious signs of the true realm spread everywhere, and they wash their feet in the river of the eight heavens. Blessings do not come by prior agreement, and thus one can escape the Heavenly Net (bondage). De (Virtue/Power) and the Dao transcend the three realms, and the Earthly Net (the snare that binds beings) can also be crossed. If one has the opportunity to meet a numinous Zhenren (a perfected one who has attained the Dao), one may unite with pure wisdom, the lotus-like Dharma of scripture.

Encomium on the Taishang Zhihui Jing (Scripture of Supreme Wisdom)

Those who study immortality should cut off frivolous thoughts, for thoughts become entangled with one another, accumulate the confusion of past and future, and disturb the mind and spirit. When the mind and spirit are restless, they go everywhere. Extinguish stray thoughts, settle the mind in empty stillness, and enter emptiness in pure, silent quiescence. Seek the Dharma of scripture as urgently as the hungry and thirsty seek food and drink; hold one’s aspiration firm as metal and stone. In this way one can preserve oneself, ascend to the mysterious Dao, and pass through by means of the Five Spirit Deliverance Fulu (talismans and registers used in Daoism for deliverance and communion with spirits).

Hymn from the Benyuan Dajie Jing (Scripture of Original Vows and Great Precepts)

The most important thing in studying immortality is to practice and uphold the precepts, restrain desires, make the inner mind empty, still, and peaceful, let upright Qi dwell within the body, and thereby become an immortal sage.

Are you seeking yourself? If you do not believe the words of the teaching, why dwell in the mountains and forests?

The Jade Emperor Bestows on Xusheng the Thirty-Nine Chapters of the Great Cavern and Two Songs on Ascending the Dragon Terrace

Song One

Three auroras drift and fly; the Seven Primes (stellar deities represented by the Big Dipper) lead the way; the Eight Scenes (the eightfold paradises of Daoism) cover the Great Origin. Immortal Perfected ascend, soaring freely beyond the nine heavens. From portals of fine jade radiant clouds arise; numinous smoke disperses the gloom. In the Western Palace the Dongxuan Jing (Cavern Mystery Scripture) is chanted, its clear song reaching the edge of Fusang, where the eastern divine tree stands. The immortals uphold the way of feminine stillness and gather among the towering peaks; mysterious chanting causes the Five Elders (the five directional celestial emperors or deities) to assemble. Xusheng, your intent is firm—I wish to make a covenant with you in my heart.

Song Two

The Gourd River, a river of the immortal realm, surges through the vast waters; the Celestial Ford, a heavenly crossing, stirs ten thousand streams. The winds of the eight directions ride the Qi of Divine Empyrean, carrying one far off to roam in the void. When the Dongshen Jing (Cavern Spirit Scripture) is chanted, the gods sing in response; these wondrous sounds are sent forth for you. Xusheng, you must go. Bending low to hurry through the dusty world, you may meet hardship everywhere. Truly your efforts are earnest; I ought to tell you what you seek.

The Queen Mother of the West Bestows Three Hymns from the Zidu Yanguang Shenbian Jing (Scripture of Purple Passage and Flaming Light Divine Transformation)

Hymn One

On the Ninefold Mystery Terrace I utter a long, soaring song; among cliffs and peaks gathers a clear, austere air. Within, thought is lucid and the six senses are at ease; the dusty, turbid breath before my eyes dissolves with it. Drifting auroras illumine the golden palaces; in the vast halls a profound and mysterious Qi spreads. Accumulate sincere reverence, and you can draw the numinous Perfected to descend; though the manifest form is single, the body of the Dao differentiates in each. In an instant, ten thousand kalpas pass; yet it seems one has endured billions of years.

Hymn Two

The beautiful gardens flourish; before the immortals’ steps vermilion gates open wide, and the courtyards are full of jade trees. A clear wind passes through the empty, silent grotto; jade-chime music rises through the void. Purple smoke coils around winding doorways; cinnabar radiance reflects the green carriages. Banners stream, dark canopies thicken, feathered processions illumine the Purple Clarity heaven. Ascend to the realm of the nine clouds and roam the Phoenix City; looking back at this quiet immortal realm, one truly longs to stay. Here you find joy, as if sharing delight with mortals who live but a morning and die by evening.

Hymn Three

Driving a chariot in ascent and riding the bright sunlight, I feast beyond the open wilds of the grotto-heavens; drifting, I seek out the numinous immortals and become one with them amid auspicious clouds. With my own hands I push open the vermilion gates of the immortal isle; before me all is bright and open, and spirit and Qi are harmonious and at peace. Golden watchtowers rise high in solemn grandeur; the clear, luminous immortal realm is without dust. Opening my robe, I come to the Xuanlang Terrace and at last fulfill my heart’s wish. Escape from the Three Paths—in Daoism, the suffering destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—is not easy; cultivation should be lasting and firm, for human lifespan is ultimately limited.

One Hymn by the Perfected Xuanyi of the Natural Supreme Lingbao Zhenyi

The many wondrous ways emerge from the realm of Dongzhen (Cavern Perfection), radiant and bright, illumining the Taiqing heaven. Those who uphold this Dao are called immortals; embodying the Dao and cultivating it, they endure without decline. Freely roaming in the mysterious void, palaces are arrayed, yet all are without form or image. The forest of seven treasures is vivid in color; the essences of sun and moon shine through it; dragon forms gallop in interlace, and phoenixes fly and call.

Taishang governs the heavens at the Purple Terrace; the Perfected recite the Dong Jing (Cavern Scripture). They take incense, bow their heads in salute, circumambulate the palace city three times, and return to the high seat. The Dao King resonates in response, and those who preside over the human realm propagate the ultimate Dao.

All under Heaven is universally at peace.

One Chapter: The Supreme Lord’s Hymn to the Diffusion of the Dao

Taishang (the supreme Daoist deity) is mysterious, wondrous, empty, and still; he is the root of the Dao. Promoting the great Dao and honoring the scriptures, in the space of a bow and a lift of the head one attains the Dao and becomes an immortal. Having passed through countless kalpas and years, the virtue of Taizhen (the supremely true realm spoken of in Daoism) is lofty and vast; silent and wuwei (non-action), it therefore transcends birth and extinction. Cloud-scapes in the sky congeal into pavilions in the air; riding the Qi (vital energy) of emptiness, one proceeds naturally. Sun and moon shine brilliantly; all is peaceful, harmonious, and joyous without end.

One Chapter: Song of the Numinous Consort of the Eastern Hua Upper Chamber in the Fangzhu Palace

Purple cassia is planted in a garden like fine jade; red flowers give out a clear, desolate sound. In the moon palace is born the Ruizhu Deep (a deep pool in the immortal realm); within the sun there is a jade pool. With the left hand she gathers numinous radiance; with the right she waves the glow of cinnabar clouds. Golden brilliance flows and illuminates the crimson courtyard. The scenery in the eight directions is exquisite, with smoke and vapor swirling; a blue canopy floats, brightly illuminating all.

Holding a tally and receiving command, she goes to Taiwei (the celestial star palace); the Phoenix-Essence Youth has a beautiful face and skin like jade. Long without hunger, at dawn she draws in Taishu (the primordial Qi spoken of in Daoism), and riding the light, swift Qi flies up the jade steps. Breathing in and out the Qi of the six voids (above, below, and the four directions), the Jade Consort hands her a kerchief; she plays the zhi mode to the sound of the qin, while South Cloud fans herself, and fragrant wind stirs her brocade garments. Striking the shang mode, the hundred beasts dance, and the awe-inspiring power of the Six Heavens’ spirit-seizing suddenly appears. Her lifespan reaches a hundred million years, her recorded years remote and grand.

“The small fresh fish is not yet cooked”—the small fish has not yet been put into the pot to boil. What is meant in the cauldron is my sorrow beneath the mountain cliff.

One Chapter: The Great Lord Qingtong’s Regular Chant

If one wishes to plant the root of transcendence from birth and death, one should pull out the seedlings of the root of samsaric birth and death. If one only hesitates and wavers, one will fall into the Nine Springs; what use is it merely to sit and pity one’s own physical form?

One Chapter: The Taixu Zhenren’s Regular Chant

To observe spirit carrying the body is like a cart carrying a horse; when the cart breaks, the horse will also bolt, and the entanglements occur in a flash. People in the world all know the body will eventually decay, yet they still cling to it greedily, as if planting causes of wind and fire; then karmic offenses will bring down the punishment of Heaven’s net—above, one suffers poisoning; below, one falls into hell.

One Chapter: The Xicheng Zhenren, Lord Wang’s Regular Chant

The body is the boat that ferries the spirit; when the shore is reached, they should part. The body is not the spirit’s eternal dwelling, nor is the spirit something the body forever carries. Wandering in the cycle of birth and death happens only because the mind suffers and hesitates.

One Chapter: The Xiaoyou Zhenren, Lord Wang’s Regular Chant

Losing the great Dao, one takes the road to death; the three hun-souls lose the path to the source of life. The days of life gradually recede, while the days of death draw ever nearer. How pitiful are these suffering people of the world! Root and flower are already inverted and disordered; before one’s eyes they will scatter into dust—how then can one know how to return to youth?

The above four poems were chanted by four Zhenren at the grand assembly on the Yao Terrace on the day of the autumn equinox, to accompany the music of “Xuangou Guangshao.” Lady Youying recounted this matter.

Four Songs Sung by Guo Sichao While Beating on the Boat as He Rowed a Small Boat to Enjoy a Pond

Clear pond water encircles numinous peaks; dense woods are all green. On the mysterious island, flying figures skim over the quiet wilds. Meeting and conversing…

Set out unhurried, pull the oars, and ride the wondrous waves forward. I bow to the morning wind (here meaning the wind of Yuchen of Shangqing), yet I have not attained liberation and still hope to roam freely among mountains and forests.

Note: The “morning wind” here is not the chenfeng bird mentioned in the Classic of Poetry.

One

My spirit roams beyond the Nine Gaos (Jiugai, the lofty realm beyond the nine heavens); I devote my heart to studying the Great Dao and at last preserve my true nature. I fold away the wings of the spirit phoenix and hide the scales of the splendid dragon. I lift high this square-inch heart, and all the myriad disturbances of the world appear to me as dust and dirt. Turning back, I pity those cicadas that live from morning to evening (the little insects that sing in late summer and early autumn): when will you finish the course of your lives?

Note: Here the mayfly and the cicada, which live from morning to evening, are used to figure the brevity of human life in the world; “chariot wheel” is used figuratively for the course of life.

Two

I fly and roam in the sky, untouched by swift winds; my wondrous steps leave no form or trace. Light and radiance shine between heaven and earth, reflected in the morning clouds; nine phoenixes sing toward the rising sun, beat their wings, and fan Tianjin (the region of the Heavenly River). Qingyun (auspicious cloud Qi) flies in the darkness.

Then I arrive at Taiwei (a palace in the heavenly realm), drink the golden pear nectar, and wander freely beyond Xuangai; there I cling neither to existence nor to extinction.

Note: Xuangai is the same as Jiugai, a realm above the clouds and rosy light of the nine heavens, and also refers to the farthest heavenly realm.

Three

Riding a swift spirit chariot, I fly through Shenxiao; clothed in rosy light, I travel with nine suns. After Gaohuang aligns the dragon wheels (the carriage ridden by immortals), I arrive at the Beihua Chamber.

Spirit tigers appear in Qionglin (the jade forest); wind and clouds gather into one; the gate of the dark underworld opens and closes, revealing profound and unfathomable numinous transformations, and then the wondrous traces vanish.

Four

Baoming Xianjun (the Immortal Lord Who Protects Life) told Xu Huya. Du Guangping often liked to sing the following stanza.

Note: Du Guangping, whose given name was Du Qi, lived in seclusion at Huayang.

The gentle sunlight shone on the broad forest, and rosy light gradually rose in the east. The morning wind danced among the clouds and smoke of the six directions; dense cloud Qi surged, and the roads of the eight directions rose up. Beyond the Five Peaks, why must there be famous mountains? If only one can climb the Dongfu (cavern mound) and walk with head held high, that is enough to transcend the dusty world. I let my spirit sink into a secluded realm, exhaling and inhaling the Qi of embryonic breathing; who can surpass the wonder of the mysterious white Qi?

When the Queen Mother of the West feasted Emperor Wu of Han, Lady Shangyuan played the “Yunlin Ao” and sang a stanza of the “Buxu Qu” (Pacing the Void).

In former times I trod the path of Xuanzhen and stepped upward into the Great Rosy Clouds. Carrying my book box on my back, I came to the Heavenly Gate and asked where Taishang (the Supreme Lord) dwells. Suddenly I passed by the Ziwei Enclosure (where the palaces of the heavenly realm are located), and saw Perfected Ones arrayed like hemp. Clear cloud Qi and pure wind rose; cloud canopies reflected red flowers. The Orchid Palace opened its pearl blinds; in the blue sky appeared a jade-like sandy ground, cinnabar...

A lofty terrace like a castle in the air took shape, brilliant and luminous, radiating splendor. A flying phoenix crouched there, and the Candle Dragon leaned against it; the scene was lofty, austere, and solemn.

The Jade Embryo (the immortal form gestated by an immortal) came winding forth, and crimson zhi mushrooms appeared in nine colors, interlacing and connecting. Drawing in the radiance of the sun and moon, it refined and nurtured the immortal’s bodily form.

Only after passing through ten thousand kalpas did it grow into the likeness of a child. Who can know that lifespan ultimately has an end? Yet Fusang (the legendary eastern land of sunrise) is not a withered tree.

The Queen Mother of the West then commanded her maidservant Tian Sifei to sing a responding stanza:

At dawn I ascend the Palace of Great Spirit and gather its eight jade magnolias; at dusk I enter the Xuanyuan Gate and pluck flower stamens. Parting the langgan (legendary immortal tree or fine jade), I wash my feet in the Gourd River. The Weaving Maiden stands at the ford; the river waters swirl. I exhale and inhale the Jing and Qi of heaven and earth, and take the radiance of sun and moon and the cloud Qi as a meal.

In the Purple Micro Palace the immortals are numerous; they ride jade wheels and consume cinnabar. At morning they set out and roam through boundless immortal realms; at evening they lodge in the Gouchen Enclosure (a celestial star palace). Each follows a different path and each is content where it is. Heaven and earth still endure—what is there to doubt? For millions of years without end—do not tell these things to the people of the world; they are merely walking corpses, and even if they heard, they would hardly understand.

A Song Bestowed by the Queen Mother on Lady Wei, with Preface

After Lady Wei ascended bodily in broad daylight, she dwelled on Mount Wangwu. At that time, the Primordial Lord of Nine Subtleties, the Queen Mother of Guishan, the Lady of the Three Primes, Shuang Lizhu, the Left Immortal of Ziyang, Shi Lucheng, the High Immortal Lord of Taiji, Lord Yangai, Perfected Xicheng, Wang Fangping, Perfected Taixu, Chisongzi of the Southern Marchmount, and Wang Ziqiao, Perfected of Tongbai, all came together to Lady Wei’s Crimson Chamber in the Upper Palace of Minor Clear Void on Xiaoyou. At that time Lady Wei and Lord Wang received one another as host and guest; they set out jade pastries, green wine, and golden cups, played four pieces of music, and had the maidservants display an instrument called the “Hook of Qucheng.” Then the Queen Mother beat time and sang:

I drive the Carriage of the Eight Radiances and suddenly enter Jade Clarity (Yuqing, the Daoist heavenly realm). My dragon skirt brushes the celestial river; tiger banners command the vermilion troops. I roam freely by the Mysterious Ford; the myriad things stream on without cease and never pause.

Alas, gatherings and partings must end; when the kalpa reaches its end, heaven and earth too will overturn. The myriad things ultimately return to the realm of formlessness; there is neither deathlessness nor birth. Comprehend the Dao of nature, contemplate in stillness, and merge with the Great Obscurity (the deep, silent primordial realm).

On the Southern Marchmount stands a true immortal; jade-like radiance reflects extraordinary Jing and Qi. Since each has a duty, there is no need to prearrange affairs; keep the heart empty and self-guarding, and one naturally receives spiritual Qi. We meet joyfully within the Crimson River; the joy is endless.

Shuang Lizhu played the cloud ao (an instrument used for immortal music) and sang a responding stanza:

Jade Clarity issues from the Nine Heavens; immortal lodges hang aloft beyond the rosy clouds. The cloud terrace is bright; cliffs and ridges are lovely as moth eyebrows; summer is lush, vegetation dense, and five-colored auspicious clouds rise. A green canopy appears, and clear wind from the eight directions sends green spiritual Qi.

Looking up, I chant the Song for Dispelling Demons; bowing, I study wisdom and clear principle. The assembled Perfected open the morning scene; singing in response, they pledge to meet in the Crimson Chamber. Upright—.

Under the divine radiance of Deyinzi (the name of an immortal), the surging heavenly wind is stirred; heavenly peaks soar into the void, forming secluded grotto abodes and high terraces. Only after roaming the secluded depths does one know that the sea is vast and the well-mouth narrow; only after walking the true Dao does one feel the turbidity of the world. Dancing the Dharma-wheel, one feasts and roams through layer upon layer of empty realms; once the fish enters the trap, the trap naturally becomes useless. I take leave of the dusty world, departing for long from this human realm where creatures are born in the morning and die at dusk.

The High Immortals Long to Roam: One Chapter of “The Song of the Cavernous Numen” (with preface)

The Jade Emperor again commanded Xusheng to enter the hidden chamber and pay respects to Shangqing Yuanjun and Guishan Jun. Thereupon the two Perfected Ones each ordered their attendant maidens to perform: Wang Yanxian, Yu Guangyun, and others played the Yunlin Langgan zither; An Deyin and Fan Sizhu struck the Kunming zhu; Zuo Baorong and Han Nengbin blew the Phoenix-Luan flute; Zhao Yunzi and Li Qingyu struck the flowing-metal stone chime; Xin Baihu, Zheng Pifang, Yan Wan, Lai Tian, and Shuanglian—four in all—sang in chorus.

The jade chamber reflects the rosy light of the east; purple immortal carriages float through the Crimson Dawn. On the flowery terrace, the assembled immortals raise their eyes and gaze afar, setting a banquet in the north. In the pure and boundless void, Feitian Yuanjun lightly treads upon light and shadow as she advances, chanting the “Great Cavern Chapter” and performing these thirty-nine pieces of music. Dwelling at ease within the great desert, the divine brightness is right within the square inch. Even in a cramped room, one can long for the light of spiritual clarity; why must one bitterly guard the mountains and forests? In the blink of an eye, an aged person can return to a childlike countenance.

Four Perfected Ones Descend to Madam Wei and Together Compose Five Chapters (with preface)

Four Perfected Ones descended to Madam Wei’s place, and in a quiet chamber transmitted the Dao of the divine Perfected and scriptures such as the Huangting Jing. Wine and food were set out at the gathering, and the four Perfected Ones sang and made music. The Taiji Perfected One first ordered the Northern Cold Jade Maiden Song Lianxiao to play the Nine Qi Ao; Fangzhu Qingtong then ordered the Donghua Jade Maiden Yan Jingzhu to strike the Xiying Bell; the Fusang Cigu Spirit King then ordered the Yunlin Jade Maiden Jia Quting to blow the Phoenix Cry Flute; the Qingxu Perfected One then ordered the Feixuan Jade Maiden Xianyu Lingjin to strike the Ninefold Jade Clappers.

Thereupon, the Taiji Perfected One sang one chapter, “Song of Flying Through the Void”:

Cinnabar radiance illuminates the realm of Shangqing; winds from the eight directions stir the Great Rosy Clouds. I ride the carriage of the divine empyrean, circling onward, and come to the foot of Jade Ridge. Beyond Heaven and Earth, the lands of the nine directions are all my home. Above, I gather the Jing and Qi of the sun; below, I drink the essence of the Yellow Moon. The wondrous numinous realm is empty, still, and formless; the road to the Great Peng has no obstruction. Turning my head, I see Madam Wei: may you wash away turbid Qi and not let the clear harmonious Qi be harmed; diligently cultivate profound and mysterious thought, and after attaining the Dao, we shall meet again.

Fangzhu Qingtong Sings One Chapter

The Great Rosy Clouds (Taixia)—gorgeous clouds—sway the radiance of dawn; the nine Qi (the nine kinds of primal Qi spoken of in Daoism) have no fixed form. The Mysterious Reins (Xuanpei), the reins that drive cloud-Qi, fly beyond the clouds, and the Eight Scenes (Bajing, the eight vistas spoken of in Daoism) rise on high.

Riding a high carriage and grasping the Jade Emperor’s sleeve, I ask to be taken along at the dawn hour of birth, to gaze up at the Seven Luminaries (the sun, the moon, and the five planets).

The chamber is all brightness, yet seems dark. Master Wei, you are truly transcendent; you have both aspiration and feeling. Your innate capacity stands tall, and you have met a fine gathering; your name has been written in the golden register of Donghua (the Daoist roster of immortals). Worthy ones quietly delve into the Dao and its methods, agreeing to meet at Yanggu.

Appended: One Chapter of “The Song of the Divine King of Fusang”

In the morning the palace of the Great Emperor opens, and one crosses the Paogua Waters. On the jade-green sea, emerald waves surge; among the continuous mountain ridges, red peaks tower like a floating wheel. Amid the cloud-waves, nine dragons draw carriages abreast, and tiger banners unfurl richly between the radiant fords.

A spiritual wind suddenly rises, and Huacun is able to regulate body and mind; long delighting in the Dao, she at last reaches the realm of the high spirit. She resolves to transcend beyond the Three Conditions (sanyuan), and only when opportunity meets her does she begin cultivation. They agree to meet at Yangluo Palace; when the Dao is accomplished, she will take Master Wei along.

Appended: Two Chapters of “The Song of the Perfected of Pure Emptiness”

Driving swiftly into the realm of Pure Emptiness, one lingers at the Xihua Hall. The jade forest is wondrous and lofty; tiger banners scatter, following the mist and rosy clouds. The wind of wisdom stirs crimson banners, and radiance illumines the eight directions. Opening one’s robe, one comes into the Yong Chamber; numinous bells ring, the scenery is bright and brilliant, and the resting light and shadows are like the branches of a forest.

A nine-stringed zither is played in the mysterious and wondrous realm, dispersing for me the sorrow accumulated over many lives and releasing a thousand years of sighs. The heart is joyful and delighted, as if there were no end; the night has already ended, and one waits again for dawn.

First

Purple clouds fly in the mysterious void; the divine wind has no fixed direction and in an instant fills the eight directions. May you suddenly become clear and open, with a mind of emptiness and stillness. The Eight Windows (symbolizing a state of unobstructed penetration) are luminous without fixity, now dark and now bright. Look deeply into the three Dantian (the upper, middle, and lower energy centers in Daoist inner alchemy), where images are born in stillness.

Concentrate the spirit and stand upright, waiting for encounter; cloud-like bearing is lofty and bright. I am ashamed that I lack a natural endowment like the Ying stone (a legendary fine jade). The ten thousand things each have their own natural insight; if one diligently and secretly practices the way of nurturing life, leakage or slackness will bring disaster.

When the immortals meet, there is a fixed time; then we will join hands and ascend to heaven together.

Second

One Chapter of “The Song of What Is Lamentable in the Human World” (with preface)

The Record of Mount Wuyi, composed by Lu Hongjian, Literary Official of the Crown Prince, states: Lord Wuyi is an Earthly Official (a Daoist deity). According to tradition, every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, he gathers the villagers in a great assembly on Mount Wuyi, sets up a tent pavilion, and conjures a rainbow bridge leading down to the villages below the mountain.

After the villagers had all arrived, on that day Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), the Jade Emperor, Taimu, Perfected Wei, and Lord Wuyi—the three seats (as in the original)—summoned the villagers from the air, calling them “great-grandsons” and saying, “Whether male or female, please take your seats.” Then they ordered the drum master Zhang Anling to beat the drum (with a wooden mallet), Zhao Yuanhu to strike the secondary drum, and Liu Xiao...

Zeng Shaotong took up a drum and struck it; the drumbeat was high and piercing, its rhythm urgent. Zichun held a small drum. Wind master Bao Gongxi played the transverse flute, and clapper master He Feng’er beat the time clappers. Then string master Dong Jiaoniang played the konghou, with Xie Yingfei clapping hands as accompaniment; Lü Axiang struck the round-bodied pipa, and wind master Huang Cigu played a mournful reed-pipe melody. Xiuyan sounded the dongxiao, Xiao’e played the sheng, and metal-instrument master Luo Miaorong waved copper cymbals.

Then everyone began passing the wine around. Presently the wine arrived, and someone said, “There is no need to decline the wine.” So another round was circulated. Next, song master Peng Lingzhao sang a song lamenting the sorrows of the human world. Its lyrics were:

Chances to meet, in heaven or among humans, are very rare. The sun sets behind the western hills; evening birds return to their nests. A hundred years of life is no more than the span of a meal, yet one’s wishes are in the end hard to fulfill. The heavenly palace is close at hand, but alas, I cannot follow.

One Chapter of the Ba Ballad, with Preface

On the gengzi day of the ninth month in the thirty-first year of Qin Shi Huang, Mao Meng, Mao Ying’s great-great-grandfather, rode clouds and a crane on Mount Hua and ascended to immortality in broad daylight. Before this, a folk ballad from Ba had sung:

The one who attained the Dao and became an immortal was Mao Chucheng; he mounted a dragon and ascended to heaven, entering Taiqing (the pure, empty heavenly realm spoken of in Daoism). At times he descended to wander in Xuanzhou, or to sport at Chicheng. His descendants could continue the immortal Dao as if moving pieces in a game of chess, and all of this has fallen to me, Mao Ying. If emperors wish to learn this immortal art, they should practice it during the Jiaping season in the twelfth month.

The Perfected Yang Xi dreamed that the Penglai Immortal Lord Luo Guangxiu summoned four men, each to compose a poem

Shi Anqing was the first to compose a poem:

On the numinous mountain the Great Rosy Clouds rise; steep rocky peaks pierce the clouds. Purple smoke drifts over Shenzhou; we ride the wind and drive white dragons. Four guests come together, turning east to pay respects to Lord Sanglin. Though Luo Guangxiu is no longer young, his spirit and bearing remain vigorous. He had not actually come down from the mountain, yet everyone put him in the lead, deferring to him for his age and honor.

Then Zhang Youshi composed a poem:

Traveling north beyond the Great Desert, I again climb to the gate of the Penglai immortal palace. Purple clouds encircle the numinous palace; how thick the incense smoke. Luo Guangxiu is truly fine, long seated in the place of discoursing on the Dao. Perfected Luo Pian sits among the ranks, together watching white dragons gallop. Lishi joins with the four guests—who knows when we may loosen our belts together and speak freely? My heart longs for friends with whom I can open my heart, and I rejoice that we meet at the high dawn hour.

Then Xu Yufu composed a poem:

Roaming the wondrous peaks, bathing body and mind in the clear waters of Canglang, afar I glimpse Penglai, its palace towers rising high…

In the soaring and unfathomable realm—a place high in the clouds and deep beyond measure—the Five Mushrooms (wuzhi, five immortal herbs) cover the crimson cliffs, and beside the steps on all four sides grow plants like fine jade and precious gems. Numinous flowers fall in profusion, their radiance flashing and illuminating the spirit court. Dwelling carefree beyond the seven awakenings, one lets one’s natural disposition unfold of itself; within the square inch there is naturally perfection—why envy the glory of the white dragon?

Next, Ding Weining Composes One Poem

On the mysterious mountain a realm of blue-green waves is built; golden palaces reflect upon the numinous pavilion. Lord Luo’s talent is outstanding, yet he remains wholly composed, as if wandering between being and nonbeing. His bodily form sinks into the cold realm of the north; three spirits connect with the Nine Heavens, and colleagues arrive together to play chess; everyone declares me the winner.

The youth Shi Qing’an refused to honor the worthy; instead he mocked the Penglai Immortal Lord and called him “Guangxiu.” What means will the enlightened lord use to answer this young man’s ridicule?

A Chapter Written by King Fuchai of Wu (with Preface)

The Five Talismans of Celestial Patterns records: the immortal Yue Xiumen once carved stones on Mount Laosheng and wrote the text of the Five Talismans.

Mysterious waters surge into red waves; Kunbi jade reflects Lang Mountain. The morning sun governs the dawn light, its radiance abundant and fair. Drifting clouds fall toward the sun; light and shadow like a swift wind fly across the Three Heavens. The light of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) illumines the nine directions of the dark realm; sounds of the hidden and the manifest echo among the Zhong Mountains.

Yu of Xia ascended to the place of the Eight Windows; his breath scattered in all directions, his sound like golden orchids. Branches sway, and jade leaves shine. Green waves search out the great source, support the root, raise the numinous trunk, hang down branches and leaves, and form a lush scene. The traces of dragons and phoenixes are remote and deep; the writing in the Nine Heavens is brilliantly radiant.

Looking up, one drinks the essence of sun, moon, and stars, preserving oneself in enduring peace; bending down, one rinses the mouth with the liquid of the Five Splendors and returns from old age to youth. When the spirit wanders in the Palace of Warmth and Coolness, how could one still know cold and heat? A thousand years are like early morning; ten thousand years like half the time until the sun reaches its zenith.

Flapping my wings, I fly above the empty cavern and go to the Lingbao Palace. The carriages of the Five Emperors gather in succession and meet at the edge of Jingmo. They ask whether I am hungry or thirsty, and I drink the abundant, flowing Mysterious Spring and Elixir Liquid. The immortal Dao is forever within the square inch; no distant realm in the eight directions is difficult to reach.

Turning back, I hear the foul stench issuing from within the vermilion gates; to be amid eminence and power has hardships of its own. On the shady side of Mount Laosheng there are steles and caves whose traces can be followed and examined.

Three Poems by Xin Xuanzi (with Preface)

Xuanzi’s courtesy name was Yanqi; he was a native of Dinggu in Longxi. In the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, he served as Grand Master of Remonstrance, and was a son of Xin Yin, governor of the three commanderies of Shangluo, Yunzhong, and Zhao. In his youth Xuanzi delighted in the Supreme Dao and observed Daoist precepts and prohibitions. Because calamities from earlier generations continued, his lifespan was short, and he died at Changjin.

The Queen Mother of the West saw how diligently I cultivated the Dao, and the Northern Emperor of Fengdu—the deity in charge of the dark realm—pitied my resolve for the Dao. They informed Siming, the deity who governs lifespan, and sent a proclamation to the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, ordering them to take up my bodily form and restore me to life.

My Hun and Po souls returned to the true realm, placing me in the position of nurturing the embryo and making me a spirit deity. Recently I have again obtained deliverance, and my name is listed in the Southern Palace (a celestial bureau). I had already been commanded to make arrangements in Zhuling (a celestial place), to conceal and nurture Jing and Qi, and to await the proper time, when I could be ranked among the immortals. But the Great Emperor (the celestial emperor lord) has again ordered me to go in place of the Hou clan of the Eastern Sea, so that he may be reborn, and has also chosen me to fill the post of General of the Forbidden Origin, in charge of the affairs of ghosts and spirits in Haoyue. I have therefore come to join you. Now I present three poems, by which to express my deep feelings.

Note: Lord Yang had taken up the post of Director of Destinies for Haoyue, commanding the ghosts and spirits; the office held by Xuanzi was subordinate to Fangying. The two therefore came to know of each other, and so he first composed this poem to state his feelings.

The First Poem

In former days I entered the underworld, following the carriage in response to the summons of the spirits. My spirit-consciousness moved with the void; my bodily form dissolved, and my Qi transformed into auspicious clouds. If one would transform the bodily form, unless one has a substance clear and pure as jade, how could it be carved by the mysterious work of creation? I walked and chanted a secluded song, raising my hand to toy with the sounding branches. In a dwelling among the woods there is naturally the joy of leisure; I cut off worldly intercourse, entrust myself to scenery, and attach myself to the sun, moon, and stars. Such fair tidings—why are they so lonely and still?

Note: This piece recounts the origin of the affair.

The Second Poem

Still and silent yet penetrating, I lodge my interests and feelings there; the mysterious Qi gathers up the restless sounds. Though the lofty carriage wheels are uneven, at a height of ten thousand ren I have come especially to seek you. You are one who steadies his mind in the Dao and joins with the spirits; your heart and breast accord with the wondrous realm. Let worldly affairs change as they will—your aspiration still stands forth in the deep and high. We wish to retire together into the forest, bury our names beyond the world, roam together, and keep company in the quiet of the Eastern Mountain.

Note: This piece explains the reason for lodging his feelings and coming to meet.

The Third Poem

Driving my carriage to the vast Fengdu (the underworld), I roam at ease through the land of the dark and hidden. Within the void there is naturally the ten thousand things; within form there is nothing permanently fixed. We discuss the boundary between being and non-being, meeting as though viewing fish from the Hao Bridge. When our eyes meet, the mystery is already understood; the principles of ghosts and spirits then become clear of themselves and no longer weigh on the mind.

Note: This piece discusses the profound and mysterious realm between humans and ghosts.