《玉詮》Vol. 8

The Jade Exegesis (Yuchuan) stands as one of the pivotal Daoist scriptures, and here we present the table of contents from its fifth volume. The catalog records numerous renowned Zhenren (a Daoist honorific for perfected beings who have attained the Dao) who occupy significant positions in Daoist history:

Foremost mentioned is the Celestial Master of Orthodox Unity (Zhengyi Tianshi, referring to Zhang Daoling, founder of the Zhengyi tradition), followed sequentially by Perfected Lord Ge (likely Ge Hong or Ge Xuan), Perfected Lord Xu (probably Xu Xun), Perfected Lord Han, Perfected Lord Sa, Perfected Lord Bai, Perfected Lord Luo, and other eminent Daoist adepts.

Subsequently listed are Perfected Lord Nanhua (Zhuangzi, venerated in Daoism as Nanhua Zhenren), Perfected Lord Chisong (an ancient immortal), Perfected Lord Tao (possibly Tao Hongjing), Perfected Lord Li (likely referring to Laozi or a prominent Tang dynasty master), the paired Perfected Lords Bi and Feng (two adepts sharing the surnames Bi and Feng), Perfected Lord Qi, Perfected Lord Chen, and Perfected Lord Su, among others.

These perfected beings exerted profound influence across various Daoist lineages—some laid foundational theories, others excelled in cultivation practices, while several established major Daoist schools. This catalog arrangement reflects Daoism's profound reverence for the transmission of wisdom through successive generations of perfected adepts.