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Translator's note:
This project started because I became interested in Tang tales after reading Shifting Stories: History, Gossip, and Lore in Narratives from Tang Dynasty China by Sarah M. Allen, and wanted to translate some of them with my tutor, Glynis Jones. Tang tales are stories written in the Tang Dynasty about all kinds of topics: spirits, ghosts and transcendents but also stories without any supernatural elements at all. They often feature real historical figures as characters.
One of the easier sources of Tang tales to track down is the Taiping Guangji (太平廣記), which I will refer to as TPGJ from now on. This collection is available online at ctext. The text used for this translation is available here.
The TPGJ was originally collected at the beginning of the Song Dynasty as an imperial project, but it was never published. It was finally printed in the Ming Dynasty but the text had to be reconstructed somewhat. I haven’t been able to find a detailed textual history, so I don’t know much more than this. Further errors were probably introduced in the process of uploading the text to ctext.
The TPGJ is divided into many many sections, each based on a category, like “insects” or “extraordinary persons” or “divination” . While these categories may seem weird to us, it was the first time these stories had been collected in any kind of systematic way. Previously these stories were mostly part of un-themed collections, so putting them in categories made these stories easier to study and reference. We decided to start working through the Transcendent Women section of the TPGJ, as we both found the subject interesting. This story is the first long narrative in that section.
Stories in the TPGJ are arranged in roughly chronological order of the events in the story. This one is set during the Jin Dynasty and tells the story of Daoist Transcendent Wei Huacun, who was a founder of the Shangqing sect of Daoism. Like many Daoist scriptures, this text is full of digressions, which makes it not very straightforward as a story.
The Shangqing sect became very prominent in the Tang dynasty, when they were supported by the imperial family. (The Tang royal house claimed descent from Laozi, and worked to increase the prominence of Daoism.) The Shangqing sect was focused on meditation and internal alchemy as ways to achieve transcendence, as opposed to earlier movements which practiced external alchemy and used elixirs to transcend.
To better understand this story I read several papers (see bibliography at the end). While no translation of this story into English exists, there are several other surviving versions of Wei Huacun’s biography, and some of these have been partially translated in the papers I read. Additionally, the papers provided me with context to better understand the story, especially about the Shangqing movement and Wei Huacun’s place in it.
This story uses two different timekeeping systems: regnal years and the sexagenary cycle. Regnal years are official imperial units; each regnal year has its own title, which is generally something auspicious-sounding. Regnal years can last from a few months to decades. Declaring a regnal year had symbolic meaning that was sometimes used politically. The sexagenary cycle is the 60-year cycle based on the ten heavenly stems and the twelve earthly branches. Each year is named with a combination of two characters, one from each set. For example, a Jiawu (甲午) year, where Jia (甲) is a heavenly stem and wu (午) is an earthly branch.
We have also included the year in CE where these dates are used. To figure out the year in CE we have to look up tables of the sexagenary cycle, then look up the dates for that regnal year and figure out which year meets both criteria. Luckily for us these tables are available online! This kind of thing must have been so difficult before the internet.
With any translation there are choices to be made in terms of how foreign versus how familiar the text should sound. I wanted to produce basically readable English which meant sometimes moving the word order around to flow more logically. At the same time, there are many mystical bits that were hard to understand, and I tried not to overinterpret those, leaving some of the strangeness of the original text. In terms of names I have been inconsistent in terms of translating or transliteration – opting for whichever option felt most natural to read. In addition, when the same person was referred to by many names, I went through and standardized the name to reduce confusion.
I would like to thank my friends Rae, Anne, and Coreo for providing feedback on this translation in progress.Thanks to libitina, Anne and Rae for research assistance. And thanks to daemuth the coder of AOYeet which I used to format this into HTML.
Glossary
Ao, 璈: musical instrument esp. associated with Daoist goddesses, sometimes described as 雲 璈 ㄩㄣˊ ㄠˊ, “cloud ao,” exact shape unknown but reputedly consisting of a group of small chime-stones suspended from a wooden bar attached to a long grip held by the left hand, with a small mallet in right hand to strike the lithophones. (this definition is from A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese, Third Edition)
Fundamental Scholar, 元君; pinyin yuanjun: A title used in this text for female transcendents
Genuine Person 真人, pinyin zhen ren: a transcendent, also translated Realized or Perfected Person. In some sources Zhen ren are considered to be above xian(仙) but here the terms seem to be used interchangeably.
seven mortal forms, 七魄, pinyin, qi po: the parts of the soul that control the body, the yin aspect of the soul
Shijie, 尸解: literally “corpse escape,” to appear to die but really to transcend
Taiji, 太極: ultimate polarity, the two most opposite extremes, Yin and Yang
three spiritual forms, 三魂, pinyin san hun: The spiritual parts of the soul, the Yang aspect
Xian, 仙: a transcendent (often translated as ‘immortal’, but I choose transcendent, following Robert Ford Campany, based on the specialness and range of abilities that xian have). Xian are often depicted as hermits living in the mountains. They were ordinary humans who through luck or skill were able to transcend using elixirs or internal alchemy.
Zhang 丈: a traditional unit of distance about 3.3m or 3.56yd
Partial Cast of Characters
Wei Furen (魏夫人): the Lady, Wei Huacun (華存) styled Xian’an (賢安) later granted the title Purple Emptiness Fundamental Scholar, and Upper Perfected Director of Destinies; Lady of Nanyue, (紫虛元君，領上真司命南岳夫人)
Liu Wen(劉文) styled Youyan(幼彥): her husband
Pu (璞): her older son
Xia (瑕): her younger son
Yang Xi (楊羲) (330-c. 386): her disciple, who was also a medium (jitong) working in the Xu household
Taiji Genuine Person An Du Ming(太極真人安度明): one of four Genuine People who descended to teach the Lady
The Eastern Splendid Great Spirit, Qing Tong of Fangzhu, (東華大神方諸青童) /Qing Tong-jun(青童君 ): standardized to be either the full title or Qing Tong. Referred to by other translations as “The Blue Lad” or “The Azure Lad;” one of four Genuine People who descended to teach the Lady
The Genuine Person of the Shining Forest, Spirit King of the Valley of the Great Mulberry North of the Jade-Colored River (扶桑碧阿陽谷神王景林真人): one of four Genuine People who descended to teach the Lady
Lord Wang, the Genuine Person of Almost Nothing and Pure Emptiness Genuine Person of Pure Emptiness(小有 清虛真人) / Pure Emptiness Lord( 清虛王君)/ Lord Wang (王君): Wang Bao (王裒); one of four Genuine People who descended to teach the Lady.
Wei Furen
1
As for Wei Furen, she was a citizen of Ren City. She was the daughter of Wei Shu who was styled Yangwen, Minister of Education and Duke of Kang, during the Jin Dynasty. Her personal name was Huacun and her courtesy name was Xian’an.
When she was young she was fond of the Dao; she was quiet, taciturn, respectful and conscientious. She studied Zhuangzi and Laozi, the three biographies, the five classics, and the hundred clans – she read everything she ought to read.
She aspired and yearned for transcendence, and wanted to taste genuine and deep mysteries. She longed for and sought speedy elevation. She wore plain clothing and took powdered flax medicine and Fuling mushroom pills, she used breathing exercises to purify her qi and bodily fluids, she protected her health, and she was even-tempered and tranquil.
Her relatives came and went but she wouldn’t meet with them. She wanted a separate dwelling in a place without obligations, but her parents would not allow this.
2
When she was twenty-four, she made a suitable match with Liu Wen, styled Youyan of Nan Yang. He was a minor clerk to the Grand Guardian. They had two sons; the older one was called Pu and the younger one was called Xia. Youyan later served as the commander of Xiuwu. The Lady expected an apparition, as her essence was sincere and she was overflowing with seriousness. Her two sons were only barely taken care of, but she left the house and her husband to purify herself.
3
After more than three months, suddenly they descended: Taiji Genuine Person An Duming; the Eastern Splendid Great Spirit, Qing Tong of Fangzhu; the Genuine Person of the Shining Forest, Spirit King of the Valley of the Great Mulberry north of the Jade-Colored River; and Lord Wang, the Genuine Person of Almost Nothing and Pure Emptiness. The gathering said to the Lady, ``Now hear the secret of true qi! Concentrate your heart and mind on the three highest transcendents, work as hard as you can! The Heavenly Emperor of the Great Mulberry Tree ordered us to instruct you in the mysteries of the true Dao!”
4
Qing Tong said, “The Heavenly King of the Pure Emptiness, Lord Wang, is already your teacher.”
5
Duming said, “You have sought the Dao with great effort, now the Dao arrives!”
6
The Genuine Person of the Shining Forest said, “Emperor Xu reflected and diligently thought, Taiji Genuine Person An Duming has already recorded your immortal name in the Jade Records. This is encouragement for you!” Qing Tong again spoke: “You don’t yet know well the exalted Dao and the inner methods. The transcendents lack a reason to find and complete the Classic of Chen Jing Yu. Late at night the transcendents met when the early light washed over the mountains and carefully hid the classic.”
7
Then Lord Wang commanded his serving women Hua Santiao, Li Mingdui, and others to go to Pin Yunyun and open the Jade Book Box. They brought out
Daoist Treasure Text
Book of the Eight Ascetic Hermits
The Great Grotto Genuine Classic
Numinous Book of Eight Paths
North Star Transit to Fiery Light
Stone Essence and Gold Horse / Jade Horse
Text on the Spirit of the Genuine Tiger
Feathered Mystery of the High Transcendents
Altogether 31 scrolls were handed to the Lady.
8
Lord Wang said, “I previously studied the Dao with these classics. I happened to meet Lady Nanji and Scholar Wang of the West City who gave me these same 31 scrolls of treasured classics. I used these to become a Genuine Person, after which I was appointed to a minor position in the grotto of the Heavenly Transcendent King. He commanded that I be awarded the writing of the Lady Nanji and Scholar Wang of the West City. The mountain grotto platform where I served was the Separated Place of Pure Emptiness.”
9
Then Lord Wang stood and faced north. Holding the books, he said, “The most exalted three sources, the nine stars are extremely Genuine[1]. Profound emptiness enters the Dao. The exalted Qing Yuchen commended the Great Emperor[2] for commanding that Wei Huacun be taught. In this Danlang month on an auspicious Wushen day, we carefully present her with the treasured books The Text on the Spirit of the Golden Tiger, The Great Grotto Genuine Classic, and Jade Writing on the Eight Essences. In total, there are 31 books, which praise the old mystical meditation of the Yang Ming West Mountain.” The Lady received these books as her own from the Great North Star Teacher, a Genuine Person.
Huacun dedicated herself to using the bright methods to become a Genuine Person: she spoke aloud and cultivated the Dao of Emptiness, and grew into a flying transcendent. "I have revealed my books, our group is one school, the body is less than spirit, the Many Fortresses of River Sources and the Nine Heavenly Palaces command us to announce Huacun!”
10
Finishing his invocation, Lord Wang spoke again: “I have received secret teachings from the Great North Star Teacher. I listened to her words and taught them to you. These writings have been passed down among various Genuine People. I have already obtained them and now I will give them to you. The Great Emperor commands this!
“These books I myself passed on to seven people. The slats are white jade and the writing is green jade. When Huacun receives the books, she can be like the four Genuine People.”
11
Thus, the Genuine Person of the Shining Forest taught the Lady The Yellow Courtyard Inner Brightness Classic and commanded her to keep it and meditate on it day and night. After she read it many times, she was able to behold the spirit of the ethereal grottoes. She was suitable for the Six Ministeries, she meditated on the Three Spiritual Forms and the Five Internal Organs. Huacun mastered her splendid appearance, and returned to youth – this was the path of immortality.
So these four Genuine People chanted and sang, they each commanded Jade Maidens to play the qin, hit the bells, blow the xiao, and beat the clappers to send forth song. When the song finished, Lord Wang explained a section of the classics about the cultivation of lines and nodes, he returned to a point of the treasured classics and lectured on these various points at length, and then by and by he left.
12
During this visit the Taiji Genuine Person commanded the Northern Cold Jade Maiden Song Lianjuan, to play the Ao of Nine Qi; Qing Tong commanded the Splendid Eastern Jade Maiden Dong Hualin to hit the Bell of Western Fruitfulness; the Genuine Person of the Shining Forest commanded the Spiritual Forest Jade Maiden Jia Quting to blow the Xiao of Phoenix Cries; the Genuine Person of Almost Nothing and Pure Emptiness Lord Wang commanded the Flying Mysterious Jade Maiden Xian Yuxu to tap the Jade Clappers nine times.
The Taiji Genuine Person sent forth songs of ordered emptiness, Qing Tong chanted harmonies of great rosy clouds. The Genuine Person of the Shining Forest recited sections of early morning and Pure Emptiness sang words of harnessing whirlwinds.
After they dispersed various Genuine People and Fundamental Scholars came day and night. Although her husband Youyan was next door, the visitors were silent and he didn’t know about them.
Later her husband Youyan died, and it happened that the whole world was in turmoil. The Lady comforted people with inner and outer skills, and rescued the exhausted and weary. As a genuine transcendent she didn’t reveal her foreknowledge. Knowing the Central Plains were about to be thrown into chaos, she took her two sons and went across the river.
Pu, her elder son, worked for the Minister of War, Yu Liang[3], and then later for the Minister of War, Wen Taizhen[4]. After that he became the Grand Protector of An Cheng.
Xia, her younger son, worked for Defender in Chief Tao Kan[5], and later was a vice general.
The Lady herself traveled from Luo City to Jiang Nan. Bandits lived between the two places and it was common to encounter them, but deities blessed and protected her, and as result she was fortunate and did not meet them.
Her two sons having established positions, the Lady reached the Profound. Her heart and mind were purified and peaceful, she gathered her senses and her true spirit, her cultivation of genuineness increased, and every day she improved.
13
When the Lady had lived for 83 years, because of Emperor Cheng of Jin[6] there had been widespread peace for nine years, a Jiawu year arrived (334CE). Lord Wang returned and Qing Tong descended and they taught the Lady two methods of preparing medicine. One was called “shift spirit white riding spirit powder” and the other was called “stone essence gold shining transformation of form spirit pill”. A dose of this medicine will cure all known illnesses.
After seven days the Great Unity Mysterious Transcendent sent a whirlwind carriage to come meet her. The Lady changed her form into a sword and departed. She entered Lu Mountain by the south side. The next day Qing Tong, the Taiji Fourth Genuine Person, and Lord Wang commanded the Lady to purify and withdraw for 500 days and read the Great Grotto Genuine Classic. Heavenly Teacher Zhang Daoling[7] separated and combined the essential mystery of the Daoist classics, and taught her the Bright Power Memorial.
The Lady meditated on the incantation for the military clerks’ talismins and mystic text. A crowd of Genuine People descended one by one and taught her for three days and then departed. Daoling taught those entrusted with the melodies. Because the Lady was a libationer[8] in the Celestial Masters movement when she was alive, she understood her duty to the common people.
14
The Lady read through the classics many times, and after a total of sixteen years her face was like a young woman’s. Thereupon the Queen Mother of the West, the Gold Palace Sage and the Lady Nanji all met the Lady when the bright sun was rising in the sky. They visited the Utmost Purity Palace under the Jade Tower. The Taiwei Emperor Scholar, Zhong Yanghuang the Old Daoist, the Three Ascetic High Scholars, the Genuine Person of the Shining Forest, and the Offspring of the Gold Palace Sage, who each commanded messengers to set fate, all taught the Lady the Heavenly People Jade Tablet Bronze Inscription and gave her the titles of Purple Emptiness Fundamental Scholar and Upper Perfected Director of Destinies, Lady of Nanyue, a title comparable in rank to Transcendent Duke. They sent her to govern great Hou Shan in the Tiantai mountains, at the grottoes therein. They commanded her to explain and present the Dao, teaching and instructing how to transcend.
The men were called Genuine People and the women were called Fundamental Scholars. After the Lady received her gifts and the matter was concluded, the Queen Mother of the West, the Gold Palace Sage and Lady Nanji each left.
They sent the Lady to purify herself and fast in the queen’s small room in the heavens for two more months. When she was done, the Nine Fundamental Scholars, the Queen Mother of the West, the Three Fundamental Ladies and the Genuine Transcendents descended side by side with Pure Emptiness of Least Existence.
Before writing and after receiving the Cloud Book Box with divination slips, the Lady and Lord Wang stayed at the palace’s red room as guests. They were given pure delicacies and jade wine in a bronze cup with 22 characters engraved on it. Four people performed for them and each commanded serving women to perform Chen Junchen’s song. Nine spirits played the clappers, and the sounds of the eight classical instruments were among the spirits. The Queen Mother of The West beat time and sang, and the Three Fundamental Ladies played the cloud ao and returned her song. The remaining Genuine People each sang.
After a moment the minister commanded the spirits and their various subordinates, and at Nanyue they met the officials upon arrival. Tiger banners and dragon palanquins rushed in and dazzled everyone within 100 li; the Queen Mother of the West and various Genuine People traveled southeast with the Lady. They all visited the Lady’s domain Hou Shan in the Taintai Mountains, they sent Dao Guoju to the source of the Golden Altar of Mao Shushan. They feasted for two days and two nights together at the base of Mount Huo. The Lady peacefully drove to the residence of the immortals and thus after that they each left.
15
First, Lord Wang announced the Lady, saying, “This student works at banishing and eliminating sickness.”
Because the Lady had been prescribed the seeds of licorice root by a transcendent, she took them. She was able to study the books that Lord Wang gave her. They reviewed The Classic of the Interior of the Yellow Hall, and on this subject Lord Wang was exceedingly detailed and complete. The book relayed the directions for the Youth Essence Grain Porridge. Afterward, he left for Mao Shan again.
After this, the Lady’s son Pu arrived at the mountain to serve her. She commanded him to transmit the principles to Yu, Minister of Education, the Prince of Lang Xie, the official Yang Xi, and the historian Xu Mu. With Xu’s son Yu Fu, they all ascended side by side to immortality together. What Tao Zhen[9] and the pure Genuine People proclaimed was given to them by this group of southern Genuine People –specifically by the Lady.
16
In the third year of the Xinning reign of the Jin Dynasty, a Yichou year (365CE), there was a descendant of Yang Xi called Scholar Yang. He said, “A student of cultivating the Dao does not desire to see flesh and blood. They may see them, although they avoid them, but wouldn’t it be better not to see?”
He continued, “Facing and crossing into the East Sea, the sound of the waves is like thunder. The Genuine Person Pei Qingling has in his embroidered silk bag the Classic of Treasures and Souls which since time immemorial contains what Purple Emptiness Fundamental Scholar, Wei Furen was taught. I also have the West Palace edition of this book, and the mystical land of the Kunlun Mountains has an altar to the north and fine jade in the west. Heaven’s genuine literary treasures are all hidden inside this book.
“According to the teachings of the book, with regards to driving the Cloud Cart and taking up the Reins of Great Emptiness, the hand carries the smoke of the night, the foot steps up to the king’s courtyard, and the body ascends to the Jade Emperor’s Palace. Open this treasured book and be granted youth.
“The summary of the uninhibited teaching of the nine mysteries is the long life of the tree of heaven. True words are mysterious yet clear, dark yet bright. This lofty discourse is as pure as jade.
“Now my spirit has returned to the dusty mortal realm. I teach my disciples how to labor spiritually so as not to be bothered by the five impurities and the smell of flesh.
“You are a seeker of the Dao, and a person who researches and chants texts about the miraculous. Having obtained the Dao of miracles, we laze and loaf about, pondering the Dao.”
Again the descendant of Yang Xi spoke: “At the East River and the West Head of the Tongbai Mountains, it’s more than 200 zhang from the base to the peak. Yesterday Mao Shushen and I visited the Place of Pure Emptiness. We taught in the matters of gaining and losing the Registry of Genuine Transcendents. Our group of 47 paused for a moment, and there were only three people higher than we.
“Therefore, while taking steps to empty the mind, painstakingly and exhaustively pay attention to the principles. The mind and thoughts will be exhausted and used up, as though stepping into fire and ice. After a very long time like this the path to transcendence will be revealed!
“Having just arrived at Respected Cinnabar Manor, but separating themselves from thoughts of excessive color, as though carrying hearts of excessive longing in their arms, they walk on the path of truth, to the place where the Pure Palace is settled; this process takes a lifetime.
“Wouldn’t you stop and settle in the place where your name is registered? When you are about to be given the examination of the three departments, wouldn't you work hard and carefully?
“As for the Dao of the ancestors, it is precious and without fault. Those who dwell in genuineness guard their tranquility and ease. They arrive alone, not guided by a master. Tranquility is not taught by artisanship, therefore they are tired and grumpy when they are led by nothing.
“For those who follow the Dao, this essence is possible. If this essence exists but isn’t put to work, or if one has this ability but it's not concentrated, then they will not benefit from it.
“You must lose your stingy heart and become broadminded, for foul thoughts abhor openness. Only a few people can see the East Mountain; they should toil to see the Three Excellencies. Only then will their defect become beneficial.
“Those who speak are able to completely defeat nature and fate; those who are sincere can control gain and loss. The time of Zhang Liang and the the three heroes[10] was a period of true Dao and wisdom.”
Again, Yang spoke: “Some of the ways to obtain the Dao by dying are seen, and some are hidden. In the past, when someone became intoxicated with jade liquid and knocked on death’s door, even though they took one dose of Dao Gui medicine, their body would rot. Although the Deerskin Duke swallowed the jade flower, bugs still flowed out of him. Jia Lizi swallowed mercury and then there was a foul smell for hundreds of li. The Yellow Emperor fired the nine cauldrons on the Thorny Mountain but he still has a tomb of tall mountains. Li Yu, a descendant of Youyong who owns two of Li’s writings, took a dose of Cloud Powder in order to sink and rise, yet his head and feet remained in their different places. Mo Di drank rainbow cinnabar pills without water, he started taking doses of stone brain and yet they still attended his pyre. Wu Guang clipped onions in order to enter the Spring of Purity and Coldness; Bai Cheng received qi but his stomach and belly rotted in several places. None of these methods can defeat time. The faint mark of obtaining the Dao is the trace of giving up, but the reason changes!
17
Protecting Life Lord said, “Those who practice what is called shijie, borrow a body and are seen to die, but it is not true death.”
The Southern Genuine Person said, “When a person dies, we must look at the body as if it were a living person: this is shijie. The feet are not green, the skin is not wrinkled; this is also shijie. The light of the eyes does not settle. There is no difference between them and a living person: this is shijie. The hair is long and flowing and the body is not skeletal: this is shijie. In the bright sun the body disappears, and the person themself has already transcended.
“If not for the case of shijie, one would not experience ultimate yin upon dying. Those who temporarily visit the Three Officials shed their flesh and scatter their veins, their blood sinks and their ashes decay, but their Five Organs regenerate and their bones become like jade. While the Seven Mortal Forms seek to serve, the Three Spiritual Forms guard the house – some for 30 years, some for 20 years, some for ten years, some for three years. While the flesh and blood are reborn, the substance of the person again takes shape. It’s necessary for victory to have appeared not to die in former days. This is called refining the body. The ultimate yin changes one's appearance, and one becomes a transcendent of the Three Officials.
18
The Celestial Emperor said, “Ultimate yin refines the body’s form. It is superior to a dose of nine-changing cinnabar. The person appears upright and temporarily stiff, the face appears like a cloud spirit, and the person ascends to the Taiji Palace and receives books from Genuine People. So it is.
“If those who temporarily visit the ultimate yin guard their bodies well, then the Three Spiritual Forms seek the bones, Seven Mortal Forms attend upon the flesh, the rebirth of spirit concentrates qi, and all of those who are able to are reborn and fly to heaven. If they use another medicine to perform shijie, and not the spirit pills, then they don’t return to their hometown.
“The Three Officials are directing those who die and are resurrected, who have not been laid in a coffin and lost their bodies. For them, there is shape and skin although their form is empty, their clothes remain but the form is gone, their hair sheds but the strands fly away, they have heads but are definitely dead, they are the ones who come out the other side. All of this is shijie.
“To perform shijie in daylight is best, to perform shijie at night is less good, but to perform shijie at dusk, you will live underground. This is the Dao of incorrect descent.
“The Lady’s cultivation of Dao was perhaps compelled by calamity and misfortune in life. As for those of bad form and dead qi, they seem to be talkative and defensive. These many kinds of negligence should not exist, they cause birds’ nests to be ruined and fall, a hundred wins to be lost in one defeat. Alas! Connect with the talents of a transcendent.
“How could there be these two upright masters who are devoted and yet are killed? Wisdom that is too contained injures one's nature, a heart desiring evil will be swayed from genuineness, isn’t it like guarding the original quiet center? Dwell there and study the Three Deities.
“Furthermore, connecting to the myriad of things and the grotto of mystery will become clear and still. Natural turbulence and clay balls become one. Inside and out will be equally fortuitous.
Genuine People devote themselves to one thing, they shoulder eternal sincerity. Their hearts return and are set straight, then their spirits and sincerity follow. This is the mark of the benefits of genuineness: the feeling of being in tune with one's truest self.
“Without assuming there are two boundaries, if a person’s internal world is angry and bound up, then the external will make obvious the appearance of their qi. I see the defeat of those who are like this, but not their success.
“The lower Dao of civil officials is to be Masters of the Underworld. The lower Dao of military officials is to be Ghost Generals of the Underworld. In the cultural underworld, you are separated from the world of the living for 104 years, but in the military underworld, you are there for twice as long.
“The minds of non-transcendents toil for sensory pleasures, but they also savor what is pure and upright. They are pure because they follow the ways of the ancestors. They fear death and hope to become transcendents. Many of them have military success, and their corpses are the very lowest.”
The Lady chanted a poem to the crowd of genuine people, saying:
Mysterious feelings and wondrous phenomena
Have a harmonious sound which beckons us;
The spirit clouds are lush morning and evening,
The orchid winds fan the green carriage.
Genuine People banquet on a jade platform,
Above them the song of the transcendents is remote from the soil.
This treasured time is a distant step
Therefore the tips of grain grow upwards.
Those eight play with ascetic writings,\
The start of achieving the Dao is not far.
Why participate in human affairs?
It causes your body and spirit to vanish.
The Lady had already traveled to Jiangnan, then in Fuzhou on Bingshan she set up a Quiet Room overlooking the Ru River. To the west she placed a temple.
After many years, these were overgrown with thorns and all traces were nearly gone. There was Daoshi Huang Linghui, who at the advanced age of eighty looked like a child;. she was known as Aunt Flower. She repaired and embellished the Lady’s temple, thanks to her effective hard work. The Lady showed herself to Aunt Flower in a dream, and afterwards Aunt Flower ascended to heaven.
A mysterious ancestor advised Daoshi Cai Wei to include these later biographies of transcendents in his big book. In the year of the great calendar (768CE) the Duke of Lu, Yan Zhenqing[11] greatly improved the repair and set up a stele to record these things.
Published in “Records of the Transcendents” and “Foundational Biographies”
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Schafer, Edward H. “The Restoration of the Shrine of Wei Hua-Ts’un at Lin-Ch’uan in the Eighth Century.” Journal of Oriental Studies 15, no. 124 (1977): 37.
Tsai, Julius N. “Reading the ‘Inner Biography of the Perfected Person of Purple Solarity’: Religion and Society in an Early Daoist Hagiography: Winner of the Royal Asiatic Society’s Professor Mary Boyce Award.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Third Series 18, no. 2 (2008): 193–220.
[1] Same character as Genuine Person
[2] The heavenly emperor
[3] Yu Liang (庾亮) (289– 14 340), styled Yuangui (元規)
[4] Wen Jiao (溫嶠) (288] – 329), styled Taizhen (太真)
[5] Tao Kan (陶侃) (259 – 30 July 334), styled Shixing (士行). He was the great-grandfather of the Jin Dynasty poet Tao Yuanming
[6] 晉成帝 Emperor Cheng of Jin (r 325-342) personal name 司馬衍 (Sima Yan) became emperor at age 4, had many regents, his reign does not seem to have been especially peaceful so this is a formulaic way of stating the date.
[7] Zhang Ling ( 張陵) (fl.142[]), courtesy name Fuhan ( 輔漢) founder of Celestial Masters School
[8] 祭酒(jijiu) a type of religious leader in the Celestial Masters School
[9] Probably refers to Tao Hongjing (456–536), who compiled and transcribed the Shangqing revelation texts from 490 to 499
[10] Zhang Liang (c. 251 BC – 189 BC), courtesy name Zifang (子房)
[11] Yan Zhenqing ( 顏真卿)( 709 – 784) Today perhaps best known for his calligraphy. The text of this stele survives into modern times; see Schafer 1977 for a partial translation.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-09-20 04:49 pm (UTC)I'm actually am really enjoying the TPGJ despite its weirdness! it's never boring! The problem with translating poetry for me is that it ought sound poetic, which I find intimating but for prose I can just aim for "basically readable" a less challenging goal.
Have you posted any of your TPGJ translations?
(no subject)
Date: 2024-09-20 04:54 pm (UTC)Most of my published translations have been poetry, actually. It's very weird.