TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION

One of the most persistent themes in esoteric thought all over the world is the idea of a secret society surreptitiously superintending human affairs. Such a role has been suggested or suspected of various organizations, both real and imagined, throughout history. The Nine Unknowns of India, the Builders of Egypt, and the Druids of Europe have all been portrayed in this way at various times, as have later groups such as the Masons, Rosicrucians, and Illuminati. Where secular leadership assumed a cultic character, moreover, suspicions of occult connections also came to constitute a commonplace concern in the context of political, military, and economic interests.

Secret societies have played a powerful role in Chinese history, even to the point of organizing open revolt and assuming local functions of secular government. As elsewhere in the world, emperors and kings of all eras in China sought the support of such groups and the counsel and instruction of their masters and adepts. Some associations, to be sure, if not imaginary, have been so secret that their existence outside folklore is scarcely suspected, yet sources of special teaching over the ages, however obscure their actual origins, have undeniably produced many elevated minds and extraordinary personalities that diffused evolutionary ideas of advanced human capacities.

Alchemists, Mediums, and Magicians is a collection of sketches from Chinese history portraying more than one hundred of the remarkable individuals associated with exceptional knowledge, uncommon artistry, and spiritual leadership over a period of more than two millennia. Compiled under the title Mystic History by Zhang Tianyu, a Taoist priest in the fourteenth century, this collection introduces a broad range of personalities, professions, and pastimes of China’s esoteric elite, from the most illustrious to the utterly obscure. Among them are people who appear to the world as philosophers and scholars, strategists and statesmen, recluses and courtiers, magicians and mediums, philanthropists and educators, alchemists and physicians, seers and soothsayers, priests and paupers, artists and poets.

Alchemists, Mediums, and Magicians introduces an expansive view of the many faces of Taoism and its intimate connection with the core composition of Chinese culture and society. Particular attention is paid to the masters of the Taoist grotto governments that controlled entry into the cave systems where supernal powers were invoked and dangerous mystical exercises were carried out employing powerful consciousness-altering techniques, including sensory deprivation, incantation, visualization, and concentration.

These secret societies also projected themselves as representative organs of an esoteric government of ascended adepts commanded by an occult hierarchy of immortals, portrayed as realized people of the past who had disappeared but not died. A parallel political practice of imperial beatification, sanctification, and posthumous court appointment of such figures typically included formal appeals to them for divine intercession and assistance from on high.

Alchemists, Mediums, and Magicians features stories from the eleventh century B.C.E. to the thirteenth century C.E., following the course of orthodox dynastic history. Seeking to renew a unifying link between the esoteric and exoteric dimensions of traditional Chinese culture, in his introduction Zhang Tianyu invokes the father of Chinese historiography for a working definition of Taoism to outline the design of this collection:

The Grand Historian¹ wrote, Taoism has people’s vital spirit unified, acting appropriately without formality, sufficing all people. As for the practical methods, based on the universal order of yin and yang, taking what is good in Confucianism and Moism, distilling the essences of logic and law, they move with the times, change in response to the concrete, establish customs and carry on business in any way appropriate. The instructions are simple and easy to practice; little is done, but with much effect.

I have been inspired to reflect that there must have been such people, but their obscurity has prevented the assertion of the Grand Historian to gain credence in later ages. So I determined to search for them among the people of old. From Lao-tzu on down, I’ve drawn on their literature on the Way and on virtue and arranged them by categories, as it seems that I’ve found such people.

In ancient times, when Chuang-tzu set forth the arts of the Way all over the land, he honored Confucius but did not conform; now, emulating his intent, here I make an anthology on Lao-tzu without conformity, as the epitome of honor.

Yang Ziyun² said, Confucius was someone full of culture; Lao-tzu was someone full of mysticism. Accordingly, I have entitled this Mystic History. In reality, the origins of Taoism, the extensive and impressive precedents of realized people, are exemplary models for causing the world to flourish and for establishing education.³ The Grand Historian’s proposed definition is what I hope to emulate.

1. Sima Qian (ca. 145–90 B.C.E.), called the Grand Historian, was one of the most influential scholars of all time.

2. Yang Ziyun was Yang Xiong, a famous scholar of the Han dynasty.

3. This statement encapsulates the key concern of this collection. It is addressed to the dichotomization of esoteric and exoteric studies and means to say, in essence, that mysticism is not really antisocial, as it is often imagined to be.

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ZHOU DYNASTY

(traditionally, 1122–221 B.C.E.)

Taoist Virtue and Character

¹

OFFICER XI

Officer Xi was a grandee of Zhou. Adept at inner studies, he regularly consumed vital essences and practiced secret charity. None of the people of his time knew him.

When Lao-tzu traveled west,² Xi perceived his atmosphere in advance and knew a real human was going to pass through. Looking to stop him, he actually found Lao-tzu. Lao-tzu knew he was exceptional too, and wrote two works for him, on the Way and on virtue. Afterward he went into the Gobi Desert with Lao-tzu and ate black sesame seed. No one knows where he ended up.

Xi also wrote a book, in nine chapters, called Keeper of the Pass.³ Liu Xiang⁴ called it murky and inconsistent, vast and very free, yet with models to make people cool and light, not making people crazy. Chuang-tzu also cites Xi’s saying, It is in oneself without abiding, reveals itself in forming things; like water in movement, like a mirror in stillness, like an echo in response, so indistinct it is as if not there, so still it seems clear. Those who assimilate to it harmonize, those who attain it lead; it never precedes people but always follows people.

Xi is famed as one of the great real people of old. He was originally called Master Wenshi, Beginner of Culture.

OFFICER GUI

Officer Gui was styled Gongdu. He was a man of Taiyuan⁵ and a cousin of Master Wenshi. He studied widely in the Five Classics.⁶ He was particularly learned in astrology, and he transmitted a Taoist book of more than a hundred chapters. He regularly ingested polygonatum tonic.⁷

Before Wenshi met Lao-tzu at Box Canyon Pass, in the times of King Kang and King Zhao of Zhou [1090–1002 B.C.E.],⁸ he was living in a reed hut he had made on Mount Zhongnan;⁹ during the reign of King Mu (1001–946 B.C.E.) he rebuilt his reed hut and made it into a temple where he could lodge people who were imbued with the Way. Gongdu subsequently cultivated his practice there with the recluse Du Zhong;¹⁰ he attained the Way and became the Real Human of Great Harmony.

DU ZHONG

Du Zhong was styled Xuanyi. He was a man of Gaojing.¹¹ When he heard that Wenshi had ascended to truth in 1024 B.C.E.,¹² he went into seclusion in his spiritual abode and studied the Way. At that time five hermits and recluses came from far away.¹³ They all sank into silence, empty and aloof, correct and elegant, lofty and plain. Oblivious of all but the arts of the Way, together they projected an impeccable example. This is why King Mu built a temple and shrine for them, installing Du Zhong as the resident Taoist.¹⁴ When he was more than 120 years old he attained the Way and ascended.¹⁵ He is entitled the Real Human of the Absolute.

XIN QIAN

Xin Qian, also called Jiran, was a man from the Pu River region of Mallow Hill.¹⁶ His teacher was Lao-tzu. He studied widely and comprehended everything.

King Ping of Chu¹⁷ asked him, I hear you attained the Way from Lao-tzu; may I hear it?

He replied, The potency of the Way rectifies the crooked and brings order to chaos; for pure virtue to regenerate and the world to be at peace is essentially up to one person. So if you develop virtue you become king, while if you accumulate enmity you get annihilated. This is why Yao and Shun flourished; this is why Jie and Zhou perished.¹⁸

The king said, I respectfully hear your directions.

Later he traveled south to Wu and Yue, and Fan Li¹⁹ took him as his teacher. When Yue was going to attack Wu, Li admonished, I have heard from my teacher that weapons are instruments of ill omen and war is perversity. Conflict is pettiness. Secret plotting, perversity, inclination to use instruments of ill omen, risking life out of pettiness—this will never do. But Gou Jian²⁰ didn’t listen and was defeated at Fushu.

Later Jiran was appointed to the rank of superior grandee, but he didn’t accept it, instead going into seclusion in the mountains. He wrote a book in twelve scrolls, calling himself Wen-tzu.²¹ The language and doctrine are both based on Lao-tzu. Liu Zihou²² edited it to bring out the meaning more. One section says, Spirit is the font of intelligence; when spirit is pure, intelligence is clear. Intelligence is the capital of mind; when intelligence is impartial, the mind is even. It also says, Higher learning is heard by spirit, middle learning is heard by mind, lower learning is heard by ear. It also says, When people are highly ranked, watch what they recommend; when they are wealthy, watch what they want; when they are poor, watch what they’ll accept. It also says, Human nature wants peace, but indulgence in desires spoils this. This is but a sliver of Wen-tzu.

In the Tianbao era (742–755) Wen-tzu was entitled Real Human Penetrating the Mysteries, and his book was called Understanding the Mysteries: A Scripture on Reality.

LU TONG

Lu Tong was the madman of Chu called the Carriage Grabber. He liked nurturing life and would gather and eat radishes, fruits, and turnips. He traveled around to famous mountains, and people saw him for several hundred years.

When Confucius was going to Chu, the Carriage Grabber passed Confucius, saying, Oh phoenix, oh phoenix, how virtue has declined! Those who are gone cannot be admonished, those yet to come can still be pursued. Stop, stop! Those who participate in government now are in peril.

Confucius alighted, wanting to talk with him, but he ran away, so Confucius didn’t get to talk to him.²³

GENGSANG CHU

Gengsang Chu, a man of Chen, was an employee of Lao-tzu and had the best understanding of his Way. He lived in the Weilei Mountains.²⁴ He dismissed servants who were obviously bright and kept away from maids who were attentively kind, staying with the intractable and employing the unkempt.

After he had lived there for three years, the Weilei Mountains became very fertile and rich. Later he traveled to Wu and lived in seclusion on Bowl Peak in Piling.²⁵ That is the location of the ancient Temple of the Open Spirit. He wrote a book in nine chapters called Master Gengsang, also called The Master of the Hidden Storehouse.²⁶

The book was lost, but during the Kaiyuan era (713–741) of the Tang dynasty, Wang Bao presented that book to the throne. Because of that, Gengsang was entitled the Real Human of Open Spirituality, and his book was entitled Open Spirituality: A Scripture on Reality.

NANRONG CHU

Nanrong Chu met Lao-tzu. Lao-tzu said, Why did you come with such a crowd? Alarmed, Chu looked behind him. Lao-tzu said, You don’t know what I mean? Chu looked down, embarrassed. Then he looked up and said with a sigh, Now I have forgotten my answer, so I’ve lost my question.

Lao-tzu said, What do you mean?

He said, If I don’t know, people will say I’m ignorant. If I do know, instead I’ll be anxious for myself. To be inhumane hurts people, but to be humane means one worries about oneself instead. Injustice injures others, but to be just means one worries about oneself instead. How can I escape this?

Lao-tzu said, Can you embrace unity? Can you avoid losing it? Can you leave others alone and look for it in yourself? Can you be prompt, can you be simple? Can you be childlike? A small child moves without cognizing its doings, goes without knowing where, its body like a branch of a withered tree, its mind like dead ashes. If one is like this, fortune does not come, but neither does calamity. If there is no fortune or calamity, how can there be human trouble?

At first Chu took Master Gengsang as his teacher. That master said, I have little ability, not enough to teach you. Why don’t you go south to see Lao-tzu? So Chu saw Lao-tzu and requested permission to ask him questions on account of Master Gengsang.

OFFICER WEN

Master Yinwen studied the Way with Lao-tzu. He made a Flower Mountain hat²⁷ to express it himself. In his practice of the Way he didn’t bother with social conventions or put on appearances for people. He wished for the world to be at peace, to let the people live, with a sufficiency of nutrition for everyone, that’s all. Unashamed to be treated with contempt, he resolved people’s disputes for them. Forbidding aggression, laying down arms, he saved society from war. One who didn’t forget the world, he went all over the land this way, lecturing the rulers and educating the subjects. His book, in two chapters, is called Master Yinwen.²⁸

DUCHENG QI

Ducheng Qi was a reclusive gentleman of Zhou. He made a long journey to see Lao-tzu. He said, I’ve heard you’re a sage, so I didn’t mind coming from afar; I’d like to ask about self-cultivation.

Lao-tzu said, The Way does not end with the great, is not lost in the small. It is so vast there is nothing it does not contain, so deep it cannot be fathomed. Fully developed people find out the reality of things and are able to keep to the fundamental. Therefore they are beyond heaven and earth, detached from myriad things, so their spirits are never wearied.

Ducheng Qi had some attainment of this.

CUI JU

Cui Ju was a wise grandee of Zhou. He asked Lao-tzu, How is it possible to improve the human mind without governing the world?

Lao-tzu said, "You should be careful not to attract the human mind. The human mind presses down and pushes up, so above and below imprison and kill. It is hotter than fire, colder than ice, swifter than a glance, and circles beyond the four seas. It is profoundly still in repose, far-reaching and forward in action. Restless, arrogant, and unbridled—that’s the human mind!

"In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor²⁹ first attracted people’s hearts by humanity and justice. Handed over to the Three Kings,³⁰ the world got very upset. At this stage, the happy and the irate suspected each other, the ignorant and the educated cheated each other, the good and the bad repudiated each other, the false and the truthful reviled each other, and society degenerated. Great virtues disintegrated, and nature and life became dissociated. Everyone was eager for knowledge, and the peasants wanted to have everything. At this stage, axes and saws were used to dismember people, marking cords were used to strangle them, hammer and chisels were used to maim them. The whole world was a mess, and the fault was in attracting the human mind."

Lao-tzu was indignant at the degeneration of morals and took the opportunity of Cui Ju’s question to warn the world.

BO JU

Bo Ju was a chief minister of Zhou who learned from Lao-tzu. He traveled to Qi, where he saw a man who’d been executed. Doffing his court robe to cover the man, he cried to heaven, mourning him, saying, "Oh, man! The world is experiencing a great disaster; you alone are the first to leave it! It is said, ‘Don’t steal, don’t kill.’ Once glory and disgrace are defined, then you see objects of concern; once money and goods accumulate, then you see objects of contention. When people are exhausted physically, not allowed a moment’s rest, how could they not come to this?

"Rulers of ancient times attributed successes to the people while blaming failures on themselves; they attributed correctness to the people while attributing error to themselves. So if even one person lost his life, they’d withdraw and blame themselves. Now it is otherwise. They hide things so the ignorant don’t know; they create tremendous difficulties, then punish those who lack the daring; they impose tremendous responsibilities, then penalize those who can’t cope; they make the road long, then execute those who do not arrive.

When the people run out of savvy and strength, they use falsehood to go on. With each day producing so many falsehoods, how can the people choose not to contrive falsehood? For when their strength is insufficient, they contrive falsehood; when their knowledge is insufficient, they deceive; when they don’t have enough to live on, they steal. When robbery and theft are rampant, who can be blamed?

Many of Bo Ju’s sayings were gotten from Lao-tzu.

LIE YUKOU

Lie Yukou was a man of Zheng, a contemporary of Duke Xu of Zheng.³¹ His learning was derived from the Yellow Emperor and Lao-tzu. He lived in the game preserve of Zheng for forty years without anyone’s recognizing him.

He first attended the Master of Pot Hill; later he took Old Mr. Shang as his teacher and associated with Elder Ignorant Nobody. After nine years of progress on the Way of the two masters, he was able to ride the wind.

His disciple Yan Hui asked, Does anyone who asks about the Way strive for wealth?

Liezi said, Jie and Zhou just slighted the Way and valued profit; that is why they perished.

When Master Lie was destitute, his face had the look of hunger. A visitor told [Prime minister] Ziyang of Zheng about this and said, Lie Yukou is a man with the Way; if he lives in your domain yet is destitute, will you not be considered unappreciative of gentlemen? So Ziyang of Zheng had an officer send Lie Yukou some grain. Master Lie came out and met the courier, bowed twice, and refused the gift. The courier left, and Master Lie went back inside. His wife, watching this, beat her breast and said, I’ve heard that the wives and children of those who have the Way all enjoy ease and comfort. Now you’re showing signs of starvation and the lord sends you food to eat, but you don’t take it. It isn’t fate, is it?

Master Lie laughed and said to her, The lord doesn’t know me himself; he sent me grain on the word of another. Were he to punish me, that too would be on the word of another. That’s why I don’t accept. As it turned out, in fact the people attacked and killed Ziyang.³²

The book Master Lie wrote used to have twenty chapters, but Liu Xiang excised the redundancies, keeping eight chapters, which he labeled Taoist.³³

Taoists take hold of the essential and grasp the fundamental, pure and empty and uncontrived. The way they manage themselves emphasizes not being competitive, in accord with the Six Classics.³⁴

In the Kaiyuan era (713–741) of the Tang dynasty the book was entitled The Ultimate Virtue of Emptiness: A Scripture on Reality. In the Xuanhe era (1119–1125) of the Song dynasty, Liezi was entitled Lord of Reality Gazing on Wonders in Emptiness.

ZHUANG ZHOU

Zhuang Zhou was styled Zixin. In the time of King Hui of Liang,³⁵ he was keeper of the lacquer-tree garden of Meng.³⁶ In his studies there was nothing he did not look into, but his essential roots are in the sayings of Lao-tzu. Therefore his writings, comprising more than a hundred thousand words, are mostly allegories.

King Wei of Chu³⁷ heard he was wise and sent a courier with rich gifts to invite him, offering to make him a grand councillor. Zhou laughed and said to the courier, A thousand pieces of gold is a lot of money, and grand councillor is an important position. Are you the only one who hasn’t seen the sacrificial bulls at the rites dedicated to heaven and earth? They’re fed for four years, then draped with patterned embroidery and led into the great temple. At this moment they would prefer to be solitary pigs, but is that possible? Get out of here—don’t besmirch me! I’ll never take office in my life, so I can be happy.

Zhuang Zhou’s