Han Xian-zi quan-z^uan

Han Xian-zi quan-z^uan

"The complete story of" (p. xv) Han Xian-zi

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pp. 420-435 – 29. "The Bear went over the Mountain; Mysterious Secrets"

pp. 421-422 exemplars : high government officials who resigned their offices

p.	*official*	*exemplary action*
421	Tao Qian	"was reluctant to bow to his superior."
	Fan Li	"went wandering among the five lakes."
	Z^an Zi-fan	"followed Master Red Pine."
422	Yan Zi-lin	"fished at Seven Mile Beach."
	Lu Gui-men	"packed up his brush holder and tea stove and went to roam the rivers and lakes."
	Marquis of East Mount	"abandoned fame and profit."

pp. 422-423 Daoist fisher-drum-player’s self-description

p. 422	"My home is in Zhongnan Mountains, Where I have a hut ... .
p. 423	The roof tiles covering it are the blue sky; ... The ten thousand phenomena ... all bow to the dipper; Sun and moon I carry on my shoulders. When I sleep, I turn over only very carefully, For fear I might push over Mount Buzhou."

pp. 421, 423-425 abandonment of office by Minister Lin; his requaest to become Daoist’s disciple, and submission to being instructed

p. 421	"Immediately he submitted his resignation and expressed his wish to return to Changli County. Fortunately Emperor Xianzong approved his resignation and allowed him to return to his native district via the official courier service."
p. 423	Upon encountering an itinerant Daoist, " "I have abandoned my honors of office like garbage, gold and silver like sand and mud," Minister Lin said. "I regard my body as stinking and rotten ... ." ... Lin followed him. As the crowd opened before them, they made a run for it. Members of Lin’s household pursued, but when they caught hold of him [by his sleeve], he ... cut off the sleeve, and kept running."
	"Minister Lin was originally Yunyangzi, who had been banished to earth. Now that Chonghezi had resumed his post, Yunyangzi also was to return to his position."
	"After bowing eight times ..., Minister Lin said, "... Please instruct me.""
p. 424	"Minister Lin ... sang : ... "... I love the life of the immortals, the clear loftiness of the golden palaces. The incense dissipates in precious seal script characters, ... dissolving in the Nine Empyreans ... ." ...
p. 425	From then on he cultivated himself at Zhuowei Grotto".

pp. 423-424 instruction to Minister Lin by Daoist

p.	*instruction*
423	"South and north accord with the Source through the inversion of the signs of the trigrams ... . At dawn and dust the Fire [cf. p. 432] Phases harmonize with the
424	Celestial Pivot. You must seal the Earth Cauldron firmly and let the flowing Pearl make a pair with it. ... In the Token for the Agreement of the Three it is said ["AChTA"], "The pneuma of li gives nourishment from the inside. ...""
	*When __*	*there is no need for __*
	"one is empty"	"a keen sense of hearing."
	"understanding meets mind"	"oral exchange of thought".
	"The Elixir Formula says, ‘The metal man was originally the eastern family’s son, but was sent to lodge with the western neighbor. Having been recognized, he is invited home to be nourished. He is then matched with a lovely maid, and they are brought together in intimacy.’ ...
	The aperture of the Mysterious Pass Was first joined in Former Heaven, When Metal and Wood invited each other.
	*Mercury of yin* can fly and travel; Lead of yang can submit and adjust.**
	Control the obstinate Monkey and the evil Horse; Don’t give them the least room to move. Let the mind be like stagnant water, And the emotions like the Nine Empyreans. ... Hold fast as you apply boiling heat, And you shall behold the radiance of the precious pearl."

"AChTA" = ISIS 18(1932):251 Tenney L. Davis : "An Ancient Chinese Treatise on Alchemy Entitled Ts>an T>ung Ch>i".

pp. 425-426 transportation, by "bear-man", of Han Qin to Mt. Z^ou-wei

p. 425

"when Han Qing climbed down from the tree ... suddenly he saw a bear-man. His whole face and body were covered with hair, and ... a pair of gleaming red eyes were visible ... . ... the bear-man broke out into bellowing and terrifying laughter. ... The creature ... threw him over his shoulder, and strode away across one of the mountains. ...

p. 426

Having traveled for several weeks, they saw in the distance a high mountain. ... Anyone who approached this mountain would feel his eyes going blurry and his heart beating wildly ... . ... But the bear-man, carrying Han Qing, scaled the mountain ... . ... When the woodcutters saw that he was carrying a man, they ... just sang a Daoist song. When Han Qing called ..., one of the woodcutters pulled him off the bear-man’s shoulder". That woodcutter recognized him as Han Qin; while Han Qin recognized the woodcutter as Z^an Qian.

pp. 428-429 transportation, by the same "bear-man", of Han Qin to C^an-an

p. 428	"The Perfected Man whispered some orders, and the bear-man carried Man Qing off again. He carried him straight to Chang-an, dropped him in front of the Tower of Five Phoenixes, and left. ... Emperor Xianzong summoned Han Qing and ... said ... "...
p. 429	We shall appoint you Erudite of the Five Classics"".

pp. 429-430 the seven sins of heterodoxy, with after-death punishment (inflicted on a woman) for each sin

p.	#	*heterodoxy*	*punishment for it*
429	1^st	"presents the heterodox as orthodox"	"she shall be reborn as a wolf for a hundred eons."
	2^nd	"transmits the orthodox methods to the wrong person"	"shall receive her punishment in the Hell of Iron Staffs."
	3^rd	"slights the methods"	"shall receive her punishment in the Hell of Incessant Tortures."
	4^th	"backslides ... and violates the prohibitions"	"shall receive her punishment in the Hell of Iron Weights."
429-30	5^th	(p. 429) "knows the orthodox, but practices the heterodox"	(p. 430) "shall receive her punishment in the Hell of Iron Bedsteads."
430	6^th	"maligns the scriptures and canons"	"shall be reborn as a limbless insect."
	7^th	"makes no diligent effort in advancing the orthodox method"	"will fall into hell."

pp. 431-432 instructions, by the Hemp Maiden, to Mme. Dou & to Lu-yin

p.	*instruction*
431	"You need to recognize your own origin. ... Cleanse yourself and let the Yellow Sprouts emerge from Earth. ... Open the Double Spinal Passes and traverse Kunlun".
	"the body is the habitation of spirit and pneuma."
	*if __*	*did not obtain __*		*__ would not come into being*
	form	spirit		pneuma
	spirit	pneuma		the essence
	"If spirit, pneuma and essence did not obtain form, the they could not be established. You must refine the form and make it return
432	to the unified pneuma. By refining the pneuma, in turn you will enter into emptiness and nonbeing."
	*the method for __*		*is __*
	men		"refining pneuma"
	women		"refining form"
	"By the strength of the well-protected Child, And the beauty of the following Maiden, Ask for and obtain the Yellow Matron as matchmaker. ... Toward the southwest pluck the young medicinal shoots. You need to adjust the Fire Phases, ... To nourish with warmth Mercury and Lead in the elixir stove."
	"Mercury and Lead in the elixir oven Can fly and are easily dissipated; The fire phases are extremely difficult to adjust, Even if you entice the Mind Monkey to behave itself, And guard against the arrogance of the Will Horse".

p. 434 attainments by the twain (Mme. Dou & Lu-yin)

"They knew how to circulate Firing Phases,

how to employ withdrawal and supplementation.

To retain Mercury within the Vermilion inside the Golden Tripod,

they first let the Silver within the water descend into the Jade Pond.

Thus they obtained a bright golden radiance that filled their bodies,

and the Millet-Rice Pearl was complete.

I was only because they had not yet been instructed in the proto-elixir that they could not fly up to the celestial realm."

pp. 434-435 final descent to earth of, and instruction by, master Lu:

p. 434	"Master Lu: said. "The great elixir is already completed. The only thing not yet fulfilled is the practice of the Nine Transmutations and Seven Cycles." ... Master Lu: sang, "...
p. 435	The one formula of the immortal pass is truly mysterious and marvelous. ... The cave in the white clouds is sealed, A feather submerges in the Weak Water, But with a light body you fly across and proceed to the immortality peach banquet. ... The flaming light by itself rises to the empyrean."

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pp. 436-447 – 30. "Musk-Deer is freed from Water-Prison; Han & Lin Families transcend the World"

p. 436 reward for completion of tally of merits

"When your merits exceed eight hundred,

And of hidden merit you have gathered three thousand,

You treat as equal others and self, intimates and enemies ... .

Tigers and rhinoceroses, knives and weapons cannot harm you,

And you can no more be dragged into the great house of Death.

Once the precious tally has descended, you go for a heavenly audience,

Securely riding in simurgh chariots and phoenix carriages."

pp. 437-438 how the musk-deer had become imprisoned underwater, as explained by Xian-zi; self-description of incarnation of Xian-zi as a human

p. 437

"In my previous life I was a white crane at Mount Pheasant Yoke. Through inhaling solar essences and lunar efflorescences, I lived to more than one hundred years of age. On this mountain there likewise lived a musk deer, who also cultivated and refined the pneumatic phases. ... One day, ... we happened to see the two masters Zhong and Lu: descend on a cloud. The musk deer and I changed our appearance into that of two itinerant Daoists and went to welcome them. ... the two masters had eyes of wisdom and had already recognized our true nature. Thereupon I ... honored them, requesting from them a golden elixir pill so that I might escape from my animal’s body.

... the musk deer ... burst our laughing and said, ‘... the scenery here by the river ... is superior to that of Elysium and the Jasper Pool I’d rather roam freely and be at ease here than ascend to Great Veil Heaven, where I’d be at the Jade Emperor’s beck and call.’ When Master Lu: heard these words he ... summoned Marshal Zhao of the Black Tiger and the Dark Altar and had him banish the musk deer to the bottom of the deep lake, where he was tied up securely and allowed no freedom to move."

p. 438

"The city god and earth gods of Changli Country memorialized the jade Emperor, who then issued a decree ordering the two masters to first send me ... to be reborn as a human."

pp. 438-440 liberation of the musk-deer

p. 438	"Forthwith Xiangzi faced southeast and recited something, whereupon a celestial general appeared to him. ... On his head he wore a dipper helmet, twinkling golden in the sunlight. In his hand he held a lance wrapped in silk ... . He was clothed in a finely meshed green coat of mail, a jade-adorned sash of pure white tied about his waist. Three eyes flashed firmly – no goblins could hide from them. Surely, ... he must have been the Marshal Ma who served the god Huaguang. Marshal Ma left and returned after a short time with the musk deer. Then he rose up in the air, took his leave, and departed."
p. 439	"Xiangzi called to the musk deer. ... "... I shall now promote you to great guardian spirit of this mountain. You will administer ... its grotto palace, and enjoy the people’s sacrifices. ... Just administer the mountain spirits and enjoy the meat sacrifices offered by the people. ... I shall come
p. 440	again to deliver you so that you may leave the world’s dust and reach the realm of immortals.""

p. 440 powers appropriated by the golden elixir; distinction in elixir-pills between the red and the white

"This golden elixir ... appropriates the	the creative powers of the ruler of Heaven and earth,
	the powers of the Great Ultimate before its division,
	the immeasurable powers of yin and yang,
	the powers of the union of fire and water,
	the powers of the mutual destruction cycle of the Five Phases,
	the powers by which all things are born and completed."
"Now I shall use" :	*__ pills*	*to deliver and transform __*
	2 red [fem.]	Mme. Dou & Lu-yin
	3 white [masc.]	Z^an Qian, Li Wan, & the musk-deer

p. 441 description by master Lu: to Mme. Dou & to Lu-yin about the praevious incarnations of themselves

"Master Lu: called to Mme. Dou, "Originally your were a Sagely Mother who entered the mortal world and became tainted by its splendors. ..."

He called again, this time to Luying .. . ... "Originally you were a Jade Maiden of the Lofty Empyrean," Master Lu: said. "When the Gate of Heaven was being closed, you stole a glance at the world below and subsequently sank down into it. ... return you perfected essence to the Gold Chamber, ... and you shall soon resume your original position."

pp. 442, 444 imperial decree

p. 442	"Immortals turn the balancing scales of creative transformation; they grasp the pivot of the universe. ... When Mercury is clear and gold radiant, then in the sky the moon will be bright and the stars shining. When Lead is encountered amid the emerging lesser water, all things in the human world can be refined. *By shaping themselves like the Dao that existed even before God {"the Ancestor", in Waley’s translation of the Tao-Te C^in* 4}, they will achieve agelessness in Later Heaven.**
	Han Xiang, you have been concerned solely with the Celestial Pass and the Axle of Earth."
	*By the method of _*	*(Han Xian) __*
pp. 442, 444	"obversion"	"moved the sixty-four hexagrams to the yin talisman."
p. 444	"reversion"	"gathered the twenty-four pneumata around the yang fire."
	"Circulating the essences of the seventy-two phases"	"gathered them into your chest."
	"Appropriating the 3,600 orthodox pneumata"	"circulated them in your womb." {!}
	"Your uncle Han Yu was originally the Attendant Great General, but was banished to the world of dust. ... Imitating gengshen and making up his deficiencies, he carefully achieved entry into the ranks of immortals."
	"Xiangzi’s father, Han Hui, and his mother, Mme. Zheng, planted roots of goodness over nine generations and accumulated hidden merit over three lifetimes. ... They will quickly ... ascend without hindrance to the celestial palaces.
	Yunyangzi Lin Gui has planted roots of wisdom in Heaven and had abandoned his official honors in the world of dust. As yin and yang are united, his corpse ghosts are all eradicated, water and fire are joined, and his soul and spirit excel.
	Zhang Qian and Li Wan ... shall be sent to Mount Zhouwei to cultivate themselves for a further two dozen years".

pp. 445-446 the 8 songs to the tune "Blue Sky Song"

p.	#	*song*
445	1^st	"The perfected immortals congregate at the Jasper pool. Singing to immortal tunes, simurghs and phoenixes descend. Simurghs and phoenixes fly down in pairs from the purple empyrean; *Immortal cranes dance together, while immortal lads are singing.*
	2^nd	Immortal lads are singing, singing of Great Peace, Having obtained a crane’s count of ten thousand years of longevity. Propitious clouds and auspicious light fill Heaven and Earth; *In their assembly the immortals speak of immortality.*
	3^rd	The deathless know the subtle and marvelous formulae, ... If one carelessly reveals this mysterious secret, *It will frighten people out of their wits.*
	4^th	*The tip of the tongue emits a fine jade-colored light,* *Dazzlingly illuminating the ten directions. ...*
446	5^th	*At a time of beautiful sunshine one gathers numinous sprouts ... . ...* *The Yellow Matron claps her hands in joy ... .*
	6^th	*... After a thousand years the numinous womb gives birth to a child,* *Who will ride on a white crane up to Heaven’s azure canopy.*
	7^th	The azure canopy is filled with vast pneuma; a high wind blows ... so that what turned right now turns left. ... *The immortals’ palaces of three realms all face toward the Jade Palace.*
	8^th	Along the golden stairways of the Jade Palace immortals are lined up; Immortality peaches are presented for the sumptuous banquet. ... You will enjoy eternal life without aging for a million years." *{cf. Kemian "House of Millions of Years" (PGPH* 189; MMY)}**

PGPH = http://www.specialtyinterests.net/harris.html

MMY = http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/institutions/mansion_of_millions_of_years.htm

p. 447 aphorisms [quoted from poe:m by Tan poe:t Bai- Ju-yi (TPCh, 97)]

"Aroused awareness depends on insight;

Delusion’s grip come from authority."

"Greed is the assembly place of pain;

Love is the base of the forest of sadness."

"Obstructions – one needs the lamp of wisdom to burn them away.

Demons – one must annihilate them with the knife of intelligence."

TPCh = Howard S. Levy (transl.) : Translations from Po Chu:-i’s Collected Works.

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Yang Erzeng (trans. by Philip Clart) : The Story of Han Xiangzi. U of WA Pr, Seattle, 2007.