Mythological Heroes 6--Comic Chinese Heroes

Author: Quan Yingsheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The Legend of Master Zhang Tian Shi
Zhang Tian Shi, the celestial master of the Taoist tradition, was originally named Zhang Ling and was from Feng, Pei County during the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the celestial realm, he holds the highest position among the "Four Great Celestial Masters." Legend has it that his mother, Liu Shi, once dreamed of a divine being placing a bundle of fragrant herbs into her arms, and soon after, she gave birth to Tao Ling. At the age of seven, Tao Ling could recite the Dao De Jing from memory. As he grew older, he became a well-read scholar, mastering astronomy, geography, classic texts, and the essence of the Five Classics. During the reign of Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, he traveled to He Ming Mountain in Sichuan to practice Taoism, seek immortals, and collect secret texts and divination classics. He composed twenty-four Taoist scriptures and used talismans and incantations to heal the sick. In the sixth year of the Yonghe era, he established the Taoist sect. New initiates were required to contribute five bushels of rice, earning the sect the name "Five Bushels of Rice Taoism." Tao Ling claimed the title "Zhengyi Tian Shi," and thus, his sect was named both "Tianshi Tao" and "Zhengyi Dao." His descendants have inherited his Taoist practices and the title "Zhang Tian Shi." At the age of 123, Zhang Dao Ling achieved immortality through a hundred-day ascension on Yuntai Peak of Qingcheng Mountain. During the Yongjia period of the Western Jin Dynasty (307-313 AD), the fourth-generation descendant, Zhang Sheng, moved from Hanzhong, Shaanxi, to Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi, citing the reasons "celestial stars aligning" and "earthly qi surging." Since then, Longhu Mountain has become the ancestral home and center of Taoist teachings for the Zhang family. Today, Longhu Mountain still preserves relics such as the Zhang Shun Law Practice Hall, the Alchemical Well, the Stove, and the Ascension Platform. The Tian Shi Cave on Qingcheng Mountain features a stone carving of Zhang Tian Shi from the Sui Dynasty. The local customs in Guan County celebrate the Tian Shi Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The story features battles between the Ghost King and Zhang Dao Ling on He Ming Mountain, with legends also placing the conflict on Qingcheng Mountain. The book also includes three other stories: The Southern Vermilion Bird, Sun Moon Lake, and The Stone of Mount Tai.