Mythological Heroes 6

Author: Quan Yingsheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: "The Legend of Master Zhang Tian"
Master Zhang Tian, 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, dreamed of a divine being placing a bundle of Hengwu Incense 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 polymath, mastering astronomy, geography, classical texts, prophecies, and the essence of the Five Classics. During the reign of Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, he traveled to Hemei Mountain in Sichuan to practice Taoism, seek immortality, and collect secret texts and magical scriptures. He authored 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. Newcomers to the sect were required to pay five bushels of rice, earning it the name "Five Bushels of Rice Taoism." Tao Ling proclaimed himself the "Orthodox Celestial Master," and thus, his sect was named both "Tian Shi Dao" (Celestial Master Taoism) and "Zheng Yi Dao" (Orthodox One Taoism). Descendants of Tao Ling have inherited his Taoist practices and the title "Zhang Tian Shi" (Zhang Celestial Master) to this day. At the age of 123, Zhang Ling ascended to immortality in a hundred days 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." From then on, Longhu Mountain became 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 of Guanxian regard the fifth day of the fifth lunar month as the Tian Shi Festival. The story features the Ghost King leading his troops to battle Zhang Ling on Hemei Mountain, a legend said to have taken place on Qingcheng Mountain. The book also includes three other stories: "The Southern Vermilion Bird," "Jade Mountain Lake," and "The Stone of Mount Tai."