Ma-Mingsheng
It is said that when Ma-Mingsheng
was young, he was hurt to dying
by the robbers and was saved
by a god's medicine. So he
left home to learn Taoism for
An-Qisheng.
An-Qisheng, a god in Taoist
history, enjoyed a very long
life, so was name one-thousand-year
man. He often traveled to sell
medicines and made friends with
Yingzheng, the first emperor
of Qin Dynasty. He gave his
Book of Taiqing Medicine to
Ma, and Ma went to Wudang Mountain
made medicines with his wife.
When his medicine was made,
he first took half and became
immortal god in the mortal world
and took his students to travel
all over the country; when he
then took the other half, he
became a god in Heaven.
Yin-Xi
Yin-Xi, a doctor
in 1067-1042 BC, was good at
astrology. Once when he was
watching the astronomical phenomenon,
he found a group of purple cloud
floating westward and predicted
that a profound Taoist would
pass through Hanguguan. In order
to make known with the Taoist,
he decided to become official
of Hanguguan. Later, actually
a profound Taoist, Laozi coming
near to Hanguguan in a green
ox, so he went to meet him with
his students and asked Laozi
teach him Taoism. Then Laozi
stayed here and wrote two books
to him, Book of Dao and Book
of De, which is the famous Book
of Virtue.
After he got the book, he pretended
to being ill and stopped being
the official and went to Wudang
Mountain to cultivate in a cliff,
Yin-Xi Cliff. When Laozi heard
this, he came to Wudang Mountain
in the green ox to visit Yin-Xi,
and the two started their traveling
without any more information.
Later, the mountain visited
by Laozi was named Green Goat
Mountain; the stream passed
by Laozi the Manger Stream.
Zhu-Geliang
Zhu-geliang,
a clever man in Three Kingdoms,
living in Wolong Valley, Longzhong,
Sichuang Province, read all
the famous persons' books in
the corner of planting in the
field. He was good at making
friends with famous men of letters
and modest to learn from others.
After learned from many famous
men and studied military books
and Taoism, he became a man
full of knowledge in Taoism,
politics, and military affairs.
After he became knowledgeable,
he was made prime minister of
Sichuang by Liu-Bei, one the
three emperors of the three
kingdoms, and demonstrated his
cleverness in many things, which
were recorded in many stories,
such as Three-Times Visiting
Grass-hut.
There were four schools of Taoists,
leaving the world, living in
the world, hiding in the world,
and ruling the world. Zhu-Geliang
was the example of living in
and ruling the world. In all
his life, he had learned many
things in Taoism, among which
were politics, military affairs,
astrology, calendar laws, and
medicines, magical arts, which
had played an important role
in his life with Liu-Bei.
Yao-Jian
Yao-Jian, born
in Sui Dynasty, was made Junzhou
official to govern Wudang area
by Li-Shiming, the second emperor
of Tang Dynasty, after he helped
the latter become emperor.
During the years between 627
and 648, there broke drought
and disaster of grasshopper
in China. Li ordered Yao-Jian
to pray for rain in Wudang Mountain.
Yao heard that there were five
dragons cultivating in Wudang
Mountain and that when asking
for rain in the year of drought,
there would be a heavy rain,
so he accept the order and succeeded
in praying for rain on Wudang
Mountain. Therefore, Li ordered
to build Five-dragon Temple
to worship the five dragons.
After succeeded in praying for
rain, Yao got tired of being
an official in government and
wanted to learn Taoism. When
he got permission, he took his
family to Five-dragon Temple
and then became god. Xuan Emperor
sent him to protect Wudang area
and save the country out of
the disaster of drought and
grasshopper several times, so
the government of Song Dynasty
ordered to build Mighty Temple
in the Purple Cloud Palace for
him.
Lv-Chunyang
Lv-Chunyang,
or, Lv-Dongbin, a famous Taoist
in Tang Dynasty, was one of
the eight immortals in legend.
According to the history, his
father, whose surname was Li,
was the offspring of the royal
family of Tang Dynasty; his
mother had surname Lv. Lv-Dongbin,
formerly named after his father,
and passed the imperial examination
to become Zhuang-yuan. But later
Wu-Zetian robbed the kingship
and cruelly persecuted the offsprings
of the royal family of Tang
Dynasty, so Lv-Dongbin changed
to name after his mother and
began hermit in deep mountains.
First, he cultivated in Hua
Mountain, in Shanxi Province,
and succeeded in gaining the
power of three elements (the
heaven, the earth, and the man).
Because he worked hard to help
humans, so Jade Emperor named
him God Zhuang-yuan, the founder
of religion. He often visited
Wudang Mountain and culitivated
there, so he was very familiar
with Taoist history. There is
a cliff named Dongbin Cliff,
where may be his place to cultivate.
Sun-Simiao
Sun-Simiao,
born in 581, lived 102 years.
According to the history, he
was born clever and could recite
more than one thousand poems
at the age of seven. When he
grew up, he specialized in the
theories of Laozi and Zhuangzi;
and then he cultivated in Changbai
Mountain, to research the knowledge
to rule the country and help
the man, being good at astrology,
calendar laws, magical arts,
and medicines.
He once cultivated in Lingxu
Cliff, in Five-dragon Hill,
Wudang Mountain. He had written
thirty kinds of books, such
as Medicine Book of One Thousand
Prescriptions, Book on Nutrition-Absorbing,
and Gist of Taiqing Medicines
and so that Taoist books, was
regarded as Chinese famous Taoist
philosopher, and Medicine Master.
In 682, after he had a bath
and fast, he sat there and died.
It is said that when the people
put him into the coffin, there
just clothes left, his body
had gone to become god.
Chen-Zhuan
Chen-Zhuan,
born in 871 and died in 989,
lived 118 years. He was very
clever and easy to learn any
thing, but could not passed
the imperial examination; so
lost hope in being an official
in the government and began
to visit scenic spots and places
of interest. Influenced by many
Taoists with whom he had made
friends, he began learn Taoism
and cultivated in Wudang Mountain
for 30 years. Taught Sleeping
Skill by the five dragons, he
created his own Sleeping Gongfu,
the first mystery in the world.
There were two Chinese characters
"Fortune" and "Longevity"
in the wall of South Cliff Hall,
the moral of his Sleeping Gongfu,
which were well protected. Five-dragon
Palace, Pavilion to Read Scriptures,
White Cloud Cliff, and Nine-room
Cliff were all his places to
cultivate. He had made great
success in the research of Taiji
Diagram, and greatly influenced
Song Dynasty, Taoism and Confucism.
He had written some important
books, such as, Discussion on
Mystery, Moral of the Three
Hills, Collections of Gaoyang,
Collections of Fishing Pool.
He died on July 22, 988. After
he died, his body kept warm
for seven days and there were
colorful clouds floating in
and outside his room for over
a month.
Zhang-Shixun
Zhang-Shixun
was born poor in Junzhou, at
foot of Wudang Mountain. When
he was reading in Taoist Children
Hall in Wudang Mountain, some
Taoists asked him to learn Taoism
from then, he didn't agree;
but kept on study Confucism
and became Prime Minister of
Kangxi Emperor in Qing Dynasty.
Later, influenced by Taoism
and Taoist's prediction, and
the evil conditions in the government
made him leave government for
Taoism. So he cultivated in
Wudang Mountain and succeeded
in becoming god.
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