KaukoBlogi in english

Ge Hong – The Alchemist of Immortality

Ge Hong (284–364) was a famous early Taoist master who, for his part, enriched the Taoist tradition from an entirely new and different perspective. He was a Fangshi by birth, a "master of methods", whose professional expertise included, among other things, alchemy, astrology, divination, the summoning of spirits, geomancy, healing, occultism, etc. He came from a southern aristocratic family that had passed down Fangshi methods, recipes and texts for generations. According to tradition, his ancestors had served as experts in magic at the court of Emperor Wu during the Han dynasty (141–86 BCE). Fangshi knowledge and expertise were traditionally transmitted in secrecy, concealed from outsiders and kept within the family, partly through oral tradition and partly in the form of vast family libraries. Ge Hong was the first to publish and disseminate the secret knowledge that had been passed down through his family. He is the earliest known and also the last representative of a complex southern Taoist tradition that had a profound influence on the later development of Taoism.

Ge Hong renounced his position as a high-ranking official to become a hermit, to unite with emptiness and to attain immortality. He regarded these two aspects of his nature – the aristocratic official and the religious hermit – as his outer and inner aspects, or as the branches and roots of the same truth. This is clearly reflected in his well-known and significant work, Baopuzi – 抱樸子.

Baopuzi is divided into two parts. The Taoist inner section – Neipian – deals with, among other things, techniques for attaining xian – 仙 immortality, Taoist alchemy, Fangshi methods and demonology, practices and rituals of exorcism and purification, instructions for the cultivation of the inner self, breathing techniques and Taoist philosophy. The Confucian-oriented outer section – Waipian – in turn deals with Chinese literature, Legalism, politics and society.

Perhaps Ge Hong's most significant contribution to Taoism, however, was the development of alchemical techniques and knowledge. In his book, he describes in considerable detail substances associated with alchemy, such as cinnabar, mercury and gold. The work also contains dietary advice, as well as instructions for meditation and sexual practice, exorcism and the use of protective talismans.

..."I [Hong] am an unrefined person; dull and stammering by nature. My physical appearance is not admirable to behold, nor am I sufficiently capable of boasting about myself and denying my faults. My hat and shoes are dirty; my garments are sometimes inferior and worn, or patched, but this does not trouble me. The styles of clothing change too quickly and too often anyway. At one moment, they are loose around the neck and the belt is wide; at another, they fit tightly and have large sleeves. In an instant, they become so long that they sweep the ground, or too short to cover even the legs. My intention has been to maintain consistency and not to follow the whims of the world. My speech is honest and sincere, and I rarely take part in joking. If I do not encounter the right person, I can spend an entire day in silence. Perhaps it is also for this reason that my neighbours call me simple, like uncarved wood, Bao Pu, which I have adopted as my byname."...

Emperor Taizong and the Forgotten Spirits

Emperor Taizong was walking in a dream through the outer garden of his palace, among beautiful flowers in the moonlight, when a dragon in human form bowed before him, weeping, and said, “Save me, O Your Majesty! Please, save me! I am the Dragon King of the Jing River. Because of a vain wager, I violated a heavenly decree, and now your Chief of Staff, Wei Zheng, has been ordered to execute me.” The Emperor comforted the dragon and said, “If it is indeed my subordinate Wei who has been appointed as your executioner, then surely I will be able to influence the matter. Go in peace.” The dragon was greatly delighted and, as he flew away, continued to thank the Emperor profusely.

Upon awakening, Taizong summoned his entire court, including all his ministers and officials. To his surprise, Wei Zheng was nowhere to be seen, and he ordered seven messengers to find him, even if they had to search every nook and cranny. After a relatively short time, the man they had been seeking stood before the Emperor, clearly frightened. He explained: “Last night, I stayed awake late studying the stars. I was just about to light the sacred incense when I heard the cry of a crane from the sky. My astonishment was great when, having descended beside me, it told me that it was a messenger of the Jade King and carried an order to execute the Dragon King of the Jing River tomorrow afternoon at half past one. Through the messenger, I sent my thanks to Heaven for the favour bestowed upon me. I fasted, washed myself, took up my Sword of Wisdom and cultivated my spirit in preparation for the task assigned to me by the decree. For this reason, I was not present at my place in the court when needed, and for this I bow deeply and ask forgiveness.”

The Emperor said that he would, of course, forgive him and asked Wei Zheng to come to his Golden Pavilion at noon to play the board game weiqi. He had decided to keep Wei close to him until the appointed time of execution had passed, so that the Dragon King would be saved. When Wei arrived, they enjoyed Black Dragon tea and discussed politics, as well as methods of maintaining peace throughout the empire. The Emperor ordered his wives to bring a large gaming table, and they began to play. The time was already approaching half past one when, unexpectedly, in the middle of their intense game, Wei Zheng began to nod off and actually slumped onto his side. The Emperor decided to let him doze for a while, understanding that he had endured a long and sleepless night. It was not long before Wei awoke with a start, bowed and said: “Your servant deserves ten thousand deaths. Before that, I hope Your Majesty will forgive my criminal discourtesy towards my ruler.” The Emperor told Wei that he need not worry, that he understood his subordinate's exhaustion and was ready to continue the game.

That evening, the Emperor felt somehow sorrowful, a feeling accompanied by disappointment and shame. With a restless mind, he finally went to bed, but sleep brought him no peace. Quite the opposite. During the night, he heard lamentations coming from the garden, as though someone were calling to him through tears. Reluctantly, he stepped out of his bedchamber and found the Dragon King of the Jing River beside the fountain, angry and sorrowful. “Look what became of your promise!” the dragon cried in anguish. “Your servant Wei executed me on the orders of the Jade King at half past one this afternoon, even though you said you would prevent it! I am going to Hell because you are too weak to keep your word!”

Shocked, Taizong awoke and ordered his chamber attendants to bring Wei Zheng to him immediately. When Wei arrived, the Emperor told him what he had seen in his dream. Wei was bewildered and said: “Yesterday, when I fell asleep during our game, I was summoned in a dream to the court of the Jade King, where I fulfilled the heavenly duty entrusted to me by the heavenly messenger: to execute the Dragon King. As soon as I had done so, I awoke.”

The Emperor understood that his scheme to save the dragon had proved insignificant in the face of the power of Heaven. Sorrowfully, he allowed Wei to return to his quarters and remained awake in silence until daybreak. The disappointment of his broken promise weighed upon his mind throughout the day. Without appetite and devoid of joy, he carried out his administrative duties and withdrew to his bed soon after evening fell.

In the early hours before dawn, when the boundaries between worlds are at their weakest, the Emperor awoke to terrifying sounds coming from a corner of his chamber, where restless figures seemed to be moving. “Ghosts! Ghosts!” he cried in terror, and the guards immediately rushed to the scene. The apparitions, however, had vanished. Nevertheless, the ruler ordered the men to remain in his chamber on guard for the rest of the night, although he himself could no longer sleep. This continued night after night, and the Emperor's health deteriorated rapidly, until nothing seemed to help anymore. The situation reached the point where the court physician advised the Emperor's first wife to begin preparations for his passing.

...To be continued.

Emperor Taizong Part II

...When all the necessary preparations for the Emperor had been completed, Wei Zheng still managed to reach Emperor Taizong's bedside. “Your Majesty, please take this letter with you. My good friend Cui Jue, after his death, became a judge in Fengdu, in the Magistracy of Birth and Death. He is like a brother to me and often visits me in my dreams. I am certain that he will be of great assistance to you in the world beyond.” Thanking his subordinate, Taizong accepted the letter and breathed his last breath.

On Earth, the Emperor's wives, court and subjects began their mourning, but his journey in the world beyond continued directly to the Watchtower of the Five Fenghuang Birds. In front of the tower, his imperial guards sat upon their horses. They invited the Emperor to join them on a hunting expedition, and he gladly accompanied them. But after only a short while, the horsemen had hurried out of sight, and Taizong found himself walking alone through a completely dry desert. Just as he was beginning to grow concerned, he saw a man shouting: “Ho there! Great Emperor of Tang, this way, this way!” When he reached the man, he asked: “Who are you? How do you know me, and why are you here?”

“Two weeks ago, I, your most humble servant, heard that the Dragon King of the Jing River had brought an accusation against Your Majesty in Senluo Palace because you had failed to keep your promise to prevent his execution. The King of the First Palace, Qinguang, immediately sent his devil messenger to Your Majesty's castle to summon you to appear when your case would be heard before the Three Authorities. When I heard this, I immediately set out to meet you, and I most humbly beg your forgiveness for having made you wait a little while. My name is Cui Jue, and I serve as a judge in Fengdu, deciding cases concerning birth and death.”

Emperor Taizong was greatly delighted to hear this. “Excellent!” he said. “How wonderful that I should meet you at this very moment! I have greetings for you from the world of the living, as well as a letter from your friend Wei Zheng. Here it is!” Upon receiving the letter, Cui Jue read it aloud: “Your Excellency and my venerable elder brother Cui, I remember our former friendship. I can still see and hear you as though you were alive, although many, many years have passed since I last had the privilege of receiving your pure teachings. Since I have had the great honour that you have not abandoned me and have appeared to me in dreams, I now know that my great elder brother has risen high in the ranks of the world below. But unfortunately, there is a great gulf between the worlds of darkness and light, and we cannot meet one another, for we are at opposite ends of our universe. Our Emperor Taizong has recently died of a sudden illness, and it seems likely that his case will be discussed among the Three Authorities. Thus, he will certainly meet you, my elder brother. I ask you to remember our friendship from the days when you were alive and to give His Majesty every assistance that might help him return to the sunlight. With affection, Your brother on Earth, Wei Zheng.”

Judge Cui was greatly pleased by the letter and assured the Emperor that he had no need to worry. He promised to arrange everything so that he himself could accompany the Emperor safely back to the world of the living and to his throne.

Cui Jue led the Emperor onward through the Devil Gate of the World of Darkness to Senluo Palace. There, Taizong's case was examined before the Three Authorities and the Ten Kings. The First King, Qinguang, clasped his hands together and asked Emperor Taizong to explain why the Dragon King of the Jing River had brought a complaint against him and why he had failed to keep his promise. The Emperor explained in great detail how he had met the dragon and promised to help him. He also described his scheme to invite the heavenly executioner to play weiqi with him so that he would not have time to carry out the beheading at the appointed hour, and how the scheme had failed, allowing Wei Zheng to carry out the execution after all.

After hearing the Emperor's explanation, the Kings bowed and said: “Even before the Dragon King was born, it was written in the Register of the South Pole Star that he would meet his end by execution at the hands of a minister. We have all known this for a long time, but because he brought an accusation against Your Majesty in this manner, we were obliged to summon you here to answer it. When the Three Authorities have completed their examination of the matter, we shall send the Dragon King to the Revolving Prayer Wheel for rebirth. We hope that Your Highness will accept our most humble apologies for having had to summon you here.”

After this, the Kings summoned Judge Cui before them and ordered him to consult the register to determine how many years Emperor Taizong still had left to live. While examining the records, Cui Jue noticed that Taizong was destined to die of a sudden illness in the thirteenth year of his reign. Quietly, he went to ask which year of his reign Taizong was currently in. Upon hearing that it was precisely the thirteenth year, Cui hurried to correct the register, changing the time of death to the thirty-third year of his reign. The First King told Taizong when his reign would come to an end and said that he would still have time to accomplish many great deeds during the years remaining to him. The King also told Taizong that there were no longer any obstacles to his return to Earth and that Cui Jue and Marshal Zhu would escort him to the Gate Between the Worlds. After expressing his thanks, Taizong asked the King what the future held for his family. The King told him that everything else was well, but that his younger sister would not live much longer.

When the court formalities had concluded, and before his departure, Emperor Taizong sat down to a ceremonial meal with the Kings. At the banquet table, he noticed that among the various melons and vegetables, there were no pumpkins at all. Being interested in good food, he asked the reason for this. The First King replied that, unfortunately, they could not grow pumpkins because they had no seeds in their stores to plant. Taizong promised that, as one of his first tasks upon returning, he would arrange for pumpkin seeds to be delivered to the gardeners of Senluo Palace. After these meals and conversations, the journey back began.

Taizong III

...Emperor Taizong's journey back to the world of the living began under the guidance of Judge Jue and Marshal Zhu, who carried the Soul-Guiding Banner. Their path led through numerous regions of the world beyond, where wrongdoers were punished in various ways. The most terrible of these was the Eighteen-Level Hell of the Black Mountain, where swindlers, perpetrators of violence, liars and murderers, among others, served sentences of varying lengths. The sight was so horrifying that the Emperor decided, upon returning to power, to improve the morals of his people and emphasise the importance of good deeds, even small ones. He understood that caring for and cultivating one's own body does not, by itself, lead to the highest good. Only the refinement of the spirit can ultimately help a person cross the sea of life, full of dangers and traps.

As the party passed through the City of the Unjustly Slain, Taizong once again felt icy terror freezing his blood. Spirits mutilated in various ways surrounded them on all sides, shouting: “Give us back our lives, give us back our lives!” The Emperor called upon Cui Jue for help, and Cui explained that these were the spirits of kings and warriors who had been unjustly killed, to whom no one had offered protection or prayers, and who therefore could not continue their journey towards a new birth. They had no hope left, but had to remain there in suffering, cold and hungry ghosts until the end of time.

Taizong felt deep compassion for the spirits. They had been rulers and warriors like himself, and could not possibly have deserved such unjust treatment for any reason. He straightened himself and proclaimed in a loud, carrying voice: “O spirits, listen! When I return to my throne, I shall arrange a Great Mass, in which, with the help of holy people, we shall surely find a way for all of you to be reborn and to leave this cold and suffering behind! This I swear! Now let us continue our journey, so that I may all the sooner fulfil the promise I have just made to you all.” Hearing this expression of concern, the spirits felt a small spark of hope awaken in their souls, and, muttering their obedient consent, withdrew enough for the travellers to continue their journey.

After some time they passed the Wheel of the Six Paths of Existence, whose task is to guide arriving souls onto the paths they deserve. The just, the faithful and those who had done good deeds each went their own way, just as did those whose mouths were like the Buddha's mouth but whose hearts were full of hatred and lies. This brought to the Emperor's mind an old piece of wisdom, which goes something like this:

Excellent, truly excellent!

No harm befalls the virtuous

A good heart is always aware

The path of goodness is always open

Do not allow evil thoughts to arise, and you will avoid later difficulties

Do not say there are no consequences! God or ghost; everything is chosen!

The Judge escorted the Emperor all the way to the Gate of the Path of Rebirth and Honour, where he stopped and said: “Your Majesty, this is your way back, and here I must turn around. Please remember that the people you lead cannot attain peace as long as beneath them there are mistreated and vengeful ghosts. Your Highness must absolutely fulfil your promise and arrange the Great Mass, so that you can help the forgotten spirits find rebirth. Every wrong must be put right, and people must be taught goodness. That is the only path to the happiness and safety of your people.” The Emperor thanked his escort and swore to keep his promise. The journey now continued under the guidance of Marshal Zhu.

When they came to the bank of the Wei River, Taizong noticed two large golden carp swimming in the river. He stopped to watch them and could not move at all, although Marshal Zhu urged him on insistently. Finally, the Marshal yanked the Emperor by the leg so that he fell headfirst into the river. This removed the enchantment, broke the boundary between the worlds, and suddenly Emperor Taizong was once again among the living.

In the White Tiger Hall of the Imperial Palace, a large number of people had gathered, each according to their duties. Generals, ministers, wives, ladies-in-waiting and so on were positively swarming around the Emperor's coffin. There was lively discussion about whether the Emperor's death should be announced to the people so that his descendants could be prepared to ascend the throne. Minister and Chief of Staff Wei Zheng took the floor and said: “Do not even think of announcing it to the people! If the matter were made public, anything might happen in the country, and in any case, by tomorrow at the latest, the Emperor will be back among the living. I know that I am speaking to some sceptical ears right now, but to tell the truth, I have received advanced instruction in magic since I was very young, and my predictions are always completely accurate. I can guarantee that through my actions I have already saved the Emperor from death!”

As the discussion continued, loud shouting suddenly began to come from the coffin: “You are drowning me, you are drowning me!” Everyone was terrified! Ladies-in-waiting fainted all around the hall and lay fallen like lotus flowers dropped onto the surface of a pond; those who remained conscious ran away as fast as they could, and even the roughest generals' faces turned a shade paler. Wei Zheng knew what was happening and ordered tools to be brought to open the coffin. In the opened coffin, the Emperor sat up, still insisting that someone was trying to drown him. Gradually his confusion faded, and he was able to explain why he had thought he was drowning: the transition from the world beyond to this world had been so imperceptible. Three days and nights had passed since his apparent death.

One day, when the activities of the court had already returned to normal and news of the Emperor's incredible journey had become known throughout the country, a well-to-do landowner named Liu Quan came to an audience with the Emperor. He told his story: Liu's wife, Li Cuilian, had taken a golden hairpin from her hair to give it as a donation to a monk who had been reading a sutra at their gate. Liu Quan had become far too angry about this and had angrily scolded his wife for doing nothing but wandering about and not knowing how to stay at home. Li Cuilian, in turn, became so distressed that she ended her life, leaving her husband with two small children who did nothing but cry for their mother day and night. This had driven the man to the brink of such despair that he did not believe he could endure any more, and he too began seriously considering ending his own life. Having heard of his Emperor's promise in the world beyond, he now offered to undertake the task and promised to carry the pumpkins with him when he went to his death. He was therefore taken to the Golden Pavilion, where he was given two pumpkins full of seeds, some gold in his sleeve, and a glass of poison, which he drank, and died.

In that same fleeting instant, his soul appeared at the Devil Gate, whose guardian asked who he was and what business brought him there. Liu Quan replied that he had come to fulfil his Emperor's promise to the Ten Kings of Hell and showed the guardian the pumpkins he had brought with him. Liu was immediately led before the Ten Kings in Senluo Palace, where he gave his account and also conveyed the Emperor's thanks for the treatment he had received among the Kings. The Ten Kings competed in praising Emperor Taizong for being a ruler who stood by his word, and received the pumpkins with satisfaction. The Kings wanted to know who the bearer of the pumpkins was and where he came from. Liu gave his name and said that he was an estate owner from the city of Junzhou. He told how, in his anger, he had scolded his wife too harshly and how this had begun the chain of events that had now brought him here to fulfil his ruler's promise and convey the Emperor's thanks for the mercy shown to him.

Liu Quan's story moved the Kings, and they ordered their subordinates to find Li Cuilian. The messengers did as they were commanded, soon found her, and brought her to the palace to reunite the couple. The Kings ordered the Register of Birth and Death to be checked, and it revealed that both of them were destined to become immortals in the future. The Kings therefore ordered their devil officials to take them back to Earth. One devil official, however, noticed that there was a problem ahead. Li Cuilian had been dead for so long that her body could no longer be used, and they had nowhere to attach Li's soul. The First King replied: “When Emperor Taizong visited here, he asked about the future well-being of his family. I replied that everyone was well, except that his younger sister, Li Yuying, would soon die. In fact, it has been decreed by fate that her days will end today. So we can surely borrow her body and attach Cuilian's soul to it.”

Having received these instructions, the devil officials escorted Liu Quan and his wife out of the underworld to bring them back to life.