Page 610 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TAOISM A-L

site on the fifteenth of the first and fifth lunar months. Eighteen generations
of Xu's descendants, beginning with his nephew jian rm, are listed as *daoshi
(Taoist masters) who presided over Xiaodao at the abbey. By the year 627 the
temple compound appeared to have been abandoned. Tang Gaozong (r. 649-83)
is said to have ordered a revitalization of Xiaodao at the site. His decree is
incongruently dated to the third year of Yongchun, a reign period that merely
extended from the second lunar month of 682 to the twelfth lunar month of
683. The latest event recorded is a lively, well-attended huanglu dazhai ~ ~ *-
~ (Great Yellow Register Retreat) hosted at the abbey for three days in 8I9.
A variant account in theJingming zhongxiao quanshu, reflecting centuries of
hagiographic consensus, dates Xu Xun's ascent to 374. The subsequent found-
ing of a shrine is credited to local villagers led by Xu jian, identified here as
a grandnephew. Devotees allegedly divined their fortunes by drawing slips
from the set of oracular verse that Xu Xun left behind. The shrine's loss of its
following is dated to the time of Sui Yangdi (r. 604-I7). By the Yongchun reign
period (682-83), a Celestial Master named Hu Huichao X em M ![U] (?-703)
reportedly found the Youwei guan in ruins. Hu oversaw a restoration of the
abbey, where he established himself as a recipient of the jingming Lingbao
zhongxiao zhi dao ?J 8jj ~. }~, 4t z j]! (Pure and Bright Lingbao Way of
Loyalty and Filiality). With Tang Xuanzong (r. 7I2-s6) came a marked level of
imperial patronage. Reverence for Xu Xun's role as a guardian of the empire
reached new heights during the Northern Song. The current designation of
the abbey as the *Yulong wanshou gong (Palace of the Ten-thousand-fold Lon-
gevity of jade Beneficence) dates to a decree issued by Huizong (r. IlOO-II2S)
in III6.
The precise nature of the Xiaodao legacy celebrating Xu Xun at Xishan
remains unclear. A figure no less prominent than *Du Guangting (8S0-933)
observes that the Xiaodao pursued in that region from the jin to his own
time scarcely differed from the Lingbao heritage. The people of Yuzhang m
:!j[ (Jiangxi), according to Du, had for generations maintained a staunch level
of practice, with nothing outranking filiality in their esteem. He also declares
that those who were filial toward their parents would certainly be loyal toward
their ruler, just as orderly households inevitably led to repose in the empire
itself. These comments appear in the biography of Xu Xun's mentor Chen
Mu ~~flI: within the *Yongchengjixian lu (s.I6a-b).
Numerous scriptures transmitted during the Song and Yuan present instruc-
tion in the practice of jingming fa, the direct heir of Xiaodao. Of outstanding
interest is the single text in this vast body of literature bearing a dated preface.
Assistant Lecturer He Shouzheng M;;1' ~l of the Yizhen tan W~.±l§' (Altar of
Winged Transcendents) writes that disciples came to him with a flawed text,
requesting emendations and a preface, which he supplied in the year II3I.
The text is entitled Lingbao Jingming xinxiu jiulao shenyin fomo bifa ii!.?J Uyj