Page 675 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

LI CHUNFENG 633

Li Chunfeng
~ 4-}ll,.

ca_ 602-ca_ 670; haD: Huangguan zi jilt lEE 1'-
(Master of the Yellow Headgear)

Li Chunfeng's affiliation with Taoism probably sprang from the influence
of his father who, in frustration because he could not satisfy his ambition
for advancing to a higher office in the bureaucracy, resigned from his official
post as District Defender (wei bit) and became a Taoist priest during the Sui
dynasty_ Whatever the case, Chunfeng was widely read in all kinds of books,
but was particularly learned in astronomy, calendrical calculations, and Yin-
Yang lore_ In 627 or shortly thereafter he submitted a critique of the current
imperial calendar that was so well reasoned he received a post in the Office of
the Grand Astrologer (taishi ju :* Y.: fpJ), the central government's bureau of
astronomy and allied sciences_ He then made a suggestion for construction
of a new armillary sphere that Tang Taizong (r_ 626-49) accepted_ The device,
manufacture of which was completed in 633, was a radical innovation because
it had three nests of concentric rings instead of the usual two_ Afterward he
participated in the compilation of the chapters on astronomy, calendars, and
portents for the Jinshu (History of the Jin) and Suishu (History of the Sui)_ In
648 he became Director (ling ~) of the Office of the Grand Astrologer_ In
that capacity Taizong asked him to interpret a portent that predicted a female
ruler, Empress Wu (r_ 690-705), would assume the throne_ Li confirmed the
prognostication and added his own prophecy: the lady, who was already in
the emperor's harem, would usurp the throne in no more than thirty years
and would decimate the Tang royal clan_ In 656, Tang Gaozong (r_ 649-83)
commissioned him to participate in the annotation of two mathematical
works that became textbooks at capital schools_ In 662 he began a revision of
the Tang calendar, promulgated by the emperor in 664_ He died around 670
at the age of sixty-eight.
Li wrote an annotation to the Taishang chiwen dongshen sanlu :*..t 7}f, X {fo]
;t$ = ff}; (Highest Three Registers in Red Script of the Cavern of Spirit; CT
589), a work attributed to *Tao Hongjing_ Li's preface is dated the third lunar
month of 632_ The first of the registers (3a-8a) is based on the eight trigrams
(*bagua) of the *Yijing for each of which the text supplies a talisman_ Adepts
could wield it to sojourn in various spiritual realms during dreams_ The second
(8b-r6b) is an instrument for communicating with the spirits and contains
instructions on forming mudras_ It possesses the powers to hide one's shadow,