Page 686 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TAOISM A-L

The commentary describes Li's practice as *zuodao ("left ways," a term often
applied to magic) and claims that the correct waidan methods are those of
the Taiqing tradition.
Fabrizio PREGADIO
ID Barrett 1987b; Campany 2002, 222-28; Needham 1976, 29-33; Pregadio
2006b, 29-32; Robinet 1984, I: II-I2 and 24-25

* fangs hi; waidan

Li Xiong

270-334

Li Xiong, the first emperor of the non-Chinese state of Cheng-Han nX: il
(303-47), was from a hereditary Taoist family and ruled his state by Taoist
precepts. Xiong's great-grandfather, Li Hu * m, was a local leader of the
Zong ~ ethnicity in northern Sichuan during the late second and early third
centuries. He converted to Taoism and led a group of 500 households to join
the Celestial Master (*Tianshi dao) kingdom of *Zhang Lu in the Hanzhong
?l r:p region (modern Sichuan / Shaanxi). When that state was conquered by
Cao Cao ~ 1:ik in 215, Li Hu and many of his coreligionists, Chinese and non-
Chinese, were transferred to the Gansu region, where they lived for the next
eighty years. Successive years of civil disorder, pestilence, and natural disasters
prompted Xiong's father, Li Te * *f, to lead a huge body of migrants back to
Sichuan at the beginning of the fourth century. In Sichuan, the migrants came
into conflict with the local authorities. After Li Te was captured and executed,
Li Xiong succeeded to power and eventually conquered the entire region of
modern Sichuan as well as parts of Shaanxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan.
Li Xiong was aided and advised by a local Taoist leader named *Fan Chang-
sheng, who provided economic support and man tic counsel. Li Xiong offered
the throne to Fan, who declined, citing prophecies that one surnamed Li was
destined to rule. Xiong acceded to the throne as first king, then emperor,
proclaiming his state to be Great Perfection (*Dacheng), after a passage from
the Shijing ~# *~ (Book of Odes) that had been linked to the establishment of
an age of Great Peace (*taiping). Fan was made Chancellor and given the title
Great Master of the Four Seasons, the Eight Nodes, and Heaven and Earth
(Sishi bajie tiandi taishi 12] 8# J\. W 72.:Jtg j;:. em), an appointment reminiscent of
both titles held by Laozi in texts like the *Laozi bianhua jing (Scripture of the