Page 763 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

LUO GONGYUAN 721

the self), wenyang irn. (incubation and nourishment of the embryo), tuotai
Jjftijs (deliverance of the embryo), and zhengdao ~lm: (verification of the re-
alization of the Dao). In the higher stages of the practice, the union of man
and woman is accomplished spiritually (shenjiao f$ :X:) in a way reminiscent
of the third stage in *U Daochun's system.
Although the Eastern School was most popular in ]iangxi and Zhejiang,
not much is known about Lu's direct disciples. *Fu]inquan, however, may be
included among the main proponents of this branch of neidan.

Farzeen BALDRIAN-HUSSEIN
m Uu Ts'un-yan 1965; Uu TS'un-yan 1968; Liu Ts'un-yan 1976a; Qing Xitai
1988-95, 4: 22-37; Qing Xitai 1994, I: 387; Yang Ming 1995
~ Fanghu waishi; neidan

Luo Gongyuan

~/~i!

fl. 712-13; also known as Luo Siyuan i\llL~,jj!

In his youth Luo Gongyuan was not very smart. After spending several years
on a mountain, he suddenly acquired an extraordinary vision that allowed
him to predict events without error. As a result the throne summoned him
to Chang'an. While in the capital, the heir apparent (later Tang Xuanzong, r.
712-56) convened a vegetarian feast that Luo attended. During the banquet,
Luo asked the heir for gold and silver vessels. The heir refused and sealed
them in a chamber. When he opened the room and looked in a short time
later, he discovered that all the vessels had disappeared. He then opened an
eastern chamber that had been previously sealed and found the lost items.
On two other occasions Luo made a horse and eating utensils disappear and
reappear in other places.
It is clear from this account that Luo was a clairvoyant and illusionist. Emi-
nent Taoists such as *Ye Fashan were also practitioners of magic. However,
this anecdote about Luo does not portray him as a Taoist. He assumes that
role first in a tale of the late eighth century in which Luo erects an altar and
wields talismans to do battle with the son-in-law of a former official. In the
end he vanquished the son-in-law who changes into an old fox. Many legends
about Luo emerged in the ninth century. He took Emperor Xuanzong on a
voyage to the moon where the emperor memorized the music for the "Melody
of the Rainbow Gown and Feathered Robe" CNishang yuyi qu" '?J. ¥:)j~ ;&