58. Zhong You 鐘繇, styled Yuanchang 元常, a famous calligrapher and Grand Tutor of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period.
59. Shixing 始興; its seat was southeast of modern Shaoguan 韶關, Guangdong. See Tan Qixiang, Zhongguo lishi dituji, 3. 58.
60. Zhuan 塼 was originally bo 搏, but the Zhonghua edition of TPGJ (320. 2539) changes it according to a Ming hand-copied edition.
61. Pengcheng, see footnote 22 in chapter 4.
62. Danyang 丹陽 County, modern Danyang, Jiangsu.
63. Anding Commandery centered around the modern city of Jingchuan 涇川 in Gansu. See Tan Qixiang, Zhongguo lishi dituji, 4. 55.
64. Shan 剡 County, see footnote 2 in chapter 1.
65. For Zhang Feng 張縫, TPGJ (323. 2559) reads Zhang Long 張隆.
66. Wu Commandery; its seat was in modern Suzhou, Jiangsu.
5
THE NETHERWORLD AND THIS WORLD
158. A NU
When Chen Zhongju (ca. 95–168) was lowly and humble,1 he often lodged at the home of his master, Huang Shen.2
One night, a baby was born to that family, but Zhongju did not know. Around the third watch at midnight, someone knocked on the door. After quite a while, someone replied from inside, “Inside my door there is a nobleman whom you cannot approach. It is more appropriate for you to come in through the back door.”
After a little while, the visitor returned to the front door, and the one from inside asked him, “What kind of baby did you see? What name? What age will she or he live until?”
The one who returned replied, “It is a boy, called A Nu, and he will live until the age of fifteen.”
The one inside asked again, “Why will he die [at such a young age]?”
The one who returned replied, “He will be building a house for someone. He will fall down and die.” Zhongju heard this and memorized it secretly.
Fifteen years later, Zhongju became the governor of Yuzhang Commandery.3 He sent an official to ask where the boy (A Nu) was. His family replied, “When he assisted your host in building a house, he fell down from it and died.”
Afterward, Zhongju became a great man of rank as expected.4
(GXSGC, #41. 363; TPGJ, 137. 984 & 316. 2502)
159. WANG ZHI
A native of Langye,5 surnamed Wang 王 and named Zhi 志,6 lived in Qiantang.7 His wife, from a Zhu family, died of illness during the ninth year of Taiyuan and left two children. Furthermore, Wang died of a sudden illness in the fourth month of the same year. Three days later, the area beneath his heart was still warm, and he awoke after seven days.
He said that right after his death, there were more than twenty men, all in black garments, who held life span records. After being questioned and recorded, he left and arrived at a building with a red door and white walls, resembling a palace. One official wore a red garment, white belt, black cap, and kerchief. The garments some officials wore were all connected with pearls and pieces of jade, differing from the garments of the human world.
He walked ahead farther and saw a large, tall man, whose bearing resembled a cloud. Wang kowtowed toward the official, saying to himself, My wife has already died, and my orphan children are still young; I don’t know what to do! Then he shed tears.
At this, the official’s countenance changed, and he said, “According to [the record of] your life span, you should have come here; but because of your orphans, I specially grant you three more years of time [to live in the human world].”
Wang said further, “Three years are not enough to keep my son alive.”
A man near him said, “How stupid, you vulgar dead! Three years here are thirty years in the mortal world.”
Then they sent him out.
After another thirty years, Wang died as expected.
(GXSGC, #124. 389; TPYL, 887. 3941; TPGJ, 383. 3050–51)
160. BORROWING A LIFE SPAN
During the period of the Taiyuan reign,8 a Daoist master came from afar and nobody knew where he was from. He said, “When one’s life should end but a living person is willing to die in his or her stead, then one can continue living. If one urges someone to replace him or her by force, it works for only a short while.” When people heard this, all considered his words false and absurd.
Brothers Wang, Ziyou (d. 388), and Zijing (344–388) lived in great harmony.9 When Zijing became terminally ill, Ziyou told the master, “My capability is not as good as my younger brother’s, and [the promotion of] my position is blocked. Please exchange my life span with my younger brother’s.”
The master replied, “The case in which a living person may replace the dying one is only if the living person’s life span still has time left, so that the time can be added to the life span of the dead. Yet now when your worthy younger brother’s life should be ending, your life span should be exhausted as well. Then, what are you going to use to replace his life span?”
Ziyou had previously had a carbuncle on his back. After Zijing became terminally ill, they were constantly forbidden to visit each other. When Ziyou heard that his brother had passed away, he stroked his heart with his hands in deep sorrow. He did not even utter a single sound; thereupon his carbuncle burst and broke.10
Thinking over the words of the master, they seem convincing and had a solid basis.
(GXSGC, #129. 391; footnote in “Shangshi” [Grieving for the departed] of SSXY, 17. 645)
161. CHEN LIANG REVIVES FROM DEATH
During the Taiyuan reign period (376–396) [of Jin], Chen Liang, a man of Beidi Commandery,11 was on good terms with Liu Shu, a native of the state of Pei.12 In addition, he did business with Li Yan, who was from the same commandery. Once, they gained a handsome profit and purchased some wine to drink together to celebrate. Consequently, Yan murdered Liang. He wrapped his corpse in reeds and threw it into the wild grass.
After ten days or so, Liang was revived and returned home. He said that when he died, he saw a man who wore a red kerchief and led him to the gate of a city. Under the gate there was a stand, and [by the stand] he saw an old man who held a red pen to check a record book.
The man who wore a red kerchief said, “Down below was a man by the name of Chen Liang. He is only a roaming soul, so there is no department that deals with his circumstance. It is for this reason that I brought him here.”
The man who checked the record book replied, “You may let him leave right away.”
After he came out of the gate, Liang suddenly saw his old friend Liu Shu. Liu said to him, “I never expected that we would meet in this place. Luckily, you have been released by an honorable deity now. In the mulberry tree that grows behind the side house of my home, there is a wild cat that frequently makes trouble, and my family has been excessively vexed by it. After you return, would you please speak to my family for me?”
Liang promised him.
After he regained consciousness, he went to the officials to bring a lawsuit against Li Yan, and Li pleaded guilty. Then Chen Liang specially told [Liu] Shu’s family what Shu had said.13
His family cried, saying, “All is like what he said.” Therefore, they cut down the tree, caught the wild cat, and killed it. The abnormality was finally gone.
(GXSGC, #131. 391–92; TPGJ, 378. 3010)
162. THE THUNDER GOD
In the first year of the Jingping reign (423–424) [of Song], a native of Qu’e died of an illness and met his father in heaven.14
His father said to him, “Your life span has exactly eight years left. When this period is up, you will be subject to guilt and punishment after death. I want to find you a proper job, but there is no vacant position except the Thunder God. I shall report [to the official] so as to let you fill the position.”
Right then he sent in a report, so his son was able to fill the position.
Being ordered to go east of the Liao River to give rain, his son rode on the dew carriage that contained water,15 spr
aying water from the east to the west. Before finishing the task, he again received a tally that transferred him west of Liao River.
Having finished the task, he met his father and bitterly requested to return, saying that he was unhappy to be in that position. His father sent him away; thus he was able to revive.
(GXSGC, #240. 422; TPGJ, 383. 3052–53)
163. XU YOU
Xu You (d. 204) dreamed of an official wearing black clothes.16 Holding a painted tablet with six official dispatches, the official in black kneeled down, saying, “You, the governor, will be the Lord of the Northern Dipper in the seventh month of the upcoming year.” Furthermore, there was another tablet with four official dispatches, stating, “Chen Kang will be the Recorder.”
After he awoke, by chance Chen Kang arrived, saying, “Today I come to visit.” Hearing this, Xu You felt even more terrified. He asked Kang the reason for the visit. Kang said, “I am a Daoist mentor. I should be no more than a local deity; now I have the position of Recorder under the Northern Dipper. I feel I do not deserve it.”
In the seventh month of the next year, both of them died on the same day.
(GXSGC, #204. 410–11; TPGJ, 276. 2176)
164. WANG JU
Wang Ju,17 the prefect of Hengyang,18 was going to be the Governor of Guangzhou.19
When Ju reached Changsha, he saw a man who was more than ten feet tall, wearing a white single-layered cotton shirt, holding a tablet, and yelling to his attendants on the bank, “Come to me!”
Ju examined the tablet; it was from Du Lingzhi. He entered the boat to speak with him, and they talked about their parting and gathering in the old days.
Ju asked, “You are a native of Jingzhao.20 When did you start your journey to come here?”
Du replied, “I set off this morning.”
Ju was surprised and asked him again.
Du said, “It is the Jingzhao in heaven, and I myself am a ghost. I was sent to see you, that’s all.”
Ju was terrified. Accordingly, Du asked for a brush and paper [to write], saying, “You must not know a single word from heaven.” Then he wrote on the paper, folded and rolled it, put it in a small box he got from Ju, sealed it, and handed it to Ju, saying, “Don’t open it now. When you arrived at Guangzhou, you can look at it.”
Ju stayed [at Guangzhou] for several months, and he became melancholic; then he opened the box and looked at the letter. It read, “This is the order to summon Wang Ju as Recorder of the Left Fate Controller.”
Ju felt terribly upset; accordingly he died of an illness.
(GXSGC, #219. 416; TPGJ, 322. 2554)
165. WANG WENDU SUMMONED TO BE A GHOST OFFICIAL
Wang Wendu (330–375) of the Jin garrisoned at Guangling.21 One day, he suddenly saw two attendants with swan-head style imperial tablets in their hands who came to summon him.
Greatly startled, Wang asked the attendants, “What type of official am I going to be?”
The attendants said, “General of the North and Governor of both Xuzhou and Yanzhou.”22
Wang said, “I have already been in such a position, why do you summon me again?”
The ghosts said, “That is in the world of humans. Now the positions you will take are official titles in heaven.”
Wang was frightened. Then he saw the welcoming officials in black clothes and numerous minor clerks in white garments. A short while later, Wang became sick and died.
(GXSGC, #157. 398; TPYL, 606. 2727b; FYZL, 56. 1692)
166. LIU QINGSONG
When Liu Qingsong of Guangling got up in the morning, he saw a man wearing an official’s garment. The man gave him a tablet, saying, “You are summoned to be the Governor of Lu Commandery.”23 After finishing his words he left, and did not return.
The next day, the man came again, saying, “You should assume your position immediately.”
Qingsong knew that he must die. He went home to tell his wife, deal with domestic affairs, and take a bath. In the late afternoon, he saw carts and horses with officials on both sides.
Qingsong suddenly died. His family all witnessed the cart rising into the sky. It went out southward for more than a hundred steps and gradually rose higher until it finally disappeared.
(GXSGC, #216. 415; TPGJ, 321. 2545)
167. JI QUESHI
Ji Weihan’s younger brother [within his clan] was called Queshi, and was previously the adjutant of Tan Daoji (d. 436).24 He had been ill, and he saw a man in red who came and bowed to him with hands clasped, saying, “I came especially to pick you up.”
In order to avoid the summons, Queshi offered the man handsome gifts and a sumptuous feast. The ghost said, “Moved by your welcome of boundless hospitality, I shall stop a little while for you.” Then he disappeared, and Queshi gradually recovered.
Later, during his mourning period for his parent, Queshi returned to Shouyang.25 Again he met the ghost, who said to him, “The envoy who comes to welcome you is arriving soon. You should dress up right now.”
Queshi pleaded, “Previously you showed mercy to me. Could you take pity on me again?”
The ghost replied, “The previous summons was just intended to enslave you; therefore I stopped it. Now the lord of Mount Tai has offered you the position of Recorder and furthermore, the envoy will arrive soon. There is no way to refuse anymore.”
At that moment they saw the carts and horses, with halberds displayed in front. Queshi pointed this out to his family, yet none of them could see.
After leaving a letter at home, Queshi summoned his relatives and friends to bid farewell. While talking and laughing, he suddenly passed away.
(GXSGC, #246. 424; TPGJ, 323. 2559–60)
168. OXEN EPIDEMIC
During the period of the Huan Xuan reign (402–404),26 when oxen were stricken by an epidemic, there was a man who ate the meat of a dead ox and thus became ill and died.
After he died, he saw someone who, holding a notebook, took him up to heaven. An honorable man asked, “What crime did this man commit?” The netherworld official replied, “This man committed the crime of eating the meat of a dead ox.”
The honorable man said, “Now we need oxen for transportation. Since they are not able [to do it],27 their meat is being taken as food by common people. Why kill him further?” [So the honorable man] urged him to allow the man to return [to the human world].
Having been revived, the man told the story in detail. Thereupon none of those who ate ox meat had any trouble.
(GXSGC, #116. 386; TPYL, 887. 3942a, 900. 3995a; TPGJ, 383. 3053)
169. GAN QING
During the Jin dynasty there was a man by the name of Gan Qing, who passed away without any illness.28 At that time the Magician Wu Meng told Qing’s son, “Marquis Gan’s life span is not yet exhausted. I’m requesting to prolong it,29 so you cannot encoffin his body and send it to the grave.”
Qing’s dead body lay in a quiet room, and only beneath his heart was still a bit warm. Qing lay there for seven days. It was just in midsummer and Qing’s body was about to decay;30 then Meng came at dawn and dashed water on him. Around noon, Qing awoke, and at once tried to speak. Before he uttered any words, all of his family felt grief as well as joy. Meng asked someone to spray water on him by mouth, and thereupon Qing got up. After vomiting several liters of rotten blood, he was gradually able to speak. After three days, he recovered his former condition.
He said that at the beginning he saw several dozen people coming, and he was tied up, shackled, and then brought to a prison. More than ten people in the same circumstances answered questions in turn. Before his turn arrived, he saw Master Wu, facing north, stating that he should be released. Thereupon the king ordered his men to take off his shackles and let him go back home. All the officials he saw welcomed Master Wu, and Wu greeted them as his fellows. It was not clear what deity he was.
(GXSGC, #72, 373; TPGJ, 378. 3009–10; TPYL, 887. 3942a)
170. SHAMAN SHU LI31
In Baqiu County there wa
s a shaman called Shu Li.32 He died of an illness in the first year of the Yongchang reign (322–323) of the Jin. The local earth god escorted him to Mount Tai.
The laymen usually addressed a shaman as Daoist. When they first passed by the Houses of Good Fortune in the netherworld,33 the local earth god asked the official, “What kind of place is this?” The official replied, “The Houses of Daoists.” The local earth god said, “This man is a Daoist.” Then he handed him over.
Li entered the gate. He saw hundreds and thousands of tile-roofed houses, all hung with bamboo curtains and naturally fitted with beds and couches.34 Men and women stayed separately. Some were chanting sutras, some were singing hymns, and some were eating leisurely. All of them were happy beyond expression.
Shu Li’s document and name reached the gate of Mount Tai, yet he himself did not. The local earth god was investigated and questioned.
The god said, “On the way here we saw several thousand tile-roofed houses. I asked the official, who said that they were for Daoists, and so I handed Li over.”
Thereupon a spirit was sent to bring him again.
At that time Shu Li had not yet finished looking over all the places when he saw a man with eight hands and four eyes. With gold pestles in his hands the man ran toward Shu, intending to crash into him. Terrified, Shu ran back out of the gate. The spirit was already waiting for him, and he caught Shu and brought him to Mount Tai.
The Governor of Mount Tai asked Shu, “When you were in the world of human beings, what did you do?”
Shu replied, “I served thirty-six thousand spirits, exorcised evil demons for people, and presided over temple sacrifices. Sometimes I slaughtered cows, calves, pigs, sheep, chickens, and ducks.”
Hidden and Visible Realms Page 18