Ge Xuan
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Ge Xuan (164–244),
courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
Xiaoxian, was a Chinese
Taoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...
practitioner who lived in the
Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
(25–220) and
Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
period (220–280) of China. He was the ancestor of
Ge Hong Ge Hong (; b. 283 – d. 343 or 364), courtesy name Zhichuan (稚川), was a Chinese linguist, Taoist practitioner, philosopher, physician, politician, and writer during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He was the author of '' Essays on Chinese Characte ...
and a resident of Danyang Commandery in the state of
Eastern Wu Wu ( Chinese: 吳; pinyin: ''Wú''; Middle Chinese *''ŋuo'' < : ''*ŋuɑ''), known in h ...
during the Three Kingdoms period. Ge Xuan's paternal grandnephew,
Ge Hong Ge Hong (; b. 283 – d. 343 or 364), courtesy name Zhichuan (稚川), was a Chinese linguist, Taoist practitioner, philosopher, physician, politician, and writer during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He was the author of '' Essays on Chinese Characte ...
, gave him the title "Ge Xuan Gong", which translates into "Immortal Lord" or "Transcendent Duke". Ge Hong wrote at length about his great uncle and claimed that some alchemical texts from the '' Baopuzi'' originally came from him. Ge Xuan is also portrayed by his descendant
Ge Chaofu Ge Chaofu () is a member of the Chinese Ge family who lived during the 4th and 5th centuries CE. He is best known for writing the Taoist scripture known as ''The Five Talismans'' (''Wufujing'') which forms the basis of the beliefs of the Lingbao Sc ...
as having been the first recipient of the Lingbao sacred scriptures. He is remembered as a mythological member of the Chinese Ge family and a prominent figure in the development of early
Taoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
.


Early life

Ge Xuan was a legendary figure who was associated with various Taoist traditions. He belonged to a family of great official status and was considered intelligent since birth. During his early childhood, Ge Xuan was depicted as an inquisitive learner as he read several books, such as the
Confucian classics Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucian ...
(and commentaries) plus numerous other philosophical and historical records. Due to his keen fascination for the philosophies of Laozi and
Zhuangzi Zhuangzi may refer to: * ''Zhuangzi'' (book) (莊子), an ancient Chinese collection of anecdotes and fables, one of the foundational texts of Daoism **Zhuang Zhou Zhuang Zhou (), commonly known as Zhuangzi (; ; literally "Master Zhuang"; als ...
, he attained a great deal of spiritual wisdom about how the Dao worked in daily life. Consequently, at age 16, Ge Xuan obtained great fame on the northern banks of the
Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
River. Ge Xuan's parents died while he was an adolescent. In effect, this initiated his obsession with the study of the Dao and the ways in which life works. Ge Xuan's pursuits led him to live in utter isolation in areas such as mountains and forests. This secluded environment allowed Ge Xuan to strictly discipline himself mentally, spiritually, and physically. The Dao requires intense discipline for its followers because the focal purpose is to achieve longevity or, even better, immortality. Ge Xuan visited places like Lingyue Mountain, Chicheng Mountain, and Luofu Mountain. Furthermore, he also visited extraordinary individuals, ate '' Ganoderma lucidum'' (a type of mushroom), setose thistle ('' Cirsium setosum''), and relentlessly tried to engross himself in self-cultivation. Upon encountering the Immortal
Zuo Ci Zuo Ci (), courtesy name Yuanfang, was a legendary personage of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period (20 BC–280 AD) of China. Though he is known to be from Lujiang Commandery (盧江郡; around present-day Lu'an, Anhui), ...
, Ge Xuan obtained various mythological scriptures such as the ''Immortals' Book of Liquefied Gold of the Nine Elixirs''. When he received this scripture, Ge Xuan incessantly practiced the art of fasting and abided the commandments that were laid down by the
Ultimate Ultimate or Ultimates may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Ultimate'' (Jolin Tsai album) * ''Ultimate'' (Pet Shop Boys album) *''Ultimate!'', an album by The Yardbirds *''The Ultimate (Bryan Adams Album)'', a compilatio ...
. This subservience enabled him to meander through mountains and seas, thereby constructing many selves and altering forms. The spiritual capability of ''
ling Ling may refer to: Fictional characters * Ling, an ally of James Bond's from the film ''You Only Live Twice'' * Ling, a character in the ''Mulan'' franchise * Ling, a playable character from the mobile game '' Mobile Legends: Bang Bang'' * Ling ...
'' () also assisted Ge Xuan to implement exorcisms and restore the ill. This marked the start of his professional career, in which he tried ailing the sick by offering magical potions that ultimately resulted in immortality. This pleased the gods, which allowed Zuo Ci, the 'Perfect Man of the Ultimate', to descend to the
Tiantai Mountain Tiantai Mountain (also Tí Taî in the local language) is a mountain in Tiantai County, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Its highest peak, Huading, reaches a height of . The mountain was made a national park on 1 August 1988. One of nine ...
and pass on more scriptures; namely the '' Numinous Treasure'' (36 volumes).


Professional career

Ge Xuan's grandnephew Ge Hong, a renowned alchemist who wrote the '' Baopuzi'', also wrote a thorough biography about Ge Xuan in the ''Biographies of Divine Immortals'' ('' Shenxian Zhuan''). In this biography, Ge Hong states that Ge Xuan was summoned to the court of the
Eastern Wu Wu ( Chinese: 吳; pinyin: ''Wú''; Middle Chinese *''ŋuo'' < : ''*ŋuɑ''), known in h ...
ruler,
Sun Quan Sun Quan (, Chinese: 孫權) (183 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of the Eastern Wu dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime es ...
. However, a flotilla of boats capsized causing numerous deaths. Many presumed that Ge Xuan was one of the casualties, but Ge Xuan miraculously returned a few days later, apologizing for not being present. Ge Xuan excused himself by claiming he had been detained by the water deity,
Wu Zixu :''Note: names are in simplified characters followed by traditional and Pinyin transliteration.'' Wu Yun (died 484 BC), better known by his courtesy name Zixu, was a Chinese military general and politician of the Wu kingdom in the Spring and Aut ...
. Ge Xuan was able to stay submerged by holding his breath for a lengthy period of time due to a mastery of " embryonic breathing" ( ) and his legendary faculty to manipulate the wind, the rain, and the rivers. Many
Mahayana Buddhist ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing br ...
s deem Ge Xuan to be one of Daoism's founders, along with
Zhang Daoling Zhang Ling (; traditionally 34–156), courtesy name Fuhan (), was a Chinese religious leader who lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty credited with founding the Way of the Celestial Masters sect of Taoism, which is also known as the Way of the F ...
. Ge Hong stated that Ge Xuan was a member of the lineage of alchemical texts, including ''Scripture of Great Clarity'' (''Taiqing Jing''), ''Scripture of the Nine Elixirs'' (''Jiudan Jing''), and ''Scripture of the Golden Fluid'' (''Jinye Jing''), which he transmitted to Ge Hong, although Ge Xuan did not concoct any elixirs himself. According to Ge Chaofu, Ge Hong's grandnephew, Ge Xuan was also the person who received the Lingbao scriptures directly from the deities. Ge Xuan's descendants gave him the title of the "Transcendent Duke of the Left of the Great Ultimate" () because of his beliefs. Ge Xuan remained an imperative figure in Daoism until the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, receiving many posthumous titles bestowed upon him by the emperor.


Retirement

Ge Xuan became a distinctive "Master of Esoterica", excelling at breathing exercises. These exercises were dependent on a particular diet that avoided consuming grains and alcohol. There are numerable unearthly tales in the hagiographical life of Ge Xuan. The most common legends include his supernatural gifts. For example, Ge Xuan could replace his body. Often during his hosted parties, he would talk with some of his guests and welcome or send others off at the same time. Ge Xuan also purportedly had the gift of
telekinesis Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
. He could point at an object and cause it to move or disappear and even cause unseen objects to appear. At one particular party, the drinking cups arrived and filled themselves with liquor. Additionally, Ge Xuan had the talent to hover three or four feet above ground and saunter in the air. In later life, one of Ge Xuan's responsibilities was to regale the Emperor. When he grew tired of this, Ge Xuan informed his disciple Zhang Gong that he was arranging to leave the mortal world at noon on August 11. Ge Xuan primed himself for transcendence by dressing up in his finest clothing and laying down on his bed. After some time, Zhang Gong saw that his master still had color on his face, but was no longer breathing. Over the next three days and nights, Zhang Gong proceeded with the vital after-death rituals. However, at midnight on the third night, a mighty wind blew through Ge Xuan's room and snuffed out the candles. When the candles were relit, Ge Xuan's human body had disappeared leaving only his clothes with the waistband still tied around them. The next day, it was discovered that the mighty wind had only blown through Ge Xuan's room and not through any of the neighboring houses.


Literary contributions


Classic of Purity

One of Ge Xuan's literary contributions was the ''Classic of Purity'' (''Qingjing Jing''), in which he wrote that "the Inner Spirit of people loves purity, but the mind of people is often rebellious". The reason why people do not possess the competence to achieve this is because their minds are not clear and their desires are unrestrained. Ge Xuan wrote that desires are what bind individuals to become selfish and dishonest. Furthermore, he also wrote that our mind creates illusions which make us suffer throughout life. Ge Xuan stated that if we want to gain control of ourselves, we must first control our wandering mind.


Other texts

The Immortal Lord Ge Xuan received texts from
Zuo Yuanfang Zuo Ci (), courtesy name Yuanfang, was a legendary personage of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period (20 BC–280 AD) of China. Though he is known to be from Lujiang Commandery (盧江郡; around present-day Lu'an, Anhui) ...
, who himself received them from a divine man that came to him while he was devoting himself to the practices of the purification of thought ( ) on Mount Tianzhu. Then Ge Xuan passed the ''Book of The Nine Elixirs'' to his great-nephew Ge Hong. The Lingbao account for Ge Xuan endured, in which an anonymous preface written during the
Six Dynasties Six Dynasties (; 220–589 or 222–589) is a collective term for six Han-ruled Chinese dynasties that existed from the early 3rd century AD to the late 6th century AD. The Six Dynasties period overlapped with the era of the Sixteen Kingdoms, ...
' period to the
Heshang Gong Heshang Gong (also Ho-Shang Kung) is the reputed author of one of the earliest commentaries on the ''Tao Te Ching'' of Laozi to survive to modern times, which is dated to the latter part of the Han dynasty.Alan K. L. Chan, "Two Visions of the Way ...
annotated version of the ''
Dao De Jing The ''Tao Te Ching'' (, ; ) is a Chinese classic text written around 400 BC and traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion da ...
'', the "Preface and Secret Instructions" are attributed to him.
/ref> According to the ''Biography of Transcendent Duke Ge of the Great Ultimate'', composed by Zhu Chuo in 1377, almost all revealed literature in early Daoism might be retraced to Ge Xuan. However, Ge Xuan was thought to have become immortal after his body vanished. Ge Xuan was recognized as the true Supreme Immortal when his scripts were passed on to his great-nephew Ge Hong. Although Ge Hong began composing the ''Classic of the Sacred Jewel'' (''Lingbao Jing'') in about 379 CE, he claimed that they had been first revealed to his own ancestor, Ge Xuan. Ge Xuan wrote a book in which his notions are uncovered. Furthermore, in Daoism, Ge Xuan is called "the Perfect Sovereign and Protector" in correspondence with the eternal Dao. In addition, common individuals address him as the "Immortal Elder Ge of the Supreme Ultimate". Ge Hong alleged the ''Classic of the Sacred Jewel'' (''Lingbao Jing'') at about . Ge Xuan's scripts were given recognition because of his nephew's success in writing.


Overall significance

Ge Xuan's significance can be directly attributed to the Lingbao school, which was founded by Ge Chaofu, the grand nephew of Ge Hong. While this school contained dissolved teachings, which were handed down to Ge Hong and in turn to Ge Chaofu, both of these figures are important in the history of Daoism today. Ge Xuan's life was dedicated to reading and following the various scriptures handed to him from various spirits after his parents passed when he was 16. Ge Xuan is known for many other feats, as he was an accomplished alchemist. He had many gifts such as mind control, the power to levitate, heal the sick, and also the ability to exorcize evil spirits. Ge Xuan would occasionally use these gifts to entertain at various social events. Throughout history he received many names and titles, often denoting his beliefs or skill-sets. Ge Xuan finally achieved immortality in true style, disappearing in the night with a gust of wind leaving only two things: the clothes he was wearing and enough legend to last many centuries.


See also

*
Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms The following are lists of people significant to the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of Chinese history. Their names in Mandarin pinyin are sorted in alphabetical order. Fictional characters in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of ...


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * Sheng, Jiang. "Ge Xuan (Immortal Elder Ge)." Taoist Culture and Information Centre. Retrieved 25 Oct. 2008. http://eng.taoism.org.hk/general-daoism/eminent-philosophers-accomplished-daoists/pg1-4-9.htm  * Xuan, Ge. "The Classic of Purity." The Classic of Purity. Retrieved 23 Oct. 2008 http://www.theosophical.ca/ClassicPurity.htm 


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ge, Xuan 164 births 244 deaths Chinese religious leaders Eastern Wu Taoists