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Master Zhang,
whose full name was Zhang Ling, or Zhang DaoLing (34-156), was the
founder of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect of Taoism during the Eastern Han
Dynasty. A native of Fengxian County, Jiangsu Province, he studied
in the Imperial College and well versed in the Five Classics. He
practiced meditation in Heming Mountain in today’s Dayi County,
Sichuan Province in the reign of Emperor Shundi (r.125-144). In 141, he
wrote twenty-four Taoist texts and institutionalized Taoism, which was
called the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, calling himself Occult Master of
Great Purity. Its believers had to pay five pecks of rice as
contribution to support his institution. It emphasized repenting one’s
mistakes and have faith in Taoists canons. It propagated its doctrine
by praying and drawing charms, and gave treatment with blessed holy
water or incantations.
Legends of Master Zhang
Many
legends are told about him. One said that Zhang DaoLing was the eight
descendants of Zhang Liang, a high official of the Han Dynasty, he was a
tall man, with extraordinary appearance characterized by full
forehead, red hair, green eyes, straight nose and square mouth, bushy
eyebrows and big ears. All this features, plus his beard, gave the
impression that he looked like an immortal priest. In the tenth year of
the Jianwu period under the reign of the Emperor Guangwu of the
Eastern Han Dynasty, he was born in the Tianmu Mountain.
Before
he was born his mother dreamed about a tall immortal wearing a gold
crown and embroidered robe descending from the Big Dipper to her room.
He gave her a scented plant, and suddenly vanished. She awakened to
find her quilt, clothes and the entire room was lingered with an
extraordinary fragrance that last for a month. Then she became
pregnant. On the day when she was in labour, the courtyards was
permeated in colored clouds, and the room was bright with red beams.
The fragrance again fills the air. Daoling was able to walk as soon as
he was born.
He
was extremely intelligent as he had knowledge and can memorize the
entire Dao De Jing, astronomy, geography and mystic diagrams at the age
of seven. He passed the second degree Imperial examination, as became
the magistrate of Jingzhou. Albeit an official he was determined to
practice meditation. Before long he tender his resignation and lived in
seclusion in Beimang Mountain. It was said that one day a white tiger
bought scriptures in it’s mouth to him. Emperor He Di appointed him as
Imperial tutor to the crown prince, and conferred on him the title
Marquis of Jixian. He was invited to take up the official position,
three times, but he always refused. In A.D. 90, he went to Long He
Mountain in Jiangxi Province where he tried alchemy – to make pills of
Immortality and delivered sermons for about thirty years, his disciples
totaling more than three thousand.
Master
Zhang was well known for curing people with Talismans, blessed holy
water, and delivered people from danger and disaster.
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