Dramatis Personae

MÁO Méng 茅濛 = a distinguished scholar in the period of Warring States (period 4e), who gives up official life and becomes an alchemist on Huáshān 华山. (Zì name: Chūchéng 初成.)

MÁO Xī 茅熹 = Máo Méng’s grandson, a distinguished member of the court of the First Emperor (reign5a-1). (Zì name: Gǒngún 拱伦.)

MÁO Zuò 茅祚 = Máo Méng’s great grandson, a person of little talent but much ambition, fond of wealth and comfort, and the owner of a collection of boy-beating sticks. Sometimes also called Máo Méng 茅濛. (Zì name: Bóyīng 伯英.)

MÁO Yíng 茅盈 = Máo Zuó’s eldest son, a very promising young man, and later a very learned old man. (Zì name: Shúshēn 叔申.) The first Immortal of Mount Máo.

MÁO Gù 茅固 = Máo Zuó’s second son, a worldly success and obnoxious jerk, until he gets over it. (Zì name: Jìwěi 季伟.) The second Immortal of Mount Máo.

MÁO Zhōng 茅衷 = Máo Zuó’s third son, very like his second one. (Zì name: Sīzhī 思知.) The third Immortal of Mount Máo.

Lady XǓ 许 = Máo Zuò’s wife, an unnamed person considered of no historical importance because she was female.

WÈI Huácún 魏华存 = The founder of an important school of Daoism. A person considered of historical importance despite being female.

Historical Background

Once upon a time, as the disintegrating feudal world of the Zhōu 周 dynasty (period 4) descended into its last days —the period we know as the Warring States (Zhànguó 战国, period 4e, 475-221 BC)— there lived a famous scholar by the name of MÁO Méng 茅濛 (?-217 BC)in the city of Xiányáng 咸阳, in Shǎanxī陕西 province.

Máo Méng grew tired of the chaos across the land, so he resigned from his official duties and headed to Mount Huá 华山, where he apprenticed himself to a famous philosopher called the Master of Ghost Valley (Guǐgǔ Zǐ 鬼谷子) in order to master the Way (Dào 道) and become an herbalist to cure illness and an alchemist to discover an elixir of immorality.

Leaving human society to become an herbalist was never respectable, but being a famous scholar was a good thing, so his disreputable withdrawal into the mountains did not prevent his grandson MÁO Xī 茅熹 from becoming a valued official in the court of King Zhuāng Xiāng 庄襄 (249-246) of the feudal state of Qín 秦, which even granted him the title of “Magnanimous and Sincere Duke.”

Although he was not long on the throne, King Zhuāng Xiāng’s armies were the best in all the world, moving against the neighboring states, conquering one after another. And when all of China had been conquered, the name of the state of Qín was given to the first unified Chinese dynasty. King Zhuāng Xiāng’s son was crowned the “First August Emperor of the Qín” (Qín Shǐ Huángdì 秦始皇帝). Unfortunately, he was foolish and superstitious and made unreasonable demands, and he was corrupt and vicious and cruel and executed officials who failed to fawn sufficiently. Máo Xī 茅熹 found it wise to keep a low profile.

(A frightening account by the Grand Historian SĪMǍ Qiān 司马迁 (145-86 BC) is available elsewhere on this web site. Link)

It is sometimes said that Máo Méng, from his retreat on Mount Huá, seeing what a pass things had come to, “mounted a dragon and ascended to heaven as an immortal (fēilóng shēngtiān chéngxiān 飞龙升天成仙),” as the Daoists like to say.

When the first emperor died, and his incompetent son became the Second August Emperor, corrupt eunuchs soon brought the Qín dynasty to an end. After a period of chaos, the Hàn 汉 dynasty (period 6, 206 BC- AD 220 ) was established, and orderly life was restored, to the relief of all good people.

The Ambitions Of Máo Zuò

Máo Méng’s distinguished grandson, Máo Xī, despite his association with the fallen régime, survived the dynastic collapse. Máo Xī’s son MÁO Zuò 茅祚, somewhat less distinguished, moved to a valley on the north side of Mount Héngshān 恒山 in Shānxī 山西 province, where he married a woman of the XǓ 许 family, and they had three impressive sons: MÁO Yíng 茅盈, the oldest, MÁO Gù 茅固 the second, and MÁO Zhōng 茅衷, the youngest.

All three lads showed great potential to become both rich and important, with fine careers in the government or in the military, careers that would bring joy to their father Máo Zuò and their grandfather Máo Xī, and perhaps even to their great great grandfather Máo Méng, even though he had long since flown to heaven on a dragon (which Máo Zuò didn’t believe for a even minute).

The eldest of these youngsters, Máo Yíng, was born on the third day of the tenth lunar month in the year 145 BC, during the fourth reign of the new dynasty. A rainbow appeared above the house at the moment of his birth, making it obvious that he would be a person of remarkable talent.

And so he was. By the age of six he had memorized the most important texts of Confucianism and Daoism, and by ten he had become a surprisingly skilled herbalist. Máo Zuò was very proud of this oldest son, and was sure he would become rich and important.

Unfortunately, young Yíng did not particularly wish to be rich and important, and he had no interest in politics or the military. Instead he was interested in studying the Way (Dào 道). He therefore required frequent beating with Máo Zuò’s heavy boy-beating stick.

When Máo Yíng was eighteen, after an especially severe session with the boy-beating stick as punishment for wanting to be an herbalist and healer instead of becoming rich and important, Máo Yíng’s father Máo Zuò ordered him to leave home and never return.

Máo Yíng Leaves Home

Heartbroken, Máo Yíng headed up the mountain into the wild forests of Héng Shan 恒山 Mountain, , where day after day he studied the “Book of Changes” (Yì Jīng 易经) and “The Scripture of the Way and its Efficacy” Dàodé Jīng 道德经 hoping for greater insight into Way.

One night he dreamt that he was visited by the Heavenly Jade Fairy (Tiānyù Xiān 天玉仙??), who told him to seek instruction from “a gentleman named WÁNG 王, living to the west of the mountain.”

Unfortunately a great many gentlemen are named Wáng, and even though Máo Yíng had moved westward, it was three months, during which consumed neither meat nor wine, before he had a vision of two dragons flying over the northern mountains and pulling a chariot, in which there sat a figure who simply had to be the gentleman Wáng whom he sought.

Gentleman Wáng (Wáng Jūn 王君), as history calls him, was possibly a man, possibly a mountain spirit, or most likely a man who had attained the Way and turned into a mountain spirit. Whatever he was, Máo Yíng became his disciple. From him young Máo Yíng learned to make himself ethereal, with the ability to drift through the air sometimes and with little need to eat. After three years, Wáng led him to White Jade Mountain (Báiyù Shān 白玉山??) to meet the Queen Mother of the West (Xī Wángmǔ 西王母), who taught him the spells and prayers leading to perfection.

For thirty years Máo Yíng lived on the mountain, becoming proficient in all the arts of the Way and creating cures to treat the ills of the farming people who lived in villages down on the plains. Finally at the age of 49 he returned home to see what had become of his aging parents and his two younger brothers.

Máo Yíng Returns Home

His younger brothers had, in fact, become rich and important. Máo Gù was now magistrate of the town of Wǔwēi (武威), and Máo Zhōng was magistrate of the town of Xīhé (溪河), and they had both become unbearably self-important and were much disliked by all who knew them. Their father was very proud.

Máo Yíng was not welcomed home. His father Máo Zuò was furious , first because he had become an mountain Daoist, , second because he had failed to become rich and important, and third because he had stayed away (as ordered), thus neglecting his filial duties, such as seeing to the comfort of his parents.

The old man fetched his faithful boy-beating stick and was just raising it when Máo Yíng told him, “You cannot beat me any more, for I have been taught spells by my Daoist master and invisible soldiers will protect me.”

His father, of course, believed nothing of this, but as he brought down the boy-beating stick, it shattered into tiny fragments. Enraged, he grabbed another boy-beating stick —he had several— but the same thing happened. The same occurred with a third one. Frighteningly, when the sticks broke, the fragments did not fall on the floor, but flew about the room until they stuck in the walls like darts. At this point it became clear to Máo Zuò that, even against his will, his eldest son had in fact become a powerful Daoist, maybe even an immortal.

So Máo Zuò took him to the family of a friend whose child had died. They arrived as the coffin was about to be sealed. Máo Yíng looked into the coffin, grasped the child’s dead hand, and announced, “This child died prematurely. He should return to life.” Instantly the child’s eyes opened and he sat up.

At this, Máo Zuò realized that the rainbow that had appeared when Máo Yíng was born did not mean that he would become rich and important, but that he would master the Way and bring comfort to the populace. With this realization, Máo Zuò became proud of him.

When people heard that a Daoist immortal was in the village raising the dead and healing the sick, they flocked to see him. His father’s house briefly became Máo Yíng’s clinic, and people came from everywhere.

Life on Hooked Mountain

Soon, however, he moved south to Hooked Mountain (Gōuqǔ Shān 句曲山), in modern Jiāngsū 江苏省 province. There he spent his time in even further study of the Way, for the Way is profound and is not easily or quickly mastered.

In the year 70 BC, Máo Zuò and his wife died, and Máo Yíng, summoned by a celestial envoy, returned to the family home for their funerals.

His obnoxious younger brothers Máo Gù and Máo Zhōng of course both had to resign their high positions immediately to go into three years of mourning for their parents, and they were inclined to grumble unfilially about it.

When all the obsequies were done, Máo Yíng told them, “I have not become rich and important like the two of you, and I cannot hold sway over others, as you can, but I am returning to Hooked Mountain now, and on the third day of the fourth lunar month next year, I shall rise into the heavens as an immortal. Please come and watch.” Suddenly a host of celestial spirits surrounded him, beautiful music was heard, a flowery perfume bathed the world, and a chariot appeared, which carried Máo Yíng away in a great colored cloud. It was miraculous.

But then an even greater miracle occurred: the two obnoxious younger brothers suddenly ceased to be selfish and arrogant and insensitive to the needs of all about them. Having resigned their official positions because of their mourning, they decided to make their way to Hooked Mountain to offer fraternal obedience to their older brother and be instructed by him (as they should have done from the beginning and as all younger brothers should do, even though some of them don’t think so).

At Hooked Mountain, Máo Yíng explained that they were already too old to live long enough to master the Way as well as he had, and they should not expect to become celestial immortals, but only earthly ones. However, he joined them in three years of spiritual exercises, each on a separate hilltop. And he shared with them the use of the “Book of Changes” and the significance of the teachings of Lǎozǐ 老子, and the hidden meaning of the mysterious “Yellow Court Scripture” (Huángtíng Jīng 黄庭经).

As the younger brothers mastered these teachings, and as they became more and more adept at gathering herbs and mixing elixirs, they became better and better known for their healing arts, and they tended to the ills and injuries of village people down on the plains.

Finally, in 64 BC, the two brothers Máo Gù and Máo Zhōng were ready, and all three brothers ascended into the clouds astride yellow cranes and were never seen again.

People called them the Three Máo Immortals (Sān Máo Zhēnjūn 三茅真君), and in order to honor them (but mostly to ask the assistance of their invisible spirits), they built temples to them throughout the mountains. Hooked Mountain was now referred to as Máoshān 茅山 Mountain, which seems to mean “grass mountain” because máo means “grass,” but which everyone knew referred to the three brothers.

Epilogue(s)

Three hundred years later, a local resident named WÈI Huácún 魏华存 (251-334), a lady of mature years, a loyal wife and kindly mother, began to experience visions of the immortal brothers, who appeared and taught her about their Way. She very discretely conveyed their teachings to others. Well, perhaps not too discretely, for disciples began to appear in greater and greater numbers, and she came to be honored as the founder of a school of Daoism called “Consummate Purity” (Shàngqīng 上清), sometimes also called Máoshān Daoism, which even today carefully guards the true secrets of the Way, and the hidden meaning of the mysterious “Yellow Court Scripture.”

It is said by some that Máo Yíng afterward married Gentleman Wáng’s niece, a certain CHÉN Jìnggū 陈靖姑 (sometimes called Empress Chén 陈太后), who lived at Mount Tài 泰山, who came to be given the title “First Princess of Purple and Azure Clouds” (Bìxià Yuánjūn 碧霞元君), and who is worshipped throughout south China today as Línshuǐ Fūrén 临水夫人. But nobody can be sure, and in any case that is a story for another day. For more on schools of Daoism, click here.

The Three Immortals of Mount Máo (Sān Máo Zhēnjūn 三茅真君)