Records of Patriarch Lü Daoist Text 吕祖志

Compiler unknown.

Compiled approximately during the Jiajing and Wanli reigns of the Ming Dynasty.

Six volumes, included in the Supplementary Daozang of the Daozang.

Records of Patriarch Lü

This book compiles materials about Patriarch Lü (i.e., Lü Dongbin), including his biographical lineage, the origin and development of Golden Elixir methods, his miraculous manifestations of the Dao, as well as his poems and miscellaneous works. The book is divided into three parts. First are three portraits: the Portrait of True Lord Zhengyang Who Enlightens and Transmits the Dao, the Portrait of True Lord Chunyang Who Expounds the Orthodox and Awakens the World, and the Portrait of Patriarch Lü Chunyang in His True Form. Second is the Chronicle of Deeds, which consists of sections such as the Original Biography of the True Man, the True Man’s Autobiography, the Pillow Book, Divine Powers and Transformations, Name Changes and Miraculous Manifestations, Visits to Confucian Scholars, Travels to Temples and Abbeys, Living Among the Common Folk, Attending Gatherings in Temples, Healing People with Elixirs, and Karmic Encounters, recording nearly ninety events in total. Third is the Chronicle of Arts and Literature, which collects about two hundred and fifty poems and songs of various types. Most of the content narrates Lü Dongbin’s birth and family background, his attainment of the Dao, the origin of Golden Elixir methods, his miraculous manifestations, and his delivering of living beings in accordance with karmic conditions. The book preserves some historical materials, but most of its content consists of myths and legends.