The Deng Siguang 邓思瓘

Deng Siguang (703-739) was a native of Linchuan (now part of Jiangxi Province) during the Mid-Tang Dynasty.

His ancestors were a prominent and influential clan in Nanyang, a family with a long tradition of holding official positions. From an early age, he was fond of Taoist arts and practices; as he grew older, he retreated to live in seclusion on Lushan Mountain first, then moved to Hengyue Mountain (Mount Heng), and later resided on Magu Mountain. There, he practiced Taoist cultivation methods focused on nourishing life and calming the mind: he inhaled hangxie (morning mist, which Taoism believes is pure celestial energy) and rinsed his mouth with clear cold water, allowing his essence and soul to merge with the vast void (taixu), and his ears and eyes to be at peace in the remote valleys. Eventually, he attained a state of spiritual transcendence described in Taoism as "his body like withered wood and his mind like dying embers"—a state of complete mental stillness and detachment from worldly desires.

As recorded in Comprehensive Mirror of Real Immortals and Practitioners Through the Ages, Volume 32: In the 23rd year of the Kaiyuan era (735), Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty issued an imperial edict to seek out Taoist practitioners with profound attainments. The local prefecture recommended Deng Siguang based on his virtuous Taoist practices. Emperor Xuanzong then ordered Deng Siguang to tour the sixty prefectures in the Jiangnan region (the area south of the Yangtze River), where he conducted a thorough search, made in-depth observations, and collected a large number of Taoist scriptures. In the 24th year of the Kaiyuan era (736), an imperial decree formally ordained him as a Taoist monk, bestowing upon him the Taoist name "Ziyang" and a set of purple Taoist ritual robes. He was appointed to preside over Futang Guan (Futang Taoist Temple) in the Eastern Capital (Luoyang) and concurrently oversee Longxing Guan (Longxing Taoist Temple) in his home prefecture. In September of the same year, he accompanied the imperial entourage to the Western Capital (Chang'an) and was arranged by imperial order to reside at Tongde Xingtang Guan (Tongde Xingtang Taoist Temple).

In the 25th year of the Kaiyuan era (737), he received a special imperial permission to return home to visit his family, bringing honor to his relatives as well.

In the 26th year of the Kaiyuan era (738, note: the original text writes "十六年" which is a chronological error; it should correspond to the sequence as "二十六年"), he was further commanded by the emperor to go to Zhongyue Mountain (Mount Song), Wangwu Mountain, Hangu Pass, Zongsheng Guan (Zongsheng Taoist Temple), and other famous sacred mountains to hold Taoist zhaijiao (fasting and ritual ceremonies) and perform meritorious deeds. The emperor also granted him two additional sets of purple silk Taoist ritual robes, five bundles of plain silk, and six pieces of colored silk satin to support these grand rituals. In the 27th year of the Kaiyuan era (739), he entered the imperial palace to conduct a pure fasting ritual; later, he also went to the Wo Temple in Zhenyuan. In the tenth month of winter that year, Emperor Xuanzong traveled to Wenquan Palace (Hot Spring Palace), and Deng Siguang accompanied the emperor to Taiyuan Guan (Taiyuan Taoist Temple), where he soon passed away. After his death, he was buried on Magu Mountain. Subsequently, an imperial decree ordained his younger brother Siming as a Taoist monk at Magu Temple to continue his legacy. His life story is also recorded in Li Yong’s Stele of Heavenly Master Deng at Futang Guan in the Eastern Capital.