The Deng Yankang 邓延康

Deng Yankang (774–859 AD) was a native of Nancheng, Fuzhou (a historical region now part of Jiangxi Province) in the Tang Dynasty, and he was the grandnephew of Deng Ziyang.

As recorded in Epitaph of Master Deng, the Purple-Robed Taoist Master Endowed with the Three Grottoes Scriptures and Ordination Certificates of Longxing Taoist Temple in the Upper Capital of the Tang Dynasty by Zheng Tian: During the Zhenyuan era (785–805 AD), Deng Yankang followed his master to Kuaiji, where he received the transmission of the Three Grottoes Scriptures and Ordination Certificates (a core set of Taoist scriptures and ritual credentials). Before long, he returned to live on Mount Magu, where he practiced the esoteric techniques of "Three Visions and Five Qis" and "Eight Star Paths." In matters of Taoist talismans, incantations, and ritual ceremonies (zhaijiao), his practices always yielded effective results. Prefects of various prefectures respectfully invited him to bestow teachings and ordinations; they greeted him with courtesy and offered condolences, and from this time onward, the profound Dao of Xuanyuan (a reference to the fundamental Taoist doctrine) became widely prevalent in the Jiangzhe region (covering present-day Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and parts of Anhui). In the 8th year of the Dahe era (834 AD), he was summoned to the imperial capital by an imperial edict and officially registered as a Taoist priest at the Taiqing Palace (a major imperial Taoist temple).

During the Kaicheng era (836–840 AD), he performed Taoist ritual ceremonies in the imperial capital. The emperor issued an edict to commend him and bestowed upon him a "golden-edged purple robe" (a high honor for Taoist priests in the Tang Dynasty, symbolizing imperial recognition).

Later, Emperor Wuzong of Tang personally received Taoist ordination certificates from Liu Xuanjing, with Deng Yankang serving as the Jiandu Shi (Supervising Master, a Taoist official in charge of overseeing ordination rituals). When Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ascended the throne, Deng Yankang lectured on Taoist scriptures such as the Dao De Jing, Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Scripture), and Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascension) in the inner palace; his responses to the emperor’s inquiries fully met the imperial expectations. He passed away due to illness in the 13th year of the Dazhong era (859 AD) at the age of 86.