The Vernacular Tale of Ye Jingneng 叶净能诗
Paul PengThe Vernacular Tale of Ye Jingneng
Author unknown.
Compiled approximately in the Tang Dynasty.
Catalogue of Lost Scriptures in the Daozang records one volume titled Record of the Staff of Heavenly Master Ye, which is believed to be the same work.
The Vernacular Tale of Ye Jingneng
The extant Dunhuang manuscript is No. S.6836. Its beginning is damaged and without a title, while the end is complete, inscribed: “Poems of Ye Jingneng”. It is included in Volume Two of Dunhuang Bianwen Ji (Collected Dunhuang Popular Narratives) by Wang Chongmin.Ye Jingneng was a famous Taoist priest during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. He was skilled in talismans and registers, summoning spirits, exorcising evil, curing diseases, summoning clouds and rain, flying and transforming—he was capable of all.
In the Kaiyuan era, he arrived in Chang’an with a staff, and his Daoist arts astonished the court and the common people. Emperor Xuanzong summoned him to inquire about the Dao and favored him greatly.
Legends say he once accompanied the emperor to view lanterns and traveled to the Moon Palace together. Later, he was beheaded due to slander by Gao Lishi. Emperor Xuanzong missed him day and night and composed poems to mourn him.
This work records the miraculous stories of Heavenly Master Ye Jingneng throughout his life.
It was written in the popular sujiang (popular lecture) style prevalent in Tang Dynasty temples and Daoist abbeys, and is the only surviving Daoist popular lecture text.
