The Zhang Xubai 张虚白
Paul PengShare
Zhang Xubai was a figure during the reign of Emperor Huizong in the Northern Song Dynasty.
His courtesy name was Zhixiang. A native of Nanyang in Dengzhou (now Deng County, Henan Province), he was an officially registered Taoist priest at Taiyi Palace.
He had a handsome beard and a calm, dignified temperament. He claimed that his past life was Zhang Bai from Wuling.
He was proficient in Taiyi Liuren (a traditional Chinese divination art) and the esoteric techniques of Golden Elixir (a core practice in Taoism for cultivation).
During the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhang Xubai was summoned to the imperial court on numerous occasions and was appointed to oversee Longde Taiyi Palace.
Having studied medicine since his youth, he cured most of the people he treated.
In the first year of the Jingkang era of Emperor Qinzong (1126 AD), he was summoned for an audience in the inner palace.
All the Taoist classics printed in the imperial presence and the talismans and medicinal remedies accumulated in the Three Pavilions were bestowed upon him. He held official positions including Taixu Daifu (Grand Master of the Great Void), Chonghe Dian Daichen (Attendant of Chonghe Palace), and Jinmen Yuke (Feathered Guest of the Golden Gate). When entering and exiting the imperial palace, he used a jade plaque as his identification token.
Zhang Xubai was as famous as Lin Lingsu and Wang Yuncheng. He resided at Longde Taiyi Palace for over ten years and was on call to the inner palace, where he discussed Taoism with the emperor all day long without uttering a single word about current political affairs—for this, the emperor held him in high regard.
When the Jurchen-led Jin Dynasty invaded the south, he was captured and detained for four years. The Jin people treated him like an immortal throughout this period.
When the Jin troops arrived in Suiyang again, Zhang Xubai passed away shortly afterward.
(Source: Lishi Zhenxian Tidao Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror of the Authentic Immortals and Practitioners Through the Ages), Volume 51)
About the Author
Paul Peng
Paul Peng is a Zhengyi Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi — the ancestral home of the Celestial Masters' tradition. Ordained at 25 after a dream from the Celestial Master, he has practiced for 25 years under Master Zeng Guangliang. He is the curator of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.
Read his full story →
