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' ( zh, c= 分身, l=divide the body) or ' ("divide the physical form") was a legendary
Daoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...
and ''
fangshi ''Fangshi'' () were Chinese technical specialists who flourished from the third century BCE to the fifth century CE. English translations of include alchemist, astrologer, diviner, exorcist, geomancer, doctor, magician, monk, mystic, necrom ...
'' Master of Esoterica technique for
multilocation Bilocation, or sometimes multilocation, is an alleged psychic or miraculous ability wherein an individual or object is located (or appears to be located) in two distinct places at the same time. Reports of bilocational phenomena have been made i ...
, that is, transforming or multiplying one's body into two or more identical versions. A famous story about ''fenshen'' concerns general
Cao Cao Cao Cao (; ; ; 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation f ...
ordering the execution of the alchemist
Zuo Ci Zuo Ci (), courtesy name Yuanfang, was a Chinese philosopher. He was a legendary personage of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period (20 BC–280 AD) of China. Though he is known to be from Lujiang Commandery (盧江郡; aro ...
, who when taken into prison playfully divided himself into multiple Master Zuos, thus bamboozling the guards and escaping death.


Terminology

The
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
word is a
compound Compound may refer to: Architecture and built environments * Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall ** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struc ...
of and .Kroll, Paul K. (2017), ''A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese'', rev. ed., Brill." The Chinese ''
Hanyu Da Cidian The ''Hanyu Da Cidian'' (), also known as the Grand Chinese Dictionary, is the most inclusive available Chinese dictionary. Lexicographically comparable to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', it has Historical linguistics, diachronic coverage of ...
'', which is
lexicographically In mathematics, the lexicographic or lexicographical order (also known as lexical order, or dictionary order) is a generalization of the alphabetical order of the dictionaries to sequences of ordered symbols or, more generally, of elements of a ...
comparable to the ''
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
'', defines with four meanings and cites earliest usages.Penny, Benjamin David (1993),
Early Daoist Biography: A Study of ''Shenxian zhuan''
, PhD thesis, Australian National University.
# Transforming one's body into multiple bodies (), Hui Jiao 's c. 530 ''
Memoirs of Eminent Monks The ''Memoirs of Eminent Monks'' (), also known as the Biographies of Eminent Monks, is a compilation of biographies of monks in China by Hui Jiao 慧皎 of Jiaxiang Temple in Kuaiji Mountain, Zhejiang from the introduction of Buddhism to China ...
'' biography of Shao Shuo , on the same day that Shao was participating in a
Chengdu Chengdu; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, previously Romanization of Chinese, romanized as Chengtu. is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a ...
procession while walking on all fours like a lion, "On that day, it was said that Shao was in
Pidu District Pidu District (; formerly known as Pi County or Pixian) is a suburban district of the City of Chengdu, Sichuan, China. It presently covers an area of , with a total population of 1,672,025 during the 2020 census. It was formerly known as the so ...
having assumed the form of a lion, and was conscious of his multiple bodies" () # A term for dealing with other matters (),
Luo Guanzhong Luo Ben (c. 1330–1400, or c.1280–1360), better known by his courtesy name Guanzhong (Mandarin pronunciation: ), was a Chinese novelist who lived during the Ming dynasty. He is also known by his pseudonym Huhai Sanren (). Luo Guanzhon ...
's 14th-century ''
Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...
'',
Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang () (181September or October 234), also commonly known by his courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman, strategist, and inventor who lived through the End of the Han dynasty, end of the Eastern Han dynasty ( 184–220) and t ...
tells Wang Ping, "even if you can be both wise and brave, you are only one person, can you divide yourself into two places? It would be yet more marvelous if you could be one general going together" () # As if cutting up the body (), c. 1478 Story of Hua Guan suo,
Emperor Guangwu of Han Emperor Guangwu of Han (; 15 January 5 BC29 March AD 57), born Liu Xiu (), courtesy name Wenshu (), was a Chinese monarch. He served as an emperor of the Han dynasty by restoring the dynasty in AD 25, thus founding the Eastern Han dynasty. He ...
"apprehended the traitorous usurper"
Wang Mang Wang Mang (45 BCE6 October 23 CE), courtesy name Jujun, officially known as the Shijianguo Emperor (), was the founder and the only emperor of the short-lived Chinese Xin dynasty. He was originally an official and consort kin of the ...
"And in the Tower Bathed by Water hacked him to pieces" (). # "Buddhist term, the Buddha's wish to teach all living beings in the worlds of all directions, using the power of
upaya In Buddhism, upaya (Sanskrit: उपाय, , ''expedient means'', ''pedagogy'') is an aspect of guidance along the Buddhist paths to liberation where a conscious, voluntary action "is driven by an incomplete reasoning" about its direction. Up ...
to physically manifest in each world as a mark of attaining Buddhahood, called ." (),
Dharmarakṣa (; J. Jiku Hōgo; K. Ch'uk Pŏpho; c. 233-310) was one of the most important early translators of Mahayana sutras into Chinese. Several of his translations had profound effects on East Asian Buddhism. He is described in scriptural catalogues ...
's c. 286 Chinese ''
Lotus Sutra The ''Lotus Sūtra'' (Sanskrit: ''Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram'', ''Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma'', zh, p=Fǎhuá jīng, l=Dharma Flower Sutra) is one of the most influential and venerated Buddhist Mahāyāna sūtras. ...
'' translation, "I divide myself into various Buddhas existing in the worlds of all directions in order to expound the dharma" (). The near synonym , with for ("body"), translates as "give some attention to; divert attention to; distraction", as used in ."Bishop, Tom (2016), ''
Wenlin Software for learning Chinese Wenlin Software for Learning Chinese () is a software application designed by Tom Bishop, who is also president of the Wenlin Institute. It is based on his experience of the needs of learners of the Chinese language, predominantly Mandarin. It co ...
'', version 4.3.2.
Compare the terms and referring to a meditator identifying with a specific deity or the entire cosmos. The term , with ", was synonymous with in early Daoist texts. The defines with two meanings and cites their earliest usages # Description of presenting all kinds of form/shapes (),
Zhang Heng Zhang Heng (; AD 78–139), formerly romanization of Chinese, romanized Chang Heng, was a Chinese polymathic scientist and statesman who lived during the Han dynasty#Eastern Han (25–220 AD), Eastern Han dynasty. Educated in the capital citi ...
's c. 106 , "Amazing magicians, quicker than the eye, Changed appearance, sundered bodies. (), Swallowed knives, exhaled fire." (tr. Knechgtes 1982: 231). # To separate (), Bao Zhao's early 5th-century poem "Presented to my old friend Ma Ziqiao" (), "Paired swords about to be parted, First cry out from inside their case. Mist and rain mixing as evening approaches, From this point on they separate their forms ()." Chinese Buddhist terminology uses referring to the temporal of the Buddha, "with which he teaches and saves living beings, a Buddha's power to reproduce himself ad infinitum and anywhere"; and means "to manifest in different forms for different beings simultaneously" (''
Digital Dictionary of Buddhism The project of the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (usually referred to by the acronym DDB) was initiated by Charles Muller, a specialist in East Asian Buddhism, during his first year of graduate school when he realized the dearth of lexicographic ...
''). In general usage, means "incarnation; embodiment; personification". In
Sino-Japanese vocabulary Sino-Japanese vocabulary, also known as , is a subset of Japanese vocabulary that originated in Chinese language, Chinese or was created from elements borrowed from Chinese. Most Sino-Japanese words were borrowed in the 5th–9th centuries AD, from ...
, (borrowed from ) translates as "a branch; an offshoot; the other self; ''one's'' alter ego; incarnations of the Buddha", and is used in (from ) "magic to create body-doubles".Watanabe Toshirō (), Edmund R. Skrzypczak, and Paul Snowden, eds. (2003), ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'' (), fifth edition, Kenkyusha.
Standard Chinese Standard Chinese ( zh, s=现代标准汉语, t=現代標準漢語, p=Xiàndài biāozhǔn hànyǔ, l=modern standard Han speech) is a modern standard form of Mandarin Chinese that was first codified during the republican era (1912–1949). ...
usage has semantically modernized both these ancient Daoist "body division" words: is Internet slang for sockpuppet and is
mathematical jargon The language of mathematics has a wide vocabulary of specialist and technical terms. It also has a certain amount of jargon: commonly used phrases which are part of the culture of mathematics, rather than of the subject. Jargon often appears in ...
for
fractal In mathematics, a fractal is a Shape, geometric shape containing detailed structure at arbitrarily small scales, usually having a fractal dimension strictly exceeding the topological dimension. Many fractals appear similar at various scale ...
.


Translations

Translating Chinese and into English is problematic owing to numerous different stories about how Daoist and Buddhist masters could multiply themselves. The narratives describe body division as more of an ephemeral
incarnation Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It is the Conception (biology), conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic form of a god. It is used t ...
than a perpetual
reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the Philosophy, philosophical or Religion, religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new lifespan (disambiguation), lifespan in a different physical ...
, and involve elements of
shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...
,
body double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
,
alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
, doppelganger,
avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...
,
personification Personification is the representation of a thing or abstraction as a person, often as an embodiment or incarnation. In the arts, many things are commonly personified, including: places, especially cities, National personification, countries, an ...
, embodiment, and
astral projection In Western esotericism, esotericism, astral projection (also known as astral travel, soul journey, soul wandering, spiritual journey, spiritual travel) is an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) in which a subtle body, known as the astra ...
. English translations of ancient and include: *"multiplying the bodyWare, James R. (1966), ''Alchemy, Medicine and Religion in the China of A.D. 320: The'' Nei Pien ''of Ko Hung'', Dover." *"divide the body", "ubiquity"Robinet, Isabelle (1979), "Metamorphosis and Deliverance from the Corpse in Taoism", ''History of Religions'' 19: 37-70. *"create dual images of oneself", "body splitting" *"body division", "dividing oneself", "divide one's formCampany, Robert Ford (2002), ''To Live as Long as Heaven and Earth: A Translation and Study of Ge Hong's Traditions of Divine Transcendents'', University of California Press." *"create body-doubles" *"multiplication of the body" *"dividing oneself", "replicating oneself" In present-day usage, English translation equivalents for expressions include: * * * * *


Textual examples

Chinese texts began to record and in the 3rd and 4th centuries CE.


Bowuzhi

Zhang Hua Zhang Hua (232 – 7 May 300), courtesy name Maoxian, was a Chinese poet and politician of the Western Jin dynasty and the preceding state of Cao Wei. An accomplished poet, Zhang also authored the ''Bowuzhi'', a compendium of entries about nat ...
's c. 290 ''
Bowuzhi ''Bowuzhi'' ( zh, c=博物志, tr=Records of Diverse Matters) by Zhang Hua (c. 290 CE) was a compendium of Chinese stories about natural wonders and marvelous phenomena. It quotes from many early Chinese classics, and diversely includes subject ...
'' "Records of Diverse Matters" names sixteen historical brought together by
Cao Cao Cao Cao (; ; ; 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation f ...
, a powerful general at the end of the
Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
(206 BCE-220 CE), including
Zuo Ci Zuo Ci (), courtesy name Yuanfang, was a Chinese philosopher. He was a legendary personage of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period (20 BC–280 AD) of China. Though he is known to be from Lujiang Commandery (盧江郡; aro ...
who could .
The names of the 'Master of Technic' whom Cao Cao assembled were Wang Zhen from
Shangdang Shangdang Commandery or Shangdang Prefecture (, also named Shangtang) was an administrative subdivision of ancient China from the time of the Spring and Autumn period (771–403 BCE). Consisting of a number of districts or ''Zhōu'' (, or prefectu ...
, Feng Junda from Longxi, Gan Shi from Ganling , Lu Nu Sheng , and
Hua Tuo Hua Tuo ( 140–208), courtesy name Yuanhua, was a Chinese physician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty. Historical texts, such as ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' and ''Book of the Later Han'' record Hua Tuo as having been the fir ...
, styled Yuanhua, from the land of Qiao; Dongguo Yannian , Tang Yu , Leng Shou Guang , Pu Shi from
Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
, Zhang Diao , Ji Zixun , Fei Chang Fang from Runan, Xian Nu Gu , and Zhao Sheng Shi , the military official for the Wei, from Henan; Que Jian , styled Mengjie, from Yangcheng, and
Zuo Ci Zuo Ci (), courtesy name Yuanfang, was a Chinese philosopher. He was a legendary personage of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period (20 BC–280 AD) of China. Though he is known to be from Lujiang Commandery (盧江郡; aro ...
, styled Yuanfang, from
Lujiang Lujiang County () is a county of Anhui Province in East China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Hefei, the capital of Anhui. It is the southernmost county-level division of Hefei. Lujiang has a population of as of ...
.
The above sixteen, according to statements made by ao Cao's sonsemperor Wen of the Wei (i.e.
Cao Pi Cao Pi () (late 187 – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the ...
), the king of Dong'e (i.e.
Cao Zhi Cao Zhi (; ; 192 – 27 December 232), courtesy name Zijian (), posthumously known as Prince Si of Chen (陈思王), was a prince of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China, and an accomplished poet in his time. His style o ...
), and Zong Changtong , could all refrain from eating grains, make themselves invisible, and go in and out without passing over the threshold of the door. Zuo Ci could change his form , deceive people's vision and hearing, dispel evil spirits and the like. They were the sort of people whom the Record of the Rites of Zhou (
Zhouli The ''Rites of Zhou'' (), originally known as "Officers of Zhou" (), is a Chinese work on bureaucracy and organizational theory. It was renamed by Liu Xin to differentiate it from a chapter in the '' Book of History'' by the same name. To rep ...
) calls 'mystifiers of the common folk' and the Wangzhi hapter of the Liji">Liji.html" ;"title="hapter of the Liji">hapter of the Lijirefers to as 'Holding to the Left path' .


Baopuzi

The earliest reliable descriptions of and are found in two c. 320 texts compiled by the Jin Dynasty (265–420)">Jin Dynasty Jin may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...
Daoist scholar Ge Hong (282-343), the or ''Master who Embraces Simplicity'' and the or ''Biographies of Divine Transcendents''. Two Inner Chapters mention multiplying or dividing the body. "Truth on Earth" (18, ) uses twice, once, and once. The context describes three meditation techniques, , , and .
Mystery-Unity is seen only in the sun. The search for It begins in the sun, and is described as "knowing white and preserving black" or "unsuccessful in the desire for death" . To begin with, you must purify yourself and fast for a hundred days. Only then may you go to a teacher and seek It, but then It can be obtained in not more than three or four days; once you possess It you will never lose It provided you take steps to preserve It. The preservation of Mystery-Unity consists in imagining yourself as being divided into three persons . Once these three have become visible, you can continue to increase the number to several dozen, all like yourself , who may be concealed or revealed, and all of whom are automatically in possession of secret oral directions. This may be termed a process for multiplying the body . Through this method , , and my uncle could be in several dozen places at one time. When guests were present they could be one host speaking the guests in the house, another host greeting guests beside the stream, and still another host making casts with his fishing line, but the guests were unable to distinguish which was he true one.
Robinet notes that Ge Xuan's mundane activities do not distract him from the "major occupation of all Taoists—dreaming alongside running water". The context continues with Ge Hong quoting "my teacher", Zheng Yin who was a disciple of Ge Xuan, about methods for body multiplication.
My teacher used to say that to preserve Unity was to practice jointly Bright Mirror , and that on becoming successful in the mirror procedure a man would be able to multiply his body to several dozen all with the same dress and facial expression . My teacher also used to say that you should take the great medicines diligently if you wished to enjoy Fullness of Life , and that you should use metal solutions and a multiplication of your person if you wished to communicate with the gods . By multiplying the body, the three Hun and the seven Po are automatically seen within the body , and in addition it becomes possible to meet and visit with the powers of heaven and the deities of earth and to have all the gods of the mountains and rivers in one's service.
This "metal solutions" translates , referring to Gold Liquor, an alchemical elixir prepared from gold, mercury, saltpeter, and realgar. "Looking Farther Afield" (19, ) uses and ("divide the body") referring to a lost text, the .
By its method people can change into flying birds or stalking animals . Clouds are raised and rain brought for an area a hundred miles square by means of metal, wood, jade, or rock. Snow can be produced in the same fashion. By its method people cross large streams without a boat or weir. They split themselves into thousands of persons . They fly high on the winds; pass in and out of barriers; exhale breath of seven colors. While sitting still, they can see into all eight points of the compass and even to things underground. They emit light shining for thousands of feet; in a dark room, they are their own light. The book does indeed teach a great art.
The three transcendents Zuo Ci , Ge Xuan , and Ji Liao or Li Zixun mentioned as masters of are more fully described in Guo's other compilation below.


Shenxian zhuan

Five hagiographies of Daoist describe or body division, usually resulting from the adept taking alchemical elixirs. First,
Zhang Daoling Zhang Daoling (, traditionally February 22, 34October 10, 156), birth name Zhang Ling (), courtesy name Fuhan (), was a Chinese Taoist religious leader who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty. He founded the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice ...
(34-156 CE), first patriarch of the
Way of the Celestial Masters The Way of the Celestial Masters or the Heavenly Masters Sect is a Chinese Taoist movement that was founded by Zhang Daoling in 142 AD. Its followers rebelled against the Han dynasty, and won their independence in 194. At its height, the movemen ...
, founded the
Way of the Five Pecks of Rice The Way of the Five Pecks of Rice () or the Way of the Celestial Master, commonly abbreviated to simply The Celestial Masters, was a Chinese Taoist movement founded by the first Celestial Master, Zhang Daoling, in 142 CE. At its height, the m ...
movement in 142, and eventually controlled a prosperous
theocratic state Theocracy is a form of autocracy or oligarchy in which one or more deity, deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries, with executive and legislative power, who manage the government's ...
in present-day
Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
.
On account of all this, Zhang Ling obtained much wealth, which he used to buy the necessary medicinal ingredients for synthesizing elixirs. When the elixirs were completed, he ingested only half the dosage, not wishing to ascend to Heaven immediately. As a result, he gained the ability to divide himself into several dozen persons . Now, there was a pond outside the gate of Zhang's residence, on which he frequently went boating to amuse himself. Meanwhile, however, many Daoist guests would be going and coming in his courtyard. There would always be one Zhang Ling in the courtyard, conversing, eating, and drinking with these guests, while the real Zhang was out on the pond.
Second,
Zuo Ci Zuo Ci (), courtesy name Yuanfang, was a Chinese philosopher. He was a legendary personage of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period (20 BC–280 AD) of China. Though he is known to be from Lujiang Commandery (盧江郡; aro ...
was a Daoist master who allegedly obtained the alchemical classics ''Scripture of Nine Elixirs'' and the ''Scripture of Gold Liquor'' from inside a cave on
Mount Tianzhu Tianzhu Mountain or Mount Tianzhu () is a mountain in Anhui, China. Tianzhu Mountain is also called Mount Wan (), from which the provincial abbreviation for Anhui ("Wan") derives. Ancient names of the mountain include Mount Huo 霍山, Mount Hen ...
, and mastering their techniques made him become "capable of transforming into a myriad different forms". Zuo uses his
shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...
ability both to amuse and to taunt rulers. "Behind the amusing and the taunting lies a single lesson: transcendence-seeking adepts are of a superior order of being; rulers' appropriate response to them is respect and veneration, and any attempts to dominate or manipulate are futile.". During the
end of the Han dynasty The end of the (Eastern) Han dynasty was the period of History of China, Chinese history from 189 to 220 CE, roughly coinciding with the tumultuous reign of the Han dynasty's last ruler, Emperor Xian of Han, Emperor Xian. It was followed by the ...
(189-220 CE), the prominent general
Cao Cao Cao Cao (; ; ; 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation f ...
became Grand chancellor and founded what later became the state of
Cao Wei Wei () was one of the major Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic states in China during the Three Kingdoms period. The state was established in 220 by Cao Pi based upon the foundations laid by his father Cao Cao during the end of the Han dy ...
. When Cao Cao heard of Zuo Ci's supernatural powers, including the ability to live without eating, he summoned him to court and incarcerated Zuo under supervision without any food for one year. Upon seeing that Zuo had remained in perfect health, Cao concluded that he was a sorcerer, and decided to execute him. Zuo Ci immediately realized Cao's intent, managed to magically disappear, and returned home.
Duke Cao was now even more determined to have him killed, and he also wanted to test whether Zuo could avoid death, so he gave orders to have him apprehended. As Cao's men approached, Zuo fled into a flock of sheep, and his pursuers, losing sight of him, suspected that he might have transformed himself into one of the sheep. They had the sheep counted. Originally there had been an even thousand of them, but now there was one extra, so they knew that Zuo had indeed transformed himself. They announced: "Master Zuo, if you're in there, just come out; we won't hurt you." Then one of the sheep knelt down and spoke words, saying, "Who would have thought I'd be pardoned?" When the pursuers tried to seize that one sheep, all of the other sheep knelt down and said, "Who would have thought I'd be pardoned?" So the pursuers left.
Later on, someone learned Zuo Ci's whereabouts and informed Cao Cao, he once again sent soldiers who captured him. Although Zuo could have escaped, he deliberately allowed himself to be arrested in order to demonstrate his divine transformations.
He was taken into prison. When the guards there were ready to torture and interrogate him, there was one Zuo inside the cell door and another Zuo outside it, and they did not know which one to torture. When Cao was informed, he despised Zuo even more, and ordered that he be taken out of the city and killed. As they were taking him out of the city, Zuo suddenly vanished. So they locked the city gates and searched for him. It was announced that hey were searching for a man whowas blind in one eye and wearing a linen cloth wrapped on his head and a one-layer gown. The moment this announcement was made, the entire city full of people, numbering several tens of thousands, all turned into men blind in one eye wearing a linen cloth on their head and a one-layer gown. So in the end they did not know which one to seize. Cao then put out an all-points order that Zuo Ci was to be killed on sight. Someone saw and recognized Zuo, so they beheaded him and presented he headto Cao. Cao was overjoyed. When he inspected the head, however, it turned out to be only a bundle of straw. When someone went back to search for Zuo's corpse, it had vanished.
Specifically, the one-eyed men all wore . Zuo Ci used what was later called , an uncommon form of "escape by means of a simulated corpse", and the says, "Zuo Ci performed 'martial escape' but did not die. Third, the has a detailed biography of
Ge Xuan Ge Xuan (164–244), courtesy name Xiaoxian, was a Chinese Taoist practitioner who lived during the eastern Han dynasty (25–220) and Three Kingdoms periods (220–280). He was the ancestor of Ge Hong and a resident of Danyang Commandery in t ...
(164–244), who was the great-uncle of the compiler Ge Hong, that mentions . The first line states that Ge Xuan was a student of Zuo Ci who gave him the alchemical ''Scripture on the Elixirs of the Nine '' and the ''Scripture on the Elixir of Gold Liquor''. A narrative about Ge Xuan entertaining visitors, compare Zhang Daoling above, mentions body division.
Ge Xuan often entertained guests. He would go out to welcome the latecomers, while, meantime, seated and talking with the other guests was another Ge Xuan. When sending guests off, he did the same thing. ncewhen the weather was cold Ge told his guests, "It is impossible in my humble abode for each of you to have his own fire, but I invite you to warm yourselves in common." He then opened his mouth and exhaled flames, which quickly filled the room. All of the guests felt as if they were under a bright sun, but neither were they too warm.
Fourth, the hagiography of Ji Liao or Ji Zixun records that he was famous for his paranormal abilities, including bringing back to life a dead child who Ji had accidentally killed. Many aristocrats in the capital of
Chang'an Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...
wanted to meet Ji Zixun, and when they learned that Ji's young next-door neighbor was a student at the Imperial Academy, they promised that if he could get Ji to come to the capital, they would ensure that the student passed his exams and would become a wealthy official. Ji Zixun agreed in order to help his neighbor and gave a day when he would come to Chang'an. On that day, Ji left in the morning and arrived at the capital before noon, having traveled over a thousand ("Chinese miles") in a few hours, he then asked the student,
"So, who wants to see me?" "A great many people want to see you, Master," said the student. "We don't want to keep them waiting. Just let me know where you'll be staying, and I'll see that they all come to you." Ji replied, "They don't need to come here. I've just traveled a thousand ; don't you think we can manage this? Tell each of them today to start preparing for a guest. I will set out at noon and will decide at the last minute whom I shall visit first." The student, as instructed, relayed this message to the notables, each of whom sprinkled and swept his chambers. Precisely at noon, Ji Zixun went to each one of the twenty-three places in question. There were twenty-three Ji's, one at each residence. Each of the notables was delighted, thinking that he was the first to have been visited by Ji. When they met the next day, as arranged, to compare experiences, they realized that they had each simultaneously had a Ji Zixun in their home. The clothing and countenance of each one was the same; only their discourse was different, depending on what questions each host had asked the guest to answer. Furthermore, each host had laid out food and drink for Ji, and he had partaken of them with complete appropriateness at each place. People near and far were astonished by this.
Although the aristocrats clamored to see more of Ji he was not interested and said he was going to leave.
Just after he had cleared the gate, the lane outside was clogged with a crowd of notables arriving there. The student said to them, "He has just left. He will be the one heading east, riding a gray mule." At this, each of them spurred his horse to chase after Ji. From a distance it appeared that the mule was sauntering along at a leisurely pace, but none of the horses could catch up to him. This went on for half a day, with the distance between them always holding steady at about one . In the end none of them could catch up, so they quit and returned home.
Calling this account of Ji Zixun escaping astride his slow mule "a fine narrative expression of the near-yet-far, accessible-yet-not quality of the transcendent and his arts", Campany says "his feat of body division" ( or ) multilocality is one of the most vivid depictions of this art" in the . Fifth, the later-attested hagiography for Yuzi Jade Master includes in a list of supernatural abilities.
He was thoroughly versed in the meanings of the Five Phases, using them to nourish his nature; cure illnesses; dispel misfortune; instantly call forth wind, clouds, thunder, and rain; and change plants, rocks, and pottery into domestic animals, dragons, and tigers. He could divide his form so as to become several hundred thousand at once , and he could walk on rivers and seas. By spitting out water, he could form pearls and jades, and they would not revert . He could make horses from balls of mud, and they would go a thousand in a day.


Methods

In Daoist hagiographies, adepts who have mastered "transformation; metamorphosis" are portrayed as autonomously free from normal spatiotemporal limitations. Isabelle Robinet describes this transcendent state as possessing "the gift of ubiquity, , which literally means to divide the body into many parts".
hrough "body division" ( ), they are able to be at several places at once, they disappear at will, they transform their appearance into that of other persons or species, pass through walls and rocks, slip into tiny spaces as well as across dimensions of time, enter water without getting wet and pass through fire without burning, walk on water, secure fruit out of season, and magically produce foods, water sources, and fire.Campany, Robert Ford (1996), ''Strange Writing: Anomaly Accounts in Early Medieval China'', State University of New York Press.
The above textual examples have mentioned several techniques for obtaining the faculty of body division, and later texts give many others. The describes two methods for dividing oneself. Zuo Ci, Ji Liao, and Ge Xuan used the Guarding the One method that requires ritual fasting and purification before learning how to envision oneself into three selves, and then up to several dozen. By simultaneously practicing the Guarding the Mysterious One and Bright Mirror methods, an adept can multiply their body into dozens of selves, and if one wants to communicate with the gods, one needs to consume Gold Liquor and multiply the body by making one's three and seven souls appear. Four of the five hagiographies concerning body division also mention using alchemical elixirs: Zhang Daoling, Zuo Ci, Ge Xuan, and Yuzi. According to Daoist legends, these masters of body division most commonly split into around two dozen duplicate selves; Zhang and Ge both used or for entertaining all their guests, and Ji Liao simultaneously appeared at twenty-three places. The highest number of duplications is ascribed to Yuzi who was supposedly able to divide himself into several hundred thousand Yuzis. Zuo Ci was the most famous master of body division, he shapeshifted into a sheep, divided into at least two identical selves, and simultaneously transformed himself and tens of thousands of city residents into identical one-eyed men wearing a green kudzu-cloth head wrap and an unlined garment. In contrast to early and techniques based upon laboratory external alchemy, many later methods involved meditational internal alchemy. The c. 1029 Daoist encyclopedia gives methods for creating a human
simulacrum A simulacrum (: simulacra or simulacrums, from Latin ''wikt:simulacrum#Latin, simulacrum'', meaning "likeness, semblance") is a representation or imitation of a person or thing. The word was first recorded in the English language in the late 16 ...
by means of mental concentration. Such figures, only several inches tall, are substitutes for the adept, and act as representatives who roam the heavens in order to secure beneficial influences for the adept. The 12th-century Pivot of the Dao compendium refers to a method of the "ancient sages" that enables one to divide the body by gazing at one's shadow , as well as by gazing at one's reflection in a metal or water mirror. Other methods consist of envisioning oneself, or one's distinctive soul, entering the Palace of the Taiji Supreme Ultimate or ascending into the heavens accompanied by the three divinities of the
Dantian Dantian is a concept in traditional Chinese medicine loosely translated as "elixir field", "sea of '' qi''", or simply "energy center." Dantian are the "''qi'' focus flow centers," important focal points for meditative and exercise techniques s ...
, or else fusing with the Taiyi Supreme One. In their exercises, the Daoists , , and .


See also

* Sung Chi-li, notorious Taiwan cult leader who claims to achieve ''fenshen'' body division


References


External links

*
Integrating Inner Alchemy into Late Ming Cultural History: A Contextualization and Annotated Translation of Principles of the Innate Disposition and the Lifespan
' ({{zhi, p=Xingming guizhi, c=性命圭旨), Daniel Burton-Rose, see pp. 64–65. Chinese legends Mythological powers Shapeshifting Taoist practices