佛祖歷代通載 13.30

13.30

（二十二　癸酉）　恒州刺史韋濟奏。方士張果有長年祕術。自言數百歲矣。則天嘗召之。果徉死不赴。今復見之。帝聞遣中書侍郎徐嶠齎璽書迎之。果至。帝聞其變化不測而疑之。時邢和璞者。善算。能知人壽夭。帝令。算果。懵然莫知其甲子。又有師夜光者。善視鬼。帝召果與之密坐。令夜光視之。夜光不能見。帝聞飲菫汁無苦者真奇士。會天寒以菫汁賜之。果飲三巵醺然如醉。顧左右曰。非佳酒也。傾之取鏡視齒則盡燋黑。命左右取鐵如意擊齒墮盡。更出神藥傅其齗寢。頃之齒復粲然如故。帝始信之。將妻以公主。果預知苦辭獲免。後懇辭歸山。下制曰。恒州張果先生游方之外者也。迹造高尚深入窈冥。早渾光塵應詔城闕。莫詳甲子之數。且謂羲皇上人。問以道樞盡會宗極今特行朝禮。爰昇寵命可銀青光祿大夫。號通玄先生。其年果入恒山。後不知終。

([Kaiyuan], Year 22, [cyclical year] Guiyou) [734 CE]: Wei Ji, the prefect of Hengzhou, memorialized that the esoteric master Zhang Guo possessed secret arts of longevity and claimed to be several hundred years old. Empress Zetian had once summoned him, but Guo feigned death and did not attend. Now he had reappeared. Hearing this, the Emperor dispatched Vice Director of the Central Secretariat Xu Qiao bearing an imperial letter with the imperial seal to welcome him. When Guo arrived, the Emperor doubted him upon hearing of his unfathomable transformations. At that time, there was Xing Hepu, who was skilled in divination and could determine human life spans. The Emperor ordered him to divine Guo's span, but he was utterly confounded and could not determine his birth date. There was also Shi Yeguang, who was skilled at seeing ghosts. The Emperor summoned Guo to sit privately with him and ordered Yeguang to look at him, but Yeguang was unable to see anything. The Emperor, having heard that anyone who could drink aconite juice without suffering was a true marvel, took advantage of the cold weather to bestow aconite juice upon him. Guo drank three goblets, becoming tipsy as if intoxicated. Looking around at the attendants, he said: 'This is not good wine.' He tilted his head, took a mirror to look at his teeth, and found them completely charred black. He ordered the attendants to take an iron ruyi sceptre and knock all his teeth out. He then produced a divine medicine, applied it to his gums, and lay down to sleep. In a short while, his teeth were restored, bright and clean as before. The Emperor only then believed him and intended to marry a princess to him; Guo, foreknowing this, pleaded vigorously to be excused. Later, he earnestly requested permission to return to the mountains. An imperial edict was issued: 'Master Zhang Guo of Hengzhou is a traveller beyond the ordinary realm. His tracks attain the lofty and ascend into the profound and dark. Early on he blended his light with the dust and answered the summons to the imperial palace. None can determine the tally of his birth date; he is truly a man from before the time of Fuxi. When questioned about the pivot of the Way, he thoroughly comprehends the ultimate principle. Now, court protocol is specially observed, and an honouring decree is conferred: he may be made Grand Master of the Silver-Blue Light with Golden Seal, styled Master Tongxuan (Penetrating the Mysterious).' In that year, Guo entered Mount Heng, and his end was unknown thereafter.