南嶽總勝集 3.4

3.4

蕭靈護。字天佑。廬陵人也。生五七歲能詩。凡所作皆塵外意。十五好道裝。遇至人傳金丹胎息。周訪名山。負道書百餘卷。常云。欲昇南宮。先度朱陵。迤邐訪洞陽過嶽麓。瞻鄧真人之像曰。此山乃朱陵之一福地。夜遇真人傳火鼎之術。貞觀年。泝瀟湘躬禮注生行法驅邪。邦鄉得濟者不可勝計。後居招仙觀。鍊火鼎之術。化黃白而外鬻之。修其觀宇。為之一新。侯王禮敬。請為法主。皆北面而事之。後選其幽勝。以鍊神丹。凡經三壇方始鍊就。後服之。於弘道二年中秋。謂門人曰。吾行期已至。當有所適。不可淹留。汝等精懃將有所繼。遂尸解。香氣滿室。似有清音盼於戶外。經時而止。

Xiao Linghu, styled Tianyou, was a man of Luling. At the age of five or seven he could compose poetry, and all that he made had an intention beyond the dust of the world. At fifteen he took fond to Daoist attire. He met a perfected person who transmitted to him the golden elixir and embryonic breathing. He visited famous mountains all around, carrying over a hundred scrolls of Daoist texts on his back. He often said, “If one wishes to ascend to the Southern Palace, one must first cross through Zhuling.” Gradually visiting Dongyang, he passed Yuelu, gazed upon the image of Perfected Deng, and said, “This mountain is one of the blessed lands of Zhuling.” At night he met a perfected person who transmitted to him the art of the fire cauldron. During the Zhenguan era, he sailed up the Xiao and Xiang rivers to personally pay homage to Zhusheng, practicing rites to expel evil; the people of the countryside who were saved were beyond counting. Later he resided at the Zhaoxian Abbey, refining the art of the fire cauldron, transforming yellow and white metals to sell outside, and renovating the abbey so that it was completely renewed. Feudal lords and kings revered him and invited him to be their Dharma master, all facing north to serve him. Later he selected a secluded and scenic spot to refine the divine elixir, taking three altars in all before it was accomplished. Later he ingested it. At the Mid-Autumn Festival in the second year of Hongdao, he said to his disciples, “The time for my journey has arrived; I must go where I belong and cannot linger. If you are diligent, you will have what follows.” He then underwent deliverence from the corpse. A fragrant aroma filled the room, and there seemed to be clear music resonating outside the door, which ceased after some time.