Early Daoist Hagiographies : The Revelations of Yang Xi and the Inner Tradition of Han Emperor Wu

Early Daoist Hagiographies offers an engaging new translation of six key Daoist texts that illuminate the interplay between religion and literature in medieval China.Five of the texts are hagiographies from the fourth-century Supreme Purity (Shangqing) tradition, attributed to Yang Xi, who claimed to receive divine revelations from perfected beings during nightly séances.These narratives recount the trials and spiritual practices of early Daoist practitioners who ascended to godhood, serving as models for moral and ritual behavior.Complementing these is the Inner Tradition of Han Emperor Wu, an early sixth-century tale of Emperor Wu's failed pursuit of immortality, blending Daoist cosmology with cautionary themes about human desire.Together, these texts showcase the dynamic ways Daoist religious traditions shaped literary imagination during a period of political upheaval and cultural innovation.They provide insights into early medieval Daoist practices--such as meditative techniques, a