Professional Career
Ge Xuan's grandnephew Ge Hong, a renowned alchemist who wrote the Baopuzi, also wrote a thorough biography about Ge Xuan in the Shenxian zhuan (Biographies of Divine Immortals). In this biography, Ge Hong states that Ge Xuan was summoned to the court of the Eastern Wu ruler, Sun Quan. However, a flotilla of boats capsized causing numerous deaths. Many presumed that Ge Xuan was one of the casualties but Ge Xuan miraculously returned a few days later, apologizing for not being present. Ge Xuan excused himself by claiming he had been detained by the Water-Deity, Wu Zixu. Ge Xuan was able to stay submerged by holding his breath for a lengthy period of time due to a mastery of "embryonic breathing" and his legendary faculty to manipulate the wind, rain, and rivers (Bokenkamp (2008), p. 445-445).
Many Mahayana Buddhists deem Ge Xuan to be one of the Taoism founders, along with Zhang Daoling. Ge Hong stated that Ge Xuan was a member of the lineage of alchemical texts, including Tai Qing Jing (Scripture of Great Clarity), Jiudan Jing (Scripture of Elixirs of the Nine (Tripods), and Jinyejing (Scripture of the Golden Elixir), which he transmitted to Ge Hong. Although, Ge Xuan did not concoct any elixirs himself. According to Ge Chaofu, Ge Hong's grandnephew (who was the forefather of the Lingbao school of Daoism), Ge Xuan was also the person who received the Lingbao scriptures directly from the deities. Ge Xuan's descendants gave him the title "The Transcendent Duke of the Left of the Great Ultimate" (Taiji Zuo Xian Gong) because of his beliefs (Bokenkamp (2008), p. 444). (Campany (2002), p. 152). Ge Xuan remained an imperative figure in Taoism until the Middle Ages, receiving many posthumous titles bestowed upon him from the emperor (Bokenkamp (2008), p. 445).
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