Celestial masters : history and ritual in early daoist communities
Terry F. Kleeman (Author)
In 142 CE, the divine Lord Lao descended to Mount Cranecall (Sichuan province) to establish a new covenant with humanity through a man named Zhang Ling, the first Celestial Master. Facing an impending apocalypse caused by centuries of sin, Zhang and his descendants forged a communal faith centering on a universal priesthood, strict codes of conduct, and healing through the confession of sins; this faith was based upon a new, bureaucratic relationship with inco
eBook, English, 2016
Harvard University Asia Center, Cambridge, MA, 2016