shijiexian 尸解仙

deity Taoist single tradition · 2

These are "escape by means of a simulated corpse transcendents" and are ranked as the lowest of three categories. They employ bianhua simulation of death, an adept will typically pretend to become ill, feign death, and be buried, and later is seen alive, always at a distant place. When the coffin is opened, instead of a corpse, it contains some other object (talisman, sword, clothing, etc.).

↻ synthesized from 2 sources

When

First attested
200 CE
Attested period
400 – 1600
Historical notes
Mentioned in Ge Hong's Baopuzi.

Relationships

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Sources

Source passages

“In the Baopuzi, Ge Hong ranked shijiexian 尸解仙 "escape by means of a simulated corpse transcendents" as the lowest of three categories, below tianxian 天仙 "celestial transcendents" who ascend into the heavens and dixian 地仙 "earthbound transcendents" who wander in the mountains.”

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