The Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters

The 4-volumed Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters ( 《漢天師世家》 Han Tianshi Shijia ), written by Zhang Zhengchang, the 24th generation Celestial master was actually a genealogy of Celestial Masters Zhang. Vol. 1 contains prefaces by different people in different times: Song Lian in 9th the year of the Hongwu era, Su Boheng , Wang Dexin, Yu Wenwei and Zhou Tianqiu in the 23rd year of the Hongwu era. Vol. 2 to Vol. 4 records the chronicles and lives of the 1st to the 49th Celestial Masters among which the chronicles of the 42nd to 49th celestial masters should have been revised by the 43rd and 50th celestial masters. This genealogy is not full and clear for the history from Zhang Lu to Sui and Tang Dynasties. It is detailed and full about the nobility conferred to the family by rulers since the Five Dynasties, esp. after the 24th Celestial Master. Collected in the Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era ( 《萬曆續道藏》 Wanli Xu Daozang ), the book is important material for the study of the celestial masters. Succeeding the book, 62nd Celestial Masters Zhang Yuanxu wrote Supplementary Genealogy of Celestial Masters ( 《補天師世家》 Bu Tianshi Shijia ), recording the lives of the 50th to 61st Celestial Masters.