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  According to legend, Zhang Daoling was the eighth grandson of Zhang Liang, the founding minister of the Western Han Dynasty, and was born on the 15th day of the first month of the 10th year of the Han Guangwu Jianwu era in Afang Village, Feng County. Zhang Daoling's father was called Zhang Dashun, who was good at the art of immortality and called himself “Tongbai Zhenran”. When he gave birth to his son, he named him “Ling”, hoping that he could follow his ancestor in the future, stay away from the world, and ascend to the tomb to become an immortal. Zhang Daoling was very intelligent since his childhood, and at the age of seven, he had already read and understood the Tao Te Ching. When he was a scholar in the Imperial College, he was well versed in the Five Classics, astronomy and geography, and the books of river Luo and prophecy, and more than a thousand scholars followed him. However, he often sighed that the books he read could not solve the problems of life and death, so he abandoned Confucianism and switched to learning the way of longevity. When Zhang Daoling was 26 years old, he was an official in Jiangzhou (now Chongqing), but soon resigned from his post and lived in seclusion in Luoyang's North Mangshan Mountain (now north of Luoyang, Henan Province), where he studied the Way of Eternal Life. Emperor Zhang and Emperor He of the Han Dynasty successively recruited him to be a tai fu and marquis of Jixian County, but all of them resigned. After that, Zhang Daoling began to travel to famous mountains and rivers to seek immortality. First, he traveled south to the Huaihe River and lived in Tongbai Taiping Mountain, and then he crossed the river with his disciples Wang Chang and Zhao Sheng to Yunjin Mountain in Guixi County, Jiangxi Province. Yunjin mountain beautiful water, scenery and secluded, for the ancient immortal habitat, Zhang Daoling on the mountain hut and live, and build altar alchemy. Legend has it that three years later, the god Dan into, the dragon and tiger appeared, so this mountain is also known as the dragon and tiger mountain. Zhang Daoling was 60 years old at the time, heard that the people of Shuzhong pure, easy to educate, then moved to Sichuan Heming Mountain.

  相传为西汉开国功臣张良的第八世孙，汉光武建武十年正月十五日生于丰县阿房村。张道陵的父亲叫张大顺，好神仙之术，自称“桐柏真人”，生下儿子，即取名为“陵”，希望将来能追随先祖，远离尘世，登陵成仙。张道陵自幼聪慧过人，七岁便读通《道德经》。为太学书生时，博通《五经》，天文地理、河洛谶纬之书无不通晓，从其学者千余人。但常叹息所读之书无法解决生死问题，于是弃儒改学长生之道。张道陵26岁时曾官拜江州(今重庆)令，但不久就辞官隐居到洛阳北邙山(今河南洛阳北)中，精思学道。汉章帝、汉和帝先后征召其为太傅、冀县侯等职，均辞。之后张道陵开始云游名山大川、访道求仙。先是南游淮河，居桐柏太平山，后与弟子王长、赵升一起渡江南下到了江西贵溪县云锦山。云锦山山清水秀，景色清幽，为古仙人栖息之所，张道陵就在山上结庐而居，并筑坛炼丹。传说三年后神丹成，龙虎出现，故此山又称龙虎山。时年张道陵60岁，听闻蜀中民风纯厚，易可教化，便移居四川鹤鸣山。
  According to legend, on the 15th day of the first month of the first year of Han An (142) of Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, Lord Taishang descended on Shu and taught Zhang Daoling the “Path of Righteousness and Mightiness”, instructing him to eliminate demons and save the people. Zhang Daoling thus founded Taoism, honoring Laozi as the founder of the religion and taking “Tao” as the highest belief. In the second year of Yongshou (156), he ascended to immortality at the age of 123. In the seventh year of Tianbao of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (748), Zhang Daoling was honored with the title of “Master Tai Shi” because of Laozi. In the fourth year of Emperor Xi Zonghe's reign (884), he was honored as the “Great Master of the Three-Day Fugitive Religion”. In the second year of Da Guan of Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty (1108), Zhang Daoling was conferred the title of “Zheng Yi Jing Ying Zhen Jun”, and Emperor Li Zong conferred the title of “Three Days of Supporting the Teachings of the Yuan Dynasty, Zheng Yi Jing Ying Xian You Zhen Jun”. Yuan Chengzong Fengxuan Fengxuan Shenhua Jingying Xianyou Zhenjun”. Ming Chongzhen Emperor awarded “six infinite God”. Zhengyi school called Zu Tianshi, Taixuan Shangxiang, Da Sheng demon-protecting Taoist Heavenly Father.

  相传汉顺帝汉安元年（142）正月十五日，太上老君降临蜀地，传授张道陵“正一盟威之道”，嘱其扫除妖魔，救护生民。张道陵就此创立了道教，尊老子为教祖，以“道”为最高信仰。永寿二年(156)升仙而去，时年123岁。唐玄宗天宝七年（748年），因老子之故册赠张道陵为“太师”。禧宗中和四年（884年），封为“三天扶教大法师”。宋徽宗大观二年（1108年），册赠“正一靖应真君”，理宗加封“三天扶教辅元大法师，正一靖应显佑真君”。元成宗加封“正一冲玄神化静应显佑真君”。明崇祯皇帝加赠“六合无穷高明上帝”。正一派称祖天师、泰玄上相、大圣降魔护道天尊。

  On the reasons for Zhang Daoling to enter the Shu, one is “Shu people heard more pure and thick, easy to teach, and more famous mountains,” which is beneficial to the creation of the Church; two is “heard that the rash of Bashu gas hazardous to the human body, the people are plagued by disease and plague,” he wanted to use the talisman, Dan for the people to cure. After entering Sichuan, he first lived in Yangping Mountain, and then lived in Heming Mountain, and also went to Xicheng Mountain, Ge溃山, Qinzhong Mountain, Changli Mountain, Yongquan Mountain, Zhendu Mountain, Beiping Mountain, Qingcheng Mountain, and refined his thoughts and aspirations. Yonghe six years (141 years), Zhang Daoling writes 24 Taoist books, calling himself “Taiqing Xuanyuan”, accepting disciples to set up a religion, the establishment of Taoist grass-roots organizations. Those who practiced Taoism were required to pay five buckets of rice, which was then called “Five Buckets of Rice Taoism”.

  关于张道陵入蜀的原因，一是“闻蜀人多纯厚，易于教化，且多名山”，对创教有利；二是“闻巴蜀疹气危害人体，百姓为病疫灾厄所困”，他想用符、丹为人治病。入川后，他先居阳平山，后住鹤鸣山，还到了西城山、葛溃山、秦中山、昌利山、涌泉山、真都山、北平山、青城山，精思炼志。永和六年（141年），张道陵著作道书24篇，自称“太清玄元”，收徒设教，建立道教基层组织。奉其道者，须纳五斗米，时称“五斗米道”。
  In 142 years, Zhang Daoling claimed that Tai Shang Laojun had descended in person and awarded him “Three Days' Righteousness” and appointed him as “Heavenly Master”; in the same year, he also awarded him “Zheng Yi Ke Shu Yao Dao Fa Wen”, “Zheng Yi Liang Wei Miao Miao” and “Zheng Yi Liang Wei Miao”, and “Zheng Yi Liang Wei Miao”. The same year also awarded the “Zhengyi Keji Dao Fa Wen”, “Zhengyi League Wei Miaojing”, named “three days of the Master Zhengyi real people”. And also entrusted to the Lord Lao in the second year of Emperor Han An Di under the twenty-four rules (Buhua line of regional institutions): on the eight rules, eight rules, eight rules, the next eight rules, asked the celestial master Zhang Daoling to carry out the Buhua. Thus, Zhang Daoling established twenty-four centers of religious activities in the Ba Shu area, i.e., the twenty-four rules, and then set up the priests and wines, leading their households, like the Zai Guan. From this time onwards, Taoism began to have a formal religious organization, “Zheng Yi Meng Wei Dao”, also known as “Tian Shi Dao” in later times.

  142年张道陵托言太上老君亲降，授“三天正法”，命其为“天师”；同年又授“正一科术要道法文”，“正一盟威妙经”，命为“三天法师正一真人”。又托言太上老君于汉安帝二年下二十四治（布化行道的地区机构）：上八治，中八治，下八治，嘱天师张道陵奉行布化。于是张道陵在巴蜀地区建立起二十四个宗教活动中心，即二十四治，进而设立祭酒，分领其户，有如宰守。从这时起，道教开始有了正规教团组织“正一盟威道”，后世也称之为“天师道”。
  Zhang Daoling used talismanic water and incantations to cure people's diseases. He also taught the people how to get salt, which was later called “Lingjing” (boiling salt with salty well water). The people were benefited and worshiped him as the Heavenly Master, with tens of thousands of disciples. He set up a system whereby his disciples would take turns to provide rice, silk, utensils, firewood, etc.; he did not impose penalties and ruled the people with a good way of life. So that there is a disease of the Secretary since the birth of the crime, handwritten book cast into the water, and the gods alliance, not to repeat the crime, to life and death as a covenant.

  张道陵以符水、咒法为人治病。并授民取盐之法，后人称“陵井”（用咸井水熬盐）。百姓得其益，奉之为天师，弟子户达数万。并立条制，使诸弟子随事轮流出米绢器物樵薪等；不施刑罚，以善道治人。使有疾病者书记生身以来所犯之罪，手书投水中，与神明共盟，不得复犯罪，以生死为约。
  Zhang Daoling honored Laozi as the ancestor of Taoism, and regarded the Five Thousand Writings of Laozi as the supreme classic, and compiled his own Laozi waner zhu (Laozi's Commentary) to give full play to Laozi's Taoist thoughts. Taking “Tao” as the highest belief, he compared “Tao” with Laozi and declared that “Tao” is “one”. “One is dispersed as qi, and gathered in the form of Taishang Laojun”.
  张道陵尊老子为道祖，奉《老子五千文》为最高经典，并自编《老子想尔注》发挥老子的道家思想。以“道”为最高信仰，将“道”和老子相提并论，宣称即“道”是“一”，“一散为气，聚形为太上老君”。