Declarations of the Perfected is the first complete, annotated translation of ZhenÕgao, Tao HongjingÕs (456-536) masterful compilation of the Shangqing or Higher Clarity revelations, setting the stage for the heyday of medieval Daoism. The present volume presents the DeclarationsÕ second part (fasc. 5-8), which focuses on the various difficulties that Daoist practitioners are likely to encounter in a dangerous world, and how to overcome them. It begins with instructions of a more general nature, before moving on to problems faced specifically by Xu Mi (303-376) and his family and fellow officials. This volume also sheds much light on the history of its timeÑthe kinds of moral and philosophical issues that were being debated, as well political intrigues in the Eastern Jin court.