Quanzhen School

The Quanzhen School is a branch of Taoism that originated in Northern China under the Jin
dynasty (11151234).[1] One of its founders was the Taoist Wang Chongyang, who lived in the
early Jin. When the Mongols invaded the Song dynasty (9601279) in 1254, the Quanzhen
Taoists exerted/mendesak great effort in keeping the peace, thus saving thousands of lives,
particularly among those of Han Chinese descent.

Foundation principles
The meaning of Quanzhen can be translated literally to "All True" and for this reason, it is often
called the "All Truth Religion" or the "Way of Completeness and Truth." In some texts, it is also
referred to as the "Way of Complete Perfection." Kunyu mountain in Shandong
province Weihai city is the birthplace of Taoism (Quan Zhen Religion).[2] With strong Taoist roots,
the Quanzhen School specializes in the process of "alchemy within the body" or Neidan (internal
alchemy), as opposed to Waidan (external alchemy which experiments with the ingestion
of herbs and minerals, etc.). The Waidan tradition has been largely replaced by Neidan, as
Waidan was a sometimes dangerous and lethal pursuit/pencarian yg membawa maut. Quanzhen
focuses on internal cultivation of the person which is consistent with the pervading/meliputi Taoist
belief of Wu Wei, which is essentially "action through inaction."
Like most Taoists, Quanzhen priests were particularly concerned
with longevity and immortality through alchemy, harmonising oneself with the Tao, studying
the Five Elements, and ideas on balance consistent with Yin and Yang theory. The school is also
known for using Buddhist and Confucian ideas.

History
According to traditional legend, Wang Chongyang met two Taoist immortals in the summer of
1159 CE. The immortals, Zhongli Quan and L Dongbin taught him Taoist beliefs and trained him
in secret rituals. The meeting proved deeply influential, and roughly a year later, in 1160, Wang
met one of these men again. In this second encounter, he was provided with a set of five written
instructions which led to his decision of living by himself in a grave he created for himself in
Zhongnan Mountain for three years.
After seven years of living in the Mountain (three inside the grave and another four in a
hut/pondok he later called "Complete Perfection Hut"), Wang met two of his seven future
disciples, Tan Chuduan and Qiu Chuji. In 1167, Wang traveled to Shandong Province and met
Ma Yu and Ma's wife Sun Bu'er who became his students. These and others would become part
of the seven Quanzhen disciples, who were later known as the Seven Masters of Quanzhen.
After Wang's departure, it was left to his disciples to continue expounding the Quanzhen beliefs.
Ma Yu succeeded Wang as head of the school, while Sun Bu'er went on to establish the Purity
and Tranquility School, one of the foremost branches of Quanzhen.
Another notable disciple of Wang was Qiu Chuji who founded the famous White Cloud
Monastery in Beijing. Qiu Chuji was the founder of the school called Dragon Gate Taoism. Qiu
was on good terms with the Mongol monarch Genghis Khan who put him in charge of religious
affairs in Mongol-controlled China. As a result, the Quanzhen School of Taoism continued to
flourish long after Wang's death, right through to the present.

Branches and sects

The seven disciples of Wang Chongyang continue expounding the Quanzhen beliefs. The seven
Masters of Quanzhen established the following seven branches.

Ma Yu (): Yuxian lineage (Meeting the Immortals, )

 Tan Chuduan (): Nanwu lineage (Southern Void, )
Liu Chuxuan (): Suishan lineage (Mount Sui, )
Qiu Chuji (): Longmen lineage (Dragon Gate Taoism, )
Wang Chuyi (): Yushan lineage (Mount Yu, )
Hao Datong (): Huashan lineage (Mount Hua, )
Sun Bu'er (): Qingjing lineage (Purity and Tranquility Sect, )

References
1. Jump up^ "Quanzhen Tradition". British Taoist Association.
2. Jump up^ Kunyu mountain-birthplace of Quan Zhen Religion

(Chinese)
(Chinese)
Eskildsen, Stephen. The Teachings and Practice of the Early Quanzhen Taoist
Masters. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2006.

External links[edit]

Taoism portal

Quanzhen Daoist Internal Alchemy A link to the site of the Quanzhen Longmen School - in
English
Quanzhen (Vincent Goossaert), entry from The Encyclopedia of Taoism

Qiu Chuji
Qiu Chuji (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: Qi Chj; 1148 23
July 1227), also known by his Taoist name Changchun zi (Chinese: ;
pinyin: Chngchnzi),[1][2] was a Daoist disciple of Wang Chongyang. He was the most
famous[3] among the Seven True Daoists of the North.[4] He was the founder of the Dragon
Gate sect of Taoism attracting the largest following in the streams of traditions flowing from the
sects of the disciples.

Qiu Chuji as painted by Guo Xu, 1503

History
In 1219 Genghis Khan invited Changchun to visit him[5][6] in a letter dated 15 May 1219 by present
reckoning. Changchun left his home in Shandong in February 1220 and journeyed to Beijing.
Learning that Genghis had gone West, he spent winter there. In February 1221, Changchun left,
traversing eastern Mongolia to the camp of Genghis' youngest brother Otchigin near Lake Buyur
in the upper Kerulen - today's Kherlen-Amur basin. From there he traveled southwestward up the
Kerulen, crossing the Karakorum region in north-central Mongolia, and arrived at the Altai
Mountains, probably passing near the present Uliastai. After traversing the Altai he visited
Bishbalig - modern rmqi - and moved along the north side of the Tian Shan range to Lake
Sutkol, today's Sairam, Almaliq (or Yining City), and the rich valley of the Ili.
From there, Changchun passed to Balasagun and Shu City[disambiguation needed] and across this river
to Talas and the Tashkent region, and then over the Syr Darya to Samarkand, where he halted
for some months. Finally, through the Iron Gates of Termit, over the Amu Darya, and by way
of Balkh and northern Afghanistan, Changchun reached Genghis' camp near the Hindu Kush.
Changchun, had been invited to satisfy the interest of Genghis Khan in "the philosopher's stone"
and the secret medicine of immortality. He explained the Taoist philosophy and the many ways to
prolong life and was honest in saying there was no secret medicine of immortality.[3] The two had
12 in-depth conversations.[7] Genghis Khan honoured him with the title Spirit Immortal.[4] Genghis
also made Changchun in charge of all religious persons in the empire.[8][9][10] Their conversations
were recorded in the book Xuan Feng Qing Hui Lu.
The Yenisei area had a community of weavers of Chinese origin and Samarkand and Outer
Mongolia both had artisans of Chinese origin seen by Changchun.[11]
Returning home, Changchun largely followed his outward route, with certain deviations, such as
a visit to Hohhot. He was back in Beijing by the end of January 1224. From the narrative of his
expedition, Travels to the West of Qiu Chang Chun written by his pupil and companion Li
Zhichang,[12] we derive some of the most vivid pictures ever drawn of nature and man between
the Great Wall of China and Kabul, between the Aral and Yellow Seas.
Of particular interest are the sketches of the Mongols and the people of Samarkand and its
vicinity, the account of the land and products of Samarkand in the Ili Valley at or near Almalig-
Kulja, and the description of various great mountain ranges, peaks and defiles, such as the
Chinese Altay, the Tian Shan, Bogdo Uula, and the Iron Gates of Termit. There is, moreover, a
noteworthy reference to a land apparently identical with the uppermost valley of the Yenisei.
After his return, Changchun lived in Beijing until his death on 23 July 1227. By order of Genghis
Khan, some of the former imperial garden grounds were given to him for the foundation of a
Daoist Monastery of the White Clouds[5] that exists to this day.

Fiction[edit]
Qiu Chuji appears as a character in Jin Yong's Legend of the Condor Heroes, Return of the
Condor Heroes, and Kingdom of Conquerors (Zhi Sha).

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Li Chih-Ch'ang (16 April 2013). The Travels of an Alchemist - The Journey of the Taoist
Ch'ang-Ch'un from China to the Hindukush at the Summons of Chingiz Khan. Read Books
Limited. ISBN 978-1-4465-4763-2.
2. Jump up^ E. Bretschneider (15 October 2013). Mediaeval Researches from Eastern Asiatic
Sources: Fragments Towards the Knowledge of the Geography and History of Central and
Western Asia from the 13th to the 17th Century:. Routledge. pp. 35. ISBN 978-1-136-38021-1.
3. ^ Jump up to:a b De Hartog, Leo (1989). Genghis Khan - Conqueror of the World. Great Britain,
Padstow, Cornwall: Tauris Parke Paperbacks. pp. 124127. ISBN 978-1-86064-972-1.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b "Quanzhen Tradition". British Taoist Association.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b Li, Chi Ch'ang. "1220 - 1223 : The Travels of Ch'ang Ch'un to the West".
6. Jump up^ Morris Rossabi (28 November 2014). From Yuan to Modern China and Mongolia: The
Writings of Morris Rossabi. BRILL. pp. 425. ISBN 978-90-04-28529-3.
 7. Jump up^ (Chinese) , "" ()2014-10-20
8. Jump up^ Holmes Welch (1966). Taoism: the parting of the way (revised ed.). Beacon Press.
p. 154. ISBN 0-8070-5973-0. Retrieved 2011-11-28. The Sung was succeeded by the dynasty of
the Mongol invaders, or the Yuan. The Yuan saw the zenith of Taoist political fortunes. In 1219
Chingiz Khan, who was at that time in the west, summoned the Taoist monk Ch'ang Ch'un to
come and preach to him. Ch'ang Ch'un had succeeded Wang Che as head of the Northern
School in 1170; he was now seventy-one years old. Four years later, after a tremendous journey
across Central Asia, he reached Imperial headquarters in Afghanistan. When he arrived, he
lectured Chingiz on the art of nourishing the vital spirit. "To take medicine for a thousand years,"
he said, "does less good than to be alone for a single night." Such forthright injunctions to subdue
the flesh pleased the great conqueror, who wrote Ch'ang Ch'un after his return to China, asking
that he "recite scriptures on my behalf and pray for my longevity." In 1227 Chingiz decreed that all
priests and persons of religion in his empire were to be under Ch'ang Chun's control and hat his
jurisdiction over the Taoist community was to be absolute. On paper, at least, no Taoist before or
since has ever had such power. It did not last long, for both Chingiz and Ch'ang died that same
year (1227).
9. Jump up^ Daniel P. Reid (1989). The Tao of health, sex, and longevity: a modern practical guide
to the ancient way (illustrated ed.). Simon and Schuster. p. 46. ISBN 0-671-64811-X.
Retrieved 2011-11-28. Chang Chun: The greatest living adept of Tao when Genghis Khan
conquered China; the Great Khan summoned him to his field headquarters in AFghanistan in AD
1219 and was so pleased with his discourse that he appointed him head of all religious life in
China.
10. Jump up^ Joe Hung (June 23, 2008). "Seven All True Greats VII". The China Post.
Retrieved September 29, 2011.
11. Jump up^ Jacques Gernet (31 May 1996). A History of Chinese Civilization. Cambridge University
Press. pp. 377. ISBN 978-0-521-49781-7.
12. Jump up^ BUELL, PAUL D. (1979). "SINO-KHITAN ADMINISTRATION IN MONGOL
BUKHARA". Journal of Asian History. Harrassowitz Verlag. pp. 1358. JSTOR 41930343.

E. Bretschneider, Mediaeval Researches from Eastern Asiatic Sources, vol. i. pp. 35108,
where a complete translation of the narrative is given, with a valuable commentary
C. R. Beazley Dawn of Modern Geography, iii.539.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh,
ed. (1911). "Chang Chun, Kiu". Encyclopdia Britannica. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University
Press. p. 840.

External links[edit]
Introduction to Quanzhen Daoism and the Dragon Gate Tradition
The Travels of Ch'ang Ch'un to the West, 1220-1223, recorded by his disciple Li Chi Ch'ang,
translated by E. Bretschneider (includes a translation of Genghis Khan's letter of invitation)
Qiuchuji's story including timeline and comics - but only the Chinese section works
The Perfect Man of Eternal Spring Qiu Chuji (In Chinese.)

Wang Chuyi
Wang Chuyi (11421217) was one of "The Seven Perfect Ones of the North" or "The Seven
Real Taoists",[1] terms used for disciples of Wang Chongyang. He founded the Yushan lineage of
the Quanzhen School. He was alleged/diduga to have resurrected/meenghidupkan kembai a
corpse/mayat by covering his ears and shouting "The Underground Ministry Must Not Receive
Him."[2]

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Aspect of Chinese culture, pg 143
 2. Jump up^ The teachings and practices of the early Quanzhen Taoist masters by Stephen
Eskildsen SUNY Press

Sun Bu'er
Sun Bu'er (Sun Pu-erh, Chinese: ), one of the Taoist Seven Masters of Quanzhen, lived
c. 11191182 C.E. in the Shandongprovince of China. She was a beautiful, intelligent, wealthy
woman, married with three children. Her family name was Sun and her first name was Fuchun (
), Bu'er being her name in religion. Her husband Ma Yu was a student of Wang Chongyang.
At the age of 51 she took up the study of the Dao and herself became a disciple of Wang
Chongyang, serving as a Taoist priestess. She eventually left her home and traveled to the city
of Luoyang where after twelve years of practice, at Fengxiangu cave, she attained the Dao and,
it is said, became an immortal. Sun was a teacher with several disciples, founding the Purity and
Tranquility School, and wrote many poems.

Sun Bu'er (in the middle of the top row) with the other Seven Masters of Quanzhen and their teacher, Wang
Chongyang

Early life[edit]
Sun Bu'er was born (as Sun Fuchun) in 1119, in a small town located within the Ninghai district
of Shandong. Her birth was thought to be the result of a dream her mother had near the time of
conception. In the dream her mother saw seven cranes near her courtyard; six of them flew
away, and the seventh magically entered her mother's body through her breast. The crane is a
symbol of immortality and is seen as the bird of long life. After this dream her mother intuitively
knew that she would give birth to a divine being.[1]
At a young age, Sun Bu'er was already exhibiting saintly characteristics. She was very intelligent,
lived out the Dao through chants, poems, and practicing calligraphy, and she was devoted to the
rites and rules of propriety. Sun Bu'er received literary education from her father (Sun Zhongjing),
who was a literary scholar. In her teens she married Ma Yu (Ma Danyang), and the couple had
three sons together. Their lives would remain quiet until 1167, when Wang Chongyang's arrival
disrupted their lives.[2]

The School of Complete Perfection[edit]

Wang Chongyang (11121170) began a career as a religious leader soon after hermetizing
himself on a 100-day retreat. He began a new movement named "Complete Perfection". Sun
Bu'er's husband, Ma Yu, became an eager follower of Wang. This relationship caused disruption
in Sun Bu'er's family life. Sun became so angry with Wang's interference in her social role that
she hoped he would starve to death during his retreat. He was still alive after 100 days, during
which he had perfected his sainthood. This caused Sun Bu'er to recognize her religious calling.
In order for her husband to pursue his divine path she had to let him be free. She then decided to
leave her family, which contradicted what was seen as her wifely duty.[3] She then began her role
in becoming one of the few women in the "Seven Perfected". This became a major statement in
the conflict women undergo between their social role and their religious calling.
Life as a "Seven Perfected"[edit]
Sun Bu'er finally joined the "Seven Perfected" after being urged ten times by Wang to convert.
Once formally part of the group, Sun Bu'er received her Daoist name, Bu'er. She became a nun
of Complete Perfection and a resident of the Golden Lotus Hall, where she received the title,
"Serene one of clarity and Tranquility". Sun Bu'er was then able to engage in advanced rituals.
Some of these rituals consisted of performing exorcisms and acquiring magical powers.[4]
Sun then moved west, where she fought rain, frost and bad terrain. She began following
the Zhouyi cantong qi (Tally to the book of changes), which gave her instruction to practice her
reversed breathing. She unblocked the orifices in her body, and refined the qi (energy flow) in her
three cinnabar fields (located between the eyebrows in the head, the heart and abdomen). She
eventually attained full realization of the Dao.[5]
Sun Bu'er then moved to Luoyang in order to attract disciples. She set herself up in a residence
called Feng xiangu dong (Grotto of the Immortal Lady Feng). She inherited a female lineage
there and became known for her eccentricity and for her ability to perform exorcisms.[6]
Sun Bu'er did not appear among the Seven Perfected until sixty years after her death. She then
received the formal title "Perfected of Clarity and Tranquility and Deep Perfection Who Follows
Virtue".[7]

Renunciation of physical attractiveness[edit]

Sun Bu'er is most known for her journey from Shang Dong to Luoyang, where she intentionally
made herself ugly by splashing boiling oil on her face to destroy her beauty. She did this in order
to survive her trip unmolested. Sun Bu'er knew her physical attractiveness made her a target for
men and could hinder her chances of completing her journey. A goal of Sun Bu'er's journey was
to overcome her physical attractiveness, that inhibited her study of the Dao. By completing this
action she then became recognized for her dedication to the Dao.[8]

Role for Daoist women[edit]

Sun Bu'er serves as a model and matriarch for women who follow the tradition of Complete
Perfection. She was the only woman to become one of the Complete Perfected. Women who
study Complete Perfection follow her work of chemical enterprise for women. Her determination
to lead the life of a female ascetic, devoted to the Dao, appears to have inspired countless other
women.[9]

Accomplishments[edit]
Sun Bu'er wrote a set of fourteen poems and is credited with various alchemical works. She used
her poems and verses to give women a general outline of the alchemical enterprise for women.
The poems describe the cosmic connection of an individual's qi (energy flow) and the tendency
of humans to fall into sensory complications. The poems outline the path to wholeness and how
to achieve the "Dao" through meditation, breathing exercises, the reversion of qi, and ending
menstruation.[10]
Sun Bu'er's poems reflect certain aspects of Taoist spirituality: that the cyclical changes in the
human body and cycles of the seasons of the natural world are related. Sun Bu'er wrote about
letting nature taking its natural course.[11]
This is an example of one of Sun Bu'er's poems used for her teachings:
Projecting the Spirit
There is a body outside the body,
Which has nothing to do with anything produced by magical arts
Making this aware energy completely pervasive Is the living, active, unified, original spirit
The bright moon congeals the gold liquid
Blue lotus refines jade reality
When you've cooked the marrow of the sun and moon
The pearl is so bright you don't worry about poverty (Cahill, 1996, p.62).

Later life[edit]
Sun Bu'er died in 1182,[citation needed] having predicted the hour of her
departure. Before she died, she groomed herself, put on clean
clothes, presented herself to her disciples, and recited a poem,
therefore she was able to control her body and life.[12] Sun Bu'er
realized her original destiny by returning to the realm of immortals,
reaffirming her role as a part of the eternal Dao.[13]
The surviving writings of Sun Bu'er consist of:

"Secret Book on the Inner Elixir as Transmitted by the Immortal

Sun Bu'er" (Sun Bu'er yuanjun chuanshu dandoao mishu)
"Model Sayings of the Primordial Immortal Sun Bu'er" (Sun
Bu'er yuanjun fayu)

References[edit]
Notes

1. Jump up^ Despeux, 2003, p. 142

2. Jump up^ Despeux, 2003, p. 143
3. Jump up^ Despeux, 2003, p. 145
4. Jump up^ Despeux, 2003, p. 144
5. Jump up^ Despeux, 2003, p. 146
6. Jump up^ Despeux, 2003, p. 147
7. Jump up^ Despeux, 2003, p. 147
8. Jump up^ Despeux, 2003, p. 148
9. Jump up^ Boltz,1987, p. 155
10. Jump up^ Despeux, 2003, p. 148
11. Jump up^ Young, 1993, p. 385
12. Jump up^ Minghe yuyin 5.7a
13. Jump up^ Despeux, 2003, p. 147

Bibliography[edit]
Boltz, Judith M. (1987). A Survey of Taoist Literature: Tenth to
Seventeenth Centuries. Berkeley, CA: Institute of East Asian
Studies.
Cahill, Susan.(1996). Wise Women: Over Two Thousand Years
of Spiritual Writings by Women. W.W. Norton & Company.
Cleary, Thomas. (1989). Immortal Sisters: Secrets of Taoist
Women. Shambhala Publications.
Despeux, C., & Kohn, L. (2003). Women in Daoism. Cambridge,
MA: Three Pines Press.
Eskildsen, Stephen. (2004). The teachings and Practices of
Early Quanzhen Taoist Masters. CA: Suny Press.
Kohn, Livia (Ed.). (2000). Handbook of Oriental Studies Section
Four. Volume 14. Brill Academic publishers.
Silvers, Brock. (2005). The Taoist Manual: An Illustrated Guide
Applying Taoism to Daily Life. Sacred Mountain Press.
 Valussi, Elena. (2004). Women in Daoism. Journal of Chinese
Religions no. 32.
Wiethaus, Urlike. (1999). Encyclopedia of Women and World
Religion: Volume 2. (pp. 961, 10091011) New York: MacMillan
Reference USA.
Wong, Eva. (1990). Seven Taoist Masters: A Folk Novel of
China. Shambala Publications.
Young, Serenity. (1993). An Anthology of Sacred Texts by and
about Women. Virginia : Crossroads.
The Seven Immortals[edit]
Ma Yu
Tan ChuDuan
Liu ChuXuan
Qiu Chuji
Wang ChuYi
Hao DaTong
Sun Bu'er