The Bidong Sect 碧洞宗

Bidong Sect, a branch of the Longmen Sect of Quanzhen Taoism.

It spread in Sichuan. Its founder was Chen Qingjue (1606 - 1705). According to The Genealogy of the Upper Branch of the Zhengzong Bidong Hall of Longmen, Chen Qingjue, with the Taoist titles Hansong and Yanxia, was a native of Wuchang, Hubei.

He became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in his youth and entered the Hanlin Academy as a Shuchang (a junior official). Later, he resigned from his official post to become a Taoist, went to Taizi Slope of Wudang Mountain, and paid homage to Zhan Tailin, a Longmen Taoist, as his teacher, becoming the 10th - generation disciple of the Longmen Sect. In the 8th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1669) (or some say in the 26th year of the Kangxi reign), he entered Sichuan and arrived at Tianshi Cave in Qingcheng Mountain, where he repaired the temple buildings and devoted himself to Taoist practice. In the 26th year of the Kangxi reign (1687), he handed over the religious affairs to Zhang Qinghu and went to Qingyang Palace in Chengdu to cultivate tranquility.

Zhao Liangbi, the provincial judicial commissioner, met him and treated him with the etiquette due to a teacher. He built Erxian Nunnery next to Qingyang Palace for Chen Qingjue to live in. In the 41st year of the Kangxi reign (1702), the emperor granted him the title of "Bidong True Person" and awarded him a plaque inscribed with "Bidong Dantai". He passed away in the 44th year of the Kangxi reign (1705). He had disciples such as Chen Yiqing, Ji Yifa, Liu Yizhen, Meng Yigui, Shi Yihan, Long Yiquan, etc. His junior fellow disciples who lived in Qingcheng Mountain, Zhang Qinghu and Zhang Qingshi, and his junior fellow disciple Zhang Qingyun who lived in Yuntai View in Santai, also each had many disciples.

These disciples passed on the teachings from generation to generation, gradually forming a branch. They respected Chen Qingjue as the founding ancestor and named the sect "Bidong" after his title "Bidong True Person", thus calling it the Bidong Sect. It became a sect that had a great influence on Sichuan Taoism from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China. The Bidong Sect passed on generations according to the generational characters established by the Longmen Sect. Its founding ancestor Chen Qingjue was the 10th generation, and by the time of the Republic of China, it had reached the 23rd generation.

The Genealogy of the Upper Branch of the Zhengzong Bidong Hall of Longmen records the names of Taoists from the 11th to the 23rd generations. There were 28 Taoists in the 11th generation, including Chen Yiqing; 37 in the 12th generation, including Wang Yangbing; 43 in the 13th generation, including Wu Laihui; 55 in the 14th generation, including Wan Fuzheng; 100 in the 15th generation, including Wan Benyuan; 128 in the 16th generation, including Li Hebang (the following generations are omitted). It is difficult to know whether the records include all the Taoists of this sect, but this alone can give an idea of its scale. The Bidong Sect took Erxian Nunnery in Chengdu and Tianshi Cave in Qingcheng Mountain as its dissemination centers and gradually developed into other prefectures and counties in Sichuan. The above - mentioned Genealogy records the names of the prefectural and county temples presided over by the Taoists of this sect. The statistical prefectures and counties where the temples are located include: Huayang, Shuangliu, Wenjiang, Pixian, Hanzhou (now Guanghan), Chongqing, Guanxian, Dayi, Pengxian, Tongchuan (now Santai), Zhongjiang, Mianzhu, Meishan, Pujiang, Qiongzhou (now Qionglai), Ziyang, Lezhi, Fushun, Maozhou (now Maowen), Wenchuan, Tianquan, Leibo, etc. Most of these prefectures and counties are in the western Sichuan region, and a few are in northern Sichuan, southern Sichuan and ethnic minority areas. For a long time, Taoism in various parts of Sichuan belonged to the Tianshi Zhengyi Sect. After the emergence of the Bidong Sect, it gradually had a tendency to replace other sects.

In modern times, Qingcheng Mountain and Chengdu Qingyang Palace are all occupied by Taoists of the Longmen Bidong Sect, and Zhengyi Taoists only live scattered in other temples. During its long - term development, the Bidong Sect has produced some outstanding Taoists. For example, Wang Laitong, the 13th generation, with the Taoist title Ziming Daoren, presided over the Erwang Temple in Guanxian during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. In addition to rectifying the temple rules and being diligent in religious affairs, he also cared about local water conservancy construction, initiated the new construction of Hengshan Changtong Weir, and promoted the water control experience of Dujiangyan. The three books he presided over the publication of, Guanjiang Beikao, Guanjiang Dingkao and Huiji Shilu, are existing monographs summarizing the water control experience of Dujiangyan and have certain scientific value. Chen Fuhui, the 14th generation, with the Taoist title Zhongyuan, presided over Panlong Temple in Wenjiang. He was erudite and good at writing, and his Yayi Collection was handed down. He had great attainments in Taoist ritual music, and once revised dozens of kinds of Guangcheng Yizhi for circulation. He was respected by later generations as the ancestor of the Taoist music "Guangcheng Rhythm".

Yi Xinying (with the Taoist name Yi Lilun), the 22nd generation, was a famous modern Taoist scholar. He wrote A Systematic Table of Daoism and compiled A Series of Women's Taoism and so on.