The Chen Pu 陈朴
Paul PengShare
Chen Pu
Chen Pu lived during the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties. His courtesy name was Chongyong (alternatively recorded as Zhongyong).
In his early twenties (at the age of ruoguan, a traditional coming-of-age milestone for men), he was virtuous in conduct, refined in literary attainments, and extraordinary in talent and temperament.
During the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty, to avoid the chaos of the Huang Chao Uprising, he fled to the Shu region (present-day Sichuan Basin) and lived in seclusion on Mount Dami, part of the Qingcheng Mountains. There, he received Daoist teachings from Zhong Liquan and mastered the Daoist arts of Neidan (Internal Alchemy).
Chen Pu’s Neidan system was comprehensive and systematic. Drawing on the concepts of tianren heyi (the unity of Heaven and humanity) and tianren xiangying (Heaven and humanity responding to each other), his practice followed the movements of the sun and moon, the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, and the rhythms of seasons and hours—all to restore life to its optimal state of existence.
Rooted in the theory of Zang-Fu organs and meridians from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), his Neidan method emphasized the cultivation along the Ren Meridian (Conception Vessel). He proposed that Neidan is formed by the communion of essence (jing) and Qi (vital energy) from the Heart and Kidneys within the human body, and that the life-sustaining movements inside the human body are the source of Neidan generation.
He believed that Neidan cultivation is a gradual process: when the Essence, Qi, and Spirit (Jing-Qi-Shen) in the body undergo a certain quantitative change, a qualitative transformation will occur. Those who transcend the state of ordinary people become immortals, and immortals themselves are also formed by the cultivation of ordinary mortals.
He authored Master Chen’s Secrets of Neidan, which was widely circulated. Notably, the book barely references terminology related to Waidan (External Alchemy). Instead, it conveys Neidan principles through Wang Jiangnan (a lyrical poetic form, also known as Jiangnan Hao), supplemented by concise mnemonics, and outlines a "Nine Revolutions" path to Dao realization—making its teachings accessible and easy to understand.
About the Author
Paul Peng
Paul Peng is a Zhengyi Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi — the ancestral home of the Celestial Masters' tradition. Ordained at 25 after a dream from the Celestial Master, he has practiced for 25 years under Master Zeng Guangliang. He is one of the curators of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.
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