Collected Books from the Hidden Pavilion of Ancient Texts (Gushu Yinlou Cangshu) was compiled by Min Yide in the Qing Dynasty, with its first edition published in the 30th year of the Guangxu reign (1904).
This collection includes a variety of Taoist texts from the Qing Dynasty, some of which were written by Min himself, totaling 35 works. The included texts fall into three main categories:
-
Taoist works by senior Taoist practitioners or circulated in society at that time, which were revised, supplemented, or even renamed by Min Xiaogen (Min Yide’s courtesy name):
- For example, Biyuan Tanjing (Altarp Sutra of the Jade Garden) is actually Longmen Xinfu (The Heart Method of the Dragon Gate Lineage) by Wang Changyue, but Min added a section titled Canwu Xuanji (Comprehending the Mysterious Principles) at the end of the volume.
- Xiuzhen Biannan (Qianhou Bian) Canzheng (Verification Notes on Resolving Difficulties in Cultivating Perfection [First and Second Parts]) consists of Xiuzhen Biannan (Resolving Difficulties in Cultivating Perfection) by Liu Yiming of the Qing Dynasty, supplemented with "Canzheng" (Verification Notes) written by Min Xiaogen.
-
Buddhist mantras and some existing Taoist esoteric mantras, annotated by Min from his own perspective:
- Works such as Chishi Tuoluoni Jing Zhu (Annotations on the Dhāraṇī Sūtra for Sustaining the World), Miji Jingang Zhou Zhu (Annotations on the Esoteric Vajra Mantra), and Dabei Shenzhou Zhu (Annotations on the Great Compassion Mantra) are all based on Buddhist mantras. These mantras were originally preserved only in phonetic transliteration; Min, however, interpreted their principles by analyzing the meaning of each character in the transliterated texts.
-
Original works by Min Xiaogen himself:
- Examples include Tianxian Xinzhuan (Heart Transmission of Heavenly Immortals) and Tianxian Daochuan Baoze (Precious Principles of the Dao Transmission by Heavenly Immortals).
- Another work, Erlan Xinhua (Heartfelt Talks of the Two Lazies), is attributed to "the Elder Lazy" and "the Younger Lazy," but was actually written by Min Yide, who also styled himself "Lanyun Shi" (Master Lazy Cloud).
This series focuses on alchemical methods (danfa). Among the included alchemical texts by previous authors: Xiuzhen Biannan (Resolving Difficulties in Cultivating Perfection), as well as Min’s revised versions of Huangji Hezheng Dao Xian Jing (Immortal Scripture on Verifying the Dao Through the Supreme Ultimate) and Liaoyang Dian Wenda Bian (Collected Q&A from the Liaoyang Hall), are all important works on internal alchemy (neidan). Particularly notable are Wangmu Nüxiu Zhengtu Shize (Ten Principles for Women’s Cultivation of Perfection, Attributed to the Queen Mother of the West) and Li Zushi Nüzong Shuangxiu Baofa (Precious Raft for Women’s Dual Cultivation, by Patriarch Li): the former is attributed to Lü Chunyang (Lü Dongbin), while the latter was written by Li Niwan. Both are systematic works expounding on alchemical methods for female practitioners (nüzong danfa).
This collection is included in the "Nourishment & Cultivation" category of Extra-Canonical Taoist Texts (Zang Wai Dao Shu).
✨ Recommended Taoist Talismans
Discover powerful talismans for your spiritual journey
