The Gao Qingyu 高清昱

Gao Qingyu (1618–1768) was a native of Changbai (now part of Jilin Province) during the transition from the late Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty. His ancestral home was Ninghai, Shandong Province. His courtesy names were Dongli (written in two variants: 东篱 and 东离).

As recorded in Jingai Xindeng (The Lamp in the Golden Hut): His grandfather moved to Changbai in the early years of the Wanli reign (1573–1620) of the Ming Dynasty. His father served as the Daotai (Circuit Intendant) of Taiwan during the Kangxi reign (1662–1722) of the Qing Dynasty, and later was promoted to the position of Nie Si (Provincial Judicial Commissioner) of Changsha. Gao Qingyu resided in Taiwan for a long time. In the 30th year of the Kangxi reign (1692), he traveled from Taiwan to Zhejiang Province, where he sought Taoist teachings at Jingu Cave. He then became a disciple of Zhou Tailang, who taught him Nanhuazi (a text related to Taoist thought, associated with the "Southern Hua" tradition).

In the 44th year of the Kangxi reign (1705), Zhou Tailang taught him Daodejing (The Classic of the Way and Virtue), followed by Cantongqi (The Kinship of the Three) and Wuzhenpian (The Awakening to Reality)—two core texts of Taoist inner alchemy. Soon after, he was also taught Avatamsaka Sutra (The Flower Garland Sutra), with Zhou noting, "These are all precious teachings for attaining sainthood and realizing true perfection." Gao Qingyu inherited the academic tenet of the Quanzhen School of Taoism, which advocates the unity of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism (the "Three Teachings").

Later, Zhou Tailang further instructed him in the commentaries by Zhao (a scholar whose full name is not specified here) on Daxue (The Great Learning), Zhongyong (The Doctrine of the Mean), The First Chapter of Daodejing, and the complete volume of Heart Sutra (a key Buddhist scripture).

In the 46th year of the Kangxi reign (1707), Zhou Tailang conferred on him the Great Precepts and the sectarian lineage of the Longmen (Dragon Gate) Sect, urging him to carry forward the legacy and traditions of the sect’s founding ancestors.

In the 13th year of the Yongzheng reign (1735), Gao Qingyu served as the principal lecturer at Chongdao Guan (Chongdao Taoist Temple) in Tongbai, Tiantai Mountain.

He passed away in July of the 33rd year of the Qianlong reign (1768) at the age of 151.

His works include Taiwan Fengsu Kao (A Study of Taiwan’s Customs) in three volumes.

Gao Qingyu was the 10th-generation patriarch of the Longmen Sect of Taoism.