The Hou Daojing 侯道静

Hou Daojing was a native of Zhao Prefecture (now part of Hebei Province) during the Jin Dynasty. His original name was Hou Cheng.

As recorded in The Stele Inscription of Master Qingxu Hou, he started his career as a minor official and later served as a subordinate clerk in the Transport Commission of the West Route of Hebei. He was well-known for his filial piety.

After his parents passed away, he heard that Real Person Xiao (of the Taiyi Sect) had established the Taiyi Taoist School on the banks of the Qi River. He went there to become a disciple, changed his name to Hou Daojing, and was taught the Taiyi Sanyuan Method (the core doctrinal and ritual system of the Taiyi Sect). Afterwards, Hou Daojing built a Taiyi Hall respectively in Zhao Prefecture and Zhengding, where he maintained the inheritance of the Taiyi Sect’s teachings (symbolized by the continuous burning of incense) and helped people by using Taoist talismans and medicinal remedies.

In the second year of the Dading era (1162), an imperial edict was issued stating that any Buddhist or Taoist monastery/residence without an official name plaque was allowed to obtain an official title by presenting a petition and making contributions. Hou Daojing then submitted a formal petition (to apply for official recognition for his Taiyi Halls). He lived to the age of sixty-nine.