The Li Family Dao 李家道
Paul PengShare
Li Family Dao
Li Family Dao was a Taoist sect active in the Jiangnan region during the Wei and Jin dynasties, founded by Li Kuan, a native of Shu (present-day Sichuan).
According to Ge Hong’s Baopuzi·Daoyi (The Master Who Embraces Simplicity·On the Meaning of the Dao), during the reign of Sun Quan of Wu (r. 222–252), there was a man named Li A from Shu who lived in a cave without eating grains. He was skilled at divining good and bad fortune through facial expressions and was known as the "Eighty-Year-Old Lord." Later, his whereabouts became unknown.
Subsequently, a Taoist named Li Kuan traveled to the Kingdom of Wu, speaking in the Sichuan dialect. He could chant incantations over water to cure illnesses, attracting a large number of followers. People believed Li Kuan was the immortal Li A from Shu, so they collectively called him "Li Babai" (Li the Eighty-Year-Old).
The Li Family Dao founded by Li Kuan established rooms for cultivation and fasting, called "lu" (huts). Its Taoist practices included chanting over water, using three sets of talismans, guiding energy in sync with the sun and moon, ingesting divine medicines, and abstaining from grains. Nobles and officials who believed in Li Family Dao flocked to his door, and nearly a thousand people—both officials and commoners—became his disciples.
When Li Kuan died of a plague, his disciples claimed he had "transformed his form" and achieved immortality through "shijie" (freeing the body from mortality). Later, Li Kuan’s disciples "passed on his teachings from generation to generation, spreading throughout the Jiangbiao region (the area south of the Yangtze River) with thousands of followers" (Baopuzi·Daoyi).
During the Jin Dynasty, Li Tuo, an inheritor of Li Family Dao, also claimed to be 800 years old. He traveled from the Central Plains to Jianye (the former capital of Wu, present-day Nanjing), curing illnesses with Taoist techniques, expanding his followers, and appointing Taoist positions. His sister, Li Zhenduo, also practiced Taoism with him.
Li Family Dao was a sect founded in Jiangnan by Taoists from Shu, influencing the upper echelons of society and having followers throughout the Jiangnan region. It was a development of the Wudoumi Dao (Five Pecks of Rice Dao) from Ba and Shu in the Jiangnan area and was a influential Taoist sect during the Wei and Jin dynasties.
After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Li Family Dao no longer appeared in records, and its followers were likely absorbed into Tianshi Dao (Celestial Master Dao).
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 the curator 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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