The Li Jushou 李居寿

Li Jushou (1220-1280) lived during the late Jin and early Yuan dynasties.

His courtesy name was Boxing, his Taoist title was Chunranzi, and he also held the honorific "Great Master Zhenchang".

He was a native of Xijinli in Jixian County, Weizhou (now part of Henan Province). According to "Account of Li Jushou" (Volume 47 of Qiujian Ji [The Collection of Qiujian]), Li Jushou had a passion for Taoist studies from childhood. At the age of 13, he became a disciple of Xiao Fudao, the 4th Patriarch of the Taiyi Dao (Supreme Unity Dao, a major Taoist school in the Jin-Yuan period). When he grew up, he received the Taoist precepts to formally become a Taoist monk and was appointed to oversee the Taoist duties related to "Fu Zhuan" (Taoist talismans and seal scripts) and religious precepts.

When Kublai Khan (later Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty) was still a prince (before ascending the throne, residing in his princely mansion), he summoned Xiao Fudao. Xiao Fudao recommended Li Jushou for his clear intelligence and outstanding ability, requesting that Li Jushou be designated as the successor to become the 5th Patriarch of the Taiyi Dao. Kublai Khan then issued an imperial order to change Li Jushou’s surname from Li to Xiao, bestowed upon him the title "Great Master Zhenchang", and granted him a purple robe. Li Jushou was well-versed in the studies of Shi (referring to works on divination, such as Lushi Chunqiu·Shi Ce), Commentaries on the I Ching, and Huangji Jingshi (a classic on cosmic order and state governance).

As the successor of the Taiyi Dao, he upheld the core principles of the school, adhered to established traditions, and expanded the influence of Taoist teachings, attracting a large number of followers. In the first month of spring in the 1st year of the Zhongtong era (1260), he was ordered by imperial edict to hold a grand "Huanglu Jiao" (a large-scale Taoist ritual for blessing and salvation) at his home temple.

In the ninth month of the same year, he was further instructed to hold a "Jinlu Jiao" (a Taoist ritual for purification and prayer) and was awarded the additional title "Zhenren Taiyi Yanhua Zhenchang" (the Immortal of Supreme Unity, Evolution, and Steadfast Purity). In the winter of 1261, the emperor ordered him to hold a ritual to worship the "Dou" (the Big Dipper, a sacred celestial body in Taoism) at Houzai Gate. In the 3rd year of the Zhiyuan era (1266), he was granted a residence by the imperial court.

In the 10th year of the Zhiyuan era (1274), a special imperial decree was issued to build the "Taiyi Guangfu Wanshou Palace" (Palace of Supreme Unity, Broad Blessings, and Eternal Longevity) in the two capitals (Dadu, present-day Beijing, and Shangdu, the summer capital). Li Jushou was tasked with constructing the ritual altar, managing the temple’s sacrificial affairs, and presiding over rituals to worship the "Liuding" (six Taoist celestial deities in charge of destiny).

In 1276 (note: the original text may have a chronological typo, likely referring to the 16th year of the Zhiyuan era, as the 10th year is already mentioned above), he was granted the "Seal of the Patriarch and Leader of the Taiyi Dao" and was put in charge of Taoist affairs nationwide. Later, he was allowed to reside in the imperial palace and participate in court deliberations.

In the 17th year of the Zhiyuan era (1280), Li Jushou passed away in the abbot’s quarters of the West Hall. He was buried in the ancestral cemetery of Simen Village in Jixian County, Weizhou. His disciple Li Quanyou later succeeded him as the 6th Patriarch of the Taiyi Dao.

Details of his life can be found in historical records such as Yuan Shi (History of the Yuan Dynasty) - "Biography of Emperor Shizu" and "Biography of Buddhist and Taoist Masters".