The Liu Chuxuan 刘处玄
Paul PengShare
Liu Chuxuan (1147-1203) was a native of Donglai during the Jin Dynasty, which is now part of Shandong Province.
His courtesy names were Tongmiao and Daomiao, and his Taoist title was "Changshengzi" (Master of Longevity).
In the 9th year of the Dading era (1169), he became a disciple of Wang Chongyang (the founder of the Quanzhen School). After Wang Chongyang passed away, Liu Chuxuan lived in seclusion alone in the area around Luojing (the eastern capital of the Jin Dynasty).
Later, he moved to the bank of Yunxi Stream, where he cultivated his spiritual nature amid the hustle and bustle of the mundane world. In the 28th year of the Dading era (1188), he presided over a Taoist ritual (jiao) in Changyang. He set up an altar to pray for rain, and his prayers were all answered with obvious efficacy.
Subsequently, he took charge of Taoist ritual altars in Dongzhou. In the 3rd year of the Cheng'an era (1198), Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty summoned him and treated him with due courtesy.
In the 4th year of the Cheng'an era (1199), Liu Chuxuan requested permission to return to the mountains. Emperor Zhangzong granted his request and bestowed upon him an inscription with the characters "Lingxu" (Spiritual Emptiness). In the 3rd year of the Taihe era (1203), he passed away at Lingxu Taoist Temple in Wuguan. He was the founder of the Suishan Sect of the Quanzhen School.
In the 6th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1269), he was posthumously awarded the title "Zhenren of Longevity, Assistance, Transformation, Bright Virtue" ("Changsheng Fuhua Mingde Zhenren"). He was commonly known as "Changsheng Zhenren" (Immortal of Longevity) and was one of the "Seven True Disciples of Northern Quanzhen". His works include Collected Songs of Immortals (Xianle Ji), Annotations on the Daodejing (Daodejing Zhu), Annotations on the Yin Fu Jing (Yin Fu Jing Zhu), Veritable Records of Ultimate Truth (Zhi Zhen Yulu), and Annotations on the Huangting Jing (Huangting Jing Zhu).
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 one of the curators of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.
Read his full story →
