The Liu Daoning 刘道宁

Liu Daoning (1172-1246) was a native of Baideng in Yunzhong (now part of Shanxi Province) during the Jin and Yuan dynasties. He styled himself "Zhenchangzi" (Master of True Constancy).

His family had been local government officials for generations, and they were renowned for their integrity and impartiality. From a young age, Liu Daoning had a sincere interest in Taoism; as he grew older, he was able to focus his mind beyond material pursuits.

In the 2nd year of the Taihe era (1202), he went to Jinquan Taoist Temple on Pingfeng Mountain and became a disciple of Liu Chaitou, a hermit from Hunyuan. Liu Chaitou tested him with various hardships—even sending him to beg for food in villages—and Liu Daoning willingly undertook all these tasks. Thus, Liu Chaitou imparted to him esoteric methods and profound Taoist teachings. After that, Liu Daoning traveled east to the coastal regions, west through Guanzhong (the central Shaanxi plain), and later resided at Baiyun Palace on Huashan Mountain.

In the 4th year of the Zhenyou era (1216), he returned to his hometown of Yunzhong, where he lived in a simple round hut. Nevertheless, the number of his students grew day by day. In the 4th year of the Xingding era (1220), he served as the abbot of Longquan Taoist Temple, Jinquan Taoist Temple, Xuanyuan Taoist Temple, and other temples in Hunyuan County.

In the 2nd year of the Yuanguang era (1223), after Qiu Chuji (a leading Quanzhen Taoist master) returned from his westward journey, Liu Daoning paid homage to him as a disciple, received the Quanzhen Taoist doctrines, and was bestowed the additional title "Zhenchangzi". He was later appointed as the head of Taoist temples and built a residence in Xijing (the western capital).

In the 8th year of the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Yuan Dynasty (1236), after Yin Qinghe returned from visiting the ancestral shrine of the Quanzhen School, he met Liu Daoning at Hengshan Mountain. Yin Qinghe appointed Liu Daoning as the abbot of Yuntai Taoist Temple on Huashan Mountain, sent his disciples to manage the temple’s affairs, and Liu Daoning himself also traveled back and forth between Hengshan and Huashan.

Later, Liu Daoning assisted Tian Decan in the grand renovation of Huayue Temple. Wherever he went, the number of people who revered Taoism and offered incense was as large as a bustling market.

In the 1st year of the reign of Emperor Dingzong of the Yuan Dynasty (1246), an imperial edict was issued to hold a grand Taoist ritual (Pudao Dajiao) at Changchun Palace in Yanjing, and Liu Daoning participated in this event.

He once composed Taoist tunes such as The Song of Ba People (Baren Qu), Meeting Immortals (Huixian), Responding to Circumstances (Suiying), and Gathering Immortals (Zongxian).

He built a tomb chamber for himself and named it "Xiaoran", which was derived from the phrase "coming and going in a carefree manner" (xiaoran er lai, xiaoran er wang) from Zhuangzi (a classic of Taoist philosophy). In the same year, he passed away at Hengshan Mountain at the age of 75.

His disciples included Shi Zhijing and Xu Zhi’an, among others.

Accounts of his life can be found in Volume 30 of Collected Works of Yao Mu’an (Yao Mu’an Ji) and Volume 5 of Textual Research on the Origin and Development of Changchun Taoism (Changchun Daojiao Yuanliu Kao).