The Liu Deren 刘德仁

Liu Deren (1122-1180) was a native of Leling in Cangzhou Prefecture (present-day Leling, Shandong Province) during the Jin Dynasty, and went by the Taoist title "Wuyouzi" (Master of No Worries).

He claimed that in the second year of the Huangtong era (1142), he met an elderly man who imparted to him the essential teachings of Tao Te Ching (The Classic of the Way and Its Virtue). From that point on, his understanding of Taoist metaphysics advanced by leaps and bounds.

He founded the Great Daoism (Da Dao Jiao), and a large number of people followed him to study the faith.

When preaching the core doctrines of Tao Te Ching to his believers, he taught them to adhere to the following principles: refrain from lust, curb desires, avoid killing, abstain from eating meat, not consume alcohol, and never hurt others with harsh words. He emphasized taking benevolence as the core of one’s heart, showing compassion for the poor and suffering, resolving conflicts, rejecting selfishness and evil, and upholding one’s duty. These principles were established as the "Nine Precepts of the Taoist School."

In his daily life, Liu Deren lived a simple and tranquil life, practicing asceticism and restraining his desires. In the early years of the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty (c. 1161-1162), he was summoned by the imperial court to reside in Tianchang Guan (Tianchang Taoist Temple) in the capital. He was bestowed the title "Zhenren of Dongyue" (Venerable One of the Eastern Mountain), and his teachings spread almost throughout the northern regions. The doctrines of his school took "inaction and tranquility as the foundation, and eternal sincerity, kindness, and frugality as treasures." Specifically, the school opposed begging for alms; instead, its followers supported themselves with daily food and clothing through their own farming and sericulture. It did not talk about ascending to immortality; when followers fell ill, methods such as talismans, medicines, acupuncture, and moxibustion were completely discarded, and only silent prayers to the void were used to seek recovery. It also did not advocate techniques for spiritual cultivation or physical refinement; instead, the main practice was to respectfully worship heaven and earth with a stick of incense every morning and evening.

Liu Deren propagated his teachings for 38 years, and later passed on his Taoist doctrines to Chen Shizheng, who held the title "Datong Zhenren" (Venerable One of Great Penetration).

During the Yuan Dynasty, he was posthumously granted the honorific title "Wuyou Puji Kaiwei Dongming Zhenjun" (True Lord of No Worries, Universal Salvation, Revealing Subtleties, and Bright Penetration).