The Liu Sijing 刘思敬
Paul PengShare
Liu Sijing (1211-1291) was a native of Qingyuan in Jizhou Prefecture (now part of Jiangxi Province) during the transition period between the Song and Yuan dynasties.
He styled himself "Zhenkongzi" (Master of the Void). As recorded in Biography of Real Person Liu: In his youth, he lived an unconstrained and unruly life and was fond of drinking.
When he grew older, he traveled around the Bashu region (covering parts of present-day Sichuan and Chongqing). He received the secret teachings of cinnabar refining from a Real Person (a title for accomplished Taoists) of the Lingbao School, practiced the Hunyuan Method (a core Taoist cultivation technique), and visited various famous mountains across the country. When he was nearly fifty, he finally entered Longhu Mountain (a sacred site of Taoism) to become a Taoist priest.
Shortly after, he served as the abbot of Yuhe Taoist Abbey.
Every day, he refined lead and mercury into cinnabar in accordance with Taoist formulas and techniques, and his practice achieved remarkable effectiveness.
In the 18th year of the Zhiyuan era (1281) of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan (Emperor Shizu of Yuan) sent Cui Yu, the Assistant Censor-in-Chief, to the Jiangnan region to seek out extraordinary people. Liu Sijing responded to the imperial edict.
After arriving in the capital, he was summoned to an audience at Yanchun Pavilion. At that time, the emperor suffered from a foot ailment. Liu Sijing presented the "Liujia Feixiong Elixir" (a Taoist alchemical remedy), which cured the emperor. From then on, he was allowed to enter and exit the imperial palace without restriction, and was revered as a "True Immortal".
He lived in the capital for eight years, then requested to retire in his old age and return to the mountains. He built the Bagua Hut (a hut named after the Eight Trigrams in Taoism) at the foot of Pipa Peak, wandering freely among the mountains and rivers.
In the 28th year of the Zhiyuan era (1291), he passed away without illness at the age of 81.
The twelve alchemical formulas he inherited were all taught to his disciples, including Zhang Xiping, and were widely practiced and circulated in the world.
During the Zhengzheng era (1341-1368) of the Yuan Dynasty, the leader of the Xuanjiao Sect (a major Taoist sect in the Yuan Dynasty), Real Person Dong, recommended Liu Sijing's deeds to the imperial court. The court then issued an edict conferring on him the posthumous title of "Real Person of Condensed Wonder and Effective Response".
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 →
