The Liu Tongwei 刘通微
Paul PengShare
Liu Tongwei (1167-1196) was a native of Yecheng in Shandong during the Jin Dynasty. His courtesy name was Yuedao, and his Taoist title was "Moranzi" (Master of Silence).
As recorded in the first volume of Inner Biographies of Immortals from the Ancestral Court of Zhongnan Mountain (Zhongnanshan Zuting Xianqi Neizhuan): He was born into a prominent clan. In his youth, he lived a free-spirited life. Later, he contracted a malignant boil (dingchuang) and was on the verge of death. In a dream, a divine figure gave him an elixir; after taking it, he was cured. From then on, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to Taoism.
In the 7th year of the Dading era (1167), when Wang Chongyang (founder of the Quanzhen School) passed through Yecheng, Liu Tongwei became his disciple. He acquired the esoteric methods of Quanzhen Taoist cultivation, then abandoned his family to become a Taoist hermit. He secluded himself in Gangu Valley of Zhongnan Mountain, and was a Taoist companion to Qiu Changchun (Qiu Chuji), Liu Chuxuan, Tan Chuduan, and Ma Danyang.
After Wang Chongyang’s death, Liu Tongwei guarded his tomb for three years. He then traveled north to Languan, where he established his own Taoist school, preached the doctrines of Quanzhen Taoism, and gained widespread fame.
In the 1st year of the Mingchang era (1190), he was summoned to the imperial capital by imperial edict. When Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty asked him about the Taoist technique of "nine returns and seven circulations" (a core concept of internal alchemy), Liu Tongwei explained it clearly and thoroughly, which fully satisfied the emperor. The emperor ordered him to reside at Tianchang Taoist Temple; soon after, he moved to Yongshou Taoist Abbey.
He preached Taoist doctrines and presided over ritual ceremonies at altars as commanded by the emperor. Among the listeners were numerous scholars and officials in the capital, who flocked to attend his lectures.
He authored Collected Works on the Complete Dao (Quandao Ji), which was circulated in the world.
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 →
