The Liu Yuandao 刘元道
Paul PengShare
Liu Yuandao was a native of Kaifeng during the reign of Emperor Huizong in the Northern Song Dynasty.
His courtesy name was Jingchu, and he held the title "Master Shouyi" (Master of Upholding the Unity).
He was born into a family of military officers. From an early age, he became a Taoist priest and studied under Master Li Juyan.
Liu Yuandao had a simple, honest, and tranquil nature. He loved reading, and when asked about Taoist affairs, he could respond promptly and knowledgeably, as if his answers were echoes of the questions.
In the first year of the Jianzhong Jingguo era of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty (1101 AD), Taoism was revived. The emperor issued an imperial edict ordering the search and collection of lost Taoist texts across the country, and established a Calligraphy and Arts Bureau where Taoist priests were assigned to collate and verify these texts. Liu Yuandao was among the first to be selected for this task.
From then on, his attainments in Taoism advanced steadily. He was promoted to the position of Qianshu Daolu Yuan Shi (Assistant Administrator of the Taoist Registry Court), and later to Zuoyoujie Daolu (Chief Taoist Administrator of the Left and Right Districts). Eventually, he held the official titles of Taixu Daifu (Grand Master of the Great Void) and Ruizhu Dian Jiaoji (Textual Collator of the Ruizhu Palace). Many nobles and high-ranking officials enjoyed associating with him.
Every time he attended the imperial Taoist ritual venue (Nei Daochang) or was summoned to the emperor’s private hall to discuss Taoism, he received generous gifts. However, Liu Yuandao would distribute all the gifts he received to others immediately.
When the Jurchen-led Jin Dynasty invaded the south, all Taoist priests who had been greedy for gold were searched and interrogated. Only Liu Yuandao, who lived an innocent and incorruptible life, was not searched or questioned—government officials knew his integrity well.
Some Taoist disciples took refuge in Buddhist monasteries to escape the Jin troops, but Liu Yuandao hid among ordinary people, and his final whereabouts remain unknown.
He compiled a work titled Pangtong Tu to the Supreme Wonderful Scripture for Delivering Sentient Beings (Duren Shangpin Miaojing Pangtong Tu).
(Source: Lishi Zhenxian Tidao Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror of the Authentic Immortals and Practitioners Through the Ages), Volume 51)
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 the curator 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 →
