The Liu Zhihou 刘志厚

Liu Zhihou (1198-1257) was a native of Yingzhou (present-day Ying County, Shanxi Province) during the Jin and Yuan dynasties. His courtesy name was Bochun, and his Taoist title was Guangyangzi.

As recorded in The Epitaph of Master Liu, the Profoundly Serene and Broad-Minded, written by Wen Daoguang: Liu Zhihou came from a wealthy family that was well-known in the local prefecture for its many acts of benevolence and righteousness. Liu Zhihou, however, resigned from his official position and lived in seclusion in the border area between Liaodong and Qinzhou (a region covering parts of present-day Liaoning and Gansu).

In the first year of the Zhengda era under Emperor Aizong of the Jin Dynasty (1224), he studied under Abbot Zhao of Tongchuan, and later became a disciple of Qiu Changchun (Qiu Chuji, known as Real Person Changchun). Liu Zhihou was fond of reading the works of Laozi and Zhuangzi (foundational texts of Taoism), and people of his time called him "Mr. Liu the Zhuangzi Scholar" (in recognition of his deep understanding of Zhuangzi’s philosophy).

He was also proficient in cursive and official script calligraphy, creating a unique style of regular script that became his own model. In his Taoist cultivation, he focused on concentrating his vital energy to attain spiritual refinement: he ate only one meal a day and stayed awake at night, maintaining a tranquil state of mind that merged with the divine essence (a core Taoist pursuit of uniting with the Dao).

In the first year of the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Yuan Dynasty (1229), he went to Yanjing (later renamed Dadu, present-day Beijing). After Qiu Changchun passed away, Liu lived in seclusion at Qiuyang Taoist Temple in Jinshan. In the ninth year of Emperor Taizong’s reign (1237), he served by the side of Patriarch Yin Qinghe (Yin Zhiping, Qiu Changchun’s successor). He acted as the patriarch’s representative in conversations with guests and also wrote and delivered letters on the patriarch’s behalf—tasks he performed for more than twenty years.

Subsequently, he was appointed Deputy Supervisor of Yuhua Taoist Temple and Qinghe Taoist Temple. He also served as the abbot of several Taoist temples he helped build, including Chongyang Taoist Temple in Weixian County, Yingxian Taoist Temple in Linzhang County, Changchun Taoist Temple in Cizhou, and Qinghe Taoist Temple in Huaizhou.

In the third year of the reign of Emperor Dingzong of the Yuan Dynasty (1248), he was ordered by imperial edict to hold a grand Taoist ritual (known as "Putiandajiao," a large-scale ceremony for universal blessing and salvation) at Changchun Taoist Temple. For this service, he was granted a golden canopy and a purple robe, and was bestowed the additional title "Master Xuanjing Daguan" (Master of Profound Serenity and Broad-Mindedness).

Liu Zhihou passed away in the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Yuan Dynasty (1257) at the age of 59. He had initiated more than a hundred disciples into Taoism during his lifetime.