The Lü Dao'an 吕道安

Lü Dao'an was a native of Ninghai (now part of Shandong Province) during the Jin Dynasty, and held the Taoist title "Chongxu Dashi" (Great Master of Void-Penetrating).

His family was wealthy and prominent. From a young age, he had a strong aspiration to pursue the path of Taoism (referred to as "Xuanmen" or "the Mysterious Gate"). After his parents passed away, he became a disciple of Ma Danyang and formally entered the Taoist faith. In the 20th year of the Dading era (1180), under Ma Danyang’s order, he took up the position of abbot at the Ancestral Hermitage of the Quanzhen School (located in Zhongnan Mountain). In the 2nd year of the Mingchang era (1191), when Zhenren Qiu Changchun (Perfected One Qiu Changchun) returned eastward, Lü Dao'an took charge of the Ancestral Court and maintained its prosperity, ensuring it remained as vibrant as in its early days.

In the 6th year of the Mingchang era (1195), the imperial court and provincial authorities ordered the closure of Taoist hermitages and temples that lacked an official imperial plaque (a formal recognition of their legitimacy). After this decree, many Taoist practitioners scattered and left. In the 3rd year of the Cheng’an era (1198), Lü Dao’an was summoned by Wang Yuyang to Yandu (the capital of the Jin Dynasty, now modern-day Beijing). There, he secured an official plaque for the Ancestral Court, naming it "Lingxu Guan" (Lingxu Taoist Temple). He was also conferred the title "Chongxu Dashi" and entrusted with the official imperial document (authorizing the temple’s establishment), taking charge of all affairs at Lingxu Guan.

Upon returning to the Ancestral Court, Lü Dao’an oversaw the construction of buildings and halls, and initiated more than 300 disciples into Taoism, thus reviving the Taoist teachings at the Ancestral Court. He passed away in the second month of the 1st year of the Xingding era (1217) at the age of 80.

Detailed accounts of his life can be found in the middle volume of Zhongnan Shan Zuting Xianzhen Neichuan (Inner Biographies of the Immortal Sages from the Ancestral Court of Zhongnan Mountain).