The Meng Qinghuang 孟清晃
Paul PengShare
Meng Qinghuang (1647–?) was a native of Yixian County, Shandong Province, in the early Qing Dynasty, and his literary name was Yiyang.
According to Jinge Xindeng (The Lamp of the Heart at Jinge Mountain): In his youth, he was fond of Danfa (Taoist Alchemy methods) and enjoyed composing poems.
- In the 14th year of the Kangxi reign (1675), he went to Jinge Mountain and studied under Tao Shi'an and Xie Ningsu.
- In the 16th year of the Kangxi reign (1677), he traveled around the Jiangnan region (a historical area south of the Yangtze River, covering parts of modern Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces).
- In the 19th year of the Kangxi reign (1680), he returned to Jinge Mountain, visited Xu Ziyuan, and acquired the essence of Xuanzong (the profound Taoist doctrine, or the core teachings of Taoism).
- In the 36th year of the Kangxi reign (1697), he took up residence at Jingu Cave and studied under Zhou Tailang, after which he adopted his current name "Qinghuang" (the name by which he is known today).
- In the 40th year of the Kangxi reign (1701), he finally returned to live at Jingu Cave, where he studied the Lengyan Sutra (Śūraṅgama Sūtra). He also referred to the Jinbi Cantong Qi (The Golden and Jade Cantong Qi, a classical text on Taoist Alchemy) in his studies, and thoroughly comprehended the fundamental tenets of the doctrine.
Zhou Tailang then instructed him to travel across the four seas (i.e., throughout the country) to guide and enlighten those with a karmic connection to Taoism. When Meng Qinghuang reached Lu'an Prefecture in Shanxi Province, he met Ye Minyang, whom he brought back to Zhejiang Province. Subsequently, Patriarch Zhou (Zhou Tailang, honorifically referred to as "Patriarch") transmitted the Taoist Dharma and conferred precepts upon him. Meng Qinghuang later resided at Songsheng Guan (Songsheng Taoist Temple) and passed away without suffering from any illness. He upheld and propagated the Lüzong (Vinaya School of Taoism, focusing on the observance of Taoist precepts) for more than 30 years.
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.
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