The Min Yide 闵一得
Paul PengShare
Min Yide (1758-1836) was a native of Wuxing (now part of Zhejiang Province) in the Qing Dynasty.
His original given name was Shaojian, with courtesy names Bu zhi and Xiaogen, and his Taoist name was Lanyunzi (Lazy Cloud Hermit).
His family was a prominent clan in Wuxing for generations. He had been weak since childhood, and later studied under Master Gao Dongli of Tongbai Mountain in Tiantai, learning Daoyin (breathing and guiding exercises). He converted to the Longmen (Dragon Gate) Sect of Taoism and adopted his current name.
After recovering from a foot illness, he returned home to study the philosophy of human nature and principles, refusing to take the imperial examinations. In his adulthood, obeying his father’s order, he purchased an official position as Prefectural Sima and served in southern Yunnan. In the fifty-fifth year of the Kangxi reign (1716), he visited the Jizu Daoist at Jizu Mountain in Yunnan and learned the Western Indian Dharma Combat techniques.
Shortly after, he returned home upon the death of his father, thus abandoning all thoughts of official career. He traveled around the country, studied under Master Shen Qingyun, and constantly upheld Shen Qingyun’s Ten Principles of Instruction for decades without slackening. He resided at Jinge Mountain and practiced Taoism in seclusion.
After Master Shen passed away, he presided over Chunyang Palace on Jinge Mountain, revitalizing Taoist traditions. He was benevolent and charitable, and encouraged young talents.
In teaching others, he emphasized earnest practice over supernatural wonders: he took self-cultivation and minimizing faults as the entry point; regarded exploring principles, fulfilling nature, and attaining destiny as the ultimate goal; and considered self-examination and self-cultivation as the fundamental practice from start to finish.
He authored The Lamp of the Heart at Jinge Mountain in eight volumes, elaborating on the origin and development of the Longmen Sect and revealing its hidden mysteries.
He also wrote Twenty-Eight Books from the Shuyin Tower Collection and An Exposition on the Huanyuan Pian, interpreting the profound mysteries of Taoism through Confucian and Buddhist principles.
He died of illness in the sixteenth year of the Daoguang reign (1836) at the age of seventy-nine.
His famous disciples included Min Yanglin and Xue Yanggui.
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 →
