The Shao Tanzhen 邵太震

Shao Tanzhen (1640-1749) was a native of Changzhou, Jiangsu Province (now part of Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province) in the Qing Dynasty. His courtesy name was Leizhou, and he styled himself Wuzhenzi (the "Master Who Awakens to Reality").

According to Jinge Xindeng (The Lamp of the Heart at Jinge Mountain), in his youth, Shao cared little about fame and official careers, and had few material desires. In the 16th year of the Kangxi reign (1677), he went to Jinge Mountain and studied under Tao Shi'an. In the 29th year of the Kangxi reign (1690), he traveled to Guanshan Mountain in Gusu (an ancient name for Suzhou) and formally became a disciple of Vinaya Master Lü Yunyin (committing himself to Taoist practice under Lü). In the 31st year of the Kangxi reign (1692), he set out to travel around as a wandering Taoist.

In the 49th year of the Kangxi reign (1710), Shao finally returned to Guanshan Mountain. At the age of 70, he successively received the "Three Great Precepts" (core Taoist precepts) and was entrusted with the "robes and alms bowl"—a symbolic passing of the Taoist lineage and spiritual heritage. Soon after, he resumed his travels, wandering through the regions of Sichuan, Guangdong, Yunnan, and Guizhou to promote and disseminate Taoist doctrines. Shao Tanzhen passed away in Xiao Taoyuan (the "Small Peach Blossom Spring," a place name often associated with seclusion or Taoist sacred sites) in the 14th year of the Qianlong reign (1749), living to the age of 110.