The Southern Five Patriarchs 南五祖

The Southern Five Patriarchs refer to five Song Dynasty patriarchs revered by the Quanzhen School of Taoism, namely Zhang Boduan, Shi Tai, Xue Daoguang, Chen Nan, and Bai Yuchan.

It is said that Zhang Boduan encountered a supernatural being in Chengdu in the second year of Xining in the Northern Song Dynasty (1069) and was taught the "Golden Elixir Reversion Formula". Thus, he attained enlightenment through cultivation and passed on the "Way of the Golden Elixir" to Shi Tai, who then passed it to Xue Daoguang. Xue Daoguang transmitted it to Chen Nan, and Chen Nan further passed it to Bai Yuchan.

The Five Patriarchs believed that Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism share the same origin and embody a unified principle. They focused on cultivating the golden elixir (inner elixir) or what is called cultivating "nature and life". Their cultivation theories hold an important position in the theories of inner elixir cultivation in Taoism. Since their activities were mostly in the southern regions, they were later honored as the Southern Five Patriarchs. They are also known as the "Southern School" or the "Ziyang Sect".