The Wang Jianzhang 王建章

Wang Jianzhang (1645-1718) was a native of Shaoxing in the early Qing Dynasty.

His courtesy name was Kentang, his Taoist title was Yushuzi, he styled himself Ouquzi (literally "the Humble One"), and he was honored in the Taoist community as Real Person Yushu (Zhenren Yushu, a title for accomplished Taoist practitioners).

His family had lived in Renhe (an ancient county, now part of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province) for generations, and he was officially registered as a resident of Shaoxing from childhood.

In his early years, he studied Confucian classics and displayed extraordinary talent and quick wit. He held wealth lightly and was fond of charity, consistently providing relief to those in urgent need and helping the poor for many years without slack.

He read extensively across various fields of knowledge, with a particular fondness for the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi (foundational figures of Taoism).

At the age of 40, he built a thatched hut to live in seclusion, resolving to dedicate himself to Taoist spiritual cultivation. He delved deeply into the profound and abstruse principles of Taoism, naming his hut "Bai Gu Xuan" (the Thatched Cottage of White Bones—a name symbolizing transcending attachment to the physical body, a common Taoist concept). He spent his days sitting and resting there, engaging in intensive, esoteric cultivation and verification of Taoist truths, a practice beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

He was proficient in Daogui (literally "knife and ladle," referring to Taoist inner alchemy techniques for refining vital energy, or alternatively, traditional herbal medicine preparation), and had a strong passion for writing. He guided and nurtured younger scholars and practitioners without selfish reservation; as a result, many people studied under him, and he was compared to "Tao Yinju" (Tao Hongjing, a renowned Taoist scholar and hermit of the Southern Dynasties) by people of his time.

One night, he dreamed that an immortal in purple robes descended (from heaven) and personally instructed him in Taoist doctrines and practices. After this, his mastery of Taoist profound learning advanced even further, and all people in the Hangzhou area held him in high admiration.

Wang Jianzhang produced numerous works, among which Xianshu Miku (The Secret Treasury of Immortal Arts) and Lidai Xianshi (Immortal Histories Through the Ages) were widely circulated in the world.

(From Yushu Zhenren Benmo (The Complete Story of Real Person Yushu))