The Wenshi School 文始派

The Wenshi School is a school of internal alchemy cultivation in Taoism.

It traces its origins to Guan Sheng, the True Person of Wenshi, and takes The True Scripture of Wenshi as the essence of its alchemical methods. The practices of this school are based on emptiness and non-being, with cultivating one's nature as the core, ranking as the supreme level among alchemical methods. Its cultivation begins directly with the highest level of "refining the spirit to return to emptiness." It advocates cultivating the true Yang Qi within oneself to connect with the true Yang Qi of heaven and earth; seizing the opportunity of heaven and earth's emptiness to replenish the true mechanism of one's own spirit and Qi.

It teaches people to be free from possession, free from action, free from attachment—reaching the extremes of emptiness and non-being. In this state, one sees neither heaven above, nor earth below, nor oneself internally, nor others externally. When nothing is seen, one merges with heaven and earth, and heaven and earth merge with one. One and heaven and earth, seemingly united yet seemingly separate, become one with the great penetration: "blending the self and others, uniting with heaven and earth."

This is the highest realm of the school's alchemical methods—a transcendental state, a path to immortality leading to the Great Dao. Since this school only advocates governing Qi with the spirit, without emphasizing refining essence or Qi, let alone the "fire phases" or "medicines" [key concepts in other alchemical systems], it is an immediate cultivation method that directly points to the Great Dao.