The Zhai Zhi'an 寨志安

Zhai Zhi'an was a native of Lingchuan (now part of Shanxi Province) during the Jin and Yuan dynasties. His courtesy name was Yanrong, and he had the literary names "Tongzhenzi" (Master of Penetrating Truth), "Linjian Yuke" (Roaming Guest in the Woods), and "Chuli Daoren" (Taoist of the Useless Tree, a self-effacing reference to ordinary status).

According to Epitaph of Tongzhenzi in Volume 31 of Yishan Ji (The Collected Works of Yuan Haowen): Zhai Zhi'an took the imperial examination three times but failed to obtain the title of "Jinshi" (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination, equivalent to a doctorate in traditional Chinese education).

In the early years of the Zhenyou era (around 1213) of the Jin Dynasty, he fled south to avoid the chaos of war. In the fifth year of the Zhengda era (1228), when his father passed away, Zhai Zhi'an was 40 years old. He then turned his back on family affairs and wandered freely in the area around Songshan and Shaoshi Mountain (two famous mountains in Henan Province, collectively known as "Songshao").

He was fond of reading works by Huangdi and Laozi (foundational figures of Taoism) as well as books on esoteric and transcendental practices. He first studied Buddhism, then associated with Taoist monks and began exploring Taoism. When war broke out again in Henan, he fled northward to return home. During this journey, he met Master Song Piyun (a prominent Taoist monk with the title "Fashi," meaning "Dharma Master"), and became his disciple, receiving the Shangqing Dadong Zixu Talisman and Canon (a set of sacred talismans and scriptures of the Shangqing School, a major branch of Taoism).

Zhai Zhi'an was diligent in learning and eager to ask questions, extensively reading Taoist classics. In the ninth year of the Yuan Taizong era (1237), Song Defang (also known as Song Piyun) and Li Zhiquan launched a project to collate and print the Daozang (the complete canon of Taoist scriptures) at Xuandu Guan (Xuandu Taoist Temple) in Pingyang, Shanxi. Zhai Zhi'an took overall charge of this project.

Under his leadership, 27 workshops were established, employing over 500 workers. Zhai Zhi'an personally supplemented, completed, and revised more than 180 million volumes (a historical count, possibly referring to sections or chapters) of scriptures categorized under the "Sandong Sifu" system (the core classification framework of the Daozang, dividing scriptures into "Three Grottoes" and "Four Supplements"). At the same time, he compiled Jinlian Zhengzong Ji (Records of the Orthodox Lineage of the Golden Lotus), a five-volume work that recounts the stories of how the "Northern Five Patriarchs" and "Seven True Masters" of the Quanzhen School practiced Taoism and achieved immortality.

This book, along with others such as Yanxia Lu (Records of Mist and Clouds), Yixian (Interpretation of Immortals), and Wuxian (Tales of Wuyi Immortals), was included in the Xuandu Daozang (the version of the Daozang compiled at Xuandu Guan). These works later became important historical sources for studying the figures of the Quanzhen School.

Zhai Zhi'an devoted nearly ten years to collating Taoist scriptures and teaching his disciples. In the Jiachen year (1244), 25 days after the completion of the Daozang printing project in May, he passed away at his residence, Chuli Hall, at the age of 57.

His works include Linquan Ji (Collected Works of Linquan) in 20 volumes and Jinlian Zhengzong Ji in 5 volumes. Later, Liu Zhiying and Xie Xichan co-authored Jinlian Zhengzong Xianyuan Xiangzhuan (Portrait Biographies of the Immortal Origins of the Orthodox Golden Lotus Lineage) in one volume, which corresponded with Jinlian Zhengzong Ji and was widely circulated. His famous disciples included Li Zhishi and Guo Zhixi.

Details of his life can also be found in Volume 6 of Changchun Daojiao Yuanliu Kao (A Study of the Origins of Changchun Taoism).