What is Preserving Authenticity in Taoism 什么是全真

What is Preserving Authenticity in Taoism什么是全真

"Quan Zhen" (全真, "Preserving Authenticity" or "Complete Perfection") carries two primary meanings in Taoism. First, it refers to the preservation of all three treasures within the body — essence, Qi, and spirit in their completeness. The Zhonghe Ji (vol. 3) states: "What is called 'quan zhen' means to preserve one's original authenticity in its entirety — to preserve essence completely, to preserve Qi completely, to preserve spirit completely: only then is it truly 'quan zhen.'"

Second, in the Jin-Yuan The Quanzhen Dao, "quan zhen" means the full completion of both merit and conduct. The Jin Zhenren Yulu states: "If a person wishes to cultivate and nourish life, they must first accumulate actions and build up merit. Merit without conduct makes the fruits of the Dao difficult to achieve." It further defines "true merit" as: clarifying the mind and steadying the will, focusing and gathering the spirit, without movement and without action, truly pure and truly still, embracing the One and guarding the primal, preserving the spirit and consolidating the Qi. "True conduct" is defined as: cultivating oneself and accumulating virtue, relieving poverty and releasing suffering, always holding in one's heart the wish to save others when encountering their hardship and distress, or guiding good people into the Dao. In all one's actions, putting others before oneself and having no selfishness toward all things. Only with true merit and true conduct, dual cultivation and dual completion, is it truly "quan zhen."

What is Preserving Authenticity in Taoism