On what grounds does Lü Dongbin hold a status in Taoism second only to the Supreme Old Lord?
paulpeng
There is an extraordinary figure in Taoism. He is neither an innate deity like the Taoist Patriarch Taishang Laojun, nor the founder of a Taoist sect like Zhang Tianshi, nor even a patriarch of a Taoist sect like Tao Hongjing. However, his status in Taoism is second only to that of the Taoist Patriarch Taishang Laojun. This extraordinary figure is Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals, also known as the Returning Taoist.
It is said that Lü Dongbin lived in the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties period and came from a wealthy family. When he was young, Lü Dongbin was also ambitious to assist the emperor to become as wise as Yao and Shun, having great aspirations to save the country and the people. However, fate was unkind, and despite participating in the imperial examinations many times, he never passed.
Like most scholars, Lü Dongbin, who repeatedly failed the examinations, was not disheartened and still insisted on taking part in them. Once, when taking an examination, he met Han Zhongli in an inn. Han Zhongli let Lü Dongbin have a dream on a pillow of millet. In his sleep, he experienced passing the imperial examinations with the highest honors, marrying a wealthy woman, serving as the prime minister and governing the court for ten years, and finally ending up being convicted, having his family property confiscated, and being exiled. The vicissitudes of life with its ups and downs were like a dream. When he woke up, Lü Dongbin felt a sense of loss. And before he fell asleep, the millet that the inn waiter had just cooked was not yet done. The secular life was so absurd.
From then on, Lü Dongbin saw through the ways of the world and followed Zhongli Quan to become a Taoist. Since then, the mortal world lost a dispensable scholar, while Taoism of the Three Pure Ones gained an indispensable Patriarch Lü. And since the Jin and Yuan dynasties, Lü Dongbin's status has been catching up with that of Taishang Laojun. How did he manage to do that?
Firstly, Lü Dongbin had great aspirations. Lü Dongbin had excellent aptitude, and Zhongli Quan predicted that he could attain the status of a Great Luo Golden Immortal very early. However, Patriarch Lü, with the common people in mind, was unwilling to be just a carefree "self-enlightened one" and had the determination and wish to save the common people. When later Taoist priests performed rituals to invite deities, many of them would invite Patriarch Lü to descend. What they valued was precisely this great aspiration of Patriarch Lü.
Secondly, Lü Dongbin had a rather worldly air. The "Book of Changes" says that with kinship, things can last; with achievements, things can grow. This is also an important reason why people believe in him. Lü Dongbin left behind many legendary stories. For example, it is said that he got drunk three times at Yueyang Tower and transformed the Peach and Willow Spirits into immortals. As a memorial, believers built a Lüzu Temple near Yueyang Tower. This temple is a famous Taoist temple in northern Hunan and has a great influence. Of course, the story that people talk about most with great relish is "Playing Tricks on Bai Mudan Three Times". These stories clearly show that Patriarch Lü was a Taoist priest who liked good wine and beautiful women. Since Patriarch Lü could attain the Tao, could ordinary people do the same? This undoubtedly narrowed the distance between him and ordinary people.
The third reason is the most important, that is, Lü Dongbin was actually the founder of Taoist Neidan techniques. In Taoist cultivation methods, alchemy is considered the orthodox way. Other spells are regarded as side branches. Before the late Tang Dynasty, the mainly popular alchemy was external alchemy. That is, using cinnabar, lead, gold, silver and other metals and minerals to refine into pills. The main components of external alchemy are heavy metals, mercury and minerals. It is not difficult to imagine that with a little carelessness, taking external alchemy pills could be fatal - in fact, many people in history died from taking external alchemy pills. Six emperors in the Tang Dynasty died because of this.
The wise men in Taoism discovered this problem. As early as the Sui Dynasty, a Taoist priest put forward the concept of "internal alchemy". Internal alchemy means taking one's own body as the furnace and cauldron to condense pills within the body. Obviously, internal alchemy is safe, and there is no danger to one's life when practicing it. After the efforts of several generations of Taoist priests, it was not until it reached Lü Dongbin that internal alchemy techniques became mature. Since then, it has become the mainstream of Taoist cultivation.
The main sect of Taoist internal alchemy cultivation, the Quanzhen School, regards Lü Dongbin as one of the "Five Patriarchs". Although the Southern School of the Golden Elixir Sect did not regard him as a patriarch, it also admits that the cultivation methods of the Southern School were passed from Lü Dongbin to Zhang Boduan, the True Man of Ziyang.
Internal alchemy techniques are the orthodox way of Taoist cultivation. As the master of Taoist internal alchemy techniques, it is no wonder that Lü Dongbin's status in Taoism has soared to the point where people's worship of him is second only to that of Taishang Laojun.
It is said that Lü Dongbin lived in the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties period and came from a wealthy family. When he was young, Lü Dongbin was also ambitious to assist the emperor to become as wise as Yao and Shun, having great aspirations to save the country and the people. However, fate was unkind, and despite participating in the imperial examinations many times, he never passed.
Like most scholars, Lü Dongbin, who repeatedly failed the examinations, was not disheartened and still insisted on taking part in them. Once, when taking an examination, he met Han Zhongli in an inn. Han Zhongli let Lü Dongbin have a dream on a pillow of millet. In his sleep, he experienced passing the imperial examinations with the highest honors, marrying a wealthy woman, serving as the prime minister and governing the court for ten years, and finally ending up being convicted, having his family property confiscated, and being exiled. The vicissitudes of life with its ups and downs were like a dream. When he woke up, Lü Dongbin felt a sense of loss. And before he fell asleep, the millet that the inn waiter had just cooked was not yet done. The secular life was so absurd.
From then on, Lü Dongbin saw through the ways of the world and followed Zhongli Quan to become a Taoist. Since then, the mortal world lost a dispensable scholar, while Taoism of the Three Pure Ones gained an indispensable Patriarch Lü. And since the Jin and Yuan dynasties, Lü Dongbin's status has been catching up with that of Taishang Laojun. How did he manage to do that?
Firstly, Lü Dongbin had great aspirations. Lü Dongbin had excellent aptitude, and Zhongli Quan predicted that he could attain the status of a Great Luo Golden Immortal very early. However, Patriarch Lü, with the common people in mind, was unwilling to be just a carefree "self-enlightened one" and had the determination and wish to save the common people. When later Taoist priests performed rituals to invite deities, many of them would invite Patriarch Lü to descend. What they valued was precisely this great aspiration of Patriarch Lü.
Secondly, Lü Dongbin had a rather worldly air. The "Book of Changes" says that with kinship, things can last; with achievements, things can grow. This is also an important reason why people believe in him. Lü Dongbin left behind many legendary stories. For example, it is said that he got drunk three times at Yueyang Tower and transformed the Peach and Willow Spirits into immortals. As a memorial, believers built a Lüzu Temple near Yueyang Tower. This temple is a famous Taoist temple in northern Hunan and has a great influence. Of course, the story that people talk about most with great relish is "Playing Tricks on Bai Mudan Three Times". These stories clearly show that Patriarch Lü was a Taoist priest who liked good wine and beautiful women. Since Patriarch Lü could attain the Tao, could ordinary people do the same? This undoubtedly narrowed the distance between him and ordinary people.
The third reason is the most important, that is, Lü Dongbin was actually the founder of Taoist Neidan techniques. In Taoist cultivation methods, alchemy is considered the orthodox way. Other spells are regarded as side branches. Before the late Tang Dynasty, the mainly popular alchemy was external alchemy. That is, using cinnabar, lead, gold, silver and other metals and minerals to refine into pills. The main components of external alchemy are heavy metals, mercury and minerals. It is not difficult to imagine that with a little carelessness, taking external alchemy pills could be fatal - in fact, many people in history died from taking external alchemy pills. Six emperors in the Tang Dynasty died because of this.
The wise men in Taoism discovered this problem. As early as the Sui Dynasty, a Taoist priest put forward the concept of "internal alchemy". Internal alchemy means taking one's own body as the furnace and cauldron to condense pills within the body. Obviously, internal alchemy is safe, and there is no danger to one's life when practicing it. After the efforts of several generations of Taoist priests, it was not until it reached Lü Dongbin that internal alchemy techniques became mature. Since then, it has become the mainstream of Taoist cultivation.
The main sect of Taoist internal alchemy cultivation, the Quanzhen School, regards Lü Dongbin as one of the "Five Patriarchs". Although the Southern School of the Golden Elixir Sect did not regard him as a patriarch, it also admits that the cultivation methods of the Southern School were passed from Lü Dongbin to Zhang Boduan, the True Man of Ziyang.
Internal alchemy techniques are the orthodox way of Taoist cultivation. As the master of Taoist internal alchemy techniques, it is no wonder that Lü Dongbin's status in Taoism has soared to the point where people's worship of him is second only to that of Taishang Laojun.
