Leng Qian (冷謙): Ming Dynasty Taoist, Musician & Painter

Leng Qian, whose birth and death years remain unrecorded, styled himself Qijing (or Qijing according to another account) and adopted the literary name Longyangzi. He hailed from Zhejiang (or Hunan as an alternative saying goes) and was a prominent Taoist priest, musician, and painter in the early Ming Dynasty.

As documented in History of the Ming Dynasty·Annals of Music, in the first year of the Wu era (1367), Emperor Taizu of the Ming "established the Taichang Bureau, which included officials such as the Xie Lü Lang (Harmony Coordination Official). At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, there was a man named Leng Qian who had a profound understanding of music and was adept at playing the se (a traditional plucked string instrument). He lived in seclusion as a Taoist (wearing a yellow hat) on Wu Mountain. He was summoned to serve as Xie Lü Lang and tasked with coordinating the musical scores of court anthems, enabling the music students to practice them... Later, he examined and rectified the elegant music for the four ancestral temples. Emperor Taizu ordered Leng Qian to calibrate the temperament as well as instruments like bianzhong (tuned bell chimes) and bianqing (tuned stone chimes), thereby establishing the system of musical performances and dances." It is evident from this that Leng Qian was the founder of the ritual music for suburban altars and imperial temples in the early Ming Dynasty.

Additionally, A History of Silent Poetry states: "The immortal Leng Qian, styled Qijing... traveled to Zhachuan (Author's note: present-day Huzhou, Zhejiang). When he visited the Weiguo Prince's Mansion in Siming along with Zhao Zi'ang, he saw paintings by General Li of the Tang Dynasty. Suddenly inspired, he set out to imitate them. In less than a month, his paintings of landscapes and figures all reached extraordinary heights of excellence... Hence, he gained fame for his painting skills at that time. When he was in Huaiyang, he encountered a supernatural being who taught him the Zhonghuang Elixir and revealed to him the essence of Awakening to Truth by Pingshu (Author's note: Zhang Boduan). Leng Qian understood it as if he himself had written it. By the Ming Dynasty, he was over a hundred years old, yet he had lush black hair and a youthful complexion, just like in his prime. His painting Penglai Immortal Chess Game is particularly a masterpiece. At the end of the painting, there is an inscription by Zhang Sanfeng. The works of these two immortals can be regarded as a pair of precious gems. During the Yongle period, Mr. Leng Qian was falsely accused in the 'painting a crane' incident, after which he vanished into a wall and ascended to immortality." This thus confirms that Leng Qian was also a painter.

The Path of the Complete Man

Master Leng was what we call a Zhenren (真人)—a "True Person" or "Complete Man" who had achieved spiritual perfection through the cultivation of the Dao. Unlike ordinary mortals who chase after worldly gains, he pursued the threefold path of our tradition:

The Three Treasures of Cultivation

Treasure	Chinese	Description	Leng Qian's Mastery
Jing (精)	Essence	Physical vitality and life force	Maintained youthful vigor despite advanced age
Qi (氣)	Energy	Breath and vital energy circulation	Master of internal alchemy and breath cultivation
Shen (神)	Spirit	Consciousness and spiritual awareness	Achieved supernatural abilities and wisdom

The Many Faces of a Master

What made Master Leng truly remarkable was his embodiment of the Daoist principle that "the sage appears ordinary while harboring the extraordinary." He was simultaneously:

A Court Official: Serving the Ming Dynasty with wisdom and integrity, proving that one can engage with worldly affairs while maintaining spiritual purity.

A Master Musician: His skills with the qin (guqin) were legendary. We believe that music, when properly understood, reflects the harmonious vibrations of the universe itself. Through his melodies, Master Leng could move both earthly hearts and celestial beings.

An Alchemist: Versed in both external alchemy (waidan 外丹) involving elixirs and internal alchemy (neidan 內丹) focusing on meditation and energy cultivation.

A Physician: Understanding that true healing addresses not just the body, but the harmony between yin and yang within each person.

The Mystery of Immortality

Here, dear seekers, we encounter the most profound aspect of Master Leng's story. Historical records speak of his seemingly impossible longevity—appearing as a young man when he should have been ancient, vanishing and reappearing across decades as if time itself bent to his will.

Signs of an Immortal

Those who knew Master Leng reported several phenomena that we recognize as marks of achieved immortality:

• Ageless Appearance: Maintaining the vitality of youth regardless of chronological age
• Supernatural Knowledge: Predicting events and understanding hidden truths
• Mastery Over Elements: Some accounts suggest he could influence weather and natural forces
• Ability to Vanish: Disappearing from one place and appearing in another, transcending physical limitations

The Daoist Context

To truly understand Master Leng Qian, one must grasp the philosophical framework within which he operated:

Core Daoist Principles He Embodied

Wu Wei (無為) - Effortless Action Master Leng achieved great things while appearing to do nothing, moving in harmony with natural forces rather than opposing them.

Yin-Yang Balance (陰陽) His life demonstrated perfect balance between active engagement (yang) in worldly affairs and passive cultivation (yin) of inner nature.

Ziran (自然) - Natural Spontaneity Everything he did seemed to flow naturally, without forced effort or artificial striving.

Pu (樸) - Uncarved Simplicity Despite his extraordinary abilities, he maintained the humble simplicity that marks true wisdom.

Lessons for Modern Seekers

What can we who walk the path today learn from Master Leng Qian's example?

Integration Over Isolation: Rather than fleeing from the world, he showed how one can engage fully while maintaining spiritual center. This is the path of the "hidden immortal" who lives among ordinary people while harboring extraordinary wisdom.

Patience in Cultivation: True achievement in the Dao cannot be rushed. Master Leng's long life demonstrates the gradual, patient work required for genuine transformation.

Humility Despite Achievement: The greater one's spiritual attainment, the more humble one becomes. This paradox lies at the heart of Daoist wisdom.

Art as Spiritual Practice: His mastery of music reminds us that any activity, when approached with proper understanding, can become a vehicle for spiritual development.

Historical Significance

Master Leng Qian represents a crucial bridge between the classical Daoist tradition and its practical application in imperial Chinese society. During the Ming Dynasty, when Confucian orthodoxy dominated official culture, he demonstrated how Daoist principles could flourish even within conventional structures.

His legacy reminds us that the Way is not confined to mountain hermitages or monastic communities—it can be cultivated wherever sincere seekers commit themselves to the path of transformation.

A Final Reflection

As I conclude this humble account, I am reminded of something Master Leng himself might have said: "The greatest teachings are not found in books or lectures, but in the silent example of a life lived in harmony with the Dao."

Perhaps the true miracle of Leng Qian was not his supernatural longevity, but his ability to remain utterly human while achieving the impossible—a reminder that within each of us lies the potential for transcendence, waiting patiently for the right conditions to unfold.

May his example illuminate your own journey along the pathless path.

---