Liu Yu (1257-1308), courtesy name Yizhen, also known as Yuzhenzi, was a native of Jianchang (present-day Nancheng, Jiangxi), and a famous Taoist in the Yuan Dynasty. Liu Yu's family was poor, and his parents died early, so he aspired to seek the Tao. According to legend, he met the Dongzhen Dharma Master Hu Huichao and received the Jingming Taoist teachings. Later, he met Guo Pu, the Water Mansion Immortal Earl, who taught him the art of surveying mountains and rivers. Liu Yu was diligent and eager to learn, and his Taoist skills improved rapidly, becoming famous far and wide. Since then, Liu Yu reformed the Jingming Zhongxiao Taoism based on He Zhengong's Jingming Taoism.
The incantations of He Zhengong's time were more cumbersome, often involving hundreds of talismans, but Liu Yu only retained one talisman for refining. The Zhaijiao rituals passed down by He Zhengong were also very cumbersome. Liu Yu advocated that the value of practicing Zhai lies in harmony and simplicity: harmony calms the restless heart, and simplicity pacifies desires, so that one can rectify the mind and be sincere, in accordance with non-action, and be one with heaven and earth. After Liu Yu's reform of Jingming Taoism, cultivation, Zhaijiao rituals, talisman techniques, and other techniques have been relegated to secondary positions, and the focus of practice is the feudal ethical and moral concept of loyalty and filial piety. In February 1308, Liu Yu passed away.
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Timeline of the Western Expedition
| Year | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1220 | Departure from China | Beginning of historic East-West spiritual dialogue |
| 1221-1222 | Journey across Central Asia | Crossing of Gobi Desert and Tian Shan mountains |
| 1222 | Meeting with Genghis Khan | First major Taoist-Mongol imperial encounter |
| 1223 | Return journey begins | Carrying imperial favor back to China |
This journey was no mere diplomatic mission. It represented the meeting of two great streams of wisdom: the ancient Taoist understanding of the natural order and the Mongol vision of universal empire. Zhichang witnessed firsthand how the soft power of the Dao could move the hearts of even the mightiest conquerors.
Ascending the Celestial Hierarchy
Upon their return, the imperial favor that Qiu Chuji had earned extended to his devoted disciple. In 1227, seven years after that momentous journey, Zhichang was appointed to the exalted position of Du Daolu (都道錄) - the Supreme Recorder of the Tao - while simultaneously being entrusted with the administration of the Changchun Palace, the principal Taoist temple in the capital.
This dual appointment was unprecedented. Never before had such temporal and spiritual authority been concentrated in one who had walked so closely with his master. The position of Du Daolu made Zhichang the de facto leader of all Taoist activities within the Mongol realm, while his stewardship of Changchun Palace gave him direct oversight of the most important Taoist institution of the age.
The Transmission of the True Teaching
The year 1238 witnessed another celestial alignment when Zhichang formally inherited the leadership of Taoist affairs throughout the empire. The imperial court, recognizing both his spiritual attainment and administrative wisdom, bestowed upon him the magnificent title: "Xuanmen Zhengpai Sifa Yanjiao Zhenchang Zhenren" (玄門正派嗣法演教真常真人) - "True Person of True Constancy, Inheritor of the Orthodox Dharma of the Mysterious Gate, Propagator of the Teaching."
Imperial Honors and Titles
| Year | Title Conferred | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1227 | Du Daolu | Supreme Recorder of the Tao |
| 1238 | Zhenchang Zhenren | True Person of True Constancy |
| 1261 | Zhenchang Shangde Xuanjiao Zhenren | True Person of Supreme Virtue and Mysterious Teaching |
Even after his transformation (what others call death) in 1256, the imperial recognition continued. In 1261, during the Zhongzhou reign period, he was posthumously honored with the title "Zhenchang Shangde Xuanjiao Zhenren" (真常上德宣教真人) - "True Person of True Constancy, Supreme Virtue, and Proclaimed Teaching."
The Literary Immortal: Recording Sacred History
But perhaps Zhichang's greatest gift to posterity was not his administrative skill or even his spiritual attainment, but his role as chronicler of the sacred. His masterwork, the "Changchun Zhenren Xiyou Ji" (長春真人西遊記) - "Record of the Western Journey of the True Person Eternal Spring" - stands as one of the most important historical documents of Taoist-Mongol relations.
This two-volume work transcends mere historical recording. Written with the eye of one who understood both the outer journey across physical landscapes and the inner journey across spiritual territories, it captures not just the facts of their expedition but the profound spiritual exchanges that occurred between East and West.
Key Features of the "Western Journey Record"
- Historical Accuracy: Provides detailed geographical and political observations
- Spiritual Insight: Records the philosophical exchanges between Qiu Chuji and Genghis Khan
- Cultural Bridge: Documents the first major transmission of Taoist philosophy to Central Asia
- Literary Merit: Written in elegant classical Chinese, demonstrating Zhichang's scholarly cultivation
The Living Legacy
From our perspective within the Taoist tradition, Li Zhichang represents the ideal of the scholar-practitioner-administrator. He embodied the Taoist principle of wu wei (無為) - effortless action - by wielding enormous worldly power while never losing sight of the ultimate reality that transcends all temporal concerns.
His life demonstrates how a true follower of the Dao can engage fully with the world's affairs while remaining inwardly detached, serving the greater harmony of Heaven and Earth. In him, we see the fulfillment of Laozi's vision of the sage-ruler who governs by moral example rather than force, who leads by following the natural order.
The temples he administered, the disciples he guided, and the records he left behind all testify to a life lived in accordance with the deepest principles of our tradition. Even today, those who walk the path of Complete Reality look to his example of how to balance inner cultivation with outer service.
The Mysterious Mention
The text concludes with a brief reference to one Su Yuanlang (蘇元朗), identified simply as "a Taoist." While the historical records provide little detail about this figure, the very fact of his inclusion suggests he too was part of this golden age of Taoist influence during the early Yuan period. Such brief mentions often hide profound teachings, for in our tradition, the most accomplished masters sometimes leave the lightest footprints in the historical record.
