Wang Chongyang(王重阳): The Founding Master of Complete Perfection Taoism

Wang Chongyang (1112 - 1170), originally named Zhongfu with the courtesy name Yunqing, also known as Shixiong with the courtesy name Dewei. After entering Taoism, he changed his name to Zhe with the courtesy name Zhiming, and his Taoist title was Chongyangzi, hence he was called Wang Chongyang. He was from Dawei Village, Xianyang (now Xianyang, Shaanxi) in Jingzhao at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty. He was the founder of Quanzhen Taoism, a branch of Chinese Taoism, and later revered as one of the "Five Northern Patriarchs" of Taoism.

Wang Chongyang was born into a landlord family. Feeling that the society was turbulent and he could not realize his ambitions, he abandoned his family to practice Taoism. In the fourth year of Zheng Long in the Jin Dynasty (1159), he claimed that an immortal had taught him the secret of cultivating truth. So he built a tunnel in Zhongnan Mountain, named "Tomb of the Living Dead", and lived in the cave to practice Taoism. In the seventh year of Dading in the Jin Dynasty (1167), he burned his residence and went to Shandong alone to preach. Soon he had many disciples and accepted seven disciples, who were called the "Seven Northern Perfect Ones". In the sixth year of Zhiyuan in the Yuan Dynasty (1269), the emperor of the dynasty conferred on Wang Chongyang the title of "Chongyang Quanzhen Kaihua True Lord"; in the third year of Zhida in the Yuan Dynasty (1310), the emperor conferred on him the title of "Chongyang Quanzhen Kaihua Fuju Emperor".

Wang Chongyang integrated the thoughts of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, advocating the unity of the three religions. He claimed that "Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism are interlinked, and the three religions have always had the same origin". He believed that the foundation of cultivating Taoism lies in cultivating the mind. When one's mind reaches peace and tranquility, even if the body is in the mortal world, the mind is already in the holy realm, that is, "if one's mind is always allowed to be peaceful and tranquil, it is the real shortcut to practice". His works include more than a thousand poems for preaching, as well as Chongyang's Fifteen Theories on Establishing Religion, Collected Works of Chongyang's Education and Collected Works of Dividing Pears and Ten Transformations, all of which are included in The Orthodox Taoist Canon.

Birth of the Quanzhen School

Master Wang founded what we call Quanzhen Dao (全真道) - the Complete Perfection or Complete Reality School. This wasn't merely another Taoist sect; it was a revolutionary approach that would forever change how we practice the Way.

Core Principles of Complete Perfection

Principle	Meaning	Practice
Unity of Three Teachings	Harmony between Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism	Studying texts from all three traditions
Dual Cultivation	Balancing inner nature and life essence	Meditation combined with physical practices
Monastic Life	Celibacy and communal living	Withdrawal from worldly attachments
Inner Alchemy	Transforming the self through spiritual practice	Breathing techniques, visualization, moral cultivation

The Seven Perfected Disciples

What strikes me most about Master Wang is how he chose his disciples - not for their wealth or status, but for their spiritual potential. His seven main disciples, known as the Seven Perfected Ones (七真), carried his teachings across China:

Ma Yu (马钰) - The Calm and Collected

• First and most devoted disciple
• Established Quanzhen practices in Shandong
• Known for his profound understanding of inner alchemy

Tan Chuduan (谭处端) - The Southern Harmony

• Spread teachings throughout the Yangtze River region
• Founded the Nanwu lineage
• Emphasized the unity of opposites

Liu Chuxuan (刘处玄) - The随山 (Mountain Follower)

• Established practices in northeastern China
• Known for his connection with nature
• Founded the Suishan lineage

Qiu Chuji (丘处机) - The Changchun Immortal

• Perhaps the most famous disciple
• Traveled to meet Genghis Khan
• His lineage became dominant in Quanzhen tradition

Wang Chuyi (王处一) - The Iron-Willed

• Known for extreme ascetic practices
• Established the Yushan lineage
• Emphasized discipline and self-control

Hao Datong (郝大通) - The Broad-Minded

• Founded the Huashan lineage
• Known for his scholarly approach
• Integrated Confucian ethics with Taoist practice

Sun Bu'er (孙不二) - The Only Female Master

• Wife of Ma Yu who became enlightened
• Established practices specifically for women
• Showed that the Way knows no gender

Revolutionary Teachings

In our tradition, we remember Master Wang not just as a founder, but as a revolutionary who dared to challenge conventional wisdom. Consider these innovations:

Celibate Monasticism: Unlike earlier Taoist schools that often involved family lineages, Master Wang insisted on celibacy. This wasn't mere asceticism - he understood that sexual energy, when properly cultivated, becomes spiritual power.

Communal Living: Rather than hermits practicing alone, Quanzhen Taoists live in communities. We support each other's cultivation, share resources, and create environments where the Tao can flourish.

Integration of Buddhism: While remaining fundamentally Taoist, Master Wang incorporated Buddhist meditation techniques and moral precepts. He saw wisdom wherever it appeared, regardless of its source.

Emphasis on Morality: Cultivation isn't just about personal enlightenment - it's about becoming a better person. Master Wang taught that without ethical behavior, all our meditation is worthless.

Historical Context and Challenges

Period	Dynasty	Major Events	Impact on Taoism
1113-1127	Late Northern Song	Political instability	Scholarly Taoism in decline
1127-1170	Jin Dynasty	Foreign rule, cultural disruption	Need for spiritual renewal
1170-1220	Jin Dynasty	Quanzhen expansion	Rapid growth of monastic communities
1220-1368	Yuan Dynasty	Mongol rule	Quanzhen becomes dominant Taoist school

Living through the conquest of the Jin by northern tribes, Master Wang saw how quickly worldly power could crumble. This reinforced his conviction that true refuge lay only in spiritual cultivation. The chaos of his times wasn't an obstacle to practice - it was the very reason practice became essential.

The Living Legacy

Today, eight centuries later, we Quanzhen Taoists still follow the path Master Wang illuminated. In our morning prayers, we recite his teachings. In our meditation halls, his portrait watches over us. His emphasis on inner alchemy continues to guide our practice.

The famous White Cloud Temple (白云观) in Beijing, our school's ancestral home, still echoes with his wisdom. Pilgrims come from around the world to pay respects at his shrine, seeking guidance for their own spiritual journeys.

For the Modern Seeker

Perhaps you wonder: what does a 12th-century Chinese master have to offer our contemporary world? In my years of practice, I've found his teachings remarkably relevant:

In our age of distraction, Master Wang's emphasis on inner cultivation offers genuine refuge.

In our fragmented world, his integration of different wisdom traditions shows us how to find unity amid diversity.

In our materialistic society, his example of abandoning worldly success for spiritual fulfillment challenges our deepest assumptions.

Master Wang Chongyang didn't just found a religious school - he created a way of life that has sustained countless seekers for nearly a millennium. His greatest teaching wasn't any particular technique or doctrine, but his lived example: that transformation is possible, that the ordinary can become sacred, and that the Way is always available to those with the courage to follow it.

May his wisdom guide your own journey along the pathless path.

---