What is Qingshui Dao 清水道?

Qingshui Dao (Clear Water Dao) was a branch of Tianshi Dao (later known as "Zhengyi Dao"). It claimed to have been founded by a household servant of the Zhang Tianshi family. Its Taoist method involved curing diseases with clear water. According to San Tian Nei Jie Jing (Scripture of Inner Explanations of the Three Heavens), on the day of praying for wishes during the Qingming Festival, there were no Taoist houses, kitchens, Taoist texts, talismans, or ritual ceremonies. Instead, people only burned incense and paid homage to a jar of clear water, believing that "the Dao resides in the water."

Qingshui Dao was popular for a time during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Records from Biqiu Ni Zhuan (Biographies of Bhikshunis) and San Dong Zhu Nang (Pearl Pouch of the Three Caverns) show that during the reign of Emperor Jianwen of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (Sima Yu, 371–372), he first followed a Qingshui Dao master, namely Wang Puyang from the capital. Wang Puyang once prayed for an heir for Emperor Jianwen, enabling Empress Dowager Li to conceive Emperor Xiaowu. He often used clear water to treat people's illnesses.