What is Shangqing School 上清派?

The Shangqing Sect was founded in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. In the second year of Xingning in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (364), the Taoist Yang Xi claimed that Lady Wei (referring to Wei Huacun, the deceased female libationer of Tianshi Dao) and various immortals descended to bestow upon him 31 volumes of the Shangqing scriptures, 52 records of true immortals' teachings, and matters related to cultivation. These contents, written in clerical script, were passed to Xu Mi and his son Xu Hui from Jurong (now part of Jiangsu Province) for copying and practicing. At the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Taoist Wang Lingqi rewrote and expanded these works, which then became widely popular, thus forming a new Taoist school. Later, Tao Hongjing collected the manuscripts of Yang Xi and the Xu father-son, compiled them into Zhengao (Declarations of Immortals), and also compiled Shangqing magical techniques into Dengzhen Yinjue (Secret Instructions for Ascending to Immortality), making the Shangqing scriptures and methods more complete.

This sect claimed that those who attained the Dao through cultivation could ascend to the "Shangqing Heaven", a realm higher than the "Taiqing" realm of Tianshi Dao, hence they called themselves "Shangqing adherents". Since it regarded Maoshan as a sacred place, it was later also known as the "Maoshan Sect".

The Shangqing Sect inherited and developed the theories of Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Scripture), with preserving the spirit and cultivating qi as its main cultivation methods, supplemented by reciting scriptures and performing meritorious deeds. It did not emphasize talismans, ritual ceremonies, or alchemy, and deprecated sexual techniques. It venerated Dadong Zhenjing (Great Cavern True Scripture), Ciyi Wulao Baojing (Treasure Scripture of the Female Unity and the Five Elders), and Taishang Suling Dayou Miaojing (Supreme Numinous Prime Great and Wondrous Scripture), collectively referring to them as the "Three Wonders of the Dao".

It worshipped the Primordial Heavenly King, the Supreme Lord of the Great Dao, the Heavenly Lord of Taiwei, the Golden Tower Emperor of the Later Sage, and Laozi as the highest deities, and regarded Lady Wei as the founding ancestor.

In addition to Tao Hongjing, its representative figures in the Sui and Tang dynasties included Wang Yuanzhi, Pan Shizheng, Sima Chengzhen, and Li Hanguang. Later, the Shangqing Sect gradually merged with other Taoist schools, and after the Yuan Dynasty, it was incorporated into Zhengyi Dao.