Ripening  Peaches
 

Dragon Gate Daoist Lineage (Lineage, School, Sect, Tradition)

Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Taoism
School of Complete Reality
 

Early Masters

Wang Xuanpu and Zhongli Quan, lived in Zhongnan Moutains at the Mistry Sunlight Grotto, in the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) 
Lu Dongbin, lived in the Tang dynasty (618-907) 
Liu Haichan, whose name means Sea Toad, lived in the Liao Dynasty (916-1125)
Wong Chongyang (1112-1170), Teacher of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen Daoism  
Qiu Chuji (1148-1227), Founder of the Dragon Gate Lineage/Tradition/Sect 

Introduction to Quanzhen Daoism and the Dragon Gate Tradition.  By Shi Jing and Shi Dao.  British Taoist Association. 

Daoism and Chinese Culture.  By Livia Kohn.  Three Pines Press, 2nd Edition, 2001.  Quanzhen (pp. 154-167).  228 pages.  ISBN: 1931483000.

Wong Chongyang (1112-1170) teaching his Seven Disciples
The Seven Masters of Quanzhen, The Seven Elders of Quanzhen
or The Seven Perfected Beings.
Qiu Chuji (1148-1227) was one of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen Daoism

"I shall explain carefully the way to cultivation:
Enlightenment will come only to a tranquil heart.
When nothing arises in the eye, the dragon will gladly stay;
When the nostrils remain open, the tiger will happily dwell. 
When the tongue retreats from tasting, the spirit in the heart will be glad;
When the ears stop listening to sound, the water in the kidneys will be clear.
North and south intermingle in harmony and unite into one;
East and west unite in intercourse and all demon parasites will be destroyed.
Wood and metal relay on this and come to rest;
The infant and the virgin follow the lord's talisman. 
Then the golden elixir forms,
And one can leave the body through the head;
Moving straight into the heavens as five beams of light."
-  Attributed to Wong Chongyang (1112-1170)
   Found in "Taoist Tradition and Change," by Bartholomew Tsui, 1991, p. 33 

Qiu Chuji (1148-1227)
Founder of the Dragon Gate Taoist Tradition

"The largest of these is Qiu Chuji’s Dragon Gate sect. Following Wang’s death the seven disciples dispersed. Qiu Chuji continued to follow a quiet ascetic life, living in caves and begging for food. He lived for several years in the Dragon Gate Cave and his sect is named after this place. It was here that Qiu began to develop his teachings, emphasizing Wang’s view that the three doctrines of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism are complimentary and share a common origin. Later in his life he gained favor with the Jin emperor Shizong and then with the conquering Mongol ruler Chinggis Khan, who honored him with the title Spirit Immortal. With this recognition and support the Quanzhen school grew very quickly and Qiu encouraged the building of many Daoist temples, developing the structure for that way of life. He gained a large following, including many among the working class, and over the years the Dragon Gate sect spread to many parts of China becoming the main representative of the Quanzhen school. There is even a saying that “the Dragon Gate covers half the land.” Qiu spent the last few years of his life in Beijing living at a Daoist temple now known as the White Cloud Temple, and was buried there after his death. Since his time the White Cloud temple has been the seat and headquarters for both the Quanzhen and Dragon Gate sects, and continues to be so even today."
-  Introduction to Quanzhen Daoism and the Dragon Gate Tradition.  By Shi Jing and Shi Dao.  British Taoist Association. 

Patriarch Qiu Chuji Founded the Dragon Gate Sect

Qiu Chuji - Wikipedia

Qiu Chuji (Traditional Chinese: 丘處機; Simplified Chinese: 丘处机, alternately rendered Kiu Chang Chun; Taoist name: Chang Chun (長春 or Perpetual Spring); 1148 – 23 July 1227) was a Quanzhen Taoist, the most famous of Wang Chongyang's seven disciples, or Seven Immortals. He was also the founder of the Dragon Gate Taoism. 

Wang Changyue (1622-1680)

"Wang Changyue 王常月 (Kunyang崑陽 [Paradisiacal Yang]; 1622-1680) was the abbot of Baiyun guan  白雲觀 (White Cloud Monastery) in the mid-1600s. The Longmen 龍門( Dragon Gate) branch of Quanzhen 全真 (Complete Perfection) Daoism, the officially recognized form of Daoism in contemporary mainland China, was formally established by Wang Changyue. In addition to being influential in the Qing dynasty revitalization of Quanzhen, which included the ordination of many monks and nuns, Wang Changyue compiled the main precept texts, which remain central in contemporary Longmen. These include the Chuzhen jie 初真戒 (Precepts of Initial Perfection), Zhongji jie 中機戒  (Precepts of Middle Ultimate), and Tianxian jie 天仙戒 (Precepts of Celestial Immortality). He also wrote the Longmen xinfa 龍門心法 (Core Teachings of Dragon Gate)."
-  Daoist Center - Personages

The following scripture is recited daily in Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Taoist monasteries:

Qingjing Jing
Canon of Purity and Tranquility

The Great Tao has no name;
It raises and nourishes the myriad beings.
I do not know its name, 
So I call it Tao.

The Tao can be pure or turbid, moving or tranquil.
Heaven is pure, earth is turbid;
Heaven is moving, earth is tranquil.
The male is moving, the female is tranquil.

Descending from the origin,
Flowing toward the end,
The myriad beings are being born.

Purity - the source of turbidity,
Movement - the root of tranquility.

Always be pure and tranquil;
Heaven and earth
Return to the primordial.

The human spirit is fond of purity,
But the mind disturbs it.
The human mind is fond of tranquility,
But desires meddle with it.

Get rid of desires for good,
And the mind will be calm.
Cleanse your mind,
And the spirit will be pure.

Naturally the six desires won't arise,
The three poisons are destroyed.
Whoever cannot do this
Has not yet cleansed his mind,
His desires are not yet driven out.

Those who have abandoned their desire:
Observe your mind by introspection;
And see there is no mind.

Then observe the body,
Look at yourself from without;
And see there is no body.

Then observe others by glancing out afar;
And see there are no beings.

Once you have realized these three,
Your observe emptiness!

Use emptiness to observe emptiness,
And see there is no emptiness.
When even emptiness is no more,
There is no more nonbeing either.

Without even the existence of nonbeing
There is only serenity,
Profound and everlasting.

When serenity dissolves in nothingness -
How could there be desires?
When no desires arise
You have found true tranquility.

In true tranquility, go along with beings;
In true permanence, realize inner nature.
Forever going along, forever tranquil-
This is permanent purity, lasting tranquility.

In Purity and tranquility,
Gradually enter the true Tao.
When the true Tao is entered,
It is realized.

Though we speak of "realized,"
Actually there is nothing to attain.
Rather, we speak of realization
When someone begins to transform the myriad beings.

Only who has properly understood this
Is worthy to transmit the sages' Tao.

Laozi says:
The highest gentleman does not fight;
The lesser gentleman loves to fight.
Highest Virtue is free from Virtue;
Lesser Virtue clings to Virtue.

All clinging and attachments
Have nothing to do with the Tao or the Virtue.

People fail to realize the Tao
Because they have deviant minds.
Deviance in the mind
Means the spirit is alarmed.

Spirit alarmed,
There is clinging to things.
Clinging to things,

Searching and coveting,
There are passions, afflictions, deviance, and imaginings;
These trouble and pester body and mind.

Then one falls into turbidity and shame,
Ups and downs, life and death.
Forever immersed in the sea of misery,
One is in eternity lost to the true Tao.

The Tao of true permanence
Will naturally come to those who understand.
Those who understand the realization of the Dao
Will rest forever in the pure and tranquil." 
-  Translated by Livia Kohn, "The Taoist Experience: An Anthology." Albany, State University of New York Press, 1993, pp.24-29.

Precepts of the American Dragon Gate Lineage

"I take refuge in the Great Dao.

I take refuge in the Canon.

I take refuge in the Teacher and Hidden Immortals of the Great Way.

I vow not to create evil or harm to others.

I vow to practice good.

I vow to bring forth good to others.

I vow to Practice

Not misusing sexuality.

Not clouding the mind with drugs or alcohol.

Not being greedy, or angry.

I vow to Practice

Being compassionate to self and others.

Being mindful and paying attention to things in my daily life.

Cultivating the Three Treasures of Jing, Qi, and Shen.

Developing a spacious view of self and others.

Dedicating the merits of my cultivation to all beings, both the living and the dead.

I vow to practice Not Two until I realize Complete Perfection.

Verse of Atonement

All evil karma ever committed by me

Since of old,

Because of my beginningless greed, anger,

And ignorance,

Born of my body, mouth, and thought,

Now I atone for it all."

-  American Dragon Gate Lineage
   Precepts (PDF, 1 page)

Dragon Gate Taoist Tradition Lineage

Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoism
School of Complete Reality
Bibliography, Links, Resources

American Dragon Gate Taoist Lineage.  Michael Rinaldini, Daoist priest and qigong teacher in Sebastopol, California. 

An American Dragon Gate Taoist Retreat: My Experiences. 

The Book of Balance and Harmony.  Translated with an introduction by Thomas Cleary.  New York, North Point Press, 1989.  153 pages.  ISBN: 0865473633.  "A classical thirteenth-century anthology of Taoist writings, including essays, conversations, poetry, and songs from the School of Complete Reality.  The writings combine the essences of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism into an alchemical elixir teaching Vitality, Energy and Spirit - the "Three Treasures" of Taoism that promise mental and physical well-being."  VSCL. 

Cloud Hands Blog

Daoism and Chinese Culture.  By Livia Kohn.  Three Pines Press, 2nd Edition, 2001.  Quanzhen (pp. 154-167). 

Introduction to Quanzhen Daoism and the Dragon Gate Tradition.  By Shi Jing and Shi Dao.  British Taoist Association. 

Kohn, Livia Ph.D., 1954-   Extensive informative publications about the history, theory, lore, and practices of Daoism. 

Nourishing the Essence of Life: The Outer, Inner and Secret Teachings of Taoism.  Translated with and Introduction by Eva Wong.   Boston, Shambhala, 2004.   104 pages.  ISBN:  1590301048.  VSCL. 

Opening the Dragon Gate: The Making of a Modern Taoist Wizard.  By Chen Kaiguo and Zheng Shunchao.  Translated from the original Chinese by Tomas Cleary.  Boston, Tuttle Publishing, 1998.  282 pages.  ISBN: 0804831858.  "This book is a translation of the authorized biography of Wang Liping (1949-), a living Taoist master, written by two of his longtime disciples.  Wang Liping is an eighteenth generation Transmitter of the Longmen or Dragon Gate branch of Taoism, which traces its spiritual lineage back over eight hundred years.  In his childhood, Wang Liping was chosen for special training as a Transmitter by three elderly masters of Dragon Gate Taoism."  VSCL.  Some of the practices discussed are really ordeals, bizarre, "taste bitter" Shaolin Chan (Zen). 

Patriarch Qiu Chuji Founded the Dragon Gate Sect

Qigong (Daoyin, Chi Kung, Yangsheng Gong): Resources, Guides, Lessons 

Realms of the Dragons

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices    By Mike Garofalo, Red Bluff, California. 

Qiu Chuji (1148-1227), Founder of the Dragon Gate Taoist Tradition  - Wikipedia

Taoist Perspectives: Bibliography, Links, Resources 

VSCL = Valley Spirit Center Library, Red Bluff, California

Michael P. Garofalo's E-mail

May 27, 2010

First posted on the Internet on February 1, 2010

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