Chapter 17 Section Five Famous Taoist Figures in the Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of Taoism, and there were many famous Taoist figures. Sun Simiao, a famous Taoist scholar and medical scientist in the early Tang Dynasty, was born in Huayuan (now southeast of Yaoxian County, Shaanxi).Regarding the date of his birth and death, there is a saying that it is from 581 AD to 682 AD.Sun Simiao began to study Laozhuang and Zhuangzi's works and medical books since he was a child. After the Sui Dynasty fell, he lived in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain, concentrating on Taoist practice and medical research.Tang Taizong and Tang Gaozong both summoned him and offered him an official job, but he repeatedly declined.Sun Simiao believed in the Taoist saying that taking pills to become immortals made him work hard on alchemy.He said in the "Taiqing Danjing Essentials Preface": "I have read the prescriptions handed down from ancient times, and it is said that those who have feathers and wings on their bodies and can fly briskly in the sky have eaten golden elixir. Whenever I recite these stories, I am really envious.” Therefore, in order to make alchemy, he worked tirelessly, “Although it is difficult and far, he must build it, and he must pursue it even though the path is narrow. Tiredness" and became a famous alchemist at that time.Lu Zhaolin, a famous poet in the early Tang Dynasty, once worshiped him as his teacher.Lu Zhaolin devoted himself to studying Taoism in the Donglongmen Mountain Abode, and took a lot of cinnabar prescriptions. He almost lost his life due to drug poisoning. He was also a person who believed in taking Dan Chengxian.

Sun Simiao has made great achievements in medicine and health preservation, and has left a large number of works, such as "Thousands of Golden Prescriptions", "Thousands of Golden Prescriptions", "Chinese Prescriptions for Sheyang Pillow", "Baoshengming", "Cunshen Refining Qi", " Health Theory" and so on.He is proficient in internal medicine, and also has attainments in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and surgery.As for his profound knowledge of pharmacology, it should be said that it is also related to his study of alchemy.Sun Simiao has dual identities of Taoist priest and medical scientist, and has become an important figure in the history of Taoism and science and technology with his important achievements.Later generations respect him as the "King of Medicine".The belief in the King of Medicine is one of the most common beliefs in common gods in China.In the past, the Yaowang Temple, which was spread all over the land of China and full of incense, was dedicated to him, as well as the legendary doctor Bian Que.

In the early Tang Dynasty, there was also a famous Taoist named Cheng Xuanying, styled Zishi, from Shanzhou (now Shanxian County, Henan).Regarding his life story, there are very brief records in "New Book of Tang Yiwenzhi".We only know that in the fifth year of Zhenguan (AD 631), Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, called him to Chang'an, the capital;He has many works on peace, such as "Tao De Zhen Jing Yi Shu", "Nan Hua Zhen Jing Commentary" and so on.Emperor Taizong once bestowed on him the title of Master Xihua. There is a saying in Lao Tzu: "Mysterious and mysterious", which describes the esoteric and unfathomable "Tao".Some Taoist priests in later generations took advantage of the topic and interpreted "Xuan" as the meaning of dispelling wrong thoughts and getting rid of paranoid thinking, and proposed the so-called "the way of re-emphasizing Xuan".According to this line of thought, Cheng Xuanying expended a lot of effort to explain it with the so-called "heavy mystery" thought.During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, some people liked to talk about the topic of "existence" and "nothingness", saying that the origin of all things in the world is this invisible "nothingness", and nothingness is the "foundation of all things", so it is supreme.Another group of people oppose this so-called "precious nothing" philosophy of "taking nothing as the foundation", and believe that there are shapes and images in the universe, and all things themselves, that is, the so-called "being", should be valued.In particular, the set of moral norms called Gangchang Mingjiao that maintained the hearts of the people at that time had their own reasons for their existence, and there was no need to find something else as their origin.In this way, the debate between the two factions of "gui Wu" and "respect you" took place.During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, this discussion about being and not having had a great influence on future generations of intellectuals.Cheng Xuanying believes that neither existence nor non-existence can be used to define the concept of "Tao", because Tao is "neither existence nor non-existence", "either existence or non-existence".He advocated to get rid of the "disease of two biases" and understand Tao comprehensively and correctly.In his commentary he said:

People with desires only stagnate in "being"; people without desires stagnate in "nothing".So I say "Xuan" to send out both.I am also afraid that scholars will stagnate in this "Xuan", and now I say "Yuan Xuan", which will even cure future diseases.It is not but not stagnant in "stagnation", nor is it not stagnant in "not stagnant".This is to send it away again, so it is called "Xuanzhiyuexuan". It means that those with strong desires try their best to emphasize "being"; those who have no desires insist on talking about "nothing". In fact, they all commit the problem of one-sided view of the problem.Now I will explain this "mysterious" truth and correct them.Considering that some people may be obsessed with words and get entangled in this word, I will explain the truth of "youxuan" again to correct it.So that they not only don't stick to the original being and nothing, but also don't stick to this mystery.This rectification and then correction, that is, the principle of double correction, is called "mysterious and mysterious".This is the so-called "Dao of Heavy Mystery".Cheng Xuanying focused on propagating the theory of heavy metaphysics, and believed that only through "the way of heavy metaphysics" can one achieve the state of emptiness, tranquility, and tranquility that one needs to achieve in cultivating Taoism.

In the Tang Dynasty, Li Rong, a disciple of Cheng Xuanying, and others liked to talk about "Chong Xuan".From a fundamental point of view, the so-called "Tao of Heavy Mystery" can be said to be a method of embodying the Tao and cultivating one's nature to achieve spiritual liberation.The emphasis on metaphysics of Cheng Xuanying and others has a strong color of philosophical speculation, and also has elements of Buddhist thought.Taoism preaches that one can achieve Taoism and become immortal through practice, so Ge ​​Hong and Sun Simiao are highly respected, but for people like Cheng Xuanying, various Taoist books and biographies of immortals are rarely mentioned in later generations.

Li Quan, who was active in the Tang Xuanzong to Suzong era, was named Daguanzi, and was born in Longxi (now in Gansu).In his early years, he lived in seclusion in Shaoshi Mountain in Songshan to learn Taoism, and also served as a judge of Jingnan Jiedu and governor of Dengzhou.His works, according to the records of Tang and Song Dynasties, include "Taibai Yin Jing", "Zhongtai Zhi" and "Huang Di Yin Fu Jing Shu", among which the most important is "Huang Di Yin Fu Jing Shu". According to Taoist legend, the book "Yin Fu Jing" was passed down to Li Quan by his old mother in Lishan, and some people say that it was written by Li Quan himself under the guise of the Yellow Emperor.However, Ouyang Xun and Chu Suiliang, great calligraphers in the early Tang Dynasty, both wrote the "Yin Fu Jing" post, which shows that it cannot be written by Li Quan.It is now generally believed to be a work of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. There are two versions of "Yin Fu Jing", one is the book annotated by Li Quan, with a total of 300 characters; the other is the book annotated by Zhang Guo, with more than 100 characters after 300 characters. "Yin Fu Jing" is a highly summarized and concise book with profound content, rich in strategic strategies of military strategists and insights into medical health preservation.Since Li Quan and Zhang Guo wrote notes on it, it has been widely disseminated in the society and has become one of the important classics of Taoism.

In the Tang Dynasty, the Maoshan sect, which mainly taught the classics of the Qing Dynasty, produced many famous Taoists, such as Wang Yuanzhi, Pan Shizheng, Sima Chengzhen, Wu Yun and Li Hanguang, etc.Most of these people came from famous families, had high cultural accomplishment, and knew how to use the support of feudal rulers.Through their activities, Maoshan Sect has gradually become the highest Taoist sect in the country.Among them, Wang Yuanzhi is the 10th generation master of Maoshan School, who laid an important foundation for the prosperity of Maoshan School after entering the Tang Dynasty.Wang Yuanzhi was born in a family of officials, and because of his merits in secretly passing on the talisman before Li Yuan raised his troops, he was highly valued by Tang Gaozu and Taizong.After his death in the ninth year of Zhenguan (AD 635), he was posthumously granted the posthumous title of Dazhong Doctor in the second year of Emperor Gaozong's Tiaolu (AD 680), with the posthumous title of Mr. Shengzhen.Four years later, he was awarded the title of Doctor Zijin Guanglu.Although Wu Yun may not have been born in a famous family, he was quite talented, and his articles, poems and prose were all well-received at the time, and he was appreciated by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty.Xuanzong once asked him about Taoism, and he replied: "The essence of Taoism is nothing like "Five Thousand Words". The essence is all in the book "Lao Tzu", and the rest are all in vain, so there is no need to read it.Xuanzong asked him about the cultivation of immortals. He said that it was a matter for people in the mountains. It would take a lot of time and a lot of moral merit, and it was not suitable for an emperor.Wu Yun is the author of "Xuan Gang Lun", "Shen Xian Can Learn", "Form and Spirit Can Be Solid", etc., and has made great contributions to the theory of Taoism's refinement and righteousness.

Li Hanguang, the 13th generation master, is also a descendant of a wealthy family, and a native of Jiangdu, Guangling (now Yangzhou, Jiangsu).In the first year of Zhongzong Shenlong (AD 705), he entered Taoism, learned Taoism from Sima Chengzhen in Wangwu Mountain in Kaiyuan period, and lived in Songyang for more than 20 years.Xuanzong respected him very much, and called him "Dao Gao Zifu, Xue Zong Huang Ting" in "Order Li Hanguang to Build the Maoshan Altar".During the Tianbao period, Li Hanguang was awarded the title of Mr. Xuanjing by Xuanzong.In his later years, he lived in Ziyang Temple, Maoshan, and devoted himself to writing, but most of his works have not been handed down.