Chinese Language Text:
http://www.wuwo.org/djxw/740.html
Translator’s Note: As there is a ‘fake’ school of Daoism In the West spreading all kinds of ahistorical nonsense about the Wu Liu lineage, the Daoist Association of China has granted me the honourable the task of translating key (but obscure) Chinese language texts so that the correct history of Chinese Daoism can be presented without the taint of ignorance, racism and deliberate falsification, etc. Master Wu Shouyang (伍守阳) [1574-1644] was the recognised eighth-generation inheritor of the Quanzhen, Longmen Daoist Tradition. His disciple - Master Liu Huayang (柳华阳) [1736 - ?] - is the recognised ninth-generation inheritor of the Quanzhen, Longmen Tradition. Ch’an Masters Liao Ran and Liao Kong appear to have both been recognised as the tenth-generation inheritors of the Quanzhen, Longmen AND Wu Liu Tradition. As the ‘Wu Liu’ School only came into being after Liu Huayang learned from Wu Shouyang – (It could be that both Ch’an Masters Liao Ran and Liao Kong were also the recognised first-generation inheritors of the newly formed ‘Wu Liu’ School). Whatever the case, the Wu Liu teaching (as a refinement of the Quanzhen and Longmen methodology) passed through the hands of Liao Ran and Liao Kong. Zhao Bichen was the eleven-generation inheritor of the Quanzhen, Longmen, Wu Liu Tradition – is also counted as the Founding Patriarch of the Qianfeng School – which is a re-gathering of ALL the authentic Daoist teachings that were once lost from the decadent lineages and corrupt schools. Master Zhao Ming Wang [赵明旺] (the great grandson of Zhao Bichen still living in Beijing) is recognised as the fourteenth-generation inheritor of the Quanzhen, Longmen, Wu Liu Tradition – as well as being the third-generation inheritor of the Qianfeng School. ACW (26.3.2021) Master Liao Kong originally came from a family based in the city of Beijing. When young, he entered the ‘Benevolent Longevity’ (仁寿 - Ren Shou) Temple (庙 - Miao) as a Ch’an Buddhist monk. This temple no longer exists today (with its ruins cleared in 1969), but was located in the ‘Qianmen’ (前门) area of Beijing, situated North (and outside of) the ‘Tianqiao West Road’ (天桥西路 - Tian Qiao Xi Lu). This is where Master Liao Kong studied Linji (臨濟) School of Ch’an Buddhism and attained enlightenment. During the fifteen day of the eighth lunar month of the fourth year of the reign of the Qing Dynasty Emperor ‘Jiaqing’ (嘉庆) [1799] - the ‘Immortal Master’ (仙师 - Xian Shi) named ‘Liu Huayang’ (柳华阳) taught the ‘Wu Liu’ method of Daoist self-cultivation (性命细功 - Xing Ming Xi Gong) or ‘Essential Life Refinement Self-cultivation' - which sealed all leakages and united and opened the eight extraordinary energy channels! Master Liao Kong spent the next twenty-one years practicing at the ‘Golden Mountain’ (金山 - Jin Shan) Temple (寺 - si). On the thirteen day of the third lunar month of the same year (1820) - the two Ch’an Masters ‘Liao Ran’ (了然) and ‘Liao Kong’ received the full Daoist method and transmission of the ‘Wu Liu’ School. Later, during the fifth month of the ninth year of the Republic of China (1920) - Master Liao Kong met his disciple ‘Zhao Bichen (趙避塵) inside a shop next to the West House’ and fully transmitted the Quanzhen, Longmen, Wu Liu Daoist School in its entirety. Furthermore, Master Liao Kong issued a ‘Divine-Sky Mandate' (天命 - Tian Ming) formally acknowledging (and endorsing) the formulation of the ‘Thousand Peaks’ (千峰 - Qian Feng), ‘Pre-Natal’ (先天 - Xian Tian), ‘School’ (派 - Pai) - as the only genuine inheritor of the ‘Wu Liu’ School! Since that time, the Qianfeng School (based in Beijing) has welcomed thousands of students through its doors! As Masters Liao Kong and Liao Ran were acknowledged as ten-generation inheritors of the Quanzhen, Longmen, Wu Lui tradition – Master Zhao Bichen was acknowledged as the eleventh-generation inheritor of the Quanzhen, Longmen, Wu Liu tradition.
Chinese Language Text: http://www.wuwo.org/djxw/740.html
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It is the general academic opinion in China, Japan, America and Europe, that Zhao Bichen designed his main Daoist ‘neidan’ self-cultivation manual along the lines of the extant literature of the Wu Liu School. This suggests a direct technical link between the Wu Liu School (transmitted by Grand Master Liao Kong to Zhao Bichen in 1920) with the Qianfeng School founded by Zhao Bichen post-1920 – as a vehicle for disseminate the Wu Liu Teachings. Charles Luk (1898-1978#0 translated this manual into English after meeting Zhao Bichen around 1936 – but it was not published in the West until 1970. As Charles Luk was concerned that most Westerners would find the unfamiliar Chinese Daoist terms difficult to understand, he entitled his English translation as ‘Taoist Yoga’. Of course, this is Zhao Bichen’s Chinese-language manual known as ‘(性命法訣明旨’ (Xing Ming Fa Jue Ming Zhi), or ‘'The Secret Cultivation of Essential Nature and Eternal Life’. Although the Qianfeng School possesses a number of other training manuals – it is this book which conveys what Zhao Bichen considers are the ‘Sixteen Steps’ required to be mastered to transition a student from the beginning level to the middle level - and finally to full immortality. Like the ‘Classic of Change’, however, each of the sixteen steps contains the essence of the other fifteen positions – with entire training universe being ‘fluid’ and fully ‘adaptable’. Some people travel through these stages of training very quickly (in an instant), or take years slowly and carefully mastering each step one at a time. As sixteen can be divided four times in sixty-four – each of the sixteen stages of Qianfeng training has four hexagrams associated with it. Training stage one, for instance, is associated with hexagrams 1, 17, 32 and 64 and so on. A dedicated practitioner must sit and study the ‘Yijing’ (or ‘Zhouyi’) and integrate the wisdom contained within the hexagrams of Yijing with that experience gained from practicing each of the sixteen Qianfeng training stages. This approach is a ‘hidden’ aspect of the old Wi Liu School passed-on to Charles Luk by Zhao Bichen – to me by Richard Hunn (1949-2006). When I told Master Zhao Ming Wang about this practice (we use in the UK) – he was taken aback and was surprised we knew about it! This probably explains why Richard Hunn always emphasised the study of the ‘Book of Change’ - even at the very beginning of my Ch’an training with him. The Founders of the Wu Liu School – Wu Shouyang (and his Disciple) Liu Huayang – both penned a number of Daoist training manuals well-known in China. When compared with the content and style of Zhao Bichen’s ‘Taoist Yoga’ manual – it is obvious that the Qianfeng School is a natural lineage extension of the Wu Liu School. Zhao Bichen made use of the Wu Liu habit of composing manuals comprised of disciples ‘asking questions’ and Masters providing ‘answers’. The reliance upon – and approach to ‘neidan’ practice - is identical and does not vary.
Patriarch Zhao Bichen (1860-1942) inherited the Wu Liu School in 1920 from Grand Master Liao Kong. However, Zhao Bichen did this by being recognised as the 11th generation lineage inheritor of the Longmen School. Masters Liao Kong and Liao Ran were lineage inheritors of the Wu Liu method as preserved and passed-on within the older Longmen (Dragon Gates) School. The Wu Liu method is a modification of the Longmen School – incorporating Ch’an Buddhism mind development and Confucian ethics integrated with Daoist methodology. The two lineages fit together perfectly with the Wu Liu being perceived as a broader interpretation of the Longmen School. Instead of allowing the Wu Liu lineage from dying-out – Master Liao Kong and Liao Ran preserved its teachings as part of the Longmen School. The founder of the Wu Liu School during the Ming Dynasty – Wu Shouyang (伍守阳) gave-up the full-time study of the Confucian path, and dedicated himself to the practice of the ‘Complete Truth Way Dragon Gates Self-Cultivation Law’ (全真道龙门派功法 - Quan Zhen Dao Long Men Gong Fa). He stated that through the later study of the Ch’an Buddhist method - he finally gained a genuine realisation of the ‘Dao’ (道) - and was recognised as the 8th generation inheritor of the Longmen tradition from his teacher – Cao Huanyang (曹还阳) the 7th generation inheritor of the Longmen School. Many decades after Wu Shouyang left the world to live in the remote and isolated hills – during the Qing Dynasty he encountered the Ch’an Buddhist monk Liu Huayang (柳华阳) and transmitted to him the full and complete ‘neidan’ (内丹) method to him. Through the in-depth study of Daoism – Liu Huayang finally realised a deep and profound enlightenment. Therefore, the Wu Liu School (伍柳派 - Wu Liu Pai) is a product of the teachings (and experiences) of Wu Shouyang and Liu Huayang – which was passed-on as part of the Longmen tradition. Masters Liao Ran and Liao Kong were both 10th generation inheritors of the Wu Liu lineage as preserved within the Longmen tradition. Zhao Bichen eventually became the 11th generation inheritor of the Wu Liu School through the Longmen tradition. The Qianfeng School today is headed by the great grandson of Zhao Bichen – Zhao Ming Wang (赵明旺) - who is the recognised 14th generation inheritor of the Wu Liu School through the Longmen tradition. Although there are a few private individuals pursuing the Wu Liu path today – the Qianfeng School is the only developed Daoist institution in China that has been found to possess the entire Wu Liu teaching. Many great and accomplished Masters (from many different backgrounds – including other Daoist Schools) come to Beijing to gain teachings from Master Zhao Ming Wagn (who is also the 3rd generation inheritor of the Qianfeng lineage). One strong tradition of the Qianfeng School is that peace and tranquillity must be maintained at all times with no conflict. This is why I use ‘facts’ to dispel any false assumptions said (or ‘written’) about the Qianfeng School.
I was recently discussing the status of Patriarch Zhao Bichen (1860-1942) with a prominent representative of the Daoist Association of China. This communication occurred because I had been handled and ‘investigative report’ carried-out Daoist Association of China regard a supposedly ‘Russian’ school of Daoism – the leadership of which is very vocal in the publicity of its own techniques – whilst denigrating all other schools. Numerous complaints were made to the Daoist Association of China who was authorised by the government of China to initiate a two-year investigation. The (brief) conclusions are as follows:
1) The Daoist school in question is a Western invention and has no historical or cultural roots in China. 2) The Daoist school in question does not exist in Russia and is not ‘Russian’. 3) The Daoist school in question possesses no Chinese Masters or authentic Chinese Daoist knowledge. 4) The Daoist school in question only controls the English-language Wikipedia pages regarding Daoism – and does not write any pages for the Russian Wikipedia, 5) The Daoist school in question exists only to make money and is not ‘Chinese’ in any way. The report goes on for ten pages and says in one part that the Daoist school in question was contacted by a Russian speaker on the telephone and those who answered a) could not speak Russian, and b) spoke English with an ‘American’ accent. The final page of the report from the Daoist Association of China states that the Qianfeng School of Beijing – under the control of Zhao Ming Wang – is the ONLY legitimate inheritor of the Wu Liu School of Daoism in China today. Those who truly cultivate the Dao under authentic teachers in the East or West should avoid commercial entities that behave in an un-Daoist manner and that spreads lies and disinformation. Founding Patriarch Zhao Bichen (赵避尘) composed a 40-character poem to express the spiritual (and physical) essence of the complete teaching of the Qianfeng School: 玄妙先天道,自然性体空。悟真圆光现,慧命上昆仑。 金丹乾坤大,礼意善养功。虚灵清静意,留得万古春。 Translation – Qianfeng School Transmission Poem 玄妙先天道, (Xuánmiào xiāntiān dào,) How Mysterious – How Wonderful! - the Pre-natal Dao (Way). 自然性体空。(Zìrán xìng tǐ kōng.) Nature – Bodily Essence – All ‘Empty’ from Beginning to End. 悟真圆光现,(Wù zhēn yuánguāng xiàn,) Enlightened Reality – Bright and Round – Here and Now, 慧命上昆仑。(Huì mìng shàng kūnlún.) Profound Wisdom – Purified Destiny – Ascend Like the Kunlun Mountains. 金丹乾坤大,(Jīn dān qiánkūn dà,) Golden Energy-Centre Self-Cultivation - If Only the Universe Was So Great! 礼意善养功。(Lǐ yì shàn yǎng gōng.) Correct Ritual and Profound Intention – Goodness Strengthens Self-Cultivation. 虚灵清静意, (Xū líng qīngjìng yì,) Profoundly Empty Spirit – Still and Pure Perception, 留得万古春。(Xū liú dé wàngǔ chūn.) Profound Emptiness Contains All Things – As if Reflected in An Ancient (Eternal) Spring. Short Biography of Master Zhao Bichen: Qianfeng (Thousand-Peaks) Pre-Natal School, is also known as the ‘inner alchemy’ (内丹 - Nei Dan) lineage. This is considered part of the ‘Philosophical’ Daoist tradition – rather than the ‘Religious’ Daoist tradition. The Qianfeng (千峰) School was created by its Founding Patriarch - Zhao Bichen (赵避尘) - in the late Qing Dynasty. Zhao Bichen’s Daoist Lineage (transmission) name was ‘Yizi’ (一子). When in his later years, Zhao Bichen was also known as ‘Qianfeng Venerable Old Man’ (千峰老人 - Qian Feng Lao Ren). He was born in Changping County, Beijing, in the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Xianfeng (咸丰) during the Qing Dynasty (1860). When a child (during the reign of Emperor Guangxiu [光绪]) - Zhao Bichen suffered from a medical ailment that involved him suffering from haematochezia (i.e., ‘blood in the stools’). This illness was completely ‘cured’ through Daoist self-cultivation. A reliable biography of Zhao Bichen’s early life can be read in the Chinese-language text entitled ‘Namo School Energy-Centre (Self-Cultivation) Law Genuine Transmission’ (南无派丹法真传 - Na Mo Pai Dan Fa Zhen Chuan). Later, in the 3rd lunar-month of the 21st year of the Reign of Emperor Guangxu (April - 1895), Zhao Bichen went to the Jinshan (金山) - or ‘Gold Mountain Temple’ - to pay homage to Ch’an Master Liao Kong (了空禅师 - Liao Kong Ch’an Shi) - who was also an acknowledged Master of the Daoist tradition and an authentic Daoist lineage inheritor. Zhao Bichen was accepted as an ‘inner’ disciple and received full-instruction in the Daoist tradition as passed-on by ‘Liu Huayang’ (柳华阳) - also known as the ‘Wu Liu’ (伍柳) School. Twenty-five yeas later, Master Liao Kong ‘transmitted’ the full and complete ‘Wu Liu’ lineage to Master Zhao Bichen in 1920 – following this event in Beijing – Master Zhao Bichen - after receiving ‘permission’ from Master Liao Kong - started accepting disciples and teaching in his own right. Zhao Bichen started referring to his lineage as the ‘Qianfeng’ (Thousand Peaks) School around 1937 – named after a range of mountains in the Beijing area. In his manual entitled ‘The Secret Cultivation of Essential Nature and Eternal Life’ (性命法诀明指 - Xing Ming Fa Jue Ming Zhi) – translated in 1970 by Charles Luk, and published in English as ‘Taoist Yoga’ - Zhao Bichen clearly explains the ‘Sixteen Steps’ that he uses within the Qianfeng School to propagate robust health and longevity. The Qianfeng School exists to in modern China and is led by the great grandson of Zhao Bichen – Zhao Ming Wang (赵明旺) - the acknowledged Lineage Head of the Qianfeng School in Beijing, whose family and Training Hall is still in the old house that Zhao Bichen used to inhabit during his lifetime. Between the two eyebrows – situated in the centre of the forehead – is located the ‘ancestral aperture’ (祖窍 - Zu Qiao). In other traditions, this sacred space is referred to as the ‘third-eye’ - which is an apt description – as all ‘spiritual insight’ is perceived through this sacred-space. The ‘zu qiao’ and ‘nasal’ area are ‘balanced’ through an ‘even’ perception as the breath enters and leaves the body (through the nose). Some people keep their eyes slightly open so that the tip of the nose can be visually focused upon whilst meditating. Other practitioners prefer to ‘close’ their eyes fully – both approaches are acceptable. As the Qianfeng School is a modern interpretation of the Wu Liu tradition – and given that Zhao Bichen received full-transmission from two Ch’an Buddhist Masters (that is, Venerable Liao Ran [了然 ] and Liao Kong [了空]) - the Qianfeng School continues the Ch’an Buddhist influence within Daoism, and is known as the ‘Northern School of ‘Pure’ and ‘Still’ Energy-Centre Self-Cultivation Law' (北清静丹法 - Bei Qing Jing Dan Fa). As Zhao Bichen trained with over thirty-six genuine Daoist Masters – and given the purity of the transmissions he received – the Qianfeng School is considered one of the most effective and profound Daoist lineages still active in the world today! So important is the Qianfeng School for Chinese traditional culture that many academic scholars visit Zhao Ming Wang in Beijing to compile various studies involving Qianfeng Teaching and medical effectiveness. This is as well as thousands of people in China (and throughout the world) practicing Qianfeng Daoism on a daily basis and looking toward Master Zhao Ming Wang for authentic guidance and instruction.
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AuthorAdrian Chan-Wyles (內丹 - Shi Da Dao) - Qianfeng Lineage: Zhao Bichen (1860-1942), Charles Luk (1898-1978) and Richard Hunn (1949-2006). Acknowledges Master Zhao Ming Wang (赵明旺) of Beijing as the ONLY Lineage Head of the Zhao Family Lineage of Qianfeng Daoism in China and the world. Archives
February 2024
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