| The Quanzhen, founded by Wang Chongyang, is unique in Daoist history as the first Daoist religious community to adopt monastic institutions, such as celibacy and communal living. Qiu Chuji was one of Wang's seven principal disciples and his fourth successor as patriarch of Quanzhen. Insofar as his significance in Quanzhen history is concerned, Yao Congwu says: “Wang Chongyang founded it; Qiu Changchun expanded it”. Qiu is also considered to be the founder of the Longmen (‘Dragon Gate’) lineage, which is virtually what remains of Quanzhen Daoism today.; In religious or mystical systems, self-cultivation is the practical component through which believers strive to attain some kind of real experience of ultimate perfection and unity of reality. In today's therapeutic culture that promotes interconnectedness and holism, self-cultivation is becoming a popular concern. This explains the vitality of Daoist self-cultivation today, particularly that of the internal alchemy tradition, as shown by the popularity of quigong in China and internationally. Quanzhen did not invent internal alchemy, but it was Quanzhen who ‘popularized’ it. Before Quanzhen, internal alchemy was transmitted only to members of certain family lineages. In the Quanzhen community, it was available to anybody who was judged to be worthy or gifted for it.; For Quanzhen Daoists, self-cultivation was both external (ethical) and internal (mental, spiritual). In its efforts to attain this external-internal balance, Quanzhen incorporated insights from Chan Buddhism (on the mind and nature) and Confucianism (on ethical conduct). Among Wang Chongyang's seven principal disciples, Qiu Chuji is said to be the most Confucian, the most socially-engaged. This was evident in the Quanzhen activism during the Mongol conquest of China. Such activism made Quanzhen Daoism the most popular and influential religious community in China at that time. |
