The Dragon Gate sect ( 龍門派 Lóngmén pài) of the Complete Reality School ( 全真派 Quánzhēn pài) of

Taoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...

incorporates elements of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

and

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

into a comprehensive form of Taoism. Complete Reality Taoism is generally divided into two main traditions, Southern and Northern. The Dragon Gate sect is an offshoot of the Northern school. Its spiritual descent is traced to the thirteenth-century master Qiu Chang-chun, who was one of the original seven disciples of

Wang Chongyang Wang Chongyang (11 January 1113 – 22 January 1170; Chinese calendar: 22nd day, 12th month, 2nd year, Zhenghe era in the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song - 4th day, 1st month, 10th year, Dading era in the reign of Emperor Shizong of Jin) wa ...

. Chang-chun means "Eternal Spring". Genghis Khan appointed Chang-chun overseer of all religions in China, and the Dragon Gate sect thus played a critical role in the conservation of the Han Chinese culture.

Dragon Gate priests

The 7th generation Dragon Gate priest and abbot of

White Cloud Monastery The White Cloud Temple, also known as Baiyun Temple or the Abbey or Monastery of the White Clouds, is a Taoist temple and monastery located in Beijing, China. It is one of "The Three Great Ancestral Courts" of the Quanzhen School of Taoism and i ...

in Beijing, Wang Changyue (王常月, could be considered the renaisseur of Dragon Gate Taoism. He authored the Dragon Gate's Core Teachings (龙门心法), the Altar Scripture of the Jasper Garden (碧园坛经), the Precepts and Statutes of the Initial Truth (初真戒律) and the no longer extant Alm's-Bowl Mirror (钵鉴). The 11th generation Dragon Gate priests Min Yi-De (闵一得) combined three religions (Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism) together to develop the "Dragon convenience methods". The principle is "learn from Buddhism, to comply with the precepts, diligently practice inner alchemy arts", so that the Dragon Gate branch became thriving. Dragon Gate is currently the largest existing Taoism branch in the world. After the decline of the

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

and the establishment of People's Republic of China, which included the devastating destruction of religions during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

, people's understanding of Taoism became more limited to the type of Taoism practiced in the temples located in major urban centers.

Prominent Dragon Gate Temples

White Cloud Temple The White Cloud Temple, also known as Baiyun Temple or the Abbey or Monastery of the White Clouds, is a Taoist temple and monastery located in Beijing, China. It is one of "The Three Great Ancestral Courts" of the Quanzhen School of Taoism and i ...

, Beijing *

Ching Chung Koon Ching Chung Koon is a Taoist Temple and active Taoist organisation located in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong. History Ching Chung Koon is a Taoist temple first established in Kowloon during 1950. A permanent temple was eventually built in Tuen Mun du ...

, Hong Kong *

Fung Ying Seen Koon Fung Ying Seen Koon () was founded in 1929 as an affiliate of the Quanzhen Longmen Lineage () of Taoism. FYSK is a superb example of Taoist design and craftsmanship. It was named after the two fairy islands of Fung Lai and Ying Chau of the Boha ...

, Hong Kong

References

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External links

Longmen School in Wudang Mountains

The Five Immortals Temple in the Wudang Mountains
Taoist schools