| During the second half of the twelfth century, a new Taoist sect called Ch'uan-chen (Total Perfection) emerged in North China, then ruled by the Jurchen. This new Taoist sect, with its simple and realistic syncretic doctrine and special privileges granted to it by the Mongol ruler, attracted numerous followers at a time of great social and political disorder and dominated the religious scene for more than a century.; The founder of this sect, Wang Che (1113-1170), was an unsuccessful scholar who claimed to have experienced a revelation at the age of forty-eight. He consequently left his home in Shensi and travelled to Shantung where he founded several religious associations and gathered about himself a coterie of seven disciples who were later known as the "Seven Disciples of the Ch'uan-chen Sect," and who contributed to the expansion of the sect.; Ch'uan-chen was in many aspects different from the orthodox Taoist sect of the times, the Heavenly Master sect. The doctrine it preached included tenets and practices borrowed from several different Taoist sects, many of which differed from those of the Heavenly Master sect. Because Wang Che had studied the Confucian classics and Buddhist sutras as well as the Taoist canon, he especially stressed those Taoist tenets which were also compatible with Confucian and Buddhist beliefs. He argued that the three doctrines were originally one.; The syncretic nature of Ch'uan-chen teachings has sometimes caused scholars to conclude that it was not actually a Taoist sect. However, although Ch'uan-chen doctrine was eclectic in nature, it was nevertheless fundamentally Taoist. Most Confucian and Buddhist elements in Ch'uan-chen teachings had already been assimilated into the Taoist religion before the sect came into being. Moreover, it shared a common goal with other Taoist sects, that is, the search for immortality. In this regard, Wang Che taught that immortality was to be attained through cultivating the "inner elixir." While the "outer elixir" school used nostrums made of metals and chemicals to be taken orally, the "inner elixir" regimen merely involved spiritual self-cultivation, believing all the necessary ingredients were present within the self. Ch'uan-chen also represented therefore a major stage in the development of the "inner elixir" school.; Through the efforts of Wang Che's seven talented disciples, Ch'uan-chen Taoism spread over north China, capturing a large popular following and even attracting the attention of several emperors. Chinggis Khan summoned Ch'iu Ch'u-chi, the best known disciple of Wang Che, to his court for advice on methods of attaining immortality. Although Ch'iu Ch'u-chi had no panaceas to offer, the Khan held him in high esteem and granted special privileges to the Ch'uan-chen clergy. This imperial favoritism further enhanced the popularity of the sect.; The Ch'uan-chen sect started to decline toward the end of the Yuan dynasty for a number of reasons. The bureaucratization of the sect, the disappearance of its early spirit and its losing a series of debates to the Buddhists, all damaged its popular image. Although the Ch'uan-chen sect today no longer occupies an important place in Chinese life, it had a glorious past and had made contributions to Chinese society as well as to Taoist religion itself. During its heyday, it provided a sanctuary for the suffering masses during an era of great social and political instability, and it played a key role in preserving the Chinese cultural tradition for posterity. Also, the Ch'uan-chen was the only sect of overshadow the orthodox Taoist sect throughout the history of religious Taoism. |
