Dragon Gate Taoism facts for kids
The Dragon Gate sect is a special group within Taoism, which is an ancient Chinese philosophy and religion. This sect is part of the Complete Reality School of Taoism. It also includes ideas from Buddhism and Confucianism, making it a very complete way of practicing Taoism.
Taoism has two main parts: Southern and Northern. The Dragon Gate sect comes from the Northern part. Its history goes back to a famous master named Qiu Chuji (also known as Qiu Chang-chun) who lived in the 1200s. He was one of the first seven students of Wang Chongyang. Qiu Chuji's name "Chang-chun" means "Eternal Spring." A powerful leader named Genghis Khan chose Qiu Chuji to be in charge of all religions in China. Because of this, the Dragon Gate sect played a very important role in keeping Chinese culture alive.
Dragon Gate Leaders and Teachings
A very important leader for the Dragon Gate sect was Wang Changyue. He was a 7th generation priest and the head of the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing. Many people see him as the person who brought the Dragon Gate sect back to life. He wrote several important books, including "Dragon Gate's Core Teachings."
Later, Min Yi-De, an 11th generation Dragon Gate priest, helped combine the ideas of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism even more. He created "Dragon convenience methods." These methods focused on learning from Buddhism, following rules, and practicing "inner alchemy arts." Inner alchemy is a type of meditation and energy practice. These efforts helped the Dragon Gate branch grow a lot. Today, it is the largest Taoist group in the world.
After the end of the Qing Dynasty and the start of the People's Republic of China, there were big changes. During the Cultural Revolution, many religions faced destruction. This made people's understanding of Taoism mostly limited to what was practiced in big city temples.
Famous Dragon Gate Temples
- White Cloud Temple, Beijing
- Ching Chung Koon, Hong Kong
- Fung Ying Seen Koon, Hong Kong
