Wuliupai

Wu-liu pai(Chinese:Ngũ liễu phái;pinyin:Wǔliǔpài;"School of Wu [Chong-xu]-Liu [Hua-yang]" ), or Wu-liu fa pai (Chinese:Ngũ liễu pháp phái;pinyin:Wǔliǔfǎpài;"School of Teachings of Wu [Chong-xu]-Liu [Hua-yang]" ), also known as Xianfo (Chinese:Tiên phật;pinyin:Xiānfó;"[School] of Immortals and Buddhas" ) — a school ofTaoismwith main focus oninternal alchemy(neidan).

Main principles

The school's doctrine is related in the works of the school's founders: "Common Teachings of Immortals and Buddhas" and "True Principles of Heavenly Immortality" byWu Chongxu;and also in "Book of Understanding Life" and "Confirmatory Teachings of Golden Immortals" byLiu Huayang.The school puts its main emphasis on the practice of internal alchemy, in order to realiseTao,thus achieving a status of "an immortal and abuddha".A distinctive trait of the school is its postulated identity of Taoist principles with those of earlyChan Buddhism.As E. A. Torchinov noted in the foreword to his translation ofZhang Bo-duan's "Chapters of Understanding Life", "With time the immortals came to be regarded as taoist counterparts of Buddhas, which have led to creation of syncretical schools (albeit dominated by Taoism) of Immortals and Buddhas (xianfo) in 16th-17th centuries; in these schools tenets of Buddhist doctrine were only perceived through the lens of taoist tradition."

Translated canons

A canon of the school translated and printed in severalEuropean languagesis the "Book of Understanding Life" byLiu Hua-yang.It was first translated intoGermanand published in 1926 under the title of "Liu Hua Yang, Hui Ming King. Das Buch von Bewusstsein und Leben".Later this German translation was translated intoFrench,and printed in 1934 with title of "Lieou Hua Yang. Le Livre de la Conscience et de la Vie".TheRussiantranslation was made by V.V Maliavin and was included into "Ascending towards Tao: a Compendium (Chen Kai-guo, Zhen Shun-chao)"under the title of "Book of Consciousness and Life". A translation from the German by Carl F. Baynes as 'The Book of Consciousness and Life' was added to "The Secret of the Golden Flower" and published in 1962 by Routledge & Kegan Paul, London. There is also a direct translation byEva Wong,titled "Cultivating the Energy of Life".

The History of The School

The Wu-Liu Pai school was established in 16th-17th centuries at the time ofMing dynastybeing succeeded by theQing dynasty.The founders of the school are believed to be the TaoistWu Chung-xu(Shou-yang) initially from theDragon Gate school,which is a sub-sect of theComplete Reality school;and his studentLiu Hua-yang,aChanmonk who converted toTaoism;both were originally from Yuzhan (nowNanchang).

Later Branches of the School

One of the more widely known of such lines of transmission is the Qian Feng Pai or Thousand Peaks school, whose popularity stems from a book by Zhao Bi-chen "Secrets of cultivation of Life and Destiny". This book was translated into English by Lu K'uan Yu, known also as Charles Luk and published under the title "Taoist Yoga, Alchemy and Immortality".The orthodox Wu-Liu Pai school does not recognize Qian Feng Pai as preserving the full transmission.

The Wu-Liu Pai school in Russia

Since September 2007 there is an officially functioning school branch inSaint-Petersburg,Russia. There are branches in several cities of Russia and of formerUSSRcountries.

Bibliography

• Torchinov Е.А.Taoism. An attempt of historico-relogiological description.St.P.: Andreev I Sinovia, 1993 (2nd enlarged edition: St. P.: Lan, 1998). — In Russian.
• Wu Chong-xuTrue principles of Heavenly Immortality— In Chinese.
• Wu Chong-xuCommon Teachings of Immortals and Buddhas— In Chinese.
• Liu Hua-yangConfirmatory Teachings of Golden Immortals— In Chinese.
• Liu Hua-yangBook of Understanding Life— In Chinese.

External links

• A link to the site of the Wu-Liu Pai School— In English
• A link to the site of the Wu-Liu Pai School Branch in Russia— In Russian
• Information on Wu-Liu Pai School on taoist.org.cn— In Chinese
• The School Cannons— In Chinese