Lü Dongbin
Lü Dongbin ( Chinese 呂洞賓 / 吕洞宾 , Pinyin Lǚ Dòngbīn , also Lü Yan ( 呂岩 , Lǚ Yán ) , Lü Chunyang ( 呂純陽 , Lǚchúnyáng ) or Lü Zu ( 呂祖 , Lǚzǔ ) ) is a famous Daoist immortal in Chinese mythology . He belongs to the group of the Eight Immortals and was probably a historical figure about whom various myths and legends have been passed down.
According to legend, Lü Dongbin is said to have once climbed Mount Lü and met a dragon there who gave him a magical sword that he could use to get to heaven.
The story of Lü Dongbin's initiation and trials on the spiritual path is one of the most famous Taoist tales.
The Daoism considered Dongbin as a precursor of the school of the perfect reality ( Quanzhen ) and many Daoist works are inspired by him. He is said to have lived during the Tang Dynasty or the early Song Dynasty and is considered to be one of the most important figures in both popular and esoteric Daoism. During the Northern Song Dynasty, many texts of Neidan were ascribed to him and his teacher Zhongli Quan . From the southern Song dynasty he is said to have written texts on a wide variety of topics. The alleged work of Lü Dongbin is characterized by the fact that it combines Confucianism , Buddhism and classical, religious and alchemical Daoism.
Literary sources from the late 12th century have shown that Lü Dongbin, as a miracle worker, was a religious cult figure who was particularly revered by the underprivileged classes. As a result, Lü Dongbin was often cited for social criticism. For example, his name was mentioned in poems on temple walls to criticize corruption and injustice. Lü Dongbin's name was used in this way not only by Daoists but also by persecuted Buddhists under Song Huizong . Subversive groups also referred to him.
The Daoist cult around Lü Dongbin is still active today.
literature
- Thomas Cleary (Ed.): The Three Treasures of the Dao. About the harmony of body, mind and soul. Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1996, ISBN 3-596-12899-4 , ( Fischer 12899 Spirit ).
- Fabrizio Pregadio (Ed.): The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism. 2 volumes. Routledge, London et al. 2007, ISBN 978-0-7007-1200-7 .