about the Wudang Pai
Friday, August 06, 2010 9:11:42 PM
Wudangshan is traditionally known as the Ming dynasty center of Daoist learning. Since then it has grown a lot from being a periferical center of worship to the 6th of the 5 holy Daoist mountains, by empirical edict no less.
Daoism in the earlier epochs was united also by empirical edict in the zhenwu pai and the quanzhen pai. The quanzhen pai follow some chan Buddhist ideas and take the heart sutra as an extension of the daodejing. Also by empirical edict initially but also independently they absorbed the Buddhist pantheon into its worship and alchemy too. Quanzhen also accepted immortality as a spiritual idea and not as an actual physical ever lasting life, as was considered by other daoist schools.
The zhengyi pai are born out of wizardry and precede quanzhen a few centuries. They marry and have kids and their leadership is dynastic. In fact they are a family of popes and his children, grandchildren, nephews etc. they were created by Zhang Daoling and his descendents, and the recognition that original Chinese Buddhism was mostly tantrism wich is in actual use just witchcraft. Like later lamaist Buddhism did in Tibet, Daoism was a state format emulating organization trying to bind gods and demons under one rule as to control the harm done by them. It was successful because since that time Daoism can be called a judeical religion, meaning that in fact a daoist temple is a court of justice.
At wudangshan quickly three brands of Daoism nested: zhengyi pai, quangzhen pai and wudang pai. Wudangpai can be quanzhen and can be zhengyi too, it depends on the person. Some live like monks and some live like priests and marry. They believe that alchemical self cultivation is the way to achieve understanding of Dao. They also hold ‘san jiao wei ji’ at their core as a teaching. It means that the three religions in fact are one religion. Zhang Sanfeng, the patriarch of the Wudang pai described in his taiji neidan jing how the tree teachings of Fo (Buddha), Dao (Laozi) and Ru (kongzi) each have a particular angle on the truth. This vision doesn’t preach religions tolerance only, but it suggests that all religions are in fact of the same value, but teac h different things. A good thought to spread as a teaching in modern times too, where people, in power or without, still seem to think their religion is better then someone else’s.
The Wudang pai is the ultimate underdog in Chinese religion. It sees itself as part of the religious upper class but is also branded as a folk religion, such as the many Maitreia movements in China, Taiwan and Hongkong.
Currently the Wudang pai is lead by You Xuande, also known as the Shifu, the master teacher. Many thousands of followers from all ranks of life come to visit the wudang mountains frequently to burn incense, worship, prey or confess. Also many people come there to reconnect with ancestors using the priests and monks and statues as an intermediate. The Wudang pai so to say the topnotch of that folk movement in local religion. They are a dedicated group of followers and seekers of Dao, sometimes originating in other religions before they converted, sometimes holders of several religious memberships at the same time. Some are not religious at all.
Many members seek close affiliation with the public leader of the movement. The current increase of wealth of many business people gives a flow of currency that is available for religious reconstruction and construction. One of the major constructions so far is Yingshan temple, also known as Nan Wudang (southern wudang), south east of Wuhan. Wudangshan itself is in the northwest of Hubei province. Several attempts to construct new temples and learning places around Wudang Jinding (Golden peak) are underway, but the one at Beima mountain just has been torpedoed because the local government dedicated that mountain craig area for garbage dump.
The main diciples in the wudang pai are all dedicating themselves to being available to anyone wanting to learn about Dao. Their main learning instrument is Wudang Taijiquan gongfu. Some specialize further and take neidan alchemy as their root, medicine or religion. Few get the opportunity to study at one of the five Chinese Daoist universities. F.i. My brother Chen Lisheng had the luck to study both at Wudang university and Beijing Baiyunguan university (country central university for Daoism) so his knowledge is very wide. My brother Yuan Liming is more dedicated to gongfu practice and is a treasure house of forms. My own arts include both, but verge more towards medicine and health development. We all study something of all, but our priority is somewhere else.The general Wudang pai aim is to help people become independent healthy social beings.