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Taoist Masters Qiu Chuji 邱处机 (1148-1227) was born in Xixia County, Dengzhou City, Shandong Province, China. He was one of the Seven Quanzhen Taoist Disciples of Wang Chongyang. The meaning of Quanzhen can be translated literally as “All True” and for this reason, it is often called the “All Truth Religion” or the “Way of Completeness and Truth.” In some texts, it is also referred to as the “Way of Complete Perfection” or “Way of Complete Reality.” Wang Chongyang 王重陽 (1113–70) was the founder of the Northern Lineage (Beizong) of Neidan. Also known as Wang Zhe, he apparently led a rather turbulent life until 1159, when he is said to have met Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin and to have become an ascetic. From 1167, he begun preaching with his followers in the northeastern province of Shandong. In the strict sense, the Northern Lineage consists of Wang Chongyang and his seven main disciples, among whom Qiu Chuji (1148–1227) is the most important for the later history of Neidan. Lǚ Dòngbīn (呂洞賓: meaning "the guest of the cavern") is the most widely known member of the Eight Daoist Immortals and hence is considered by some to be the de facto leader of the group. He is the most significant of the Eight and is the only one to receive individual veneration outside of the group context. Lü Dongbin, whose birth name was Lü Yan, is generally thought to have "lived from the end of the Tang dynasty (618-906 C.E.), through the Five Dynasties (907-960 C.E.) and into the early part of the Song (960-1279 C.E.).[1] He is depicted in art as a scholarly gentleman and he often holds a sword that is understood to dispel evil. Zhongli Quan (鐘離權 or 鐘离權) (Wade-Giles: Chung-li Ch'üan) is one of the most ancient of the Eight Daoist Immortals, having allegedly lived during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E. - 220 C.E.). Initially a well-respected general in the Han emperor's army, he became renowned later in life as an alchemist, and as the instructor of Lu Dongbin (a fellow immortal). Lǎozǐ (Wade-Giles: Lao Tzu; sixth century B.C.E.) was a naturalistic philosopher-sage attributed with founding the Chinese way of life known as Daoism, and credited with having written the Dao De Jing, though both claims have been historically disputed by scholars. Perhaps a legendary figure, Laozi's influence on Chinese history, thought, and culture has nevertheless been substantial. He insisted on living in a harmonious and spontaneous manner rather than exploiting the earth and other beings for self-aggrandizement. In this way, Laozi's vision seems instructive even today for he emphasized the interconnectedness of life over human self- centeredness. Laozi has been given a year of birth ranging from 600 BCE to 250 BCE. His family name was Li, private name Er, and posthumous name Dan. He was a custodian of the imperial archives, which made him a type of librarian. It is also claimed that he had an audience with Confucius about 518 BCE. The legend states that he became discouraged with the political climate in China at the time, so he packed up a few of his books on the back of an ox and headed alone toward the west, which was known as the "wilderness" (the direction of the Himalayas, Tibet and India). A gatekeeper, Yin Xi, recognizing him as a great sage, asked Laozi not to leave without writing down his ideas and knowledge. .

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