The Way of Complete Perfection: A Quanzhen Daoist Anthology

An anthology of English translations of primary texts of the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) school of Daoism.

Originating about 1163 CE, Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoism is one of the most important Daoist movements in Chinese history. It remains the dominant form of monastic Daoism in the modern world, especially in its Longmen (Dragon Gate) lineage. This landmark anthology provides complete or partial translations of twenty-one Quanzhen texts. Most have never been translated or even discussed in scholarly literature. Louis Komjathy gives particular attention to work completed by the Quanzhen movement’s founder, Wang Chongyang (1113–1170 CE), and his first generation disciples. Translations include representative works from every major genre of Quanzhen literature, from poetry and discourse records to didactic texts, commentaries, and hagiographies. Three monastic manuals from the late medieval and late imperial periods of Quanzhen history are also included. An introduction to Quanzhen Daoism begins the work, and each chapter provides discussions of the history and topics relevant to each translation.

“This is the first and only comprehensive analysis and translation of key scriptures related to the Complete Realization school of the Daoist tradition. Only a few of these texts have ever previously been translated into English, and these were not readily accessible. Complete Realization is one of only two Daoist schools to survive intact into the twenty-first century, and this work is highly significant in making available resources to non-Chinese readers for the study of a living tradition. Komjathy is one of only a handful of scholars in the field with the expertise to produce such a work.” — Jeffrey Dippmann, coeditor of Riding the Wind with Liezi: New Perspectives on the Daoist Classic


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