The Seven Golden Lotuses

"The Seven Golden Lotuses" was a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus ( 金蓮正宗記 Jinlian Zhengzong Ji ). The Complete Perfection ( 全真 Quanzhen ) has historically been classified into the southern lineage and the northern lineage. Daoists believe that the northern lineage originated from Wang Xuanfu, Lesser Yang Sovereign of Donghua ( 東華少陽君 Donghua Shaoyang Jun ). Xuanfu transmitted the great Dao to Zhong Liquan, and later it was expanded by the founding master Chunyang and Liu Cao. It is recorded in the book that after Wang Chongyang, the founder of the northern lineage of the Complete Perfection tradition, encountered founding master Lü Chunyang, he diligently cultivated himself and propagandized the teaching. After educating them for a period of time, Wang Chongyang accepted seven disciples, namely Qiu Chuji, Liu Chuxuan, Tan Chuduan, Ma Danyang, Hao Datong, Sun Bu'er and Wang Chuyi. As the story goes, seven golden lotuses emerged in heaven. Daoist historians held that the seven disciples initiated by Wang Chongyang corresponded to the seven golden lotuses. The early Complete Perfection tradition had a Golden Lotus Society, which was based on Dao and its virtue, purity and tranquility, and practiced great nine-seven-recycling alchemy. It is obvious that "the Seven Golden Lotuses" also symbolize Inner Alchemy ( 內丹 Neidan ). 七朵金蓮