The Eastern Sect

As a Daoist Inner Alchemy sect, the Eastern sect was founded during the reign of the Ming emperor Jiaqing. Its founder was Lu Xixing who, styling himself Qianxu, was inclined to Confucianism in his youth and turned to Inner Alchemy afterwards. He claimed that patriarch Lu Dongbin had descended to his residence, Beihai Cottage, and stayed there for more than 20 days to teach him the secret skills of Inner Alchemy. After that, he wrote the Unofficial History of Fanghu series, and then edited the Complete Works of Patriarch Lu. In these books, he expounded his theory of Inner Alchemy, which became the Inner Alchemy of the Eastern sect. Restricted to husbands and wives practising mutual refinement, the sect emphasized Integrated Cultivation, attaining Dao, avoiding evil and practicing Daoist ethics. He also stressed "Collecting the Spirit and Concentrating the Vital Breath", and "Dao is the Return to Spontaneity".

Although Lu Xixing was regarded as the founder of the Eastern sect, he didnt actually establish any religious organizations, which has led to confusion about sectarian lineage. The Romance of the Gods, a famous Chinese novel, was attributed to Lu Xixing by Dr. Liu Chunren, who wrote some essays to support his viewpoint. 東派