Seven Taoist Masters : A Folk Novel of China

This tale of adventure interweaves history and legend to present the fundamentals of Taoism. Written by an unknown author, Seven Taoist Masters is the story of six men and one woman who overcome tremendous hardships on the journey to self-mastery. These characters and their teacher, Wang Ch’ung-yang, are all historical figures who lived in the Southern Sung (1127-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties. And Wang is regarded as the greatest patriarch of the Complete Reality school, a branch of Taoism that has a strong affinity with Zen Buddhism. This novel brings to life the essentials of Taoist philosophy and practice, both through Wang’s instructions – on such topics as the cultivation of mind and body; meditation techniques; and overcoming the four obstacles of anger, greed, lust, and drunkenness – and through the characters’ entertaining experiences.