LING-PAO P’AI Chin., lit. “School of the Magic Jewel”; a branch of religious Taoism (tao-chiao) that developed in the 4th/5th century C.E. and was based on the scriptures of the Magic Jewel (Ling-pao ching).

The School of the Magic Jewel reformed rites and practices to bring them into line with its own teaching, which was strongly influenced by Buddhism. It teaches that a person’s salvation (or liberation) largely depends on the help that person is able to obtain from the venerable celestial deities (t’ien-tsun). This constitutes a simplification of the original Taoist doctrine. The deities are projected out from within the body (Inner Deity Hygiene School) and rule the whole universe. The Magic Jewel School owed its rapid spread to this simplification. The most important practices of the school were so-called fasting ceremonies (chai).

Tao-Chiao Schools

Tao-chiao Chin. , religious Taoism; one of the two streams of Taoism, the other being philosophical Taoism (tao-chia). The tao-chiao embraces all Taoist schools and movements whose aim consists in the attainment of immortality (ch’ang-sheng pu-ssu).

The most important of these are:

A) The Inner Deity Hygiene School,

B) Five-Pecks-of-Rice Taoism (wu-tou-mi tao),

C) The Way of Supreme Peace (t’ai-p’ing tao),

D) The School of the Magic Jewel (ling-pao p’ai),

E) The Way of Right Unity (cheng-i tao), and

F) The Way of the Realization of Truth (ch’üan-chen tao).

The methods employed to attain immortality range from meditation to alchemical practices, physical exercises, breathing exercises, and sexual practices.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Documents on Ling-pao p’ai

Books on Ling-pao p’ai

External links: Taoism / Tao-chiao / Ling-pao ching /  Buddhism / T’ien-tsun / Chai