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Article: MONASTICS AND INNER ALCHEMY.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- October 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In the 12th and 13th centuries, the unimaginable happened in China: The ruling Chinese Song dynasty lost control of the country's northern area to a tribe known as the Jurchens. The Jurchens were then overcome by the Mongols, who forced their way south and eventually conquered all of China. This was the first time in Chinese history when the entire country was ruled by a foreign power. During this period, a new sect of Daoism, called Complete Perfection, arose. It was founded in 1170 by Wang Chongyang, who claimed that gods had appeared to him and given him new teachings.
The Complete Perfection sect gained power when it allied itself with the Mongols. It became ...