“Jin Zhen” or “Quan Zhen”: A Critical Examination

In Taoist liturgy, the phrase “Jin Zhen Yan Jiao Tian Zun” (Celestial Worthy Who Expounds the Teaching of the Golden True) is often recited. Yet due to historical shifts, many Quanzhen priests have quietly altered it to “Quan Zhen Yan Jiao Tian Zun” (Celestial Worthy Who Expounds the Teaching of Complete Perfection) during rituals. This is extremely common—for example, on a well-known mainland Taoist website, a large number of liturgies read “Quan Zhen Yan Jiao Tian Zun,” among which many are Zhengyi classics that have also had “Jin Zhen” secretly changed to “Quan Zhen.”

After such alteration, the original meaning of the scripture is completely changed; performing liturgy in this way departs entirely from the original sense, and its efficacy is naturally greatly diminished.

First, regarding the definition of “Jin Zhen,” it is explained quite clearly in the Commentary in Four Masters on the Primordial Wondrous Scripture of the Immeasurable One of the Primordial Commencement, when glossing the line “The Golden True shines resplendent, its sound flows through the Palace of Clouds”:

○ Dong says: Jin Zhen is the spontaneous writ. Divine beings of the Fan Heaven soar above the Supreme Pole, chanting the limitless tones of the Mysterious Song, stirring the pure spirit of the numinous wind, and scattering the melodies of the cavernous writ. The Great Harmony Jade Maiden at the Gate of the Flowery Metropolis harmonizes with the song of the divine beings; the resounding echo fills the Palace of Auspicious Clouds—hence “Palace of Clouds.”

○ Youqi says: Jin Zhen is the Golden True Jade Radiance. This is merely the body-light of the Celestial Worthy. “Yu” means radiant brilliance; “ying” means condensation. Having been cast through the great luminosity of the Great Haze, the Golden True blazes forth, chanting the verses of the cavernous writ as clouds gather and mist condenses.

○ Shaowei says: Jin Zhen is the golden tally of true writ. In ancient times the true writ first appeared, coalescing in the Mysterious Void, shining with radiance, and was inscribed upon golden tallies—hence its clarity and verdant splendor. “Palace of Clouds” is the Cloud Palace. The Hall of Hundred Jades of Majesty stands above Dragon Mountain in the Mysterious Metropolis; the High God chants upon the golden tally, and the clear sound rings out, flowing into the Cloud Palace.

○ Xuanying says: Jin Zhen is the true writ inscribed in gold. “Lang” means the characters of the true writ are clear and bright; “yu” means the appearance of brilliant flourishing. “Palace of Clouds” is the name of the Hall of Hundred Jades of Majesty set up within the Mysterious Metropolis; its hall stands above Dragon Mound Mountain. “Flowing sound” means that the multitude of sages chant and intone, their voices echoing through the Palace of Clouds—hence “sound flows through the Palace of Clouds.”

Among these four commentaries, though the expressions differ, they can be stated concisely and unified: “Jin Zhen” refers to the “golden tally of true writ.”

Similarly, the Cavernous Perfection Essential Scripture of the Crimson Terrain Way of the Great Majesty of the High says: “The Lord at the Palace of the Golden Flower again bows to the Lord of the High Sovereign, Jade Morning, in the Chamber of the Seven Luminaries. These two lords, with jade excellence and empty clarity, golden forms reflected in the luxuriant canopy, a full circular radiance adorning the flowery bedchamber, gleaming brilliance striking through the Eight Profound. When the visualization is complete, click the teeth twelve times, and first thrice recite the invocation of the Golden True, then read the fourth chapter of the highest rank, then the second chapter, then the sixth chapter, then the third chapter, then the fifth chapter, then the seventh chapter—the two ranks, upper and middle, together fourteen chapters, all completed…” Here the “thrice recite the invocation of the Golden True” refers to the Golden Writ of the High Sovereign, Three Origins of the Great Simplicity, on the Jade Countenance of the Inner True.

Moreover, in the Shangqing scriptures, the “Hymns of the Golden Writ When the Perfected Bestow the Scriptures Among the Perfected of Upper Clarity” dates roughly to the Northern and Southern Dynasties or the Sui–Tang period; it contains twelve stanzas of the Golden Writ, and is also found in the “Hymns and Verses of the Perfected of Upper Clarity.”

The Eastern Jin scripture Cavernous Perfection True Talisman of the Golden Tiger of the Great Wonders again states: “…this incantation is wondrously secret, named the Transcription of the Great Primordial of the Tiger Script of the Three Heavens. The receiver must first fast for seventy days, present a golden tiger and jade bell, and thirty feet each of plain brocade and dark gauze, as an oath of the Golden True, covenanted by an undisclosed compact with Heaven and Earth…”

From these passages it is clearly evident that Jin Zhen actually represents Taoism’s secret canons and scriptures; to declare their preciousness, “Jin Zhen” is used as an abbreviation for “golden-writing true writ.”

For “Jin Zhen Yan Jiao Tian Zun,” one must first understand that in liturgy the term “Tian Zun” (Celestial Worthy) typically does not designate any specific immortal or perfected being; rather it serves as a laudatory epithet for praise and embellishment. As in the Scripture of the Celestial Worthy’s Responding Titles of the Thirty-Two Heavens of the Great Sovereign, Numinous Treasure, where there are lines such as: “With sincere heart, pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Subtle Radiance of the Ten Extremes. With sincere heart, pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Numen Forged by the Eight Awe-Inspiring Powers. With sincere heart, pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Gathering of the Mysterious Path. With sincere heart, pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the High Void Guiding the Dao. With sincere heart, pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the High Luminance Guiding Clarity. With sincere heart, pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Western Numen of the Three Floresces. With sincere heart, pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Ever-Abiding Stillness and Concentration. With sincere heart, pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Effulgence of the Uttermost Scene…” Again, as in the Repentance of the Jade Register Treasure of the Great Yao Terrace That Extends Life and Increases Years: “With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the High God of the Mysterious Firmament. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the High August One of the Supreme Pole. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Golden Radiance of the Purple Palace. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Treasure of the Cinnabar Terrace. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Broad Illumination of Virtuous Dao. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Universal Passage Through the Human Realm. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Auspicious Star Hanging Protection. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Beneficent Sun Returning Radiance. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Nine Palaces Increasing Years. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Eight Trigrams Extending Life. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Sovereign of the Pure Subtlety. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Purple Ultimate Primordial August. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Emerald Sleeves of Floating Luo. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Treasure Mountain of Yu Survey. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of Lifespan Exalted as the Five Marchmounts. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of Blessings Broad as the Four Seas. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of Constant Attainment of the Phoenix Calendar. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of Able Preservation of the Tortoise Years. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Nine Heavens Gathering Blessings. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Ten Extremes Hanging Auspice. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Phoenix Palace. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Vast Tortoise Terrace. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of Capable Increase of a Hundred Blessings. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of Able Reception of a Thousand Auspices. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of Ting Mountain Receiving Mandate. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of Mount Song Ascending to Perfection. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Radiance Illuminating the Chamber. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Precious Torch Floating in the Void. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Nine Numinous Dispelling Calamities. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Two Qi Extending Life. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Sacred Virtue of the Nine Clear Heavens. With wholehearted surrender to the Celestial Worthy of the Eight Scenes of Empty Perfection…”

Clearly, the content above can be extracted in full: remove the two characters “Tian Zun” and the sentences still read smoothly. Other liturgies also commonly use laudatory constructions such as “Celestial Worthy of Ever-Pure Ever-Still” and “Celestial Worthy of the Dao Qi Ever-Abiding.”

In the Numinous Treasure Golden Book of Salvation and Deliverance it states: “So-and-so reverently erects the Mysterious Altar and spreads his plain sincerity. The Golden True expounds the teaching, establishing bridges across ten thousand kalpas. The Jade Register announces the fast, opening paths through the Nine Obscurities. Vermilion petitions are numinously presented…”

And the Numinous Treasure Golden Book of Leading the Teaching and Deliverance, the Numinous Treasure Jade Mirror, and the Numinous Treasure Great Rite of the Immeasurable One’s Passage all give “Jin Zhen Yan Jiao Tian Zun”. A most basic judgment: the Lingbao school predates the Quanzhen school by several centuries, so here it cannot be “Quan Zhen.”

In the Rite of Repaying Filial Piety and Chasing Transmissions of the Mysterious Gate, whose structure is clearly Zhengyi in style, it opens by stating: “Respectfully, the Golden True expounds the teaching, broadly unfolding the texts of deliverance; the Jade Register hangs down its statutes, flourishingly establishing the methods of ascent.”

Other works—the Commentary on the True Scripture of the Great Sovereign, Dark Numen, Northern Dipper, Original Destiny and Life-Extension; the Rite of the Jade Register Grand Fast of Nine Audience Audiences in Three Days; the Great Rite of Numinous Treasure of Upper Clarity; the Rite of Petition and Averting Calamity of the Great Mansion of Taiyi Fire; and the Memorial Texts of the Three Caverns of the Great Sovereign—all take “Jin Zhen Yan Jiao” as their standard.

Another corroboration appears in the Records of the Cavernous Heaven of Dadi. Its author, Deng Muxin, was a recluse of the late Song and early Yuan, dwelling at Dongxiao Palace on Dadi Mountain (in present-day Yuhang County, Zhejiang); he co-authored the six-volume Illustrated Records of the Cavernous Heaven with the priest Sun Zongbao. In fact the Records of the Cavernous Heaven of Dadi and the Illustrated Records of the Cavernous Heaven are the same work and hold great reference value. It records: “In the tenth year of Jiading, the xinsi year, third month, composed by the priest Bai Yuchan” the Expository Hall plaque dharma saying: “Because our teaching is due to rise, and famous mountains are imperishable, on the day when the jade candles respond to Heaven, is precisely the time when the Golden True expounds the teaching.”

In sum, the above materials fully support the conclusion that antiquity used “Jin Zhen” rather than “Quan Zhen.” First, the term originates in remote antiquity; second, it appears across many different works—the likelihood that all are scribal errors would be far too great.

In the later Quanzhen school, the phrase “Quan Zhen Yan Jiao Tian Zun” actually venerates Qiu Changchun (Qiu Chuji) as the Celestial Worthy Who Expounds the Teaching of Complete Perfection, and disciples of the Dragon Gate lineage often style themselves “XXX-generation disciple of the Dragon Gate transmitted precepts under the Complete Perfection Expounding the Teaching.” However, if this formula is used in liturgy, it does not accord with the ancient method, for its meaning has already diverged completely.