Gezao

The Gezao sect was a significant Daoist religious movement that emerged in China, particularly flourishing in Jiangxi province. It is traditionally linked to the 3rd-century Immortal Ge Xuan, who is believed to have founded the sect and was the first to receive the Lingbao scriptures. These scriptures greatly influenced the subsequent practice of Daoism, introducing concepts like celestial worthies personifying the Dao and a series of liturgies that became central to Daoist worship. The sect's practices, like the zhai (retreats), aimed at achieving salvation for both the living and the dead through distinct ceremonies.12