Lingbaojing

work by Ge Chaofu

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July 16, 2026

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The Lingbao jing is a significant work within Chinese religious history, credited to Ge Chaofu around 397 CE. This text, and others attributed to him, greatly influenced the development of Daoism. The Lingbao jing introduced the concept of the Dao personified as celestial worthies, who were then worshipped through a series of liturgies. These rituals, known as zhai (retreats), became central to Daoist practice, absorbing older rites and focusing on individual and ancestral salvation. The ceremonies aimed to realize specific purposes through distinct means, often involving chanting, lamps, and incense to create a cathartic experience.12

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Taoism
The Lingbao scriptures and liturgies
Ge Chaofu began composing the Lingbaojing (“Classic of the Sacred Jewel”) c. 397 ce. He claimed that they had been first revealed to his own ancestor, the famous Ge Xuan, early in the 3rd century. In these works the Tao is personified in a series of “celestial worthies” (tianzun), its…
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Ge Chaofu began composing the Lingbaojing (“Classic of the Sacred Jewel”) c. 397 ce. He claimed that they had been first revealed to his own ancestor, the famous Ge Xuan, early in the 3rd century. In these works the Tao is personified in a series of “celestial worthies” (tianzun), its…
Read More