Shangqing

Practitioners of the Shangqing tradition, which gained popularity in 4th-century China, strove to gain immortality through practicing meditation in a remote location. By visualizing the characteristics of various deities while reciting their esoteric names and attributes, the adept could simultaneously gain immortality and act as the mediator between heaven and earth. Shangqing visualization methods continue to play an important role in Daoist practice to this day.