History
The sect can be traced back to the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). It is usually referred to as White Lotus Sect (Bailian Jiao), which has a negative meaning in modern Taiwan and is associated with secret, illegal, rebellious sects.
The differentiation of the Xiantian Dao subtradition out of the general field of Chinese popular sects is commonly attributed to the so-called ninth patriarch Huang Dehui (1684-1750). Of the five sects listed below, the Yiguan Dao and the Tongshan She legitimize themselves by tracing their patriarchal lines through Huang Dehui to the mythical patriarchs of early Chinese history.
The patriarchal lines of these two sects are largely identical down to the thirteenth patriarch Yang Shouyi (1796-1828), after whom the lines split and ultimately lead to the development of the Yiguan Dao and the Tongshan She as separate sects. The other three groups do not maintain a similar model of linear patriarchal succession.
Read more about this topic: Way Of Former Heaven
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