Sun Buer: Early Quanzhen Matriarch and the Beginnings of Female Alchemy

This article is the first detailed historical study of the life, teachings, and practices of Sun Buer (1119–83), the only female member of the so-called Seven Perfected of Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoism. Drawing upon the earliest hagiographical accounts, this study provides an accurate picture of the historical Sun, with particular attention to her personal life and social location in the early Quanzhen movement. It includes complete annotated translations of the only extant writings reasonably attributed to Sun Buer.