Alex Anatole

Grand Master Alex Anatole was never meant to bring Taoism to the West — and yet a prophecy said he would.

At age eight, he became the sole disciple of Master Lu Yang Tai, a Taoist sage whose lineage traced to Taoism's ancient origins, learning philosophy, healing, martial arts, astrology, and sacred ritual. Ordained a priest, he later fulfilled the prophecy in his Taoist name, I Yan Lung: "He who brings true Tao to the West."

In 1976 he immigrated to the U.S., and in 1978 founded the Center of Traditional Taoist Studies and its Temple of Original Simplicity near Boston — one of the few authentic Taoist temples outside China, studied by Harvard's Pluralism Project and recognized as a 501(c)(3) religious institution. He has guided students across three continents and developed Taoist Lin Hun Therapy, Taoist Life Coaching, and Taoist Divine Guidance, trademarked by the USPTO in 2020.

He holds a PhD from MSU and continues to write and lecture across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.