茅山的开山祖师是西汉时期的三茅真君，即茅盈、茅固、茅衷三兄弟
茅山的开山祖师是西汉时期的三茅真君，即茅盈、茅固、茅衷三兄弟。
他们被尊为道教茅山派的创教祖师，主要事迹和贡献如下：
三茅真君的生平与修道 茅盈（大茅君）是三人中的核心人物，早年于恒山修道，后得西王母传授道法，四十九岁归乡。汉景帝时期，他携两位弟弟茅固、茅衷隐居句曲山（今江苏茅山），采药炼丹、济世救人，使该山得名“茅山”。 茅固（中茅君）和茅衷（三茅君）原为汉朝官员，受兄长感召弃官修道，最终一同得道成仙。三人被后世合称为“三茅真君”，宋徽宗时分别封为“司命真君”“定禄真君”和“保命真君”；茅山道派的形成与发展 三茅真君在茅山的活动奠定了道教上清派（茅山宗）的基础。南北朝时期，陶弘景正式创立茅山宗，奉三茅真君为祖师，整合上清经法，使茅山成为道教“上清宗坛”。 茅山派以符箓、炼丹、医术著称，强调个人修炼与济世结合，隋唐时期发展为道教主流派别之一；后世影响 茅山因三茅真君被列为道教“第一福地，第八洞天”，其信仰至今在江苏茅山地区盛行，香火绵延；三兄弟的事迹在《神仙传》《茅山志》等典籍中均有记载，民间传说中他们常显灵治病驱邪，被奉为护佑百姓的神明。 补充说明 茅山派历史上还有重要人物如东晋葛洪（炼丹家）、南朝陶弘景（实际组织者），但开山立派的始祖仍追溯至三茅真君。他们的修道实践和神话传说共同构成了茅山道教的文化根基。
The founder of Mount Mao is the Three Mao True Monarchs from the Western Han Dynasty, namely the three brothers Mao Ying, Mao Gu, and Mao Zhong.
They are revered as the founding patriarchs of the Maoshan School of Taoism, and their main deeds and contributions are as follows: 1. The Life and Cultivation of the Three Maoshan Immortals Mao Ying (Great Mao Jun) was the core figure among the three. In his early years, he practiced cultivation on Mount Heng, and later received teachings in Taoism from the Queen Mother of the West. At the age of forty-nine, he returned to his hometown. During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, he, along with his two younger brothers Mao Gu and Mao Zhong, lived in seclusion on Juqu Mountain (now Maoshan Mountain in Jiangsu Province), gathering herbs, refining pills, and helping the world, thus giving the mountain its name "Mao Mountain". Mao Gu (Middle Mao Jun) and Mao Zhong (Third Mao Jun) were originally officials in the Han Dynasty. Inspired by their elder brother, they abandoned their official positions to pursue cultivation and ultimately attained immortality together. The three were collectively referred to as the "Three Maoshan Immortals" by later generations, and during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song, they were respectively enshrined as the "Siming Immortal", "Dinglu Immortal", and "Baoming Immortal". 2. The Formation and Development of the Maoshan Taoist School The activities of the True Monarch Sanmao on Maoshan Mountain laid the foundation for the Shangqing School of Taoism (Mao Mountain Sect). During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Tao Hongjing officially established the Maoshan Sect, enshrining the True Monarch Sanmao as its founder, integrating the Shangqing scriptures and practices, and making Maoshan Mountain the "Altar of the Shangqing Sect." The Maoshan Sect is renowned for its talismans, alchemy, and medicine, emphasizing the integration of personal cultivation and benefiting the world. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, it developed into one of the mainstream sects of Taoism. 3. Subsequent Influence: Maoshan Mountain is listed as the "First Blessed Land and Eighth Cave Heaven" in Taoism due to the Sanmao Zhenjun (True Ancestor of the Three Maos). Its belief still prevails in the Maoshan area of Jiangsu Province, with continuous worship and incense burning.
The deeds of the three brothers are recorded in classics such as "The Legend of Immortals" and "The Records of Maoshan Mountain". In folklore, they often appear to heal the sick and expel evil spirits, and are revered as deities protecting the people. Additionally, there are important figures in the history of the Maoshan School, such as Ge Hong (alchemist) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Tao Hongjing (actual organizer) of the Southern Dynasties, but the founder who established the school still traces back to the Three Mao True Sovereigns. Their cultivation practices and mythological legends together constitute the cultural foundation of Maoshan Taoism.