"The Supreme Secret Essentials" is the earliest known Taoist book. It was compiled by Yuwen Yong, Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. According to records, Yu Wenyong summoned Taoist priests, famous monks, and civil and military officials seven times to determine the pros and cons of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. He tried hard to put Taoism above Confucianism and Buddhism, but failed because of the opposition of ministers and monks. It was later decided that Confucianism should come first, Taoism should come second, and Buddhism should come last. However, Buddhists still held objections, and the debate between monks and Taoists was unprecedentedly fierce. In the third year of Jiande (AD 574), Buddhism and Taoism were abolished, and monks and Taoists were ordered to return to secular life. Because of his belief in Taoism, he issued an edict to establish the Taoist Temple and set up bachelors. He selected 120 famous Taoists and monks to study "Laozi", "Zhuangzi" and "Book of Changes" at the Taoist Temple. He also ordered the Taoist priest Wang Yan to sort out the sutra pictures of the three caves and write the "Zhu Nang Sutra Catalog". According to the "Continued Biography of Eminent Monks: Biography of Shi Yancong", after the Qi Dynasty was overthrown in the sixth year of Jiande, Zi Wenyong, with the help of Daoguan Taoist priests, "reproduced a Taoist book titled "Supreme Secret Essentials"".
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