A Passage to China (走近中国) - Taoism

Taoism probably took shape as a religion during the second century, based on the philosophy of Lao zi (traditionally said to be born in 604 BC) and his work, the Dao De Jing( Classic of the Way and Virtue). China now has more than 1, 500 Taoist temples.

In Dao De Jing, one will find:
Look, it cannot be seen-it is beyond form.
Listen, it cannot be heard-it is beyond sound.
Grasp, it cannot be held-it is intangible.
These three are indefinable, they are one.
One will also find the following there:
Man models himself after the Earth;
The Earth models itself after Heaven;

Tao literally means Way or Path. Tao is what Taoism is about. Tao is a force that flows through every living and sentient object as well as through the entire universe. When Tao is in balance, it is possible to find perfect happiness. Following Tao is following the way of Taoism.

The founder of Taoism is Lao Zi(alternative spellings are Lao Tze, Lao Tsu, Laozi, Laotze, etc, meaning Old Master). The family name of Lao Zi is Li(李) and given name is Er(耳). He was born in State of Chu(楚国)，present Henan Province after his mother’s eighty-one years of pregnancy. There are two sayings about his birth. One is that he was born in 604 BC and the other is he was born in 1321 BC. It seems that the former is more acceptable. Legend says that Lao Zi was born with snowy hair and a long white beard. He was born able to speak. When he was born, he pointed at a plum tree and said that “The plum tree is my surname” (The Chinese li means a plum tree). Lao Zi held a post as keeper of records at Luoyang, the Zhou Dynasty capital, Legend also says that Confucius visited Lao Zi and came away in awe of Lao Zi’s intellect. Confucius recognized in Lao Zi a deep understanding about the world that was above his own, and went so far as to liken Lao Zi to the mysterious dragon. When the Zhou Dynasty was near its fall around 500 BC, Lao Zi rode on a water buffalo to retire in the mountains to a State in the western frontiers. An official named Yin Xi(尹喜) who was in charge of the Pass begged the sage for a book of his teachings, and Lao Zi then wrote the Dao de Jing of about 5, 000 Chinese characters in the literary form of poems and odes. It shows a refined style and penetrating thought. But one thing is that some believed the book was written by his followers in the middle of the Warring States Period, afer which Lao Zi wnt westward and was never seen again. Just for this 5,000-character book, Dao De Jing, Lao Zi is deified and considered a rein-carnation of a supreme celestial being.

The way Lao Zi was searching for is a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime. Tao is the origin of all creation and of all the force. It is not knowable in its essence but it is observable in its various manifestations. Tao lies behind all the functionings and changes of the natural world. The Taoists believed that nature and the earth were constantly in flux and the only constant in the universe is change. When individuals learned that growth and movement are natural and necessary, they could become balanced. Reality is perpetual change and Tao is the spirit that cannot be exhausted.

Lao Zi believed that Tao is the basis of a spiritual approach to living. If one following Tao, which is the basis of a stable, unified and enduring social order, one would avoid all the sufferings and warfare and would meet the order and harmony of nature, which was far more stable and enduring than the power of the state or the civilized institutions constructed by human learning.

The Taoists followed the pattern of nature, simplicity and a free-and –easy approach to life, and lived in harmony with the natural way of things. External things like material rewards, money, fame and praise were not their concern and what is called the inner spiritual concentration is their major pursuit. They advocated that one should look at the world without any preconceptions and that one should focus on the world around him in order to understand the inner harmonies of the universe. Therefore they valued quiet meditation and contemplation. To the Taoists, time is cyclical, not linner.

They loved nature and would go to it from worries and cares of the world, for rest or for healing. They valued health, well-being, vitality and longevity and even immortality. They had strong interest in experiment with herbs for herbal medicine, health and vitality, and naturally they developed healing arts in various ways. They advocated that one should look at the world without any preconceptions and that one should focus on the world around him in order to understand the inner harmonies of the universe. Therefore they valued quiet meditation and contemplation. To the Taoists, time is cyclical, not linear.

They loved nature and would go to it from worries and cares of the world, for rest or for healing. They valued health, well-being, vitality and longevity and even immortality. They had strong interest in experiment with herbs for herbal medicine, health and vitality, and naturally they developed healing arts in various ways. They were interested in healthy diets and in macrobiotic cooking. For health and longevity they advanced the system of massage to keep the body strong and youthful. It may well be said that the Taoists had the most interest in the study of , and experiments with nature.

Zhuang Zi(spelling alternative: Chuangtsu) is said to be the greatest writer of all the Taoists. His book Book of Zhuang Zi is a must for those who want to make sense of Taoism.

Even though Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi established Taoism as a philosophy, Taoism did not become a religion until the period of late Eastern Han Dynasty, a period when Huang Lao Dao(黄老道) and Fang Xian Dao(方仙道) combined into one and formal Taoism. After that Taoism spread itself widely in China. Supported by imperial rulers, Taoism rose up into the ruling class after the period of the Jin Dynasty. From the Tang Dynasty to the Northern Song Period, Taoism met its summit in development and there were Taoist temples everywhere filled with piles of Taoist books in China. Taoism began to decline from the mid-period of the Ming Dynastry, owing to various reasons including foreign invasions. In the Qing Dynasty, the reling class had no interest in Taoism and Taoism, having no support both in political terms and in financial terms, fell from the ruling class down to the ordinary people. Nevertheless Taoism is closely interwoven with China’s history and exerts its influence and plays its role in various degrees, in terms of life, culture, religion, philosophy, medicine, literature, arts, social customs and ideology.

Main Figures

Lao Zi- Father of Taoism and writer of Dao De Jing, Lao Zi is the most famous of all Taoist Deities.

Zhuang Zi-Writer of Zhuang Zi

Lin Yutang said in the introduction to his translation of Zhuang Zi text that Jesus was followed by St. Paul, Socrates by Plato, Confucius by Mencius, and Lao Zi by Zhuang Zi and that in all four cases, the first was the real teacher and either wrote no books or wrote very little, and the second began to develop the doctrines and wrote long and profound discourses. Zhuang Zi is the first one who fully developed the Taoistic thesis of the rhythm of life contained in the epigrams of Lao Zi.

Three Pure Ones(San Qing)- Jade Pure(Yu Qing), Upper Pure(Shang Qing) and Great Pure(Tai Qing).

The Three Pure Ones from the Trinity of Taoism and these three are the highest Gods of Taoism. The Jade Emperor rules the Heavenly hierarchy but the Three Pure Ones are so lofty that they transcend the entire hierarchy. Some people believe in the Three Pure Ones as Gods representing and controlling the various stages of energy in the cosmos, while some people prefer to focus on the Three Pure Ones as purely representative of the three energues(jing, qi, and shen-经，气，神)cultivated by Taoist meditations.

Jade Emperor(Yu Huang)- High God of Taoists who rules other Gods. He ranks beneath the Three Pure Ones. Traditionally Jade Emperor is depicted sitting on a throne with an impassive countenance partially obscured by strings of pearls hanging from the front brim of his hat holding a pointed slab of jade in his hands as a symbol of his authority. The Jade Emperor’s birthday is typically celebrated on the ninth day of the first lunar month.

Three Officials(San Guan)- Ruler of Heaven(Tian Guan), granting happiness; Ruler of Earth(Di Guan), granting remissions of sins; and Ruler of Water (Shui Guan), averting all evil.

Guan Yin- Guan Yin (the Hearer of the would) is undoubtedly the most popular of all Chinese Deities. China was once littered with temples dedicated to Guan Yin (Guan Yin Temple), and she was worshipped by both Buddhists and Taoists, by men and women, by the rich and the poor. Guan Yin has been depicted at times as a man and at times as a women, but the female image has proven more popular in modern times. She is commonly depicted as a young, pretty woman, with red lips often wearing a lace or brocade robe, carrying a willow branch (right hand) and a vase (left hand). She is regarded as a savior from all type of misfortune, one who would uphold juxtice and provide good fortune to the needy. She is also regarded as a bestower of children for infertile or childless women.

Guan Gong- Guan Gong, or Guan Yu, was the object of the second of the most prevalent Taoist cults in traditional China(behind the cult dedicated to Guan Yin). He was a highly decorated military general during the Three Kingdoms Period, and was regarded as a strong and able military officer who possessed an outstanding degree of loyalty. Despite his military abilities, Guang Gong was killed in battle. He was almost immediately revered as an Immortal, and throughout many succeeding centuries people continued to believe in Guan Gong’s Heavenly promotions. Guang Gong is typically depicted as a large man with a long black beard. He is either standing or seated at a desk. His countenance is always stern, and his face red. Standing behind Guan Gong are always his assistants, General Zhou Cang and the white-faced General Guan Ping(Guan Gong’s son), Guan Gong always holds his long-handled, double-edged broadsword. Guang Gong is venerated by those concerned with loyalty, military affairs, commerce, giving birth to sons, excercizing spirits, etc. One can easily find in China that in a lot of shops and restaurants, the statye of Guan Gong is placed with candles burning in the front, surrounded with fruit as offerings.

Eight Immortals(Ba Xian)- a group of extremely popular and powerful Taoist Gods. The Eight Immortals are 1) Han Zhongli; 2) Zhang Guolao; 3) LÜ Dongbin; 4) Cao Guojiu; 5) Li Tieguai; 6) Han Xiangzi; 7)Lan Caihe; 8)He Xianggu. Of the Eight Immortals, LÜ Dongbin is the most famous. He is regarded as one of the five founding fathers of Quanzhen Sect of Taoist (Complete Reality Taoism, the largest Taoist sect in China). The most common historical tale claims that LÜ Dongbin was a mortal in the Tang Dynasty from China’s Shanxi Province. He was a failed candidate for government service, and was unaccomplished until he was 64. At that time he met the Taoist Immortal Han Zhongli, who explained Taoist to him. From that time he dedicated himself to Taoist cultivation and eventually became an Immortal. Though he has high status in the Taoist hierarchy, LÜ Dongbin is an accessible figure. He frequently travels with the other seven Immortals and promotes Taoist cultivation. LÜ Dongbin wears a unique hat, which is flat and slopes downward past his forehead. He usually carries a double-edged sword, and sometimes a shield. His birthday is generally celebrated on the 14th day of the 4th lunar month.

Land God- In traditional China, every village had a shrine to the local Land God. It was this God who was in charge of administering the affairs of a particular village. In traditional times, village concerns were primarily agricultural or weather-related. This God was not all-powerful, but was a modest Heavenly bureaucrat to whom individual villagers could turn in times of need, famine, drought etc. This God is often called”Grandpa”, which reflects his close relationship to the common people. He typically wears a black hat and a red robe, which signifies his position as a bureaucrat. His birthday is commonly celebrated on the 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month.

The God of Wealth- Although possessed of no cult, the God of Wealth is one of the most popilar Taoist Gods in traditional China. All individuals in historically poor China worshipped this wealth-giving Deity. In modern China worship the God of Wealth, and business across East Asia routinely maintain an alter in His honor. Every lunar New Year the God of Wealth descends from Heaven to inspect his followers. Chinese people across Aisa eat jiaozi (dumpling with meat or vegetable or both as the filling) on this day, as they are thought to resemble ancient ingots of precious metal in shape. The God of Wealth is welcomed on New Year’s night according to the Chinese geomantic almanac. The God of Wealth is depicted in many images. but most include a long white or black beard, and a smiling countenance. He also frequently wears a broad, heavy belt and a hat which includes protruding rectangular earpieces. The birthday of the God of Wealth is the 15 th day of the third lunar month. One can find his statue in a lot of shops and restaurants in China-the owners hope the God of Wealth would bring good fortune.

Songzi Niangniang- Songzi Niangniang is an ancient Taoist Goddess generally thought to manage issues of childbirth. Traditionally, if a woman could not become pregnant after several years of marriage, she would go to pray at a Temple to Songzi Niangniang. One traditional method was for the supplicant to take some ash from an incense burner at a Songzi Niangniang Temple, and to mix the ash in water and drink it. This would bring the power of the Goddess into the woman’s body and resolve her problem. Men would traditionally also pray to Songzi Niangniang to grant them sons.

Heavenly Master Zhang or Zheng Yi Immortal- Officially named Zhang Daoling, a very powerful Taoist mystic and alchemist who founded institutionalized Taoism in period of Eastern Han Dynasty. During those years he founded the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, dedicated to worshipping Taoist Gods through spirit-writing, mediumship, and other occult practices. The Five Pecks of Rice Sect eventually grew into one of Taoism’s most popular sects, and is still active throughout China. Zhang Daoling’s Taoist abilities have caused Taoists to worship him for almost two millennia.

Wang Chongyang(1112-1170)- founder of Quanzhen Sect of Taoism. He was born in Xianyang, Shaanxi in a wealthy family. At the age of 48, he began to study Taoism, realized its truth and became a Taoist priest. He then went to Shandong in about 1167 and established a lot of Taoist temples at various places there. Wang Chongyang advocated equality between Taoism. Buddhism and Confucianism and tried to combine the thoughts of the three into one. He believed that spiritual quietude could be reached only when desires were removed and thus stressed quiet meditation and contemplation. He left several important books and many essays for Taoism, which are all included in the classics reading of Taoism.

Qiu Chuji(1148-1227)- a famous Taoist priest in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties and founder of Longmen(Dyagon Gate) Sect of Taoism. Born into a peasant family, Shandong, Qiu began to study Daoism at the age of 19. Wang Chongyang, the founder of Quanzhen Taoism, was then teaching Taoism and accepted Qiu Chuji as his student when Qiu was 20 years of age. Qiu Chuji eventually became one of Wang’s seven students (“Seven Taoist Immortals”). After Wang’s passing, Qiu founded the Longmen Sect. Qiu’s relationship with the Mongol Emperors ensured governmental support of Taoism, and enabled Qiu to found Beijing’s White Cloud Monastery, Genghis Khan liked him and let him take charge of all the affairs of Taoism in China. When Qiu became an Immortal, his physical body was buried underneath a temple in the White Cloud Monastery. Qiu’s birthday is the 19th day of the lunar month.

Yin and Yang

Tao produces Yuanqi (original energy) and Yuanqi is devided into Yin and Yang. Yin and Ying keep each other in good balance and this balance or harmony is the essence of everything.

In Taoism, Yin and Yang are negative and positive principles of the universe. One cannot exist without the other, and they often represent opposites in relations to each other, as you have more and more Yang, eventually, Yin will appear and replace this increase. Similarly in the opposite direction. Yang will appear to replace the increase in Yin. Yin and Yang are opposites, but they are never separate. In Yin there is Yang and in Yang there is Yin, as can be seen in the small white spot existing in the black area and the small black spot existing in the white area.

Yin and Yang come to no end. The Yin-Yang symbol (circle with black and white sections) depicts this clearly. As you travel around the circle, white or black will increase, until the opposite color us almost gone, but never totally gone. The cycle then repeats for the opposite color.

What seems like Yin is often supported by Yang, and vice versa. As an example, to truly know well, you must know what evil is, and without good as a comparison, nothing is evil. Thus, while keeping to one end, do not shun the opposite end, but embrace both as they are. Allowing Yin to flourish, you welcome Yang, by letting go of Yin; you are waiting for its return. Yin and Yang are changing every moment in harmonious relation and the whole universe goes depending on the change of Yin and Yang.

Yin and Yang often represent the following opposites.
Yin- Negative, Female, Dark, Evil, Earth, the moon, sky…
Yang- Positive, Male, Light, Good, Heaven, the sun, land…

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