From 907-1368 religious Taoism assimilated the rise of a Buddhist-influenced, ascetic, contemplative Ch’ing-wei tao Tantric “Thunder Magic” sect from Hua Shan and Lungmen Shan in west China, a martial Pei-chi tao or Pole Star Taoism from Wu-tang Shan in Hupei province, and a sorcery-oriented Taoism of central and south China, Shen-hsiao Taoism, founded by Lin Ling-su c1116. Through the Sui-Tang dynastic era (581-905), when Taoism flourished under state patronage, other religious Taoist schools emerged, focusing on repentance, healing, invoking of spirits, use of talismans, magical formulae, etc.
(Henri Maspero and Izutsu think some of these practices pre-dated Chuang-tzu and Lao-tzu in the southern Ch’u state.) The earliest and most prominent of these religious Taoist schools were the theocratic, liturgical, magical Meng-wei Heavenly Master Taoism (also known as Wu-tou-mi “Five Pecks of Rice” Taoism), founded in the mid-2nd century CE by the long-lived Chang Tao-ling and his son and grandson, later headquartered on Lung-hu Shan/Mountain in Kiangsi province T’ai-p’ing Supreme Peace Taoism, founded by Chang Chüeh in 2nd century, based on repentance of sins, healing ceremonies and the book on commanding spirits miraculously gotten by the semi-legendary Yò Chi the equally popular Ling-pao Magic Jewel Taoism (4th/5th century CE, liturgical, influenced by Buddhism, emphasizes fasting and reliance on celestial deities), founded by Ko-hsòan, Hsu Ling-ch’i, et al and Shang-ch’ing Highest Purity Taoism (elite, monastic, meditative, and mystical, based especially on Chuang-tzu and the Yellow Court Canon), founded in 370 CE by Yang Hsi and the two Hsu’s, father and son, atop Mao Shan (near Nanjing). Meanwhile, more popular, organized forms of “religious Taoism” or Tao-chiao were emerging in the late Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) and subsequent Wei-Chin era, based on the Lao-tzu, Chuang-tzu, et al., but more strongly patterned after the activity of the court magicians ( fang-shih), involving shamanic, yogic, spiritualist and magic practices. Tao-chia inspired a Neo-Taoism ( hsüan-hsüeh) metaphysical movement of the Wei-Chin dynasties (220-420 CE), led by Wang Pi (d.249), Ho Yen (d.249) and Kuo-Hsiang (d.312) against a Confucianism at that point grown excessively scholastic. These five Taoist texts comprise the “contemplative,” “mystical,” “philosophical” Taoism, or Tao-chia, which appeals to individuals with highly refined, intuitive natures who don’t find complete fulfillment in the Confucian ideal of righteousness and a controlled family and social order. The Lieh-tzu, 3rd-4th century CE, with some earlier material, is a far less profound Taoist work, a collection of folk tales with a philosophy alternating between mere fatalism and hedonism (the Yang-chu chapter). Two other important early Taoist works are the Huai-nan-tzu, the record of talks of eight great Taoist adepts at the court of Prince Liu An, composed approximately 150 years after the Chuang-tzu, and the Wen-tzu, composed circa 100 BCE after Taoism went underground with the ascendancy of a rigid Confucian ideology.
5 cloud meditation by hua ching ni full#
They exalt the mystery, simplicity and vast intelligence of the primal, humble Tao, and emphasize that we must empty out, die to self/personal “face,” and thereby humbly return to the “chaos”-like ( hun-tun) Tao-Source in full consciousness, thereafter letting spontaneous, non-striving action ( wu-wei) flow from the Tao. These two works, the Tao Te Ching and Chuang-tzu, comprise the most ancient strata of Taoism known to us. As for Chuang-tzu, he is surely an historical figure ( c369-286), and the first 7 of the 33 books of the Chuang-tzu are from his own pen. Chuang-tzu, historian Ssu-ma Ch’ien, and other writers of old all quote from the Lao-tzu/ Tao Te Ching and regard Lao-tzu/Lao-tan as a wise elder who taught sage Confucius (551-479) the humble way of true spirituality. Half the text consists in rhyming lines likely of an earlier date. argue it was a single sage who wrote the majority of its 81 short chapters.
A few scholars feel the Tao Te Ching to be the work of several writers, but scholars Izutsu, Karlgren, Ellen Chen, et al.
The former work, the Tao Te Ching, is said to have been authored by Lao-tzu (“Old Master”) in the 6th century BCE, but some of its political vocabulary dates just after sage Mencius, d.289 BCE. Our knowledge of the ancient Chinese spirituality known as Taoism begins with two texts, the Lao-tzu or Tao Te Ching (“Book of the Tao/Way and Its Power” Pinyin transliteration renders this Dao De Jing) and the Chuang-tzu ( Zhuangzi) both named after famous sages.Ĭonsiderable excerpts from both works can be read