Evolution of TaoismDaoism

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Evolution of Taoism/Daoism

• Daoism in the Han (206 BCE-220CE)
• Daoism now adopted a new system of thought that
  integrated Yin-Yang cosmology and the so-called
  Five Phases (wuxing) theory.

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• Now known as the Huang-Lao Daoism, it blended
  Yellow Emperors and Laozis political
  philosophies and the ideal of untrammeled freedom
  inspired by Zhuangzis reference to immortals and
  immortality (or transcendence)
• It gradually turned itself into an organized
  religion by absorbing elements of new millenarian
  cults

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Yin-Yang Cosmology

• Basic premise everything consists of one
  underlying cosmic energy, known as qi
• Qi manifests itself in the interplay of Yin-Yang
  which results in five phases
• Lesser yang, greater yang, yin-yang, lesser yin,
  greater yin
• These five phases correlate with a wide array of
  social and natural objects and phenomena

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Water
Metal
wood
earth
fire
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Characteristics of New Daoism

• Absorbed the doctrine of ganying (stimulus and
  response)
• Something, usually an anomaly, happens on one
  plane of existence, will trigger an immediate
  echo/reaction on all the others
• E.g., earthquakes find their parallels in human
  society and peoples bodies
• Humans inner cultivation can impact the
  development and wellbeing of the world

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• Reread the DDJ, interpreting it in terms of
  longevity techniques, breathing exercise, and the
  parallel cultivation of body and state
• Texts supporting new interpretation
• He Shang gongs commentary on the DDJ
• The Huainanzi
• The Huangdi neijing (Yellow Emperors Inner
  Classic)

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• Impacts
• new Chinese calendar based on ten celestial
  stems and twelve branches to form a sixty-year
  cycle
• new understanding of human body

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Meridian (energy channel) and Meridian points
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Dumai governing vessel
Renmai Conception Vessel
Located along the front of the torso
Runs along the spine
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• Reinterpreted the Chuci and the Zhuangzi to
  expanded the concept of immortality and
  post-mortem mortality.
• regarded xian (immortal), which was vaguely and
  metaphorically mentioned in the Zhuangzi, as
  really existent and palpable entity.

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• believed in the existence of immortal lands where
  immortals lived
• Penglai Islands in the Eastern Sea
• Kunlun Mountains in the Eastern Central Asia
  ruled by Queen Mother of the West

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Queen Mother of the West, Han Stone Painting

• Books produced in Han times provided biographies
  of immortals of old and hagiographies of Laozi,
  the Yellow emperors and other mythical figures
• Liu Xiangs Liexian zhuan was the most famous

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Xiwang Mu Queen Mother of the West, Han stone
sculpture
Dongwang Gong Lord King of the East
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• Searched for and studied further longevity
  techniques leading to immortality
• Transformed all qi into primordial qi
• Turned this refined qi into pure spirit

• Body and Mind Exercises
• Intensive meditation
• Trance training
• special diet e.g., abstention from meat,
  alcohol, garlic, grains and ate only limited
  fruits
• Gymnastics, messages, and breathing exercises

The Gymnastics Chart (Daoyin tu) from the tomb
at Mawangdui, Hunan
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• ? Organized popular religious groups
• ? Great Peace
• The Celestial Masters (the Way of Orthodox Unity)
• Integrated indigenous beliefs
• Nature gods
• Apotheosis of the Five Emperors
• Established the Great One (Taiyi) as the central
  deity

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Han Conceptions of Immortality

• Excavations of MWDs Han Tombs a testimony to the
  Han conceptions of immortality
• Search for immortality was probably one the
  utmost concerns during the Han
• Han ruling house was most interested in the idea
  of immortality
• evidence is abundant in the unearthed Han tombs

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T-shape Banner in the tomb of Marquis of Dai at
MWD 1 was unearthed. Described as flying
Garment (feiyi), the funerary banner, which
shows Han conceptions of heaven, earth, and man,
represent the conducting of the souls of the dead
to the realm of the immortals and is the first
extant example which illustrated visually, and
quite literally, the route of the soul (or souls).
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The corpse of Licans wife, Lady Xin Zhui, was
unearthed in 1972 at MWD 1. When unearthed, the
body remained soft, skin tissue tender and
elastic, and retained certain degree of moisture.
Visceral organs were all intact. 138 sweet melon
seeds remained in her esophagus, stomach, and
intestines.
Feathered men depicted in Han murals
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Organized Daoism

• ?The Great Peace School based on a series of
  texts called Scripture of Great Peace
• Religious practices included
• Observed dietary abstentions from alcohol and
  meat
• Undertook meditation exercise known as guarding
  the one (shouyi)
• Worshiped ancestral, natural, and heavenly spirits

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?The Celestial Masters School the Way of Five
Pecks of Rice

• Concocted a celestial administration featured
  the Three Bureaus (sanguan) celebrated at major
  festivals called the Three Primes (sanyuan)
• Recited DDJ and followed precepts basic nine
  precepts, middle nine precepts, highest nine
  precepts (pp.72-73)

• Religious practices included
• Believed that the Lord Dao was the creator god
  and represented the center of creation

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• The basic nine precepts
• Do not strongly pursue riches and honor
• Do not do evil
• Do not set yourself many taboos and avoidances
• Do not pray or sacrifice to demons or the
  spirits of the dead
• Do not strongly oppose anyone
• Do not consider yourself always right

• Do not quarrel with others over what is right
  and wrong if you get into a debate, be the first
  to concede
• Do not praise yourself as a sage of great fame
• Do not take delight in soldiering

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• Celebrated the Three Primes and major community
  events with banquets known as kitchen-feast
  (chu)
• Wine flowed, animals were slaughtered
• Harmonization of Qi (heqi)

Talismans (fu)
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• Use of talismans to ward off demons
• Ritual incantation involved the use the mantra
  jiji ru lüling (swiftly, swiftly, in accordance
  with statutes and ordinances)
• Healing undertaken through ritual and magic
  other measures, such as acupuncture, herbs, and
  other medical treatment were not allowed

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Celestial Master Zhang and His Temple
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First Celestial Masters Temple at Heming
Mountain (Crane-Cry)
Celestial Master Zhang, Woodblock, Ming Dynasty.
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Daoist Temple Long Hu shan (Dragon and Tiger
Mountain
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