The main content of Taoism. The emergence of Taoism and its worldview. How to gain enlightenment and the Tao

Taoism main ideas are summarized in this article.

Taoism is the most ancient religion on Earth, rooted in archaic shamanic practices. According to one of the legends, the foundations of this religion were laid by Huang Shi, the Yellow Emperor. But the scientist Lao Tzu described and systematized its dogmas and rituals in a book called "Treatise on the path and its manifestations in the Universe."

The main ideas of Taoism

The teaching originated more than 2000 years ago in China. Then people worshiped the spirits of ancestors and the forces of nature. The postulates of Taoism were laid down on the basis of the desire for world harmony and understanding. The main idea of ​​building a society according to Taoism is the universal equality of people, equal rights to freedom and life. With this, Taoism attracted many adherents.

Among the main ideas of Taoism are:

• Unity of the world

The world is presented as a single substance called Tao. It was created by itself, is boundless and dominates everything. Tao is also invisible, without form, but at the same time, it is the source of the beginning (te), names and forms of phenomena and things.

• The idea of ​​universal interconnectedness

This is the most important idea of ​​religion. In Taoism, the world is a unity in which all objects and phenomena are interconnected, present in each other and cannot exist separately. All things are known only in comparison.

• The cycle of matter

This idea implies that every living being, plant, object embodied on the planet, after their death, becomes the building material for subsequent natural phenomena and life forms. This cycle is endless.

• Non-action and peace

A person should live in such a way as not to interfere with the flow of life. That is, to remain at rest and inaction - Wu-Wei. But this does not mean inaction, but the understanding and achievement of eternity, the roots of the world order.

• Holy Emperor

The emperor is a sacred ideal that sends blessings (te) to people. He must rule calmly and imperceptibly in order to bring happiness to the people. Excessive activity leads to disruption of harmony and various disasters.

• The path to happiness is freedom from the hustle and bustle

A person needs to free himself from passions and desires in order to get closer to happiness. Achievement of truths through the desire for the initial merger, obedience to the emperor.

However, in chaos, like a chicken in a hen's egg, the ancestor of the Pangu people slept. He grew, and he became cramped in the egg. Then Pangu broke through the shell and found himself between Yang, which turned into the sky, and Yin, which became the Earth. For another 18,000 years, Pangu continued to grow, and with his head he raised the sky higher and higher, separating it from the earth, and then cut the bridge between them so that the earth and sky could not unite again.

Before our world arose, chaos reigned everywhere by the name of Hundun. One day the lord of the North Hu and the lord of the South Shu, who were otherwise called Yin and Yang, came to him. And in order to improve the life of the hundun, they drilled in his body those seven holes that are now in the head of every person - eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth. But the perforated Hundun suddenly died from this.

Ancient Chinese thinkers used the concepts of "Yin" and "Yang" to express many opposite and successive phenomena. An important point in the first philosophical constructions of Ancient China was the recognition of the feedback between these concepts and human life, social phenomena. It was believed that if people act in accordance with the natural laws reflected by these concepts, then peace and order reign in society and in individuals, but if there is no such consent, then the country and everything in it comes into confusion. And vice versa - troubles in society interfere with the natural manifestations of Yin and Yang, for normal self-realization. These cosmogonic ideas were the basis of the religious and philosophical worldview of the ancient Chinese and were set forth in the ancient Chinese text "I-Ching" ("Book of Changes").

2. Taoism –

The oldest philosophical doctrine of China, which tries to explain the foundations of the construction and existence of the surrounding world and find the path that man, nature and the cosmos should follow. The founder of Taoism is considered Lao Tzu(Old Teacher), who lived in the VI - V centuries. BC. The main source is a philosophical treatise "Daodejing".

Basic concepts:

§ "Tao"- has two meanings: firstly, this is the path along which man and nature, the universal world law that ensures the existence of the world, must go in their development; secondly, it is the substance from which the whole world originated, the beginning, which was an energetically capacious void;

§ "De"- grace coming from above; energy, thanks to which the original "Tao" was transformed into the surrounding world.

In the world there is a single and common path (Tao) for all things, which no one can change. The highest duty and destiny of a person is to follow the Tao. A person is not able to influence the world order, his destiny is peace and humility. The goal of Lao Tzu's teaching was self-deepening, achieving spiritual purification, mastery of the body. According to the theory of Taoism, a person should not interfere with the natural course of events. The basic tenet of Taoism is the theory of inaction.

3. Confucianism –

The oldest philosophical school, which considers a person, first of all, as a participant in social life. The founder of Confucianism is Confucius (Kung Fu Tzu) who lived in 551-479. BC, the main source of teaching is the work Lun Yu ("Conversations and Judgments")

Features of Confucianism:

§ The main issues addressed by Confucianism are how to manage people and how to behave in society.

§ Representatives of this philosophical school advocate the soft management of society. As an example of such management, the power of the father over the sons is given, and as the main condition - the relationship of the subordinates to the bosses as sons to the father, and the boss to the subordinates - as the father to the sons.

§ Confucian The "golden rule of morality" says: do not do to others what you do not want yourself.

§ The teachings of Confucius played a big role in unifying Chinese society. It remains relevant at the present time, after 2500 years since the life and work of the author.

The main principles of Confucianism:

§ principle "jen" , that is, humanity and philanthropy;

§ principle "whether" that is, reverence and ritual;

§ principle "Jun Tzu" that is, the image of a noble man. All people are capable of being highly moral, but this is primarily the lot of the wise, engaged in mental activity;

§ principle "wen", that is, education, enlightenment, spirituality, combined with a love of learning;

§ principle "di", that is, obedience to elders in position and age;

§ principle "zhong" , that is, devotion to the sovereign, the moral authority of the government.

The problem of leaders and subordinates in Confucianism:

Qualities a leader should have:

§ obey the emperor and follow Confucian principles;

§ manage on the basis of virtue (“badao”);

§ have the necessary knowledge;

§ faithfully serve the country, be a patriot;

§ have great ambitions, set high goals;

§ be noble;

§ do only good for the state and others;

§ take care of the personal well-being of subordinates and the country as a whole

Qualities that a subordinate should possess:

§ be loyal to the leader;

§ show diligence in work;

§ Continuous learning and self-improvement

The ideas of Confucius had a significant impact on the development of not only the philosophical, but also the ethical and political thought of China, as well as Japan, Korea and other Far Eastern countries.

Taoism is one of the most ancient religions on Earth. Its origins are rooted in archaic shamanic practices. According to legend, the foundations of Taoism were laid by the Yellow Emperor, Huang Shi.

The Chinese scientist was able to systematize and describe the dogmas and rituals of this teaching in his book Treatise on the Path and Its Manifestations in the Universe.

Analyzing the scientific heritage of Confucius, one can notice the connection between the philosopher's life path and his ideas. But it is impossible to draw similar parallels between the work and life of Lao Tzu, because his biography is absolutely unknown to historians. An ancient legend says that he was born from the rays of the sun and moon that touched his mother. At the same time, he was born already an elderly man, since his mother carried him in her womb for several decades. Therefore, his name is translated as "Old Child". According to legend, as soon as he was born, the philosopher began to preach the teachings of Tao.

What is Dao?

Tao is an eternal path, an endless road without end and edge, which passes everywhere and nowhere, no one knows where it leads and where it ends. Tao is the eternal Absolute, everything is subject only to it, even Heaven acts according to the laws of Tao. The eternal path is also perpetual motion, since in nature nothing is at rest, everything is constantly flowing and changing. Man lives according to the same laws.

The greatest happiness, according to Lao Tzu and his followers, lies in the knowledge of Tao and eternal merging with it. A person who comprehends the Tao and obeys its laws acquires immortality. In order to understand the Tao, one must follow a series of rules regarding the nourishment of the body and the nourishment of the spirit, as well as the concept of non-action. .

Man is a collection of divine spirits and demons who are constantly fighting for possession of his soul. If he feeds the spirits with his good deeds, the soul strengthens and approaches the Absolute, and if a person increases the number of demons with evil deeds, the soul weakens and moves away from Tao.

Nutrition of the body is the observance of a special diet, which consists in the almost complete rejection of physical food. By constant physical training, a person must bring his body to complete submission to the mind and learn to feed on his own saliva and the dew of herbs and flowers.

The third postulate of Tao - the concept of doing nothing - consists in the rejection of purposeful activity, since nature itself arranges everything, as Heaven and Tao need it, and human intervention only destroys everything created by nature. Based on this idea, Lao Tzu derives the following formula applicable to the political life of society: the best ruler is the one who tries not to do anything and not change in the state, his subjects live by the will of Heaven and solve their own problems.

Forms of manifestation of Taoism

Taoism existed in several forms, each of which satisfied the interests of a particular segment of society:

Philosophical and ethical - helped the educated aristocracy to express themselves, allowed to understand and explain the feelings and the essence of the worldview, the price of human existence and the purpose of every person on earth.

Mystical - she brought up the poorly educated segments of the population, who went to the monks for advice and help in solving everyday everyday problems. This form instilled moral values ​​and certain norms of behavior.

Scientific - In search of the mythical elixir of immortality, Taoist monks invented many useful items and substances. Gunpowder, glass, a compass, battering rams and much more appeared thanks to the research of these people who had retired from the world. Also within the framework of Taoism, the first theories of the origin of the earth and sky, people and all living beings appeared.

Nowadays, the doctrine that originated in ancient times is extremely popular - Feng Shui, which binds together the elements and the fate of people, as well as military doctrine - wu-shu and breathing exercises qigong. All these practices grew out of Taoism.

Briefly about the main ideas of Taoism

Taoism was born much earlier than Confucianism at a time of even more violent internecine strife and struggle for power. The main idea of ​​Taoism is the universal equality of people, equal rights to life and freedom. These ideas immediately attracted many supporters from the lower strata of the population to the new religion.

The poor who professed Taoism hoped that a new society based on the principles of justice and harmony would soon emerge. Under the slogans of Taoism, even peasant unrest took place. One of the most famous uprisings in ancient China was the so-called "Yellow Turban Rebellion" led by a Taoist monk. The purpose of this uprising was the overthrow of the existing political system and the formation of a new state - universal equality and social justice.

The main task of Taoism is to open people's eyes to the purpose of their birth, to teach them to distinguish between good and evil, to discover the secrets of the universe, to teach them to live in harmony with nature and the universe.

Back in the Middle Ages, a whole network of Taoist monasteries was created in China, where people lived who completely departed from the world and devoted their lives to serving Heaven and the eternal Tao.

The monks lived in isolation and did not allow the uninitiated to contemplate their rituals. Their rites have always interested ordinary mortals, but the monks sacredly kept their secrets and passed on their secrets only to dedicated students.

The monasteries consisted of many isolated small semi-dark cells in which the monks indulged in meditation in an attempt to know the eternal Tao. They looked at social transformations differently. Since Taoism preaches the principle of non-doing, any attempts to change the world were seen as an encroachment on the foundations of the faith, and contemplation and solitude, on the contrary, help to merge with the Absolute and live a thousand years in harmony with Heaven.

Therefore, especially zealous followers of the teaching went to the mountains and cut down stone cells for themselves in order to achieve immortality in complete solitude. Moreover, Taoism is probably the only religion that does not use the concept of Heaven and Hell. Paradise is the immortal life bestowed by the great Absolute, spent in reflection and contemplation of the wonders of the universe.

Masculine and feminine in Taoism

Nowadays, almost everyone knows about the feminine and masculine principles in Chinese philosophy - Yin and Yang. Back in the fourth century BC, Taoist monks managed to depict a circle consisting of two principles: dark - feminine and light - masculine.

The monks believed that these two concepts are inseparable and cannot exist without each other, so the life of each person cannot be either only light or only dark. The feminine is characterized by calmness and balance, while the masculine is characterized by activity, power and an active lifestyle.

The monks believed that these two principles completely complement each other, and if any one prevails in a person, then his life cannot be considered correct and he will not be able to achieve Tao.

Rites in Taoism

Unlike all other religions, Taoism did not have magnificent and solemn rituals; Taoists preached an appeal to wildlife and the principle of contemplation. The uninitiated could not attend the rites. For this reason, there are no Taoist temples. The only religious buildings of the Taoists were only monasteries.

At present, there are quite a lot of followers of this teaching in China, new monasteries are constantly being opened, and sometimes monks demonstrate their achievements in mastering martial arts in front of the audience.

Taoism (Chinese: 道教, pinyin: dàojiào) is the doctrine of the Tao or the "way of things", a Chinese traditional teaching that includes elements of religion and philosophy. Taoism is usually distinguished as a certain style of philosophical criticism (dao chia) and taoism as a set of spiritual practices (dao chiao), but this division is rather arbitrary. Tao jia is predominantly pre-Qin Taoism associated with texts attributed to Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu.

History[edit | edit source]

Main article: History of Taoism

Formation of Taoism[edit | edit source]

Taoism in a stable religious organization was formed only in the 2nd century, but numerous evidence suggests that Taoism arose much earlier, at least in the 5th - 3rd centuries BC. e. there was already a developed tradition that prepared the elements of the doctrine that were actively used in the Middle Ages.

The main sources of Taoism were the mystical and shamanic cults of the Chu kingdom and other "barbarian" states in southern China, the doctrine of immortality and magical practices that developed in the kingdom of Qi, and the philosophical tradition of northern China.

Philosophical writings related to Taoism begin with the era of the Conflicting Kingdoms (Zhanguo) in the 5th century BC. e., almost simultaneously with the teachings of Confucius. Tradition considers the legendary Yellow Emperor Huangdi to be the founder of Taoism. A somewhat more reliable founder of Taoism is the ancient Chinese sage Lao Tzu. Taoist tradition ascribes to him the authorship of one of the main books of Taoism - "Tao Te Ching". This treatise was the core around which the teachings of Taoism began to take shape. Another famous text of early Taoism is Zhuangzi, authored by Zhuang Zhou (369-286 BC), known as Chuangzi, after whom his work is named.

At the beginning of the 2nd century A.D. e. the figure of Laozi is deified, a complex hierarchy of deities and demons is developed, a cult arises, in which divination and rites that “cast out” evil spirits take a central place. The pantheon of Taoism was headed by Jasper Lord (Shan-di), who was revered as the god of heaven, the highest deity and the father of emperors (“sons of heaven”). He was followed by Lao-tzu and the creator of the world - Pan-gu.

The first Taoist schools[edit | edit source]

Religious Taoism took shape during the late Han Dynasty: Zhang Daoling (34 - 156) founded the Five Ladles of Rice (later Heavenly Masters 天师) school in Sichuan and became its first patriarch. In the second half of the 2nd century, the prerequisite for the popularity of Taoism was the Yellow Turban Rebellion 184-204: the Third Heavenly Mentor Zhang Lu was able to control the territory of Hanzhong (Shaanxi Province), adjacent to the mountains of Sichuan Province, which became the first Taoist theocratic state. The Taoist state was defeated by Cao Cao in 215 and ceased to exist, nevertheless, Cao Cao granted privileges to the mentor and attracted him to the court, which made the school spread over a wide territory, including in northern China. During the era of the Six Dynasties, the school became known as the School of Heavenly Guides.

Later, other Taoist schools appeared. An important role in the development of Taoism was played by the Maoshan (aka Shangqing) and Lingbao schools.

Literature (including Chinese) often discusses the possibility of borrowing the provisions of Taoism from Indian philosophy, or vice versa, transferring Taoism to India and founding Buddhism there. The similarity with the Chinese philosophy of the Indian concept of the faceless Absolute is also indicated, the emanation of which created the visible phenomenal world and to merge with which (to get away from the phenomenal world) was the goal of the Brahmins. This question has been repeatedly raised in various Taoist schools. However, a detailed study rejects the hypothesis of direct borrowing.

Lao Tzu could not bring to India a philosophy that had been known there for at least five hundred years before he was born. In its concrete practical activity, Taoism in China bore little resemblance to the practice of Brahmanism. On Chinese soil, rationalism overcame any mysticism, pushed it to the periphery of public consciousness, where it could only be preserved. This is what happened with Taoism. Although the Taoist treatise Zhuangzi (4th-3rd centuries BC) says that life and death are relative concepts, the emphasis is on life and how it should be organized.

The mystical ideals in this treatise, expressed, in particular, in references to fantastic longevity (800, 1200 years) and immortality, which righteous hermits who approach the Tao can achieve, played an important role in the transformation of philosophical Taoism into religious Taoism. This is its main divergence from most religions: the desire for immortality among the Taoists replaces the desire for paradise among followers of other faiths.

Formation of the canon[edit | edit source]

By the 5th century A.D. e. the Taoist canon Dao Zang (Treasury of Tao) was formed, which already included more than 250 Taoist texts modeled on the Buddhist canon. Dao Zang finally took shape in 1607, when the last group of 56 compositions was added to it. In its modern form, Tao Zang is a collection of 1488 works.

Development of Taoism[edit | edit source]

Taoism has almost never been an official religion - rather a movement of the populace, solitary practitioners and hermits. But in the depths of Taoism, new ideas were regularly born that inspired scientists, politicians, and writers. Peasant riots in China and uprisings with the overthrow of dynasties also originated in the depths of Taoism. [source not specified 1021 days]

Taoism further divided into two currents: the schools of Sun Jian and Yin Wen, on the one hand, and the Zhuang Zhou school, on the other.

During the Six Dynasties era, the School of Heavenly Guides spread throughout China, but other schools gained popularity and the influence of the Heavenly Guides waned. The school was split, and the Northern Heavenly Guides also appeared, and then the Southern Heavenly Guides. At the same time, the Shangqing school (emphasizing visualization and contact with the celestials) and Lingbao (paying attention to meditation, which was influenced by Buddhism) were gaining strength.

Later, in the Tang era, the School of Heavenly Guides was recreated as the School of the True One (Zhengyi), having received special imperial privileges, in the Song era, the Zhengyi school received imperial privileges and its supremacy over Shangqing and Lingbao was recognized, and in 1304 the Mongol authorities confirmed the status of the school , and the noticeably weakened Shangqing and Lingbao were absorbed and ceased to exist independently.

Wang Chongyang (XII century) and his students founded the Quanzhen school of monastic Taoism, which spread mainly in northern China. Thus, in the post-Mongol era, Taoism began to appear as two main schools - the School of the True One in the south and Quanzhen in the north.

The decline of Taoism in the Qing era[edit | edit source]

It is known that Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722) was skeptical of all kinds of superstitions and mystical practices. This is not surprising, since he was a Manchu and treated Chinese philosophy with indifference. So, during one of his travels in southern China, a local resident presented him with a treatise on achieving immortality through alchemy. Kangxi responded by ordering the book to be thrown back to him. Taoists of even the highest rank were also not among the emperor's favorites.

Taoism at present[edit | edit source]

On the territory of the Taoist temple Chan Chun (Eternal Spring) in Wuhan

Under the Qing, the Taoists were once again accused by Chinese zealots of strict classics of undermining traditional values, which allegedly resulted in the conquest of the country by the "barbarians". These scholars called for rejecting Taoism and Buddhism as false teachings that had finally compromised themselves and returning to their own philosophical origins, which ultimately resulted in a literary and social movement that received the name Han Xue, that is, “Han science”, which in this case meant classical Confucianism. During the Taiping Rebellion (1850), Taoist monasteries are devastated, which the leaders of the rebels explain by the need to "combat superstitions." Taoist literature is expelled from library collections with such zeal that by the beginning of the 20th century. "Tao Zang" remains almost in a single copy. Until the Xinhai Revolution (1911), and even later, traditionalist scholars never tire of subjecting Taoist philosophy to severe criticism as excessively “contemplative”, paralyzing the will to fight, undermining public morality and the moral foundations of the state. Epochs of a tolerant and even benevolent attitude of the authorities towards Taoist speculation were replaced by periods of persecution right up to modern times. In the 1960s the practice of persecuting supporters of Taoism was revived by the leaders of the "cultural revolution". By the end of the 1970s. Excesses in regard to cultural heritage have largely ceased, although the relative rehabilitation of Taoism and Taoist philosophy (along with Confucianism and Buddhism) began only after the official proclamation of the course of reforms (1978) by Deng Xiaoping. In Taiwan, Taoism has retained its influence and traditional institutions to the present day. In the People's Republic of China, at present, the Baiyunsi Monastery in Beijing remains the most famous modern center of Taoism. Philosophizing in the Taoist style in modern China continues, according to tradition, mainly in essayistic literature and poetry of the philosophical genre.

All China Association of Taoism

Elements of teaching[edit | edit source]

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The foundations of Taoism, the philosophy of Lao Tzu are set forth in the treatise "Tao Te Ching" (4th-3rd centuries BC). At the center of the doctrine is the doctrine of the great Tao, the universal Law and the Absolute. Tao is ambiguous, it is an endless movement. Tao is a kind of law of being, space, the universal unity of the world. Tao dominates everywhere and in everything, always and without limits. No one created it, but everything comes from it, in order to then, having completed the circuit, return to it again. Invisible and inaudible, inaccessible to the senses, constant and inexhaustible, nameless and formless, it gives rise, name and form to everything in the world. Even the great Heaven follows the Tao.

Each person, in order to become happy, must embark on this path, try to cognize the Tao and merge with it. According to the teachings of Taoism, the human microcosm is eternal in the same way as the universe-macrocosm. Physical death means only that the spirit separates from the person and dissolves into the macrocosm. The task of a person in his life is to ensure that his soul merges with the world order of Tao. How can such a merger be achieved? The answer to this question is contained in the teachings of the Tao.

The Way of Tao has the power of Te. It is through the power of Wu-wei that the Tao manifests itself in every person. This force cannot be interpreted as an effort, but, on the contrary, as a desire to avoid any effort. Wu-wei - means "non-action", the denial of purposeful activity that goes against the natural order. In the process of life, it is necessary to adhere to the principle of non-action - the principle of Wu-wei. This is not inaction. This is human activity, which is consistent with the natural course of the world order. Any action that is contrary to the Tao means a waste of energy and leads to failure and death. Thus, Taoism teaches a contemplative attitude towards life. Bliss is achieved not by the one who seeks to win the favor of the Tao with good deeds, but by the one who, in the process of meditation, immersion in his inner world, seeks to listen to himself, and through himself to listen and comprehend the rhythm of the universe. Thus, the purpose of life was comprehended in Taoism as a return to the eternal, a return to one's roots.

The moral ideal of Taoism is a hermit who, with the help of religious meditation, breathing and gymnastic exercises, achieves a high spiritual state that allows him to overcome all passions and desires, immerse himself in communion with the divine Tao.

Tao manifests itself through everyday life and is embodied in the actions of trained people, although few of them fully “walk the Way”. Moreover, the very practice of Taoism is built on a complex system of symbolism of interrelationships and unity of the general, cosmic, and internal, human world. Everything, for example, is permeated with a single qi energy. A child is born from the mixing of the original qi (yuan qi) of the father and mother; a person lives only by continuing to saturate the body with some external qi (wai qi), transferring it to an internal state with the help of a system of breathing exercises and proper nutrition. Everything truly “great” is connected with the beyond, Tao, which at the same time manifests itself in things, phenomena, and actions every moment. The cosmic here is constantly projected onto the human and emerges in a special vital "energeticism", the energy potential of both the Tao itself and the people who were able to fully comprehend it. The path of Tao itself is perceived as an energy, inspiring beginning, for example, in Zhuang Tzu it is said: “He spiritualized deities and kings, gave birth to Heaven and Earth.”

Tao (道) - literally "the way", in Taoism - being and changing the Universe in the most general sense. Impersonal force, the will of the universe, which corresponds to the order of all things in the world.

Te (德) - literally "virtue" or "morality". Virtue, given from above (from Tao), does not have the characteristics of a physical, forceful impact, in contrast to the Greek “arete”. Grace, a huge spiritual power that Heaven endowed the ruler of China and which he could transfer to his subjects

Wu-wei (無為) - literally "non-action" - understanding when to act and when to do nothing

Pu - literally "an unprocessed piece of wood" personifies the energy of objects untouched by nature, if it is simpler, then the simplicity of the soul, the soul of pu.

Components of Taoism[edit | edit source]

Taoist philosophy

Three Treasures (Taoism)

The Book of Changes, especially revered in Confucianism and Taoism

Taoist doctrine of immortality, external alchemy, internal alchemy

Taoist meditation

Taoist pantheon

Huantingjing - "Canon of the Yellow Court"

Shangqing - "School of the Highest Purity"

Prominent figures in Taoism[edit | edit source]

Huang Di - the legendary ruler of China and a mythical character, is considered the founder of Taoism

Lao Tzu is an ancient Chinese philosopher of the 6th-5th centuries BC. e., one of the founders of Taoism

Zhang Daoling - founder of the first sustainable Taoist organization (Five Buckets of Rice) in the Han era

Ge Xuan - the legendary Taoist whose writings are the basis of the Lingbao tradition

Ge Hong - Chinese Taoist scholar and alchemist, great-nephew of Ge Xuan, who wrote the encyclopedic work Baopu-zi on external alchemy

Ge Chaofu - great-nephew of Ge Hong, founder of the Lingbao school

Kou Qianzhi - the reformer of the School of Heavenly Guides, who for the first time achieved the proclamation of Taoism as the state religion

Yang Xi - Taoist, founder of the Shangqing school

Tao Hongqing - Taoist encyclopedist who strengthened the Shangqing school

Lü Dongbin - legendary patriarch, one of the Eight Immortals

Chen Tuan - the famous Taoist from Wudang Mountain, who influenced social thought in China

Wang Chongyang - founder of the Quanzhen school

Zhang Sanfeng - Taoist from Wudang Mountain who is considered the founder of several gymnastics systems, including Taijiquan

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ Lao Tzu. Tao Te Ching - "The Book of the Way and Dignity" (audiobook)

✪ Philosophy. Daoism Lao Tzu.

✪ Tao science for any person.

✪ Personality and teachings of Lao Tzu Alexey Maslov

✪ Worldview of the ancient Chinese. Taoism and Confucianism (Russian) History of the Ancient World.

Subtitles

History

Formation of Taoism

Taoism in a stable religious organization was formed only in the 2nd century, but numerous evidence suggests that Taoism arose much earlier, in any case, in the 3rd century BC. e. there was already a developed tradition that prepared the elements of the doctrine that were actively used in the Middle Ages.

The main sources of Taoism were the mystical and shamanic cults of the Chu kingdom and other "barbarian" states in southern China, the doctrine of immortality and magical practices that developed in the kingdom of Qi, and the philosophical tradition of northern China.

Philosophical writings relating to Taoism begin with the era of the Contending Kingdoms (Zhanguo) in the 5th century BC. e. , almost simultaneously with the teachings of Confucius. Tradition considers the legendary Yellow Emperor Huangdi to be the founder of Taoism. A somewhat more reliable founder of Taoism is the ancient Chinese sage Lao Tzu. Taoist tradition ascribes to him the authorship of one of the main books of Taoism - "Tao Te Ching". This treatise was the core around which the teachings of Taoism began to take shape. Another famous text of early Taoism is Zhuangzi, authored by Zhuang Zhou (369-286 BC), known as Chuangzi, after whom his work is named.

The first Taoist schools

The formation of religious Taoism took place during the reign of the late Han Dynasty: Zhang Daoling (34 - 156) founded the school of Five Buckets of Rice (later - Heavenly Mentors 天师) in Sichuan province and became its first patriarch. In the second half of the 2nd century, the precondition for the popularity of Taoism was the Yellow Turban Rebellion 184-204: the Third Heavenly Mentor Zhang Lu was able to take over the territory of Hanzhong (Shaanxi Province), adjacent to the mountains of Sichuan Province, which became the first Taoist theocratic state. The Taoist state was defeated by Cao Cao and ceased to exist, nevertheless, Cao Cao granted privileges to the mentor and attracted him to the court, which made the school spread over a wide territory, including in northern China. During the era of the Six Dynasties, the school became known as the School of Celestial Guides.

Later, other Taoist schools appeared. The Maoshan (aka Shangqing) and Lingbao schools played an important role in the development of Taoism.

Literature (including Chinese) often discusses the possibility of borrowing the provisions of Taoism from Indian philosophy, or vice versa, transferring Taoism to India and founding Buddhism there. The similarity with the Chinese philosophy of the Indian concept of the faceless Absolute is also indicated, the emanation of which created the visible phenomenal world and to merge with which (to leave the phenomenal world) was the goal of the Brahmins. This question has been repeatedly raised in various Taoist schools. However, a detailed study rejects the hypothesis of direct borrowing.

Lao Tzu could not bring to India a philosophy that had been known there for at least five hundred years before he was born. In its concrete practical activity, Taoism in China bore little resemblance to the practice of Brahmanism. On Chinese soil, rationalism overcame any mysticism, pushed it to the periphery of public consciousness, where it could only be preserved. This is what happened with Taoism. Although the treatise Zhuangzi says that life and death are relative concepts, the emphasis is on life and how it should be organized.

The mystical ideals in this treatise, expressed, in particular, in references to fantastic longevity (800, 1200 years) and immortality, which righteous hermits who approach the Tao can achieve, played an important role in the transformation of philosophical Taoism into religious Taoism. This is its main divergence from most religions: the desire for immortality among the Taoists replaces the desire for paradise among followers of other faiths.

Formation of the canon

Taoism further divided into two currents: the schools of Sun Jian and Yin Wen, on the one hand, and the Zhuang Zhou school, on the other.

Taoism at present

Under the Qing, the Taoists were once again accused by Chinese zealots of strict classics of undermining traditional values, which allegedly resulted in the conquest of the country by the "barbarians". These scholars called for rejecting Taoism and Buddhism as false teachings that had finally compromised themselves and returning to their own philosophical origins, which ultimately resulted in a literary and social movement that received the name han xue, that is, “han science”, which in this case meant classical Confucianism. During the Taiping Rebellion (1850), Taoist monasteries are devastated, which the leaders of the rebels explain by the need to "combat superstitions." Taoist literature is expelled from library collections with such zeal that by the beginning of the 20th century. "Tao Zang" remains almost in a single copy. Until the Xinhai Revolution (1911), and even later, traditionalist scholars never tire of subjecting Taoist philosophy to severe criticism as excessively “contemplative”, paralyzing the will to fight, undermining public morality and the moral foundations of the state. Epochs of a tolerant and even benevolent attitude of the authorities towards Taoist speculation were replaced by periods of persecution right up to modern times. In the 1960s the practice of persecuting followers of Taoism was revived by the leaders of the "cultural revolution". By the end of the 1970s. Excesses in relation to cultural heritage have largely ceased, although the relative rehabilitation of Taoism and Taoist philosophy (along with Confucianism and Buddhism) began only after the official proclamation of the course of reforms (1978) by Deng Xiaoping. In Taiwan, Taoism has retained its influence and traditional institutions to the present day. In the People's Republic of China, at present, the Baiyunsi Monastery in Beijing remains the most famous modern center of Taoism. Philosophizing in the Taoist style in modern China continues according to tradition, mainly in essayistic literature and poetry of the philosophical genre.

Elements of teaching

The foundations of Taoism, the philosophy of Lao Tzu are set forth in the treatise "Tao Te Ching" (4th-3rd centuries BC). At the center of the doctrine is the doctrine of the great Tao, the universal Law and the Absolute. Tao is ambiguous, it is an endless movement. Tao is a kind of law of being, space, the universal unity of the world. Tao dominates everywhere and in everything, always and without limits. No one created it, but everything comes from it, in order to then, having completed the circuit, return to it again. Invisible and inaudible, inaccessible to the senses, constant and inexhaustible, nameless and formless, it gives rise, name and form to everything in the world. Even the great Heaven follows the Tao.

Each person, in order to become happy, must embark on this path, try to cognize the Tao and merge with it. According to the teachings of Taoism, the microcosmic man is eternal just like the macrocosmic universe. Physical death means only that the spirit separates from the person and dissolves into the macrocosm. The task of a person in his life is to ensure that his soul merges with the world order of Tao. How can such a merger be achieved? The answer to this question is contained in the teachings of the Tao.

The Way of Tao has the power of Te. It is through the power of Wu-wei that the Tao manifests itself in every person. This force cannot be interpreted as an effort, but, on the contrary, as a desire to avoid any effort. Wu-wei - means "non-action", the denial of purposeful activity that goes against the natural order. In the process of life, it is necessary to adhere to the principle of non-action - the principle of Wu-wei. This is not inaction. This is human activity, which is consistent with the natural course of the world order. Any action that is contrary to the Tao means a waste of energy and leads to failure and death. Thus, Taoism teaches a contemplative attitude towards life. Bliss is achieved not by the one who seeks to win the favor of the Tao with good deeds, but by the one who, in the process of meditation, immersion in his inner world, seeks to listen to himself, and through himself to listen and comprehend the rhythm of the universe. Thus, the purpose of life was comprehended in Taoism as a return to the eternal, a return to one's roots.

The moral ideal of Taoism is a hermit who, with the help of religious meditation, breathing and gymnastic exercises, achieves a high spiritual state that allows him to overcome all passions and desires, immerse himself in communion with the divine Tao.

Tao manifests itself through everyday life and is embodied in the actions of trained people, although few of them fully “walk the Way”. Moreover, the very practice of Taoism is built on a complex system of symbolism of interrelationships and unity of the general, cosmic, and internal, human world. Everything, for example, is permeated with a single qi energy. A child is born from the mixing of the original qi (yuan qi) father and mother; a person lives only by continuing to saturate the body with some external qi ( wai qi), translating it into an internal state with the help of a system of breathing exercises and proper nutrition. Everything truly “great” is connected with the beyond, Tao, which at the same time manifests itself in things, phenomena, and actions every moment. The cosmic here is constantly projected onto the human and emerges in a special vital "energeticism", the energy potential of both the Tao itself and the people who were able to fully comprehend it. The path of Tao itself is perceived as an energy, inspiring beginning, for example, in Zhuang Tzu it is said: “He spiritualized deities and kings, gave birth to Heaven and Earth.”

Main categories of Taoism

• Tao (道) - literally "the way", in Taoism - being and changing the Universe in the most general sense. Impersonal force, the will of the universe, which corresponds to the order of all things in the world.
• Te (德) - literally "virtue" or "morality". Virtue, given from above (from Tao), does not have the characteristics of a physical, forceful impact, in contrast to the Greek “arete”. Grace, a huge spiritual power that Heaven endowed the ruler of China and which he could transfer to his subjects
• Wu-wei (無為) - literally "non-action" - understanding when to act and when to do nothing
• Pu (樸) - literally "an unprocessed piece of wood" personifies the energy of objects untouched by nature, if it is simpler, then the simplicity of the soul, the soul of pu.

Components of Taoism

• Taoist philosophy
• The Book of Changes, especially revered in Confucianism and Taoism
• Taoist teaching about immortality, external alchemy, internal alchemy
• Taoist meditation
• Huantingjing - "Canon of the Yellow Court"
• Shangqing - "School of the Highest Purity"

Prominent figures in Taoism

For the integration of elements of Taoism into Confucianism, see neo-Confucianism.

Taoism and Buddhism

The first Taoist school to emerge from the study of Buddhist treatises was the Lingbao school. Its founder, Ge Chaofu, adopted from Buddhism the idea of ​​rebirth in the five worlds and elements of cosmology in a greatly simplified form. At the same time, the Taoists did not leave the practice of achieving immortality, but improved the concept of immortality, abandoning the literal interpretation of the endless stay in the same earthly body, and introducing other worlds for the celestials - happy lands, islands of the immortals, etc. From the Buddhist theory of rebirth followed the doctrine of karma and reward. Later, Buddhist elements became familiar to the Taoist schools, which also adopted Buddhist meditation methods.

Synthetic teachings

Taoism in traditional education

The popularity of Taoism in the early imperial period was reflected in the fact that "Laozi" in the Tang era (618-907) was one of the texts in the program for passing the imperial keju exams. In 1080-1120. during the Song era (960-1279) it was possible to obtain a "degree in Taoism" daoke. Subsequently, however, Taoist literature disappeared from the examination curriculum.

Notes

Literature

	Portal "Taoism"
	Taoism at Wikimedia Commons

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in English:

• Balfour, Frederic Henry. The Divine Classic of Nan-Hua; Being the Works of Chuang Tsze, Taoist Philosopher : With an Excursus, and Copious Annotations in English and Chinese. - Kelly & Walsh, 1881.
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• Carr, David T. & Zhang, Canhui. Space, Time, and Culture. - Springer, 2004. - ISBN 1-4020-2823-7.
• Chan Wing-tsit. A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. - Princeton, 1963. - ISBN 0-691-01964-9.
• Chang, Stephen T. The Great Tao. - Tao Longevity LLC, 1985. - ISBN 0-942196-01-5.
• Demerath, Nicholas Jay Crossing the Gods: World Religions and Worldly Politics. - Rutgers University Press, 2003. - ISBN 0-8135-3207-8.
• Dumoulin, Heinrich; Heisig, James W.; Knitter, Paul. Zen Buddhism: A History: India and China. - World Wisdom, Inc, 2005. - ISBN 0-941532-89-5.
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