The History of Taoism

Author: Xu Dishan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: "Dao" encompasses extremely complex content, ranging from the noble thoughts of Laozi and Zhuangzi to bedroom techniques. Broadly speaking, it can be divided into the philosophical Dao and the religious Dao. The philosophical Dao is now referred to as Taoism, while the religious Dao is called Taoism. The religious Dao includes alchemy and talismans, whereas the philosophical Dao encompasses the metaphysical principles of the I Ching, Yin-Yang, and the Five Elements. Taoist thought can be seen as a great product of the Chinese nation. This thought, after interacting with Buddhist thought, resulted in alchemy and the religious Dao. The Buddhist thought of the Tang Dynasty and the Buddhist Confucian thought of the Song Dynasty were both great periods in the intellectual history of the Chinese nation, yet the influence of Taoism surpassed that of the two other religions. This demonstrates that Taoist thought is at the center of national thought, embodying the spirit of "A benevolent person sees it as benevolence, a wise person sees it as wisdom, and the common people use it every day without realizing it."