History
of Taoism
History of Taoism
The history of the Taoist tradition is both ancient and rich. The first
records of Taoism can be traced back to the Warring States of China
(481-221 B.C.E.). During this time Taoism was considered to be a combination
of philosophy and psychology. This philosophy grew out of several different
philosophies that were also developing during this time, one being Confucianism.
Lao
Tzu, "Old Master," the founder of Taoism, is
considered to be the author of the Tao
Te Ching. Lao Tzu based all of his teachings on this book.
It is believed that in his creation of the Taoist philosophy, Lao Tzu
hoped to put an end to the feudal warfare and other conflicts that were
present in China at the time. The writings in the Tao Te Ching focus
mainly on the nature of life, the path to peace, and the ways that a
ruler should lead his life.
The Tao Te Ching and later the Chaung tzu laid the ground work for philosophical
Taoism. This philosophy came to dominate the imperial courts throughout
most parts of China until about the second century when a religious
form of Taoism appeared in the province of Szechuan.
Taoism started as a combination of psychology and philosophy but evolved
into a religious faith in 440 CE when it was adopted as a state religion.
Taoism, along with Buddhism and Confucianism, became one of the three
great religions of China.
Religious Taoism started when Chiang Ling claimed that he had received
a revelation from Lao Tzu which instructed him to implement Lao Tzu's
"orthodox and sole doctrine of the authority of the covenant."
Upon his death, it is said that Chiang Ling ascended to Heaven where
he earned the title Heavenly Master. After he obtained this title, a
succession of followers who were also called Heavenly Masters founded
an independent organization to instruct the faithful on the works of
Lao Tzu. The main tenets of their teachings were on the right actions
and good works. In about 215 C.E. Chiang Ling's grandson was the first
to have Taoism recognized as an organized religion.
Often, Heavenly Masters were able to acquire persuasive roles within
the Chinese court system. They acted as intermediaries between the ruler
and the people. By 300 C.E. most of the powerful families in northern
China had become adherents to religious Taoism.
As religious Taoism spread, the Heavenly Masters began practicing increasingly
diverse and elaborate ceremonies and rituals. Despite religious Taoism's
widespread success it failed to establish a central authority. As a
result, religious Taoism broke into many sects. While all of the sects
looked back to Lao Tzu, they all placed a different emphasis on the
scriptures and observed independent ritualistic ceremonies. As a result
of the number of sects, religious Taoism has experienced a large loss
of followers.
The end of the Ch'ing dynasty in 1911 brought about the end of state
support for Taoism. During this time a great deal of the Taoist heritage
was destroyed as a result of warlordism that was going on. The new government
put monks to manual labor, confiscated temples, and plundered treasure.
Several million monks were reduced to fewer than 50,000 by 1960.
When the Communist Party gained control of China in 1949 religious freedom
again was severely hampered. The Taoist tradition was further challenged
during the cultural revolution in China from 1966 to 1976. During the
revolution much of the remaining Taoist heritage that had been saved
during the first battle was destroyed. During his reign, Deng Xiao-ping
(China's head of state) was able to restore some religious tolerance
in China. These efforts are continued today by the current President
of China, Jiang Zemin.
Today Taoism has approximately 20 million followers around the world.
Scholars believe that about 30,000 Taoists live in North America. In
the United States the impact of Taoism is significant in the fields
of acupuncture, holistic medicine, herbalism, meditation, and the martial
arts.
Taoism became one of the three great religions of China along with Buddhism
and Confucianism. The Taoist philosophy continues to have a major influence
in the daily lives of people throughout Asia. Religious Taoism, however,
is not nearly as widespread as it once was. Only in Taiwan where in
recent years Religious Taoism has experienced a renaissance, is it still
widely practiced.
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