Daoism
The dào, or ‘way’, of daoism (often rendered ‘taoism’) is the invisible reality underlying appearances. If Confucianism stresses humanity and rejects mysticism, daoism sees humanity as getting in the way of perception of the indescribable and imperceptible ‘way’ with which all daoists strive to unite. This unity cannot be achieved through the intellectual approach of Confucianism, but only by achieving an awareness of inner simplicity and emptiness.
The key sage of daoism was Lǎozǐ, a contemporary of Confucius sometimes given credit for writing the central daoist text Dàodéjīng, ‘The Way and Power Classic’, but who probably lived well before that book was written. The complete daoist canon amounts to around 1400 texts from a variety of sources, many of them ‘revealed’ to later disciples, together with texts on the alchemical achievement of immortality.
The difficulty in identifying Lǎozǐ with a concrete historical figure has allowed his biography to expand with increasingly superhuman legend over time. His reputed disappearance to the West riding an ox not long before the arrival of Buddhism allowed daoists to claim that the Buddha was either Lǎozǐ himself in disguise or an Indian disciple who, as a barbarian, had received only a weakened version of Lǎozǐ’s doctrines.
The contest between daoists and Buddhists was brought to an end only by Khubilai Khan, who ordered the destruction of all literature containing the story. Despite daoism’s connections with organised rebellion during the Hàn dynasty, it nevertheless received state support, particularly during the Táng dynasty, whose emperors considered themselves descended from Lǎozǐ. There were various other important sages, but no others received his deification.
One 2nd-century figure, Zhāng Dàolíng, led a daoist ‘Way of the Celestial Masters’ movement. This survived conflict with the Hàn emperors to be claimed as an antecedent by every organised daoist group since, up to and including that of the 64th Celestial Master, what Westerners in 19th-century China called the ‘daoist Pope’, who lived in Táiwān until his death in 2008. Bickering continues among at least three Chinese contenders and two Taiwanese ones as to who is the legitimate 65th Celestial Master.
Members of the daoist pantheon (around 72,000 deities, depending on the school) sometimes share space with Buddhist and Confucian images. Like Buddhism, daoism has its holy mountains, such as Tài Shān. The two main surviving sects are Quánzhēn (全真), which requires its followers to be single and vegetarian, and Zhèngyì (正义), which doesn’t.
Two Daoist Temples:
Next in West of the Imperial City: Tiānníng Sì Pagoda
Previously: Báiyún Guàn
Main Index of A Better Guide to Beijing.
For discussion of China travel, see The Oriental-List.
