1. Reasons for the formation of Taoism.
The influence of Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties culture. The true maturity of Taoism is closely related to the culture of the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, which was established in the south. First of all, the activity area of the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties is a highly developed area of Chu culture. When the northern nationalities moved south, Chu culture still had great influence. The special geographical environment in the south keeps people rich in imagination and curiosity, so the worship of supernatural power is quite common. Secondly, during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, social unrest and political risks made the literati class form a social atmosphere, that is, they were no longer interested in traditional etiquette and Confucianism, but pursued lofty, lofty, broad-minded, laissez-faire and even decadent. Therefore, Taoism's elixir of life, fasting to avoid disasters and pray for blessings, and the symbol of peace have become their purpose. The combination of literati and Taoism directly contributed to the formation of Taoism.
The prosperity of Buddhism. Buddhism was introduced into China from the Eastern Han Dynasty and developed into Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. At this time Taoism began to flourish. In order to compete for their own development space, religions began to attack and argue with each other in an attempt to overthrow another Sect and exclude others. Taoism criticized Buddhism for becoming a monk, not getting married and not having offspring, saying that these rules were made by Laozi. The reason why these rules were laid down was that they did not conform to the religious rules and teachings of China's ethics. Because the conference semifinals were too barbaric and uncivilized, they wanted to make them extinct, so they were called men and women. They thought that Buddhism was breaking the country when they entered the countryside, breaking their homes and losing their bodies. Buddhism, on the other hand, denounced Taoism as pretentious and lewd and shameless. In order to gain the support of the rulers, they also accused Taoism of insurrection and spreading rumors to confuse people. In the confrontation between Buddhism and Taoism, although Taoism has the upper hand in verbal abuse, due to the lack of theoretical system and accurate philosophical system, the ceremony is complex and irregular. Therefore, in order to make up for these shortcomings and achieve theoretical equality in the confrontation with Buddhism, the scholars carried out a comprehensive transformation of Taoist theory, introduced the moral thoughts and philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi in theory, sorted out the classics in form, sorted out the sacred spectrum and standardized behavior.
2. Several important figures in the formation of Taoism?
Ge Hong, whose real name is Bao Puzi, is from Jurong, Danyang, and now lives in Jin. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, influenced by Taoism, it was popular among the literati to eat and live for a long time. However, many people only believe that people can prolong life by taking drugs or health-preserving recipes, but they are skeptical about immortality. Some people simply deny the existence of so-called immortals, such as Xiang embroidery, and oppose Ji Kang's view that immortals are credible. In view of this, Ge Hongnai, a Taoist scholar in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, wrote books such as Biographies of Immortals and Bao Puzi, which proved immortals, promoted Taoism, and developed immortal thought to a new stage, making outstanding contributions to the development of immortal Taoism.
Immortal belief is the core of Taoist belief. Affirming the immortal's thoughts is directly related to the development of immortal Taoism. Although immortal thought has a long history, it coexisted with immortal thought as early as its embryonic stage. The most important argument of immortals is that immortals have no experience and no one has ever seen them. In the Han, Wei and Jin dynasties, the immortals added another one, that is, there is no record in Confucian classics, and sages do not say that immortals are weird. Ge Hong thinks that why Kong Zhou and other sages don't talk about immortals and why Confucian classics don't describe immortals are different. Ge Hong wrote Biography of Immortals to show that immortals are not fake. In Ge Hong's view, immortals not only exist, but also have ranks, which are consistent with the ranks of immortals. Ge Hong thinks that fairy medicine is also divided into middle and inferior products; Cinnabar is gold, which is taken from the immortals. Under the guidance of Confucianism, the undead sergeant also; Herbivore, Chitose is also a corporal.
Immortals tell the world that immortals not only exist, but also can be learned and triggered.
Bao Puzi's book is similar to immortal biography, and it is divided into two chapters. The inner chapter focuses on the changes of immortals, prescriptions, ghosts, health and longevity, and evil disasters; The foreign chapter is the idea of governing the country and leveling the world. Ge Hong demonstrated that there are immortals in the world. Immortals mainly rely on drugs and various methods to maintain health and prolong life, so that diseases do not occur inside the body and external disasters cannot be violated, thus achieving immortality. As long as the yogi masters these magic skills, he can become immortal. Ge Hong's Taoist thought also includes the idea of immortal health preservation and externalization of Confucianism, which combines Taoist immortal magic with Confucian teachings and lays a theoretical foundation for the upper class of Taoism.
Kou is from Changping, Shanggu. Since Cao Wei, Shi Tian Taoism has been widely spread in the north. However, due to its chaotic content, Taoism in Shi Tian is often used as a tool for peasant uprisings. Therefore, as a descendant of Taoism, Kou reorganized Taoism, became the leader of the northern neo-Taoism, rebuilt the standardized management system and activity charter, and made it close to the official system, becoming an upper-level Taoism consistent with the literati class.
As a leader and reformer of northern Taoism, Kou's purpose is clear, that is, to eliminate the bad influence of Taoism in the ruling class in the past, so that Taoism can gain a firm foothold in the areas ruled by northern ethnic minorities and become an official. He publicly criticized the insurgents who used Taoism as a banner to attack crooked ways, confuse the ignorant and deceive the people. Praising the northern Wei regime of Heluo, hanging like the sky, is the orthodoxy of serving heaven and convincing people; Artificial Taoism propagandizes Confucian thoughts of the golden mean, loyalty and filial piety, benevolence and loyalty, and the principle is to put ceremony first. In fact, his teachings and canons initiated the integration of the three religions in the Taoist reform. However, at this time, Kou's introduction of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism may only be a religious unconscious behavior, that is, it is not a conscious behavior.
When Kou Qianzhi reformed Taoism in Shi Tian, he especially added the content of fasting ceremony, which made the Taoist ceremony more perfect. Kou Qian-zhi's fasting subjects include: official fasting, official fasting, Taoist fasting against the law, fasting for treating diseases, fasting for crossing over, fasting for worshipping ancestors, fasting for the dead and so on. Since Wei Wudi, all the emperors in the Northern Wei Dynasty have accepted the records of Shi Tian Taoism as the basis for Xianbei Tuoba Department to rule the Han nationality.
Xiujing and Wu Xingdong moved to other places. In the era when Lu lived, the Taoist scriptures were mixed and forged. Lu collected all kinds of Taoist books everywhere, sorted them out and catalogued them, which laid an excellent foundation for the collation of Taoist classics in later generations. At the same time, on the basis of summarizing all kinds of fasting ceremonies in Taoism, Lu absorbed Buddhist practice ceremonies and Confucian ceremonies, and made a series of arrangements for Taoist commandments and fasting ceremonies from the perspective of self-cultivation and governing the country. After his revision, Taoist etiquette was expanded to include Shi Tian, Lingbao and Shangqing, and most of the fasting etiquette in later generations did not go beyond this scope.
Tao Hongjing, a native of Danyang, was born in a noble family in the Southern Dynasties. He was interested in Taoism since he was a child and didn't want to be an official. He built a house in Ququ Mountain, named Huayang Pavilion, and became the founder of Maoshan Taoist School in the south, carrying out Taoist activities. Tao Hongjing is versatile. He wrote more than 50 kinds of Taoist works. Through his efforts, Maoshan has become the center of Taoist purists.
Tao Hongjing made many important contributions to Taoism. First, he created the Taoist Divine Spectrum, which brought order to the Taoist immortal world. First, he is a god; second, he is a real person; third, he is a fairy; fourth, he is a Taoist. Then, he divided the world of ghosts and gods into seven layers according to the order from heaven to underground. The second is to sort out the teaching history of Taoism through the compilation of the book True Letters Patent. Thirdly, the cultivation theory of Taoism has been developed. In addition to accepting spiritual cultivation, shaping, thinking less, eating moderately and living moderately, I also attach great importance to alchemy. Fourth, gradually integrate Buddhism and Confucianism into Tao. Since Ge Hong and Lu reformed Taoism in the south, the status, doctrine and canon of Taoism have been basically solved, and Tao Hongjing seems to pay more attention to the integration of the three religions to meet the needs of literati's spiritual life. Therefore, he used his familiarity with Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism to consciously add the doctrine of the mean, loyalty and filial piety in Confucian classics, three poisons in Buddhism, reincarnation of life and death, hell and epiphany to his Taoist works.
And strive to implement his ideal of the integration of three religions in practice.
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Taoism entered the temple from the folk, and gradually became stereotyped, mature and official. It not only requires reformers to meet the needs of rulers in maintaining feudal rule politically, but also serves the ruling class better by changing and enriching the contents of doctrines, canon and regulations. We must also adapt to the general trend of the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in this era and meet the spiritual needs of the upper rulers.