With the unification of the country, Shangqing Maoshan School spread northward and combined with Louguan Road. In the belief in immortals, Taoism in Sui Dynasty regarded the gods as the highest gods. In Taoist magic, Fuxi is the main one, and then alchemy is the essence. Su Yuanlang wrote "Zhi Dao Pian" to explore and explain the theory of Inner alchemy from the magical power.
The Sui Dynasty was a turning point in the development of Taoism, and the rulers of the Sui Dynasty used Taoism to serve it, setting an example for the rulers of the Tang Dynasty to worship Taoism. Su's creation of Inner alchemy was the beginning of the rapid development of Inner alchemy in Tang Dynasty. Taoism in Sui Dynasty was dominated by Maoshan Sect, which merged with Taoism in North and South, and established the mainstream pattern of Taoism in Tang Dynasty. At the end of Sui Dynasty, many Taoist priests took refuge in Li Yuan and his son and fabricated the myth that Li was king, such as Qi Hui, a Taoist priest of Louguan School, and Wang, the founder of Maoshan School. After Tang Gaozu Li Yuan proclaimed himself emperor, he formulated the policy of worshipping Taoism as the imperial religion: respecting Laozi as the ancestor and calling himself "the descendant of immortals", indicating that "Taoism is great and Buddhism is small", and issued an imperial decree stipulating that "the old is the first, the cave is the second, and the last religion is released".
Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong, reiterated that "the ID starts under the column" and once again ordered Taoist priests and female crowns to be above monks and nuns; Li Shimin adopted the policy of governing the country by doing nothing and hanging the beam, and realized the prosperity of "the rule of Zhenguan"; In his later years, Li Shimin was also keen on longevity recipes and took a lot of pills.
Tang Gaozong and Li Zhi continued to pursue the policy of worshipping Taoism: respecting Laozi as the "Emperor Xuanyuan" and conferring the title for Laozi at the earliest; Respecting Laozi is a classic for princes and bureaucrats to learn, and it is stipulated as the content of imperial examinations; Improve the status of Taoist priests and build Taoist temples in various places. Wu Zetian relied on Buddhists to create public opinion for the "Wu Zhou Revolution", thus weakening Taoism. Tang Zhongzong and Tang Ruizong resumed the policy of worshipping Taoism.
Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, initiated the "Kaiyuan Shi Sheng", under which Taoism reached its peak, and the wind of worshipping Taoism in society developed to the extreme. Tang Xuanzong's policy of worshipping Taoism includes: the ancestor of myth "Xuanyuan the Great" set off a cult; Improve the status of Taoist priests and make them enjoy royal privileges; Starting from the "Four-Zi True Classics", the Taoist system is stipulated; It is stipulated that the Tao Te Ching is the first of all classics, and it is personally annotated and promulgated. Actively collecting and sorting out Taoist scriptures and compiling the first Taoist collection in history-Kaiyuan Taoist Collection; Vigorously advocate fasting, Taoist music and Taoist festivals.
During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, a large number of Taoist priests emerged, which greatly promoted the construction of Taoism from the aspects of philosophy, Taoism and fasting.
Metaphysics, which interprets Tao Te Ching with heavy metaphysics, has been greatly developed in the Tang Dynasty, and its representatives are Cheng, Li Rong and Wang Xuanlan. Cheng's "emphasizing metaphysics" contains many contents such as cosmology, politics and outlook on life, which is the fusion of Taoism, Laozi and Zhuangzi philosophy, Buddhism and Confucianism, and has a strong speculative color. Li Rong's heavy metaphysics is full of the spirit of the middle way. He thinks that "Tao" is both physical and practical. Under the guidance of the theory of Tao style, Wang Xuan expounded the issues of Tao and things, existence and mind, and put forward the theory of cultivating immortals.
Sima Chengzhen, the author of "On Sitting Forgetting" and "Tian Yinzi", put forward seven realms of cultivation, namely, respecting faith, breaking one's life, accepting one's heart, changing things, realizing truth, being peaceful, gaining enlightenment, and five methods of cultivating immortals, namely, fasting, staying in the body, thinking, sitting forgetting and relieving one's heart. His cultivation methods of "sit and forget with peace of mind" and "cultivate quietness and get rid of desires" became the inner alchemy in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. In addition, Meng, Li Zhi, Wu Yun and others also contributed to Taoism.
Taoist scholars have made great contributions to science and technology. Zhang Bin's Imperial Calendar, Fu's Five-Tone Yuan Calendar and Li's Kirin Calendar promoted the development of astronomical calendars. Sun Simiao's Qian Jin Fang Yao has made great contributions to medicine and health care. Zhang's nine-turn alchemy promoted the development of alchemy and chemistry.
At this time, Maoshan School and Louguan School are the most prosperous schools in Taoism and are highly respected by the royal family in Li Tang. Taoism in Shi Tian also began to be active in the society, and various Taoist factions showed the characteristics of mutual integration in theoretical teachings and fasting ceremonies. The Anshi Rebellion led to the decline of the Tang Dynasty and destroyed Taoism. However, the rulers in the middle and late Tang Dynasty continued to pursue the policy of "respecting the ancestors" and "respecting the roots". Tang Suzong, Tang Daizong and Tang Dezong believed in blessing, while Tang Xianzong, Tang Muzong, Tang Jingzong, Tang Wenzong, Tang Wuzong, Tang Xuanzong and Tang Xuanzong believed in fairy prescriptions. Among them, Tang Wuzong was the most prominent emperor who worshipped Taoism in the middle and late Tang Dynasty: he took measures to worship the holy father Lao Zi; Pro-receipt ofuda, favorite Taoist; Building a palace view, Dan medicine and alchemy; In addition, he wrote a letter to abolish Buddhism in Huichang (84 1-846) to solve the threat of financial expansion of temples.
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Taoism suffered more losses because of repeated military disasters, but there were still many emperors who followed the trend of the Tang Dynasty to worship Taoism, such as Li Siyuan, Shi Jingtang, Chai Rong, Lin Wang and Wang Jian. Among them, Chai Rong's worship of Taoism in the post-Zhou Shizong era is the most prominent. He deified his own throne and treated Gao Chen Dao with courtesy. At the same time, due to various disadvantages of Buddhism, especially financial problems, he took measures to destroy the Buddha statues in Buddhist temples on a large scale and limit the development of Buddhism.
During the middle and late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, some famous Taoist scholars devoted themselves to the research and construction of Taoist myths, doctrines, Taoism and fasting, and made unremitting efforts to safeguard Taoist beliefs.
Du Guangting has made great contributions to the construction of Taoism: systematically sorting out all kinds of myths and legends about Laozi in the past dynasties, making the image of Laozi a trinity of Taoism, God and man; This paper summarizes the research on Tao Te Ching in past dynasties. Promote Taoism from the aspects of the existence of immortals, various ways of immortals and Taoist worship in past dynasties; Write "Tales of Famous Mountains in Du Yue, a Blessed Land in the Cave" to explain the Taoist fairyland; Revise the fasting ceremony to make the Taoist fasting ceremony mature.
In the middle and late Tang Dynasty, alchemy reached its peak and accumulated rich chemical knowledge. Alchemy spread to Europe through Arabia and became the pioneer of modern chemistry.
Inner alchemy gradually rose in the Tang Dynasty, showing a prosperous scene. Cui Xifan, Xiao Peng, Zhong Liquan and Lv Dongbin are the representative figures of the transition from foreign Dan studies to inner Dan studies. Cui Xifan's Medicine Mirror suggests that only by cultivating the spirit can we get carried away and return to longevity. Xiao Peng put forward that "the return of golden liquid to Dan is the way to soar in the sky" and redefined the concept in "Avatar Qi" with the theory of Inner Dan. Zhong Liquan's and Lv Dongbin's thoughts on Inner alchemy are embodied in Zhong Lu Zhuan, which systematically and completely discusses the theory of Inner alchemy based on the idea of harmony between man and nature and the theory of Yin and Yang and Five Elements.
The famous Taoist priests are Tan Qiao, Luo Yin and Lvqiu Fiona Fang. The rulers of the Northern Song Dynasty inherited the policy of worshipping Taoism in the Tang Dynasty, and Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin and Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi were the founders of this policy. When Zhao Kuangyin seized the power of the Later Zhou Dynasty, he used Huashan Gaodao Chen Tuan and others to win the masses for him. After he proclaimed himself emperor, he went to the door to ask Taoist priests Liu Ruozhuo and Su for advice on "the art of governing the world and keeping in good health". Zhao Guangyi advocated quiet politics of Huang Lao, and was very interested in Atractylodes macrocephala and health preservation, constantly building temples and giving economic concessions.
During Song Zhenzong's period, the social economy developed and prospered, and the alliance of monasteries stimulated him to attach importance to local religions. Song Zhenzong spent a lot of energy supporting Taoism: advocating the arrival of immortals and the decline of heavenly books, respecting Zhao as the "holy ancestor" and worshiping Mount Tai; Build a large number of temples and set them up; Formulating festivals and sacrificial music, and compiling "The Palace of Heaven" and "Seven Tones of Yun Qi"; Obsessed with fairy prescriptions, external use of elixir, health. Since then, Song Renzong, Song Yingzong, Song Shenzong and Song Zhezong have inherited Song Zhenzong's policy of worshipping Taoism.
Evonne, Song Huizong, set off the second climax of worshipping Taoism in the Northern Song Dynasty and implemented a series of measures to worship Taoism: promoting the myth of "immortal descending to earth" and calling himself "founder and emperor of Taoism"; Build Taoist temples and build Shen Xiao palaces in various places; Enthusiastic about giving titles to immortal figures, such as naming the Jade Emperor as "Emperor Tian Kai holds the imperial calendar, including the real body of the emperor Hao Tao", Guan Yu as "An" and Mazu as "Goddess of the South China Sea"; Imitate the emperor's management level of products, set up Taoist ranks and posts, publicize Wisdom Fofo Agbo Taoism, and make friends with Taoist priests such as Zhang Jixian, Lin Lingsu and Wenqing Wang; Advocate the study of Taoist classics, set up Taoist system and Taoist doctor, and list Neijing, Laozi and Zhuangzi as classics for research; Re-edit the history of Taoism, and edit Zheng He Wanshou Daozang. In addition, Hui Zong also implements the policy of respecting Taoism over Buddhism.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, Taoism and Zuo Fu flourished. Among them, Maoshan, Longhushan and Gezaoshan are the most influential "Three Mountains Zuo Fu". Among them, the Maoshan Sect is the strongest, well-organized, large in number and closely related to the rulers. The relationship between the Zhang Tianshi Dragon and Tiger School and the rulers was gradually strengthened, which laid the foundation for the rise of justice. New schools of Taoism emerge one after another. One is the school of thought and the other is the heavenly heart school represented by Rao. Nanchang's belief in Xu Zhenjun is also rising.
External alchemy gradually declined after reaching its peak in the Tang Dynasty, while internal alchemy became popular after the development of Chen Tuan and Zhang Boduan, and became the mainstream of Taoist cultivation and the core of Taoist theory.
Chen Tuan's thought mainly consists of three parts: Yi-ology, Lao-xue and Inner-Dan, which integrates Huang-Lao Taoism, Taoist cultivation methods, Confucian cultivation and Zen Buddhism. His Yi-ology works include He Tu, Luo Shu and Wuji Tu, while Neidan's works include Zhi Xuan Pian and Poems of Returning to Dan in the Room. The main point of Chen Tuan's Dan method is that by practicing the spirit, you can realize the day of Xiao Zhou and the day of Da Zhou, and then achieve "refining qi", "refining qi", "refining spirit to emptiness" and "returning to infinity" in turn, and then refine the road of then. His Yi-ology thought was absorbed by Zhou Dunyi, Shao Yong and Zhang Zai, which promoted the rise of Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties.
Zhang Boduan's "Five Needles" takes the meaning of the Tao Te Ching and the magical device, summarizes the alchemy before the Northern Song Dynasty in the form of poetry, inherits the theories of "the unity of Taoism and Buddhism" and "double cultivation of life" of Zhong Liquan and Lv Dongbin, and features "life first, then sex", and further develops Chen Tuan's thought of "infinite picture" to advance and retreat with open fire.
In addition, Zhang Wumeng, Chen Jingyuan and Jia Shanxiang also contributed to the development of Taoism and scientific instruments.