You need to know some basic religious knowledge and concepts before starting to cultivate. This includes the basic beliefs, doctrines and practice methods of different religions such as Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity. You can acquire this knowledge by reading related books, attending courses or communicating with professionals.
After knowing the basic knowledge of various religions, you can choose the religion that suits you according to your interests and values. Different religions have different belief systems, practice methods and paths, and they need to make choices according to their own conditions. Practice requires learning many skills and methods, such as meditation, meditation, chanting Buddha and so on.
After choosing a religion, you can find an experienced tutor to guide your practice. Mentors can be monks, Taoists or priests. They can provide guidance and support to help you solve problems in practice.
The emergence, formation and development of Taoism
From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Taoism was formed and established. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the ecliptic became solid, and primitive folk religious groups such as Taiping Dao and Shitiandao were established one after another. After hundreds of years of transformation and development in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the classic teachings, practice methods and precepts of Taoism gradually became complete, and new Taoist schools bred and multiplied, which were recognized by the rulers and evolved into mature orthodox religions.
From the Sui and Tang Dynasties to the Northern Song Dynasty, due to the respect of the ruling class, Taoism flourished and had a great social impact, and its philosophy, health care, spells and laws were also more perfect. After the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty, there were some new changes in Taoism, which were mainly manifested in the emergence of the idea of the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism and the rise of the Elixir Taoist School, which was dominated by Inner alchemy.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Taoism changed. New schools of Taoism, such as Quanzhen Taoism, Taiyi Taoism and Zhendao, have appeared in the north of China, while Nanzong, Tianxin Sect, Shen Xiao, Wei Qing and Jingming Sect have appeared in the south of China. Early Shi Tian, Puritanism and Lingbao also made innovations in doctrine and Taoism. Propagandizing the unity of the three religions and paying attention to the cultivation of inner alchemy are the main characteristics of Taoism in this period.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with the late feudal society in China, the development of Taoism was stagnant and rigid. China's modern Taoism inherited the legacy of Ming and Qing Dynasties, except for a few periods, which has been at a low ebb.
Reference to the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Taoism