Who is the founder of Taoism? Zhang Daoling, also known as Zhang Ling, first studied Taoism with Taishang Laojun. He liked Huang Lao's Taoism since he was a child. He was proficient in Taoism at the age of seven. When he grew up, he gave up his official career and concentrated on seeking Taoism. Later, he was named after the old gentleman. Because Bashu believes in witchcraft, there are evil wizards everywhere, which makes people miserable. So Zhang Daoling put down heresy on the way to practice.
According to Taoist books, after that, my grandfather Lao Zi came to Hemingshan, named Zhang Daoling Shi Tian, and ordered him to teach Taoist teachings here. During this period, Zhang Daoling wrote 24 Taoist books. Later, with Cao Cao's expedition to Bashu, Zhang Lu, the grandson of Daoling, was awarded. Millions of Taoists followed Cao Cao into the mainland, and Taoism began to spread widely. Many nobles rushed to join, including celebrities such as Wang Xizhi.
In fact, Lao Tzu is an old gentleman in Taoism, but the founder of Taoism, also known as Li Er, was born in the late Spring and Autumn Period. Laozi's thoughts have a far-reaching influence on Taoism, but Laozi's Taoism is a philosophical school, while Taoism is a religious belief. So they are different, so strictly speaking, Zhang Daoling is the founder of Taoism.
What is Taoism? In fact, Taoism originated from some fairy magic in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. At that time, it was just a religious form of worshipping gods. The most important belief is to gain eternal life and save the world. It was not until the end of the Han Dynasty that a formal Taoist group was founded by Zhang Daoling, namely Zheng He, and Zhang Daoling was the first Shi Tian to regard Laozi as a gentleman on the throne.
Regular Taoism has a history of more than 1800 years. What is the main basis? Tao? As the highest belief, Tao is the source of all things, forming a kind of? Tao? The core theological system, such as Taoism's ranking of 72 earthly gods, pays attention to cultivation and health preservation, and the Taoist thought of doing nothing put forward by Laozi and Zhuangzi has also been widely recognized by believers.
Since the Ming Dynasty, Taoism has been gradually secularized, especially in Ming Taizu, where thousands of city god temples and land temples have been established all over the country. Later, with the development of internal alchemy theory, alchemy began to spread gradually. In the Ming Dynasty, Taoist belief in immortals and ethics were deeply rooted in people's hearts, and Shenxian Temple such as Laojun and Jade Emperor could be seen everywhere in the street.
It was not until the Qing dynasty unified the whole country and accepted Buddhism and Taoism that the development of Taoism was restrained by the court. Moreover, during the Qianlong period, Buddhism was declared as the state religion, and the founder of Orthodox Church was demoted. Taoism began to be suppressed continuously until the Opium War, when many western ideas were introduced, and Taoism became even weaker.