Historical background
First, China's feudal society entered the Qin and Han Dynasties from the Warring States and established a unified centralized feudal country. Its political, economic and cultural development reached an unprecedented level, and it was in a leading position among the developed countries at that time. However, the social development of Qin and Han dynasties was restricted by feudal mode of production, showing a wave-like extension trend. Even in the heyday of Qin and Han dynasties, social contradictions were sharp. On the basis of feudal relations of production, the landlord class and the feudal state cruelly exploited and oppressed farmers, and the land annexation intensified, resulting in "the rich have fields and buildings, while the poor have no place to stand" and "the poor often wear clothes of cattle and horses and eat food from dogs." What is important is greed, violence and arbitrary punishment. The people were bored and fled to the mountains to be thieves. They are amateurs (prisoners) with thousands of years' imprisonment. "The contradiction between the peasant class and the landlord class has become increasingly prominent, and farmers' resistance to the landlord class has also increased. How to deal with farmers' resistance and consolidate their rule is an urgent problem for feudal rulers. Under the guidance of legalism, the Qin Dynasty imposed severe punishments and strict laws, only relying on violent repression to strengthen its rule, and also superstitious alchemists and worshipping ghosts and gods. The dream lasted forever, but it was suddenly destroyed by the surging tide of peasant uprising, which shocked the whole landlord class and forced the subsequent rulers of the Han Dynasty to learn from it, readjust their so-called theory and strategy of "governing the country and protecting the people" in light of the reality, and implement the law and province ban. As a result, the social economy has been rapidly restored and developed, and there has been a prosperous scene of "civilized scenery". After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, relying on the rich wealth accumulated by several generations of management, he launched a large-scale war against the invasion of the northern Xiongnu, opened up the southwest territory, and expanded and consolidated the frontier positions. China feudal society is in an unprecedented period of prosperity. But at the same time, it "killed more people, exhausted people's financial resources, was extravagant, the world was deserted, people were displaced, and lost half." "The locust has grown up, thousands of miles away in the bare land, or people eat each other, and the livestock (storage) has not recovered. Death is beneficial to the people." (2) The internal contradictions in feudal society became more and more acute. By the end of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, "the county and the country were thieves" (3) farmers rebelled in succession.
"Nanyang has MeiMian, Bai Zheng, Chu, Du Shao, Qi Xu Bo, Qiang Lu and Fan Sheng. A large group of thousands of people attacked the city without authorization, took the library soldiers, released the death penalty, bound and humiliated the county satrap and a captain, and killed two thousand stones, taking pleasure in the county. There are hundreds of small groups, and there are countless looting brine villages. " ④
Under the attack of peasant uprising, the Western Han Dynasty turned from prosperity to decline and finally perished. Although Guangwu was famous as Zhongxing, the Eastern Han Dynasty was built on the volcano of peasant uprising. Only Guangwu, Ming Di and Zhang Di had a slightly stable society.
From where, aristocratic families and local strongmen expanded rapidly, and gradually formed two groups, consorts and eunuchs, to compete for political power and control state affairs; On the other hand, local officials are greedy and willful, disobeying the law and infringing on the people.
The rule of the Eastern Han Dynasty became increasingly decadent and dark, and the whole society was in turmoil, which brought great pain to the working people. Especially in the process of fierce competition between consorts and eunuchs for political power, powerful landlords annexed a lot of land.
After most farmers lost their land, some of them became tenants or employees attached to big landlords and suffered extremely cruel exploitation. More farmers have become homeless, homeless and forced to become "thieves" in a particularly tragic situation. There have even been tragic scenes such as "poor people, or selling their heads as a reward, fathers and brothers replacing each other, and wives and children splitting up". At that time, natural disasters were frequent, epidemics were prevalent, and people were in dire straits.
The real world that causes people's deep suffering is the climate and soil where religion breeds. On the one hand, the broad masses of people living at the bottom of society, after getting rid of the slavery of the Qin Dynasty, were increasingly squeezed and destroyed by the newly established Han Dynasty. However, they were limited by the self-sufficient natural economy at that time, with small production scale, low productivity and poor scientific knowledge. People can neither avoid nor understand the causes of social injustice and human suffering caused by feudal oppression and natural disasters. They are eager to get rid of suffering, but they can't find a way out.
Therefore, they often fantasize that there is superhuman power to uphold justice and help them improve their situation, so they pin their hopes on the protection of the gods. This is the internal condition for the emergence of religion; On the other hand, when faced with a serious social crisis, the ruling class also tried to use religion to paralyze the people's will to resist and publicize the divine right of monarchy, so as to eliminate the storm of people's struggle that may occur at any time. At the same time, they also hope that religion will be the backing of their rule and pray for "long-term stability" and personal happiness and well-being. Under the above two conditions, the emergence of religion has become an objective social need.
Secondly, the religiousization of the ruling thought in Han Dynasty directly provided favorable social conditions for the emergence of Taoism.
The downfall of the Qin Dynasty revealed that it was impossible to solve social contradictions and govern the country and the people only by strict punishment and violent repression.
In the early Han Dynasty, the practice of Huang Lao eased social contradictions, but it failed to stop the development of inherent contradictions in feudal society, so that by the time of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, there were serious social problems of "thieves fighting against the government" and farmers violently resisting the government. In order to consolidate their dominant position in the inevitable social contradictions, they tried to strengthen the "long skill" of "combining civil and military" with the help of ghosts and gods, aiming at the historical experience of "saints follow Shinto and the world follows obedience", so that the Lebanese people became obedient and obedient.
Huainanzi clearly advocates "forbidding ghosts and gods because of their auspiciousness" and "teaching them with the power of ghosts and gods". ⑦
Emperor Wu even practiced it. After he acceded to the throne, he "especially praised the appearance of ghosts and gods", and finally made a lot of use of fairy alchemists to engage in fairy-seeking activities in temples. In order to meet the needs of the feudal ruling class to use theocracy to safeguard the imperial power, Dong Zhongshu's theology of worshipping heaven came into being. Citing the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, he reinterpreted Confucian classics, established a theological system with "the connection between man and nature" as the core, and described "heaven" as the supreme master with will, purpose and control over all things, with supreme authority, and as the "great king of gods". Pet-name ruby thinks that the movement of the sun, the moon and the stars in nature, the alternation of four seasons, the rise and fall of human society, and the good and bad fortune are all determined by the will of this "king". The emperor is "willing to engage in heaven." Attending when the emperor's behavior reflects the providence, accumulate good and tired, God will send Fu Rui to appoint him and reward him; When the emperor went against God's will and made a mistake, Heaven warned him of woe and told him to mend it after it was too late. Repeated complaints do not change, and the day is punished. This idea of "the interaction between heaven and man" is actually a reflection of the idea of "retribution of good and evil", which is the core content of religious thought and provides a theoretical basis for the centralized rule of feudal autocracy. This theological thought of worshipping heaven runs through Zhao, Xuan, Yuan, Cheng, Ai and Ping, and plays an extremely important role in political life. Dong Zhongshu is not only an immortal theologian who preaches "harmony between man and nature" and the fortunes of Yin and Yang, but also an advocate of immortal magic. In The Story of the Spring and Autumn Period, he not only attached Confucian classics with the mysterious theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, but also created a ceremony to pray for rain and stop it, praying at the altar and integrating Confucian scholars, wizards and alchemists. He religiousized Confucianism and promoted the confluence of Confucian scholars and alchemists. Under the guidance of Dong Zhongshu and the support of Han Dynasty, divination gradually rose. "Prophecy" is a political prophecy made under the guise of God's will. Deception is a kind of argot, which predetermines good luck or bad luck. ⑾ originated from wizards and alchemists and has a long history. Wei interprets Confucian classics with divine will, religiousizes the Six Classics and deifies Confucius into a superman leader. Although their forms are different, they are the same in terms of the essence of their religious mysticism. Therefore, "the spread of good, the use of evil words, so it is consistent with prophecy", ⑿ refers to the study of prophecy.
At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, this kind of divination was very popular. Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty also started with divination, and after he ascended the throne, he vigorously advocated it, making it the dominant official school, so the whole society was shrouded in a strong atmosphere of religious mysticism.
This atmosphere is obviously an extremely important climate and soil for Taoism. Coupled with the introduction of Buddhism in the Han Dynasty, it also provided inspiration for some immortal alchemists to establish Taoism and become Taoist midwives. It can be seen that the emergence of Taoism was determined by the objective social and historical conditions at that time.
Of course, with this climate and soil, there must be seeds of Taoism. Without this kind of seed, it is impossible to produce it out of thin air for no reason. Taoism is a traditional religion in China, so the source of this seed can only be found in China's inherent traditional culture. In order to understand this problem, it is necessary to further investigate its ideological origin.
Ideological origin
The ideological origin of Taoism is "miscellaneous and multifaceted", which generally has the following main factors:
The first is Taoist thought. Taoism and Taoism are originally different. Taoism in the pre-Qin period was a philosophical school represented by Laozi and Zhuangzi, and Taoism was the religion formed in the Eastern Han Dynasty. But the two are not unrelated. When Taoism was founded, Laozi was regarded as the founder, and Laozi's Tao Te Ching was regarded as its main classic, which was stipulated as a lesson that believers must learn.
The basic idea of Tao Te Ching is "Tao", which is regarded as the foundation of all things in the world beyond time and space. It has both ontological significance and regular significance. Its boundary is vague and mysterious, and different people can make different explanations. "Zhuangzi" even interprets Tao as: "Love and believe, do nothing but see; Transmissible but unacceptable, accessible but invisible; Since its roots, there is no heaven and earth, and it has existed since ancient times; Ghosts were born; Before Taiji, it was not high, under the six poles, not deep, born, not long, longer than ancient but not old. " He also said that "the Yellow Emperor got it to ascend to heaven; Zhuan Xu got it and took it to Gong Xuan; If you are strong, you will stand at the North Pole. The queen mother of the west got it, sitting in a small place, not knowing the beginning and the end; Peng Zu got it, was in danger, and fell by five; Fu is right. Compared with Wu Ding, he chose the world, riding the Eastern Wei and riding the end of the basket, compared with the stars. " [13] This thought that the Tao will last forever, and after it is attained, it can live forever and become immortal, which was absorbed by later Taoism. The basic belief of Taoism is also Taoism. From a religious point of view, Taoism is described as a miraculous thing, spiritual and trustworthy, "the father of all things, the mother of all things", [14] and combined with the mysterious theory of vitality, thinking that Taoism is "the system of nothingness, the root of nature, the foundation of gods and the source of heaven and earth" and "there is nothing inside."
Taoism also regards Laozi as the incarnation of Tao, which existed before Taoism came into being. On the occasion of Emperor Hanming and Zhang Di in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, King Axe, the magistrate of Yizhou, wrote the Monument to the Virgin of Laozi, saying, "Laozi is a Taoist. Born before the invisible, started before the beginning, walked in the yuan, floated in the six vacuities, entered and exited the secluded light, and saw the difference between turbidity and clarity. " . Taoism continues to develop this idea.
"Taiping Jing" said: "Laozi is the great sage of Tao, and you are also your teacher. If you feel it, change with the party. If you succeed, you will live in seclusion. Homeless life is always everywhere. It's not there, it's infinite. Extremely infinite and mysterious. What is too mysterious is also the capital of Taizong. I'm all here, and I need to turn it into ten squares. Whether there is a wonderful application, it should be infinite ... There are six empty spaces around, three realms of education, birth, entry into the WTO, inaction, inaction. " Lao Zi Si Er Zhu handed down for (or Zhang Lu) also regards Lao Zi as the embodiment of Tao, saying that "one is Tao" and "one is scattered into qi, and the other is gathered into a gentleman". Later, "Mixed Yuan Di Shengji" also said: "Laozi is also an old gentleman, the embodiment of Tao, the ancestor of vitality, and the root of heaven and earth." So Lao Zi and Tao were deified as gods believed by all beings. Tao is the source of all things in the world, so "Tai Shang Lao Jun", as the embodiment of Tao, has become "the father of chaos, the parents of heaven and earth, the Lord of Yin and Yang, and the emperor of all gods". This shows that the philosopher Laozi and the philosophical category "Tao" have been deified as gods in Taoism. Therefore, faith has also become a belief in God and worship of Laozi, that is, worship of God. The idea of cultivating immortals is the core of Taoism, and Taoism's teachings and practice are all around this core. The naming of Taoism is also closely related to its basic beliefs. It can be seen that Taoism is one of the most important ideological sources of Taoism; Taoist philosophy is one of its theoretical foundations. When talking about the origin and purpose of Taoism, Shu Wei's Historical Records said: "The origin of Taoism comes from Laozi, Taoism is self-evident, and it was born in nature to enrich all kinds. In Yujing, he is the Sect of the God King; I am the Lord of the flying fairy. Ever-changing, there is virtue without virtue, and with induction, the traces are impermanent. ..... it is also teaching, salty and tired, washing the heart with snow, accumulating merits, accumulating virtues and increasing goodness, and even ascending to heaven in the daytime, eternal life. " Taoism mentioned here refers to Taoism. It is precisely because of the formation and development of Taoism that it has an indissoluble bond with Taoist Laozi that people often call Taoism Taoism.
Taoism in the pre-Qin period later evolved into the study of Huang Lao. This kind of knowledge of Huang Lao is mainly based on Taoism's quiet health preservation and inaction, but it also absorbs some contents of Yin and Yang, Confucianism, Mohism, fame and dharma. It is not entirely Taoism in the pre-Qin period, but a new Taoism called Huang Lao Shu. Later, Huang Lao's regimen evolved into a Taoist practice, and the Huang Lao family, which served Huang Lao's regimen, was the predecessor of Taoism. Sima Tan once commented on Taoism in The Six Classics: "Taoism makes people single-minded, dynamic and intangible, and support is everything. It is also a skill. Because of the harmony between yin and yang, it is not appropriate to adopt the goodness of Confucianism and ink, sum up the essence of law, keep pace with the times, conform to the changes of things, and establish customs and do things. It is easy to operate with reference to the contract and get twice the result with half the effort. " By Taoism, he means the new Taoism of Taoism. This view of Sima Tan was adopted by Ge Hong, a Taoist priest in the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
Ge Hong, based on Sima Tan's point of view and from the basic standpoint of immortal Taoism, expounded his thought that Taoism is based on Confucianism and Taoism is superior to Confucianism. He believed that Taoism teaching should be "simple in everything, preserving the truth", advocating "accepting the goodness of Confucianism and Mohism, and always attaching importance to dharma names", absorbing the strengths of various schools and constructing the theoretical system of immortal Taoism. [14] In terms of self-cultivation, he also advocated that "the way to preserve one's health is to cherish one's internal health, while the external one is to be in harmony with the world, be healthy for a long time, and run the country and keep the country safe." Train laymen with six classics, teach bosom friends with magic, stop helping if you want to stay less, and be light if you want to rise. This is the essential expression of the dual personality of "Confucianism outside and Taoism inside" and the dual cultivation of Confucianism and Taoism, and it is also the remarkable feature of the immortal Taoism of the upper class.
Secondly, Taoism also draws lessons from Confucian ethics. The core of this ethical code is "Three Cardinal Principles and Five Permanent Principles", which is the most important moral norm in feudal society.
This kind of ethical thought is inherited and developed by Confucianism and Taoism. Although Taoist books rarely mention the names of the three cardinal guides and the five permanent members, it is quite powerful to publicize this ethical thought; When promoting these ethics, it is often combined with the concept of immortality. The power of "God" drives people to pursue it, and it is easier to play its special role in maintaining ethics and order in feudal society. Xunzi's Book of Rites puts forward that there are three books of Rites.
Say "heaven and earth, the foundation of life; Ancestors are the foundation of class; Jun and Shi are the foundation of governing the country.
No heaven and earth, bad life? No ancestors, evil comes out? No monarch, no evil? The three are partial to death, and there is no peace. Therefore, the ceremony, the matter of heaven, the matter of land, respect for ancestors and the feldspar army is also the third ceremony. "Dong Zhongshu thinks that' the three cardinal principles of Wang Dao can be sought from heaven', and ⒅ takes the three cardinal principles and the five permanent principles for granted." The Taiping Jing draws lessons from these thoughts and puts forward that "man is also the son of heaven and earth, and it is unfilial to have no intention to raise the son of heaven and earth." Say again:
"The son is unfilial, the disciple is not smooth, the minister is unfaithful, and it is unforgivable. Make the sky very sick, the earth very evil, think it is a big deal, think it is a big disaster. Ghosts and gods are not, so the worst. " He also said: "My son is unfilial and can't try his best to support his loved ones; Disciples are not smooth and can't try their best to practice the teacher's way; If I am unfaithful, I can't try my best to help my husband, so I'm not good at it, and I can't get rid of the accusation. The hatred of heaven and earth, the harm of ghosts and gods, and the evil of people are still responsible for the underground when they die. Call a son who can't do three things. " Taiping Jing not only inherited the purport of Confucianism and preached the importance of the belief in heaven, earth, monarch, father and teacher, but also integrated heaven, earth, monarch, father and teacher for the first time, which was not found in the Confucian classics at that time. This was also the origin of the belief in heaven, earth, monarch and teacher in society, and its influence was particularly far-reaching. Zhengyi Dharma and Tianji also said: To practice Buddhism, people must be "loyal ministers, dutiful sons, loyal husbands, good wives, respectful brothers, obedient brothers and unfaithful." It particularly emphasizes that "teachers must be disrespectful, relatives must be unfilial, gentlemen must be unfaithful, and ... benevolence and righteousness are indispensable." Many feudal ethical codes and Confucian moral norms are included in the Great Commandment of the Top Grade of Dong Xuan Lingbao's Wisdom and Sin. It reads: "Talking with people is good for the country; If you talk to your father, you will be kind to your son; When you talk to others, you will love others; If you talk to your brother, you will stick to it; Talking with people and ministers is loyalty to the king; If you talk to the son of man, you are filial to your loved ones; If you make friends with others, you will believe in making friends; If you talk to a woman, you will be loyal to your husband; When you talk to others, you will be in harmony with the room; ..... If you talk to a handmaiden, you must be careful. " In this way, the moral norms for dealing with various relationships between people are all discussed, and the various relationships between people are adjusted with the moral norms such as loyalty, filial piety, kindness, love, benefit, kindness, chastity, faith and prudence.
Confucianism in the pre-Qin period became Dong Zhongshu in the Western Han Dynasty. Dong Zhongshu's theology of worshipping heaven with the "sense of heaven and man" as the core and the divination theology that followed it were directly absorbed by Taoism and became an important source of Taoism. For example, "He Tu Ji Ming Fu" says:
"The god of heaven and earth has a division, and people are committed to winning its commandments. ..... People have three bodies. Three corpses are things, belonging to ghosts and gods. In order to make people die early, this corpse should be regarded as a ghost. It will indulge in demonstrations and eat people. Every poor day in Liu Jia is a sin for those who walk on the road to heaven. If it is too big, grasp discipline; if it is too small, it will be calculated. Therefore, those who seek immortality should first go to the three corpses, be indifferent, calm, clear and accumulate goodness. It is good to take medicine to become immortal. " This mysterious thing was absorbed and brought into play by later Taoism almost intact. Others, such as "Shaoshi Mountain has jade ointment to make you live forever"; Kunlun Mountain is a gathering place for immortals. The queen mother of the west is the god who gives immortal scriptures and guides monasticism; The yellow emperor was originally the yellow god of Beidou. After he acceded to the throne, he was "a Xiu De, benevolent." Finally, Lapras went to heaven; All corners of the country and people's ears, eyes, nose, teeth and hair have their own gods; As well as the theory of astrology foretelling good and bad luck and the technology of attracting gods to disintegrate ghosts, etc., are all materials that are convenient for Taoism to use.
In addition, the Book of Changes and the thought of Yin-Yang and Five Elements have a very obvious influence on Taoism. Taiping Jing in the Eastern Han Dynasty takes Yin-Yang and Five Elements as the home, while Wei Boyang's Zhouyi Shentongqi discusses the method of cultivating immortals under the guise of the metaphysical thought of Zhouyi, which has a great influence on Taoism in later generations and is called "the king of single crystals through the ages". Since then, many Taoist scholars have expounded the internal and external alchemy of Taoism with the idea of Yi Xue Yin Yang and Five Elements.
Taoism also absorbed Mohism. Mr. Zhang Taiyan has long pointed out that Taoist thought "originated from Mohism and has a long history." ⒇ Mozi advocates respecting morning ghosts, which is obviously absorbed by Taoism, so there is no need to explain this aspect. In addition, Mozi advocated self-reliance and mutual benefit from the standpoint of small producers. Mozi put forward in Le Fei that "those who rely on strength are born, and those who don't lose strength are not born". Under Tian Zhi, he also opposed "getting something for nothing". Taiping Jing also emphasizes that "everyone has his own food and clothing" and opposes "taking people by force". Mozi advocated the fraternity principle of "loving each other and bringing out the best in each other" between people; Under Shang Xian, the "way of virtue" means that "the powerful can help others with illness, the rich can help others with encouragement, and the wise can teach others with persuasion". Only in this way can "the hungry get food, the cold get clothes, and the chaotic get treatment"; On the contrary, he said in Shang Tong, if "there is spare capacity, you can't work hard; The decadent surplus wealth cannot be divided; Hiding good deeds and not teaching each other will make "the world chaotic, if animals are natural." Taiping Jing also emphasizes this idea of mutual assistance and mutual benefit between people, and advocates that people with property should be "ready to help others" and "help the poor and needy". It believes that all property between heaven and earth is born of "the harmony between heaven and earth" and should belong to the public and should not be monopolized by private individuals. The kind of "this thing belongs to heaven and earth, and it supports people with * * *." However, when this family meets its gathering place, it is often more full than the mice in the barn. The millet in this barn is not unique to mice. Little (small) money (referring to the emperor's private treasury) is not only for one person; If there are shortcomings, we should learn from them. Fools are ignorant and think they should have all this at the end of their lives. I don't know that NINEONE's body (household) was lost, so everyone got enough food and clothing. "Also called:" You have accumulated billions of dollars, and you don't save the poor, making people starve to death and die of cold without punishment. "Moral people should also use morality to teach others, otherwise they will also commit" indelible "heinous crimes. It is believed that "there is no limit to the number of people, and they will not be punished if they refuse to teach people to be enlightened and survive." " ……
People accumulate virtue and promise, refuse to teach people to keep virtue and cultivate their nature, and they will not be punished. We also oppose that the wise bully the fools, the strong bully the weak, and the few bully the old. Say "more wisdom, against bullying; Or the strong, against bullying the weak;
Or the afterlife, against bullying the elderly, are all against, so God will bless you soon. What is this? However, the wise should raise fools, deceive fools and be enemies with fools; The strong should support the weak, the weak should be bullied and resisted. When the younger generation is old, they will be bullied and will resist. Unlike Tianxin, there will be something unexpected afterwards. "These thoughts in Taiping Jing are obviously the inheritance and development of Mozi's related thoughts. Some Taoist immortals and transformations also depend on Mozi. Ge Hong's Inner Chapter of Bao Pu Zi and Yuan Lan recorded Mozi's Elixir Method and Mozi's Five Elements, saying that "the method of medication can make people fly up and down without hiding. Legend of the Immortals also records that Sun Bo and Feng Heng both lived in Mozi. Sun Bo's "the art of treating Mozi" can make grass, wood, gold and stone all flames, and can also make it a fire and spit it in the mouth. Feng Heng studied Taoism since he was a child, and there was an article called Mozi's Invisibility Method. Ge Hong also listed Mozi in Biography of Immortals, saying that he was a classic of external governance, practicing Buddhism from within, observing Taoism, fantasizing about immortals, and then being given a book by a man of God, which was a "fairy of the earth". It can be seen that Mozi's attraction in Taoist belief is not small.
In the process of Taoism's emergence, it not only absorbed these ancient cultural thoughts mentioned above, but also absorbed the traditional concept of ghosts and gods, ancient religious thoughts and witchcraft.
In ancient China society, people worshipped the sun, moon, stars, rivers, mountains and ancestors, regarded them as gods, and offered sacrifices and prayers to them, thus gradually forming a system of god, earth, man and ghost. Taoism inherited this concept of ghosts and gods, and regarded many gods in this system as part of Taoist gods. Ancient Yin people believed that divination could determine doubts and break good or bad luck; Wizards can communicate with ghosts and gods and rely on witchcraft to pray for people.
This witchcraft has also been absorbed and inherited by Taoism.
Taoism also inherited and developed the immortal thought and witchcraft in the Warring States period. As early as Zhuangzi and Songs of the South, there were many comments on immortal thoughts. Later, in Yanqi and Jingchu, there appeared the magic of advocating immortality. This magical theory of immortality was originally unsystematic. Later, these alchemists were explained by the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements put forward by Zou Yan, a Qi man in the Warring States Period, thus forming the so-called immortal home, namely Fang Xiandao. Qin Huang and Wu Han are unwilling to do this. They are so afraid that so many people say that they are forbidden, they can live forever and they cannot be counted. Legend has it that Song Wuji and Zheng Boqiao, who advocate Fang Xiandao, yearn for immortals, and "sell them in form, depending on ghosts and gods". After that, the immortal belief and alchemy were inherited by Taoism, the immortal alchemy evolved into Taoist practice, and the immortal alchemist gradually evolved into a Taoist.
It can be seen that Taoism is closely related to many fields of China traditional culture, which is the direct result of China traditional culture. However, from conception to final formation, it has gone through a long and gradual evolution process. As early as the end of the Warring States period, the so-called Fang Xiandao, which advocated immortality, gradually emerged. At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, due to the prevalence of divination theology, Huang Lao Xue developed in the direction of religion, so the so-called Huang Lao Dao, which combined Huang Lao Xue with Fang Xian Dao, appeared. These can be regarded as Taoist embryos. However, it still belongs to similar religious beliefs and has not yet formally formed a religious organization. Its practitioners are generally called alchemists, not Taoists. In the early Han Dynasty, alchemists were also called Taoist priests. The biography of Han Wang Mang said: "First, General Wei was involved, and Simon Junhui, an accomplished Taoist, loved astronomical predictions, swept the palace for the lost stars involved, and revived Liu's name. Believe what you say. " This Simon Junhui, who advocated Wang's participation in the rebellion against Wang Mang, is still called the alchemist in Huan Tan's New Confusion. According to the "Biography of Ji Zun in the Later Han Dynasty", it was also a Taoist who instigated a rebellion against Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty in Zhuo Jun: "At the beginning, he was miraculous, and a Taoist said that Feng was the son of heaven and wrapped a stone in a colorful bag to make a cloud:' There is a decree in the stone.' Faith is the opposite. "
The biography of Xu Man in the Later Han Dynasty reads: "Xu Man ... Grandpa Jun, ... met Taoist Zhang Jujun and wrote" Lin Yi ",which has been passed down from now on." According to the "Biography of Five Luns in the Later Han Dynasty", Five Luns "thought that his official career was not long, so he changed his surname to Wang, took salt to Taiyuan and Shangdang, and went to the road because of dung." This Fifth Lun doesn't look like a Christian alchemist, but because he is anonymous among the people, he is enthusiastic about serving the public's public health, and often cleans up the garbage for them, which is respected by people. People think that he is a Taoist, so he is called a Taoist. It shows that the name Taoist was well known to the people at that time and was regarded as a kind of honorific title. At that time, there were not only individual Taoist activities among the people, but also almost organized activities. For example, The Biography of Ma Yuan in the Later Han Dynasty said: "At the beginning, hundreds of disciples were arrogant and slandered like gods. Later, his disciple Li Guang and others declared "immortality", confusing the people. In the seventeenth year (referring to the seventeenth year of Jianwu of Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty, AD 4 1 year), he * * * assembled as a disciple, attacked Wancheng, killed Liu Min, the marquis of Anhui, and called himself' Master Nanyue'. " In the same book "Biography of Cang Gong", it is written as follows: "In the nineteenth year (43 years), Chen Shan and Fu Zhen, disciples of the sorcerer, got together again and entered the original Wucheng, robbing officials and calling themselves generals." The same book, The Yellow Emperor Ji, also said: In the second year of Jian Peijun (148), in October of winter, Chen Jing of Changping claimed to be' the son of the Yellow Emperor' and was appointed as an official. Guan Bo of the Southern Tang Dynasty was also called a' real person', so he took photos of the soldiers and knew that he was punished. Judging from the fact that the organizers of these uprisings believed in "deification and immortality" and claimed to be the "King of South Vietnam", "Son of the Yellow Emperor", "Real Man" and "Demon Witch" as mentioned by feudal historians, it shows that there were already folk organizations similar to Taoism at that time.