It is generally believed that one of the characteristics of Taoist thought is to fantasize about achieving immortality through various health-preserving practices, "thus creating TCM health-preserving science"; Or from the perspective of investigating the origin of health preservation: "The theory of infinite life extension comes from philosophy, especially the theory of Laozi and Zhuangzi." Joseph Needham, a famous historian of science in China, emphasized in his History of Science and Technology in China that "Taoism is the foundation of science and technology in China" and that studying Taoism is "extremely important for understanding all science and technology in China". But he also thinks: "Taoist thought has been clinging to the idea that it is possible to achieve immortality from the beginning"; "Taoism is obsessed with youth with solid muscles and rich skin color. They believe that they can find technologies that can be used to inhibit the aging process or rejuvenate. " It can be seen that Joseph Needham and many historians of science naturally attribute the origin of the idea of pursuing immortality and various specific health preservation methods such as food, guidance, accommodation and qi to Taoism and its ideological system.

However, if we carefully examine the pre-Qin Taoist views on the issue of "life and death", it is not difficult to find that the above views are not the purpose of Taoism. In Laozi, although there is no direct discussion about human life and death, it is impossible to believe in immortality from the purpose that everything must not violate the laws of nature, that is, the so-called "wind does not stop, showers do not last all day"; "Heaven and earth can't last long, what about people?" Zhuangzi, written later, has a clear explanation that life and death are the laws of nature, such as: "Those who fail to follow the right path in their lifetime will prosper in knowledge"; "Life and death, life also." "You can't be born with it, but you can't stop it." In "Zhuangzi", the manifestations of Taoist thought are expounded by fables and stories, although Peng Zu, who was "on the verge of danger and down to his fifth uncle", is mentioned; In the dialogue between Nanbo Zi Kui and Nvluo, there is "Although the child is big, if the color is obedient, why not do it"; I have heard Jieyu's words, such as "the mountain photographed by the ancients, inhabited by gods, with skin like ice and snow and heart like a virgin" [⑩] and so on. But these descriptions cannot be used as an example of Taoism's pursuit of immortality. Because Taoism quotes these stories and rumors, the purpose is to explain that everything should not be pursued deliberately, that is, the so-called "the world thinks that shaping is enough to survive, but the fruit of shaping is not enough to survive, then the world is full of ridicule." In addition, the dialogue written with Yao's name in Zhuangzi clearly expresses the Taoist thought of "I don't know how to live, I don't know how to die" in order to be a "real person":

Feng Ren said: "Longevity, wealth and many men are what people want. What's wrong with a woman who doesn't want to be alone? " Yao said, "Many people are afraid, but too much money is harmful, and a long life is humiliating. These three are not so eye-catching, so I quit. " There are many similar words, but they all illustrate the fact that Taoism in the pre-Qin period, as a philosophical ideological system, not only did not pursue the idea of immortality, but also opposed it. The Taoist view that shaping is not enough to survive the world, or the explanation of life phenomena such as "being born and dying, being born after death", is not only to make people understand the absurdity of pursuing immortality, but more importantly, to explain the laws of nature and the ideological purpose of "Taoism is natural" with the help of the irresistible fact that "being born after death" best embodies the laws of nature.

Taoism advocates "health preservation", but this concept does not include the pursuit of longevity. Zhuangzi once supported Bo in Zizhou by letting the world go, but Zizhou supported Bo with examples such as "treating diseases with sorrow, treating diseases with righteousness, and relaxing in the world first". Zi advised Zhao Nuo to compete for the land of neighboring countries with "two arms are more important than the world", explaining that "this way is also extraordinary" and "those who can respect their lives are rich."

If you refer to the discussion about "body" and "longevity" in "Han Feizi's Leisure Learning", you can see the difference between these two concepts more clearly:

Today, it may be said that children are smart and live long, and the world is crazy. Wisdom, sex; Life, life also. The living don't learn from others. The reason why this world is called crazy is that people can't do what they can.

Some people are here today. They are not in Chengwei, not in the army, and they do not care about the interests of the world. The Lord will treat it with courtesy, thinking that those who despise things and are reborn are also ... today, those who despise things are reborn, and those who advocate death and re-martyrdom are not available.

Although we must consider the influence of Yang Zhu School when talking about the idea of "keeping in good health", and whether some contents of Zhuangzi's Miscellaneous Articles are written by later scholars, it is very clear that both Taoism's "keeping in good health" and Yang Zhu's "keeping in good health" are originally explanations of life values. As for how Yang Zhu's post-school and Taoist post-school transform this value concept of "being more important than the world" into the theory of abstinence and longevity, it will be discussed later.