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The history of Taoism stretches throughout Chinese history.Originating in prehistoric China, it has exerted a powerful influence over Chinese culture throughout the ages. . Taoism evolved in response to changing times, with its doctrine and associated practices being revised and ref
Throughout the history of Taoism, mountains have occupied a special place for Taoist practice. They are seen as sacred spaces and as the ideal places for Taoist cultivation and Taoist monastic or eremitic life, which may include "cloud wandering" (yunyou) in the mountains and dwelling in mountain hermitages (an) or grottoes (dong). [259]
Taoism gained official status in China during the Tang dynasty, whose emperors claimed Laozi as their relative. [34] The Gaozong Emperor added the Daodejing to the list of classics (jīng, 經) to be studied for the imperial examinations. [35] This was the height of Taoist influence in Chinese history.
The term Tao means "way", "path" or "principle", and can also be found in Chinese philosophies and religions other than Taoism. In Taoism, however, Tao denotes something that is both the source and the driving force behind everything that exists. It is ultimately ineffable: "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao." [1] Also called Daoism.
Paronomastically, tao is equated with its homonym 蹈 tao < d'ôg, "to trample," "tread," and from that point of view it is nothing more than a "treadway," "headtread," or "foretread "; it is also occasionally associated with a near synonym (and possible cognate) 迪 ti < d'iôk, "follow a road," "go along," "lead," "direct"; "pursue the right ...
In religious Taoism, the theory of how Tao produces One, Two, and Three is also explained. In Tao produces One—Wuji produces Taiji, which represents the Great Tao, embodied by Hundun ( Chinese : 混沌無極元始天王 ; pinyin : Hùndùn Wújí Yuánshǐ Tiānwáng , "Heavenly King of the Never-ending Primordial Beginning") at a time of pre ...
He is the Taiqing (太清, lit. the Grand Pure One) which is one of the Three Pure Ones, the highest immortals of Taoism. Laozi is regarded to be a manifestation of Daode Tianzun who authored the classic Tao Te Ching. He is traditionally regarded as the founder of Taoism, intimately connected with "primordial" (or "original") Taoism.
Forms of religion in China throughout history have included animism during the Xia dynasty, which evolved into the state religion of the Shang and Zhou.Alongside an ever-present undercurrent of Chinese folk religion, highly literary, systematised currents related to Taoism and Confucianism emerged during the Spring and Autumn period.