Taoism is a local sect in China, and Taoism is often seen in major ancient film and television dramas, so how did Taoism originate? What kind of history has it developed to this day, and there is such a famous Taoist mountain as Dragon Tiger Mountain?
In the pre-Qin period, the historical conditions and ideological origin of Taoism were already present; During the Han Dynasty, folk Taoism gradually emerged; During the Wei and Jin dynasties, Taoism developed from the people to the upper class, Taoists participated in political struggles within the ruling class, and high-ranking clans participated in the Tianshi Dao; During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Taoism continued to be transformed and enriched; During the Sui to Tang dynasties, Taoism flourished, and after the Anshi Rebellion, to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, its development was bumpy; During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Taoism continued to flourish; Before the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Taoism reached its guisheng; In the late Ming and Qing dynasties, Taoism declined.
The rise and fall of Taoism is closely related to its official status, that is, the state's religious policy. Therefore, it is unanimously believed that whether the state supports or suppresses Taoism, the purpose is to maintain its rule.
For its own survival and development, Taoism will also accept the support and use of rulers. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Taoism was still circulating among the lower classes and used by rebels. The rulers adopted a two-handed policy of restricting Taoism with a combination of use and transformation.
During the Wei and Jin dynasties, the rulers adopted similar policies, and Taoists actively cooperated, transforming folk Taoism into the religion of the nobility and aristocracy that served the rulers.
During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Taoism constantly adjusted itself, striving to approach the mainstream ideology and official mainstream positions in order to gain the support of the imperial court. The rulers of the Tang Dynasty also adopted a tolerant and flexible policy of use and control over Taoism. Taoism, on the other hand, sought to combine its rituals with dynastic rituals, and it was only during the consecration activities of Emperor Gaozong of Tang that Taoism was able to participate.
During the Song Dynasty, except for the Zhenzong Dynasty and the Huizong Dynasty, which briefly revered the Tao, the imperial court generally adopted two policies, which gradually strengthened the effective control and management of Taoism and appropriately used Taoism to serve the regime. At this time, Taoism was in a state-run religious network, actively providing blessing services to the society, and local officials also participated in the dojos that Daoists made for the state and local governments during important times.
During the Yuan Dynasty, Taoism was also highly respected by rulers.
The religious policy of the Ming Dynasty was generally based on Confucianism, with Buddhism and Taoism as its use. From the late Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, rulers still used it, but more often inhibited its development, and Taoism gradually declined.
In this context, what is the official status of Dragon Tiger Mountain Taoism? It is generally believed that Longhushan Taoism had a certain influence until the late Tang dynasty, flourished in the Song Dynasty, flourished in the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and was first revered by the imperial court and then suppressed in the Qing Dynasty. Many scholars have mentioned these views in their research. For example, in the article "Tang Dynasty Jiangxi Taoist Examination", it is proposed that during the height of the Tang Dynasty, the Zhang Tianshi line began to recover, and by the late Tang Dynasty, the Dragon Tiger Mountain Tianshi Dao was formed, and the Tianshi lineage was constructed. In the Southern Tang Dynasty, due to the ruler's praise of the Tianshi Dao of Longhu Mountain, its social influence became more and more, laying the foundation for the prosperity of the Tianshi Dao of Longhu Mountain after the Song and Yuan Dynasties and the domination of Jiangnan Taoism.
Later, it was mentioned that five generations ago, the status of Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain was not high, and his Dao method was only one of many Dao, which rarely won the favor of officials and scholars, and his social reputation was quite low. It was not until the fifth dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty that it gradually opened up its popularity and gained the attention and edict of the imperial court, and its status improved a lot.
In the late Southern Song Dynasty, it can be seen that Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain was in charge of the three mountains of Jiangnan and also led the imperial Taoist affairs. In the Yuan, Longhushan Taoism took the opportunity of the 36th generation of Heavenly Master Zhang Zong's evolution into the Zhao and Zhang Liusun's favor of the ancestors, using Longhu Mountain as a base, constantly sending Taoist priests to the two capitals, through its stronghold in the two capitals - Chongzhen Palace, conscientiously performing the function of fasting, managing and protecting Taoism in a general situation, extensively participating in its many large-scale activities, winning the opportunity to represent the ancestral temple of Chuanyue, making friends with literati and dignitaries, so that it further enhanced the status of Zhengyi and Longhushan, consolidated the situation that Taoism was firmly controlled by Longhushan, and presented unprecedented prosperity, Then in the Ming Dynasty, it went nationwide.
He also has this view in another article, "Rambling on Zhang Tianshi of Dragon Tiger Mountain - Analysis from a Secular Perspective", arguing that Zhang Tianshi of Dragon Tiger Mountain received the attention of the royal family and began in the Southern Tang Dynasty, but was not given a gift. Entering the Northern Song Dynasty, the status of Zhang Tianshi of Dragon Tiger Mountain rose significantly, but it was not enough to be honored and favored. In the late Southern Song Dynasty, although Zhang Tianshi had great influence in the civil and Taoist circles, he had not yet won the high status conferred by the authorities. During the Yuan Dynasty, Zhang Tianshi became part of the bureaucracy, but his position remained precarious.
In the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Tianshi's treatment was enshrined in the national political code, and his political status was generally stable, and Longhushan was always the center of Taoist affairs in the country. The Qing dynasty was first revered by the imperial court and eventually excluded from the core of the bureaucracy.
Of course, there are different points of view. In the article "The Development of Taoism in the Yuan Dynasty", from the Six Dynasties to the early Song Dynasty, Zhang Tianshi had little influence in Taoism, that is, he rose in the Northern Song Dynasty, and he was just an ordinary Taoist priest who prayed in the rune, and the imperial court did not give him preferential treatment.
However, some objected, believing that by the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhang Tianshi of Longhushan had been revered by the imperial court. The official status of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Zhengyi faction and Zhang Tianshi is an important factor that the local government must take into account when dealing with Zhang Tianshi and the Taoist priests of Longhu Mountain, and it is also an important background for Zhang Tianshi and the Taoist priests of Longhushan to deal with the relationship between the local government and the surrounding families and ordinary people, so this article summarizes and sorts out.
Research on the relationship between Taoism and the elite has yielded considerable results, and generally believes that the attitude of the elite towards Taoism is very complex, related to the political background and political philosophy of the time, but sometimes also related to the religious tendencies of individuals.
When Taoism holds a high position in politics and the elite is left out, it attracts the elite. The article "The Early Yuan Dynasty Zhengyi Sect and Jiangnan Shidafu" analyzes the reasons why Jiangnan Shidafu and Zhengyi Sect invoked mutual assistance in the early Yuan Dynasty.
First, the southern class of Shidafu was snubbed, while at the same time the Zhengyi Taoist priests from the north were in high demand in the new dynasty, when the Shidafu and other Han Confucian ministers from the north actually regarded the respected Zhengyi Taoist priests as a bridge between the court.
Second, at the beginning of the Song and Yuan dynasties, the literati used Taoism as a place to escape politics.
Therefore, in the Yuan Dynasty, southern Taoism attracted Shi Dafu because of its political esteem and ideological Confucianism.
In the book "Research on the National Religious Management System and Policy of the Ming Dynasty", when analyzing the religious and political tendencies of the Ming Dynasty, Shidafu believed that Shidafu would cater to the emperor and make various religious gestures for the sake of the economy.
Among the religions mentioned was Taoism, which was promoted by the Ming emperors. It should be noted that sometimes the interaction between Shi Dafu and Taoist figures is only personal social activities, or personal belief in Taoism, which may not always be the party concerned being completely consistent with the state's religious policy.
In the book "Taoism and Chinese Culture", it is believed that Taoism's natural and idyllic attitude to life has won the favor of scholars, and it is precisely because of the influence of Taoism that Chinese scholars have shown the characteristics of idyllic leisure, quiet and introverted restraint in terms of life taste, psychological character and external health preservation.
When the scholarly class felt that its adherence to Confucian orthodoxy was threatened by Taoism, it would oppose Taoism. When analyzing the religious and political tendencies of the Ming Dynasty's scholars, Zhao Yifeng listed a large number of records of the Ming Dynasty's opposition to Taoism from the aspect of "adhering to Confucian orthodoxy and treating Buddhism and Taoism as 'heretics'".
At the local level, Taoism works with local elites to maintain its own survival and development.
For example, in the section "The Interaction between Taoism and Local Elites" in the article "Social Control from the Perspective of Religion: Taking the Indoctrination of Taoism in the Song Dynasty", he proposed that in the grassroots society of the Song Dynasty, local forces began to emerge, and an elite class represented by local officials, scholars, and rich people emerged that could play a certain role in local affairs.
They actively participate in local public affairs such as relief, public security, and construction, and strive for the most voice for themselves and their families in the local society; Combined with Taoism, the elite can have greater influence, its behavior can educate more people, and Taoist priests can also use it to spread Taoist ideas.
However, only a few scholars have mentioned the interaction between the Taoist priests of Dragon Tiger Mountain and local elites so far. For example, some people believe that during the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, the Taoists of Longhushan and Lu scholars had close ties in regional and social networks, and this connection played an important role in the integration of Lu Xue and Longhushan Taoist thought.
In "From Taoist Sacred Places to Tourist Attractions: Local Society of Longhushan from the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty", it is believed that Lu Jiuyuan gave lectures in the Jingshe of the Shangqing Dynasty and was supported by the local Zhang clan of Longhushan. The book "The Orthodox School of Taoism in the Ming Dynasty" and the article "Rambling on Zhang Tianshi of Dragon Tiger Mountain - Analysis from a Secular Perspective" both mention that some Zhang Tianshi relied on power to abuse local officials, brutally kill clan members, and oppress surrounding villagers.
In the article "A Study of Zhang Yuchu, a Heavenly Master of the Ming Dynasty", Zhang Yuchu's traveling figures are discussed, and some of the Confucian bachelors have influenced Zhang Yuchu's Confucian thought. There is also an article "Zhang Yuchu, a Heavenly Master in the Early Ming Dynasty, and Shi Dafu Traveling Examination", in which the author combed in detail the scholar who Zhang Yuchu traveled, and believed that Zhang Yuchu was influenced by his teacher and the Lu Xue inheritors who traveled, and formed the idea of Confucianism and the integration of the three teachings.
In the field of interaction between Taoism and local society, the most fruitful is the study of Taoism and folk beliefs. One view of the relationship between the two is that Taoism tends to be regarded as a "superior" or "superior" form of folk religion, and constructs the worship of folk beliefs from the "Taoist ritual framework".
Another tendency is to ignore or underestimate the role of Taoism in local beliefs, and some even suggest that the deities summoned by Taoist priests in rituals are not worshipped by the general public.
However, at present, most scholars believe that the two influence each other, shape each other, and rely on each other, and the Taoist Church incorporates the deities of folk belief into the Taoist belief system in various ways. For example, in the article "Xu Zhenren Incense and Taoist Rituals in the Tang Dynasty", the interaction between Taoist rituals and local worship is analyzed, and it is believed that there is a overlapping relationship between Xu Zhenren incense and various ritual traditions such as Taoist rituals and Taoist priests, monks and red-headed mages in Taoist ceremonies.
In another article, "<道藏>Materials on Folk Beliefs", he made statistics and analysis of folk incense and its classics in Daozang, and believed that Taoism would borrow and/or be compatible with folk incense in order to meet the needs of folk beliefs; Folk beliefs are strong in their own right, and they also move closer to Taoism.
In the article "Taoism and Local Beliefs: Taking Marshal Wen's Beliefs as an Example", the beliefs of Marshal Wen from the late Song Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty are used as a case study, and the deities and rituals that are absorbed by other faiths are analyzed, and these gods are redefined from the perspective of ritual orthodoxy.
In the combination of southern Fujian Taoism and folk god worship, the influence of folk beliefs on Taoism is divided into three stages: first, the folk gods are incorporated into Taoist rituals, the second is to form a special Taoist classic, and then it is officially recognized and thus included. In the article "Taoism and Folk Beliefs in Suzhou in the Early Qing Dynasty: The Case of Shi Daoyuan in Qionglongshan Mountain", he describes how Shi Daoyuan responded to local beliefs and incorporated local deities into his divine service system.
In the article "Local Taoism and Folk Beliefs: Research Notes on the "Law Lord Gong"", a study of the belief in the "Law Lord Gong" found that this folk worship was transformed by Taoist priests into a local Taoist deity, and became a Taoist deity and village belief in different places.
During the Song and Yuan dynasties, when the belief in the two immortals in the southeastern Jin region was held, it was believed that Taoist priests and Taoist believers also influenced the belief in the two immortals by reshaping the image of the two immortals, giving Taoist names, and implementing Taoist rituals.
However, there is currently less interaction between Longhushan Taoism and folk beliefs. In the article "The Rise of Zhang Tianshi of Dragon Tiger Mountain and Its Development in the Song Dynasty", it is briefly mentioned that Guan Yu in the Song and Yuan Dynasties was promoted by Zhang Tianshi and turned from a god of Dongyue to a "Chongning True Monarch", through which it can be seen that Taoists absorbed Guan Yu as a Taoist god general on the basis of folk beliefs.
There is also an article "The Use and Support of Folk Beliefs by Dragon and Tiger Mountain Taoists in the Song and Yuan Dynasties-Taking Guixi Ziming Mountain God as an Example", taking this period to make the Guixi folk gods with regional influence Zimingshan God believe in a relatively in-depth entry point, and it is believed that during this period, Longhushan Taoists adopted about seven or eight ways to use and support folk beliefs, which played an indispensable role in the rise of the official status of Longhushan Taoism in the Song and Yuan Dynasty and the expansion of folk influence.
Making it "private" to make the folk gods make up for the lack of official power in folk beliefs in the Yuan Dynasty, but the addition of the gods did not come from the imperial court became one of the important reasons for the reform of the ritual system in the early Ming Dynasty. At the same time, the support of local folk beliefs is also very helpful to the coordination of Longhu Mountain's relationship with the local society of Guixi.
It can be seen that Taoism and folk beliefs and other legends are also inextricably linked.
To sum up, Longhushan Taoism flourished in the Song, flourished in the Yuan, and was more expensive than the Ming, and in the local society, various groups such as officials, families, and literati played an important role, and Longhushan Taoists also interacted with various groups.