Taoist Canon

This is also known as Daozang. It’s the largest canon of Taoist writings. It’s 1 of the most massive & complex religious compilations in human history. It has roughly 1,500 texts. It was first embodied by the Daodejing, Zhuangzi, & Liezi.

The canon was assembled by monds circa 400 CE in an attempt to bring together these disparate yet consonant teachings. This anthology consisted of 3 divisions (grottoes) based on what was seen at that time in Southern China as Taoism’s primary focus: meditation, ritual, & exorcism. These grottoes were ranked by skill level (exorcism is the lowest, meditation the highest) & used for the initiation of Taoist masters.

In addition to the 3 Grottoes, there were the “Four Supplements” that were added to the canon circa 500 CE. 3 were primarily sourced from the older core texts, with the other from a separate, established philosophical tradition known as Tianshi Dao.

Originally the Three Caverns & Four Supplements represented 3 distinct lineages of Daoism that emerged in Southern China.

The Three Caverns:

The Cavern of Authenticity (Dongzhen):

Contains texts of the Shangqing (Supreme Purity) tradition. This was considered the highest level of initiation, focusing on internal visualization, meditation, & “celestial travel.” (Think astral projection.)

The Cavern of Mystery (Dongxuan):

Contains texts of the Lingbao (Sacred Treasure) tradition. This tradition focused on communal rituals, liturgy, & the salvation of the dead.

The Cavern of Divinity (Dongshen):

Contains texts of the Sanhuang (Three Sovereigns) tradition. This was the lowest level, focusing on practical exorcisms, talismans, & warding off spirits.

Each of the 3 Grottoes contains the following 12 chapters:

• Main texts (Benwen)
• Talismans (Yujue)
• Diagrams & illustrations (Lingtu)
• Histories & genealogies (Pulu)
• Precepts (Jielu)
• Ceremonies (Weiyi)
• Rituals (Fangfa)
• Practices (Zhongshu)
• Biographies (Jizhuan)
• Hymns (Zansong)
• Memorials (Biaozou)

The Four Supplements:

As newer movements & the original “classical” texts needed to be integrated, 4 supplementary sections were added.

Great Mystery (Taixuan):

Centered on the Daodejing.

Great Peace (Taiping):

Based on the Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace).

Great Purity (Taiqing):

Focused on Waidan (External Alchemy), such as the creation of elixirs.

Orthodox One (Zhengyi):

Dedicated to the Celestial Masters, the oldest organized Daoist movement.

As with most religious texts, the history of the Daozang is a story of imperial patronage & periodic destruction.

The 1st Catalog (471 CE): The scholar Lu Xiujing compiled the 1st comprehensive catalog of Daoist scriptures. He was the 1st to formalize the “Three Caverns” structure, effectively creating a unified Daoist identity to compete with the rising influence of Buddhism.

The Tang “Golden Age” (748 CE): Emperor Xuanzong (who claimed to be a descendant of Laozi) ordered the 1st official “Canon of the Kaiyuan Era.” Copies were distributed to state-sponsored abbeys across China.

The Song & the 1st Painting (1111-1118 CE): Under Emperor Huizong (a “Daoist Emperor”), the canon was 1st carved into woodblocks for painting. This allowed for wider distribution but also made it a target during wars.

The Mongol Destruction: During the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongol rulers favored Buddhism. After a series of debates between Daoists & Buddhists, the Mongols ordered the burning of the Daoist Canon in 1281. Only the Daodejing was officially spared.

The Ming Canon (1445 CE): The version we use today is the Zhengtong Daozang, compiled during the Ming Dynasty. It survived because it was safely housed in the White Cloud Temple (Baiyun Guan) in Beijing. While other copies were destroyed during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion & subsequent wars.

The Daozang is essentially an “encyclopedia of Chinese culture.” Because Daoism was so deeply integrated into every level of society, the canon records nowhere else:

• Science: It contains the world’s oldest descriptions of chemical reactions & metallurgical techniques (from alchemy).
• Medicine: Many texts describe the “inner landscape” of the body, which forms the basis for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TDM) & Qigong.
• Sociology: It documents the life of the common people (their fears of demons, their village rituals, & their hopes for immortality), which were often ignored by official Confucian court histories.

If you’re interested in looking at the texts yourself, the Zhonghua Daozang (2003) is a modern, punctuated edition that’s MUCH easier to read than the original Ming woodblock prints. Many of these are now being digitized by projects at the Chinese University of Hong Kong & several American research libraries.

Make a one-time donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

Make a monthly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate monthly

Make a yearly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate yearly

#1111CE #1118CE #1281 #1445CE #1900 #471CE #748CE #Abbeys #alchemy #BaiyunGuan #Beijing #Benwen #Biaozou #BoxerRebellion #Buddhism #CanonOfTheKaiyuanEra #CavernOfAuthenticity #CavernOfDivinity #CavernOfMystery #CelestialMasters #ChineseUniversityOfHongKong #Circa400CE #Circa500CE #Confucian #Daodejing #Daoism #DaoistMovement #Daozang #Dongshen #Dongxuan #Dongzhen #Elixirs #EmperorHuizong #EmperorXuanzong #Exorcism #ExternalAlchemy #Fangfa #FourSupplements #GreatMystery #GreatPeace #GreatPurity #Grottoes #Jielu #Jizhuan #Laozi #Liezi #Lingbao #LingbaoTradition #LuXiujing #Meditation #MingDynasty #Mongols #OrthodoxOne #Pulu #Qigong #Ritual #SacredTreasure #Sanhuang #SanhuangTradition #ScriptureOfGreatPeace #Shangqing #ShangqingTradition #Shenfu #SouthernChina #SupremePurity #Taiping #TaipingJing #Taiqing #Taixuan #Talismans #Taoism #Taoist #TaoistMasters #TCM #ThreeCaverns #ThreeGrottoes #ThreeSovereigns #TianshiDao #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Waidan #WhiteCloudTemple #YuanDynasty #Yujue #Zansong #ZhengtongDaozang #Zhengyi #Zhongshu #Zhuangzi

天下柔弱莫過於水，
而攻堅強者莫之能勝，
其無以易之。

弱之勝強，柔之勝剛，
天下莫不知，莫能行。
故聖人云，
受國之垢，是謂社稷主；
受國之不祥，是謂天下王。

正言若反。

道德經

None under heaven is more supple
 and weaker than water,
Yet none may surpass the work of water
 upon the firm and unbending
 for none can replace it.

The weak overcomes the strong,
 the supple overcomes the stiff.
All the world knows this,
 yet none can walk that path.
This is why the sage spake:
 They who receive the land's filth
 are called the master of the shrines; and
 They who receive the land's evils
 are called King Under Heaven.

Truth, spoken directly,
 seems roundabout and inside-out.

#Daodejing #Translation

天下皆知美之爲美 斯惡已
皆知善之爲善 斯不善已。

When all the world knows beauty and act beautifully,
 the concept of ugliness is sliced off into being.
When all know good and act out goodness,
 the concept of evil is sliced off into being.

故有無相生，難易相成，長短相較，高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。

And so Being and Emptiness create each other
The difficult and easy build each other up
The long and short contrast each other
The high and low lean on each other
Voice and sound answer each other
Before and After follow each other.

- from #DaoDeJing Chapter 2

https://mastodon.art/@mobydick/115533731450405065 #Daoism #MobyDick

Today's new installment in the Philosophy in China series: Non-Action in the Laozi (Daodejing) The concept of wuwei or “non-action”: does it mean that the perfect sage or political ruler simply never does anything? www.historyofphilosophy.net/laozi-non-ac... #podcasts #daoism #daodejing #philsky

生之畜之 生而不有 為而不恃 長而不宰 是謂玄德

Giving life and nurturing
Giving life and not possessing
Giving and not expecting reward
Raising and not ruling‒
This is known as the Subtle Virtue.

- From #Daodejing Chapter 10 #parenting

Quanzhen School

This is 1 of the 2 predominant sects of Taoism/Daoism in China. It started in the Shandong peninsula in 1170.

One of the founders was master Wang Chongyang (1113-1170). When the Mongols invaded China, the Quanzhen Taoists exercised great effort in keeping the peace. This ended up saving the most Han Chinese lives. Qiu Chuji, a major disciple of Wang, founded the Dragon Gate lineage. Along with the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing. This tradition is 1 of the largest Taoist sects that remain in China today.

Their 3 most important scriptures are:

• The Daoejing
• The Qingjing Jing (Classic of Clarity & Stillness)
• Yinfujing (Scripture of the Inner Talisman), a 6th century text

After these 3 texts, the writings of Wang Chongyang are also important. One particular text of his is: the Lijiao shiwu Iun (Fifteen discourses to Establish the Teachings). In the Longmen (Dragon Gate) sub-school of Quanzhen, the writings of Qui Chuji are also important. Quanzhen can be literally translated as “All True.” It’s often called the “All Truth Religion,” the “Way of Completeness & Truth,” or the “Way of Complete Perfection.”

The Quanzhen School pursues the process of “alchemy within the body” or Neidan (internal alchemy). This is opposed to Waidan (external alchemy, which experiments with the ingestion of herbs, minerals, etc.).

The Waidan tradition has been replaced mostly by Neidan. Because Waidan was dangerous & lethal pursuit sometimes. Quanzhen focuses on the internal improvement of the person. This is consistent with the pervading Taoist desire for attaining Wu Wei. This is essentially unconscious action.

Quanzhen priests are concerned with longevity & immortality through alchemy, harmonizing oneself with Yin & Yang.

Wang believed that the 3 teachings, Buddhism, Confucianism, & Taoism, were like the 3 legs of a tripod. He promoted the study of the Confucian Classic of Filial Piety & the Buddhist Heart Sutra.

According to traditional legends, Wang Chongyang met 2 Taoist immortals in the summer of 1159 CE. The immortals, Zhongli Quan & Lu Dongbin, taught him Taoist beliefs & trained him in secret rituals. The meeting proved very influential.

In the 2nd encounter, he was provided with a set of 5 written instructions which led to his decision of living by himself in a literal grave. He created this grave for himself in the Zhongnan Mountain for 3 years.

After 7 years of living in the mountain (3 inside the grave & the other 4, in a hut he later called “Complete Perfection Hut”), Wang met 2 of his 7 future disciples, Tan Chuduan & Qui Chuji.

In 1167, Wang traveled to Shandong Province & met Ma Yu, & Ma’s wife, Sun Bu’er. They would become his students. These, & others, would part of the 7 Quanzhen disciples, who were later known as the 7 Masters of Quanzhen.

After Wang’s departure, it was to his disciples to continue to put forth the Quanzhen beliefs. Ma Yu succeeded Wang as the head of the school. While Sun Bu’er went on to establish the Purity & Tranquility School, one of the foremost branches of Quanzhen.

Another notable disciple of Wang was Qiu Chuji, who founded the famous White Cloud Monastery in Beijing. Qui Chiji was the founder of the school called Dragon Gate Taoism.

The 7 disciples of Wang Chongyang continue expounding the Quanzhen beliefs. The 7 Masters of Quanzhen established the following 7 branches:

• Ma Yu: Yuxian lineage, Meeting the Immortals
• Tan Chuduan: Nanwu lineage, Southern Void
• Liu Chuxuan: Suishan lineage, Mount Sui
• Qui Chuji: Longmen lineage, Dragon Gate Taoism
• Wang Chuji: Yushan lineage, Mount Yu
• Hao Datong: Huashan lineage, Mount Hua
• Sun Bu’er: Qingjing lineage, Purity & Tranquility School

Make a one-time donation

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

Or enter a custom amount

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

#1113 #1159CE #1160 #1167 #1170 #6thCentury #alchemy #AllTrue #AllTruthReligion #Beijing #Buddhism #BUddhistHeartSutra #China #ClassicOfClarityStillness #CompletePerfectionHut #ConfucianClassicOfFilialPiety #Confucianism #Daodejing #Daoism #DragonGateLineage #DragonGateTaoism #FifteenDiscoursesToEstablishTheTeachings #Grave #Han #HanChinese #HaoDatong #HuashanLineage #Immortality #LijiaoShiwuIun #LiuChuxuan #LongmenLineage #LongmenSect #LuDongbin #MaYu #MasterWangChongyang #Mongols #MountHua #MountSui #MountYu #NanwuLineage #Neidan #PurityTranquilitySchool #QingjingJing #QingjingLineage #QiuChuji #Quanzhen #QuanzhenPriests #QuanzhenSchool #QuanzhenTaoism #QuanzhenTaoists #QuiChuji #ScriptureOfTheInnerTalisman #SevenMastersOfQuanzhen #SevenQuanzhenDisciples #ShandongProvince #SouthernVoid #SuishanLineage #SunBuEr #TanChuduan #Taoism #TaoistImmortals #TaoistSects #Waidan #WangChuyi #WayOfCompletePerfection #WayOfCompletenessTruth #WhiteCloudMonastery #YinYang #Yinfujing #YushanLineage #YuxianLineage #ZhongliQuan #ZhongnanMountain

Three Pure Ones

These entities are also known as: Three Pellucid Ones, Three Pristine Ones, Three Divine Teachers, Three Clarities, or Three Purities.

They’re the 3 highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They’re considered as pure manifestations of the Tao & the origin of all sentient beings. Along with the “Lord’s of the Three Principles,” or qi. Also they were gods associated with the sky, the earth, & the underworld.

They were thought to be able to control, & have power over time in different ways. Sometimes they were literally seen as past, present, & future.

From the Tao Te Ching, it was held that “the Tao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced All things.” It’s generally agreed that Tao produced One means Wuji produced Taiji. One produced Two means Taiji produced Yin & Yang (or Liangyi). Many believe Yin & Yang, with the presence of Chi, or life force.

In religious Taoism, how Tao produces One, Two, & Three is explained. In Tao produces One – Wuji produces Taiji, which represents the Great Tao. This is embodied by Hundun (pinyin: Hundun Wiyi Yuanshi Tianwang, “Heavenly King of the Never-ending Primordial Beginning”) at a time of pre-Creation.

Manifesting into the 1st of the Taoist Trinity, Yuanshi Tianzun. Yuanshi Tianzun oversees the earliest phase of Creation of the Universe. And is henceforth called Daobao (“Treasure of the Tao”).

In One produces Two – Taiji produces Yin Yang. Yuanshi Tianzun manifests into Lingbao Tianzun who separated the Yang from the Yin, the clear from the murky, & classified the elements into their rightful groups. He’s known as Jingbao (“Treasure of the Law/Scripture”).

In the final phase of Creation, Daode Tianzun is manifested from Lingbao Tianzun to bring civilization & preach the Law to all living beings. He’s known as Shibao (“Treasure of the Master”).

The Three Pure Ones represent both a primordial deity & a heaven. They’re often depicted seated on thrones, each holding a distinct symbol.

Yuanshi Tianzun, the first & highest of the Three Pure Ones, rules the first Heaven, Yu-Qing, which is found in the Jade Mountain. The entrance to this heaven is called the Golden Door. He represents the beginning of all existence & is associated with the formless & primordial chaos that existed before the universe. He’s believed to have created Heaven & Earth. His symbol is a pearl or a globe. This represents the cosmic egg from which the universe emerged. He’s known as the Jade Pure One. Known as the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

Lingbao Tianzun rules over the Heaven of Shang-Qing. He represents the beginning of time & the revelation of the Dao’s teachings to the world. He is associated with the transition from primordial chaos to a structure universe & is said to be the keeper of the sacred scriptures & the master of rituals. His symbol is a ruyi scepter, signifying cosmic power & authority. He’s also known as the Supreme Pure Ones. Also known as the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure.

Daode Tianzun rules over the Heaven of Tai-Qing. He’s the 3rd & most widely known of the 3. He’s believed to be the deified form of Laozi, the reputed author of the Daode Jing. He’s associated with the communication of the Dao’s teachings to humanity & is the master of compassion & ethics. His symbol is a fan, which he used to spread the teachings of the Tao/Dao, or a deer, a symbol of longevity & wisdom. He’s also known as the Great Pure One & the Celestial Worthy of the Way & its Virtue.

Schools of Taoist thought developed around each of these deities. Taoist Alchemy was a large part of these schools. Each of the Three Pure Ones represented 1 of 3 essential fields of the body: jing, qi, & shen. The congregation of all Three Pure Ones resulted in the return of Tao.

The 1st Pure One in universal/heavenly chi. The Second Pure One is human-plane chi. The Third Pure One is earth chi. Heavenly chi includes the chi, or energy, of all the planets, stars, & constellations. As well as the energy of God (the force of creation & universal love).

Human chi is the energy that exists on the surface of our planet & sustains human life. The earth force includes all of the forces inside the planet, as well as the 5 elemental forces.

Since the Three Pure Ones are manifestations of Primordial Energy, they are formless. However, to illustrate their role in Creation, they’re often pictured as elderly deities, robed in three basic colors, from which all colors originated: red, blue, & yellow (or green).

Each of them holds onto a divine object associated with their tasks. Yuanshi Tianzun is usually depicted holding the Pearl of Creation, signifying his role in recreating the Universe.

The Ruyi held by Lingbao Tianzun represents authority: the 2nd phase of Creation where the Yang was separated from the Yin & the Law of Things was ordered in place.

Lingbao Tianzun then took his seat on the left of Yuanshi Tianzun. Later, when all was complete, Daode Tianzun took his place on the right, with the fan symbolizing the completion of Creation. The act of fanning represents the spreading of Tao to all Mankind.

Some believe depictions & thought of the Three Pure Ones from the Tang Dynasty & were influenced by the Church of the East conception about the Trinity. Because of the heavy Christian – Taoist contact & mutual influence of the time.

Others believe that another Taoist trinity of gods evolved into the Pure Ones. Beliefs in the Jade Emperor were taken from other Chinese religious traditions. He was seen as their assistant who managed all of creation.

Make a one-time donation

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

Or enter a custom amount

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

#Chi #Christian #Dao #Daobao #DaodeJIng #DaodeTiansun #DaodeTianzun #Globe #GoldenDoor #GreatPureOne #GreatTao #Heaven #Hundun #HundunWijiYuanshiTianwang #JadeEmperor #JadeMountain #JadePureOne #Jing #Jingbao #Laozi #Liangyi #LifeForce #LingbaoTianzun #Pearl #PearlOfCreation #Pinyin #PreCreation #PrimordialDeity #PrimordialEnergy #Qi #RuyiScepter #ShangQing #Shen #Shibao #SupremePureOnes #TaiQing #Taiji #TangDynasty #Tao #TaoTeChing #Taoism #TaoistAlchemy #TaoistPantheon #TaoistTrinity #ThreeClairites #ThreeDivineTeachers #ThreePristineOnes #ThreePureOnes #ThreePurePellucidOnes #ThreePurities #Trinity #Wuji #YinYang #YuanshiTianzun

Okay so I'm silly but does Chapter 33 of the #DaoDeJing read like #ttrpg stats to anyone else? :blobcat_xd:

知人者智 Knowing others is intelligence (INT)
自知者明 Knowing the self is enlightenment (WIS)
勝人者有力 Prevailing over others is to have strength (STR)
自勝者強 Prevailing over the self is might (CON)
知足者富 Knowing satisfaction is enrichment (CHA)
強行者有志 Pushing forward is to have willpower (WILL)
不失其所者久 Keeping one's place is endurance (SAVE)
死而不亡者壽 Dying without fading away is lasting life (EXP, FAME)

天地之间，
其猷橐龠与。
虚而不屈，
动而愈出。

The space between heaven and earth -
Is it not like a bellows?
Though it is empty it does not collapse;
When put into motion it sends forth all the more.

#Daodejing chapter 5, Henricks trans.

为学日益，
为道者日损。
损之或损，
以至亡为也。
亡为而亡不为。

Those who [toil at] their studies increase day after day;
Those who practice the Way, decrease day after day.
They decrease and decrease,
Until they reach the point where they do nothing at all.
They do nothing, yet there is nothing left undone.

#DaoDeJing 48, Henricks trans.

A fun thing I did today at work with my emacs, is set up a keybinding to automatically open https://dailytao.org in eww - I'm trying to get emacs to do as much as possible even in my confined work environment. Sure, it's a small thing, but quite nice at the same time.

#emacs #eww #tao #dao #taoism #daoism #daodejing #taoteking #dailytao

🧵 #69

[…]

There is no disaster greater than
Contempt for the enemy.
Contempt for the enemy—
What a treasure is lost!

Therefore,
When the fighting gets hot,
Those who grieve will conquer.

Translated by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (Hackett Publishing Company)

#TaoTeChing #DaoDeJing #LaoTzu

🧵 #31

Fine weapons are ill-omened tools.
They are hated.
Therefore the old Taoist ignores them.

[…]

Weapons are ill-omened tools,
Not proper instruments.
When their use can’t be avoided,
Calm restraint is best.

Don’t think they are beautiful.
Those who think they are beautiful
Rejoice in killing people.

Those who rejoice in killing people
Cannot achieve their purpose in this world.

[…]

Translated by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (Hackett Publishing Company)

#TaoTeChing #DaoDeJing #LaoTzu

🧵 #TaoTeChing #DaoDeJing #LaoTzu

#71

Know not-knowing: supreme.

Not know knowing: faulty.

Only faulting faults is faultless.
The Sage is faultless
By faulting faults,
And so is without fault.

Wikisource translation -

Knowing that you do not know, is superiority;
Not knowing this knowledge, is defectiveness.
Only by defecting defectives,
Can one be void of defectiveness.
The master is void of defectiveness,
Because of the defecting of defectives
Hence is void of defectiveness.

🧵 Some lines from the Tao Te Ching that keep coming back to me.

#27

[…] In this way the Sage
Always helps people
And rejects none,
Always helps all beings,
And rejects none.
This is called practicing brightness.

Therefore the good person
Is the bad person’s teacher,
And the bad person
Is the good person’s resource.

Not to value the teacher,
Not to love the resource,
Causes great confusion even for the intelligent.*

This is called the vital secret.

Translated by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (Hackett Publishing Company)

*The Wikisource translation of this line is - “However intelligent such a one may be, he is still greatly confused.”

#TaoTeChing #DaoDeJing #LaoTzu

#China (2) Ich bin ein großer Fan des alten China. Seht Euch z.B. mal an was es für Geschichten über #ZhengHe seine sieben Reisen und die große Ming-Flotte gibt. Darüber sollte mal ein hochwertiger Film gedreht werden. Ich bin auch ein Fan von #DieReiseindenWesten , von #SunWukong , dem Zeichentrickfilm #AufruhrimHimmel - in dem u.a. der Affengott Sun Wukong gegen #PrinzNeZha kämpft. Oder von den Büchern #DieKunstdesKrieges #Daodejing #IGing #DaswahreBuchvomsüdlichenBlütenland Schade, dass das

There’s some undeniable reluctance in me when it comes to philosophy works. This time it is The Dao De Jing – Laozi’s Book of Life, a new translation by J.H. Huang: http://nightmodereading.wordpress.com | #philosophy #daodejing #nosferatureads #bookstodon

An obsession with success is also an obsession with failure.
— #LaoTzu, #TaoTeChing, Verse 13 (paraphrase) #Tao #Taoism #Taoist #Laozi #Daodejing #Dao #Daoism #Daoist

"Rather than pour into a cup that overflowed, It is better to stop it." - #Laozi #Daodejing ch 9 #Dao #Daoist #Daoism #Laotzu #Taoteching #Taoism #Tao #Taoist

"Great support seems deficient,
Employed it will not collapse;
Great buoyancy seems empty,
Utilized it will not be exhausted.
Great honesty seems corrupt,
Great skills seem incompetent,
Great orations seem inarticulate."

-- #Laozi #Daodejing, Ch 45, tr by Wikisource #Dao #Daoism #Daoist