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Taoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
is a
East Asian religion In the study of comparative religion, the East Asian religions or Taoic religions, form a subset of the Eastern religions. This group includes Chinese religion overall, which further includes Ancestral Worship, Chinese folk religion, Confuciani ...
founded in
ancient China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapte ...
with many schools or denominations, of which none occupies a position of orthodoxy and co-existed peacefully. Taoist branches usually build their identity around a set of scriptures, that are manuals of ritual practices. Scriptures are considered "breathwork", that is "configurations of energy" ('' qi''), embodiments of "celestial patterns" (''tianwen''), or "revelations of structures" (''li''). The earliest Taoist schools emerged during the late
Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
(25-220 CE). They blossomed especially in the region of Shu, modern-day
Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
. From the 12th and 13th centuries onwards several smaller branches merged into larger ones, but in turn, side-schools developed around the large traditions. In modern times the existing schools tend to be classified under few overarching headings, in most cases under two main denominations:
Quanzhen Taoism The Quanzhen School (全真: ''Quánzhēn''), also known as Completion of Authenticity, Complete Reality, and Complete Perfection is currently one of the two dominant denominations of Taoism in mainland China. It originated in Northern China ...
and
Zhengyi Taoism Zhengyi Dao (), also known as the Way of Orthodox Unity, Teaching of the Orthodox Unity, and Branch of the Orthodox Unity is a Chinese Taoist movement that traditionally refers to the same Taoist lineage as the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice and ...
.


Chronology of major schools

Eastern Han period (25–220) to
Tang period The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...
(618-907): development of the Taiping, Celestial Masters and Zhengyi schools. * Wudoumi Taoism (五斗米道 ''Wǔdǒumǐ dào'', "
Way of the Five Pecks of Rice The Way of the Five Pecks of Rice () or the Way of the Celestial Master, commonly abbreviated to simply The Celestial Masters, was a Chinese Taoist movement founded by the first Celestial Master Zhang Daoling in 142 CE. At its height, the movem ...
") **
Tianshi Taoism The Way of the Celestial Masters is a Chinese Daoist movement that was founded by Zhang Daoling in 142 AD. Its followers rebelled against the Han Dynasty, and won their independence in 194. At its height, the movement controlled a theocratic state ...
(天师道 ''Tiānshī dào'', "
Way of the Celestial Masters The Way of the Celestial Masters is a Chinese Daoist movement that was founded by Zhang Daoling in 142 AD. Its followers rebelled against the Han Dynasty, and won their independence in 194. At its height, the movement controlled a theocratic stat ...
") ***
Zhengyi Taoism Zhengyi Dao (), also known as the Way of Orthodox Unity, Teaching of the Orthodox Unity, and Branch of the Orthodox Unity is a Chinese Taoist movement that traditionally refers to the same Taoist lineage as the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice and ...
(正一道 ''Zhèngyī dào'', " Way of the Right Oneness") * Taiping Taoism (太平道 ''Tàipíng dào'', " Way of the Great Peace") Eastern Jin period (317–420) and Southern dynasties period (420-589): development of the Shangqing and Lingbao branches. * Shangqing Taoism (上清派 ''Shàngqīng pài'', "School of the Highest Clarity") **Maoshan Taoism (茅山宗 ''Máoshān zōng'', "Maoshan Lineage" or "Maoshan Church") *
Lingbao Taoism The Lingbao School (), also known as the School of the Sacred Jewel or the School of Numinous Treasure, was an important Taoist School that emerged in China in between the Jin dynasty and the Liu Song dynasty in the early fifth century CE. It la ...
(靈寳派 ''Língbǎo pài'', "School of the Numinous Treasure") *Louguan Taoism (樓觀派 ''Lóuguān pài'' or 樓觀道 ''Lóuguān dào'', "School
r Way R, or r, is the eighteenth Letter (alphabet), letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabe ...
of the Contemplation Place") Jurchen Jin period (1115–1234): development of the Quanzhen branch. *
Quanzhen Taoism The Quanzhen School (全真: ''Quánzhēn''), also known as Completion of Authenticity, Complete Reality, and Complete Perfection is currently one of the two dominant denominations of Taoism in mainland China. It originated in Northern China ...
(全真道 ''Quánzhēn dào'', "Way of the Fulfilled Virtue") *Zhenda Taoism (真大道 ''Zhēndà dào'', "True Wide Way") *Taiyi Taoism (太一道 ''Tàiyī dào'', "Way of the Great Oneness") Southern Song period (1127–1279): Tianxin, Shenxiao, Qingwei, Donghua and Jingming branches. *Tianxin Taoism (天心派 ''Tiānxīn pài'', "School of the Heavenly Heart") *Shenxiao Taoism (神霄派 ''Shénxiāo pài'', "School of the Divine Empyrean") *Qingwei Taoism (清微派 ''Qīngwēi pài'', "School of the Pristine Simplicity") *Donghua Taoism (東華派 ''Dōnghuá pài'', "School of the Eastern Flower") *Jingming Taoism (淨明道 ''Jìngmíng dào'', "Way of the Pure Light") 16th and 17th centuries: Wuliu. * Wuliu Taoism (伍柳派 ''Wŭliŭpài'', "School of Wu-Liu")


Other schoolsQing Xitai, 1994.

*Bojia Taoism (帛家道 ''Bójiā dào'') * Lijia Taoism (李家道 ''Lǐjiā dào'', "
Way of the Li Family ''Lijia Dao'' (李家道, Way of the Li Family) was one of the oldest Taoist schools, schools of Taoism#Categorization, religious Daoism and was popular throughout South China during the Six Dynasties (220-589). Since several Way of the Li Fam ...
") *Longhu Church or Lineage (龍虎宗 ''Lónghǔ zōng'') *Gezao Church or Lineage (閣皂宗 ''Gézào zōng'') *Jindan Taoism (金丹派 ''Jīndān pài'') or Southern Church (南宗 ''Nán zōng'') *Beidi Taoism (北帝派 ''Běidì pài'') *Laoshan or Lao Huashan Taoism (老華山派 ''Lǎo huàshān pài'') *Jiu Gongshan Taoism (九宮山派 ''Jiǔ gōngshān pài'') *Xuan Taoism (玄教 ''Xuán jiào'') * Longmen Taoism (龍門派 ''Lóngmén pài'') *Namo Taoism (南無派 ''Námó pài'') *Suishan Taoism (隨山派 ''Suíshān pài'') *Yuxian Taoism (遇仙派 ''Yùxian pài'') *Yushan Taoism (嵛山派 ''Yúshān pài'') *Qingjing Taoism (清靜派 ''Qīngjìng pài'')
Sanfeng Taoism
(三豐派 ''Sānfēng pài'') *Wudang Taoism (武當道 ''Wǔdāng dào'') or Wudang Benshan Taoism (武當本山派 ''Wǔdāng běnshān pài'') *Jinshan Taoism (金山派 ''Jīnshān pài'') or Laoshan Taoism (嶗山派 ''Láoshān pài'')
ChunYang Taoism
(纯阳派 ''chunyang pài'') Newest schools: *Dong Taoism or Eastern Taoism (東派 ''Dōng pài''), Neidan Dong Taoism (内丹東派 ''Nèidān dōng pài'') *Xi Taoism or Western Taoism (西派 ''Xi pài''), Neidan Xi Taoism (内丹西派 ''Nèidān xi pài'')


See also

*
Faism Chinese ritual mastery traditions, also referred to as ritual teachings (, sometimes rendered as "Faism"),Yu-chi Tsao, 2012. or Folk Taoism (), or also Red Taoism (mostly in east China and Taiwan), constitute a large group of Chinese orders of r ...
*
Neidan Neidan, or internal alchemy (), is an array of esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices that Taoist initiates use to prolong life and create an immortal spiritual body that would survive after death. Also known as Jindan ...
and
Waidan , translated as 'external alchemy' or 'external elixir', is the early branch of Chinese alchemy that focuses upon compounding elixirs of immortality by heating minerals, metals, and other natural substances in a luted crucible. The later bran ...
*
Taoism in Hong Kong Taoism in Hong Kong is the religion of approximately 14% of the population. This figure did not include the large number of local population who are following Chinese folk religious traditions without indicating their religious affiliation. Pro ...
* Taoism in Malaysia *
Taoism in Singapore Taoism in Singapore is the religion of about 8.8% of the country's entire population as per the 2020 census. The definition of "Taoism" in the country is included as part of the wider Chinese folk religion. In general, nearly all adherents of Taois ...
*
Taoism in Korea Taoism or "Do" is thought to be the earliest state philosophy for the Korean people spanning several thousand years. However, its influence waned with the introduction of Buddhism during the Goryeo kingdom as the national religion and the domin ...
* Taoism in Vietnam *
Yao Taoism Yao folk religion is the ethnic religion of the Yao people, a non-Sinitic ethnic group who reside in the Guangxi, Hunan and surrounding provinces of China. Their religion has been profoundly intermingled with Taoism since the 13th century, so much ...
*
Three teachings In Chinese philosophy, the ''three teachings'' (; vi, tam giáo, Chữ Hán: 三教) are Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, considered as a harmonious aggregate. Literary references to the "three teachings" by prominent Chinese scholars date ba ...
*
Chinese folk religion Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
*
Chinese folk religion in Southeast Asia Chinese folk religion plays a dynamic role in the lives of the overseas Chinese who have settled in the countries of this geographic region, particularly Burmese Chinese, Singaporean Chinese, Malaysian Chinese, Thai Chinese and Hoa. The Indones ...


References


Sources

*Poul Andersen, Florian C. Reiter. ''Scriptures, Schools and Forms of Practice in Daoism: A Berlin Symposium''. Harrassowitz Verlag, 2005. {{ISBN, 344705171X *Qing Xitai (1994) 卿希泰. ''Zhongguo daojiao'' 中國道教, vol. 1, pp. 77–83. Shanghai: Zhishi chubanshe
Online
Schools A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...