When did Taoism come into being?

Taoism is a religion formed in the early feudal period of China. Its belief content has the characteristics of the religious consciousness of the Han nationality. Historians and Taoists generally say that it was formed in the Shun Di era of the Eastern Han Dynasty (A.D. 126 to 144), and it has a history of more than 1800 years. However, if we can trace back to the coastal area of Qiyan in the Warring States Period, that is, the so-called "form and solution, relying on ghosts and gods" in Historical Records, and Huang entrusted the technique of immortality to Huangdi and the technique of self-cultivation and longevity to Laozi in the Western Han Dynasty, then this religion characterized by immortal belief has been circulating in China for more than 2,000 years.

During the long feudal period in China, Taoism and Buddhism were called two major religions, which were one of the spiritual pillars of the feudal ruling class. Taoism had a far-reaching influence on the political, economic and cultural thoughts of China feudal society. At the same time, it also formed its own unique religious mysticism system. Taoism has accumulated a large number of classics and documents, which is an integral part of China's ancient cultural heritage.

The content of Taoism is very complicated. Exploring its origin from its main contents, Taoism comes from three primitive religious consciousness: one is the worship of ghosts and gods, the other is the theory of fairy witchcraft, and the third is the mysticism in the theory of Huang Lao.

First, the worship of ghosts and gods

During the Shang Dynasty from 1000 BC, the worship of nature in prehistoric times had developed to believe in God and destiny, and a deity system centered on God was initially established. The primitive worship of ghosts and gods developed into ancestor worship based on blood relationship and patriarchal clan system; Superstition in dreams has also developed into divination witchcraft that seeks the will of God to decide good or bad luck. This was a common belief in society at that time, and the emperor was a fanatical believer. People believe that everything that happens on the earth or its consequences is the embodiment of the will of the gods, and the will and feelings of the gods are rewarded according to the admiration of the world and the good and evil behavior. In order to please ghosts and gods (here ghosts refer to ancestors, gods refer to gods, and the gods of Yin people are their ancestors), rulers pray for ghosts and gods to maintain their rule on the earth with their infinite authority, and correspondingly raise sacrifices to publicize their great power and make sacrifices to gods. "The Book of Rites for Little Dai" said: "Yin people respect God, lead civil gods, and worship ghosts before rituals. At this time, there were wizards who managed religious ceremonies, divined good and bad luck and prayed for good and bad luck. Their job is to master tortoise shells, and they are thought to be able to communicate with God. The so-called witch can sing and dance to God, and I also hope to please God with words. Witch's full-time job is to convey God's will to people through tortoise shell or yarrow divination, while Zhu's full-time job is to pursue prayer ceremony, and he can appeal to ghosts and gods about the wishes. Therefore, Wu Zhu is an indispensable figure in the sacrifice. Rulers often put their intentions on the cloak of providence to subdue the ruled, and Wu Zhu has become a royal tool to accomplish this mission. In the Taoist temple of later generations, the incense burner is called Miaozhu, which is the name left over from ancient times. The Shang Dynasty and the later Zhou Dynasty ruled the world, and the worship of ghosts and gods became more systematic, forming a theological theory of "the view of destiny". Swear in the name of Thailand:

God bless you, you will be a king and a teacher. Only you can respect God, spoil everything, be guilty and innocent, and dare to exceed your ambition.

The ghosts and gods worshipped by Zhou people formed three systems: god, ghost and earth. The Book of Rites says:

The position of large-scale uncle is a gift from the gods, ghosts and the earth who are in charge of national construction.

Belonging to God are God, Sun God, Moon God, Star God, Fighting God, Night God, Wind God, Cloud God, Raytheon and Rain God; Belonging to the earth are the gods of country, mountains and rivers, five mountains and four blasphemies; Belong to ghosts and people, mainly ancestors of various surnames and worshiped sages. These are the sources of Taoism becoming polytheism. Taoist practices in later generations, such as building altars to sacrifice, are ancient sacrificial ceremonies; Singing hymns and chanting Buddha's treasure are words to please God. This is to appeal and pray for reading chapters and articles. It can be seen that Taoism, which emerged in the Han Dynasty, has a legacy of ancient witchcraft and blessing, and most of the gods worshipped originated from the beliefs of the ancients.

Second, immortal and alchemy theory

The theory of immortality has a long history. As early as the Warring States period, not only the skills of washing Zhengyang, containing the morning glow, protecting the gods and entering the essence were respected by the world, but also the longevity of Peng Zu and the Shenxian Temple of Sanshen Mountain were yearned for by the world, and the fantasy of ascending the immortal with the spirit of hiding clouds was also enjoyed and explored by the world.

Many ancient books in the pre-Qin period have words about legends such as immortals, fairyland and fairy medicine. such as

Zhuangzi Xiaoyao Tour:

All the mountains photographed in the past are inhabited, with skin like ice and snow, graceful as a virgin, not eating grains, sucking wind and drinking dew, and traveling around the world by flying dragons.

Zhuangzi. Heaven and earth;

Chitose is world-weary, goes to immortals and rides on white clouds. As for the emperor's hometown, it is dangerous and often harmless.

In Zhuangzi's Essays, Guang Chengzi said to the Yellow Emperor, "I have been cultivating myself for two thousand years, and my shape has never changed." "Zhuangzi Tian Zifang": "The husband is a man, looking up at the sky, potentially dying, swinging at the pole, and his attitude remains unchanged. Starting from the concept of being born, Zhuangzi describes immortals and fairyland in chapters such as Wandering Away, Master, Heaven, Crown of the Emperor, Deliberate, Tianxia, Emperor, Sheng Da and Tianzifang.

Liezi extended Zhuangzi's praise of "immortal", "real person" and "supreme person", and even boasted the beauty and mystery of decorating the fairyland. Liezi Tang Wen said: "To the east of the Bohai Sea, there is a big valley called Turtle Beard. There are five mountains in the valley, one is Daiyu, the other is Jiao Yuan, the third is Fanghu, the fourth is Yingzhou and the fifth is Penglai. Immortals live on five mountains that belong to the city.

Its mountains compete for three Wan Li, and its top is 9,000 miles, and its mountains are 70,000 miles, thinking that it is neighboring Africa. His concept of going to the stage is that all the precious jade, all the animals are pure, all the trees are covered with pearls, all the flashes have a taste, and all the food is immortal. All the people who live here are immortals, and countless people come and go day and night.

He also said that far, far north of Beihai, there is a famous "Ultimate North" country, where there is no wind, no rain, no frost, no dew, no birds, no beasts, no insects, no fish and no vegetation; There is a famous "pot collar" mountain in the country. There is a famous hole on the top of the mountain. A spring water gushes from a certain god, smells like pepper, tastes like glutinous rice, and flows all over the country. People are "indisputable", "not arrogant", "not hiring people", "not cultivating crops", "not knitting clothes" and "not dying or getting sick". They sang together all day, drank hard liquor when they were hungry, and woke up after ten days.

Liezi Huangdi even outlined a "country of Hua Xushi" in his dream, saying that the country has no teacher and people have no lust, people have no sorrow, love, hate, interest, fearlessness and jealousy, and beauty and evil do not slip into the valley. He also said that there is a "Legu Mountain" in Haihe Island. The mountain is inhabited by immortals, who "suck wind and drink dew, but don't eat grains" and "don't cuddle or love, and immortals are ministers. I'm not afraid of anger, I'm willing to make it. If you don't give, you won't benefit, but if you don't get together, you won't win, but you won't win Yin and yang are often combined, and the sun and the moon are always bright. The wind and rain are always flat, the words are always cultivated, and the years are always abundant. Soil does not hurt, people are not evil, things are flawless, and ghosts are silent. " Liezi Zhou Muwang said that there is a "Palace of Humanization" in the sky, which is "made of gold and silver and wrapped in pearls and jade", and "what the eyes and ears see and hear, and what the mouth and nose taste, are all inhuman".

"Wonderland" is beautifully and mysteriously described, and the so-called "immortals" are all described as flying gods who live and die outside, are extremely quiet, do not tire of things and are detached from themselves.

The most famous material about immortals is the description in Shi Ji Feng Chan Shu written by Sima Qian:

Announce and send people to the sea to find Penglai, the abbot and Yingzhou. These three sacred mountains are scattered in the Bohai Sea, not far from people. If they suffer, they will be taken away by the wind The best taste, fairy, fairy medicine. Its animals and animals are white, and gold and silver are palaces. If you don't reach it, it will be like a cloud; Also, Sanshen Mountain lives underwater. When you approach, the wind will take you away, but you will never reach the clouds. The Lord of the world is not reconciled. When Qin Shihuang merged with the world and went to the sea, the alchemist said countless words. The first emperor thought that he was afraid of going to sea, which made people go to sea and ask for it. When the ship is in the sea, everything is based on the wind. It is said that it hasn't arrived yet, so it's hard to see.

And Historical Records. "A Record of Liang Wudi" cloud, Li said to Liang Wudi:

Taste the sea, see An Qisheng, eat giant dates like melons. The immortal of Anqi Sage, passing through Penglai, met people, but didn't get along.

The immortal theory probably originated in the northwest mountainous area and the southeast coastal area. The social factor is that under the historical conditions of increasingly prosperous society, people have begun to explore the deep mountains and oceans, because there are indeed good places with pleasant scenery in the deep mountains and oceans, and people occasionally encounter wonderful places because of refuge or wind and waves, which broadens their horizons. Since then, this kind of information has been passed down from generation to generation, which has aroused the admiration of the world. People who want to explore new fields or escape from disasters began their exploration, so the fairy theory with romantic or religious fantasies appeared. Moreover, the immortal theory also has its natural factors: there are often some natural phenomena that surprised, puzzled and mysterious people at that time in the mountains and seas, such as fog fairyland, grotesque caves in the abyss, mirage and so on. People regard the magical realm as another world between heaven and earth, so the myth comes into being.

With the emergence of the immortal theory, a generation of wizards used it to exaggerate the supernatural and publicize it, and some gave it a religious color with the budding technology at that time, thinking that they were selling the magic of seeking immortality to confuse the world. Such people are called alchemists, or alchemists.

According to Hanshu, alchemy in Han Dynasty can be divided into four categories, namely, medical classics, medical prescriptions, houses and immortals. The biography of alchemy in the later Han Dynasty includes astronomy, medicine, immortals, divination, physiognomy, fortune telling, armor avoidance and geomantic omen. The ancients called all skills magic, and what we are talking about here is the magical magic formula sold by those who advocate immortality and think that they can become immortals after eating sacrifices.

In ancient China, the legendary alchemists were Peng Zu, Rongcheng, Queen Mother of the West, Motome and so on. The earliest alchemist recorded in historical records is Changhong of Zhou Lingwang (57 BC1-545 BC). Historical Records. The amenorrhea Zen:

At that time, Changhong was in charge, and the vassal Mo Chaozhou was less. Changhong is in charge of ghosts and gods and has a beaver head. The beaver goes first, but the prince doesn't come. According to idolatry, princes. The princes refused to accept it, and the Jin people killed Changhong. Zhou Ren's words are blamed on Changhong.

The so-called "shooting at the raccoon's head" refers to the prevalence of witchcraft in Yan in Han Dynasty, which shows that alchemist Changhong is a legacy of witchcraft.

The alchemists in the Warring States period were witches who switched to eating sacrifices. Compared with a hundred schools of thought contend, it is obviously eclipsed. At the end of the Warring States period, an alchemist named Li Yan appeared in the dynasty. He combined the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements with the rise and fall of social dynasties, not to mention the changes of social things. Therefore, Li Yan was distinguished from the princes, which also inspired other alchemists. "Historical records. The Zen Book says:

Since the announcement, most of Li Zi's five virtues works have been written by Qin Huang, played by Qi people and adopted by the emperor. However, in the Song Dynasty, those who were jealous of overseas Chinese, loyal to overseas Chinese, and admired the height of the door were all Yan people in the end, all of which were immortal ways, all of which were sold in the form of dissolving and relying on ghosts and gods. Li Yan showed the princes by yin and yang, and Yan Qi was an alchemist on the sea. His skill was not enough, but he blamed his success on pedantic sycophants, and the list goes on.

Because Qin Shihuang fantasized about getting the elixir of life, the alchemists were very active. The first alchemist favored by Qin Shihuang was Xu (Fu). Historical records. Biography of Qin Shihuang:

Qi Xu wrote that there are three sacred mountains on the sea, named Penglai, abbot and Yingzhou, where immortals live. Please hurry and beg with boys and girls. So he sent thousands of boys and girls from Xu Shi to the sea to seek immortality.

Xu Shi went to the sea to ask for medicine for several years and spent a lot of money. He is afraid of being condemned. He lied to Qin Shihuang and said, "Penglai medicine is available, but it is often attacked by big sharks, so he can't come." "Following Xu Shi, Lu Sheng, Han Zhong, Hou Gong, Shi Sheng, etc. They asked Qin Shihuang for immortal admiration, high wishes and fairy medicine, all of which were hopeless. Lu Sheng returned to the sea, leaning against ghosts and gods and playing a book, saying, "Those who died in Qin are Hu Ye. "The first emperor sent general Meng Tian to attack Hu with 300,000 troops in the north, slightly taking the land of Henan. Lu Sheng also said that Qin Shihuang:

In the square, when people are in power, they will do good things to exorcise evil spirits, and real people will come. Master alive, ministers know, is harmful to god. Real people, into the water, into the fire, not Ruo, Lingyun gas, and heaven and earth for a long time. Today, under the rule, it has not been calm. May the palace where I live be unknown, and then the elixir of life can almost be obtained.

The laws of the Qin dynasty are cool, so you don't have to die. Where is the fairy medicine in the world? The alchemist Lu Sheng and others ran away. Qin Shihuang was furious. He said:

..... There are many literary alchemists who want to promote peace and prosperity, and alchemists want to seek magic medicine. Today, I heard that Han Zhong didn't report it, and Xu Shi and other expenses were tens of thousands. In the end, he could not get the medicine, but told the Japanese about the profit from rape. Lu Sheng and others have been very kind to me, but now they slander me, which is not good for Jyuugo. Born in Xianyang, I let people ask questions, or make rumors.

Qin Shihuang was angry at all the students, and more than 460 offenders were all in Xianyang, so that the world could know about it and punish them. His eldest son, Fu Su, explained to him the difference between Zhu Sheng and an alchemist. Qin Shihuang was even more angry that Fu Su was exiled to the border, while Meng Tian was supervised in Shang Jun in the north.

After Qin Shihuang, the most respected alchemist was Liu Che, the emperor of the Han Dynasty. The first person who won his favor was Fang Shili. According to Records of the Historian, Li took his ancestral temple and Que Lao Fang to see Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and the emperor respected him very much. Li said to:

Ancestral kitchen is the cause, and cinnabar can turn stone into gold. Jin believes that eating utensils can prolong life, and Penglai immortals can be seen in the sea. When they see it, they will not die, and so will the Yellow Emperor. Taste the sea, see An Qisheng, eat giant dates like melons. The immortal of Anqi Sage, passing through Penglai, met people, but didn't get along.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty believed Li's words, so he "kissed his ancestors and sent alchemists to the sea to seek Penglai's seven-born genus, and the medicine of cinnabar was turned into gold." After Li died of illness, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did not say that he was dead, but said "gone", which made Huang Hammer and Shi Kuanshu suffer greatly, and "demanded that Penglai return to Anqisheng". Later, some thin bloggers tried to type the words of Thailand. Qi people and young people saw the emperor and had ghosts and gods, saying that they could worship General Wencheng and get a lot of rewards by magic night. Later, because of the silk book, something strange appeared in Yunniu's stomach. After Emperor Wu noticed it, he killed General Wencheng. Luan Da, another imperial court official in Jiaodong, also experienced lies in the sea. He once saw that immortals belong to a peaceful and jealous family. Gold can be made, the medicine of immortality can be obtained, and the gods can cause it. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty doted on Luanda and worshipped him as a general in Wuli. Luan Da often wears clothes and worships the following gods at night. Luan Dapei's six seals inspired the world. "But between Yan and Qi at sea, there is no doubt that there is a forbidden party and you can become an immortal." (Historical Records. Xiao Wu's biography "). After Luanda, he was punished for failing to verify his magic. Qi Sun Qing went to Donglai Mountain to wait for the God of Emperor Wu. At this time, Liang Wudi ordered thousands of alchemists to go to the sea to pray for the holy mountain, and then sent them to pray for God, blaming them for taking thousands of pills. Gong also said that "immortals live in a good building", Liang Wudi designated Chang 'an as the famous concept of honesty and wealth, while Ganquan as the concept of longevity, so that the public could buy equipment and wait for immortals. There was nothing to test, and Emperor Wu began to "get tired of the strange language of alchemists". From the second year of Yuan Guang (BC 133), alchemists were sent to seek immortality, and it was not until the fourth year of Zheng He (BC 89) that they learned that alchemists were waiting for God. Forty-five years later, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was 68 years old. He once sighed to his ministers: "I was confused by the times and deceived by alchemists." Is there a fairy in the world who is crazy and deaf, dieting and taking medicine, but I can only get sick less? " "("History as a Mirror "Volume 22" Han Ji Fourteen ")

Han Shu's Records of Literature and Art commented on "immortals" and alchemists who specialize in spiritual magic:

Therefore, immortals protect the truth of life, while those who swim outside seek the truth. Chatting with peace of mind, there is a domain of life and death, and there is no fear in the chest. However, if you concentrate on your affairs, bully the weak and be pedantic, you will benefit a lot. This is not the reason why the Holy King taught you. Confucius said, "I don't want to do strange things by hiding." Later generations have something to say. " . 」

In a word, Fang believes in the theory of immortals, which is the most basic belief and feature of Taoism in the future. The techniques made by alchemists, such as governing the people in a subtle way, worshiping the stove, but being old, seeking immortals, waiting for the gods, looking at the sky, leading the way, worshiping the gods at night, waving flags, massaging the people and burning them. It is a historical fact that Taoism originated from the fairy family and was the predecessor of Taoism.

Because Fang is cunning and pedantic, his magic has not been tested, and he has been attacked by people of insight in society. Those who believe in and specialize in fairy theory and magic have to change their ways and find another way. This makes the fairy family split and share the same source and different currents. One school of learning and the other school of learning Huang Lao are all learning from Huang Lao.

Third, the ecliptic of the Han Dynasty.

In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wendi and Emperor Jingdi (BC 179- BC 14 1) ruled the world with the quiet skill of Huang Lao. "Historical records. The Scholars said:

..... and even filial piety, not for Confucianism, and Dou Taihou is good at judging the situation.

"Historical records. The consorts' family said:

Dou Taihou is good at learning from Huangdi and Laozi, and emperors, princes and Dou have to read Huangdi and Laozi to respect their skills.

According to Taishi Gong Sima Tan, a scholar of Huang Lao, is a father-in-law on the river. "Historical records. The biography of Le Yi said:

..... Chen Legong is good at repairing the words of Huangdi and Laozi, and is famous in Qi State, and is known as a teacher of talents.

Tai Shigong said: ... Chen Le Public School Huangdi and Laozi, whose teachers are called husbands on the river, don't know their origins. On the river, my father-in-law taught An Qi Sheng, An Qi Sheng taught Mao Mi Gong, Mao Mi Gong taught Gong, Gong Gong taught Gong, Gong Gong taught Gai Gong, and Gai Gong taught Qi Gaomi Jiao Xi, who was Cao's teacher.

At the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty, Cao Can was in harmony, saying, "Its governance should be based on the skill of Huang Lao, and it will be harmonious for nine years, and the state of Qi will gather together, which is called the virtue phase." . "Being the prime minister of the Han Dynasty is very quiet and harmonious. But after the people left Qin Liang, they took part in the rest and did nothing, so the world called it beauty. " (Historical Records. Cao Jia) Cao Can, Dou Taihou and others prefer the situation, so the study of the situation has become a common practice. But at that time, Huang Lao's so-called technique was designed for national politics. The immortal family and the theory of Huang Lao are different in nature, and the theory of Huang Lao has not yet had a relationship with the immortal family, so it must be clarified in concept.

Liu Che, Emperor of the Han Dynasty, believed in Confucianism and immortals after he ascended the throne. At this time, Confucianism showed a trend of religious education, and the theory of divination also rose. At that time, the immortals needed to set up a new banner and establish a new theological system to get rid of Fang's notoriety. Inspired by Confucianism's respect for Yao and Shun and the deification of Confucius, the immortals followed the example of Confucianism's "ancestor Yao and Shun, drawing a picture of civil and military style, being a master and emphasizing his words" and attached themselves to Huang Lao's theory, which was quite influential in society at that time. In addition, there are mysterious elements in Huang Lao's theory, which can be possessed and used by immortals. Immortals respect Huang Lao and think that the status and prestige of Huang Di and Lao Zi are higher than Yao Shun and Confucius. They can respect their teachings with solemn and sacred figures in history, or attach their theories to teach themselves. The immortal family began to worship the Yellow Emperor, and later raised Laozi. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the religious ecliptic gradually formed. In a word, it is to religiousize the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, so as to develop them from generation to generation.

In the twenty-eighth year of Emperor Wudi's accession to the throne, the wizard of Fenyang got a treasure tripod in the soil and presented it to the emperor. The alchemists then fabricated a lie, saying that they also gave Huangdi a treasure tripod, which was widely used in meditation and often met with God. Some people also say that the Yellow Emperor is the god of five cities and twelve floors. It is also said that the Yellow Emperor's learning of war is immortal. /kloc-when he was over 0/00 years old, he wanted to fight the avatar and finally rode a dragon to heaven. Take history as a mirror. Twelve notes of Hanshu say:

In the fourth year of Ding Yuan (BC 1 13), the Qi people said, "This year, Baoding was rewarded, and its winter fragrance has reached the winter solstice, which is the same as that of the Yellow Emperor." You wrote a letter saying, "The Yellow Emperor won the Baoding, which was the winter when he was 380 years old. In 380, the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven. " Invite the winner to ask questions because of the song he played. Qing said: "Let me borrow this book to say:" When Han Xing was restored as the Yellow Emperor, the sage of Han was the grandson of Gao Zu, and his great-grandson was also. Baoding is a magical power, and the Yellow Emperor receives all souls. He who knows the court is a sweet spring. The Yellow Emperor collected bronze wares from the first mountain and cast a tripod at the foot of Jingshan Mountain. When the tripod was built, Yi Long must meet the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor rode a dragon on it, and more than 70 harem ministers ascended to heaven. So the son of heaven said, hehe! Just like the Yellow Emperor, I am ashamed of my wife! 」

"Historical records. Biography of Filial Piety records:

When the Emperor of Heaven listened to the words of the Palace and the alchemist, he worshiped Zen above the Yellow Emperor, causing monsters and supernatural powers. He wanted the Yellow Emperor to taste the immortal Penglai, the superior nine emperors, and wrote it in Confucianism.

Since then, the theory of immortals has been promoted in the name of the Yellow Emperor, and Laozi belongs to Taoism. Liu An, the king of Huainan (the uncle of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty), loves immortals, but his book Huainanzi does not confuse Taoism with immortals. Hanshu. Huainan Hengshan Jibei Wang Chuan said:

Wang An of Huainan ... attracted thousands of guests to write 2 1 book, many foreign books and 8 medium-length books, which talked about the immortal magic of yellow and white, with a length of more than 20 words.

Both the novella and The Secretary of the Red Baoyuan at the Pillow are the earliest works devoted to fairy magic, but they still can't be said to be religious classics, because there is no so-called religion, and there is no set of symbols and instruments of Taoism later. Besides, Lao Tzu is mystified, but he is not a god. Han Shu literature and art annals lists various bibliographies, including Huangdi and Laozi in Taoist category and Huangdi without Laozi in immortal category. This shows that the immortal school is only an academic school, or a school with many skills of "bullying the weak and being pedantic". In the Eastern Han Dynasty, this immortal school, which started from the Yellow Emperor, had evolved, and its characteristic was to deify Laozi. According to the Records of the Later Han Dynasty. It is recorded in the Biography of Wang Chu:

English evening favors Huang Lao, learning to make pagodas (buddhas) and fast sacrifices.

In the eighth year of Han Yongping (AD 65), he wrote to Wang Ying of Chu:

The king of Chu read Huang Lao's whispers and went to Baota Ren Temple. In March, he vowed to God.

At this time, the so-called Huang Lao is essentially different from the study of Huang Lao in the early Western Han Dynasty, with a strong religious color. By the time of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty (A.D. 147- 167), Laozi was further deified, honored as a shrine and enjoyed sacrifices. According to the Records of the Later Han Dynasty, in the eighth year of Yan Xi (A.D. 165), two people were sent to "pay homage to Laozi in Guxian County". The following year, I visited the Laozi Temple in the Dragon Palace. Book of later Han dynasty Sacrifice records say:

Emperor Huan ascended the throne for eighteen years, which is a good thing for the gods. At the beginning of the eighth year, Yan Xi became a traditional servant Lao Zi in Guxian County, Chen Guo. In nine years, I personally visited Laozi in Zhuolong, decorated the altar with golden buttons, set up a canopy, and used rural music.

According to the Biography of Wang Huan in the Later Han Dynasty, Emperor Huan believed in Huang and "learning destroyed temples", hence the name Huang. At this time, the study of Huang Lao officially developed into the study of Huang. The third volume of Lishi contains the inscription "Bian Shao Lao Zi", which lasted for eight years. Among them, it is said that at that time, believers attached Laozi's words that "heaven and earth can last for a long time, so it is not self-generated" and "bathing the gods will not die", which was called Xuanzang's words, saying that Laozi "started from the chaos and observed the sky." Change with the day, keep abreast of the news. Rule three lights, four spirits beside; Think of Tian Dan, Taiyi Zifang. Tao has become Tao, cicada has changed the world, since agriculture, the world has been the teacher of saints, "deifying Laozi" after the Han Dynasty, the Monument to the Virgin of Laozi said:

Lao Tzu is also a Taoist. It was born before invisibility, began before the beginning, and walked in the Yuan Dynasty of Taisu. There are six deficiencies in the floating life, and they go in and out of the nether world. See the difference between confusion and clarity and turbidity.

Laozi is said to be the incarnation of Tao. The Book of the Later Han Dynasty Xiang Kai Chuan Huan Di Shu said: "Or I went to a foreign country and turned my head. All this shows that Laozi is already a god and is worshipped with the Buddha. After that, the declining Fang gradually transformed in the Han Dynasty, revived under the name of Huang Zhi, and spread widely in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Book of later Han dynasty "Biography of Huangfu Song": "At the beginning, Julu claimed to be a great teacher, served Huang, raised his disciples, and bowed down for the first time. 」

Huangdi and Laozi, whom Huang revered, were also the supreme gods that Taoism later believed in. I think Huang is the brewing stage for immortals to stick to the theory of Huang Lao and establish their own religious theory system. Fang focuses on tourism and selling prescription technology, while Huang not only talks about technology, but also advocates cultivation and longevity.

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The worship of ghosts and gods in Yin and Shang Dynasties, Fang and Huang at the end of Warring States and Han Dynasty are the sources of Taoist belief. No matter what changes have taken place in the formation and development of Taoism, they all originate from the above three aspects. Ghost Dao, Fang and Huang are the mother of Taoism.