Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional customs - Which religion is native to China?

Which religion is native to China?

Taoism is a native religion in China.

It was formed at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, based on the Taoist thoughts of Huang and Lao in the Han Dynasty, and absorbed the skills of ancient immortals, folk witchcraft and belief in ghosts and gods. Taoism matured in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties and reached its peak in Sui, Tang and Northern Song Dynasties. During the Southern Song Dynasty and the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, new sects appeared in Taoism, and both doctrines and Taoism changed.

Taoism is a polytheistic religion, whose main purpose is to pursue immortality, achieve immortality and save the world. It occupies an important position in China's ancient traditional culture and develops actively in the modern world. Taoism among the hundred schools in the Warring States Period is just a philosophical theory, which absorbed its theoretical system with "virtue" as its core concept and deified philosophers. But it was not until the middle and late Han Dynasty that cults appeared.

Zhang Daoling established Shitiandao in Hemingshan, Yizhou (present-day Sichuan), believed in Laozi as an old gentleman on the throne, and established Twenty-four Governance as a missionary area. By the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the religious form of Taoism was gradually improved. Emperor Taizong respected Laozi as the ancestor of the Tang Dynasty because his surname was Li, the same as the national surname.

Taoism takes "Tao" as its highest belief and holds that "Tao" is the origin of all things in the Central Plains. Taoism (including Taoism, warlocks, etc. ), Confucianism and Buddhism, collectively known as the "three religions", are the main components of China's traditional culture and the leading theoretical theories and methods of seeking practice and sanctification.

Taoism in academic circles now refers to the ancient religious beliefs in China, which inherited most religious concepts and practice methods of Fang and Huang, as well as folk belief in gods, and gradually formed the highest belief of "Tao".

It is a religion in China, which takes Taishang Laojun as its leader, Laozi's Tao Te Ching as its main classic, and pursues immortality.

There are five main ways for Taoism to become immortal or immortal, namely, taking elixir of life, external alchemy, refining qi and guiding the body, internal alchemy, and achieving immortality by means of Taoist utensils, self-cultivation and doing good deeds. Most of the later immortals practiced inner alchemy and practiced morality and Taoism.

Extended data:

The pedigree of Taoist immortals is complex and huge, including Sanqing, Yusi, Shen Xing and Sifang immortals. Sanqing is the highest god worshipped by Taoism, the god of Jade Qing, the spiritual treasure god of Qing Dynasty and the moral god of Taiqing Dynasty. The four emperors assisted the four heavenly emperors of Sanqing: the Jade Emperor, the Arctic Emperor, the Emperor and the Earth Emperor.

The Jade Emperor is the most admired god. Star God and the God of the Quartet: Taoism regards the stars as stars, mainly the Big Dipper. Yuan Jun, the mother of the Big Dipper, also known as Doom, is the most respected. The gods of the Quartet are Qinglong, Suzaku, White Tiger and Xuanwu. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Xuanwu was renamed Zhenwu, which was the most respected.

The main rituals of Taoism are fasting and altars.

The main techniques of Taoism are external alchemy, internal alchemy and Fuyong.

The main festivals of Taoism are: Shangyuan Festival, Zhongyuan Festival and Xiayuan Festival; Zhang Tianshi Daoling Birthday, Taishang Laojun Birthday, Dongyue Emperor Birthday, Lv Chunyang Father Birthday, Guan Birthday, Lingbao Tianzun Birthday, Yuanshi Tianzun Christmas, etc.

References:

Chinese government network-Taoism