Because of historians, the Taoists recorded the way of success, failure, survival, happiness and misfortune in ancient and modern times, and then knew that we should stick to this principle, be self-controlled, be humble and weak, and be self-sustaining. This gentleman is also skilled in the south.
It can be seen that the source of Taoism comes from historians, which is "the art of monarch entering the south", that is, the theory of monarch governing the country. At the same time, when the history was recorded in Huangdi Neijing, a historian was also set up. So the origin of Taoism can be traced back to the Yellow Emperor.
At the end of the Warring States Period, Qi became the academic center of China culture for the first time, and scholars gathered in Xia Ji, the capital of Qi. "When a doctor, don't talk about state affairs." (See (Salt and Iron on Confucianism). Therefore, the first academic synthesis with Taoism as the Sect. It happened right here. At that time, Qi Weiwang was a "high-impedance Yellow Emperor", so scholars called Huang Laolian, and * * * was regarded as the founder of Taoist school, which resulted in the study of Huang Lao and became synonymous with Taoism. (Historical Records, Biography of Mencius and Xun Qing) Cloud:
Shen Dao, Zhao; Tian Pian, Jie Zi, Qi Ren; Yuan Huan, a native of Chu. Everyone learns Huang Lao's moral skills, because invention commands his will.
On Sima Tan's Cloud (On Six Essentials);
Taoism makes people single-minded, energetic, invisible and supports everything. It is also a skill. Because of the harmony of Yin and Yang, it adopts the goodness of Confucianism and Mohism, summarizes the essence of the law, keeps pace with the times, conforms to the changes of things, establishes customs and does things without exception, and is easy to operate with reference to the agreement, and does less and moves more.
Taoism is inaction, and it is said that everything is ready. It's actually easy, but its writing is difficult. Its technology is based on nothingness and uses conformity. Nothing is possible and impermanent, so we can study the feelings of everything. Not for things first, not for things later, you can become the master of everything.
What Sima Tan described is the main feature of Taoism's integration of hundred schools of thought into the study of Huang Lao. Huang Lao's theory includes not only the study of monarchs in the south, but also the thoughts of "the immortal family" and "the yin and yang family" (Hanshu Yiwenzhi). Among the ten immortals, Huangdi's writings occupy four places, with a volume of ***6 1. There are 20 articles in Yin-Yang Family 2 1 (Huangdi Tai Su), 20 articles in Yin-Yang Family 16 16 (Huangdi), and Hou Feng, Li Mu, Guirong District and others, all of whom are courtiers of Huangdi. Laozi's theory has something in common with the thoughts of immortals and yin-yang scholars. (Laozi) said: "deep-rooted, it is a long-term way", and said: "Everything is negative and holds Yang" is Laozi's theory, including immortal thought and yin and yang thought.
In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, people were in urgent need of rest after Qin Dynasty. At that time, the rulers complied with the historical requirements, ruled the world with Huang Lao's quiet skills, and adopted a loose policy of doing nothing and sharing interest with the people. Therefore, the study of Huang Lao, which originated in the Warring States period, was a great success. At that time, Chen Ping, Shu Tian, Huang Sheng, Zhang Deng, Zheng Dangdai, Sima Tan and others were all famous for studying the current political situation. At this time, alchemists also like to study the situation, such as Sima Zhu Ji and Yan Junping. They are all people who study the study of Huang Lao as alchemists. (Two Biographies of Han Shu and Wang Gong) said: "(Yan) Jun Ping laid off several people in Chengdu every day to earn enough money to support himself. Then I received the curtain and gave it to Laozi, and wrote hundreds of thousands of words according to the purpose of Laozi and Zhuang Zhou. " They not only studied Huang Lao, but also taught people with Zhuangzi, which was the beginning of the combination of alchemists and Huang Lao's learning. However, the study of Taoism and Huang Lao at this time is basically a social, political and academic trend of thought, which can be proved by Huang Lao Silk, Huai Nan Zi, Lao Zi's Guidance and Lun Heng at this time. After the consolidation of the Western Han regime, the study of Huang Lao was no longer regarded as the guiding ideology of governing the country by the rulers, and the Emperor Wu changed it to "exclusive respect for Confucianism", but at this time, the study of Huang Lao still had great influence. At this time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty advocated both Confucianism and immortals. At this time, the old scholars who governed the Yellow River turned to study Taoism and immortal magic to maintain their development. At this time, Confucianism tends to deify Confucius, and the theory of taboo also rises. Huang Lao scholars combined with Fang Fang's alchemist and began to myth the Yellow Emperor and promote the study of immortals. Since then, the name of the immortal has been entrusted to the Yellow Emperor, and Laozi still belongs to Taoism.
By the Eastern Han Dynasty, the study of Huang Lao had evolved into the worship of Huang Lao (Biography of Wang Chuying in the Later Han Dynasty): "Buddha Lao is the first choice for Yingxi Festival; Learn to become a pagoda and fast and sacrifice. " In the eighth year of Yongping in Ming Di (AD 65), he said to his coin book: "The King of Chu recited the words of Huang Lao and praised the benevolence of the tower, and vowed to God in March." At this time, Huang Lao was close to religious belief, which was quite different from Huang Lao's study in the Western Han Dynasty. In the eighth year of the Eastern Han Dynasty (158- 166), when Emperor Huan dealt with "Huang" (Biography of Wang Huan in the Later Han Dynasty), he said that Emperor Huan "destroyed all temples" because he believed in Huang. It was at this time that the name of Huang began to appear, and the study of Huang Lao officially developed and became Huang.
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 made Lao Zi the official servant of Chen Kuxian Temple. In nine years, I went to Zhuolong's Laozi Ancestral Temple, where Zhou Wen was an altar, decorated with pure gold and knowledge utensils, and set up a canopy seat with suburban music.
(Lishi) Volume III contains the inscription of Laozi in Bianshao, which lasted for eight years (165). Among them, it is said that the believers at that time attached Laozi's words that "Heaven and earth can last for a long time, so it is not self-generated" and "Gu Xian Shen Xuan Xue", saying that Laozi "left the turbid gas, began to shine, and watched the heavenly work. The rule is three lights and four spirits, thinking of Dantian and Taiyi Zifang. Tao has become a body and a world. Since agriculture, the world has taken saints as teachers. " (Yu Lanqing) First, Han (Notre Dame de Laozi) said:
Laozi's Tao was born before invisibility, before the beginning, and in Tai Su. Floating six vacuities, going in and out of the hidden tools. See the difference between confusion and clarity and turbidity.
What's more, Laozi is said to be the embodiment of Tao. At that time, Huang had regarded Lao Tzu as their leader. At this time, Huang has no organization and no religious color. Only on the basis of worshipping Huang Lao, Lao Zi was recognized as their ideal leader, and Lao Zhuang was their classic. In this way, they naturally formed a belief group in the society at that time, and Taiping Dao and Wudoumi Dao, which appeared at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, were their schools. According to "Biography of Huang Fusong in the Later Han Dynasty", "The first giant deer, claiming to be a great teacher, served Huang." It proves that the early Taoist organization Taiping Heavenly Kingdom evolved from Huang. Zhang Daoling created the Five Mi Dou Daoism, regarded Laozi as the "old gentleman on the throne", was the founder of Taoism, and took the old Xiangzi Jules as an early Taoist classic.
Taoism attaches importance to both Huang and Lao, trying to prove that Taoism is the orthodoxy of ancient culture in China with the origin of Huang and Lao, so as to oppose Buddhism which was just introduced into China at that time. But why not regard the Yellow Emperor as the ancestor of Taoism and hold Laozi to the supreme position? On the one hand, the Yellow Emperor is one of the ancestors of the Confucian "Three Emperors and Five Emperors" and has always been regarded as orthodox by feudal rulers. If the Yellow Emperor is established as the leader of Taoism, it will inevitably conflict with the Confucian thought of "respecting heaven and respecting ancestors". On the other hand, it is recorded in history that Confucius "asked for gifts from Laozi", and it can also be said that Confucius was a student of Laozi. It is also recorded that Laozi "knows the end best" (2) The Book of Xiang Kai Huang (The Biography of Xiang Kai in the Later Han Dynasty) said: "It is foolish to say that Laozi is a foreigner." So I can only regard Laozi as the ancestor of Taoism. Putting the Yellow Emperor aside will not conflict with Confucianism. Because Confucius once asked Laozi for a gift, it can also show that Taoism is not under Confucianism. At the same time, the legend that Laozi is the incarnation of Buddhism shows that Buddhism is also a branch of Taoism. In this way, in the struggle of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, we can strive for a relatively favorable position for Taoism by virtue of Laozi's identity as the ancestor of Taoism. After Laozi was deified, although the status of Huangdi was relatively weakened, it was still the ancestor of Taoism. There are many works of the Yellow Emperor in the Taoist scriptures, the most important of which is the works on traditional Chinese medicine. Because the legends (Su Wen) and (Ling Shu) were left by the Yellow Emperor, they earned income from (Taoist collection). According to statistics, there are 14 kinds of Taoist scriptures related to traditional Chinese medicine.
As a result, the study of Huang Lao developed into Huang, and Huang evolved into Taoism, but Taoism did not regard Huang as its mother, but regarded Taoism represented by Laozi as its mother, and the "Tao of Laozi" became the "highest belief" of Taoism; Taoism is not only characterized by believing in immortals, but also believing in Laozi's Tao, so Taoism's belief seems to be a cross-belief, which is the difference between Taoism and other religions. In the history of Taoism, Taoism's inheritance to Taoism has been continuous. Taoism was mainly deified at the end of Han Dynasty (Laozi) and deified after Han Dynasty (Zhuangzi). In the Tang Dynasty, I respected (Laozi) as (moral truth), (Zhuangzi) as (southern classics), (Liezi) as (running through its classics), (Wen Zi) as (running through its classics) and (more importantly, Sang Zi) as (boring its classics). The compilation (Taoist collection) after the Song Dynasty almost completely collected Taoist works since the pre-Qin period, and all of them were accepted as Taoist classics, always putting (Laozi) in the supreme position. Moreover, Taoist classics such as Annotations (Lao Da (Zhuang)) have been included in the category of Taoist classics. In this sense, it can also be said that Taoist culture is a branch in the development of Taoist culture. Therefore, Laozi and Zhuangzi's Taoist theory is one of the sources of Taoist thought in Taoist scriptures.
Xu Fu, the most famous alchemist in Qin Dynasty, was the first to go to Japan in the name of "seeking fairy medicine", bringing pre-Qin culture, especially advanced agricultural planting techniques and crafts to Japan, which became the earliest history of creating Sino-Japanese friendship and promoted the development of Japanese, Asian and world civilizations.
According to the biographies of Qin Shihuang and Historical Records of Zen Buddhism, these people were all people before Qin Dynasty, probably in the late Warring States period. It can be inferred that Fang appeared in the late Warring States period, after Zou and before Qin. The so-called party refers to the immortal party, the so-called immortal. Shuo Wen Jie Zi said that the immortal was immortal and moved away. Shi Shiming and Xiao Lao also said: Immortality means immortality. This is the pursuit of immortality. The so-called "Fang Xian Dao" is a fairy theory that alchemists combine the theory of "oral immortality" with Zou Yan's theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements.
The idea of pursuing immortality has a long history. The book Zhuangzi is full of descriptions of fairyland, which reflects the ancient people's pursuit of immortality. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a group of alchemists who pursued immortality gradually formed. The earliest alchemist we can see from the existing ancient books is Changhong recorded in Historical Records, who served Zhou Lingwang. Warlords Mo Chaozhou, Shao and Changhong are all ghosts and set up a shooting "Beaver Head". Those who wrote Beaver's Head, those who didn't come from princes, all led princes by that strange desire. The princes refused to accept it, and the Jin people killed Changhong. That is to say, Changhong used supernatural magic to tie the princes who didn't come to Chaozhou into grass people one by one and shot them to death with arrows, which caused them to get sick and had to come to Chaozhou. During the Warring States period, alchemists were active in society, but because they only had technology and no theory, they were obviously eclipsed by a hundred schools of thought. In the middle of the Warring States Period, Zou Yan of Qi established the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, which was used to explain various phenomena in nature and all walks of life. So Zou Yan stood out from the princes and inspired other alchemists. The alchemists absorbed the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, and combined it with their own magic, which gave the fairy magic a theoretical color. In order to cater to the psychology of rulers, alchemists strongly advocate immortality. From the mid-Warring States period to the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, alchemists and emperors encouraged each other, which set off three famous waves of alchemists going out to sea to seek fairy medicine in China history. Wei Qi, Wang Xuan and Yan Zhaowang once, Qin Shihuang once and Han Wudi once. These three trips to Penglai, the abbot and the Sanshen Mountain in Yingzhou were bigger and bigger each time, but they all ended in vain.
During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Fang Xiandao reached its climax. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty continued to seek immortality, surrounded by a large number of famous alchemists, such as Li, Li Shaoweng, Luan Da, Gong and others. According to "Historical Records of Xiaowu", Li advised Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to become an immortal, to worship the stove, to worship Zen, and to turn vermilion into gold. This is how the Yellow Emperor became immortal, and so did Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. The palace wrote that the Yellow Emperor cast a tripod into a fairy, and the tripod was out. As long as he closes his meditation and makes an alchemy, he can become an immortal. Emperor Wu sighed: Just like the Yellow Emperor, I regard my wife as a shame. (1) Under the influence of the ethos of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Liu An, the king of Huainan, the uncle of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, attracted thousands of guests, and wrote 21 internal books, many foreign books, eight novellas, and more than 20 words. This eight-volume "novella" about the skills of the immortal Huang Bai is obviously a book that summarizes the magic of the immortal. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the practice of alchemy increased. Li refined cinnabar into gold, which is an elixir of life, which was not available before. Xiao Weng will cause ghosts and let the emperor see the soul of his dead Mrs. Wang. Sacrifice to the gods in Lu' an Hall and so on. It was not until the later years of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that he realized that there were no immortals in the world.
Fang's immortal theory, that is, the most basic belief of later Taoism, and the skills made by alchemists were inherited and developed by later Taoism. Fang prepared conditions for the emergence of Taoism.