In the sixth year of Shunzhi (1649), Zhang Yingjing, the 52nd generation Shi Tian, was appointed to be in charge of Taoism. Two years later, he was ordered to enter Beijing and was awarded the title of "Zhengyi Inheritor", in charge of Taoism in the world and given a seal. During the Kangxi period, Zhang Jizong, the 54th generation Shi Tian, was ordered to make a pilgrimage to wuyue and set up a fast and pray for rain to govern the river. He inherited the real person for 20 years (168 1 year) and was awarded Dr. Guanglu in 42 years (1703).
In san huang in the early Qing Dynasty, Shunzhi and Kangxi did not really believe in Taoism, but only regarded Taoism as an available tool. Yong Zhengdi, on the other hand, is completely different. He believes in the magic of Taoism. He believes that Taoism not only persuades people to do good and abstain from evil, but also helps heaven and earth. Through the divination of seal script, you can also pray for sunshine and rain, cure diseases and exorcise evil spirits, which has the merit of helping others and benefiting all things. So, he fell ill himself, went to the Taoist Palace for treatment and took good care of Taoist priests.
In the fifth year of Yongzheng (1727), Zhang Xilin, a real person from the fifty-fifth generation, made a pilgrimage and was awarded the title of Dr. Guanglu along the precedent. In nine years, I gave silver to repair the Qing Palace on Longhu Mountain, bought several acres of dried incense fields for the temple, and spent more than 10,000 taels of silver. Yongzheng was the emperor who admired Taoism the most in Qing Dynasty. In the ninth year of Yongzheng (1730), Sejong fell ill, and Tian Wenjing, the governor of Hedong, recommended Jia Shifang, a Taoist of Baiyun Temple, to enter the palace for treatment. The Taoist boasted that he had offended Yongzheng, so he boasted and beheaded him according to the heinous theory.
After killing the Taoist priest, Yongzheng's condition became more and more serious. He thought it was Jia Shifang's "evil entanglement", so he asked Lou, the master of Longhushan, to enter the expert's den to build an altar, set up a ritual bucket and drink its water. After Yongzheng recovered from his illness, he gave Lou Jinyuan the title of "Miaoying Real Person" and an inscription to repair the Taoist Temple of Longhu Mountain.
Yong Zhengdi originally believed in Zen and advocated the unity of the three religions. He believes that the purity of Buddhism, the spirit of Taoism and the intentional cultivation of Confucianism are all the same and can go hand in hand. So while he believed in Zen, he also admired Taoism. Daotulou Jinyuan clearly saw this. He never showed off the cultivation of Taoism, but explained Taoism with the attitude of the world, thinking that "extravagant food is the real fairy middleman", which will certainly be appreciated by Yongzheng.
Because Yongzheng was good at Zen, Lou Jinyuan also liked it. He used the thought of "everything is ready" in Neo-Confucianism and the thought of "heart is Buddha" in Zen to explain Taoism's "Tao", which is consistent with Yongzheng's thought of the integration of three religions.
Yong Zhengdi compiled nineteen volumes of quotations from Selected Works, including quotations from governors, ministers, Zen masters and Taoist priests, as well as Lou Jinyuan's remarks. The kindness of the emperor, coupled with the catering of Taoist priests, made Yongzheng reach the climax of worshipping Taoism in the Qing Dynasty. However, the decline of Taoism in Ming and Qing Dynasties did not revive it.