The initial formation of Taoism was in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. At that time, there were two sects, one was Taiping Road founded by Zhang Jiao, and the other was Wudoumi Road founded by Zhang Ling. These are folk religions. Taiping Road takes Taiping Jing as the classic, and Wudou Mi Dao takes Laozi as the classic, all of which use spells to curse water and save lives for religious propaganda and organization. During the Three Kingdoms period, in view of the lessons of peasants using Taoist organizations to launch peasant uprisings at the end of Han Dynasty, the Cao Wei regime adopted a policy of repression and prohibition against Taoism, and Taoism fell into silence at this time. Since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, with the deepening of social unrest and the decline of traditional Confucianism, Taoism began to rise and made great progress. Taoism, as a new ideological system and organization, must properly explain its rationality of existence, which requires Taoism to establish its own theoretical basis and explain the relationship between Taoism and Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, so as to establish its unique position. Ge Hong played an important role in constructing Taoist theory and clarifying the relationship between Taoism and Confucianism.
Ge Hong, a native of Jiangnan, is proficient in Confucianism and good at Taoism. He was a famous Taoist thinker in Jin Dynasty, and he wrote Bao Puzi. In Taoism, Ge Hong put forward two concepts, namely "Xuan" and "Tao". Ge Hong regards "Xuan" as the root of all things in the world and "Xuan is the ancestor of nature". It is mysterious and magical, and can produce everything in the world. "Xuan" is not a material entity but an absolute spiritual entity. The so-called "Tao", which contains all things in the world, is essentially nameless and is no different from "metaphysics". They are the origin of the universe, man and everything, and the spiritual entity of metamaterials. "Xuan" and "Tao" are also connected with "One". Ge Hong said: "Tao starts from one, and its value is even." "One can make yin generate yang", and the changes of the four seasons are determined by the role of "one". "One" itself is infinite, infinitesimal and magical. "If you didn't see it, you didn't hear it. If you exist, you will die. Good luck is fierce. " The function of "one" can be summarized in one sentence: "People can know that everything is over." "Xuan", "Tao" and "One" are the mysterious noumenon of Taoism and the theoretical basis of Taoist thought. Ge Hong's thought contains elements of Taoism and Confucianism. He introduced the top-down hierarchy of Confucianism into the immortal world and combined Taoist alchemy with Confucianism. However, as a Taoist thinker, his basic view on the relationship between Confucianism and Taoism is to emphasize that Taoism is higher than Confucianism and Taoism. Ge Hong believes that Tao includes not only matters related to health, but also personnel and governance, including nature and personnel. "Tao, internal governance, external governance." It is precisely because of this view that Ge Hong believes that Taoism absorbs the strengths of Confucianism, Mohism and France, and avoids the weaknesses of each family. Not only that, he also believes that "Huang Lao holds its roots", that is, in terms of political role, Huang Lao is more fundamental, while "Confucianism and Mohism govern its ends." "Moral decay, Confucianism and Mohism are heavy".
Ge Hong further elaborated the role of Confucianism and Taoism in politics. Ge hong statue and its characteristics. He believes that "as a Taoist husband, he is also good at cultivating self-cultivation; It is also true that it is good to bring people; Its treatment is also good, but the disaster has not been caused; It is unique and beneficial to immoral things; It is also touching, just look at the people with your heart; It is also very quiet, good at cautious life and not boring. This is why it is the master of a hundred schools of thought and the father of benevolence and righteousness. " Confucianism was put forward under the background that "the monarch and the minister have been translocated, and the father and son have pushed the blade", which led to the Confucian thought that "loyalty is a danger to the country and filial sons are good at losing their homes". That is to say, Confucianism and Taoism are the same in the purpose of governing Taoism, but they are quite different in the background. First, it was born in the era of "Blue Five Hanging Archways", and second, it was born in the era of "severe punishment and numerous traitors". Because of this, their political effects are also different. The therapeutic effect of Taoism is more fundamental, while Confucianism is the theory of treating headache and foot pain.
In order to show that Taoism is superior to Confucianism, Ge Hong discusses Confucianism and Taoism with the traditional sage problem as an example. This is his conclusion on the issues of "immortals" and "saints". Traditional Confucianism takes saints as the extreme, and Ge Hong holds that saints are not as good as immortals from the standpoint of Taoism. He discusses the advantages and disadvantages of immortals and saints from the following points: First, he thinks that the superstition of saints has always been wrong, and saints are "no different from mortals, but at least different". He cited many examples to illustrate this point. Secondly, he thinks that the so-called saints are just people with special skills, and there is nothing special about God. He said: "The people in the world, especially those who are good and inferior to others, make them holy." In this way, we can have "chess saints", "book saints", "painting saints" and even "stealing saints", so saints are nothing special. Third, Ge Hong also has his own views on Superman, who is traditionally regarded as a "saint who manages the world". He said: "The so-called saints are all saints who govern the world and must be saints of Tao. Those who gain the Tao are yellow, and those who govern the world are yellow. The emperor ruled the world first, then ascended the immortal, and occasionally there were talents. " Ge Hong made a distinction between "the sage who governs the world" and "the immortal", thinking that the former is not as good as the latter, and that "the immortal" can not only "carry things with his own body" but also "Baode can live forever", so it is better than the sage who can only "govern the world and secure the world". Ge Hong's ideal immortal is characterized by "keeping in good health from the inside, keeping in harmony with the world from the outside, governing the body for a long time, ruling the country and leveling the world, practicing laymen through the Six Classics, and teaching friends by alchemists." If you want to stay a little longer, you can stop and help. If you want to rise, you can be lighter. " Ge Hong's exposition of "saints" and "immortals" is the development of China's traditional view of saints.
Regarding the relationship between Taoism and Buddhism, Gu Huan, a Taoist priest in the Southern Qi Dynasty, believes that Taoism and Buddhism are essentially the same, but they are different in external form, with different functions and different purposes. He said: Sakyamuni and Laozi "have their own sacred symbols, but their traces are opposite", and their purpose is to "make Daoji the world". Regarding the formal differences between Taoism and Buddhism, Gu Huan made clear some similarities and differences between Buddhism and Taoism in the Summer of Changes. First, "Taoism says there is no death, Buddhism says there is no life"; Second, "Buddhism is rich in literature and Taoism is fine"; Third, "Buddha is the way to break evil, and Tao is the art of promoting good." Gu Huan's understanding represents the establishment of Taoism's unique position in the dispute between Buddhism and Taoism.