Questions about Quanzhen religion (consult Taoist experts)

1, Taoism is not equal to Taoism. Taoist thought is only one of the sources of Taoism. You must have known this for a long time, so you can't take the things of Laozi and Zhuangzi as the absolute standard to measure Taoism. Moreover, Laozi and Zhuangzi's thoughts are only criticizing some Confucian concepts, such as abandoning wisdom and learning carefree, which are only superficial extremes, not how to target Confucianism. I remember there are many examples in Zhuangzi, such as the question and answer between Confucius and Yan Hui. Confucius also showed a positive image here.

2. Although the research is not in-depth, I think the Confucianism and Taoism in the era of Laozi and Zhuangzi are more lively, not as boring as the later Neo-Confucianism. When Wang Zhongyang founded Quanzhen religion, Zhu Cheng's Neo-Confucianism was not the mainstream of Confucianism. Therefore, Confucianism in the integration of the three religions may emphasize loyalty and filial piety, but not fully absorb red tape and etiquette. Moreover, the integration of the three religions is also beneficial to Taoism, rather than giving up the integration of principles.

3. About vegetarianism. In fact, it can be seen from Laozi's theory that Taoism is not asceticism, but opposes excesses. Unbridled greed. Therefore, the theory of Quanzhen religion embodies that if people can meet their own needs, they can't destroy their lives with too many demands. Of course, in Taoist teachings, although everything is tangible and contains Taoism, there is already a hierarchy of life forms, such as the division of heaven and earth, the division of ghosts and gods, the pursuit of enlightenment and the division of longevity. It is life that has levels, so to meet the most basic survival needs, we must start from the lower level and not harm the more advanced life forms. As long as it is a civilized society, it is also true that people do not advocate cannibalism.