Daoism / Taoism
| Daoism / Taoism | |
|---|---|
| Family | East Asian / Chinese |
| Origin region | China |
| Founding period | Ancient China; organized religious Daoism developed especially from the late Han period onward |
| Estimated adherents | Difficult to count globally because it overlaps with Chinese popular religion, temples, and cultural practice. |
Daoism / Taoism is A Chinese tradition centered on the Dao, harmony with the natural order, ritual, cultivation, longevity, and spiritual transformation.
Overview
Daoism includes philosophical texts associated with Laozi and Zhuangzi, religious lineages, ritual masters, alchemical traditions, meditation, liturgy, and temple practice. It often overlaps with Chinese folk religion and local ritual life.
Key beliefs
- Dao as the ineffable way or source
- Wu wei or effortless action
- Harmony of yin and yang
- Cultivation, longevity, and transformation
- Ritual communication with divine and cosmic orders
Practices
- Meditation
- Ritual liturgy
- Qigong and inner cultivation
- Offerings
- Scripture recitation
- Festivals and temple rites
Places of worship
- Daoist temple
- Ancestral and community temples
Sacred texts
- Dao De Jing
- Zhuangzi
- Daozang / Daoist Canon
- Lingbao and Shangqing texts
Holidays and observances
- Laozi's birthday in some calendars
- Ghost Festival in popular religious settings
- Local temple festivals
Branches and related traditions
- Quanzhen Daoism - A monastic and self-cultivation tradition that became important in northern China.
- Zhengyi Daoism - A ritual lineage associated with household priests, registers, and community rites.
- Shangqing and Lingbao traditions - Scriptural and ritual movements influential in medieval Daoism.