When was Taoism founded? In what year was Taoism founded?

During the reign of Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty (126-144), Zhang Ling founded Zhengyi Mengweidao in Heming Mountain, Shu County (now in Dayi County, Sichuan).

Calculation of the Taoist Calendar (1) A.D

2697 B.C. + A.D. - 1 year. For example, 2017 is the year 4713 of the Taoist calendar. That is, 2697 BC + 2017 AD - 1 year = 4713 years.

Calculation of the Taoist calendar (2) BC:

For example, Confucius was born in 551 BC, what year is the Taoist calendar? Calculation: 2697 BC - 1 year BC; That is, 2697 BC - 551-1 BC = 2145 years, that is, Confucius was born in the year 2145 of the Taoist calendar.

For example, Lao Tzu was born in 571 BC, and according to this calculation, Lao Tzu was born in the year 2125 of the Taoist calendar.

From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, it was the period when Taoism was formed and established.

In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Huanglao Dao formed an entity, and folk primitive sects such as Taiping Dao and Tianshi Dao were established one after another. After hundreds of years of transformation and development in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the classic teachings, practice methods, and scientific precepts of Taoism gradually became complete, and new Taoist schools multiplied, and were recognized by the rulers, evolving into a mature orthodox religion.

From the Sui and Tang dynasties to the Northern Song Dynasty, due to the respect of the ruling class, Taoism flourished and had a great social influence. After the late Tang Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty, there were some new changes within Taoism, mainly manifested in the emergence of the idea of the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism and the rise of the Jindan Taoist school, which mainly practiced Neidanshu.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, during the Jin and Yuan dynasties, Taoism underwent a change. In North China, new Taoist schools such as Quanzhen Dao, Taiyi, and Zhendao appeared, and in the south, new Taoist schools such as Jindan Nanzong, Tianxin, Shenxiao, Qingwei, and Jingming appeared, and the early Tianshi Dao, Shangqing School, and Lingbao School also innovated in doctrine and Taoism. Propagating the unity of the three religions and paying attention to the cultivation of Neidan were the main characteristics of Taoism during this period.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, as China's feudal society entered the late stage, the development of Taoism fell into stagnation and ossification.

The main sects of Taoism:

In the later part of the Yuan Dynasty, the various sects of Taoism gradually merged, and finally formed a pattern of two major sects, Quanzhen and Zhengyi, which continue to this day.

1. Quanzhen.

In the seventh year of Jin Shizong's reign (1167), Wang Chongyang was founded in Ninghai, Shandong. "True" means to preserve the original authenticity. The Quanzhen school advocates the unity of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, emphasizing "insight into the heart". Genghis Khan of the Yuan Dynasty once ordered Qiu Changchun to take charge of Taoism in the world, so that the Quanzhen Tao reached its peak.

The main purpose of the cultivation of the Quanzhen Dao is to cultivate the "true skills" internally with the practice of quietness and inaction, the elimination of emotions and desires, the cultivation of the mind and nature, the cultivation of qi and alchemy, and the forbearance of shame and humiliation.

Quanzhen Taoist priests must be ordained in order to be named immortals. During the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Changyue, a lawyer of the Quanzhen faction, compiled the "First True Precepts", and passed on the First True Precepts, the Middle Extreme Precepts, and the Heavenly Immortal Great Precepts for a period of 100 days, which are collectively known as the Three Altar Precepts. Those who have received the ordination must live in the temple for a certain number of years, have a religious faith, and receive an ordination disc after receiving the ordination.

Violators of the regulations will be punished in accordance with the regulations.

2. Zhengyi faction.

Zhengyi" means "to cure evil, to rule ten thousand". The Zhengyi faction was formed by the alliance of the Dragon and Tiger Sect, the Maoshan Sect, the Pavilion Soap Sect and other Fu Sects. In the eighth year of Yuan Chengzong Dade (1304), the 38th Heavenly Master Zhang Hecai was awarded the title of "Zhengyi Sect Master, and the Presiding Leader of the Three Mountains Fu", which marked the formal formation of Zhengyi, mainly adhering to the "Zhengyi Sutra".

The Zhengyi faction attaches great importance to activities such as Fu Zhai Jiao, praying for blessings and disasters, dispelling evil spirits and exorcising ghosts, and transcending the dead. It is an important way to inherit the Zhengyi faction, and it is also an important condition for the Taoist priests of the Zhengyi faction to cultivate the truth and become immortals.

It was founded in the period of Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Zhang Daoling, the ancestor of Taoism, officially founded the organization of the order, which has a history of 1800 years.

Taoism is a polytheistic worship, and the gods and immortals are personified and embodied in Taoism's belief in "Tao". Taoist priests are Taoist clergy, and there are more than 30,000 Taoist priests living in the country. The palace is a place for Taoist activities, and there are more than 2,000 palaces registered and opened in the country.

The general academic community believes that the first official classic of Taoism was the Taiping Sutra, which was written by Yu Ji during the Eastern Han Dynasty, so the Eastern Han Dynasty is regarded as the initial period of Taoism.

The official Taoist entity activities of Taoism were the emergence of Taiping Dao and Wudou Midao in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and the Taiping Sutra, the Eastern Han Dynasty Wei Boyang's Zhou Yi Shen Tong Deed, and the Later Han Dynasty Zhang Daoling's Lao Tzu Xiang'er Note are the symbols of the formation of Taoist beliefs and theories. Although there are Taoist elements in Taoist teachings, they are far from enough to represent the spirit of Taoism and far enough to convey Lao Zhuang's thoughts, and the two must not be confused.