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L O U I S K O M J A T H Y , P H . D .U N I V E R S I T Y O F S A N D I E G O
THE DAOIST TRADITION
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Approaching Daoism
! Spelled Taoism in the older Wade-Giles Romanization system, but still pronouncedDaoism
!Indigenous Chinese religion deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture
!Dao , translatable as the Way and a way, as sacred and ultimate concern
!
Begins as a religiouscommunity during the Warring States period (480-222 BCE)
! Western name approximates various indigenous Chinese designations, includingdaojia
(Family of the Dao), daojiao (Teachings of the Dao), and xuanfeng (Mysterious Movement)
! Daoists as adherents of Daoism. Those who are part of the tradition of theDao (daotong ) and who endeavor to transmit the Dao (chuandao )
! Now a global religious tradition characterized by cultural, ethnic, linguistic andnational diversity. Global Daoism as rooted in Chinese Daoism as source-tradition
! Like Zen Buddhism before it, Daoism is the object of various Western fictions,fabrications, and fantasies.
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Reliable Introductions to Daoism
Livia Kohn2001/2004
James Miller2003/2008
Louis Komjathy
2013
Russell Kirkland2004
Livia Kohn
2008
Louis Komjathy
forthcoming
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Contents ofDaoism: A Guide for the Perplexed(Bloomsbury Academy, forthcoming [2014])
Conventions viii
List of Figures xi
Introduction: On guidance and perplexity 1
1 Tradition 15
2 Community 41
3 Identity 59
4 View 79
5 Personhood 105
6 Practice 131
7 Experience 1618 Place 181
9 Modernity 201
Bibliography 227
Index 249
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Online ResourcesCenter for Daoist Studies
www.daoistcenter.org
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1
BASIC INFORMATION SHEET ON DAOISM (TAOISM)
Louis Komjathy, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Chinese Religions and Comparative Religious Studies
Department of Theology and Religious StudiesUniversity of San Diego
This is an essentialized and simplified information sheet on Daoism (Taoism). It is particularly intended
for non-specialist educators who teach Daoism or who are interested in deepening their understanding.
PRELIMINARY POINTS
Daoism (spelled Taoism in the older Wade-Giles romanization system) is an indigenous Chinese religioustradition in which reverence for the Dao, translatable as the Way and a way, is a matter of ultimate
concern. Daoism was a religiouscommunity from the beginning, here dated to the Warring States period
(480-222 BCE). As a Western category, Daoism may be understood as shorthand for Daoist adherents,
communities and their religious expressions. With over two thousand years of history, Daoism is a
diverse and complex religious tradition; it includes varied forms of religiosity that may be perplexing to
those who construct religion in terms of founders, authoritative scriptures and orthodox beliefs.
Throughout Chinese history Daoists have consistently focused on the Dao as sacred and ultimate
concern. This is expressed in indigenous Chinese designations, including daojia(Family of the Dao),
daojiao (Teachings of the Dao), daoshi (adept of the Dao), and xuanfeng (Mysterious
Movement). That is, Daoists have understood themselves as those who transmit the Dao ( chuandao
); they have seen themselves as part of the tradition of the Dao (daotong). In the modern world,
Daoism also has become a global religious tradition characterized by cultural diversity and multiethnicity.
At the same time, like Zen Buddhism before it, Daoism is the object of various Western fantasies and
fictions.
ON DAOISM AND TAOISM (ROMANIZATION)
Both Daoism and Taoism refer to the same Chinese religion; they are both pronounced with a d
sound. Taoism derives from Wade-Giles romanization, an earlier way of approximating the sound of
Chinese characters into alphabetic script. Daoism derives from the more recent Pinyin romanization
system, which is the official system created by the Peoples Republic of China and utilized throughoutmainland China. Wade-Giles uses Tao, Taoist, and Taoism. If these terms were pronounced with a
t sound, they would appear as Tao, Taoist, and Taoism. That is, in Wade-Giles, a t withoutan apostrophe () is a d sound. Pinyin uses Dao, Daoist, and Daoism. The latter is the preferred
form. The matter is complicated because some scholars now use Pinyin romanization, but continue toemploy the Wade-Giles derived Tao, Taoist, Taoism. The rationales for this are varied, but none of
them hold up to critical scrutiny.
Scholarly opinion differs on the origins and early history of Daoism. Nonetheless, there is consensus that
the category of philosophical Daoism is inaccurate and outdated. It should be completely abandoned.
Unfortunately, specialist research has yet to influence non-specialist discourse, both academic and
popular. Every major world religions textbook utilizes the misleading distinction between so-calledphilosophical Daoism and so-ca lled re ligious Daoism. The use of these categories should be taken, ipso
facto, as a sign of ignorance and inaccuracy. The easiest solution to this problem is to replace
philosophical Daoism with classical Daoism, and to emphasize the religious dimensions of classicalDaoism, of the early inner cultivation lineages (Harold Roth, Brown University). These dimensions
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Remedying the Received View of Daoism
Philosophical Daoism!
Based on misinterpretation of classical Daoist texts!Based on misunderstanding of defining characteristics!Daojia (tao-chia) simply means Family of the Dao
!Early Han dynasty bibliographic and taxonomic category!Eventually used by Daoists to refer to their tradition, especiallyordained Daoist priests and religious communities
!Earliest Daoist religious community!Apophatic meditation and mystical union with Dao!"philosophical Daoism
Religious Daoism!Based on assumed distinction with so-called philosophical Daoism!Based on misunderstanding of earlier Daoist communities!Daojiao
(tao-chiao) simply means Teachings of the Dao!Early medieval category used to distinguish Daoism from Buddhism(fojiao )
!Includes so-called daojia!Daoism was a religious tradition from the beginning!No other form of Daoism!"religious Daoism
"The Daoist tradition
!Indigenous Chinese religion characterized by diversity and complexity
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Seven Periods and Four Divisions of Daoist History
(The Daoist Tradition, Louis Komjathy, 2013)
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Defining Characteristics of the Four Divisions
Classical Daoism!Warring States (480-222 BCE) to Early Han (202 BCE-9 CE)!Earliest Daoist religious community
!Key movement: Inner cultivation lineages (Harold Roth)!Primary emphasis: Apophatic meditation aimed at mystical union with the Dao
Early Organized Daoism!Later Han (25-220 CE) to Period of Disunion (220-589)!Beginning of Daoism as organized religion!Key movements: Taiping (Great Peace), Tianshi (Celestial Masters), Taiqing
(Great Clarity), Shangqing (Highest Clarity), and Lingbao (Numinous Treasure)!Primary emphasis: Ethics, ritual, and theocratic society
Later Organized Daoism!Tang (618-907) to Qing (1644-1911)!Emergence of monasticism as major form of Daoist social organization!Key movements: Quanzhen (Complete Perfection), various internal alchemy lineages,as well as deity cults and ritual movements
!Primary emphasis: Internal alchemy and ritual
Modern Daoism!1912-present!Technically part of later organized Daoism!Primarily Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity)-Quanzhen(Complete Perfection) tradition!Emergence of global Daoism as multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-
national tradition from late 20th
century to present
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Models of Daoist Practice and Attainment
(1) Alchemical: Transformation of self through ingestion of various substances (external)and/or through complex physiological practices (internal)
(2) Ascetic: Renunciation, perhaps even body-negation. May involve psychologicalpurification (internal) or practices such as fasting, sleep deprivation, voluntary poverty, etc.(external)
(3) Cosmological: Emphasis on cosmological integration and seasonal attunement
(4) Dietetic: Attentiveness to consumption patterns and influences
(5) Ethical: Emphasis on morality and ethics, including precept study and application
(6) Hermeneutical: Emphasis on scripture study and interpretation, often resulting in theproduction of commentaries
(7) Meditative: Meditation as central, with the recognition of diverse types of meditation
(8) Quietistic: Non-action (wuwei ), involving non-interference, non-intervention, andeffortless activity, as central
(9) Ritualistic: Ritual as central, with the recognition of diverse types of ritual expression andactivity
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Towards a Cross-cultural Definition of Religion
! Dimensions (Ninian Smart): Community, doctrine, ethics, experience,materiality, narrative, and practice.
! Hierophanies (Mircea Eliade): History of religions as series ofmanifestations of sacred realities. Possibility that reality is plural, ratherthan singular.
! Symbol System (Clifford Geertz): Integral relationship betweenworldview and reality.
!Ultimate Concern (Paul Tillich): Concern (sacred) that renders all otherconcerns preliminary and reveals the meaning of life.
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Some Comparative Categories for Religious Studies
Cosmogony: Discourse on, study of, or theories about the origins of theuniverse.
Cosmology: Discourse on, study of, or theories about the underlyingprinciples and structure of the universe.
Soteriology: Discourse on, study of, or theories about the ultimate purpose of
human existence. Examples include actualization, liberation, perfection,realization, salvation, and so forth.
Theology: Discourse on, study of, or theories about the sacred. Tradition-specific terms and defining characteristics.
- Animistic: Gods/spirits in nature
- Atheistic: No gods- Monistic: One impersonal reality (Reality)- Monotheistic: One personal god (God)- Panenhenic: Nature as sacred- Pantheistic: Sacred in the world- Panentheistic: Sacred in and beyond the world- Polytheistic: Multiple gods
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Comparative Categories Applied to Daoism
Cosmogony: Impersonal, spontaneous transformation. Emanation. Fromnon-differentiation to differentiation. Manifestation without diminishment.
Cosmology: Transformative process based on yin -yang interaction. AlsoFive Phases (wuxing ) and qi (chi; energy). Not specifically Daoist.
Traditional Chinese culture. Amoral universe.
Soteriology: Attunement with the Dao . Many paths and models.
Theology: Dao as sacred and ultimate concern of Daoists.- Primary: Apophatic, monistic, panentheistic, panenhenic.- Secondary: Animistic and polytheistic.
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Daoist Locatedness
(The Daoist Tradition, Louis Komjathy, 2013)
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VIEW
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Character for Dao(Tao)
Ancient Seal Script Modern Script
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Etymology of Dao (Tao)
Chuo: To Walk Shou: Head
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Chapter 1 of theDaode jing (Scripture on the Dao and Inner Power)
The dao that can be spoken is not the constant Dao.The name that can be named is not the constant name.Namelessthe beginning of the heavens and earth.Namedthe mother of the ten thousand beings.Thus, constantly desireless, one may observe its subtlety.Constantly desiring, one may observe its boundaries.These two emerge from sameness, but differ in name.This sameness is called mysterious.Mysterious and again more mysteriousThe gateway to all that is wondrous.
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Dao as Daoist Cosmological and Theological CategoryFour Characteristics
1. Source of everything
2. Unnamable mystery
3. All-pervading sacred presence (qi )
4. Universe as transformative process (Nature)
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Sanqing (Three Purities)
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Classical and Foundational Daoist Cosmogony
(The Daoist Tradition, Louis Komjathy, 2013)
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Classical and Foundational Daoist Cosmology(Traditional Chinese Cosmology)
Three Primary Dimensions!Yin -yang : Interrelated cosmological principles and forces!Five Phases: Wood (minor yang), Fire (major yang), Earth (), Metal (minor yin), andWater (major yin)!Qi(Chi): Physical respiration and subtle breath (energy)
Yin-Yang!
Etymologically the characters depict a hill covered with shadows and sunlight,respectively
!Every being and phenomenon as combination of yin-yang, in varying degrees
!Not polar opposites or antagonistic powers. Not good and evil
!Cosmological and alchemical views
!Various relative associations- yin/feminine/earth/moon/dark/death/cold/moist/heavy/turbidity/
descent/rest/inward- yang/masculine/heavens/sun/light/life/hot/dry/light/clarity/
ascent/activity/outward
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Nine Foundational Daoist Principles and Values
1. Effortlessness2. Flexibility3. Receptivity
4. Anonymity
5. Serenity6. Aptitude
7. Non-attachment8. Contentment
9. Deference
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Practice
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Cosmological Attunement
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Dietetics
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Health and Longevity Practice
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Meditation
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Ritual
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Scripture Study
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Artistic Expression
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Experience
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Being & Embodiment
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Community
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Place
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Residency/Habitation
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Mystical Experience & Revelation
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Identity
&
Affiliation
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Daoist Religious Identity
DaoistAdherent of the religious tradition which is Daoism
Affinity
Formal Affiliation
Lineage
Mystical Experience
Ordination
Revelation
Training
Transmission
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Daoist Ordination and Lineage:Huashan Lineage of Quanzhen
(Complete Perfection)
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Daoist Ordination and Lineage
Xue Tailai (1924-2001)24thGeneration
Shiye (Master-grandfather)
Chen Yuming (b. 1969)
25thGenerationShifu (Master-father)
KangWanrui (b. 1971)
26thGeneration
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Huashan 100-Character Lineage Poem
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Quanzhen Monasteries Resided At
Taiqing gong
(Palace of Great Clarity)Laoshan
(Mount Lao; near Qingdao, Shandong)
Yuquan yuan
(Temple of Jade Spring)Huashan
(Mount Hua; near Huayin, Shaanxi)
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Abbot and Administrative Monks of Taiqing gong
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