Taoism or also known as Daoism is a diverse tradition indigenous to China,variously characterized as both a philosophy and a religion. The Tao is hard to define but is sometimes understood as the way of the universe. Taoism emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao—generally understood as being the impersonal,enigmatic process of transformation ultimately underlying reality. The concept originates in the Chinese word 道,which has numerous related meanings:possible English translations include 'way','road',and 'technique'. Taoist thought has informed the development of various practices within the Taoist tradition and beyond,including forms of meditation,astrology,qigong,feng shui,and internal alchemy. A common goal of Taoist practice is self-cultivation resulting in a deeper appreciation of the Tao,and thus a more harmonious existence. There are different formulations of Taoist ethics,but there is generally emphasis on virtues such as effortless action,naturalness or spontaneity,simplicity,and the three treasures of compassion,frugality,and humility. Many Taoist terms lack simple definitions and have been translated in several different ways.
Zhang Sanfeng refers to a legendary Chinese Taoist who many believe invented tai chi. However,other sources point to early versions of tai chi predating Sanfeng. He was purported to have achieved immortality.
The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary xian (immortals) in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel (法器) that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together,these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight Immortals" (暗八仙). Most of them are said to have been born in the Tang or Song Dynasty. They are revered by the Taoists and are also a popular element in secular Chinese culture. They are said to live on a group of five islands in the Bohai Sea,which includes Mount Penglai.
He Xiangu,birth name He Qiong,is a Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. She is often seen as the only female among the Eight Immortals. He Xiangu is believed to have lived in the Tang dynasty and was born in either Lingling District,Yongzhou,Hunan or Zengcheng District,Guangzhou,Guangdong,and some portrayals have her as the daughter of a shopkeeper.
Cao Guojiu,literally Imperial Brother-in-law Cao,is a Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. His real name was Cao Yi while his courtesy name was Jingxiu,and he was better known to his contemporaries as Cao Jingxiu.
LüDongbin is a legendary Chinese scholar and poet who lived during the Tang dynasty whose lifetime supposedly spanned two hundred and twenty years. Elevated to the status of an immortal in the Chinese cultural sphere by Daoists,he is one of the most widely known of the group of deities known as the Eight Immortals. Lüis also a historical figure and mentioned in the official history book History of Song. He is widely considered to be one of the earliest masters of neidan,or internal alchemy. He is also depicted in art dressed as a scholar carrying a sword to dispel evil spirits.
Han Xiangzi,courtesy name Qingfu or Beizhu,is a Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. He studied Taoist magical arts under the tutelage of LüDongbin,another of the Eight Immortals. Han Xiangzi is often depicted carrying a dizi,so he is also regarded as the patron deity of flutists. He is also believed to be the composer of the Taoist musical piece Tian Hua Yin (天花引).
Zhang Guo,better known as Zhang Guolao,is a Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. Among the Eight Immortals,Zhang Guolao,Zhongli Quan and LüYan were real historical figures. His existence is said to have begun around the middle or end of the 7th century,and ended approximately in the middle of the 8th. The epithet "Lao" added at the end of his name means "old".
The Monkey King or Sun Wukong is a fictional character best known as one of the main players in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West,and many later stories and adaptations. In the novel,Sun Wukong is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven,he is imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha. After five hundred years,he accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang (唐三藏) riding on the White Dragon Horse and two other disciples,Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing,on a journey to obtain Buddhist sutras from the West (India),where Buddha and his followers dwell.
The Three Pure Ones,also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones,the Three Pristine Ones,the Three Divine Teachers,the Three Clarities,or the Three Purities,are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are regarded as pure manifestations of the Tao and the origin of all sentient beings,along with the "lords of the Three Life Principles",or qi. They were also gods who were "associated with the sky,the earth and the underworld."
A xian is any manner of immortal,mythical being within the Taoist pantheon or Chinese folklore. Xian has often been translated into English as "immortal".
Ao Guang is the Dragon King of the East Sea in Chinese folklore. He featured prominently in different works including Fengshen Yanyi and Journey to the West.
Xuanwu or Xuandi,also known as Zhenwu or Zhenwudadi,is a revered deity in Chinese religion,one of the higher-ranking deities in Taoism. He is revered as a powerful god,able to control the elements and capable of great magic. He is identified as the god of the north Heidi (黑帝,lit. 'Black Emperor' and is particularly revered by martial artists. He is the patron god of Hebei,Henan,Manchuria and Mongolia. As some Han Chinese migrated into the south from Hebei and Henan during the Tang-Song era,Xuanwu is also widely revered in the Guangdong,Guangxi and Fujian provinces,as well as among the overseas diaspora.
Daode Tianzun,also known as Taishang Laojun is a high Taoist god. He is the Taiqing which is one of the Three Pure Ones,the highest immortals of Taoism.
The Quanzhen School is currently one of the two dominant denominations of Daoism in mainland China. It originated in Northern China in 1170 under the Jin dynasty (1115–1234).
Cranes are an important motif in Chinese mythology. There are various myths involving cranes,and in Chinese mythology cranes are generally symbolically connected with the idea of longevity. In China,the crane mythology is associated with the divine bird worship in the animal totemism;cranes have a spiritual meaning where they are a form of divine bird which travels between heaven and man's world. Cranes regularly appear in Chinese arts such as paintings,tapestry,and decorative arts;they are also often depicted carrying the souls of the deceased to heaven. The crane is the second most important bird after the fenghuang,the symbol of the empress,in China.
Liu Haichan was a Daoist xian who was a patriarch of the Quanzhen School,and a master of neidan "internal alchemy" techniques. Liu Haichan is associated with other Daoist transcendents,especially Zhongli Quan and LüDongbin,two of the Eight Immortals. Traditional Chinese and Japanese art frequently represents Liu with a string of square-holed cash coins and a mythical three-legged chanchu. In the present day,it is called the Jin Chan (金蟾),literally meaning "Money Toad",and Liu Haichan is considered an embodiment of Caishen,the God of Wealth.
Lishan Laomu is the goddess of Mount Li in Chinese religion. She is a popular female immortal in the Taoist pantheon,and a high-ranking one according to some late sources. Legend has it that Lishan Laomu,whose surname and origin remain mysterious,is a supremely elevated female immortal dwelling deep within the Mount Li. Her origins are said to derive from Nüwa,the legendary creator and mother goddess.
King Father of the East,also known as Dongwanggong (東王公),is the tutelary deity of the Taoist immortals. Legends say that the King Father of the East is the consort of Queen Mother of the West. He is the manifestation of yang energy.
Wang Xuanfu (王玄甫),also known as Wang Cheng (王誠),is a legendary Taoist of the Han Dynasty,who became immortal at the age of 256,under the name of "Lord of the Young Yang of the Purple Office" (紫府少陽君). He is sometimes equated with the god Donghua (東華帝君),in which case he is made a character of the Zhou dynasty. Considered the master of Zhongli Quan to whom he would have transmitted alchemical secrets and the technique of the sword of the black dragon (青龍劍法),he is one of the Five Ancestors of the North of the Quanzhen current and was titled by the Yuan emperors.
