From Daoism to Buddhism
Encounter with Chinese Hermits in
Zhongnan Mountain (South of
Chang’an)
• Much of Daoist worldview and some
of its religious and social values are
similar to that of Buddhism, at least
in general terms
• Nature/universe is so vast/infinite that
human knowledge cannot fathom
• Life and death is within the larger
process of natural and cosmic
transformation; there are ceaseless
cycles
• Humans can live better lives if they cut
their desires to the minimum
• Plants and herbs are good regimens
for longer, healthier life
• Concentration, meditation, breathing
exercise are used to conserve,
nurture, and increase vital force, qi
• Abstention from using
weapons/violence
• Follow the right path (way) and
become a better being
• Moral actions/behaviors determine
one’s life and death
Buddhism: General Remarks
A more structured/systematic religious system
than Daoism
 Doctrines run counter with traditional Chinese
thought and values, particularly with
Confucian values
 Underwent change, adaptation, adjustment,
and transformation after its transposition from
India to China


Became a predominant religious form that
assimilated Daoism and Confucianism


Sinification/sinicization of Buddhism
Growth of it in China made China the center of
Buddhism in historical times
• The
Hinayana School is
considered a closer
representation of the original
Buddha’s teachings, whereas the
Mahayana School represents a
more ideal, altruistic, egalitarian,
and practicable form of the
religion.
•The Mahayana School divided
into sub-schools in China, with
Tiantai, Huayan, Chan, Pure
Land being most well-known
Is Buddhism a Religion?

A question often asked when
an Asian “religion” is
mentioned
 Is
Daoism a religion?
 Is Confucianism a religion?

What does the word “religion”
mean?
 Definition
of religion?
Seven Dimensions of Religion







Practical and Ritual
Experiential and
Emotional
Narrative and Mythic
Doctrinal and
Philosophical
Ethical and Legal
Social and Institutional
Material
Practical and Ritual
 Rites and ceremonies
 Ritual of initiation
(head is shaved)
 Annual summer retreat
 Festivals
Experiential and Emotional
Personal experience
highly valued
– Meditation
Accelerate spiritual
development
– Compassion
For the suffering of
mankind
Narrative and
Mythic
• Creation myth
• Jātaka stories
• 547 in a Pali
collection
Doctrinal and
Philosophical
Dharma
Scriptures and
canons
Entire Philosophical
system
Ethical and Legal
• Principle of nonharming
– Rejection of
violence
– pacifism
– Respect for life
• Vegetarianism
• Precepts
• Monastic rules
Social and Institutional
Sangha: Buddhist
order
 The Four Orders

Monks
 Nuns
 Male lay disciples
 Female disciples


Assemblies
Material

Sacred spaces
– Buddhist sites

Sacred objects
– Images
– Relics
– Scriptures
The Buddhas of Bamiyan
and destruction of them

Assess Han and Post-Han Daoism
according to this definition by focusing
on the following:
– Organization
– Ritual/liturgy
– Moral/Ethical views
– doctrines:
The Celestial Masters School:
“the Way of Five Pecks of Rice”
•Hierarchical Organization:
•The celestial master was the ruler
• direct followers were “libationers” (jijiu 祭
酒), who administered 24 districts
• demon soldiers (guizu鬼卒)
•Common followers
•Each member was equipped with a list of spirit
generals for protection, together with talismans in a
piece of silk
•
•
The list of spirit generals was called “register”
(lu 籙)
Protective talismans were called fu (符)
• They were used to ward off/combat demons that
could appear everywhere
• One needed to be familiar with demons, recognize
them, call them by their proper name
• One needed to fortify one’s house and body with
talismans, if one felt being haunted by demons.
• Recited the ritual formula “[demon, demon, I
know your name, vanish right away], swiftly,
swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and
ordinances” (jiji ru lűling 急急如律令)

Doctrines
– Lord Dao created and ruled the universe
– Celestial administration consisted of the
Three Bureaus of Heaven, Earth, and Water
They assisted Lord Dao
 Kept records of life and death

– illness is due to the patient’s sins and
immoral deeds.
 A patient is required to write down his
sins and cast his written confession into a
stream of water, vowing to the gods that
he would sin no more, on penalty of death
 Followers should practice recitation of
Laozi’s Daode jing and follow a set of
precepts (basic nine, middle nine, and
highest nine)
The basic nine
precepts:
• Do not strongly pursue riches
and honor
• Do not do evil
• Do not set yourself many
taboos and avoidances
• Do not pray or sacrifice to
demons or the spirits of the
dead
• Do not strongly oppose
anyone
• Do not consider yourself
always right
• Do not quarrel with
others over what is right
and wrong; if you get into
a debate, be the first to
concede
• Do not praise yourself as
a sage of great fame
• Do not take delight in
soldiering
The Middle nine precepts
1.Do not study false texts.
2.Dot not covet high glory or vigorously strive for
it.
3.Do not pursue fame and praise.
4.Do not do things pleasurable to ears, eyes, or
mouth.
5.Always remain modest and humble.
6.Do not engage in frivolous undertakings.
7.Always be devout in religious services, of
respectful mind and without confusion
8.Do not indulge yourself with fancy garb or tasty
food.
9.Do not overextend yourself.
The highest nine precepts
1.Do not delight in excess, since joy is as
harmful as anger.
2.Do not waste your essence or qi.
3.Do not harm the dominant qi.
4.Do not eat beings that contain blood to
delight in their fancy taste.
5.Do not hanker after merit and fame.
6.Do not explain the teaching or name Dao to
outsiders.
7.Do not neglect the divine law of Dao.
8.Do not try to set things in motion.
9.Do not kill or speak about killing.
• Celebrated the
Three Primes and
major community
events with
banquets known
as “kitchen-feast”
(chu)
•Wine flowed,
animals were
slaughtered…
• “Harmonization
of Qi” (heqi)
Talismans (fu)

All healing was undertaken through ritual and
magic
– A sick person was isolated in a quiet chamber or “jingshi”
– He/she confessed his/her sins as a sinner
– A senior master wrote them down and sent and petition
to three bureaus, often by burning
– Sinner beat his/her breast, threw himself/herself to the
ground and knocked his/her head
– Conducted self-blame by repenting his/her sins and
accusing himself/herself of various misdeeds
– Showed his inner shame to the entire community and
thus be exonerated


Sometimes, a sinner also underwent
self-punishment
Or underwent purification that involved
the ingestion of “talisman water” (fushui
符水)---the ashes of a talisman dissolved in water


Or underwent gymnastic exercise, or
meditation
Or performed community service on a
regular basis
Self-Cultivation Practices

Three groups:
– Literati Daoists:The Seven Sages of the
Bamboo Grove/

Representatives: Xi Kang, Ruan Ji
– Alchemists

Representative: Ge Hong
– Two organized schools of Daoism

Maoshan/Shangqing (Highest Purity) School
– Representatives: Xu family, Tao family

Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) School
– Representative: Ge Chaofu
The Lingbao
School

Key concept:
– Talismans creates and maintains
the world


Founder: Ge Chaofu, a
descendent of Ge Hong
Lineage:
– Ge Xuan→Ge Hong→Ge Chaofu

Texts:
– Scripture of the Five Lingbao
Talismans；
– Perfect Text in Five Tablets,
Written in Red
Ge Hong
concocting the
elixirs
The Lingbao School

Worldview—a mix of
– Shangqing’s and Han Daoist cosmology of the
five phases
– fangshi ideas and practices
– Celestial Master ritual

Doctrines
– emphasizes the notion of spells and talismans,
cosmic sounds and signs as being key to both
creation and empowerment
•Use of talismans to
• Get access to the
otherworld and
immortality
• Gain peace and
harmony for family,
village, country and
empire
Talisman composed of
Cloud-shaped Seal
Characters
Combined use of talismans, divine charts and diagrams can
•bring effect to herbs, eight minerals, numinous mushrooms,
cinnabar liquid
•ward off or destroy demons, goblin, mountain spirit….
Talisman for
protection in the
mountain
Talisman of
supreme
heaven
ruler of
south pole
Talisman to
establish
contact with
spirits of earth
and wind
The Shangqing School
 Its emergence signifies a major expansion
of Daoism
 New worldview and new cosmology:
– New creator deity called Yuanshi tianwang
(Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning)
– New Daoist celestial pantheon populated by
divine beings in a hierarchical order modeled
upon this-worldly bureaucracy
 gods of Dao, celestial immortals, demon kings,…
 New concept of and approach to immortality
– Previously, attained immortality through
cultivating inner virtue
– Now, transferred one’s registered file from the
administration of death in Fengdu to that of life in
the southern Palace
 New understanding of the human body
– Body is a storehouse of divine agencies
– Nomenclature of key parts are based on the
Yellow Court Scripture (Huangting jing)
 Yellow Court—head, spleen; Dark Towers—kidneys,
ears; Flowery Canopy—eyebrows and lungs; Spiritual
Furnace—nose; Flowery Pond---mouth; Jade Fluid or
Sweet Spring---saliva,…
Shangqing’s Meditation Practice
 Visualization of:
– Colors associated with organs to strengthen qi
– Inner passways and palaces to learn the cosmic
geography
– Gods and immortals residing there to acquire familiarity
with the divine beings
– planets and stars to emerge with their power
 This practice could lead to
– a deep trance and go on a spiritual journey to
otherworldly realm
– Ascend to the higher heavens and walk on the Big
Dipper, known as “Pacing the net” (bugang)
Ge Hong (287-347? or 284-364?)
Master who
Embraces
Simplicity
 Most famous for his alchemical theories
– One could achieve immortality by undergoing
– Ritual purification
– Magical protection
– A prolonged period of longevity practice
– The concoction of an elixir or cinnabar (liandan)
 His book, the Baopuzi (Book of the Master
Who Embraces Simplicity) describes:
– Protective measures against demons and evil
spirits,
– Application of herbs and minerals
– The attainment of magical powers such as
multilocation, invulnerability, invisibility, flying,
and so on
– The procedures for preparing the elixir…