Chapter 19 Four, up the ladder

At the same time, Taoism also came into the room. If it is said that Buddhism came from foreign countries to China, then Taoism came from the lower class to the upper class.From the period of Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 125-144) Yu Ji wrote "Taiping Qing Ling Shu", to the Northern Wei Dynasty Emperor Taiwu changed Yuan Taiping Zhenjun (AD 440) and went to the Taoist altar to accept the talisman (AD 442), the three hundred The course of the year is also very long. The road is long and long, and we can only climb up the steps. In fact, just as the Sinicization of Buddhism has three steps, the legalization of Taoism also has three steps.The first one is folk Taoism, which is the way of heavenly masters and the way of Taiping.Although they are regarded as a symbol of the birth of Taoism, they are actually only "quasi-religions" or "quasi-religions", and they are low-level or even underground.

Therefore, Tianshi Dao and Taiping Dao not only have no legal status, but may also be banned and suppressed, especially after Taiping Dao becomes the Yellow Turban Army. Sun En's organization, too. Fortunately, due to the surrender of the head teacher Zhang Lu to Cao Cao, the Tao of Tianshi escaped and spread.Fortunately, it has received the attention and welcome of some celebrities in the Wei and Jin Dynasties.A large number of high-ranking gentry joined Taoism, and even a family of celestial masters who worshiped Taoism for generations appeared, such as Wang Xizhi, Ge Hong, and Tao Hongjing.The leader and the main force changed from alchemists to famous scholars, and Taoism also stepped up to a second level.

That's right, folk Taoism has become gentry Taoism. Gentleman Taoism is an upgraded version of folk Taoism, and it is also a luxury and an anesthetic for the noble class.In fact, due to the patriarchal system and dark politics, the gentry as a class certainly enjoyed legal privileges and could be pampered and reaped for nothing, but as individuals they could not control their own destiny.What's more frightening is that no one knows when disaster will fall from the sky and whose head it will fall on. The leisure time needs to be passed, and the noble status needs to be displayed, so there is a talk (please refer to the eleventh volume of the history of China, "Wei and Jin Demeanor").Restless minds need comfort, and empty spirits need sustenance, so Taoism becomes popular.

So, why Taoism and not Buddhism? Because after the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the minds of the gentry in Pian'an Jiangzuo were no longer the rise and fall of the country and the rise and fall of the nation, but vested interests and personal safety.They don't want to save all sentient beings, they just want to live a long and healthy life.Therefore, in the Taoist school, Yang Zhu advocated timely entertainment, Zhuangzi advocated freedom and freedom, and Taoism advocated taking food and promoting qi to cultivate immortality, and they became the first choice and favorite of scholar-bureaucrats.

What's more, Buddhism belongs to the Hu people, and Taoism belongs to the Han people. Therefore, although the gentry-oriented Taoism and the metaphysics of Buddhism were almost at the same time (both were completed in the Eastern Jin Dynasty), the gentry-oriented Taoism did not become metaphysics, but Buddhism’s Prajnaism became metaphysics.That is to say, for Buddhism, celebrities pay more attention to righteousness, philosophical meaning and speculative spirit.Regarding Taoism, their attitude is pragmatic, no different from Qin Huang Han Wu. Very good, there is Buddha in plain talk, and there is Tao in immortality.

Therefore, the ethos of the Eastern Jin Dynasty is that monks talk about mysteries, and famous scholars make alchemy.Elegant and unconventional like Wang Xizhi, he talks about mystery and makes alchemy.As for folk Taoism, of course, it is undoubtedly regarded as evil and crooked, and it cannot be considered elegant at all. From then on, Taoism began to polarize.The folk Taoism that went underground continued to spread in a popular form, and even secret organizations emerged from it, which became the banner and link of peasant uprisings.The Taoism of the gentry who entered the upper class entered the palace from the study and Taoist temple, and finally became royal Taoism.

This is the third step. The birth of Royal Taoism was inevitable.In fact, without the umbrella of the emperor, no religion could gain legitimacy.Therefore, Taoism also placed itself under the wings of the imperial power, relying on the highest power to survive and develop.It's just that they took this step nearly a hundred years later than Buddhism.But in the same way, Taoism also relies on the regime of the northern minorities. Of course, they also have their own Fotucheng. The Taoist Buddha Tucheng is called Kou Qianzhi. Kou Qianzhi was born in Changping, Shanggu (now Changping, Beijing) in the Northern Wei Dynasty. His ancestors were also aristocratic families, and he himself was obsessed with immortality since he was a child.It's a pity that although this candidate god is full of enthusiasm and pious attitude, he has been unable to get the point. After years of taking medicine and practicing kung fu, it was useless, until he met an expert.

The expert is called Cheng Gongxing. Cheng Gongxing said: Sir, if you want to learn Taoism, can you live in seclusion? Kou Qianzhi said: Of course it can. So, Kou Qianzhi was taken to a secret room in Huashan, and took a medicine given by Cheng Gongxing, and he no longer felt hungry.However, when Kou Qianzhi came to the secret room in Songshan and was asked to take the second medicine, he turned around and ran away in fright. That kind of medicine is poisonous insects and some things that make people vomit. Cheng Gongxing sighed and said: It seems that Mr. Cheng has no destiny with Chengxian, but it happens to be able to stabilize the country and become the teacher of the emperor.

No one knew what Kou Qianzhi was thinking at the time, but one day, Cheng Gongxing walked into the third secret room and died, and was revived the next day, and was picked up by two fairy boys who came to Songshan Mountain.It turned out that Cheng Gongxing was originally a god, and he was demoted to the mortal world because of a mistake. After the sentence expired, he would naturally return to the heaven. Oh, it turns out that gods can make mistakes too. Kou Qianzhi continued to stay in Songshan after Cheng Gongxing's "immortal death", until he was personally received by the Taishang Laojun and his great-great-grandson.The two immortals handed down Taoist secrets and various alchemy to Kou Qianzhi, and granted him the title of "Tianshi", a parish with a radius of thousands of miles, and the right to command humans and ghosts. , and assist the Northern Zhenjun Taiping.

Obviously, this is a story that can only be read as a martial arts novel, but it has been grandly recorded in the annals of history, because the story is well-written and convincing: the Taishang Laojun descended to earth in the second year of Shenrui in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 415) ) on October 22, and his great-great-grandson came to Songshan on the fifth day of October in the eighth year of Taichang (AD 423). This level of fraud cannot but be admired. In fact, these two days may really exist, but they are just the time for Kou Qianzhi to complete his preparations.Of course, those two missions were also given to him by himself.However, this is where Kou Qianzhi excels. He is very clear about what he should do and where Taoism should go.This is the result of his deep reflection on the nearly 300-year history of Tianshi Taoism and the current status quo.

So, where was the problem of Taoism at that time? Vulgar, chaotic, and dangerous to the regime.For example, adultery in the name of practicing magic in the room, extortion of money in the name of giving people talismans, spreading rumors and gathering crowds to make trouble in the name of religious activities, etc.This is despised by the scholar-officials and tolerated by the rulers, and Taoism will be suppressed or banned sooner or later. The religious reform is imperative. The reform is comprehensive.From "anti-pornography and anti-illegal activities" (abolishing housework and clearing up fake books), system innovation (addition of fasting rituals and precepts) to organizational rectification (reform of the stereotypes and bad habits of father-in-law and son-in-law), and so on.But the most important thing is to resolutely safeguard the state power, strictly prohibit false rumors to confuse the public, and commit chaos. That's the point. The reformed Taoism is called Xintianshidao, also known as Beitianshidao.Its core value is actually the three cardinal principles and five constant principles advocated by Confucianism. The religious forms and concepts are largely imitated and copied from Buddhism, including setting up altars, cultivating merit, chanting scriptures, observing precepts, etc., and also promoting the six paths of reincarnation.In other words, the realization of the reform goal actually relies on two hands: concurrently practicing Confucianism and introducing Buddhism into Taoism. Kou Qianzhi has both sides. This understanding of the general situation and the overall situation is of course quite favored by the rulers and approved by the scholar-bureaucrats.In 424 or 425 AD, that is, the year Liu Yilong became Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty or the following year, Kou Qianzhi established the Tianshi Dojo in Pingcheng, the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty.Sixteen years later, Emperor Taiwu changed to Yuan Taiping Zhenjun.Two years later, he went to the Taoist altar to accept the talisman and made it a must-have ceremony for the new emperor when he ascended the throne. Taoism officially became the state religion of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Kou Qianzhi became the national teacher of the Northern Wei Dynasty. At this time, it has been nearly a hundred years since Fotucheng was revered as a great monk.What is the fate of Buddhism, which was once all the rage in northern China?

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Notes: , Qing Xitai, Tang Dachao "History of Taoism", "Encyclopedia of China Religious Volume" Kou Qian's article. Volume one hundred and twenty-four.Regarding the time when Kou Qianzhi built the Tianshi dojo, Ren Jiyu's "Dictionary of Religion" said it was in 424, Qing Xitai and Tang Dachao's "History of Taoism", "Encyclopedia of China Religious Volume" Kou Qianzhi's article said it was in 425 , no record.