"some middle ground combining the best of both. Confucius heavily emphasized the idea of microcosms in society (subunits of family and community) success's were the foundations for a successful state or country. Confucius believed in the use of education to further knowledge the people in ethics, societal behavior, and reverence in other humans. With the combination of education, successful family, and his ethical teachings he believed he could govern a well established society in China. Daoism is a philosophy and later also developed into a religion based on the texts the ""Tao Te Ching"" (Dào Dé Jīng; ascribed to Laozi)"
"mainstream Islam. Some early Chinese Taoist-Buddhists thought the Buddha to be a reincarnation of Laozi. Disciples of the Cao Đài religion worship the Buddha as a major religious teacher. His image can be found in both their Holy See and on the home altar. He is revealed during communication with Divine Beings as son of their Supreme Being (God the Father) together with other major religious teachers and founders like Jesus, Laozi, and Confucius. The Christian Saint Josaphat is based on the Buddha. The name comes from the Sanskrit ""Bodhisattva"" via Arabic ""Būdhasaf"" and Georgian ""Iodasaph"". The only story in"
"or Mount Penglai. Han-era Daoists assembled into small groups of hermits who attempted to achieve immortality through breathing exercises, sexual techniques and use of medical elixirs. By the 2nd century AD, Daoists formed large hierarchical religious societies such as the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice. Its followers believed that the sage-philosopher Laozi (fl. 6th century BC) was a holy prophet who would offer salvation and good health if his devout followers would confess their sins, ban the worship of unclean gods who accepted meat sacrifices and chant sections of the ""Daodejing"". Buddhism first entered China during the Eastern"
"defined as pantheistic, given its philosophical emphasis on the formlessness of the Tao and the primacy of the ""Way"" rather than anthropomorphic concepts of God. This is one of the core beliefs that nearly all the sects share. Taoist orders usually present the Three Pure Ones at the top of the pantheon of deities, visualizing the hierarchy emanating from the Tao. Laozi (""Laojun"", ""Lord Lao""), is considered the incarnation of one of the Three Purities and worshipped as the ancestor of the philosophical doctrine. Different branches of Taoism often have differing pantheons of lesser deities, where these deities reflect different"
"diverse group including mountain-worshippers and Confucian Shinto schools. The concepts of Tao and ""de"" are shared by both Taoism and Confucianism. The authorship of the Tao Te Ching, the central book of Taoism, is assigned to Laozi, who is traditionally held to have been a teacher of Confucius. However, some scholars believe that the Tao Te Ching arose as a reaction to Confucianism. Zhuangzi, reacting to the Confucian-Mohist ethical disputes casts Laozi as a prior step to the Mohists by name and the Confucians by implication. However, secular scholars usually consider Laozi and Zhuangzi to have been mythological figures. Early"
"Laozi (fl. 6th century BC), the philosopher who founded Taoism. He was said to have been an eleventh-generation descendant of Li Lizhen. Laozi is widely revered as the founding ancestor of the Li surname. Another early origin of Li is the non-Huaxia Ba people, who established the Ba state during the Zhou dynasty in modern western Hubei province and Chongqing municipality. In 316 BC, Ba was conquered by the state of Qin, which would eventually conquer all the warring states to establish the Qin dynasty. Many Ba people adopted Li as their surname, as it sounded similar to the Ba"
"Lao Sung Lao Sung or more commonly Lao Soung (Laotian: ລາວສູງ ) is an official Laotian designation for highland dwelling peoples in Laos (the others being the Lao Loum and the Lao Theung). Lao Soung make up 9% of the Laotian population in Laos. They mostly practice indigenous religions classified together as Satsana Phi, including Lao ""phi"" worship, and Yao Taoism. Some practice Theravada Buddhism. Some Lao Soung fought against the communist Pathet Lao government in 1975 to keep the Royal Lao Government in power. Many moved from southern China and Laos to the U.S., France and Australia in the"
"income of only $21,479 below the American average of $25,825. According to data collected in 2013, 38% of all Laotian Americans dropout of high school. Laos is 65% Buddhist. Buddhism is the basis and religion practiced in Laos. Lao Buddhism shares similar beliefs with Theravada Buddhism. Lao Buddhism believes in animist beliefs, which is the belief of spiritual essence possessed in objects and creatures. Buddhism located in rural parts of Lao believe in the belief of ancestral spirits, which is the belief of souls and spirits from afterlife. Although Buddhism is the primary religion practiced in Laos, there are some"
"a diverse philosophical and religious tradition that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (also romanized ""Dao""), a term that means ""way"", ""path"" or ""principle"". The concept is shared with other Chinese philosophies and religions. In Taoism, however, ""Tao"" denotes both the source and the driving force inherent in everything that exists. It is ultimately ineffable: ""The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."" Laozi is traditionally regarded as the founder of Taoism and is closely associated with ""original"", or ""primordial"", Taoism. Whether he actually existed is commonly disputed; however, the work attributed to him – the"
"A major text from the Huang-Lao movement would be the ""Huainanzi"", which interprets earlier works of the Taoist canon in light of the quest for immortality. The first organized form of Taoism, the Tianshi (Celestial Masters') school (later known as Zhengyi school), developed from the Five Pecks of Rice movement at the end of the 2nd century CE; the latter had been founded by Zhang Daoling, who claimed that Laozi appeared to him in the year 142. The Tianshi school was officially recognized by ruler Cao Cao in 215, legitimizing Cao Cao's rise to power in return. Laozi received imperial"
"The ""Laozi zhongjing"" 老子中經 ""Central Scripture of Laozi"" similarly describes visualizing and activating gods within the body, along with breathing exercises for meditation and longevity techniques. The adept envisions the yellow and red essences of the sun and moon, which activates Laozi and ""Yunü"" 玉女 ""Jade Woman"" within the abdomen, producing the ""shengtai"" 聖胎 ""sacred embryo"". The ""Cantong qi"" ""Kinship of the Three"", attributed to Wei Boyang (fl. 2nd century), criticizes Daoist methods of meditation on inner deities. The Jin Dynasty scholar Ge Hong's (c. 320) ""Baopuzi"" ""Master who Embraces Simplicity"", which is an invaluable source for early Daoism, describes"
"1960s, 1970s, and 1980s to escape the communist governments there. Lao Sung Lao Sung or more commonly Lao Soung (Laotian: ລາວສູງ ) is an official Laotian designation for highland dwelling peoples in Laos (the others being the Lao Loum and the Lao Theung). Lao Soung make up 9% of the Laotian population in Laos. They mostly practice indigenous religions classified together as Satsana Phi, including Lao ""phi"" worship, and Yao Taoism. Some practice Theravada Buddhism. Some Lao Soung fought against the communist Pathet Lao government in 1975 to keep the Royal Lao Government in power. Many moved from southern China"
"Cao's rise to power in return. Laozi received imperial recognition as a divinity in the mid-2nd century BCE. Taoism, in form of the Shangqing school, gained official status in China again during the Tang dynasty (618–907), whose emperors claimed Laozi as their relative. The Shangqing movement, however, had developed much earlier, in the 4th century, on the basis of a series of revelations by gods and spirits to a certain Yang Xi in the years between 364 and 370. Between 397 and 402, Ge Chaofu compiled a series of scriptures which later served as the foundation of the Lingbao school,"
"frameworks inherited from the period of the hundred schools of thought (6th century to 221 BC). According to Russell Kirkland, these independent influences include: The Tao Te Ching (also known as the Laozi, terminus ante quem third century BCE) has traditionally been seen as the central and founding Taoist text, though historically, it is only one of the many different influences on Taoist thought, and at times, a marginal one at that. The Laozi changed and developed over time possibly from a tradition of oral sayings, and is a loose collection of aphorisms on various topics which seek to give"
"was a great tactician in defense. He defended the small state of Song from many attempts of the Chu state. Taoism was advocated by Laozi, and believed that human nature was good and can achieve perfection by returning to original state. It believed that like a baby, humans are simple and innocent although with development of civilizations it lost its innocence only to be replaced by fraud and greed. Contrarily to other schools, it did not want to gain influence in the offices of states and Laozi even refused to be in the minister of the state of Chu. Legalism"
"Wenzi The Wenzi () is a Daoist classic allegedly written by a disciple of Laozi. The text was widely read and highly revered in the centuries following its creation, and even canonized as Tongxuan zhenjing () in the year 742 CE. However, soon afterwards scholars started questioning its authenticity and dismissing it as a forgery that was created between the Han dynasty and the Tang dynasty. The text's fate changed in 1973, when archeologists excavated a 55 BCE tomb and discovered remnants of a ""Wenzi"" copied on bamboo strips, which offer us a glimpse of what the text looked like"
"Lao in Isan and in Laos, keeping the cultural memory of the rebellion in the popular memory. In 2010 a statue of King Anouvong was erected in Laos, a tangible symbol that the cultural memories of the rebellion still carried symbolic importance in the modern era. Religion and religious teaching is a recurring theme for much of Lao literature throughout its history. Laos is predominantly Theravada Buddhist, which was the state religion in the Kingdom of Lan Xang since the time of King Photisarath in the 1520s. King Fa Ngum the founder of Lan Xang brought Theravada monks and the"
"Manichaeism during the Song dynasty. Manichaeism in China assumed certain Chinese characteristics, assimilating to both Buddhism and Taoism. Chinese translations of Manichaean treatises were couched in Buddhist phraseology, and the religion's founder (Mar) Mani (known in China as (末)摩尼, ""(Mo)-Mani"") received the title of the ""Buddha of Light"" ( or ), and a life story resembling that of Gautama Buddha. At the same time, the Taoist (or pseudo-Taoist?) treatise, the ""Huahujing"" ""Scripture of the Conversion of the Barbarians"", popular with Chinese Manichaeans, declared Mani to be a reincarnation of Laozi. As to the Confucian civil authorities of the Song state,"
"from the Five Pecks of Rice movement at the end of the 2nd century CE; the latter had been founded by Zhang Daoling, who claimed that Laozi appeared to him in the year 142. The Tianshi school was officially recognized by ruler Cao Cao in 215, legitimizing Cao Cao's rise to power in return. Laozi received imperial recognition as a divinity in the mid-2nd century BCE. Taoism, in form of the Shangqing school, gained official status in China again during the Tang Dynasty (618–907), whose emperors claimed Laozi as their relative. The Shangqing movement, however, had developed much earlier, in"
"Zhengyi Taoism. After Laozi and Zhuangzi, the literature of Taoism grew steadily and was compiled in form of a canon—the Daozang—which was published at the behest of the emperor. Throughout Chinese history, Taoism was nominated several times as a state religion. After the 17th century, however, it fell from favor. Taoism has had a profound influence on Chinese culture in the course of the centuries, and Taoists (, ""masters of the Tao""), a title traditionally attributed only to the clergy and not to their lay followers, usually take care to note distinction between their ritual tradition and the practices of"
"by Ames and Rosemont (1998). English translations of select Dingzhou ""Wenzi"" bamboo strips can be found in the monograph by Paul van Els (2018). Wenzi The Wenzi () is a Daoist classic allegedly written by a disciple of Laozi. The text was widely read and highly revered in the centuries following its creation, and even canonized as Tongxuan zhenjing () in the year 742 CE. However, soon afterwards scholars started questioning its authenticity and dismissing it as a forgery that was created between the Han dynasty and the Tang dynasty. The text's fate changed in 1973, when archeologists excavated a"
"Emperor and Laozi) Daoism and ""observed fasting and performed sacrifices to the Buddha."" Huang-Lao or Huanglaozi 黄老子 is the deification of Laozi, and was associated with ""fangshi"" ""technician; magician; alchemist"" methods and ""xian"" ""transcendent; immortal"" techniques. ""To Liu Ying and the Chinese devotees at his court the ""Buddhist"" ceremonies of fasting and sacrifices were probably no more than a variation of existing Daoist practices; this peculiar mixture of Buddhist and Daoist elements remains characteristic of Han Buddhism as a whole."" In 65 CE, Emperor Ming decreed that anyone suspected of capital crimes would be given an opportunity for redemption, and"
"(c. 400 – c. 337 BCE) may also have been a major influence, expounding a realpolitik of wu wei. The ""Tao Te Ching"", a compact book containing teachings attributed to Laozi (), is widely considered the keystone work of the Taoist tradition, together with the later writings of Zhuangzi. By the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), the various sources of Taoism had coalesced into a coherent tradition of religious organizations and orders of ritualists in the state of Shu (modern Sichuan). In earlier ancient China, Taoists were thought of as hermits or recluses who did not participate in political life."
"of the canon did these texts become included. The legend of the ""person"" Laozi was developed during the Han dynasty and has no historical validity. Likewise the labels Taoism and Confucianism were developed during the Han dynasty by scholars to group together various thinkers, and texts of the past and categorize them as ""Taoist"", even though they are quite diverse and their authors may never have known of each other. Thus, while there was never a coherent ""school"" of ""classical Taoism"" during the pre-Han eras, later self identified Taoists (c. 500 CE) were influenced by streams of thought, practices and"
"distinguish from any other dictatorship. Traditional ethics had been perverted by legalism. Buddhism, and specifically Mahayana Buddhism, brought a cohesive metaphysic to Chinese thought and a strong emphasis on universalism. Neo-Confucianism was largely a reaction to Buddhism's dominance in the Tang dynasty, and an attempt at developing a native Confucian metaphysical/analytical system. Laozi (Lao Tzu) and other Taoist (Daoist) authors argued for an even greater passivity on the part of rulers than did the Confucians. For Laozi, (Lao Tzu) the ideal ruler is one who does virtually nothing that can be directly identified as ruling. Clearly, both Daoism and Confucianism"
"""De"" are indeed shared by both Taoism and Confucianism, and Laozi is traditionally held to have been a teacher of Confucius. Zhuangzi explicitly criticized Confucian and Mohist tenets in his work. In general, Taoism rejects the Confucian emphasis on rituals, hierarchical social order, and conventional morality, and favors ""naturalness"", spontaneity, and individualism instead. The entry of Buddhism into China was marked by significant interaction and syncretism with Taoism. Originally seen as a kind of ""foreign Taoism"", Buddhism's scriptures were translated into Chinese using the Taoist vocabulary. Representatives of early Chinese Buddhism, like Sengzhao and Tao Sheng, knew and were deeply"
"Ultimate is like a personal deity or not. Although the Western translation of the Tao as ""god"" in some editions of the Tao te Ching is highly misleading, it is still a matter of debate whether the actual descriptions of the Tao by Laozi has theistic or nontheistic undertones. Religious forms of Taoism do believe in a variety of cosmological beings, which are analogies to the cosmic forces within the universe. Religions that can be described as grey areas, and do not belong in the aforementioned categories, such as Unitarian Universalism. Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a liberal religion, first founded"
"the Hindu sense. The ""Tao Te Ching"" or ""Daodejing"" is widely considered the most influential Taoist text. According to legend, it was written by Laozi, and often the book is simply referred to as the ""Laozi."" However, authorship, precise date of origin, and even unity of the text are still subject of debate, and will probably never be known with certainty. The earliest texts of the ""Tao Te Ching"" that have been excavated (written on bamboo tablets) date back to the late 4th century BCE. Throughout the history of religious Taoism, the ""Tao Te Ching"" has been used as a"
"in which Taoism continues to be an ""order"" of the larger body of Chinese religion. Laozi is traditionally regarded as one of the founders of Taoism and is closely associated in this context with ""original"" or ""primordial"" Taoism. Whether he actually existed is disputed; however, the work attributed to him—the ""Tao Te Ching""—is dated to the late 4th century BCE. Taoism draws its cosmological foundations from the School of Naturalists (in the form of its main elements—yin and yang and the Five Phases), which developed during the Warring States period (4th to 3rd centuries BC). Robinet identifies four components in"
"1990) wrote a definitive scholarly translation. A recent ""Liezi"" rendition is by Eva Wong (2001). In 2005, the Library of Chinese Classics published a translation by Liang Xiaopeng. Liezi The Liezi () is a Daoist text attributed to Lie Yukou, a c. 5th century BCE Hundred Schools of Thought philosopher, but Chinese and Western scholars believe it was compiled around the 4th century CE. The first two references to the ""Liezi"" book are from the Former Han Dynasty. The editor Liu Xiang notes he eliminated repetitions in ""Liezi"" and rearranged it into eight chapters (""pian"" 篇). The Book of Han"
"Buddhism in Laos Buddhism is the primary religion of Laos. The Buddhism practiced in Laos is of the Theravada tradition. Lao Buddhism is a unique version of Theravada Buddhism and is at the basis of Lao culture. Buddhism in Laos is often closely tied to animist beliefs and belief in ancestral spirits, particularly in rural areas. The percentage of the population that adheres to Buddhism in modern Laos is variously reported, the CIA World Factbook estimates 65% of the total population identify as Buddhist. The creation of accurate estimates of the number of Buddhists in Laos is complicated by the"
"Originally this expression referred to ""the son of a ruler"", but Confucius redefined this concept to mean behavior (in terms of ethics and values such as loyalty and righteousness) instead of mere social status. Taoism, or Daoism, is a philosophy centered on the belief that life is normally happy, but should be lived with balance and virtue. Its origin can be traced back to the late 4th century B.C and the main thinkers representative of this teaching are Laozi and Zhuangzi. Key components of Daoism are Dao (the Way) and immortality, along with a stress on balance found throughout nature."
"located at Castle Peak in the New Territories. In Taiwan the religion's situation is characterized by disunity, with several separate organizations claiming to continue original Xiao's teachings. The Lord of Universe Church (天帝教 ""Tiāndì jiāo"") is based in Taiwan and is devoted to the Tiandist beliefs as proclaimed by Li Yujie. It is an offshoot of the Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue and it emphasizes chanting, traditional medicine, and a form of meditation which it calls ""quiet sitting"" in English. Li Yujie was born in China. He worked in the Guomindang but left in 1958 to ensure political independence"