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Taoists who need something pray to the suitable deity in special shrines called sections or halls in Taoist temples. Most have distinct errands and explicit powers and skills to grant desires in specific areas of capability. Others inhabit channels, rivers and mountains. Its sole association with the Gods is mainly the result of Chinese folklore that got merged with it over several decades. Taoism has temples, priories, and priests who offer gifts, ruminate and execute other rites for their societies.Īncient Taoism doesn’t believe in Gods or other natural beings, rather it deals with Yin-Yan and the unity of experience with Chi. These Gods, became part of Taoism, like all the living beings. Rather, Taoism beliefs on God came into existence from several different cultures, over the period, found across the region known as China. However, this energy is not believed to be God. The Tao (or Dao) is tough to describe but is now and then understood as the way of the universe.ĭifferent Taoist books such as the Tao te Ching provides great detail on how one should maintain the behaviour to live in spiritual harmony with the energy (Ch’i, or qi). Lao Tzu gave existence to the book for many political and cultural reasons.īelievers often refer to Lao Tzu as the image of the Tao, or a God, given that it had huge legendary status among the history and folklore of Taoism.

Rather, it is believed that the book is an actual collection of many ancient sayings of authors. The “Way and Its Power” or “Tao Te Ching,” his collection of sayings and poetry from around the 3 rd and the 4 th-century B.C.E, acts as a guiding material for Taoists across the globe.Īlthough the author is a believer in the philosopher Lao Tzu, there is very little evidence that he existed. They believe in spiritual immortality, once the spirits of the body join the universe after death. It believes that all beings (Humans and Animals) should live on the earth in harmony to maintain the true balance of nature. Since the Imperial admins and the sacred culture of the time were closely tangled this would not be startling. Some writers think that this is the wrong way round and that the secular admins took their cue from the assembly of the heavens. Many of the idols are Gods of a precise role, rather than an own divine being and have titles rather than names.īooks often describe the Taoist pantheon as a divine organization that imitators the secular admins of Imperial China. These Gods are within this universe and are themselves subject to the Tao. However, Taoism has many Gods, most of them lent from other beliefs.

Taishang laojun kaitian jing, in Livia Kohn, The Taoist Experience: An Anthology, 1993Īnd they orthodoxly revere Lao Tsu both as the first God of Taoism and as the epitome of the Tao. The Venerable Lord, the Tao, was at rest in open mystery, beyond silent desolation, in mysterious emptiness… Say it/he is there and do not see a shape say it/he is not there, yet all beings follow him for life. This may seem startling as Taoists do use ‘God-talk’ to state to the Tao: Instead, it is a philosophy that believes in marinating the true balance of nature by living with peace and harmony among each other. Tao is neither a God nor is it something that is being worshipped by the Taoists. They believe in Tao, which guides them on their ways in life. People who study Taoism beliefs on Gods get surprised when they discover that Taoists venerate Gods, as there is no place for such thinking the religious beliefs and philosophies.