Taoism

By nanckarl935
  • Period: 1600 BCE to 1050 BCE

    Shang Dynasty-The Yin Yang Symbol and Principle Emerges

    Yin Yang tells us that life is meant to be lived in balance, or in harmony. The symbol shows the balance of everything (expect good and evil, and life and non-life) and is also a tool for divination.
  • Period: 1046 BCE to 256 BCE

    Zhou Dynasty

  • 500 BCE

    First Written Taoist Scripture VS. Practice

    Chinese sage Lao Tzu wrote the first written record of Taoism philosophy. His book, the Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way) is a book of poetry. Many were unaware of the Tao Te Ching being written, so Taoist practices were limited to worshiping ancestors and the heavens. Ritual dinners were one way Taoists held praise to ancestors. Worship of the ancestors was dominant in the Shang Dynasty, as was the practice of blood sacrifices.
  • 278 BCE

    Dragon Boat Festival (Poet's Day)

    Made to commemorate the passing of poet Qu Yuan who died in the river. Celebrations are made with activities such as dragon boat racing and the eating of rice balls.
  • Period: 221 BCE to 206 BCE

    Qin Dynasty

  • 207 BCE

    The Lantern Festival

    The Lantern Festival (Jan 15th) celebrates the first full moon of the year and also the birthday of Tianguan (god of good fortune). People walk the streets letting paper lanterns fly in the sky, and eat celebratory foods.
  • Period: 206 BCE to 220

    Han Dynasty

  • 142

    'Sect' of The Way of the Heavenly Masters (T'ien Shih Tao or Orthodox Oneness) is Born

    Chang (Zhang) Tao Ling is 'visited' by a reincarnation of Lao Tzu and forms the Sect of the Heavenly Masters. The masters have to be born into it, however the many followers do not have to be. Heavenly Masters is the first organized group of the Taoist religion. Chang is attributed with inventing Talismans, slips of paper that act as healing charms, and as a way to protect against evil spirits. They ended blood sacrifices, and started word sacrifices, burning slips of paper or talismans.
  • 184

    The Creation of Han Chung

    Chang Lu, Heavenly master and grandson of Chang Tao Ling, rebels against the Han dynasty and creates the independent state of Han Chung.
  • Period: 220 to 589

    Six Dynasties Period

  • 313

    Ge Hong's Baopuzi

    The first 20 chapters of the Baopuzi are based around the ways alchemy can aid taoists in the pursuit of immortality. He recommends certain sexual practice, diets, and meditation exercises to achieve this.
    Diets: Vegetarian, fasting
    Sexual Practices: males avoid ejaculating to preserve life fore/ jing while still having a lot of sex to take advantage of the health benefits it provides
  • 350

    The Shangqing (Highest Purity) 'Sect'

    Yang Xi receives visits from different gods and spirits, forcing a number of texts to be written. These were called the Shangqing. Shangqing spread among the aristocrats, and became the more dominant form of Taoism in the 5th and 6th centuries.
    Shangqing was different from the Heavenly Masters in that there was less focus on herbs and bodily practices and more on taking meditative journeys to improve the physical body and mind. Many new deities came out of this sect.
  • 397

    Lingbao (Sacred Jewel) Scriptures

    These scriptures talk about universal salvation as opposed to immortality, are written by Ge Chaofu, and helped launch the Shangqing sect. It established certain rituals that would be the basis for future and all other sects.
  • Period: 581 to 618

    Sui Dynasty

  • Period: 618 to 906

    Tang Dynasty

  • 630

    Zhong Yuan Jie (Hungry Ghost Festival)

    Dragon King of the Eastern Seas is jealous of Li Liang Feng. To discredit Li, he made a plan which disobeyed an order from King of Heaven. The plan came out and Dragon King was to be killed.
    Dragon King went to Emperor Tang Taizong for help. The emperor promised to do what he could. The plan failed. Dragon King visited Emperor Tang in a dream. He shamed the emperor for not keeping his promise. Emperor Tang then ordered all priests in the capital to offer prayers, food, and drink to Dragon King.
  • 712

    Taoism Becomes the Religion of China

    Taoism becomes the official religion of China under the Emperor Xuanzong
  • 725

    Tomb Sweeping Day

    Emperor Xuanzong consolidated all ancestor worshiping rites and rituals to take place one day a year and only on grave sites.
  • Period: 907 to 960

    Five Dynasties

  • 960

    "Birthday" Festivals for Gods and Immortals

    On days of god or immortals birthdays, fasting and sacrificial ceremonies take place. The size of the ceremonies often depend on where and who is being celebrated.
  • Period: 960 to 1279

    Song Dynasty

  • 1159

    Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Sect

    Lu Dongbin and Zhongli Quan visits Wang Chongyang which caused many new scriptures to be released. These texts formed the Quanzhen Sect which has become the most powerful taoist sect.
  • Period: 1279 to 1368

    Yuan Dynasty

  • Period: 1368 to

    Ming Dynasty

  • 1450

    Development of T’ai-chi Ch’üan

    Chang San-feng founds T'ai-chi, a ritual, moving meditation and martial art to improve health and practice self defense. This ritual is important in relieving stress on the body and mind.
  • Period: to

    Qing Dynasty

  • Taiping Rebellion

    The start of the Taiping Rebellion, a civil resistance against the Qing Dynasty. This was the start of a long push back against Taoism. Temples were converted to other buildings or destroyed, festivals and worships forbidden, art destroyed, and land confiscation were all examples of the hardships they faced.
    These were caused by the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the start of Communism in China and Mao Zedong regarding Taoism as evil, and the arrival of Jesuits and Christianity to China.
  • Period: to

    Republic Period

  • Period: to

    People's Republic of China

  • Chinese Taoist Association

    Government sponsored representative of Taoism in China. All Taoist establishments in China must be recognized by this.