Daoism in History

Daoism in History PDF Author: Benjamin Penny
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134275277
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 584

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Book Description
Over the last decade there has been a marked increase in the study of Daoism especially in Japan, China and the West, with a new generation of scholars broadening our understanding of the religion. Including contributions from the foremost scholars in the field, Daoism in History presents new and important research. These essays honour one of the pioneers of Daoist studies, Emeritus Professor Liu Ts'un-yan. His major essay 'Was Celestial Master Zhang a Historical Figure?' addresses one of the pivotal questions in the entire history of Daoism and is included here as the final essay. In addition, a Chinese character glossary, bibliography and index conclude the book. The first in an exciting new series, this book presents brand new thinking on Daoism - a field now recognized as one of the most vital areas of research in Chinese history and the history of religions.

Daoism in History

Daoism in History PDF Author: Benjamin Penny
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134275277
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 584

Get Book Here

Book Description
Over the last decade there has been a marked increase in the study of Daoism especially in Japan, China and the West, with a new generation of scholars broadening our understanding of the religion. Including contributions from the foremost scholars in the field, Daoism in History presents new and important research. These essays honour one of the pioneers of Daoist studies, Emeritus Professor Liu Ts'un-yan. His major essay 'Was Celestial Master Zhang a Historical Figure?' addresses one of the pivotal questions in the entire history of Daoism and is included here as the final essay. In addition, a Chinese character glossary, bibliography and index conclude the book. The first in an exciting new series, this book presents brand new thinking on Daoism - a field now recognized as one of the most vital areas of research in Chinese history and the history of religions.

Demonic Warfare

Demonic Warfare PDF Author: Mark R. E. Meulenbeld
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824838459
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
Revealing the fundamental continuities that exist between vernacular fiction and exorcist, martial rituals in the vernacular language, Mark Meulenbeld argues that a specific type of Daoist exorcism helped shape vernacular novels in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Focusing on the once famous novel Fengshen yanyi ("Canonization of the Gods"), the author maps out the general ritual structure and divine protagonists that it borrows from much older systems of Daoist exorcism. By exploring how the novel reflects the specific concerns of communities associated with Fengshen yanyi and its ideology, Meulenbeld is able to reconstruct the cultural sphere in which Daoist exorcist rituals informed late imperial "novels." He first looks at temple networks and their religious festivals. Organized by local communities for territorial protection, these networks featured martial narratives about the powerful and heroic deeds of the gods. He then shows that it is by means of dramatic practices like ritual, theatre, and temple processions that divine acts were embodied and brought to life. Much attention is given to local militias who embodied "demon soldiers" as part of their defensive strategies. Various Ming emperors actively sought the support of these local religious networks and even continued to invite Daoist ritualists so as to efficiently marshal the forces of local gods with their local demon soldiers into the official, imperial reserves of military power. This unusual book establishes once and for all the importance of understanding the idealized realities of literary texts within a larger context of cultural practice and socio-political history. Of particular importance is the ongoing dialog with religious ideology that informs these different discourses. Meulenbeld's book makes a convincing case for the need to debunk the retrospective reading of China through the modern, secular Western categories of "literature," "society," and "politics." He shows that this disregard of religious dynamics has distorted our understanding of China and that "religion" cannot be conveniently isolated from scholarly analysis.

Taoism and the Arts of China

Taoism and the Arts of China PDF Author: Stephen Little
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520227859
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 422

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Book Description
A celebration of Taoist art traces the influence of philosophy on the visual arts in China.

Daoism in China

Daoism in China PDF Author: Yi'e Wang
Publisher: 五洲传播出版社
ISBN: 9787508505985
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
This book provides a systemic introduction of Daoism in China. Subjects includes the spirituality in early China, establishment and lineage of the celestial masters, Daoist deities, temples, and sacred places, the influence of Daoism in culture and customs. With black and white photographs, including shrines, temples, and deities.

Celestial Masters

Celestial Masters PDF Author: Terry Kleeman
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 1684170869
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 444

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Book Description
In 142 CE, the divine Lord Lao descended to Mount Cranecall (Sichuan province) to establish a new covenant with humanity through a man named Zhang Ling, the first Celestial Master. Facing an impending apocalypse caused by centuries of sin, Zhang and his descendants forged a communal faith centering on a universal priesthood, strict codes of conduct, and healing through the confession of sins; this faith was based upon a new, bureaucratic relationship with incorruptible supernatural administrators. By the fourth century, Celestial Master Daoism had spread to all parts of China, and has since played a key role in China’s religious and intellectual history. Celestial Masters is the first book in any Western language devoted solely to the founding of the world religion Daoism. It traces the movement from the mid-second century CE through the sixth century, examining all surviving primary documents in both secular and canonical sources to offer a comprehensive account of the development of this poorly understood religion. It also provides a detailed analysis of ritual life within the movement, covering the roles of common believer or Daoist citizen, novice, and priest or libationer.

A History of Daoism and the Yao People of South China

A History of Daoism and the Yao People of South China PDF Author:
Publisher: Cambria Press
ISBN: 1621969975
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 142

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Book Description


Historical Dictionary of Daoism

Historical Dictionary of Daoism PDF Author: Ronnie L. Littlejohn
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 153812274X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 311

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Book Description
Daoism is the oldest indigenous philosophic-spiritual tradition of China and one of the most ancient of the world’s spiritual structures. The name Daoism comes from the term dao, which meansa “way” or a “road” through the field or woods to one’s village. It is also means the “way” to do something, such as how a master craftsman carves wood, makes a bell, or even butchers an ox. But dao is also a nominative in the history of Daoism, referring to the energizing process that permeates and animates all of reality and moves it along. However, both text and practice in this tradition insist that dao itself cannot be described in words; itis not God in the sense of Western philosophy or religion. Daoism has no supreme being, even if there is an extensive grammar about nominally self-conscious entities and powers for which the Chinese use the word “spirit” (shen). For example, the highest powers of Daoism are variously called Taishang Laojun (the deified Laozi), the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi tianzun), the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi), or the Perfected Warrior (Zhenwu). But these are expressions of dao in specific shen; they are not identical to Dao, except in the most unique case—when Laozi, the putative founder of Daoism and author of its major work, Daodejing, is said to be one with the dao. Historical Dictionary of Daoism contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, an extensive bibliography, and more than 400 cross-referenced entries related to the Chinese belief and worldview known as Daoism, including dozens of Daoist terms, names, and practices. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Daoism.

Daoism in Modern China

Daoism in Modern China PDF Author: Vincent Goossaert
Publisher: Routledge Studies in Taoism
ISBN: 9781138889415
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
The modern history of Chinese temples and Daoism go hand in hand, and while both temples and Daoists serve Chinese society, the relationship between the two has yet to be thoroughly analysed. This book questions whether temples and Daoism are two independent aspects of modern Chinese religion, or if they are indissolubly linked. Using an interdisciplinary approach combining historical research and fieldwork, the book focuses on urban centres in China, as this is where socio-political changes came earliest and affected religious life to the greatest extent, and also where the largest central Daoist temples were and are located. It examines how Daoism interacted with traditional urban social, cultural and commercial institutions, and pays close attention to how it dealt with processes of state expansion, commercialization, migration, and urban development in modern times. The book goes on to examine the evolution of urban religious life in modern China, particularly the ways in which temple communities, lay urbanites, and professional Daoists interact with one another. Comparing case studies from central, eastern and southern China with published evidence and research on other Chinese cities, the book presents a useful analysis as to how modern history has changed the structure and organisation of religious and social life in China, and the role that Daoism plays in this.

The Emergence of Daoism

The Emergence of Daoism PDF Author: Gil Raz
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136618058
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 544

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Book Description
At the core of Daoism are ancient ideas concerning the Way, the fundamental process of existence (the Dao). Humans, as individuals and as a society, should be aligned with the Dao in order to attain the fullness of life and its potential. This book presents the history of early Daoism, tracing the development of the tradition between the first and the fifth centuries CE. This book discusses the emergence of several Daoist movements during this period, including the relatively well-known Way of the Celestial Master that appeared in the second century, and the Upper Clarity and the Numinous Treasure lineages that appeared in the fourth century. These labels are very difficult to determine socially, and they obscure the social reality of early medieval China, that included many more lineages. This book argues that these lineages should be understood as narrowly defined associations of masters and disciples, and it goes on to describe these diverse social groupings as ‘communities of practice’. Shedding new light on a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, the formation of Daoism as a new religion in early medieval China, this book presents a major step forward in Daoist Studies.

Daoism in Early China

Daoism in Early China PDF Author: Feng Cao
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137550945
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 235

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Book Description
This text considers the prevalence of Lao-Zhuang Daoism and Huang-Lao Daoism in late pre-imperial and early imperial Chinese traditional thought. The author uses unique excavated documents and literature to explore the Huang-Lao tradition of Daoist philosophy, which exerted a great influence on China ancient philosophy and political theories, from the Pre-Qin period to the Wei-Jin periods. It explains the original and significance of Huang-Lao Daoism, its history and fundamental characteristics, notably discussing the two sides of Huang-Lao, namely the role and function of Lao Zi and the Yellow Emperor, and discusses why the two can constitute a complementary relationship. It also provides a key study of the Mawangdui silk texts, bamboo slips of the Heng Xian, Fan Wu Liu Xing, considering both the theory of human Xing and of Qi.