Can ancient Taoist priests in China not get married and have no children?

Now when it comes to Taoist priests, we will think of those who wear Taoist robes and have dust in their hands. One of the oldest beliefs in China is Taoism, which has actually evolved into many sects in history. Each sect has different demands and different ideas. There are two main sects, one is called? Justice Road? The other was established by Wang Zhongyang, and everyone is familiar with it? Quanzhen Road? .

In Buddhism, there is a kind of practice with hair, called laity disciple. In fact, there is such a thing in Taoism. There are two kinds of Taoist priests, one is a monk, that is, a Taoist priest in the traditional sense; The other kind is not a monk, and this kind is called a layman.

Most Taoist priests before the Yuan Dynasty were not monks, that is, lay people. A layman can get married, have children and live a normal life. There are no special requirements except meditation and chanting Buddha every day. You can also eat meat and drink at ordinary times, that is, you should avoid eating on some special days.

The clothes of laymen are no different. You don't have to wear Taoist clothes, just ordinary clothes. You can also keep your hair normally, and there is no need to comb your hair specially. In other words, outsiders can't see any difference except knowing that they are amateurs.

It was not until Wang Zhongyang founded Quanzhen religion that Taoism began to undergo great changes. It is not the same as before, all people who want to join the church should get rid of their lust and practice quietly. So after that, Taoist priests can't get married, let alone have children.

From then on, once you become a Taoist, it means that you are isolated from everything in the world and cannot regenerate incense. Therefore, becoming a Taoist is a very cautious thing. Most people wouldn't go this way if they didn't really figure it out.