On Taoism

Taoist religious activities are very complicated, which are mainly divided into two categories: Taoist self-cultivation (called Taoism) and Taoist rituals, including Taoist scriptures, confessions, fasting, curses, forbidden spells, seclusion, walking on stilts, exorcising evil spirits, reducing evil spirits, eliminating disasters, praying for blessings, sexual intercourse, immortal skills and so on.

Taoism's self-cultivation has become Taoism, including inner Dan, outer Dan and food and shelter. External alchemy refers to burning minerals such as lead and mercury in alchemy sand and medicine to make pills that can make people live forever. Modern science believes that most of these pills are poisonous, and many of them were killed by the ancients. Taoism also agrees with this view, but thinks it is caused by the wrong way of feeding. Wei Dan is also regarded as the pioneer of modern chemistry.

The word "Tao" originated from the article "The World in Zhuangzi". The so-called Tao in ancient times, is the fruit evil? " Some people in Taoism also call it "magic". Taoist people often say that "Tao cannot be separated from skill", that is to say, "Tao" lies in "skill", and performing skill is performing Tao.

Internal danger

Inner alchemy refers to refining alchemy in the body through qi-flowing, qi-guiding, breathing and breathing, so as to achieve the goal of immortality. Waidan and Neidan are the same noun, but they refer to completely different meanings. For example, compare the human body to a furnace that burns an alchemy pill. The teaching of alchemy is mostly passed down from master to apprentice, which is difficult for outsiders to understand. Besides, there are many Taoist techniques, such as Vipassana, keeping quiet, keeping thinking and crossing the valley. These modern times are mostly classified as qigong. In addition, many Taoist priests of Quanzhen Sect practice martial arts.

Taoist rituals are collectively called "fasting rituals", in which fasting means purity and fasting means prayer, also known as Dojo. Taoism worships immortals, because they think immortals are quiet and noble, so they need to bathe and change clothes, do not drink or eat meat, and fast before sacrifice. Sacrificial activities are called "rites", and Taoism has absorbed many Buddhist contents in its development, with various names. Taoism believes that through these rituals, we can get rid of disasters and seek happiness. Divination is also a part of Taoism, including divination, drawing lots and measuring characters. In addition, Taoism is characterized by the use of symbols and reeds. Characters are some symbols painted on yellow paper with cinnabar. Taoism believes that it can be used to cure diseases, while Confucianism is considered to drive away gods. In addition, Taoism believes that oral spells can cure diseases, exorcise ghosts and spirits, and drive away wild animals. These are mainly the same spells.

Waidan

External alchemy is a formula that takes specific ores as raw materials, fires alchemy sand in a furnace pot, and takes alchemy sand to make people live forever. At the same time, it is useful to extract fake gold and silver (that is, medicinal gold and silver), so it is also called "external alchemy and yellow atractylodes macrocephala". Dansha is recorded in Shennong Materia Medica.

The famous authors of the classic works of "The Study of Foreign Immortals" are the Zhouyi Shentongqi, Wei Boyang's Inner Chapter of Bao Puzi in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Ge Hongdong's Jin Dong.