Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Taoism
Taoism
(Dàojiào)
is easily the most confusing facet of Chinese culture, consisting of a
vast assembly of philosophical texts, popular folk legends, various organised sects, a
panoply of gods and goddesses numbering in the thousands, alchemists, healers, hermits,
martial artists, spirit-mediums, alcoholic immortals, quantum physicists, New Age
gurus… and the list goes on. Controversial, paradoxical and - like the Tao itself - impos-
sible to pin down, it is a natural complement to rigid Confucian order and responsibility.
Taoism began with Lao-Tzu's
Tao Te Ching
. Its central theme is that of the Tao - the
unknowable, indescribable cosmic force of the universe. Organised Taoism came into be-
ing in the 2nd century at which time there was an emphasis on mystical practices to cul-
tivate immortality. Taoism reached a high point during the Tang dynasty when there was
a fierce (but productive) battle with Buddhism and when many branches became increas-
ingly tied to popular religion.
In modern Taiwan, Taoist priests still play a vital role in the worship of deities, the
opening of temples, the exorcising of bad luck (and sometimes illness) and the presiding
over of funeral services.
For a more thorough look at Taoism, including the myriad deities, see the Daoist En-
cyclopedia (
http://en.daoinfo.org/wiki
).
RÉNJIĀN FÓJIÀO: THIS-WORLDLY BUDDHISM
You won't get far understanding the Buddhist influence on modern Taiwanese soci-
ety if you simply try to grasp doctrine and schools. In the past 40 years a special
form of socially active Buddhism (Rénjiān Fójiào; this-worldly Buddhism) has
emerged to redefine what that religion means to its practitioners. Rénjiān Fójiào
draws inspiration from the thoughts of the early-20th-century reformist monk
Taixu in China, but has been completely localised by masters such as Chengyan of
Tzu Chi.
A central tenet of Rénjiān Fójiào is that one finds salvation not by escaping in a
monastery but by bringing Buddhist compassion into ordinary life and adapting
the dharma to the conditions of modern life. Taiwanese Buddhist groups stress hu-
manitarian work, and teach that traditional beliefs, such as filial piety, should be ex-
panded to encompass respect and consideration for society at large. With a com-
bined de-emphasis on ritual and a central role for lay followers to take in the organ-
isations, Taiwanese Buddhist groups have made themselves the religion of choice
for middle-class urbanites and professionals. The older folk gods, on the other
hand, remain more typically attractive to the working class.
