[Background]: Religion is the highest standard, and there are only three schools of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in the world, which are qualified to "teach". The next step is to "open a sect and establish a faction", and the sect with the word "zong" as the suffix has a higher qualification than the gang "faction". The top sects often have their own "lower sects", and then the lower sects will have their own "vassal" gangs.

In addition to this, independent sects are often polarized, or extremely powerful, and can compete with those "upper sects" by themselves, or they are extremely weak, and they are named in some large alliance system, sending people under the fence, surviving and surviving, and reduced to the bottom of the existence that is exploited layer by layer.

Among them, the descendants of the saints and the head of each generation of the Yansheng Mansion will routinely become the head of Confucianism. However, the position of the sect leader is only fictitious, and the successive generations of Yan Shenggong have never even set foot in the [Hengqu School Palace], nor have they ever interfered in the specific teaching affairs of Confucianism. Therefore, the first deputy head of Confucianism (half of them are from the Hengqu School Palace), is the real "world Swen sect master", in addition to the head of the sect and the first deputy head of the sect, there are two deputy masters, one is the same as the head of the sect, just an honorary title, often the great Confucian of the world with great knowledge and excellent reputation is elected, and the other is responsible for assisting the first deputy head of the sect, he is mainly dealing with the dynasty that established Confucianism as the state religion. However, in history, there have also been cases where two deputy heads of the church have been separated from each other.

Compared with the Taoist system of "sewing and mending", the Confucian inheritance is more single, orderly and stable.

【Specific Inheritance of Taoism】

Taoism: fairy magic, Taoist doctrine, ghost and god sacrifice, divination, weft, talismans, forbidden spells, witchcraft. Therefore, the sage cloud: "The art of Taoism is miscellaneous and varied. ”

The method of Taoist cultivation: taking food, guiding, practicing qi, bigu, storing spirits, chanting, etc., the most important thing is [alchemy].

The Taoist Dan method is divided into outer Dan and inner Dan, and the outer Dan is smelted in the furnace, and if you take the golden pill, you can become an immortal. Wai Dan is often poisonous, if a monk takes it, it can prolong life, but mortals who have not stepped into the threshold of cultivation to eat, not only can not prolong their life and become immortals, but often poisoned to death. Therefore, the encounter between the Outer Dan and the secular kings provided a crucial development opportunity for the relatively stable Neidan and the secular dynasty outside the monks. In later generations, the Taoist real people who were revered as "national teachers" were mostly from the Neidan sect. Neidan takes the human body as the furnace, takes the essence, qi and spirit as the "great medicine", and refines the essence and qi with the divine luck, and forms the Dan. Advocate [double cultivation of life], refining and refining qi, refining qi and transforming gods, refining gods and returning to the void, and returning to the Tao.

Taoist classics: [First Sutra], [Main Sutra], and concurrent scriptures ([Auxiliary Sutra]). [Zhenjing] (a Taoist classic that was revered and promoted by the dynasty and decreed by the emperor). Most of the apocryphal writings have their merits.

According to legend, after the Taoist patriarch left 5,000 texts, he was never heard from. Taoism has always insisted that it was the Taoist patriarch who left the clues of immortality for the world, and it was he who opened the lock of the door of life and death, and only needed the world to push the door and enter.

The three disciples of the Dao Ancestor expounded the essence of each of them according to this monastic scripture of no more than 5,000 words, and thus evolved into three schools: the Shangqing School, the Lingbao School, and the Daode School.

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[1. The early stage of the development of Taoism]

【Shangqing faction】:

Created by the two disciples of Daozu, it was revered by later generations as the [Shangqing Sect Master], and it is the school of Taoism that established the sect after the Lingbao School among the three schools of Taoism. Respect the "Shangqing Cave Xuanzhen Sutra" (also known as the "Thirty-six Chapters Sutra") as the first scripture, "Shangqing Huangting Sutra" as the main scripture, the former is the first strange book of Taoism, declaring that "if you get the thirty-six chapters of the "Great Cave Sutra", you don't need the way of Jindan, read it ten thousand times, you can become an immortal." (This tenet is somewhat similar to the later Zen Buddhism's clear mind and enlightenment.) and Tantra's "Buddhahood." In the early days of the preaching, this scripture was extremely popular and played a great role in promoting the practice of the demon clan, and was known as "a convenient method and a shortcut to heaven". At the same time, it also laid a firm foundation for future generations of qi practitioners to open their minds. ）

After the heyday of development in the early middle and early periods, the Shangqing faction gradually declined, and only one sect was able to inherit the Taoist incense, and after missing the opportunity to rise twice, it could only retreat to one side in the end.

Lu Qingxu is a fairy figure who came forward in the period of "green and yellow", with the "Huang Ting Jing" as the foundation of practice, the Tao is mysterious, invincible in the world, this man turned the tide, so that the Shangqing Taoist system can continue. And Lu Qingxu's Taoist Lady Wei (real name unknown), personally compiled the "Shangqing Treasure Message", which was not famous at the time, but was highly respected by later generations, and was regarded as one of the main scriptures of the Fu Zheng School, and almost all Fu Zheng schools had to study this scripture. In later generations, the first patriarch of the Fu Gong faction claimed to be Fu Ping and was awarded the "Treasure Message" by Mrs. Wei and the real people, which was the great success of the immortal law.

"The Great Cave Sutra" has not been perfected in many wars, constantly lost, missing, later generations continue to have "apocryphal scriptures" appeared, many Taoist characters began to add content privately, annotations and explanations, etc., now the more orthodox "Cave Xuan Sutra" only three remain.

Attached: Although there is only one sect in the main branch of the Shangqing faction, another "Taoist town" derived from the "Dongxuan Zhenjing" and the "Shangqing Baohe" - the Fu Zheng faction has become one of the two pillars of Taoism in the middle and late periods together with the Danding faction. (The Fu Gong sect has the saying of "Six Mountains Fu Gong", that is, there are six main branches, "in charge of the two mountain Fu Gong" or "in charge of the Three Mountains Fu Gong", which is the honorable treatment that Taoism in later generations was crowned as a "national teacher".) There is only one Taoist priest in history who has a record of "presiding over the Five Mountains Talisman", but he is also "not worthy of the name" and is not recognized by the orthodox Taoism of later generations. ）

Main Doctrine: "Invite the gods of heaven and earth to be aura, so as to fit oneself." The trick: I would like to ask too small children to dry Jingjing, the word will be yuan, Zi Chang Shou Zhao tongue under the book, the door of dead air, the mouth spit red clouds, around the Zhao body, metamorphosis blood, on the clotted mud pill, the mud pill is strong, and the direction of the hundred gods. ”

"Book Talisman : Chapter 1 Book is too tiny child to eliminate the magic jade talisman. The trick: when the book is used with a yellow thread, the book becomes a body, the name of the child is called, the word is me, under the tongue, the solid liquid is condensed, the source of death is broken, and the teeth are percussed nine times, and the pharyngeal fluid is passed three times.

- (This is one of the roots of the Fu Gong School.) ）

Allusion: According to the record of the Termination Mountain Chunyang Sect, "Mrs. Shi Gaozu Dewei wrote the true handwriting of the people, and its scriptures were missing twelve pages, so that He Wei, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, held the Benxi letter coin, and asked the Qingfeng Patriarch to supplement the book." Gaozu once said to He Wei: I don't dare to let ordinary officials bother Mr. "He Wei to the end of Nanshan, the crane is spinning, and the dragon and tiger are roaring. When the Qingfeng Patriarch wrote the scriptures, the gods and men came into the world to protect them, all of which were caused by sincerity. ”

【Lingbao Pie】:

The "Cave Xuanling Treasure Sutra" is used as the first scripture of this school. The first patriarch of this sect was the great disciple of the Dao Ancestor, and the Lingbao Tianzun was the head of the Taishang Sect.

In addition to owning a [Yuan Shi Cave Heaven], the sect also occupies the mysterious blessed land of "Seven Treasure Forest". [Lingbao Tianzun] tried to establish himself as a sect at that time, and named it [Taishang Sect], which attracted the attack of the other two factions and became the fuse for the complete split of the three factions and the conflict. Lingbao Tianzun is the "founding disciple" of the Taoist ancestor, "he has heard the Tao for the longest time, so he has obtained the Tao the most", so the Lingbao faction was the most powerful in the early days, and the other two factions could only join forces to contend with each other. In the battle of the Demon Slaying Table, the Lingbao Sect suffered a great injury and began to hibernate.

Lingbao faction's "ancestor of Zhongxing" Li Yu, wrote the "Innocent Collection", known as the ancestor of the Danjing, and advocated the Outer Confucianism and the Inner Dao, and actively entered the WTO, "Innocent Collection" is divided into internal and external chapters, the outer chapter tells about the outer alchemy pill, and the inner part expounds the method of internal refining, which is widely spread, and is the foundation of the Danding faction, so Li Yu is recognized as the ancestor of the Danding faction in later generations.

Li Yu made the original declining Lingbao faction rise again, and quickly integrated into the secular dynasty, successfully occupied a place, and also became the main force in the dispute between Buddhism and Taoism in later generations.

Some of the main teachings: "Life and death, love and hatred, sorrow and hatred, and so on, all accompany each other, like a shadow, and cannot be freed, and the annoyance is more annoying, and the suffering is also suffering." Its root is determined by the seven emotions and the six desires, oh! If it is not for the breakthrough of the obstacles, how can it be quiet, cool and comfortable. The Manic Demon Cave is on fire. ”

"The truth is present, the wonderful door is open, the world is blocked, Xiao Yao let me swim for nine days. Magical powers? Those who coerce the truth, do not preach with petty techniques, which will insult the [Taishang Orthodox Church]. ”

"Quiet the six roots, cut off all evil obstacles. The Tao is clear and clear, the six doors are self-opening, the six thieves are self-eliminating, and the six roots are quiet. Reflecting on the silence, all the demons and evils disappeared from this, and the six days of demons were extinguished. Silent and unmoving, [true with the Tao], return to the house and clear the void, and enjoy the [Qingwei Avenue]. ”

"[I am the beginning, the beginning is me]. When the cloth is transported, it is mysterious. The people of the Three Realms, all the immortals, saints, gods, ghosts, and so on, are not out of the infinite luck, and they are not out of the Golden Dou Mixed Yuan. But with the power of one breath, the mysteries are elevated, and the truth is witnessed. The holy will pretends to establish the language, so the name is called the scriptures. Selfless help, shared by the Three Realms, [immeasurable merit]. ”

"Through the mysterious, to quietly enter the wonderful door. Dao Yuan said: Wen Cooking. Break the evil King Kong, bravely clear the advance, the heavens and demons retreat, and the interior is self-clearing. Dao Yuan said: Wu Lian also. This is one of the bases for the Lingbao Sect to believe that they are also the originators of Qi cultivation and martial arts in the world.

"Lingdao Jueyun: The lotus originates in the heart of heaven and is embodied in the lotus platform. The truth of the Tao is in the chest, and the universe is only in the palm. "——The three major town sect exercises of the Lingbao Sect have two origins from this, one is the [Tianxin Lotus Terrace] with extremely strong defense, and the other is the [Mastery of Qiankun] with infinite attack power.

[Daode School]: Founded by the three disciples of Daozu, he has no ambition to establish a religion, and has always been a [Daode Sect]. We have always pursued eclecticism. In the early days, the momentum was not as good as the Shangqing and Lingbao factions, but the latecomers prevailed, and the morality faction exerted its strength in the middle and late stages, and the "authentic" and "ancestor" of the morality faction - [Daodaozong] not only occupied the [Xuandu Ancestral Garden] in the Qingming world, but also the two "upper sects" under the Daodaozong, [Yuqing Sect] and [Daodao Sect] also had a prominent position on the territory of the righteous world, all of which were honored titles of grandmaster and heavenly master, and the lower sect had several [Baohe Sect] [True Dragon Sect]. The moral school does not have its own first scripture, and the main scripture has "Taiping Sutra" and "Enlightenment Chapter", etc., and this school has produced many high-quality people. In later generations, the Taoist priests who were respected as "national teachers" and posthumously awarded the title of "true monarch" by the emperor are so large that they can be described as unrivaled among the three factions. He has compiled a series of popular Taoist "fundamental" classics, including "Three Caves of Jade Records" and "True Soul Immortal Spectrum", which are all important bases for cultivation.

Attached: "Three Caves Jade Record" formulated the most complete "Qing rules and precepts" and "fasting rituals" in the history of Taoism. The "True Spirit Immortal Genealogy" "proves" or "leaks" the existence of the gods of the heavenly court to a certain extent, which also directly leads to the derivative development of the [Shinto system].

The Daode sect has sayings such as "the four ancestors of the Eastern Sect", the "five ancestors of the Western Sect", the "Eighteen Grandmasters" and the "Thirty-six Heavenly Masters".

There are many branches and lush branches of the Daodaoist sect, which can be roughly divided into two factions, "Western True Immortal Dao" and "Eastern Heavenly Master Dao", the former is of great significance, mainly to resist the eastward penetration of Buddhist forces, and the latter is mainly the "rise and fall of one family" of the Zhao family in Longhu Mountain.

[2. The middle stage of the development of Taoism]:

After the end of the situation of the three factions, ushered in the complex pattern of the division of the heroes in the history of Taoism, during this millennium, hundreds of Taoist schools of thought suddenly rose and fell suddenly, but the vast majority of them were short-lived, and "real people, national teachers are as many as cows" is a unique scene in this period.

Because the morality faction took the lead in proposing the integration of the three religions, coupled with the emergence of a large number of land immortals with outstanding talents and amazing talents, their status and power rose sharply, and gradually surpassed the Shangqing faction and the Lingbao faction, which were originally more powerful.

In addition to the morality sect began to lead the world's Taoism, with the support of the secular dynasty, intentionally or unintentionally or forcedly, more than a dozen well-known "Taoist towns" appeared.

Among them, there are six blessed land doors in the prototype of the "Six Mountains Fu" (or the Six Sects of Fu) in later generations, in addition to the Longhu Mountain that belongs to the moral school, the rest of the five mountains were born during this period, and there were the first generations of the "originators" of each mountain, such as the [Shenxiao Sect] founded by Wang Xuanmiao, the ancestor of Xuanchao Mountain, and the [Lingfu Sect] founded by Wu Yunzhen.

(Attached: The dispute between the three factions, there is no time to take care of others, so it gives foreign religions and Buddhism the opportunity to infiltrate the vast world, coupled with the aftermath of the struggle between the three factions, affecting the secular dynasty, the countries are fighting, the lives are ruined, and the people are not living, [Taoism's pursuit of the religious roots of individual immortality] has been unable to fully explain the disasters and pains in the world for the secular kings, so the Buddhist concept "took advantage of the void", and soon developed rapidly, like a spark in the prairie fire. ）

(Appendix 2: "Six Mountains Fu Zong" is "Fu Zheng Six Sects", divided into three main and three sub-sects.) The three authentic sects are respectively upholding the pure "Shangqing Zong", "Lingbao Zong" and "Zhengqi Zong", while the deputy three sects are relatively mixed and have many concurrent cultivations. ）

[Fu Zheng faction] began to appear to replace the three Qing faction to rule the world of believers, but at this time the Lingbao faction and the Shangqing faction were both defeated and collapsed, and the "moral sect Zhengzong" was busy gaining a foothold in the ancestral court of Xuandu, and at the same time resisting the outer demons, it was also necessary to start suppressing the Buddhist forces, so there was really no time to rectify the interior, which in the eyes of the great people of the Fu Zheng faction in later generations, it was customary to laugh and call "It was the ancestor who dozed off, so we had this new job".

At this time, there was a legendary Taoist priest in the history of Taoism, Song Maolu, this person's talent is so high, shocking to the world, it is rumored to be a thousand years of "three religions to treasure the body". Song Maolu did not join any of the major Taoist schools at that time, and studied under an ordinary Taoist priest from Longshou Mountain, who was not symbolically posthumously awarded the title of "Wu Wei Puhua Zhenren" until the latter's death. Proficient in Confucian classics, Song Maolu became the national teacher of the Zhenwu Dynasty, set up his own door, founded the Ming Taoist Sect, the purpose of "Confucianism and Taoism are not separated" and "Buddhism and Taoism are different paths to the same end", one step further than the predecessors of the real person, Song Maolu really began to practice the theory of the integration of the three religions, and became the most authoritative Taoist priest in history, "the palm of the four mountains of the law". However, at that time, the largest Zhenwu Dynasty in the world, the emperor of that generation of majestic and strategic, was young and strong but died inexplicably, coupled with the failure of Song Maolu's retreat, he disappeared, and the originally thriving Ming Dao Sect fell apart. One of the most far-reaching effects is that the original situation of Confucianism and Taoism joining forces against Buddhism has also decomposed and collapsed, and it is called "the great prosperity of Buddhism, the spread of Buddhism to the east, and the momentum is like a bamboo!"

At that time, the emperor of the Zhenwu Dynasty summoned the Song Maolu, who was famous for his "Three Talents Fa Gong" and "Shenxiao Tianlei", and was given the title of "Xuanjiao Grandmaster", and was awarded the "Taoist Du Tidian", Pei Jinyin, which was the same rank as the prince of Zongfan. While Song Maolu was in charge of the Taoist affairs of the Zhenwu Dynasty, Emperor Zhenwu relied on his heyday to force the other three dynasties to recognize Song Maolu's status as a "national teacher" and "Taoist capital", and became the unprecedented "Four Mountains Grandmaster".

At that time, Song Maolu was accompanied by four disciples, among which the eldest disciple Ge Xiuzhen joined the army and was proficient in Waidan, and the family gradually became stronger, and finally became one of the ten pillars of Zhenwu, and now it is also the world's leading tycoon. Chen Guanting, Song Maolu's favorite retreat disciple, the only Taoist priest who "stayed for His Majesty", assisted his mentor Song Maolu as the second-in-command of the "Xuanjiao heir" (Pei Yinyin and Weibi Gongqing), and sat in the capital. But in a certain sense, it was this person who finally buried the opportunity of "Taoism alone", after the death and disappearance of Emperor Zhenwu and Song Maolu, Chen Guanting not only did not help Ming Daozong stabilize the situation, but allowed Confucianism to join hands to ascend the throne and succeed to the throne of the young Zhenwu Emperor, and Buddhism to encroach on Taoist power. As for Chen Guanting, who is "almost a Song immortal", why he chose not to act at a critical moment, there have always been different opinions, and it has always been a mystery that cannot be explained by history.

The other two disciples, each of whom founded a school, also disappeared in a flash, and the inheritance cannot be verified.

(Attached: The Taoist system of the Ming Dao Sect, after the three transmissions to the great master Ning Zhongnan, completely disintegrated and was classified into the moral sect.) ）

[3. Overview of the current development of Taoism]

The morality faction led the confrontation with Confucianism and Buddhism.

Daodaozong sits in another world's Xuandu Ancestral Court, and rarely shows up.

The two great sects [Yuqing Sect] and "Great Dao Sect] are located in the Ganlu Dynasty in Middle-earth, and Aquarius, one of the three continents overseas. There are two in each of the lower sects, [Baohe Sect], [True Dragon Sect], [Qinghua Sect], and [Yuxiao Sect].

【Qinghua Sect】:

Founded in the Taoist priest Qi Qiuzhen, once summoned by the emperor of the Dalin Dynasty, given the name "Dongwei Gaoshi", and later into the title of "Mr. Zanhua", often presided over the imperial court's Jiao sacrifice, with the "Tongzhen Daling" name shock Jingshi.

According to the records of Qinghuazong, after Qi Qiuzhen, it was passed to Lin Lingzhen through Wang Hongzhen, Ma Dezhen, Song Cunzhen, Zhang Dongzhen, Kong Jingzhen, Lu Zhizhen, and Xue Yizhen. Lin Ling really opened the teaching of Donghua and became a generation of true teachers, taking life and death as his own responsibility, and often building the Pudu Conference. He was awarded the title of "Lingbao Tong Xuanhong Master Sect Master", presided over the Taoist affairs of the mountain and sea view, and had more than 100 disciples. The Donghua faction's Zhaijiao absorbs the inner dan method, and the inner dan is the root of the talisman. It is one of the most powerful sects in the southeast coast of Middle-earth.

【Shenxiao Sect】

The origin is very shallow, and it does not belong to the three schools of Taoism, but is an emerging and prosperous Fu Gong school. Two hundred years ago, Liu Zhenjun, a Taoist priest of the Later Tang Dynasty, claimed to have been taught by the Antarctic Immortal Emperor, and was summoned by the Emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty. There are more than 30 apprentices under his command, all of whom were named "Golden Gate Feather Guest" and "True Person of Ning Shen Temple". The sect said that its runes came from the "Shenxiao True King" contained in the "Daozang", which was the "Wanlei General Division". The school developed rapidly in the Later Tang Dynasty, mushrooming like mushrooms after a rain, and the Later Tang Emperor ordered all states in the world to establish the Shenxiao Yuqing Longevity Palace to worship the Shenxiao Emperor. The Shenxiao sect's runes have been passed down endlessly, and many branches have been derived.

Its internal Dan method originated from the Southern Sect, emphasizing that internal refining and external use must be based on "nature and primordial spirit", internal refining is the foundation, and talismans are used. Shenxiao Taoist insisted on "the small world of the human body and the big world of the universe", and believed that the thunder god generals summoned in the thunder law were actually their own essence and spirit, as well as the qi of the five internal organs. Later, under the influence of morality and Confucianism, he gradually attached importance to moral practice, kept the precepts, and put loyalty and filial piety first.

In addition, there are many schools of Taoism, which are developing vigorously.

Some Taoist sects do not still have Fu Danding, nor do they "talk extravagantly" about immortals, but focus on pure heart and few desires, "refining qi and all minds", and understanding the heart and insight. The Taoists are all monks and keep the precepts, and live in temples to cultivate. Some of them are regarded as charms. Some even openly threatened to "clean up the Tao and eliminate the pseudo-laws of the three factions", and some specialized in the art of autopsy, and so on. From the treasures of Taoist classics, the "Wandering Immortal Poems", "Buxu Words", "Green Words" and so on evolved are almost flooded.