Religious Daoism: Immortals, Temples and Rituals

Daoism is not only philosophy. From the 2nd century CE, organized religious Daoism developed with priests, scriptures, deities and communities. In 142 CE, according to tradition, Zhang Daoling received revelations from the deified Laozi and founded the Way of the Celestial Masters, which offered healing and moral rules to followers. Religious Daoists sought harmony with the Dao and long life, even immortality, through meditation, breathing exercises, diet, and, for some, alchemy.

A pantheon of deities developed, including the Three Pure Ones and the popular Eight Immortals. Daoist priests performed rituals to purify communities and honor the dead, and temples became centers of local life. Daoism and Buddhism competed and borrowed from each other, and the Daoist canon (Daozang) grew to well over a thousand texts. Daoist influence reaches into Chinese medicine and practices such as tai chi and qigong, though their exact origins mix many traditions.