Zhang Daoling | Chang Tao-ling
- Born in A.D. 34 or 35, Zhang Daoling became a central figure in Taoism.
- Received a vision from Lao-Tzu, urging a transformation in religious practices.
- Introduced Taocracy, a governance system intertwining religion and state.
- Established parishes with Taoist administrators, collecting a rice tax.
- Taoist ceremonies aimed at curing illness, viewing disease as punishment.
- Influence on Taoist practices, including the use of talismans (FU) and communal feasts.
- Recognition and growth of Zhang's Taoism under Wei dynasty in the third century.
- Legends surrounding Zhang, including the discovery of an immortality pill.
- Descendants in Taiwan maintaining significant roles in contemporary Taoism.
Legacy of a Taoist Visionary
TAOISM and Zhang Daoling
Historically recognized as a significant early figure in TAOISM, Zhang Daoling played a crucial role as it evolved into a state religion. The exact timeframe of his existence remains uncertain, with conflicting perspectives on his birth year, conventionally set as A.D. 34 or 35, and his death around A.D. 156. Residing in the mountainous region of Sichuan (Szechwan), Zhang claimed to have received a visionary message from LAO-TZU, the traditional founder of Taoism. According to Zhang, Lao-Tzu instructed him to replace existing religious practices with novel teachings.
Taocracy: Fusion of Religion and Government
Zhang Daoling's teachings introduced a unique system, labeled a Taocracy, wherein religion and government were intertwined. China was divided into parishes (chih), initially 24 and later 36, each led by a Taoist administrator. Families were mandated to pay a tax of five measures, or pecks, of rice to the administrator, leading to the movement being dubbed the "Way of the Five Pecks of Rice." Administrators, apart from managing these taxes, were responsible for healing practices, viewing diseases as punishments for sins imposed by the SAN GUAN, or three judges of the dead.
Ceremonies, Prayers, and Heavenly Officials
To alleviate diseases, ceremonies were crucial. Taoist priests, during these rituals, made petitions or prayers known as zhang, believed to reach officials in one of three Taoist HEAVENS, each overseeing specific ailments and their corresponding demons. Various methods were employed, such as using FU, written talismans burned and ingested with water by the sick. Additionally, Taoism influenced by Zhang involved communal feasts held in specific months, and a ritual called the Union of Breaths, later misconstrued by Buddhists as a form of sex orgy.
Official Recognition and Growth
Under the Wei dynasty's founder, Cao Cao, and Zhang Daoling's grandson, Zhang Lu, Taoism, as practiced by Zhang, gained official recognition in the northern Chinese court. The sect flourished, becoming dominant in northern China by the end of the third century. Legends surrounding Zhang Daoling included tales of discovering the secret to immortality and possessing the ability to fly. His magical teachings were passed on to students, and his descendants in Taiwan have maintained prominent roles in Taoism up to the present day.