Can Taoists Practice Taoism at Home?

Taoists can practice Taoism at home.

Although Taoism advocates leaving home to become a monk or nun, doing so is helpful for cultivating purity of mind and getting rid of the shackles of karma, allowing one to focus on cultivation. In fact, Taoism does not advocate that all Taoists should leave home for cultivation. In daily life, many Taoists practice at home, and they are known as "lay practitioners" or "jushi".

Taoism believes that as long as a person can be loyal and responsible, respect and care for their parents, be honest and keep their integrity, and maintain a life of few desires to protect their body, whether they practice after leaving home or at home, they can achieve complete merits and virtues.

In fact, the difference between practicing after leaving home and practicing at home is similar to the difference between being a professional and an amateur. Those who leave home invest all their spirit, energy, and time in cultivation, so they belong to professional practitioners. For lay practitioners at home, they have the affection among family and friends, which is not easy to give up. Moreover, due to their concerns about careers, interpersonal relationships, fame, and fortune, it is really not easy for them to focus wholeheartedly on cultivation.

Whether to practice after leaving home or at home depends entirely on an individual's will and karma.