What is Life in Taoism? 道教中生的含义

Life refers to the existence of living beings.

The purpose of Taoism is to attain immortality through cultivation practices, seeking longevity and eternal life.

Life holds an important position in Taoist doctrine. What is Life in Taoism?

Laozi valued life, and the Dao De Jing emphasizes the way of deep roots, firm stems, longevity, and long vision.

Taoism inherited Laozi’s thought and further developed and transformed it.

The early classic Xiang'er Commentary on Laozi replaced the character “king” in two passages of the Dao De Jing with “life” and annotated: “Life is a distinct manifestation of the Dao.” It regards life as an expression of the Dao. Practitioners must “learn life” to uphold the way of harmony and balance.

Scripture of the Great Peace states: “The way of Heaven abhors killing and loves life.” It takes embodying the Dao, attaining the Dao, and achieving longevity as the core content and highest state of cultivation. Baopuzi • Chapter on Diligent Seeking says: The greatest virtue of Heaven and Earth is called life. Life is what is cherished, and nothing is more secret or important to Taoists than the method of eternal life. In specific practice of immortality, Ge Hong emphasized ingesting golden elixir, which renders one ageless and deathless, becoming a living immortal. Life is closely related to the Dao.

Supreme Lord Lao Scripture of Inner Observation states: “The Dao cannot be seen; it is revealed through life. Life cannot be permanent; it is preserved through the Dao. If life perishes, the Dao declines; if the Dao declines, life perishes.” The union of life and Dao brings eternal life. Human life and destiny are united with the Dao and should be cherished. At birth, the origin of the spirit is pure and undefiled. After acquiring physical form, one becomes tainted by the six emotions. Through various practices, eliminating emotions and desires, one unites with the Dao and attains longevity.

In religious practice, Taoist internal and external Internal Alchemy present comprehensive and complex methods of cultivating immortality, such as visualization, guarding the One, absorbing Qi, avoiding grains, and sexual arts, aiming to achieve the state of “the Dao abiding with life, and life abiding with the Dao” for longevity and eternal vision. See the entry “Union of Life and Dao.”