Taoist Culture - Taoist Priests with Swords

Wearing a cyan Taoist robe, stepping on ten-directional cloth shoes, and carrying a refreshing sword on the back - this is often our impression of Taoist priests.

Why do most Taoist priests carry swords with them? First of all, throughout the history of Taoism and the myths and legends it believes in, the tradition of Taoist priests carrying swords has a long history. For example, Zhang Daoling, the founder of Taoism. Legend has it that when Zhang Daoling was cultivating in Heming Mountain in Sichuan Province, Taishang Laojun bestowed upon him the Evil-Slaying Sword, which came in a pair of male and female. The hilts were engraved with the patterns of stars, the sun, and the moon. The Ancestral Heavenly Master held the Three-Five Male-Female Evil-Slaying Sword to slay demons and eliminate evil in Qingcheng Mountain. Eventually, the female sword was placed in the Ghost-Restraining Well in Heming Mountain, while the male sword has been passed down through generations in the Heavenly Master family. Another example is Lu Dongbin, the True Man of Pure Yang. His image is that of an immortal with an elegant and unrestrained demeanor and he mastered the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique. His swordsmanship was extremely rare in the world. Later practitioners who pursued the way of the Sword Immortal regarded him as the Sword Ancestor and Sword Immortal. Many sword practitioners embarked on this path under his influence.

Another example is the sword carried by the Emperor Zhenwu, named the Northern Black-Charging, Rolling-Horned, Demons-Slaying, Male Sword. The Qingfeng Seven-Star Sword used by the god Zhong Kui, who subdues evil spirits. It is precisely because these great Taoist gods all use swords as weapons to protect the country and the people that most of the later Taoist priests were influenced by this and carried swords with them. Secondly, the swords of Taoism are also known as Dharma Swords, Divine Swords, Spirit Swords, etc. They are a kind of ritual implement used by Taoist masters during fasting and religious ceremonies and have a special power to drive away evil and avoid disasters.

When the Dharma Sword is combined with talismans, it has even more divine power. "Baopuzi" states: Talismans and swords can repel ghosts and avoid evil. To defend oneself and avoid harm, one should cultivate the defenses of guarding the body and carry the talismanic and sword of celestial patterns. Therefore, the sword carried by Taoist priests can be said to slay evil externally and inner demons internally. It is an essential ritual implement for experiencing the mundane world.