What is the Jushi 居士？

The term "Jushi" originates from the *Book of Rites* (*Liji*) and generally refers to learned scholars or recluses who adhere to the Tao (Way) as "Jushi."  

Taoist priests are divided into monastic and non-monastic categories. Non-monastic Taoist priests are also called "Jushi." Before the Jin and Yuan dynasties, many Taoist priests were non-monastic because there was no mandatory requirement for ordination. After the Quanzhen School was founded in the Jin Dynasty, a system for monastic ordination of Taoist priests was established. Since the founding of Taoism, the term "Taoist priest" (道士) has specifically referred to those who cultivate themselves according to Taoist teachings. From the Sui and Tang dynasties onward, it became customary to call male Taoist priests "Daoshi" (道士) or "Huangguan" (黄冠), and female Taoist priests "Nüguan" (女冠) or "Nüzhen" (女真). In later times and up to the present, male and female Taoist priests have been respectively called "Qian Dao" (乾道) and "Kun Dao" (坤道). During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, as the number of those who practiced Taoism increased, those who cultivated at home were called "Huoju Daoshi" (火居道士, lit. "Taoist priests living in secular households") to distinguish them from monastic Taoist priests.