In the ancient Three Dynasties, Heaven held the supreme significance. It had will, perception, knowledge of human affairs, and the ability to reward and punish. Rulers not only claimed to represent Heaven but also monopolized the right to offer sacrifices to Heaven. Taoism regarded Heaven as one of all things, lacking personality, and proposed that the most fundamental existence was the Tao, which undoubtedly was a huge impact on the traditional "View of the Way of Heaven". However, during the Qin and Han dynasties, the traditional religion of sacrificing to Heaven did not disappear.
Taoism inherited the Taoist theory and put forward its own system of deities and theological thoughts to confront the traditional religion of sacrificing to Heaven. The thought of the Way of Heaven in Taoism refers to explaining the contents related to Heaven by the Tao, namely the formation of Heaven, the composition of Heaven, and the deities residing in Heaven.
●The Way of Earth
The Earth was already worshipped by people in ancient times. "The Book of Rites - Sacrifices in the Suburbs" states: "The Earth carries all things. Heaven shows its signs. We obtain wealth from the Earth and take laws from Heaven. Therefore, we respect Heaven and be close to the Earth. Thus, we teach the people to offer beautiful rewards." Ancient sages believed that people relied on the Earth to survive, so they should be close to the Earth and offer rewards. The way of sacrifice was merely "burying in the Earth", that is, spreading or burying the sacrifices in the Earth.
Around the Zhou Dynasty, the god of the land was associated with directions and classified by grades. During the Warring States Period, Houtu emerged. Taoism inherited the custom of worshipping the land and integrated the Tao into the Earth and mountains and rivers related to the Earth, forming the part of the doctrine of the Way of Earth, including the formation of the Earth, the directions of the Earth, and the deities related to the landforms.
●The Way of Humanity
All thinkers in the pre-Qin period attached importance to human beings. "The Book of History" states: "Among all things, only human beings have the spirit." However, Taoist thinkers raised the status and role of human beings to the same level as the Tao, Heaven, and Earth, saying: "The Tao is great, Heaven is great, Earth is great, and human beings are also great. Among the domains, there are four greatnesses, and human beings are one of them."
Of course, Taoist thinkers also saw the weak and vulnerable side of human beings and held a critical attitude towards the injustice in human society. They proposed "Human beings follow the law of the Earth, the Earth follows the law of Heaven, Heaven follows the law of the Tao, and the Tao follows nature" as the basic thought to solve the injustice of human beings and human society.
Taoism inherited the Taoist thoughts and put forward its own "View of the Way of Humanity", that is, a series of doctrines with the characteristics of Chinese religions, including the formation of human beings, the relationship between human beings and nature, the relationship between human beings and deities.
●The Way of Ghosts
The worship of ghosts already existed in the Three Dynasties. "The Book of Rites - Sacrifices" states: "Generally speaking, all beings born between Heaven and Earth have life. When all beings die, it is said to be broken. When human beings die, it is said to be ghosts." "Zuo Zhuan" once recorded Zichan's words, saying: "When a person is born, it is said to have po (corporeal soul). After being born, the yang is said to be hun (ethereal soul)." "Common men and women who die violently, their souls can still attach to people and cause harm." Therefore, there are both evil ghosts and good ghosts, and there were already sacrificial rituals to drive away ghosts and prevent disasters.
Taoism inherited the ancient concepts and worship rituals of ghosts and integrated the Tao into them, forming the "Way of Ghosts", including the assumption of the destination after human death, the formation and classification of ghosts, and the relationship between ghosts and human beings.
