Research On Management System Of Daoism In Tang Dynasty

The research on Daoist management system is of realistic significance for carrying forward Chinese traditional culture and finding out the developing state of Daoism in Tang Dynasty. This paper could provide reference for the government to manage appropriately Daoist affairs and offer a historic basis for modern Daoism to adjust and reform the management system. Thereby Daoism could be accommodated well with socialist system and could serve better socialist modernization construction. The paper includes such three parts as preface, text and epilogue.In the preface, I firstly explain the significance and merit of my research. Then I introduce the research achievements related with it, define several concepts involved in it and account for the direction and method to the research. Finally, the basic situation of Daoism in Tang Dynasty is introduced.The text is divided into two sections. The first section (from Chapter 1 to Chapter 4) focuses on the concerned system for Tang government to manage Daoism. The last section (from Chapter 5 to Chapter 8) makes a deep research on the inner management system of Daoism in Tang Dynasty.Chapter 1 is about the policy of Tang Dynasty on Daoism. Based on the religious policies of northern and southern Dynasties, Tang government instituted the policies on Daoism full of its own characteristics: relying mainly on homage and fosterage, meanwhile taking restraint and transformation as an assist. The spirit of the system ran through the policies on Daoism in Tang Dynasty. Every governor inTang Dynasty had followed this way, only a little different in the situation of fosterage and restraint.Chapter 2 is about the governmental management system on Daoism in Tang Dynasty. The governors of Tang Dynasty established and perfected many systems to realize the full and effective control and management on Daoism. The aim was to make Daoism serve the feudal domination better. This chapter firstly probes into the institution established by Tang government to manage Daoism and into the system about Daoist officials. Then it presents the imperial-order system to limit the number of being a Daoist. And then it also makes a deep research into the system of setting up the temples in order to limit the number of the temples. And lastly it introduces the secular etiquette and law to restrict Daoist words and deeds.Chapter 3 is about the system of Zhaijiao rituals in Tang Dynasty. Zhaijiao rituals were listed into national ceremony of offering sacrifices and thus became the very important part of national etiquette. Tang Xuanzong built Taiqinggong Temple equal to his ancestral temple. It became a regular system to pay respect to and offer sacrifice to Laozi. The emperors in Tang Dynasty believed in the effect of Zhaijiao rituals to pray blessing and diminish disaster. They set altar to do Zhaijiao rituals frequently not only in the palace, but also in the famous mountains and grottos.Chapter 4 is about the systems of imperial examination based on the examinee's studying Daoist scriptures. It was a kind of examination system created in Tang Dynasty. This chapter makes a careful investigation about the setting of this system, the situation of opening imperial examination and of such institution to train people with ability as Chongxuan School. It introduces the imperial examination based on the examinee's understanding four masters' books and explains the significance of the imperial examination system based on the examinee's studying Daoist scriptures.Chapter 5 is about organized system of Daoists. In Tang Dynasty it could be divided into two parts: one was the system of religious rank and post. Both of them were to divide the Daoists into different rank and post according to official rank of Falu initiated by Daoists . Daoist's religious rank was almost the same as his post. The other was the system of errand-man in the temple. As the temples in Tang Dynasty were enlarged in scales and the affairs in the temples became more andmore, Daoists who were in control of the religious affairs and living affairs thus came into being. They not only had special titles but also clear responsibility.Chapter 6 is about the system of Daoist's daily life. In Tang Dynasty, rituals and religious discipline in Daoist daily life were the core parts of the system. Rituals and religious discipline were rules to normalize and restrain Daoist's words and deeds, to give Daosit guidance in his life and his cultivation. There were various rituals and religious discipline to supervise Daoist in Daoism of Tang Dynasty: the rituals and discipline to worship master, to preach and read aloud scriptures, to act, to live, to wear dress, to have food, to keep healthy and to live in mountains. This chapter also makes a detailed research into the system of Daoist dress and the system of funeral ceremony.Chapter 7 is about the system of initiating scriptures, discipline, Falu in Tang Dynasty. If one cultivated and worshiped three grotto scriptures, was initiated into Daoist-hood and wore Falu, he could summon gods and avoid disaster and evil things, keep longevity and finally become an immortal. Taken scripture, discipline, Falu as the root of inheritance, the initiating had already formed a system. In Tang Dynasty, Daoists were initiated different ranks of scripture, discipline, Falu according to the levels of their cultivation. Based on Daoist post in Tang Dynasty, this chapter makes a detailed introduction about the initiating of Scripture, discipline, Falu.Chapter 8 is about temple property in Tang Dynasty. Temple property meant house, sundries, trees, garden city, servant and livestock, foodstuff, etc. They were economic base for the temple to exist and develop. This chapter firstly looks back the forming process of temple property in Tang Dynasty. Then it analyzes carefully three main economic sources: one came from money and matters donated by Tang emperors, one from alms donated by different people, and the other from working earnings of the temple.The epilogue summarizes the tasks done in this paper and makes out the shortcoming of the research.