Why taoism is bad

According to ancient Chinese religious beliefs, which differ quite a bit from the above but carried over into Taoist religion, each person has multiple souls: three hun , or cloud souls, and seven po , or bone souls. The hun are light and naturally move toward heaven, while the po are heavy and earth-bound, and deliberately aim to destroy the body so that they may rejoin the substance from which they came. The po will also report one's misdeeds to the heavenly officials. Another perspective on suffering is offered by Taoist texts that say that illness is caused by three corpse worms that reside in the body.

In some texts these are described as the three cadavers and nine worms. These, like the po souls, will sometimes report an individual's transgressions to heavenly officials. Sometimes the three cadavers will also conspire with the po souls to cause the body harm, and they will encourage demons to enter the body.

Demons can cause illness, to punish a person, or just because they want to. In order to begin a program of Taoist self-cultivation, once must first expel the worms, or cadavers. Also, there is a Taoist prohibition against eating grain that is based on the fact that the worms find grain a desirable food, and will be encouraged to stay. Another Taoist belief is that physical health is evidence of purity, and illness is believed to be caused by one's misdeeds.

The cure for illness is to confess and be purged of one's sins. To accomplish this one could, for example, have a Taoshi transmit to the proper divine official a talisman that describes the malady and the misdeed that has led to it, expresses contrition, and requests the aid of the official.

If the petition is accepted, then the cause of illness will be expelled, and the sufferer will be healed. In some Taoist groups, one is also held responsible for the sins of one's ancestors, up to ten generations.

Thus, sickness is viewed as the result of one's own and one's ancestors' wrongdoings. It is also possible for some to act for the benefit of others, relieving them of their sins.

In some cases, a barefoot Taoist priest, that is a priest that is not a trained Taoshi but has some of the same abilities, will undergo self-mortification for the benefit of all. There are also certain Taoist rituals that are designed to cleanse a community from sin or hardship. Early Taoism emphasized Confucian virtues, which encouraged harmonious community living rather than salvation from sin.

Later, most Taoist sects, strongly influenced by Buddhism, adopted many moral rules, and adepts would take precepts — that is, like Buddhist monks and layperson, they would vow not to do certain things that are regarded as sinful. The Buddhist concept of merit was also widely adopted by Taoists.

There are no more scholars, soldiers, farmers, or any other professions at odds with Taoist philosophy. To me, it sounds like a dystopia. Of course, my online acquaintance probably only asked because they felt affection toward Taoism as well as disappointment at the lack of influence Taoism has in China today.

As the only religion native to China, Taoism has historically been incorporated into, and indeed subsumed by, Buddhist beliefs. Now, more Chinese practice Christianity and yoga than Taoism. Currently there are about 9, Taoist temples across China, but only around 50, Taoists.

For a country of this size, that is a negligible number. Part of the issue may be the negative preconceptions that many people hold toward Taoism. To some, it calls to mind superstitious practices like sorcery, fortunetelling, or voodoo. Some religions advocate converting whole countries — even the world — through a holy crusade, but not Taoism. My reason for responding this way is that I believe our country needs to be diverse.

Taoism should not be the sole influence on Chinese religion. In China, people are taught to venerate the spirits of ancestors.

This has always been a tradition honored above any religion. It is precisely for this reason that Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism have been able to harmoniously coexist for so long.

Of course, China has seen its fair share of religious conflict over the years. For example, the Yellow Turban Rebellion of A. However, we have never engaged in a religious war designed to obliterate the followers of a so-called heathen faith, such as the Crusades. Compared to most other parts of the world, China has generally served as a strong example of religious integration, acceptance, and tolerance. I am extremely proud of that.

We have to protect the philosophical essence of Taoism, not shackle it within the confines of religious strictures. We have to spread the truth of the Tao, but not force people to assimilate. The world should not be run by followers of Taoism or any other single religion. Instead, it should be inferred from natural laws and restricted by national legal structures and religious teachings.

By Christopher Carothers. To Read the Full Story. Subscribe Sign In. Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership. Resume Subscription We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription. Please click confirm to resume now.