Page 60 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TAOISM VOL. I

(to grant free passage on earth and in heaven), and various ritual techniques
(spells, incantations, sacred gestures, and so forth).
The fully ordained Taoist was considered a member of the divine rather
than the earthly community, and wielded considerable power. No distinction
was made in the ranking and empowering of women, whose only special
mark was an elaborate headdress, which also gave them the general appella-
tion niiguan ~7Ct or "female hats."
LiviaKOHN

W Benn 1991, 72-98; Benn 2000; Despeux 1986; Kohn 2003a; Kohn 2004b;
Lagerwey 1987b; Little 2000b, 208-13; Ozaki Masaharu 1986b; Schipper 1978,
376-81; Schipperl98sc; Schipper1993, 82-88

* LINEAGES; MONASTIC CODE; MONASTIC1SM

Syncretism

Taoism took shape through the integration of various trends of thought and
religious practice. Unlike Confucians and Buddhists, most Taoists accepted and
even asserted this syncretic tendency. This is one of the reasons it is difficult to
give Taoism an exact definition. In fact, syncretism enriched Taoism but can
also be a source of confusion to its students; some Taoist texts are veritable
patchworks resulting from centuries of progressive additions.
Han to Tang. From the Warring States period onward, Taoism inherited not only
the texts and thought of the Daode jing and the *Zhuangzi, but also Yin-Yang
and *wuxing cosmology, which provided its conceptual framework. These ele-
ments blended with remnants of early myths and with physiological practices
dating from the same period. In spite of the scorn shown by the Daode jing
for Confucian values, some of these too were adopted into Taoist teachings.
Legalist features are also apparent in the *Huang-Lao current, which served
one of the links between the Daode jing and later Taoism.
Taoism inherited a large amount of features from Han religious and intellec-
tual syncretism. Most important among them are the quest for longevity and the
variety of related learning and lore, including medicine, alchemy, cosmology,
and astrology. The Han "weft texts" (weishu ~:;\~) left traces that still survive
in present-day Taoism (see *TAOISM AND THE APOCRYPHA). The *Huainan zi,
also a syncretic work, has a strong Taoist flavor. Moreover, the organization
of the Han-dynasty Celestial Masters (*Tianshi dao) was modeled on the ad-
ministration of the empire, and its relation to the gods followed bureaucratic
procedures similar to imperial ones. The Celestial Masters adopted the Daode

J