The Untold History of Daoism: From its Origin to Lao Zi to the 5 Secret Gates to Daoist Religion

Throughout my teaching carrier, I found many mistakenly conflate Daoism with the Daoist Religion. While Daoism likely predates Chinese cultivation, the Daoist Religion was created just about 2000 years ago. Despite being different entities, the Daoist Religion’s root can be traced back to Daoism.

This video delves into the lesser-known history of Daoism, offering insights not commonly found in mainstream literature. It explores the clandestine origins of Daoism and traces its gradual integration into society. The narrative unfolds with the introduction of Lao Zi, who, in the influential Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), bestowed the name "Dao/Tao" upon this spiritual lineage. Over time, Lao Zi came to be venerated as the founding figure of the Daoist Religion.

The video further delves into the Daoist 5 secret gates 道門五秘, namely Tai Ji (chi) Gate, 太極門 Dan Ding Gate 丹鼎門, Fu Lu Gate 符籙門, Jian Xian Gate 劍仙門, and Xuan Zhen Gate 玄真門. It sheds light on how two of these gates have evolved, contributing to the formation of the Daoist Religion as we know it today. The exploration of these gates provides a unique perspective on the transformative journey of Daoism from its secretive beginnings to its present manifestation.

Quotes from Lu Dong Bing's text on the Sword Immortal practice: 採無極至精，合先天之元氣，假乾坤之爐鼎，運元始之鉗鍵，慧火煉成，靈泉磨利，以太極為環，剛中為柄，美利為刃，清靜為匣，虛白燦爛，純粹堅剛，運造化之機，乘秉威之令，舉之無古今，按之無先后，嶄絕貪愛痴之緣，誅盡七情六欲，除掉奸邪煩怒。佩此寶劍，可以超脫生死，可以治理天下之妖邪。