Pre-existence

The essential force of Tao exists prior to the beginning of time and history; time is eventually set into motion with the emergence of the primordial force of ch’i, the flowing life energy that all things in existence are composed of.

2697 BCE

The mythical Yellow Emperor of Chine, Huang Di, begins his rule of the country, ushering in a golden age in which he creates the first government and laws in the world, and invents music and the arts. He was a great promoter of Taoism in its most basic forms and principles and is seen as a forefather of the religion.

2205-1765 BCE

The early shamanic tribes of ancient China have many practices that closely resemble the essential principles of Taoism, particularly in terms of the mysticism and superstition inherent in the majority of Taoist ideas. These practices include exorcisms, basic forms of feng-shui, practices reflecting the ideas of yin and yang, and alchemy.

500 BCE

Lao Tzu, the first of the Chinese to practice formal Taoism, writes his book Tao Te Ching, a collection of 80 poems that reflect the principles and benefits of following the flow of events as nature intends them to happen, or Tao (“the Way”). This document is addressed to political leaders and presents the ideal way for a leader to govern his people, based on the Taoist principles. In spite of its political intent, the Tao Te Ching is used as a text of guidance by everyone who follows Taoism and it still viewed as the foremost text in Taoism today.

500 BCE

Confucianism, an Eastern religion based on the teachings and ideas of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, emerges in China. *

460 BCE

Buddhism, another Eastern religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama and focused on his teachings, is founded. *

350 BCE

Taoism emerges in its original “philosophical” form in the late Warring States Period in China. This form of Taoism is not seen as a religion, but as simply a way of living and thinking about one’s life. It does not have the ceremonies or some of the more spiritual beliefs that later Taoism will have, but it has the same driving focus on following the principle of Tao.

300 BCE

Chuang Tzu writes his Taoist document, The Chuang Tzu. Presented through a series of demonstrative parables, this text deals with the principles of Taoism, focusing on the principle of no action (wu-wei) and following the flow of Tao.  This document is more in depth and much lengthier than the Tao Te Ching, and is regarded now and since its written as one of the foremost pieces of Taoist writing.

200 BCE

Buddhism arrives in China from its native lands of India and Tibet.
* Though not directly related to Taoism itself, Buddhism and Confucianism, along with Taoism,  make up the Three Teachings of religion in China. The three religions will emerge as the three principle schools of thought in the country and thus will compete for popularity and influence in China throughout its history. The ideas of the three teachings eventually influence each other and create minor changes in each respective religion and, conversely, the power struggle between them will be the source of much conflict throughout time.

 "The Vinegar Tasters", a popular allegorical painting featuring the Buddha, Lao Tzu and Confucius tasting vinegar. Each person's expression is representative of their religion's basic take on human life: Buhhda's is bitter, Confucius's is sour, and Lao Tze's is a smile.

150 BCE

The Huai-nan-tzu, another definitive text of the Taoist library, is written. It compiles a wide array of Taoist writings, serving as something of an encyclopedia featuring writings from a host of different Taoist writers. The main focus is one the subject of the cosmos, time, human action and the underlying connection between the three elements; it featured such Taoist principles as ch’i, yin and yang (the balance between two extremes or opposites that naturally asserts itself in the forces of the natural world).

220 CE

“Religious” Taoism emerges, creating a distinction between the two forms of Taoism. This form focuses more on the acting out of Taoist principles, the difference lying largely in the ceremonies and practices that take place in the monasteries and temples for religious practices that will be established in years to come, and in the belief in various deities of the Taoist world.

265-589 CE

During this time, the Period of Disunity in China, Buddhism experiences rapid growth; as a result, Taoism puts forth an effort for more prominence in Chinese culture and, thus, patronage from royalty and other powerful, wealthy people. This struggles eventually yields Zen Buddhism, a mixing of Taoist and Buddhist principles, a religion which is still popular today.

 

Zen gardens, one of the practices to arise from Zen Buddhism.

300 CE

Kuo Hsiang edits the text of the Chuang Tzu, resulting in text that is read today. He divides the text into 3 parts: the first consisting of 7 “inner chapters,” the second consisting of 15 “outer chapters,” and the last section of all remaining chapters known as the “miscellaneous chapters. The first section is regarded as having been written by Chuang Tzu himself, while the last two sections are thought to have been written by his followers later on, in an attempt to elaborate and clarify the principles set down in Chuang Tzu’s writing.

364 -370 CE

The Mao Shan (Shan-Ch’ing) school of Taoist thought comes into existence as a result of a series of revelations the individual Yang His receives from a series of spiritual beings from Heaven of the Highest Purity. The resulting texts were seen as holy, as they represented tangible, living embodiments of Tao as passed down directly from pure, heavenly Tao deities. The resulting sect is one of the first religious Taoists sects and one that is still influential and thriving today.

.

  The deities of the Heaven of Highest Purity

365-448 CE

K’ou Ch’ien-chih, a Taoist instated as one of the present Emperor’s advisors, convinces the emperor to prohibit the public practice of Buddhism and to encourage the ideals of Taoism, allowing Taoism a huge opportunity for growth and spread of popularity throughout China.

400 CE

The first edition of the Taoist canon, called the Daozang, is compiled. This acts as a collection of all the texts written on Taoism at the time and is meant to be an ultimate source for the Taoist.

618-907 CE

The T’ang Dynasty traces its lineage to a Taoist deity and, as a result, glorifies Taoism during its rule. Taoism is made the national religion of China, Lao Tzu’s birthday declared a national holiday, and the Tao Te Ching is made obligatory reading for people in many scholarly pursuits. This also results in huge growth and development of Taoist religious structures, as the patronage allows the building of many new monasteries and temples throughout China.

800 CE

Chinese Taoist alchemists searching for the recipe to the much sought after “elixir of immortality” stumble upon another compound which proves to be useful for other reasons, and gunpowder is invented. It is commonly used in early Chinese fireworks.

1040 CE

The magnetic compass is invented to be used as a tool for aligning furniture and buildings in the practice of the Taoist art of feng-shui, the practice of placing objects so as to allow energy to move efficiently and positively throughout a space.

1926 CE

The Taoist canon is reprinted and becomes widely available throughout the world at this point. Prior to this, it was uncommon to find the canon anywhere outside of Taoist temples and monasteries, but the text is now spread to places and countries it has never reached before and Taoism knowledge and belief in Taoism grow significantly at this point.

1966-1976 CE

The Chinese Cultural Revolution, marked by the communist takeover of China, results in a major downfall in Taoism’s popularity as the new Communist government prohibits superstitious practices. Religion itself is allowed but the mystical and superstitious overtones of Taoism draw more attention from the government and public practices of Taoism in most traditional forms is forbidden, many Taoist temples and monasteries are destroyed, and Taoist texts are burned in mass. Some smaller, more specific sects of Taoism thrive but Taoism as a whole suffers greatly in China.

 

1982 CE

Benjamin Hoff, an American Taoist, writes the book The Tao of Pooh, which relates Taoism, its properties, and main principles to characters and situations in the Winnie-the-Pooh and House at Pooh Corner books by A. A. Milne. This serves as an accessible text by which Americans can learn about Taoism and its applications and is very popular, even being used as required reading in college courses throughout the United States.

Works Cited

Myth Encyclopedia: Myths and Legends of the World. 2010. 18 Oct. 2010. 

"Tao." The Center of Traditional Taoist Studies. 2009. 18 Oct. 2010. . .
 
"Taoism." ReligionFacts. 3 Sep. 2004. 18 Oct. 2010. .

Cleary, Thomas. The Essential Tao: An Initiation into the Heart of Taoism through the Authetic Tao Te Ching and the Inner Teachings of the Chuang Tzu. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991.

Hoff, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh. New York: Penguin Books, 1982.

Oldstone-Moore, Jennifer. Taoism: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Reninger, Elizabeth . "History Of Taoism Through The Dynasties." About.com. 2010. 18 Oct. 2010. http://taoism.about.com/od/throughthedynasties/a/history.htm.

Sorajjakool, Siroj. Do Nothing: Inner Peace For Everyday Living.West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton Foundation Press, 2009.