Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [357]
Religion and beliefs |
Taoism
Taoism is based on the Tao-te-Ching, the “Book of the Way”, traditionally attributed to Lao-tzu (meaning “Old Master”), who is thought to have lived in China in the sixth century BC. The Tao, the Way, emphasizes effortless action, intuition and spontaneity; the Tao is invisible and impartial; it cannot be taught, nor can it be expressed in words. It is the one reality from which everything is born, universal and eternal. However, by virtuous, compassionate and non-violent behaviour, it is possible to achieve ultimate stillness, through a mystical and personal quest. Taoism thus preached non-intervention, passivity and the futility of academic scholarship; it was viewed by Confucians as suspiciously subversive.
Central to the Tao is the duality inherent in nature; the whole universe is in temporary balance, a tension of complementary opposites defined as yin and yang, the male and female principles. Yang is male, the sun, active and orthodox; yin is female, the earth, flexible, passive and instinctive. Harmony is the balance between the two, and experiencing that harmony is the Tao. Accordingly all natural things can be categorized by their property of yin or yang, and human activity should strive not to disrupt that balance. In its pure form Taoism has no gods, only emanations of the Tao, but in the first century AD it corrupted into an organized religion venerating a deified Lao-tzu. The new cult had popular appeal since it offered the goal of immortality through yogic meditation and good deeds. Eventually the practice of Taoism developed highly complex rituals, incorporating magic, mysticism, superstition and the use of (See "Geomancy") to ensure harmony between man and nature, while astrology might be used to determine auspicious dates for weddings, funerals, starting a journey or even launching a new business. Ancient spirit worship, the cult of ancestors and the veneration of legendary or historic figures all fused happily with the Taoist idea of a universal essence.
The vast, eclectic pantheon of Taoist gods and immortals is presided over by Ngoc Hoang, the Jade Emperor. He is assisted by three ministers: Nam Tao, the southern star who records all births; Bac Dau, the north star who registers deaths; and Ong Tao, God of the Hearth who reports all happenings in the family household to Ngoc Hoang at the end of the year. Then there is a collection of immortals, genies and guardian deities, including legendary and historic figures. In Vietnam among the best-known are Tran Vo, God of the North, Bach Ho, the White Tiger of the West, and Tran Hung Dao, who protects the newborn and cures the sick. Confucius is also honoured as a Taoist saint. A distinctive aspect of Taoism is its use of mediums to communicate with the gods; the divine message is often in the form of a poem, transmitted by a writing brush onto sand or a bed of rice.
Chinese immigrants brought Taoism (Dao Giao) to Vietnam during the long period of Chinese rule (111 BC–939 AD). Between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries the philosophy enjoyed equal status with Buddhism and Confucianism as one of Vietnam’s three “religions”, but Taoism gradually declined until it eventually became a strand of folk religion. A few Taoist temples (quan) exist in Vietnam but on the whole its deities have been absorbed into other cults. The Jade Emperor, for example, frequently finds himself part of the Buddhist pantheon in Vietnamese pagodas.
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Religion and beliefs | Taoism |
Geomancy
The practice of geomancy is a pseudo-scientific study, much like astrology or reading horoscopes, which was introduced to Vietnam from China. The underlying idea is that every location has harmful or beneficial properties governed by its physical attributes, planetary influences and the flow of magnetic energy through the earth. Geomancy is used mainly in siting buildings, particularly tombs, palaces, temples and the like, but