Heavenly Masters: Two Thousand Years of the Daoist State

The origins of modern Daoism can be traced to the Church of the Heavenly Master (Tianshidao), established by Zhang Daoling in 142 CE. Tianshidao has remained central to Chinese society, and Daoist priests have upheld their spiritual allegiance to Zhang. This book tells the story of the evolution of the Heavenly Master leadership and institution, which included a sacred site, a patriarchal line of successive Heavenly Masters, a Zhang lineage, and a bureaucratic apparatus.

Format: Hardback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 30 April 2022
Publisher: The Chinese University Press

The origins of modern Daoism can be traced back to the Church of the Heavenly Master (Tianshidao), founded by the formidable Zhang Daoling. According to Daoist tradition, Zhang was visited by the Lord on High in 142 CE, who appointed him as his vicar on Earth with the title Heavenly Master. The dispensation articulated an eschatological vision of saving initiates, the pure and destined to become immortals, by enforcing a strict moral code. Over time, Tianshidao has remained central to Chinese society, and Daoist priests have upheld their spiritual allegiance to Zhang, their now divinized founder.

This book delves into the long and evolving history of the Heavenly Master leadership and institution. Later hagiography credits Zhang Daoling's great-grandson, purportedly the fourth Heavenly Master, with settling the family at Longhushan (Dragon and Tiger Mountain). His descendants, down to the present contested sixty-fifth Heavenly Master living in Taiwan, made the extraordinary claim of being able to transmit the function of the Heavenly Master and the power to grant salvation through hereditary means.

Over the next twelve centuries, the Zhangs transformed Longhushan into a major holy site and a household name in the Chinese world. They constructed a vast administrative center for the bureaucratic management of Chinese society. They gradually built the Heavenly Master institution, encompassing a sacred site, a patriarchal line of successive Heavenly Masters wielding vast monopolistic powers to ordain humans and gods, a Zhang lineage that nurtured talent and accumulated wealth, and a bureaucratic apparatus consisting of temples, training centers, and a clerical hierarchy.

The design of this institution was so well-crafted that it remained stable for more than a millennium, far outlasting the dynasties and political changes that swept through China. The Heavenly Master institution played a significant role in shaping Chinese society and culture, and its influence can still be seen today in various aspects of Chinese life, including religion, philosophy, and literature.

In conclusion, the origins of modern Daoism can be traced back to the Church of the Heavenly Master, founded by Zhang Daoling. Through the centuries, the institution evolved and expanded, becoming a central force in Chinese society and culture. Its eschatological vision of saving initiates through strict moral code has remained a guiding principle for Daoist priests and practitioners, and its legacy continues to be felt today.

Weight: 766g
Dimension: 163 x 236 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789882372023