T’AI-P’ING TAO Chin., lit. “Way of Supreme Peace”; early Taoist school founded between 172 and 178 C.E. by Chang Chüeh. It derived its name from its basic doctrinal text, the T’ai-ping ching.

As a result of his spectacular methods of healing, Chang Chüeh attracted a vast follow­ing. In this he was helped by the extremely poor living conditions of the peasants, who not only had suffered epidemics and natural disasters but were also cruelly oppressed by the rulers of the Han Dynasty. Chang Chüeh’s healing methods were based on magic. To be healed a believer had to confess his or her sins which Chang Chüeh considered to be the root of their afflic­tions at public mass ceremonies. A further important ritual of the t’ai-p’ing tao was fasting ceremonies (chai). In addition, the priests or officials of this school made use of talismans (fu-lu), holy water (fu-shui), magic formulae, etc. The t’ai-p’ing tao tried to explain some of its practices by a willfully convenient interpreta­tion of the Tao-te ching. In actual fact, its teachings are very similar to those of Five­-Pecks-of-Rice Taoism (wu-tou-mi tao). As a mass movement the t’ai-p’ing tao was further­ more of political importance. Its followers were organized on a strictly hierarchical basis which, moreover, fulfilled certain military functions. Its influence extended over eight provinces, subdivided into thirty-six districts, with be­tween seven thousand and ten thousand follow­ers in each. Every one of these districts was under the charge of a “general,” while Chang Chüeh and his brothers were the leaders of the t’ai-p’ing tao as a whole. Chang named himself celestial duke-general. His two brothers bore the titles terrestrial duke-general and people’s duke­ general, respectively.

In 184 C.E. 36,000 followers of the Way of Supreme Peace rose against the central govern­ment. The rebels wore yellow head bands, which is why this rebellion is recorded in Chinese history as the Rising of the Yellow Turbans (Huang-chin). Although the rebellion was put down, and Chang Chüeh and his two brothers were executed, the Yellow Turbans for some considerable time remained a political power whose influence was by no means negligible.

Chang Chüeh announced the dawning of a new age and promised the people to establish a utopian order of the kind described in the T’ai-p’ing ching. This new age was to commence when the Blue Heaven (i.e., the rule of the Han Dynasty) was succeeded by the Yellow Heaven (i.e., the Way of Supreme Peace), which vener­ated Huang-ti, the Yellow Emperor, as one of its founders. This was to happen in 184 C.E. The Rising of the Yellow Turbans was motivated by a desire for equality, but in the end the followers of Chuang Chüeh did not consider equality without peace worth fighting for.

Tao-chiao schools

Tao-chiao Chin. , religious Taoism; one of the two streams of Taoism, the other being philosophical Taoism (tao-chia). The tao-chiao embraces all Taoist schools and movements whose aim consists in the attainment of immortality (ch’ang-sheng pu-ssu).

The most important of these are:

A) The Inner Deity Hygiene School,

B) Five-Pecks-of-Rice Taoism (wu-tou-mi tao),

C) The Way of Supreme Peace (t’ai-p’ing tao),

D) The School of the Magic Jewel (ling-pao p’ai),

E) The Way of Right Unity (cheng-i tao), and

F) The Way of the Realization of Truth (ch’üan-chen tao).

The methods employed to attain immortality range from meditation to alchemical practices, physical exercises, breathing exercises, and sexual practices.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Documents on T’ai-p’ing tao

Books on T’ai-p’ing tao

External links: Ching / Chai / Fu-lu /  Tao-te ching / Taoism / wu-toumi-tao / Huang-chin / Huang-ti