A picture of the inaugural meeting of World Federation of Daoism, east China's Jiangsu Province, September 24, 2023. /CGTN
The World Federation of Daoism was established on Sunday, with 52 Daoist organizations from 20 countries and regions being its founding members.
The establishment was announced at the 5th International Daoism Forum, which kicked off on Sunday evening on the famous Daoist mountain of Maoshan in east China's Jiangsu Province.
Over 500 delegates participated in this forum, including Daoist practitioners, experts, scholars, and related parties from 39 countries and regions, such as the United States, France, Germany, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Unity and cooperation
The federation will work to promote the unity and cooperation of Daoists around the world and facilitate the international spread of Daoism, said Li Guangfu, chairman of the China Taoist Association.
Zhang Gaocheng, vice chairman of the China Taoist Association, hailed the federation's establishment as a landmark event in the religion's history, saying it will contribute to world's peaceful development and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
The forum
This forum is themed "Revering the Dao and Upholding Virtue, Moving Froward with the World." The theme, as explained by the organizers, points to finding content within Daoist thought and wisdom that aligns and integrates with modern society, giving full play to the positive energy of Daoism to contribute actively to the construction of a human community with a shared future.
Though religiously themed, the forum kept abreast of the times and addressed a number of current social issues and topics of public concerns, such as human well-being, ecological governance, and the shared future of mankind. Attempts were made to provide new perspectives and solutions for the common challenges faced by today's human society with the ancient Eastern wisdom embedded in Daoism.
Daoism
Daoism, or Taoism, is a 2,000-year-old religion that originated from Laozi's philosophy. Its key doctrines include seeking harmony with the eternal cosmic order known as "Dao" and cherishing one's life.
The long history is not weighing this ancient religion down. On the contrary, Daoism is progressing with its modernization and internationalization.
At the International Daoism Forums, a number of publicly interested issues become recurring topics and addressed with Daoist wisdom. For example, in the "Longhu Mountain Declaration," the crowning achievement of the 3rd International Daoism Forum, the idea of "act in accordance with the ways of nature and respect all living things" was articulated, and the concept of humans living harmoniously with the nature appeared over again in the following forums.
A file picture of the statute of Lao Zi, Maoshan, east China's Jiangsu Province. /CFP
Born in 571 B.C., Laozi was one of the most prominent philosophers in the history of ancient China. His masterpiece "Dao De Jing" or "Tao Te Ching," having profound connections with Daoism, is one of the pinnacles of Chinese philosophies.
'Best Blissful Land'
Maoshan, where the forum was held, has a deep connection with the Daoism. It was a historically esteemed site for imperial Daoist ceremonies, as well as a primary Daoist institution.
Maoshan was portrayed in the Tang Dynasty book "Dong Tian Fu Di Ji" (The Book of the Blissful Lands and the Heavens on Earth), written by a famous Daoist Practitioner Du Guangting, as the "Best Blissful Land" or the "First Land of Bliss," which indicates not only its paramount position in the Daoism, but also the breathtakingly beauty of its landscape.
(Cover: A file picture of Wanfu Sky Palace, Maoshan, east China's Jiangsu Province. /CFP)
