Jadeology Ep. 23 | Rewriting History: Why Daoism is 1,500 Years Older Than You Think

Mainstream scholars often mistakenly claim that Daoism, as attributed to Laozi, was established during the Eastern Zhou dynasty (6th–5th century BC). This era is famously known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought," but these scholars overlook a crucial distinction: Daoism as a religion existed long before the philosophy of the Daodejing was ever written.

It is time to recognize that the roots of Daoist ritual were established far before Confucius (Kongzi) dominated the historical stage.

The Primordial Yin and Yang. One of the essential principles of Daoism is the concept of Yin and Yang. In this worldview, the universe began as a void of primordial energy (Qi). Eventually, the lighter energy moved upward to become the Sky, and the heavy energy moved downward to become the Earth. This duality is clearly observed in Hongshan burials. Archaeologists have found jade turtles and "pig dragons" buried in pairs, representing the female and male (Yin and Yang) balance. This marks the beginning of the "Shamanic King" era. While "shamanism" is a universal term, in China, we call these figures Wu (巫). This was the era of the Wu Kings.

The Tools of the Wu Just as a priest in Christianity uses specific tools to conduct a service, the Wu of ancient China used jade instruments to manifest their power. In Episode 22, I presented the Jade "Defend Stick" from the Longshan culture. Today, I present this Command Token from the Xia Dynasty. It is physical proof that Daoist religious ritual existed long before the 6th century BC.

The Command Token and the "Tenno" Connection A Command Token is used to issue orders to the divine: to summon rain during a drought, to command floods to cease, or to exorcise evil spirits. The Palace Museum in China holds jade and wooden command tokens from the Qing Dynasty court. Interestingly, some bear the inscription 天皇 (Tianhuang). This is a striking coincidence with the title of the Japanese Emperor (Tenno). If the Tianhuang was the highest priest in ancient Daoist ritual, does this suggest the Japanese Tenno institution originated from these same ancient Daoist roots?