本土道教文化，传说有“神奇之术”，是否真正存在？ Does Taoist culture, with its legends of "mystical arts," truly exist?

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所谓人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。

As the saying goes: "Humanity follows the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows what is natural."

道德经有云：道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物，万物负阴而抱阳。

The Tao Te Ching states: "The Dao gives birth to the One, the One gives birth to the Two, the Two give birth to the Three, and the Three give birth to all things. All things carry Yin and embrace Yang."

玄之又玄，众妙之门。

It is mystery upon mystery, the gateway to all wonders.

世间万物皆有灵性，人虽是最有智慧的动物，但也属于世间万物之一种。

All things in the world possess a spiritual nature. Although humans are the most intelligent of creatures, they are still but one among all things.

因对自然的敬畏，人相信举头三尺有神明，也信地过三尺有鬼神，人之肉身消亡，灵魂则由鬼神管辖，焚香沐浴顶礼膜拜。

Out of reverence for nature, people believe "deities exist three feet above one's head" and "spirits exist three feet below the ground." When the physical body perishes, the soul falls under the governance of ghosts and spirits, leading to practices such as burning incense, ritual bathing, and reverent worship.

本土教派

An Indigenous Religion

自古时之人，便相信风水道教，道教祖师有许多，人文始祖黄帝，道家学派创始人老子，李耳，皆是道教祖师。

Since ancient times, the Chinese people have believed in Feng Shui and Taoism. Taoism has many patriarchs, including the Yellow Emperor—the ancestral figure of Chinese civilization—and Laozi (Li Er), the founder of the Taoist school of thought.

战国时期，便开始有各种仙家法术传说，道教开始演变开来。

During the Warring States period, legends of various immortals and mystical arts began to emerge, and Taoism started to evolve.

到东汉时期，张良十世孙张道陵，得太上老君传授，在山上结庐而居，筑坛炼丹，创立了五斗米教，也就是正一派。

By the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Daoling, a tenth-generation descendant of Zhang Liang, was said to have received teachings from the deified Laozi (Lord Lao the Most High). He built a hut on a mountain, erected altars for alchemy, and founded the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice, which later became known as the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) School.

到东汉末年，更是奇人异世辈出。

In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, an exceptional number of extraordinary individuals emerged.

像是方士左慈，会炼丹之术，明五经知六甲，学道术通星宿，晓万般变化之术，经过六七十年修行，死后尸解成仙。

For example, the fangshi (master of methods) Zuo Ci was skilled in alchemy, understood the Five Classics and the Six Jia spirits, mastered Taoist arts and astrology, and knew the myriad arts of transformation. After sixty or seventy years of cultivation, he is said to have achieved "liberation from the corpse" and become an immortal after his death.

到了唐朝时期，道教发展到了巅峰时候，民间道观信徒众多，各个组织教派星罗棋布，但殊途同归。

During the Tang Dynasty, Taoism reached its zenith. Taoist temples and believers were numerous among the populace, and various organizations and schools spread like stars across the sky, yet all their paths led to the same destination.

道教兴隆

The Prosperity of Taoism

道教是本土教派，隋唐北宋时期，官方道教兴盛发达。

Taoism is an indigenous religion of China. During the Sui, Tang, and Northern Song dynasties, state-sponsored Taoism flourished.

唐朝王室自称为太上老君后裔，自开国后即尊崇道教，尊崇道教为三教之首。

The Tang imperial family claimed to be descendants of Lord Lao the Most High. From the dynasty's founding, they revered Taoism, honoring it as the foremost of the Three Teachings (Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism).

唐玄宗尤其崇信道教，加封老子尊号为大圣祖玄元皇帝，以《道德经》为科举考试科目。

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was a particularly devout follower of Taoism. He bestowed upon Laozi the honorific title "Great Sage Ancestor, Mysterious and Primordial Emperor" and included the Tao Te Ching as a subject in the imperial examinations.

宋朝也仿照唐朝，大兴尊崇道教，百姓也是多为道教信徒，那时候的道教，就如《渡人经》中所言：诸天气荡荡，我道日兴隆。

The Song Dynasty followed the Tang's example by greatly promoting and revering Taoism. The majority of the common people were also Taoist believers. At that time, Taoism was just as described in the Scripture of Salvation: "The Qi of all heavens is vast and boundless; our Dao grows more prosperous by the day."

道教兴盛，人们也对道教之中的法术，有着由心而发的敬畏与好奇。

As Taoism prospered, people developed a heartfelt awe and curiosity for the mystical arts within the tradition.

在道教中有诸多神明，亦有诸多“法术”，就连医术也有道医的概念。

Taoism encompasses numerous deities and many "mystical arts"; there is even a concept of "Taoist medicine."

道教法术

Taoist Mystical Arts

道教修行者，需修身养性，心中宁静，在术法上方能有悟。

Taoist practitioners must cultivate their character and nurture their inner nature, achieving a state of tranquility to gain insight into these arts.

所谓道教法术，据传说源自古代巫祝。

The so-called Taoist mystical arts are said to originate from ancient shamans and ritualists (wuzhu).

巫祝能通鬼神，知晓医理，上至国家风调雨顺祝祷，下至斋戒沐浴，沙场刀刃之争斗，也都由巫祝掌管。

These shamans could communicate with ghosts and deities, understood medical principles, and were responsible for everything from state prayers for favorable weather to purification fasts, ritual baths, and even matters of warfare.

道术中有驱使鬼神，破除病灾之能。

Taoist arts are said to include the ability to command ghosts and deities and to eliminate illnesses and disasters.

尤其是道教符箓之法，更是庄重而神秘。

The Taoist methods of talismans (Fu) are particularly solemn and mysterious.

在影视剧中，时常看到，道士脚踏七星步走天罡，手拿符箓口念咒语。

In films and TV shows, one often sees Taoist priests performing the "Big Dipper pace" to walk the celestial patterns, holding talismans and reciting incantations.

道教咒语与符箓，使用十分广泛。

Taoist incantations and talismans are used very widely.

长短咒语有七百三十六种之多，配合符箓，有不同用法。

There are as many as 736 long and short incantations, each with different applications when combined with specific talismans.

真实存在

Genuine Existence

现在也有人在问，真正道教法术符箓，是否真如影视作品，还有文学作品中，所说的那么神奇。

Even today, people ask whether genuine Taoist mystical arts and talismans are truly as miraculous as depicted in films, television, and literature.

现实中的符箓，诵念咒语时候，讲究天时地利人和的讲究，也有诸多机会，就如前面所讲，心中宁静平和，不能有任何杂乱想法。

In reality, the use of talismans and the recitation of incantations require careful attention to the right timing, the right location, and personal harmony. There are also numerous specific rules and preparations; as mentioned before, one's heart must be calm and peaceful, free from any distracting thoughts.

像是金光咒，便需要有一定的修行基础，没有加修炼过之人，不能随便尝试。

For example, the Golden Light Incantation requires a certain foundation in spiritual practice. Those who have not undergone dedicated cultivation should not attempt it casually.

人有好坏之分，鬼神也有正恶之分，不可在一知半解是随意念诵。

Just as people can be good or bad, spirits and deities can be righteous or malevolent. One must not recite these incantations with only a partial or superficial understanding.

所谓道教符咒，看似子虚乌有，但也真实存在，但真实效果如何，常人无从知晓，但切记对万物，心存敬畏之心，虽说顺应天意，但也要多行好事，毕竟事在人为。

These so-called Taoist talismans and incantations may seem illusory, but they do genuinely exist as a practice. However, their true effectiveness is unknown to ordinary people. It is crucial to remember to maintain a heart of reverence for all things. And while one should align with the will of heaven, it is also important to perform good deeds, for in the end, success depends on human effort.