**“爱信信，不信拉倒”，道教真的“高冷”吗？看完你就明白了** **"Believe it if you want, if not, forget it" – Is Daoism Really That Aloof? Let's Find Out.**

对于道教，网络上曾经有过“爱信信，不信滚，不要打扰我飞升”的调侃。似乎在一些人看来，道教的修行者隐居深山，远离繁杂的尘世，一心只为得道飞升，显得非常的“高冷”，那么事实真的是那样的吗？
Online, Daoism has been humorously summarized with phrases like "Believe it if you want; if not, get lost. Don't disturb my ascension to immortality." To some, Daoist practitioners seem extremely "aloof and cold," depicted as hermits secluded deep in the mountains, detached from the bustling mundane world, solely focused on attaining the Dao and achieving immortality. But is this perception accurate?

道教是华夏民族固有的一种宗教，它发源于轩辕黄帝时期，鲁迅先生曾经说过“中国根柢全在道教”。道教有两个显著的特点，其一是承袭了黄老道家思想，以“道”作为核心信仰；另一个是源自万物皆有灵的神仙崇拜，修道者希望通过各种修行方式，最终也可以位列仙班、长生久视。
Daoism is an indigenous religion of the Chinese nation, tracing its origins back to the era of the Yellow Emperor. Lu Xun once remarked, "The very foundation of China lies entirely in Daoism." Daoism has two defining characteristics: First, it inherits the Huang-Lao Daoist philosophy, taking the "Dao" (Way) as its core belief. Second, it stems from animistic beliefs and the veneration of immortals (shenxian), where practitioners seek, through various methods of cultivation, to eventually join the ranks of the celestial beings and attain longevity or immortality.

道教文化里包含了大量的道家思想，像“尊道贵德，天人合一”等都被作为道教的基本教义，而“少私寡欲”、“清静无为”、“逍遥处世”等道家思想也是道教修行者需要遵守的行为准则。因此，头戴道巾、身穿青衣道袍、脚踏十方布鞋的道士们给人一种仙风道骨的感觉，同时也显得很高冷。
Daoist culture incorporates a vast amount of Daoist philosophy. Principles like "Revere the Dao, Value Virtue" and "Unity of Heaven and Humanity" are fundamental tenets. Daoist ideals such as "Minimize Selfishness and Desires," "Embrace Purity and Tranquility, Acting through Non-action (Wuwei)," and "Free and Unfettered Engagement with the World" serve as behavioral guidelines for Daoist practitioners. Consequently, Daoist priests (daoshi), with their distinctive headgear (daojin), blue/green robes (daopao), and cloth shoes (shifang buxie), project an aura of transcendent purity and detachment (xianfeng daogu), which can also appear aloof and cold.

道教典籍瀚如烟海，包含“山、医、命、相、卜”等诸多方面。像集道教书籍总成的《道藏》，分“三洞四辅十二类”，里面包含道书一千四百七十六种，五千四百八十五卷。这些典籍里，既有丹道修行之术，也有符咒、雷法等门派秘法。道法主要是以师徒之间进行传承，正所谓“道不传非人，法不传六耳”，每个门派的秘法一般不会轻易传授给别人。有些对道教感兴趣的人，千里迢迢来到道观里，想从道长那里学习道法。谁知道却被道长拒绝，于是心生感慨，道教真是太高冷了，道教不是一直说弘扬道教文化吗？为何不愿意传授呢？
Daoist scriptures are vast and profound, encompassing diverse fields known as the "Five Arts" (Wu Shu): Spirituality/Cultivation (Shan), Medicine (Yi), Destiny Analysis (Ming), Physiognomy (Xiang), and Divination (Bu). The monumental Daoist Canon (Daozang), a comprehensive collection of Daoist texts, is organized into "Three Caverns, Four Supplements, and Twelve Categories," containing 1,476 works in 5,485 volumes. These texts include practices like Inner Alchemy (Dandao) cultivation, as well as secret methods of talismans (fuzhou), Thunder Rituals (Leifa), and other lineage-specific techniques. The transmission of the Dao and its methods (Fa) primarily occurs through master-disciple lineages, adhering to the principle: "The Dao is not transmitted to the unworthy; methods are not passed on within hearing of a third pair of ears." The esoteric knowledge of each lineage is generally not shared lightly. Some individuals, deeply interested in Daoism, travel great distances to temples hoping to learn these methods from a Daoist master (Daozhang). Upon being refused, they may lament, "Daoism is so aloof! Doesn't Daoism always talk about promoting its culture? Why the unwillingness to teach?"

《道法会元》有云：“道者，灵通之至真；法者，变化之玄微。道因法以济人，人因法以会道，则变化无穷矣。”道教包含了“道”和“法”两部分，道是信仰的根本，是万物的本原；而法术则是其外在的应用形式。雷法也好，丹道也罢，这些法术归根到底是为了发扬道教济世度人的思想。正所谓“甘露不润无根草，大道不渡无缘人”，在道教看来，就算一个人悟性再好，但是品行不佳，没有慈悲之心，没有积德行善之行为，那么也是与道无缘。道长更不会将济世度人的道法传授给他，不然他们学得了道法反而会去做恶事。
As stated in the *Dao Fa Hui Yuan* (Compendium of Dao and Its Rituals): "*Dao is the supremely true essence of spiritual intelligence; Fa (Dharma/Methods) are the profound subtleties of transformation. The Dao employs Fa to aid humanity; humanity employs Fa to comprehend the Dao, resulting in infinite transformations.*" Daoism encompasses both the "Dao" (the Way, the fundamental principle) and the "Fa" (the Methods, its practical application). The Dao is the root of faith and the origin of all things, while the ritual and practical methods (fashu) are its outward forms of application. Whether it's Thunder Rituals or Inner Alchemy, these methods ultimately aim to fulfill the Daoist ideal of "saving the world and delivering people" (ji shi du ren). As the saying goes, "Sweet dew does not moisten rootless grass; the Great Dao does not ferry the predestined-less." From the Daoist perspective, even if someone possesses great innate understanding, if their character is poor, lacking compassion and the practice of accumulating virtue through good deeds, they are deemed to have no affinity with the Dao (wu yuan). A Daoist master certainly would not transmit methods meant for aiding the world and delivering people to such an individual, lest they use the acquired skills to commit evil deeds.

道教真的是高冷吗？答案是否定的。就像前面所说，道教的修行是追求“出世”，但同时也在倡导“入世”修行。道教追求得道成仙，而积累功德便是重要的成仙方式之一。《太上感应篇》有云：“欲求天仙者，当立一千三百善；欲求地仙者，当立三百善。”它告诉我们，想要成为天仙，就需要完成一千三百件善事；想要成为地仙，需要完成三百件善事。所以那些道教修行者也是积极在尘世间积德行善，并且也在劝导人们向善。他们融入到普通人之中，继承祖师爷的衣钵，将善行发扬光大，并没有显得高人一等。
So, is Daoism truly aloof? The answer is no. As mentioned earlier, while Daoist cultivation seeks transcendence ("leaving the world" - chu shi), it simultaneously advocates engagement within the world ("entering the world" - ru shi) as part of spiritual practice. Daoism pursues attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal (xian), and accumulating merit (gongde) is one crucial path to achieving this. The *Taishang Ganying Pian* (Treatise of the Exalted One on Response and Retribution) states: "*Those who seek to become Celestial Immortals (tianxian) must perform 1,300 good deeds; those who seek to become Earthly Immortals (dixian) must perform 300 good deeds.*" This tells us that aspiring to become a Celestial Immortal requires 1,300 acts of goodness, while becoming an Earthly Immortal requires 300. Therefore, Daoist practitioners are also actively engaged in accumulating virtue and performing good deeds within the mundane world, while also exhorting others towards goodness. They integrate among ordinary people, inheriting the legacy of their patriarchs, propagating virtuous conduct, and do not act as if they are superior.

道教以“道”作为核心信仰，“道”存在于万物之中，《道教义枢》有云：“一切含识乃至畜生、果木石者，皆有道性也。”大道并没有远离世人，世人皆在道中，因此“爱信信，不信拉倒”这种说法不是真正的道教。
Daoism takes the "Dao" as its core belief, and the Dao exists within all things. The *Daojiao Yishu* (Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Teaching) says: "*All sentient beings, even animals, plants, trees, and stones, possess the nature of the Dao (daoxing).*" The Great Dao is not distant from humanity; all people are within the Dao. Therefore, the dismissive attitude of "Believe it if you want, if not, forget it" does not represent the true spirit of Daoism.