Brief introduction of heavy metaphysics school

Metaphysics is a school in Taoism that is famous for its interpretation of Tao Te Ching, and it is not an organized Taoist school. The so-called "attaching importance to metaphysics" comes from the first chapter of Tao Te Ching, "Mysterious and mysterious, how wonderful the door is", and it is believed that through "mysterious and mysterious", one can achieve ideological stagnation and even emptiness. The original formation of Metaphysics School is the product of Metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Sun Deng interpreted Tao Te Ching by emphasizing metaphysics, which laid the foundation for the development of this school. Since Wei and Jin Dynasties, it has been interpreted by Taoist scholars and absorbed the Buddhist concept of middle school. The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of metaphysics, and a large number of Taoist scholars such as Cheng, Li Rong, Cai, Huang Xuanyi, Che, Zhang Huichao, Du Guangting and Wang Xuanzang all took metaphysics as their religion. Among them, Cheng and Li Rong are the most prominent. Through their efforts, the heavy metaphysics school has become the most influential school among the old-timers, and Li Longji adopted its theory in his interpretation of Tao Te Ching in Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. The metaphysical school's interpretation of Tao Te Ching has two characteristics. One is to quote Zhuangzi to explain Laozi's thoughts, and the other is to quote Buddhist philosophy, especially to absorb the thoughts of the three schools of Buddhism and Tiantai Sect to explain Laozi and Hyunri. This has developed the teachings of Taoism and made it more speculative. On the other hand, the school that emphasizes metaphysics has also influenced Buddhist thought. For example, the two concepts of "Metaphysics" and "Metaphysics" have been mentioned many times in the works of three schools of thought. Metaphysics pays attention to Hyunri's thought. In the theoretical debate between Buddhism and Taoism in Sui and Tang Dynasties, most of the figures who emphasized metaphysics represented Taoism, so the metaphysical school at that time occupied an important position in Taoism. Until the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, there was still a strong wind of heavy metaphysics in Sichuan, but the whole school of heavy metaphysics had declined. Shao Ruoyu and Dong Sijing in Southern Song Dynasty. They all pay attention to the meaning of metaphysics. Some Taoist annotations of Laozi in the Song Dynasty emphasized a lot of metaphysics, which is a heritage. The theory of emphasizing metaphysics is integrated into ontology, epistemology, dialectical thinking and practice theory, which is one of the philosophical pillars of Taoist Inner alchemy later.

Ren Yuji, editor. History of Taoism in China (Shanghai: Shanghai People's Publishing House, 1990), pp. 249-264. History of Taoism in China (Chengdu: Sichuan People's Publishing House, 1992), Volume II, pp. 174-225. Li: Handbook of Taoism (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou Ancient Books Publishing House, 1993), p. 55.