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If Celestial Masters Daoism emphasized the ethical dimension of religious practice, then Complete Perfection Daoism emphasized the mystical dimension of religious practice, encouraging adherents to meditate in order to tame their wild and unpredictable minds.

A) True
B) False

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The statement is True. Celestial Masters Daoism prioritized ethical practices and structured spiritual bureaucracy, while Complete Perfection Daoism focused on mystical dimensions, including meditation and alchemy for personal enlightenment.

Step-by-step explanation:

If Celestial Masters Daoism emphasized the ethical dimension of religious practice, then Complete Perfection Daoism emphasized the mystical dimension of religious practice, encouraging adherents to meditate in order to tame their wild and unpredictable minds. The statement given is True. Celestial Masters Daoism, with its origins in the teachings of Zhang Doling, focused on creating a moral community with ethical practices. This branch emphasized a structured approach to spirituality, with a bureaucratic order of spirit generals combating demons that cause illness and misfortune. On the other hand, Complete Perfection Daoism or Quanzhen Daoism, which emerged later and was influenced by Buddhist meditation practices, truly emphasized the mystical aspects, advocating for an individualistic approach towards achieving spiritual enlightenment. This included meditation, alchemy, and other ascetic practices aimed at personal transformation and attaining immortality.

Both branches reflect Daoism's broader focus on living in harmony with the Dao, or the natural way of things, and its critical perspective on conventional social norms and morality. However, the approach of Complete Perfection Daoism is particularly significant because it aligns with Daoism's suggestion to look beyond conventional human constructs, and instead find harmony by diving into the mystical aspects of the natural world.

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