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Famous Taoists
notable, celebrity, influential, well known adherents of Taoism
followers of Lao-Zi (author of the Tao Te Ching)


Related Sites:
- List of Taoists
- Category: Taoists

Some Taoist
Comic Book Characters

- Night Dragon
- Two-Face
Modern
- Ursula K. Le Guin - acclaimed science fiction/fantasy writer
- Bruce Lee - popular martial artist and film star
- Khigh Dheigh - (born Kenneth Dickerson in New Jersey, 1910; died in 1991 in Mesa, Arizona) black film and TV actor known for playing Asian roles including Chinese agent "Wo Fat" on Hawaii Five-O, and brainwasher "Dr. Yen Lo" in The Manchurian Candidate (1962); active in Taoist philosophy, author of Taoist books, including The Eleventh Wing
- Benjamin Hoff - author of several books about Taoism, including The Way to Life; The Tao of Pooh; The Te of Piglet
- Moy Lin-shin - (a.k.a. Mei Lianxian; 1931-1998) Chinese-born Taoist who popularized Tai Chi in the United States and Canada; founder of Taoist Tai Chi Society of Canada, and later the International Taoist Tai Chi Society; founder of the Fung Loy Kok Institute of Taoism
- Michael Saso - (born 1930) influential scholar of Taoism; was a Jesuit (Catholic) priest, became a Taoist priest, then was reinstated as a Jesuit priest
- Abbot Wang Yuan-lu - Taoist priest who in early part of 20th century discovered important ancient Buddhist scriptures in Dunhuang, in Gansu province in China
- Alan Watts - author, writer, speaker, expert on comparative religion

Classical

- Lao Zi - (a.k.a. Lao-Tse, Lao Tzu, Laozi, etc.) founder of Taoism; author of the Tao Te Ching

- Empress Dou (Wen) - (a.k.a. Empress Xiaowen) died 135 B.C.; Chinese empress during Han Dynasty whose Taoist beliefs greatly influenced her husband and son, Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing, a time considered one of the golden ages of Chinese history

- Ho Yen - Chinese philosopher; founder of Toaist-based philosophical movement ch'ing-t'an ("pure conversation")

- Huang Gongwang - (1269-1354) famous painter, one of the great literati painters; Taoist priest; oldest of the "four great masters of the Yuan"

- K'ou Ch'ien-chih - (365-448) Taoist religious reformer; organized many of the ceremonies and rites of the Taoism; reformulated its theology

- Kuo Hsiang - Chinese philosopher, Neo-Taoist thinker; wrote an important commentary on the Chuang-tzu

- Lie Zi - (born Liu An; a.k.a. Lieh Tzu; Huai-nan Tzu; Huainanzi) prince and famous legendary Taoist sage mentioned many times in the Zhuang Zi; credited with compiling the Taoist text Lie Zi

- Qiu Chuji - (a.k.a. Kiu Chang Chun; 1148-1227) Quanzhen Taoist; the most famous one in Wang Chongyang's "Seven Immortals"; founder of Dragon Gate Taoism

- Sun Bu'er - (born Fuchun; a.k.a. Sun Pu-erh) one of the Taoist Seven Masters of Quanzhen (circa 1119-1182 C.E.); a beautiful, intelligent, wealthy woman; influential Taoist priestess who, it is said, attained the Tao and became immortal; founded the Purity and Tranquility sect; wrote Taoist poetry

- Wang Chongyang - (1113 to 1170 C.E.) Song Dynasty Taoist; one of founders of Quanzhen Taoism ("The Way of Complete Perfection"); one of Five Northern Patriarchs; Jin Yong's popular wuxia novels include a character based on him.

- Wang Pi - (circa 226 - 249) Chinese philosopher; important commentator on Tao Te Ching and I Ching

- Yang Hsiung - (53 B.C. to 18 A.D.) preacher of "Tai Hsuan" (Great Mystery), which combined elements of Taoism with Confucian ethics; rejected notion of immortality; taught that humans are combinations of good and evil

- Zhang Daoling - (a.k.a. Chang Tao-ling; Zhang Ling; Celestial Master Zhang) 2nd Century C.E. Taoist hermit who founded first major Taoist church: the Zhengyi Mengwei Tianshi Dao ("Tradition of the Celestial Master of the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness") sect of Taoism, a.k.a. Tianshi Dao ("Way of the Celestial Masters") or "Wudou Mi Dao" ("Way of Five Bushels of Rice")

- Zhang Sanfeng - legendary (and semi-mythical) Taoist priest who lived in late Song dynasty, Yuan dynasty or Ming dynasty; cultural hero attributed with the creation of nei chia (soft, internal martial arts), specifically T'ai Chi Ch'uan; his name frequently appears in Chinese novels and films as a master of martial arts, spirituality, and swordsmanship

- Zhuang Zi (Chuang Tzu) - famous ancient Chinese philosopher (circa 4th century BCE); author (and/or compiler) of influential Taoist book Zhuangzi

Famous Taoists / Famous Daoists / Famous adherents of Taoism or Daoism / notable followers of Lao Zi (i.e., Lao Tsu, Lao-Tse, author of the Tao Te Ching, a.k.a. the Te Tao Ching) webpage copyright © 2005 by Adherents.com.
Web page created 20 Octobert 2005. Last modified 2 June 2007.
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