Daoism in the Three Kingdoms

Daoism 

Tradition posits Laozi, who is sometimes referred to as "Lao Dan" in the Zhuangzi Daoist text, as the "founder" of Daoism. While the actual biographical details of Confucius are sketchy at best, Laozi is even more of an enigma. It is possible that he was a contemporary of Confucius as some stories and records mention an instance where Confucius sought his advice, but this could possibly be an apocryphal story that emerged as a result of the rivalry between Daoist and Confucian thinkers during the Warring States Period.

Whereas Confucianism sought a well-ordered society based on responsible leadership and strong familial relationships, Daoism sought a mystical transcendence to a greater understanding of "Dao" (translated as "the Way") and a "return" to a simpler way of life where government was practically non-existent. Similar to Buddhism, philosophical Daoism (which differs from religious Daoism, as it incorporates a large number of deities and beliefs that hail from various folk traditions) stresses the futility of seeking permanence and the inherent meaningless of things. One of the most important concepts of Daoist sought is expressed in a passage of the Daodejing (supposedly the earliest Daoist text) - "The Dao that can be named is not the true Dao." Because of the many similarities, Buddhism was once viewed as simply a foreign version of Daoism. Another aspect of Daoism aside from its relative skepticism of authority and orthodox learning, is its emphasis on seeking harmony within onself and in one's natural surroundings. This aspect in particular heavily influenced Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese views of the natural world as well as medicine and martial arts.

Daoism in the Three Kingdoms 

When Daoism entered the Goguryeo kingdom, people found that it was quite compatible with their own indigenous shamanistic beliefs, which were still very prevalent at the time though Confucianism and Buddhism had already permeated through all strata of society. Initially, Daoism was well-recieved at the Goguryeo royal court. This did not last. However, though enthusiasm for Daoism was not long-lasting, it had significant cultural influence over views of nature and its symbols were commonly used.

The effect that Daoism had on the Baekje kingdom is not known. It is mentioned only briefly in historical records.

Scholars of the Shilla kingdom were sent to the Tang Empire to study Daoism. The Tang emperor presented a gift of the Daodejing to the court of Shilla. While it was not as zealously embraced as Buddhism, Daoist thought was integrated in the Hwarang ethical codes as well as local folk beliefs.