The Quest for Immortality in Ancient China: Sacred Mountains in Daoist Tradition

Year 2024, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 319 - 343, 31.10.2024

İbrahim Emre Şamlıoğlu

Abstract

A key aspect of Chinese religious thought is the importance given to natural phenomena, with mountains holding a special place. Throughout history, mountains have influenced China’s religious and political spheres, nourishing various beliefs and systems much like a river sustains the life around it. In teachings such as Confucianism and Daoism, which originated in China, mountains play a crucial role in understanding an individual’s place in society and in grasping the symbolic meaning of attaining enlightenment. With the arrival of Buddhism in China, these mountains were regarded as sites for practices aimed at spiritual enlightenment. Within the framework of Chinese religious thought, the notion of sacred mountains is especially significant in the Daoist tradition, where they are considered as realms of immortals and as spaces for engaging in ascetic practices. In Daoist doctrine, the sacred mountains were seen as essential locations to visit to reach the Dao, and ultimately, to achieve immortality. This understanding of sacred mountains gave rise to a distinctive tradition within Daoism, known as 'wu yue'—the five sacred mountains. Consisting of Heng Mountain in the north, Tai Mountain in the east, Heng Mountain in the south, Hua Mountain in the west, and Song Mountain in the center, these five sacred mountains have been sites for imperial rituals, alchemical practices of Daoist hermits, and have been regarded as sources of fertility and agriculture. These mountains are foundational stops in pilgrimage journeys and are viewed as elements that shape both the socio-cultural and political structure of Chinese society.

Keywords

History of Religions, Sacred Mountains, Daoism, Five Sacred Mountains (wu yue), Immortality

Kadim Çin’de Ölümsüzlük Arayışı: Daoist Gelenekte Kutsal Dağlar

Abstract

Çin dinî düşüncesinin en temel özelliklerinden biri, tabiat fenomenlerine yüklenen anlamdır. Bu fenomenler içerisinde dağların ayrı bir yeri vardır. Tarih boyunca dağlar, Çin’in hem dinî hem siyasî çevresinde ciddi bir etki bırakmış, çeşitli anlayışları ve sistemleri beslemiştir. Konfüçyanizm ve Daoizm gibi Çin’de neşet eden dinler ve öğretiler içerisinde, insanın toplumdaki yerini anlamanın ve aydınlanmaya erişmenin sembolik anlamını kavramada dağların kritik bir yeri olmuştur. Budizm’in Çin’e gelmesiyle, bu dağlar aydınlanmaya ulaşmak için icra edilen pratiklerin mekânı olarak telakki edilmiştir. Çin dinî düşüncesi ekseninde kutsal dağ anlayışı, özellikle Daoist gelenek içerisinde ölümsüzlerin ve asketik pratiklerle uğraşanların mekânı kabul edilmiştir. Daoist öğreti ışığında Dao’ya ulaşabilmek, yani ölümsüz olabilmek için gidilmesi gereken yerlerin başında kutsal dağlar gelmiştir. Bu kutsal dağ anlayışı, Daoist gelenekte "wu yue", yani beş kutsal dağ adında özel bir geleneğin oluşmasına sebep olmuştur. Kuzeyde Heng Dağı, doğuda Tai Dağı, güneyde Heng Dağı, batıda Hua Dağı ve merkezde Song Dağı’ndan oluşan bu beş kutsal dağ, Çin dinî düşünce tarihi boyunca imparatorların ritüel icra ettikleri; Daoist münzevilerin simya uygulamaları ile uğraştıkları; bereketin ve tarımın kaynağı olarak görülmüştür. Bu dağlar, hac yolculuğunun temel durağı ve Çin toplumunu şekillendiren unsurlardan biri olarak kabul edilmiştir.

Keywords

Dinler Tarihi, Kutsal Dağlar, Daoizm, Beş Kutsal Dağ (wu yue), Ölümsüzlük

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