what is the holy book in taoism?
Tao Te Ching
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 Taoist propriety and ethics may vary depending on the particular school , but in general they tend to emphasize wu @-@ wei ( action through non @-@ action ) , " naturalness " , simplicity , spontaneity , and the Three Treasures : jing ( sperm / ovary energy , or the essence of the physical body ) , qi ( energy , including the thoughts and emotions ) , and Shén ( spirit or spiritual power ) . 

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 A recurrent and important element of Taoism are rituals , exercises and substances aiming at aligning oneself spiritually with cosmic forces , at undertaking ecstatic spiritual journeys , or at improving physical health and thereby extending one 's life , ideally to the point of immortality . Enlightened and immortal beings are referred to as xian . 

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 Taoist myths state that Laozi was conceived when his mother gazed upon a falling star . He supposedly remained in her womb for 62 years before being born while his mother was leaning against a plum tree . ( The Chinese surname Li shares its character with " plum " . ) Laozi was said to have emerged as a grown man with a full grey beard and long earlobes , both symbols of wisdom and long life . Other myths claim that he was reborn 13 times after his first life during the days of Fuxi . In his last incarnation as Laozi , he lived nine hundred and ninety years and spent his life traveling to reveal the Tao . 

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 Taoism on the other hand also incorporated Buddhist elements during the Tang period , such as monasteries , vegetarianism , prohibition of alcohol , the doctrine of emptiness , and collecting scripture in tripartite organisation . 

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 Taoism , in form of the Shangqing school , gained official status in China again during the Tang dynasty ( 618 – 907 ) , whose emperors claimed Laozi as their relative . The Shangqing movement , however , had developed much earlier , in the 4th century , on the basis of a series of revelations by gods and spirits to a certain Yang Xi in the years between 364 and 370 . 
