Taoist priest

A person who becomes a monk, becomes a member of a Taoist religious order, and lives in a Taoist temple or temple. They are also known by other names such as Taoist, Feathered, and Yellow Crown. The Taoist priests of the Qin and Han dynasties were their forerunners. To become a Taoist priest, one must apprentice to a master and, upon attaining the required qualifications, be given a Daoroku (license) and a Buddhist name (dharma name). Unlike monks, they do not shave their heads, but instead tie their hair in a topknot, wear a crown or scarf, and dress in Taoist robes. Women also become nuns and female Taoist priests, and are called Dao-ni, Dao-ko, or female Dao-kan because they keep their hair and wear a crown.

In addition to regular Taoists, there were those who lived in the secular world, married, and consumed meat while engaged in prayer and other activities; these were called "fire-dwelling Taoists." Monastic Taoists had ranks and job titles, and in the Quanzhen sect, a highly educated and virtuous patriarch, such as Changchun's Zhenren Qiu Chuji, was given the honorific title of "Zhenren." In the Zhengyi sect (Tianshi Dao), successive abbots were called Tianshi.

[Sawada Mizuho]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

出家得度して道教の教団に属し、道観や廟(びょう)に居住する人。道流、羽士(うし)、黄冠(こうかん)などの別称がある。秦(しん)・漢時代の方士(ほうし)はその先駆である。道士になるには、師を拝してその徒弟となり、所定の資格を得ると道籙(どうろく)（免許証）や字号（法名）を授けられる。僧のように剃髪(ていはつ)はせず、髻(まげ)に結って冠(かんむり)や巾(きん)をつけ、道服を着る。女子もまた出家して女道士となるが、これは道尼(どうに)、道姑(どうこ)、また、髪を蓄えて冠をつけたから女冠(じょかん)ともよばれた。

　正規の道士のほか、俗世間に住んで妻帯肉食をしながら祈祷(きとう)などに従事する者もあり、これを火居(かきょ)道士とよんだ。出家道士には階級や職名があるが、全真教ではたとえば長春真人丘処機(きゅうしょき)などのように学徳高い祖師を真人(しんじん)と敬称した。正一(しょういつ)教（天師道）では代々の管長は天師とよばれた。

［澤田瑞穂］

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