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Rituals and Customs
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Daochang

Also known as: Ritual Space, Sacred Area, Dào chǎng

Definition

Daochang can denote a sacred or ritual space, and in Daoist usage it can also name the ceremony held there. The word is shared across religious traditions, so its meaning depends on whether a passage concerns a place, a gathering or a ritual event.

Names and variants

Simplified
道场
Traditional
道場
Other names
Dao Chang, Ritual Space, Sacred Area
Pinyin
Dào chǎng
English
Daochang

Overview

In Daoist contexts, daochang may refer to the setting for zhai and jiao ceremonies or to a substantial service involving recitation and worship. Space and event are closely connected in this usage. A reference to holding a daochang need not mean constructing a new permanent building.

The term has an extensive Buddhist history, with meanings including a place of awakening, a place of practice, a site for offerings and a religious assembly. These meanings help explain its range, but a Daoist occurrence should not automatically receive a Buddhist interpretation. The participants and activities provide the relevant context.

Historical accounts connect Daochang with Daoist communities and also with settings shared by the Three Teachings. A Northern Wei example is associated with Kou Qianzhi and court-supported Daoists. These examples show that the term can describe different institutional settings; it is not the name of one universal type of temple or ceremony.

References

  1. [1]
    Dictionary of Daoism