Wu-tou-mi Tao

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Wu-tou-mi Tao (‘five pecks of rice Taoism). School of religious Taoism (tao-chiao), founded by Chang Tao-ling (2nd cent. CE) and his grandson, Chang Lu. Those wishing to join paid five pecks of rice to the functionaries (tao-shih), hence the name. The leaders were called tien-shih, celestial masters, and this is another name for the school, the Celestial Master, or Heavenly Master, School. It has continued to the present day, more respectfully known as cheng-yi, ‘the Orthodox way’.