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Life and death, alternating in the way that Nature orients itself towards, are incarnated in the natures of humans. Though death is given a positive image to highlight efficient exertion of precious life span, it is still a pity as a mark of the end. That’s why the epitaph is invented to reminisce about a person. Epitaph has developed into multi functions rather than the sole final judgment about a person. It gives a prompt reflection of the contemporary culture which the author of it was in. In this paper the focus is placed on the epitaphs of Tang Dynasty to delve into Taoism—how it evolved in Tang Dynasty and how the contemporary Taoists viewed their lives. This paper is divided into three chapters from the contents of the epitaphs—The Origin of Life, The Proceeding of Life and Facing Death. According to Taoism, life begins as the “Ci”in Nothingness. The merge of “Ci” creates life, and the dispersion of “Ci” brings death. The multiplication of “Ci” would incarnate itself into human forms and thus human life is the representation of “Tao” of the universe. And human bodies become the vessels of Nature. Living as a hermit thus becomes the best way to center oneself in Nature without obsessions with mundane life. Those who grasp the true understanding of Nature live a life of “Endeavoring without expectations and being in the state of not worrying.” And staying in tranquility is the attitude for them when they are faced with the uncontrollable fate. Though this is the prevailing idea among people in Tang Dynasty and they are receptive to the destined death, they still hope for the new cycle of life in the next generation. This is represented in their belief in Feng-shui, which is an art that changes the destiny of the descendants by placing the ashes or bones of the ancestors in good locations. Even if they know that it is impossible to transcend one’s karma, they believe that the spirits of the deceased ancestors will bring bliss to their descendants as long as they remain connections through “Ci” as practiced in Feng-shui.
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