The Search for Peace in Times of Chaos—Volume world-order would soon come to an end, and be succeeded by an era of “Great Peace.”6 Lao Tzu received imperial recognition as a divinity in the midsecond century ad The yin and yang and five elements theories date from this time but were not yet integrated into Taoism During the Three Kingdoms Period (220–265 ad), the ǡ focused on the texts of Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi Wang Bi, a minor bureaucrat in the Kingdom of Wei, wrote commentaries on Laozi’s Dao De Jing and the I Ching Many of the school’s members, including Wang Bi himself, were not religious in any sense Wang Bi mostly focused on reconciling Confucian thought with Taoist thought Because the version of the Tao Te Ching that has been passed on to the present is the one that Wang Bi commented upon, his interpretations became very influential as they were passed on alongside the Tao Te Ching In addition, his commentary was compatible with Confucian ideas and Buddhist ideas that later entered China This compatibility ensured Taoism would remain an important aspect of Chinese culture, and made the merging of the three religions easier in later periods, such as the Tang dynasty.7 The entry of Buddhism into China was marked by interaction and syncretism, with Taoism in particular Originally seen as a kind of “foreign Taoism,” Buddhism’s scriptures were translated into Chinese using the Taoist vocabulary…Taoism incorporated Buddhist elements during the Tang period, such as monasteries, vegetarianism, prohibition of alcohol, the doctrine of emptiness, and collecting scripture During the same time, Chan Buddhism grew to become the largest sect in Chinese Buddhism Ideological and political rivals for centuries, Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism deeply influenced one another They also share some similar values, with all three embracing a humanist philosophy emphasizing moral behavior and human perfection In time, most Chinese people identified to some extent with all three traditions simultaneously.8 Taoist alchemist Ge Hong, also known as The “Master Embracing Simplicity” was active in the third and fourth centuries and had great influence on later Taoism Major scriptures were produced during this