Clouds and Heaven
Heaven is a limitless and eternal place from a Taoist point of view. Heaven is also a place where we return to when our earthly presence came to an end. The only things which can reside visibly in heaven are the clouds. From beyond that the Chinese believe it is also the place for Xuan Wu, the dragon and phoenix and many other important gods, protectors and supporters.
The clouds in the eye of Chinese culture must be very pure and “light” otherwise they would not be in heaven. Many temples in Taoism have blue circular shapes with white patters on the roof, this indicates heaven, wind and the clouds. Taoists prefer a place which is closer to heaven, this is why the Wudang mountain range has many Taoist temples. The purpose is to get emotionally closer to heaven during their Taoist training and Qi cultivation. Heaven is eternal and Taoists believe in immortality (read my post about this topic).
Heaven stands for immortality, unwavering discipline and purpose.
The clouds stand for purity, lightness, free from desire and emotional distraction, free from anything which could make your heart, mind or soul heavy.
Both together are the “perfect” ideal for the way of life and self cultivation – which is believed to lead to “eternal life”.
This is why for students in Wudang the color white is chosen for their uniforms!
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