ABSTRACT
Religion is an important force in human history. Mao's thinking and action have always been close to one another, and therefore, though his theory may be borrowed from the West, its application has been specifically Chinese. Maoism had its party members and cadres and a new puritanism, together with a new practical set of doctrines; as found in the thought of Marx-Lenin-Mao. The contemplative aspect of Buddhism finds its opposition in the strong emphasis upon practical action in the thought of Mao. The miracles of Mao are in the tradition of the later Tao. After all the Tao was not a person, but more a principle or a pervading spirit. So if ancient Taoism can be treated religiously, so also modern Maoism. The bounds of religion need to be continuously revised and so extended beyond what is laid down by the conventional wisdom.
