DAOISM/TAOISM

Taoism also known as Daoism is a religious, philosophical and ritual tradition which began in China and
which highlights living in harmony with the Tao (also Dao).
In Taoism, Tao stands for the principle that is both the source and the design of development of all that
exists.

1. SYMBOL
The Yin and Yang is the most well-known Daoist religious symbol.
According to Daoist cosmology, the big circle signifies the Tao (Dao), the source of existence. Meanwhile,
the black and white teardrop-shaped halves signify the Yin-qi and Yang-qi, known as the primordial feminine
and masculine energies, respectively. Daoists believe that the interplay of the Yin-qi and Yang-qi created the
manifest world.

2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Laozi (Lao-tzu), meaning “Old Master,” is believed to have authored the Dao De Jing (Tao te ching or The
Book of the Way and its Power), dating back to around third century B.C.E.
According to myth, Laozi was conceived by a shooting star and was born of a virgin mother, who kept him in
her womb for 82 years; Laozi was said to be born with flowing hair, which signified that he would become a
wise man.
He is considered as the first important Daoist who is believed to be a senior contemporary of Kung Fuzi
(some said he even became Kung Fuzi’s adviser) although there is much debate on his date and identity.

3. SACRED SCRIPTURES

DAO DE JING
o Daoism’s foundational text is the Tao te Ching or Dao De Jing, meaning “The Book of the Way and
its Power.”
o Its opening line which is often translated as “The name that can be named is not the eternal name,”
implies the difficulty of putting the truth into words, and can only be explained through riddles and
paradox.
o The Dao De Jing has often been attributed to Laozi, but some believe that it was a product of the
collective efforts among various groups in China, since a closer analysis of the scripture reveals that
there is no integrated philosophy in the Dao De Jing; instead, it was a collection of sayings and
proverbs, lines from popular songs, and clever maxims coming from various contributors with
various concerns.
o The Dao De Jing, which literally means The Book of the Way and its Power, expounds on the
meaning of Dao and its accompanying concept of De—the power or virtue acquired by a person by
means of living in harmony with Dao.

Book of Chuang Tzu/Zuangzi

o attributed to a man named Zhuangzi, the second founder of Daoism.
o It consists of delightful parables, metaphors, and poetic passages, and is praised for its high literary
value which represents the most significant formulation of early Daoist thought.
o All in all, the book, which is an anthology of essays that make use of parables and allegories,
discusses spiritual freedom which makes one surpass the limitations of one’s own mind, and not
merely the freedom from social norms and restrictions.
o Zhuangzi’s central theme, however, is the relativity of things or nature or the balance of yinyang,
which will be discussed later.

4. CONCEPTS OR BELIEFS
Daoism can be best understood by discussing its concepts and beliefs. Some of its concepts include the
Dao or the “way of nature”; the De or “virtue/proper” adherence to Dao; Wu Wei or “action through
inaction” which gives importance to humility and noncompetition, naturalness and naturalism, and non-
aggression; yinyang or the balance of nature or universe; and the Chi/Qi or the natural energy or life
force that sustains living beings.

a. The Dao
o According to Laozi, the Dao, which is the essential concept and creative principle in Daoism,
existed before the world. It is undetectable, indistinct, shapeless, and indefinable, it is the
foundation of all being, and the way in which nature and the universe exist.
o All things come from it, and are nourished by it, that is why sometimes the Dao is called
“Mother.” Dao is the origin of heaven and earth and it is also the way in which heaven and earth
now live.
o The Dao is distinct from God. It is not a being for it is the origin of all beings, and its great virtue
is that it does everything but desires nothing. It is “emptiness”, which does not compete with
other forces but is content with itself. This contentment, when practiced by people, will enable
them to lead good lives.

b. Deity/God (Dao as the origin of all beings)

o Unlike the Abrahamic religions, Daoism does not have a God, for Daoists believe that the
universe originated from the Dao, which created and controls the universe and distantly guides
things on their way.
o However, the Dao itself is not God and is not worshipped by the Daoists. Instead, they worship
deities, who are gods of a particular role, and they traditionally worship Laozi not only as the first
god of Daoism but also as the representation of the Dao.
o For the Daoists, God is found inside us, in the thoughtful emptiness from which all power and life
originates in all directions; it is the “Nothing” within all of us where all our energy comes from.

c. The De
o The De, which means virtue or the proper adherence to
Dao, is another basic concept in Daoism.
o It encourages inaction in nature and advocates the quiet
and passive nature of a person so that the Dao, or the
creative principle in the universe, may act through them
without interference. People should simply follow the Dao
and must do nothing on their own. In this regard, Laozi
professed a distaste for culture and civilization for they are products of human activity and proof
of humanity’s tampering with nature. In line with this, he preferred the use of inaction in ruling the
people.
o “Non-competition in Emptiness” is said to be the other side of the principle of “inaction in
nature.” For Daoists, inaction means a person’s outward actions, and emptiness is the
corresponding inner state, which also means “absence of desire.”
o Daoists believe that when a person becomes peaceful, that person acquires power to overcome
all things without having to compete with others. In line with this, humility and avoiding
competition with others are two virtues which Daoists value most.
o Lastly, “contentment with what is” is another expression of inaction in nature and of non-
competition in emptiness. For Laozi, the way of happiness is contentment. “There is no greater
sin than the desire for possession, no greater curse than the lack of contentment.”

d. Wu-Wei
o One of Taoism’s chief concepts is wu wei which is usually translated as ‘non-doing’ or ‘non-
action’ or ‘non-intervention. However, a better way to look at it is as a paradoxical ‘action of non-
action’ or ‘effortless doing’
o It advocates a “go with the flow” attitude by cultivating a state of being wherein our actions are in
harmony with the natural cycles of the universe. Laozi believed that wu-wei can lead to a
 peaceful and harmonious society. The opposite of wu-wei, which is yu-wei, means taking action,
which Laozi believes causes vicious actions, theft, and crime. Wu-wei, on the other hand, brings
prosperity, harmony, and peace.
e. Yin Yang
o The concept of yin yang was articulated by the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi who stated that “yin
in its highest form is freezing while yang in its highest form is boiling. The chilliness comes from
heaven while the warmness comes from the earth. The interaction of these two establishes he
(harmony), so it gives birth to things. Perhaps this is ‘the law of everything’ yet there is no form
being seen.”
o When something is whole, it is fixed and imperfect, but when it is split into halves, it disturbs the
balance of completeness, thus initiating change. The theory that opposite sides always transform
into each other serves as the philosophical foundation of Laozi’s methodology

f. Qi/Chi
o The qi refers to the natural energy or life force that sustains living beings. Qi literally means “air’
or “vapor.” It is the fundamental substance of nature and living beings, as well as life force.
o It is sometimes translated as “material force” or “vital force.” It is considered as the foundation of
body and life.
o Daoists believe that everything is made up of qi and will eventually return to qi.

5. ISSUES

Environmentalism And Feng Shui

Taoism strives for a world wherein the laws of nature are respected. Tao is nature.
Taoism is centered on nature and on the ideal path or Tao which is both the Way to be followed and
the path which nature itself would follow were it not for human interference.

Taoists explain that the path of water down the mountainside, following the route of least resistance
without being forced, exemplifies ziran, another Taoist doctrine which implies spontaneous
naturalness.

The Taoist principle wu wei er wu bu wei (by doing nothing everything will be done) states that by
relaxing and allowing events to take their course everything will eventually fall into place.
In Taoism, houses, buildings, temples are carefully chosen and designed according to the principles
of feng shui, which literally means ‘wind and water.
Feng shui seeks to promote prosperity, good health, and general well-being by evaluating how
energy (called qi) flows through a particular room, house, building, or garden.