TAOISM

{ A PHILOSOPHY AND A RELIGION

A simple way to start learning
the definition of Taoism is to
start within yourself. Here are
three easy starting steps to
learning Taoism:
Don’t concentrate on the meaning of
Tao
Understand what Taoism is. Taoism is
more than just a “philosophy” or a
“religion”. Taoism should be
understood as being: A system of
belief, attitudes, and practices set
towards the service and living to a
person’s nature.
 The path of understanding Taoism is
simply accepting oneself. This leads to
inner peace. Live life and discover
who you are. Your nature is ever
changing and is always the same.
Don’t try to resolve the various
contradictions in life, instead learn
acceptance of your nature.
History of Taoism
Taoism is very much a tradition that is
transmitted verbally from master to
student over the generations. Because
of this, some of the shamanic roots of
Taoism still survive today.

Taoism historically is also a very

flexible practice which includes
traditional chinese medicine (TCM),
spiritual healing and Qi Gong exercise
practices.
Taoism is a practice of change, and it
always changes to meet the needs of
the times. Even as you read this,
Taoism is evolving to keep pace with
modern culture. Constant evolution is
one reason
Taoism has survived for so long; it
always adapts with the time while
holding onto a few key concepts to
keep the practice true to the Tao.
Tao (pronounced “Dow”) can be
roughly
translated into English as path, or the
way. It is
basically indefinable. It has to be
experienced.
It “refers to a power which envelops,
surrounds
and flows through all things, living
and non-living.
 Taoism currently has about 20
million followers
Tao is the road towards perfection,
perfect balance and perfect harmony.
 Tao is the center of authentic and
meaningful life.
The dE(or tE)

Compassion or Kindness
Simplicity or Frugality
Humility or Modesty
Started as a combination of
psychology and philosophy
but evolved into a religious faith in
440CE when it was
adopted as a state religion.
At that time Lao-Tse
became popularly venerated as a
deity. Taoism, along
with Buddhism and Confucianism,
became one of the
three great religions of China.
With the end of the Ch'ing
Dynasty in 1911, state
support for Taoism ended.
Much of the Taoist heritage
was destroyed during the next
period of warlordism.
After the Communist victory in 1949,
religious freedom
was severely restricted. Several million
monks were
reduced to fewer than 50,000 by 1960.
 During the cultural revolution in
China form 1966 to 1976,
much of the remaining Taoist heritage
was destroyed.
The founder of Taoism is
Lao-Tse.
 Believed by many religious
historians to be Lao-Tse
(604-479 BCE), whose life
overlapped that of
Confucius (551-479 BCE)
TAOISM AS A PHILOSOPHY
In this belief, the
Universe is seen as
being in a constant
process of
re-creating itself,
as everything that
exists is a mere
aspect of life,
diluted, it’s
indefinite potential.
 This Tao is said to be the primordial
"stuff" from which all matter emerges.
From Tao a primal matrix of energy
spontaneously occurred, existing then
for eons in a state of chaos known as
HUNDUN.
Within this matrix are the qi, the
cosmic breaths that animate the
universe, but at this point the qi are
undifferentiated and exist only as
potential energies.
At a certain point, for unknown
reasons, the qi are released. Some are
light (yang), and travel upward to the
heavens, some are heavy (yin), and
travel down to earth.

Between these is a point of connection,

the center between the heavens and
earth, which is equally important.
From these three emerges all of
existence, described as the
"myriad things," or the "ten
thousand things."
“Tao produced the One
The One produced the tow,
The two produced the three;
And the three produced the ten
thousand things
Once Tao enters into existence, it takes
on yet another meaning; it is the
natural patterns and cycles of the
cosmic and earthly order.

All natural phenomena are generated

by the alternation between yin and
yang energies.
The cycle of existence spontaneously
moves through each of the Five
Phases: Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and
Earth. All things are thus classified
according to yin/yang and the Five
Phases (sometimes called the Five
Agents or the Five Elements). Within
everything there is also qi, the
animating breath that is the source of
life.
Tao is not an entity or a divine being.
There are no divine beings that existed
before this initial moment of creation,
but the number of Taoist deities is
staggering. The pantheon differs
according to sect and region, and its
ranks are fluid. No divine being exists
forever, and all who interact with
humans are subject to human time.
Some change over time, and all of
them change status with time. Some
are elevated, others forgotten.
With the Way of the Celestial Masters,
Laozi became a principle deity, and he
continues to be the personification of Tao
for many Taoists. He is usually regarded
as one of the Three Pure Ones, along with
the Celestial Worthy of Primordial
Beginning, the Celestial Worthy of
Numinous Treasure. There are also the
three Officials, the Emperor of the South
Pole and Long Life, the Emperors of the
Thirty-two Heavens, the Emperor of
Purple Tenuity and the Northern Pole, and
many, many more. All of these deities are
divine emanations of celestial energy, pure
cosmic qi, and have emerged from
primordial chaos.
Those who die an untimely death are
considered orphan souls. They have
vital energies that have not been
exhausted, and they are trapped
between worlds, unable to become
human again and unable to become
ancestors. They must be fed and
comforted by the entire community to
prevent them from causing trouble
among the living.
Human Nature and the
Purpose of Existence
When human nature is aligned with
the rest of nature, order and harmony
are the result. From this perspective,
the purpose of self-cultivation is to
return to a mode of existence that is
natural, but has been obscured by
social conditioning.

Repeating certain actions, such as

physical exercises, is a way of training
the body so that it is free to react in a
spontaneous, natural way.
It is similar to the experience of practicing
one's shots in basketball and then making a
clutch basket in the big game — the
preparation through repetition makes it
possible to act, at a certain moment,
without thinking, in pure spontaneity (zi-
ran).

That spontaneity is the mode of being that

is experienced fully, at all times, only by
the immortals. For most people, however,
including the laity and many of the Taoshi,
the goal is less lofty: to experience a long
and healthy life.
Humans can deviate from the natural
order. When they do so, they bring
destruction upon themselves and
those around them.
According to the Taode jing, social
mores and threats of punishment
cause more harm than good, as they
are methods of forcing appropriate
behavior rather than allowing it to
occur spontaneously and naturally.
 Suffering and the Problem of Evil
Taoist ideas about suffering and evil reflect
a variety of influences, including early
Chinese religious beliefs, Buddhist beliefs,
and popular religion. Different sects have
different beliefs, and these change over
time, and individuals also have their own
beliefs. At times parallel beliefs are held
that might seem contradictory. These
contradictions arise out of the multiple
belief systems from which individual
beliefs are formed.
According to the Taode jing and
Zhuangzi,

Nature itself is amoral; it cares nothing for

individuals. The Zhuangzi emphasizes
that death is part of a natural cycle, and
that illness, death, and misfortune are
inevitable aspects of human life. Thus,
they are not punishments for misdeeds, or
manifestations of evil.
The Taode jing states that nature is not
sentimental and treats the people like
sacrifices. Individuals are best off if they
accommodate themselves to nature's laws
and patterns, because to go against nature
will only bring difficulty and trouble.

When humans deviate from the natural

order, societies will develop that are
harmful to many. On the other hand,
when the ruler is enlightened, or advised
by an enlightened sage, the people he rules
will exist in harmony with one another and
with nature.
Sacred time in Taoism is not
focused on creation, but on the notion of
"returning to the root"
How do I know the way of all things at the
Beginning?" and responds, "By what is
within me." To return to the root is to
experience the cosmos before creation
occurred, but not in order to remain
permanently in that state. It is a way of
starting anew, of experiencing the cycles of
regeneration that are characteristic of
existence. Creation does not happen just
once; it is a continuous process.
According to Taoism, and Chinese thought
in general, the cycles of nature are
movements of qi as it is shaped by
alternating patterns of yin and yang and
the Five Phases. Qi moves outward to
create or be transformed, and returns
inward to regenerate. Time likewise
moves through regular cycles, such as day
to night, spring to summer to winter to fall.
The moon, stars, and planets also move in
regular cycles. All of these cycles are
regenerative: day turns into night, night
turns back into day; spring moves toward
winter, and winter leads back to spring.
That time moves in cycles, expanding
and returning, does not mean that
things never change; to the contrary
things are always transforming,
always evolving. To bring about
change, whether personal or for the
benefit of others, one must first return
to the beginning.
Taoists believe that the deepest wisdom is
to be found in nature. As human beings,
we should strive to be more like the
natural world, rather than striving to
conquer it or protect ourselves from it
TAOISM AS A RELIGION
Taoism respects the concept of God.
Initially one might think a discussion
of God would be an impersonal topic.
It isn’t. Each person has a very deep
and connected relationship in what
they view God may or may not be. A
person’s view of God is a statement
and reflection of the way a person also
views their own life
Taoism offers the option to skip the
comparison. This question is
irrelevant. God could or could not
exist, and either state doesn’t change
the way we lead our lives.

Our lives are expressions of action

between ourselves and the universe.
To respect our surrounding
environment is a furthering of respect
to ourselves. This manner of living
doesn’t change regardless of the
nature of God or the Tao.
However, most people insist upon
definition and seeking deeper
answers. So let’s expand upon God
and Tao. God as a term is often
“defined” as being an ultimate creator
or universal power.

The various aspects of God have been

fought over as long as humans have
written and used words. All
definitions are based on perception.
A Taoist perspective: human-based
definitions are both right and wrong:
as all meanings are relative to
humanity’s state of mind.

A Taoist stays out of arguments of

definition. It’s not productive arguing
over something relative to each
person. Instead, Taoism accepts each
person’s view of God as being
personal.
A Taoist doesn’t think the Tao is
before, after or is even equal to God.
The Tao is a concept to describe
something that goes beyond our
capability to define. Taoism leaves the
Tao undefined, and a Taoist happily
explores the wonder that opens up as
a result.

All Taoist’s will agree: The Tao is

indefinable…
Tao and God merge towards the same
concept when the definition of God is
indefinable. Once a person accepts the
definition of the Tao as being
indefinable, that person by definition
has to leave it as undefined. Once you
place any definition over such a term,
it takes a person further away from the
whole concept of the Tao.
In some of the Taoist religions, Taoism
does have gods, but Taoist gods
typically are very tangible beings.
They walk beside us, share tea with
us, laugh, play and can alter reality.

A Taoist god represents an

enlightened immortal that helps other
conscious beings work towards grace.
In Taoism, gods are shown as soul
guides and inspiration towards how to
find enlightenment.
We do say in Taoism: We are of the
Tao, or God is the Tao. Taoist’s say this
because we also are undefined. We
only define ourselves as we live. While
living, we are still moving through
life, a large part of our nature is
indefinable until the end of Living. As
a result: we are of the Tao.
Beginnings
The Taoist religion emerged in China only
after a long process of religious change
lasting from the end of the Shang dynasty
(1700-1027 B.C.E.) until more than a
hundred years into the Common Era. The
religion of the Shang had been centered on
a relationship between an earthly ruler and
his ancestors, and particularly his
counterpart in the divine bureaucracy, the
celestial emperor Shangdi. This
relationship was maintained through
divination and blood sacrifice. It lost its
hold when that dynasty was overthrown,
and the subsequent Zhou dynasty
equivalent was never as dominating.
Religion and politics continued to be
intertwined, as they had been in the
Shang. The Shang had believed that
the ruler's position was ordained by a
divine bureaucracy of ancestors,
headed by one supreme ancestor. As
the counterpart of that divine ruler,
the earthly ruler's supreme
charismatic potency, or de, enabled
him to control the affairs of state,
assisted by male relatives.
The term "Tao" in Chinese means,
among other things, "way" or "path,"
and refers to a way to live and behave,
and, particularly in this period, it also
refers to a way to rule over or lead
others.
Sacred Narratives
There is no one sacred narrative that is
meaningful to Taoism above all others.
There are stories about the life of
Laozi and of Laozi as an immortal, but
these are not foundational stories in
the way that the story of Jesus is to
Christianity, or those of Buddha is to
Buddhism. The legendary Laozi was
initially a political philosopher, and
only later conceived of as a Taoist
immortal.
Taoist religious movements began
centuries later, based on purported
revelations from a deified Laozi and
other gods and immortals. Among
these revelations there are many
sacred stories, and there are also
stories that predate these organized
movements but either served as
thematic models, or inspired later
Taoism in some way.
One such collection of early stories, in
poetic form, has been translated as "The
Songs of the South." Originating from the
state of Chu in around the 4th century
B.C.E., these poems represent a different
culture than that of northern China of the
Shang and Zhou dynasties. The degree of
difference is a matter of some scholarly
controversy. Some Han texts describe Chu
as a barbarian culture under the religious
aegis of shamans, but this may have been
based on attempts by Confucian scholars
to demean a competitive cultural sphere.
The founders of the Han dynasty were
from Chu, and at the time of the "Songs of
the South," Chu controlled much of the
territory south of the Yangzi River.
The most striking and memorable of the
"Songs of the South" is a long narrative
poem the title of which, "Li sao," is usually
translated as "Encountering Sorrow." It
was itself modeled after early sacred songs,
and it was also a model for later accounts
of ecstatic journeys. In addition, "Li sao"
provides an early example of the
fascinatingly ambiguous relationship
between a human and the object of his or
her spiritual yearning.
According to ancient Chinese religious
beliefs, each person has multiple souls:
three hun, or cloud souls, and seven po, or
bone souls. The hun are light and
naturally move toward heaven, while the
po are heavy and earth-bound, and
deliberately aim to destroy the body so
that they may rejoin the substance from
which they came. The po will also report
one's misdeeds to the heavenly officials.
That illness is caused by three corpse
worms that reside in the body. In some
texts these are described as the three
cadavers and nine worms. These, like the
po souls, will sometimes report an
individual's transgressions to heavenly
officials. Sometimes the three cadavers
will also conspire with the po souls to
cause the body harm, and they will
encourage demons to enter the body.
Demons can cause illness, to punish a
person, or just because they want to.

In order to begin a program of Taoist self-

cultivation, once must first expel the
worms, or cadavers. Also, there is a Taoist
prohibition against eating grain that is
based on the fact that the worms find grain
a desirable food, and will be encouraged to
stay.
Another Taoist belief is that physical
health is evidence of purity, and
illness is believed to be caused by
one's misdeeds. The cure for illness is
to confess and be purged of one's sins.
To accomplish this one could, for
example, have a Taoshi transmit to the
proper divine official a talisman that
describes the malady and the misdeed
that has led to it, expresses contrition,
and requests the aid of the official. If
the petition is accepted, then the cause
of illness will be expelled, and the
sufferer will be healed
 Sacred Space
Sacred space and sacred time are one in
Taoism. The ritual space that is created by
the Taoshi symbolizes the cosmos and
links heaven and earth. It is always
created just before the ritual begins,
whether the ritual takes place outdoors, in
the home of a layperson, or inside a
temple. It is a sacred area created for the
purpose of the ritual, and then returned to
ordinary space at the ritual's end.
A contemporary ritual structure, used
today in southern Taiwan in a Way of the
Celestial Masters ritual, begins with a
square, each of the four sides representing
north, south, east, and west. The square is
divided into an inner and an outer altar,
the inner to the north and the outer to the
south. Just within the boundary to the
north are hung portraits of the presiding
deities. These may include the Heavenly
Worthy of the Primordial Beginning, the
Heavenly Worthy of the Numinous
Treasure, the Heavenly Worthy of the Way
and its Power (the deified Laozi), the Jade
Emperor, and the Great Emperor of the
Purple Empyrean. These are the deities of
highest rank.
A table located just to the south of these
portraits is the Golden Gate, a threshold,
and below that is the "cave table," where
the heart of the ritual will take place.

Portraits are hung along the east and west

boundaries. Along the west, within the
inner altar area, are the gods of earth and
hell, and along the east, the gods of heaven
and water. Along the eastern boundary of
the outer altar area are portraits of Taoist
officers and generals and the Four Saints
and along the east, officers and generals
and the Six Masters. The officers and
generals include the Mother of Lightning,
the Duke of Thunder, the marshals of the
four directions, and other martial and
protective deities. The identity of the Four
Saints varies; sometimes they are the
Emperors of the four directions. The Six
Masters include Zhang Taoling and other
Celestial Masters. These are the mid-
ranking deities.
Just within the southern boundary is the
Three Realms Table (the Three Realms
include various lesser heavens). Offerings
for the popular gods are placed here, and
behind it are bleachers on which deities
that are brought from people's homes and
deities from temples are placed so that
they can observe the ritual. These are the
deities of lowest rank.
Rites and Ceremonies
The Taoist festival calendar represents an
amalgamation of various sources, and
varies according to sect, region, and
temple.

Major festivals last for days, from two or

three up to seven or more. A two-day
service may involve fifteen different rites
corresponding to distinct texts, each rite
lasting from one to several hours.
Typically each of these rites consists of
these stages: purification, invocation of the
deities, prayers, consecration and offerings,
hymns, dances, and perambulations.
There are two main types of ritual: 1)
funeral rites or periodic rites on behalf of
ancestors, which are performed only by
some sects, sometimes in tandem with
Buddhist priests; and 2) rites on behalf of
local communities. Both types include
rites to install the ritual space, rites of
fasting, rites of communion or offering,
and rites to disperse the ritual space.
Rituals on behalf of the community may
involve tens or even hundreds of villages,
and occur every three, five, or twelve
years. They can be extraordinarily
expensive, and are paid for by household
donations and community leaders. Aside
from the rituals themselves, there will also
be plays, processions, military parades,
and communal meals.
As for the performance of the rituals
themselves, no mistakes can be made; no
step or recitation must falter. Apprenticed
Taoshi serve as musicians; more advanced
trainees assist by lighting incense and
reciting certain passages. The heart of the
ritual is conducted by five Taoshi: a Great
Master and his four assistants. One of
these assistants heads the intricate and
complex processions and dances, and is
responsible for knowing the entire
sequence of rites that make up the full
ritual. Another prepares in advance every
communication with the celestial
bureaucracy that is used during the course
of the entire ritual, and recites all of the
invocations and consecrations, the texts of
purification, elevation, and confession.
During much of the activities, the Great
Master is preparing for his role, quietly
murmuring secret formulas and doing
mudras with his hands inside his sleeves.
At times he picks up the incense burner
and holds it as he breathes in and out,
facing different directions, or he burns
talismanic symbols or initials documents.
Primarily, he enacts internally the actions
spoken by the texts that are being recited
by his assistant.
CONCEPTS IN TAOISM
 Leadership
Two sects of Taoism are predominant in
greater China today: Zhengyi and
Quanzhen. In the Zhengyi Taoist tradition,
the priest is almost always married, and
marriage is a requirement to become a
priest of the highest rank. The priest may
be of any social class, and may be male or
female, although most today are male.
Often the role is passed down from
generation to generation within a family.
 Principles of Moral Thought and Action
The Taode jing and Zhuangzi were not
interested in promoting specific moral
virtues, and were critical of the idea of
regulating society with standards of
behavior. According to these texts, to
emulate nature and "do without doing"
(wei wu-wei), and to harmonize oneself
with Tao, will lead naturally to behavior
that is genuinely virtuous. "Drop
humanity, abandon justice/ And the people
will return to their natural affections"
 Vision for Society
The Taode jing proposed a utopian vision
of society based on the notion of a wise
and noble ruler whose strength of moral
character (de) inspired moral behavior
throughout the country.
 Gender and Sexuality
A positive attitude toward women, or
feminine qualities, has been
characteristic of Taoism from the
beginning.
"The Feminine always conquers the
Masculine by her quietness, by lowering
herself through her quietness./ Hence, if a
great country can lower itself before a
small country, it will win over the small
country .
The idea of balancing male and female
energies is fundamental to Taoism, and
applies to women as well as to men. One
early practice was ritual sexual intercourse
between men and women who were not
married to one another. These rituals
followed strict guidelines, and the goal
was the union of yin and yang energies.
The act of intercourse was not motivated
by lust or desire, men and women were
equal partners, the experience was not
centered in the genitals, and sexual climax
was not the end or goal. Climax would be
a way of squandering, rather than
retaining, vital energies.
Taoists believe that the deepest wisdom is
to be found in nature. As human beings,
we should strive to be more like the
natural world, rather than striving to
conquer it or protect ourselves from it.
Here, the Chinese scholar Lu Yu is
drawing an important lesson from nature:
it ebbs and flows. Everything changes.
 Controversies of Taoism
Is Taoism a religion or a philosophy? This
is a very tricky question for several
reasons. For one, philosophy and religion
are actually quite difficult to separate
logically. The problem is especially
complicated in non-Western culture, where
the idea of “religion” has a very different
meaning, if it exists at all. In the West, we
tend to view every religion on the template
of Christianity: we look for its church
institutions, its central prophet, its holy
text, its articles of faith, its god(s), etc.
BEST PRACTICES IN TAOISM
YOU CAN BE FREE IF YOU CAN LET
GO
GOOD WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH
CHANGE IS INEVITABLE
EGO WILL DESTROY YOU
HUMILITY BREEDS WISDOM
ALWAYS BE YOURSELF
Taoism is acceptance of your life.
Taoism is following your breath to find
peace.
Taoism is opening up a smile to enable
possibility.

If you embrace these three ideas,

everything else follows in Taoism. Some
people do start here. Others take a longer
more colorful path