Taoist Beliefs

Taoism
Taoism — loosely based on the writings of a mythical figure
named Laozi who lived some 2,500 years ago — calls for an
adherence to "the way", which practitioners have long
interpreted as a return to the natural world. The core of the
basic belief and doctrine of Taoism is that "Tao" is the
origin and law of all things in the universe. Taoists believes
that people can become deities or live forever through
practicing certain rituals and austerities.
 Taoism

 The focus of Taoism is the individual in nature rather

than the individual in society. It holds that the goal of
life for each individual is to find one's own personal
adjustment to the rhythm of the natural (and
supernatural) world and to follow the Way (dao) of the
universe. In many ways the opposite of rigid Confucian
moralism, Taoism served many of its adherents as a
complement to their ordered daily lives. A scholar on
duty as an official would usually follow Confucian
teachings but at leisure or in retirement might seek
harmony with nature as a Taoist recluse.
 Taoism

 Taoists stress the importance of harmonizing with

nature by balancing yin and yang, and developing
chi through meditation and disengagement. The
human body is regarded as a source of chi-derived
energy, which some people have the power to
concentrate and congeal into an essence. Chi
(also spelled ch'i or qi) is variously known as the
"breath of heaven," “mystical breath," the "breath
of nature" and the "quality of spirit"
 Tao and Tê
 Tao (dao) and tê (de) are central concepts of Taoism. Tao (meaning “The Way”) has been
described as “the divine way of the universe” and the “unproduced producer of all that is."
Tê is the power of Tao and the power to bring Tao into realization. It incorporates the belief
that human interference is damaging.
  
 Tao is invisible, unnameable, impalpable, unknowable and imitable. Taoists believe that
nothing exists before something, inaction exists before action and rest exists before motion.
Thus nothingness is the fundamental state and qualities inherent to this state include
tranquility, silence and humility and associations with femanine yin rather than masculine
yang. Motion and change are important concepts, because from the state of inaction every
kind of action is possible, and is why the term “Way” (Tao) is used.
 The famous Taoist philosopher Liu Ling said, “I take the whole universe as my house and my own
room as my clothing...Tao invariably does nothing, yet there is nothing Tao can not be perceived
with the five senses, thoughts or imagination and it can not be expressed in words. It can only
perceived though mystical insight. Tao is the power behind nature and the force that creates order."
Taoists encourage people to organize their lives around Tao so they are in harmony with nature,
heaven and the universe.
  
 Tê is sort of like virtue viewed as a kind of force behind nothingness that provides a basis for
nothing to exist thus unifies things that do exist. The notion of tê has been expressed in three
different ways: 1) a philosophical "power" reached though reflection and insight that provides a
method to organize one's life; 2) a psychic power attained though yoga-like exercises that can be
used for healing and psychic activities; and 3) a magical power associated with alchemy and the use
of the power of the universe to perform magic, sorcery and other mystical deeds.
  
 Taoist Texts
 The Taoist canon is huge. Even in its reduced form it contains 1,120 volumes. The most important Taoist text is
the “Dao de jing” (“Tao de jing”, “The Way and Its Power”), a 5000-character synopsis of Taoist beliefs
reportedly written by Lao-tzu shortly before he died. This short book was the inspiration for a primarily
philosophical form of Taoism. Two other important Tao texts are the Tao The King (a series of wise sayings) and
the Writings of Zhuangzi (a discourse written by the Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi), which appeared a few
centuries after Lao-tze's reported death. These two texts are more mystical and religious in nature.
  
 Zhuangzi voiced ideas that later were made fashionable in the West by philosophers like Descartes
and Sartre. In the forth century B.C., he wrote: "Once I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering here and
there; in all ways a butterfly. I enjoyed my freedom as a butterfly, not knowing that I was Chou.
Suddenly I awoke and was surprised to be myself again. Now, how can I tell whether I was man who
dreamt that he was a butterfly, or whether I am a butterfly who dreams that he is a man?...This is
called the interfusion of things."
 The oldest version of the Taoist canon, the Laozi, and a group of early Confucian texts, were found in a
2300-year-old tomb in Guodian, Jingmen, Hubei Province. Copied onto chop-stick-like bamboo slips in
the 4th century B.C., these manuscripts have been described as China's Dead Sea Scrolls. Some of the
texts were found by archaeologists after graverobbers were discovered looting the tomb. Others were
found in antique shops around Hollywood Road in Hong Kong.
  
 Over the course of its development, Taoism has produced and accumulated a great amount of
philosophy, literature, art, medicine, chemistry, astronomy, and geography. Taoism also formed a
unique religious cultural system, which has contributed to Chinese civilization and influenced ethnic
groups such as the Yao, Achang, Bai, Maonan, Gelao, Tujia, Zhuang, Buyi.
  Dao de jing
 The most important Taoist text is the “Dao de jing” (“Tao te ching”, “The Way and Its Power”), a 5000-
character synopsis of Taoist beliefs reportedly written by Lao-tzu shortly before he died. This short book
was divided into eighty-one chapters in the traditional edition ad was the inspiration for a primarily
philosophical form of Taoism. It is very different from the Confucian Analects.
  
 According to Columbia University's Asia for Educators: “ The Daodejing (“The Classic of the Way and Its
Power”) is a compilation reflecting a particular strain of thought from around 300 B.C. It is traditionally
Taoist Beliefs and Nature
 Rather than stressing human salvation with the help of a transcendent beings as is often the case with
Western religions, Taoism stresses that meaning and energy are found in all natural things and that
reality unfolds with its own rhyme and reason impervious to human intervention. Lao-tze wrote: “The
real is originally there in things, and the sufficient is originally there in things. There's nothing that is
not real and nothing that is insufficient. Hence, the blade of grass and the pillar, the leper and the
ravishing beauty, the noble, the sniveling, the disingenuous, the strange---in Tao they all move as one
and the same."
  
 Unlike Confucianism and traditional Western religions, which portrays nature as something evil or
immortal which man has to overcome, Taoism encourages its followers to act in "harmony with the
order of nature" and view life as a "series of transformations, procreation and re-creations." In Taoist
thought the path to heaven is through nature and the terms "heaven” and "nature" are often used
interchangeably
 Taoism often argues against human action, saying it is better to do nothing and let nature take its
course than do something that could have terrible, unforseen consequences. In ''Tao-te-ching'', Lao-tze
wrote: “How did the great rivers and seas gain dominion over the hundred lesser streams? By being
lower than they."
  
 "Xuan", referring to the mental universe. Taoists believes that "Xuan" is the first-cause of the universe
and a spiritual body beyond the material. Taoism also advocates the art of "Wu Wei" and "Qing Jiang",
which is the life philosophy of the religion and its basic attitude towards the social politics. It believes
that let the society take its natural course when administering a country. As for the personal life
philosophy, people should not be tempted by their desires, and should not be perplexed by the affairs
of human life. [Source: Liu Jun, Museum of Nationalities, Central University for Nationalities, Science
Museums of China, China virtual museums, Computer Network Information Center of Chinese Academy
of Sciences, kepu.net.cn ~]
  
 Taoists advocate a life of simplicity, and encourage their followers to perform good deeds not bad
ones, and seek inner peace through the cultivation of optimism, passivity, and inner calm. "The simple,
natural life is the ideal one, the wise person seeks to conform to the slow gentle rhythm of the
universe."
  
 Some Taoist believe the dead are sent to one of the Buddhist paradises or end up ina mountain
occupied by the immortals. The concept of a hell is largely absent. Taoists have traditionally believed
in the existence of earthly paradises such as the blessed islands of Peng-lai, Ying-chou and Fusang
Taoism and Immortality
 Taoist immortal Immortality is an important idea in Taoism. Because all nature is united by Tao, Taoists
believe, immortality can be attained. Taoists also believe that immortality it not something that can be
achieved by separating oneself from nature, like with a soul, but rather is something achieved by
directing natural forces through the body, creating more durable body materials, using techniques such
as breathing, focusing sexual energy and alchemy.
  
 The immortality referred to in Taoism is physical immortality. The highest goal of many devotees of
Taoism is the attainment of immortality through a total channeling of energies to reach harmony with
Tao. Immortality can be viewed literally or as a symbol of spiritual liberation. The idea of a spiritual
immortality like that of Christianity was alien to the Chinese until Buddhism was introduced to China.
  
QUIZ
 Quiz: “To measure your intelligence”
katulad ng relationship nyo: niliko kana bumalik kapa in
short “uto-uto ka..!!!”
1. What is Daoism? Explain in your own understanding.
 Hindi katulad ng Jowa mo hindi lang kayo nagkaintindihan sumuko na agad.

2. How does Daoism relate to other ideas in Chinese society,

Confucianism and Buddhism?
 “Relate” katulad ng relationship nyo sa una lang masaya nung nakahanap ng iba iniwan ka.

“Advance happy valentines’’

To those who have been loved by someone: But remember bagsak ka so walang mag ba-
valentines.
 I. True or False: write JOY if the statement is true and JANE if it is false.

 1. TAOISM believes that people can become deities or live forever through practicing certain rituals and
austerities.
 2. A mythical figured name LAOZI who lived some 2,500 years ago.
 3. The focus of TAOISM is the individual in society rather than the individual in nature.
 4. The most important text is DAO DE JING.
 5. TAO and LAO are the central concept of Taoism.

 II.
 GIVE THE 2 CENTRAL TYPES OF TAOISM.
 CHI IS VARIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE (GIVE THE 3 EXAMPLES)

 III. ESSAY
 IN YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING GIVE SOME IDEA ON WHAT YOU HAD LEARN ABOUT TAOISM.
 ANSWERS
 I.
 1. JOY
 2. JOY
 3. JANE
 4. JOY
 5. JANE

 II.
 1. MYSTICAL BREATH, BREATH OF NATURE, QUALITY OF SPIRIT
 2. TAO AND TE