Taoism

What is Taoism?
Taoism (also known as Daoism) is a Chinese
philosophy, attributed to Lao Tzu, which contributed to
the folk religion of the people primarily in the rural areas
of China and became the official religion of the country
under the Tang Dynasty.

Taoism is therefore both a philosophy and a religion. It

emphasizes doing what is natural and "going with the
flow" in accordance with the Tao, a cosmic force which
flows through all things and binds and releases them.
 What is the Tao?
• Taoism is about the Tao.
This is usually translated as
the Way. But it's hard to say
exactly what this means. It
might be more helpful to
regard Tao as like a system of
guidance.
• The Tao is the ultimate
creative principle of the
universe. All things are unified
and connected in the Tao.
• The Tao is not God and is
not worshipped.
 Beliefs in Taoism
Taoists live lives of balance and
harmony. They find their way
through life in the same way that
a river flowing through the
countryside finds its natural
course.

This doesn't stop a person living

a proactive life but their activities
should fit into the natural pattern
of the universe, and therefore
need to be completely detached
and disinterested and not ego-
driven.
 Beliefs in Taoism
• Taoism promotes:
• achieving harmony or union
with nature
• the pursuit of spiritual
immortality
• being virtuous
• self-development
• Taoist practices include:
• meditation - private devotion
or mental exercise
• feng shui - art or practice of
creating harmonious
surroundings that enhance the
balance of yin and yang
• fortune telling
• reading and chanting of
verses
 Origins of Taoism
Taoism as a religion began during the second half of the 3rd century B.C.E. with the revelation of
the Tao Te Ching by the personified god of the Tao, Lao Tzu, the Highest Venerable Lord.

Early religious Taoism was rooted in the ideas of the Taoist thinkers, to which were added local
religious rituals and beliefs, both to provide examples of Taoist philosophy, and integrate Taoism
into the existing world views of all levels of the Chinese people.
 Tao Te Ching
(The Book of the Way)
• written by Lao Tzu and
compiled around 3rd
century B.C.E.

• book of poetry presenting

the simple way of
following the Tao and
living life at peace with
one’s self, others, and the
world of changes

• is considered as the most

influential Taoist text
 Lao Tzu
• Lao Tzu is traditionally described as
the founder of Taoism, but modern
writers think he is a legendary figure,
and that the book attributed to him -
the Tao Te Ching - is actually a
collection of writings by many
different wise people.
• curator at the Royal Library in the
state of Chu
• natural philosopher
• believed in the harmony of all things
and that people could live easily
together if they only considered
each other's feelings once in a while
and recognized that their self-
interest was not always in the
interest of others.
 Chuang Tzu

The other main figure of Taoism is

Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi), 3rd
century B.C.E. Chuang Tzu has a
book attributed to him, called the
Chuang-Tzu after the practice of
referring to Chinese texts by the
names of their authors.
 Concepts with Taoism
• The One
The One is the essence of Tao, the essential energy of life, the possession of
which enables things and beings to be truly themselves and in accord with the
Tao.
Taoist texts sometimes refer to the Tao as the mother and the One as the son.

• Wu and Yu
Wu and Yu are non-being and being, or not-having and having. Wu also implies
inexhaustibility or limitlessness.

• Te
Te is usually translated as virtue.

• Tzu Jan
Tzu Jan is usually translated naturalness or spontaneity.

• Wu Wei
The method of following the Tao is called Wu Wei. This can be translated as
uncontrived action or natural non-intervention.

• Yin Yang
Yin Yang is the principle of natural and complementary forces, patterns and
things that depend on one another and do not make sense on their own.
These are opposites that fit together seamlessly and work in perfect harmony.
 Concepts with Taoism
• The Taoist body
Taoists view the body as a miniature of the universe, filled
with the Tao.

• Ch'i
Ch'i or qi is the cosmic vital energy that enables beings to
survive and links them to the universe as a whole.

• Immortality
The idea is that as the Taoist draws closer and closer to
nature throughout their life, death is just the final step in
achieving complete unity with the universe.

• Knowledge and relativity

There can never be a single true knowledge, merely the
aggregate of uncountable different viewpoints.
Because the universe is always changing, so knowledge is
always changing.

• Shamanism
Taoist experts believe that they can journey in spirit to
higher realms of being - in much the same way that
Shamans can journey out of the body.