CONCEPTS AND BELIEFS OF

DAOISM

GROUP 3
• 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 an inaction” which gives
importance to humility and non-competition,
naturalness and naturalism, and non-aggression; yin-
yang or the balance of nature or universe.; the Chi/Qi
or the natural energy or life force that sustains living
beings.
 THE DAO

• According to Laozi, the Dao, which is the

essential concept and creative principle in
Daoism, existed before the world.
• 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.
• Its meaning differ across religions and philosophies; for
Confucians it refers to the basic principles of moral
philosophy, while for the legalists, it is the way of power
(Brown, 1997.)
• 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 (Ching 1993).
 DEITY/GOD (DAO AS THE ORIGIN OF
ALL BEINGS)

•Daoism does not have a God, for Daoists

believe that the universe originated from
the Dao, which created and controls the
universe and constantly guides things on
their way.
• Most of the deities worshipped by the Daoist were
borrowed from other cultures, that they are within the
universe and are subject to the Dao.
• The Daoist pantheon has often been describes as a
divine administration which reflect the secular
government of Imperial China.
• For the Daoists, the Dao possesses heavenly qualities,
is mysterious, indescribable, lies under the surface of
sense perception, and unifies opposites on a different
level.
 THE DE
• The De which means virtue are proper adherence
to Dao, is another basic concept in Daoism. It
encourages inaction in nature and advocates the
quite and passive nature of a person so that the
Dao, or the creative principle in the universe, may
up through them without interference.
• “Non competition in Emptiness” is said to be the other
side of the principle of “absence of desire”. Daoists
believe that when a person becomes peaceful, that
persons acquires power to overcome of all the things
without having to compete with others.
• In line with this, humility and avoiding competition in
others are two virtues which Daoists value most.
• Lastly, “contentment with what is” is another
expression of inaction in nature and of non -
competition in emptiness.
 WU-WEI

• Wu-wei means “no behavior” or “doing nothing”. It

also means “to do without doing”. (wei-wu wei) or
“actionless activity”.
• It is a concept used to negate or limit human action. It
refers to the consolation and restriction of human
behavior, especially human activities.
•Wu-wei may refer to a certain stages such as
non-behavior or doing nothing; taking as
little action as possible’ taking action
spontaneously, taking a passive attitude
towards society; waiting for the spontaneous
transformation of things; and taking action
according to objectives conditions and the
nature of things, or acting natural.
• Laozi believed that wu-wei can lead to a peaceful and
harmonious society.
• The opposite of wu-wei, which is yu-wei, means taking
actions, which Laozi believes causes vicious actions,
theft, and crime.
• Wu-wei, on the other hand, brings prosperity, harmony,
and peace.
• Wu-wei – considered by Daoism as the highest form of
virtue – emphasizes passivity, which may benefit less
fortunate or weak people, for it will help them
• Non-aggression is also important in wu wei, for
Laozi believed that the Daoist ideal society is a
primitive community with a natural, harmonious,
and simple life which exists without war and
competition.
• Another way of practicing wu wei is to become a
hermit by withdrawing from society and wandering
through the mountains, meditating in the caves, and
eating based on what the natural world has to offer.
 YIN YANG

• As stated earlier, 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”.
• Yin yang is an important concept in Daoism which explains
Laozi’s methodology that everything contains opposite sides, and
each side depends on the other, which emphasizes the concept of
dualism, of two halves forming a whole.
• Yin yang emphasizes complementarily, interconnectedness, and
interdependence of both sides seeking a new balance with each
other.
• When something is whole, it is fixed and imperfect, but when it is
split into halve, it disturbs the balance of completeness, thus
initiating change.
• The yin yang symbolize the integration of the polarities mentioned
by Laozi. He stressed the need for balance and harmony, which is
 QI/CHI

• 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.
• It refers to matter, which is continuous, energetic, and
dynamic.
• It is sometimes translated as “material force” or “vital force”.