Taoism

or Daoism (from Chinese 道教, Wade-Giles ''tao4 chiao4'', pinyin ''dāo jiāo'') is usually described as an Asian philosophy and religion, although it is also said to be neither but rather a "way of life". Translated literally, it means "Way" or "Path". The Tao is the natural order of things. It is a force that flows through every living or sentient object, as well as through the entire universe. The Tao character 道 original meaning was (as is pictographically described) "the way of the warrior." There is a terminology and cultural debate regarding the name. For information on this debate see Daoism_versus_Taoism. Taoism is a tradition that has, with its traditional foil Confucianism, shaped Chinese life for more than 2,000 years. Taoism places emphasis upon individual freedom and spontaneity, non-interventionist government and social primitivism and ideas of self-transformation. Thus, Taoism represents in many ways the antithesis to Confucian concern with moral duties, social cohesion, and governmental responsibilities, even if Confucius's thought includes those Taoist values, as one can read in the Analects_of_Confucius. Traditionally, Taoism has been attributed to three sources:

The oldest, the mythical "Yellow_Emperor";

the most famous, the book of mystical aphorisms, the ''Dao_De_Jing'' (or in Wade-Giles spelling, ''Tao Te Ching''), said to be written by Lao_Zi (Wade-Giles, Lao Tse), who, according to legend, was an older contemporary of Confucius;

and the third, the works of the philosopher Zhuang_Zi (Wade-Giles, Chuang Tse).

Other books have developed Taoism, as the ''True Classic of Perfect Emptiness'', from Lie_Zi; and the ''Huainanzi'' compilation.

Additionally, the original source of Taoism is often said to be the ancient ''I_Ching'', ''The Book Of Changes''.

The ''Dao De Jing''

''Main article: Dao_De_Jing'' The ''Dao_De_Jing'', or ''Tao Te Ching'' as it is most commonly rendered in English, was written in a time of seemingly endless feudal warfare and constant conflict. The literal meaning of the title is approximately "Way Virtue Classic" (see Dao_De_Jing for a more in-depth discussion on translating the book's title into English.) According to tradition, the book's author, Lao_Zi, was a minor court official for an emperor of the Zhou dynasty. He became disgusted with the petty intrigues of court life, and set off alone to travel the vast western wastelands. As he was about to pass through the gate at the last western outpost, a guard, having heard of his wisdom, asked Lao Zi to write down his philosophy, and the ''Dao De Jing'' was the result. Lao Zi was reflecting on a way for humanity to follow which would put an end to conflicts and strife. He came up with a few pages of short verses, which became the ''Dao De Jing''. This is the original book of Taoism.

Taoist philosophy

The Way begat One (the lifeforce), which in turn begat Two (Yin and Yang), finally producing the entirety of the world as we know it (the 10,000 things) through the harmony of the Wuxing. The Way is therefore circular, acting upon itself to renew the cycle of life and death in harmony with nature.

Act in accordance with nature, and with finesse rather than force.

One's mental activities should be stilled or allowed to dissipate until one finds a deeper source for guiding one's interaction with the universe (see 'wu wei' below). Desire hinders one's ability to understand The Way, and tempering desire breeds contentment. Taoists believe that when one desire is satisfied, another, more ambitious desire will simply spring up to replace it. In essence, most Taoists feel that life should be appreciated as it is, rather than forced to be something it is not. Ideally, one should not desire anything, not even non-desire.

Oneness: By realising that all things (including ourselves) are interdependent and constantly redefined as circumstances change, we come to see all things as they are, and ourselves as a simple part of the current moment. This understanding of oneness leads us to an appreciation of life's events and our place within them as simple miraculous moments which "simply are".

Dualism, the opposition and combination of the Universe's two basic principles of Yin and Yang is a large part of the basic philosophy. Some of the common associations with Yang and Yin, respectively, are: male and female, light and dark, forcing and yielding, action and stillness. Taoists believe that neither side is more important or better than the other; indeed, neither can exist without the other, as they are equal aspects of the whole. They flow into each other in constant motion. They complete each other in perfect balance.

Wu Wei

Much of the essence of Tao is in the art of ''wu_wei'' (action through inaction). However, this does not mean, "sit doing nothing and wait for everything to fall into your lap". It describes a practice of accomplishing things through minimal action. By studying the nature of life, you can affect it in the easiest and least disruptive way (using finesse rather than force). The practice of working with the stream rather than against it is an illustration; one progresses the most not by struggling against the stream and thrashing about, but by remaining still and letting the stream do all the work. wu_wei works once we trust our human "design," which is perfectly suited for our place within nature. In other words, by trusting our nature rather than our mental contrivances, we can find contentment without a life of constant striving against forces real and imagined.

The Taoist religion

Though specific religious aspects are not mentioned in the Dao De Jing or Zhuang Zi, as Taoism spread through the population of China, it became mixed with other, pre-existing beliefs, such as Five_Elements theory, alchemy, ancestor_worship, and magic spells. Attempts to procure greater longevity were a frequent theme in Taoist alchemy and magic, with many extant spells and potions for that purpose. Many early versions of Chinese_medicine were rooted in Taoist thought, and modern Chinese_medicine is still in many ways concerned with Taoist concepts such as Tao, Qi, and the balance of Yin and Yang. In addition, a Taoist church was formed, originally being established in the Eastern_Han_dynasty by Zhang_Daoling. Many sects evolved over the years, but most trace their authority to Zhang_Daoling, and most modern Taoist temples belong to one or another of these sects. The Taoist churches incorporated entire pantheons of deities, including Lao Zi, Zhang_Daoling, the Yellow_Emperor, the Jade_Emperor, Lei_Gong (The God of Thunder) and others.

Taoism outside China

The Taoist philosophy is practiced in various forms, in countries other than China. Kouk_Sun_Do in Korea is one of such variations. Taoist philosophy has found a large following throughout the world, and several traditional Taoist lineages have set up teaching centers in countries outside China.

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