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Taoism
The Way or Path
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Taoism or the School of Tao refers to a set of
philosophical teachings and religious practices
rooted in a specific metaphysical understanding of
the Chinese character Tao.
For Taoists, Tao could be described as the
continuity principle behind the whole processes of
the constantly changing Universe.
Taoism is rooted in the oldest belief systems of China,
dating from a time when shamanism and pantheism
were prevalent.
Elements of primitive Taoist thought include the cyclic
progression of seasons, growth and death of sentient
beings and their endless generation and questions
about the origin of life.
Observation of natural processes lead to divination
practices where the operator tries to detect
opportunities in natural phenomenon like crackles made
in bones.
Taoism has had a deep and long-lasting influence in many
domains of Chinese culture, including philosophy, arts,
literature, medicine, cuisine, and has spread widely
throughout East Asia.
Taoism emphasizes freedom, nature, cosmology, selfcultivation, retirement from social life and even the search
for immortality.
Some accounts prefer to separate two Taoisms:
One being mostly philosophical, metaphysical and aesthetic,
The other focused on religious practices, encompassing
exorcism, alchemy and a wide set of popular beliefs.
Often considered as the counterpart of mainstream
Confucianism and challenged by Buddhism, Taoism is more
accurately seen as an integral element of the vast and
diverse Chinese experience.
Taoism is not a religion, nor a philosophy.
It is a "Way" of life. It is a River. The Tao is the
natural order of things.
It is a force that flows through every living and
sentient object, as well as through the entire
universe.
When the Tao is in balance it is possible to find
perfect happiness.
The primary religious figures in Taoism are Lao Tzu
and Chuang Tzu, two scholars who dedicated their
lives two balancing their inner spirits.
The most common graphic representation of Taoist theology is
the circular Yin Yang figure. It represents the balance of
opposites in the universe.
When they are equally present, all is calm. When one is
outweighed by the other, there is confusion and disarray. The
Yin and Yang are a model that the faithful follow, an aid that
allows each person to contemplate the state of his or her lives.
More a mode of living than an actual theology,
Taoism asks that each person focuses on the world
around him or her in order to understand the inner
harmonies of the universe.
It is a kind of religious system heavily focused on
meditation and contemplation.
The Tao surrounds everyone and one must listen to
find enlightenment.
The oldest Chinese scripture is said to be the I Ching, a
compilation of readings based on sixty-four hexagrams.
The hexagrams are combinations of eight tri-grams or gua,
(collectively called bagua), resulting in sixty-four possible
combinations.
Each hexagram has six Yin or Yang lines. When cast,
each gives a reading with an image, a judgement and
commentaries on the lines.
Much of the essence of Tao is in the art of wu wei,
action through inaction.
This does not mean, sit on your butt and wait for
everything to fall into your lap.
The essential message of Taoism is that life
constitutes an organic, interconnected whole
which undergoes constant transformation.
This unceasing flow of change manifests itself as a
natural order governed by unalterable, yet perceivable
laws.
Paradoxically, it is the constancy of these governing
principles (like the rising and setting of the sun and
moon and the changing of the seasons) that allows
people to recognise and utilise them in their own
process of transformation.
Gaining an awareness of life's essential unity and
learning to cooperate with its natural flow and order
enables people to attain a state of being that is both fully
free and independent and at the same time fully
connected to the life flow of the Universe - being at one
with the Tao.
From the Taoist viewpoint this represents the ultimate
stage of human existence.
A key principle in realizing our oneness with the
Tao is that of wu-wei, or "non-doing."
Wu-wei refers to behaviour that arises from a
sense of oneself as connected to others and to
one's environment.
It is not motivated by a sense of separateness.
It is action that is spontaneous and effortless.
At the same time it is not to be considered inertia,
laziness, or mere passivity.
Rather, it is the experience of going with the grain or
swimming with the current.
Our contemporary expression, "going with the flow,"
is a direct expression of this fundamental Taoist
principle, which in its most basic form refers to
behaviour occurring in response to the flow of the
Tao.
Tao Te Ching
The Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way and its Power)
emerged as a written text in a time of seemingly endless
feudal warfare and constant conflict.
According to tradition, the book's author, Lao Tzu, served
an emperor of the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BCE - 256 BCE)
as a minor court official.
He became disgusted with the petty intrigues of court
life, and set off alone to travel the vast western
wastelands.
As he reached the point of passing through the
gate at the last western outpost, a guard, having
heard of his wisdom, asked Lao Tzu to write down
his philosophy, and the Tao Te Ching resulted.
The western gate may refer to the death of Lao
Tzu.
Taoism and Confucianism
Taoism as a tradition has, along with its traditional
counterpart Confucianism, shaped Chinese culture
for more than 2,000 years.
Taoism places emphasis upon spontaneity and
teaches that natural kinds follow ways appropriate to
themselves.
As humans are a natural kind, Taoism emphasizes
natural societies with no artificial institutions.
Taoism and Buddhism
The relationships between Taoism and Buddhism are
complex, as they influenced each other in many ways
while often competing for influence.
The arrival of Buddhism forced Taoism to renew and
restructure itself and address mystical questioning
raised by Buddhism.
Buddhism was seen as a kind of foreign Taoism and
its texts were translated into Chinese with Taoist
vocabulary.
Chuang Tzu's philosophy especially influenced
the Chinese form of Buddhism known as Ch'an,
which later developed into the Japanese form of
Zen.
The Bodhisattva, Kuan Yin was important for both
Buddhists and Taoists.
From the 1940s to 1982, Taoism was suppressed
along with other religions in accordance with
Marxist theory.
Much of the Taoist infrastructure was destroyed,
monks and priests were sent to labour camps.
This intensified during the Cultural Revolution
from 1966 to 1976, nearly eradicating most Taoist
sites.