History

Chinese Taoism - A Definition

Chinese Taoism is basically A principal philosophy and system of religion of China. Basically, Chinese Taoism advocates a life of complete simplicity and naturalness and of noninterference with the course of natural events, in order to attain a happy existence in harmony with the Tao.

A Brief History of Taoism

The history of Taoism is relatively “unknown”. According to Wikipedia, the history of Taoism depends on how it is defined, “Taoism’s origins may be traced to the prehistoric Chinese religion; to the composition of the “Tao Te Ching” (3rd or 4th century BCE); or to the activity of Zhang Daoling (2nd century CE). Alternatively, one could argue that “Taoism” as a religious identity only arose later, by way of contrast with the newly-arrived religion of Buddhism, or with the fourth-century codification of the Shangching and Lingbao texts.
Other accounts credit Laozi (reputed author of the Tao Te Ching/Dao de Jing) as the teacher of both Buddha, and Confucius. They describe early Taoism (Daoism) to ancient picture writing, mysticism, and indigenous Ancestor worship. Symbology on tortoise shells predates early Chinese calligraphy and is the basis of written Chinese from artifacts dated from prior to 1600 BCE.”

Lao Tzu and Taoism

Lao Tzu is credited with writing the sacred Taoist book “Tao Te Ching”. Here is an excerpt from the Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching as translated by JH McDonald (Part 41):

When a superior person hears of the Tao,
She diligently puts it into practice.
When an average person hears of the Tao,
he believes half of it, and doubts the other half.
When a foolish person hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud at the very idea.
If he didn’t laugh,
it wouldn’t be the Tao.

Thus it is said:
The brightness of the Tao seems like darkness,
the advancement of the Tao seems like retreat,
the level path seems rough,
the superior path seem empty,
the pure seems to be tarnished,
and true virtue doesn’t seem to be enough.
The virtue of caution seems like cowardice,
the pure seems to be polluted,
the true square seems to have no corners,
the best vessels take the most time to finish,
the greatest sounds cannot be heard,
and the greatest image has no form.
The Tao hides in the unnamed,
Yet it alone nourishes and completes all things.

As you can see, the Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching is a very powerful text, regardless of the history of Taoism.

Are you interested in learning more about Taoism and the Tao Te Chingfor free! Jason Randhawa, the author of this article, has also created a Tao Te Ching E-Course. And the next, crucial step on your journey could be to read the Tao Te Ching credited by Lao Tzu. This is one of the most widely read sacred books because of its inspiring content and true simplicity. Sign up now, for your free Tao Te Ching E-Course, at: http://www.whatismetaphysics.com/freetaoecourse

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Tao which is actually pronounced as “dow” is translated to mean the way or path in English. Tao in reality is not so easily definable. Tao is the power of the universe that encompasses and moves through all things, both living and non living. The Tao stands for balance and shows the harmony of opposite sides, such as light and dark, love and hate, male and female.

The founder of Taoism is believed by many to be Lao-Tse (604-531 BCE), a contemporary of Confucius. (Alternative spellings: Lao Tze, Lao Tsu, Lao Tzu, Laozi, Laotze, etc.). He was searching for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime. The result was his book: Tao-te-Ching (a.k.a. Daodejing). Others believe that he is a mythical character.

Taoism began as a mixture of psychology and philosophy but eventually evolved into a religious faith in 440 CE when it was adopted by China as a state religion. Taoism, along with Buddhism and Confucianism, became one of the three great religions of China. China’s support for Taoism stopped with the end of the Ch’ing Dynasty in 1911. Religious freedom became even further restricted after the Communist Party’s victory and takeover in 1949. Much of the Taoist heritage was lost in the Cultural Revolution that occurred from 1966 to 1976.

Tao is the first-cause of the universe. It is a force that flows through all life.
“The Tao surrounds everyone and therefore everyone must listen to find enlightenment.”

Each believer’s goal is to harmonize themselves with the Tao. Taoism has provided an alternative to the Confucian tradition in China. The two traditions have coexisted in the country, region, and generally within the same individual. The priesthood views their many gods as manifestations of the one Dao, “which could not be represented as an image or a particular thing.” The concept of a personified deity is foreign to them, as is the concept of the creation of the universe. Thus, they do not pray as Christians do; there is no God to hear the prayers or to act upon them. They seek answers to life’s problems through inner meditation and outer observation.

Some of the basic tenets of Taoism are the following:

Time is cyclical, not linear as in Western thinking.

Taoists strongly promote health and vitality.

Five main organs and orifices of the body correspond to the five parts of the sky: water, fire, wood, metal and earth.

Each person must nurture the Ch’i (air, breath) that has been given to them.

Development of virtue is one’s chief task. The Three Jewels to be sought are compassion, moderation and humility.

Taoists follow the art of “wu wei,” which is to let nature take its course. For example, one should allow a river to flow towards the sea unimpeded; do not erect a dam which would interfere with its natural flow.

One should plan in advance and consider carefully each action before making it.

A Taoists is kind to other individuals, in part because such an action tends to be reciprocated.

Taoists believe that “people are compassionate by nature…left to their own devices they will show this compassion without expecting a reward.”

Gregg Hall is a consultant for online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida. .Get more information on Taoism at http://www.emerald-energies.com

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