Taoism 101: What You Need to Know about this Eastern Tradition
Taoism 101: Brief History, Core teachings, Fundamental Beliefs, Practices, and Related Issues
Taoism (/ˈdaʊɪzəm/), also known as Daoism, is a religious, philosophical, and ritual tradition which began in China. The core teaching of Taoism is becoming one with ‘Tao.’.
1. Taoism highlights living in harmony with the ‘Tao’ (also ‘Dao’) (literally ‘Way’).
2. Tao is also a central idea in Chinese religions other than Taoism, like Confucianism. In Taoism, nevertheless, Tao stands for the principle that is both the source and the design of development of all that exists.
3. The ‘Tao Te Ching’ (or ‘Daodejing;’ “Classic of the Way of Power”), a compact book comprising teachings credited to Laozi (also Lao Tzu), is generally considered the grounding work of the Taoism together with the later writings of Zhuangzi.
4. Book of Chuang Tze (Zhuangzi or Chuang-tzu) is an ancient Chinese text from the late Warring States period (476–221 BC) which comprises stories and anecdotes that exemplify the carefree nature of the ideal Taoist sage.
The book is one of the two bedrock texts of Taoism, along with Tao Te Ching. But whereas the Tao Te Ching is cold and proverbial in style, the Chuang Tze buzzes with life and insights, typically with considerable humor behind them.
5. One of Taoism’s chief concepts is ‘wu wei,’ which is usually translated as ‘non-doing’ or ‘non-action’ or ‘non-intervention.’ However, a better way to look at it is as a paradoxical ‘action of non-action’ or ‘effortless doing.’
6. As seen in its famous symbol (clled the Taijitu), yin yang refers to two halves that together complete wholeness. The word ‘yin’ comes out to mean ‘shady side’ and ‘yang,’ ‘sunny side.’Yin yang is the concept of duality forming a whole.
People encounter examples of Yin and Yang every day, such as night (yin) and day (yang) and female (yin) and male (yang). (Read: Yin Yang Meaning (and The Law of Reversion))
7. Simply put, the law of reversion states that anything that develops extreme qualities will revert back to its opposite extreme, and in this way everything becomes a cycle of constant flux. The principle of reversion thus declares that the arrival at an extreme indicates the start of decline.
8. “Incense is used as a medium to communicate with the deities, as the Taoist scriptures mentioned: The precious incense burns in the golden incense burner, and the emitting smoke travels up to the heavens. The incense is the communication tool for man to convey our wishes and messages to the deities, the rising smoke from the combustion carries our wishes up to the heavens.
9. All this corresponds to the “Taoist footprint” as epitomized in the general use, in traditional China, of cloth shoes with soft cotton soles, so as not to crush ants or other small insects when one inadvertently walks over them.
This custom is based on one of the rules that governed, almost two thousand years ago, the first nature sanctuaries in Sichuan, and bears witness to the fact that already at that time there was the awareness that everything in the environment was connected.” (“Taoist Environmentalism,” n.d.)
Related: Confucianism vs Taoism: Basic Differences and Similarities
10. Until today, there are called Taoist nature sanctuaries (TNS), no less than one hundred and fifty very outstanding sites in terms of landscape beauty, vegetation, and wildlife. In those environmental sanctuaries, no hunting, land clearing, plant gathering, mining or pollution was allowed for almost two thousand years. Many of these sites harbor rare and endangered animals and plants. Historically, this is how TNS began to exist … Continue reading
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Note: This addresses the MELC: Analyze the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and related issues of Taoism
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