Taoism

OK… So then what is Taoism?Taoism is both a philosophy and a religion. The beginnings of Taoism are generally accredited to Lao-tzu, a sixth century philosopher, believed to be from the Henan Province.

Here are three of the major Taoist concepts: TE means power. The power of a thing is its virtue, its identity, its integrity. So the te of a person is their authentic self, or genuineness. Te is expressed through humility and meekness. WU-WEI is a concept involving relaxing the conscious mind. It seeks the denial of anything personal and the dissolution of the conscious, individual self. Wu-wei is best illustrated by water; it is supple yet strong, it flows over and fills what it encounters. It means to simply follow the way of nature. P’U is a term which literally means “unpainted wood”. P’U stresses the importance of simplicity and the need to leave things in their natural state.

Oh… So then what do Taoists believe?

Say What??

In plain English:Taoists advocate a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural events Taoists don’t like politics, administration, or elaborate rituals.

So then how would you have government? Do not emphasize status, intelligence, or possessions. Govern with least visibility and with a serving attitude. Reduce laws and govern lightly. Take few actions that involve the people. Treat other countries non-aggressively.

Taoists believe that the purpose of life is to live according to the Tao.

That requires calmness, passiveness, and humility.

Naturalness: (Zi-ran) This is the key to conforming to the Toa. Unlike Confucianism, which emphasize Li, the principle of naturalness reflects a distrust of public conventions, culture and acquire learning, regarded as artificial, calculating and a source of evil. Lao-tzu and Confucius believed that harmony was the ultimate goal of religious activity.

Philosophical Anthropology -The Daoist perspective on human nature & the

human predicament

• Humanity is merely one of the “Den Thousand Things” manifested in nature, one animal species among others.

• However, human beings (unlike other animals) have the power of free choice. This enables them to act contrary to nature (contrary to the DAO), to become alienated from the “Way.”

• Humans can choose to separate themselves from the natural order, and they can pursue things they want in addition to things they need.

• This leads to an unnatural existence filled with various kinds of pain & suffering.

The solution to the human predicament

• Back to nature; back to the DAO.• The practice of wu-wei (non-ado, effortless

action, action without friction & conflict, swimming with the current) -- the simple, natural life, performing no action contrary to nature.

• Go with the flow.• Chill out.

(Daoist metaphysics/anthropology, continued)

CREATION

Taoists believe that there is no one creator, that at the beginning, there

was only chaos, or a void, called Wuji.

Then from the void (Wuji) the cosmos came into being.

With the cosmos came the energies of yin and yang which combined to create what is

called the Taiji Du

Qi emerged from the blending of yin and yang

The concept of the joining of yin and yang is often compared to the big

bang theory.

The concept of Qi may be more easily understood through Filmmaker George Lucas’ idea of “the force” in his film Star Wars.

Qi is the very stuff of life. It fills the universe permeating everything, rocks, trees, water, clouds, animals, and people.

Qi is often compared to quantum physics. It is like the atom, the building block of life.

Wuxing, or the 5 qualities (elements) developed from Qi.

These 5 qualities make up all known substances. They are:

Fire, earth, metal, water and wood.

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