Taoism is an ancient Chinese religion and philosophy focused on living in harmony with nature and the universe. It is complementary to Confucianism and emphasizes the concept of wu wei, or “doing nothing,” to leave nature untouched. Taoism recognizes the duality of life and embraces the concept of qi, the universal force that inhabits all things. Ritual is important in religious Taoism, but anyone can perform their own rituals without intermediation. Taoism is becoming popular in the West through practices like Tai Chi and Qi Gong.
Taoism is an ancient religion and philosophy that began in China about 2,500 years ago. Tao, also transliterated ‘Dao’ in English, literally means the Way, and Taoism is simply guidelines for living a good life, in harmony with nature and the universe. Taoism is contemporary with and complementary to Confucianism, although Taoism claims to predate Confucius: one can adhere to both schools of thought simultaneously, and many do. Religious Taoism postulates the existence of numerous supernatural entities, but one can follow the Way without necessarily ascribing any belief in the literal existence of ghosts and gods.
The principles of Taoism were first expressed in the Tao Te Ching, often attributed to Lao Tzu, although modern scholars believe it to be the work of numerous philosophers over a long period of time. It is perhaps the oldest book in the world. In a series of enigmatic verses, the Tao Te Ching makes explicit the difficulty of understanding the Way: “The way one can walk is not The Way. The name that can be named is not The Name.”
One of the core tenets of Taoism, which makes it attractive to modern Westerners, is the concept of wu wei, or “doing nothing,” interpreted as meaning that following the Way means leaving very little human imprint on nature, but leaving things as they are. you find them. Nature maintains a perfect balance, which we disrupt with our ability to acquire, build, destroy, remove and remake until nature itself has been subjugated.
Taoism recognizes the duality of life, and the yin-yang symbol, commonly thought to represent the masculine and feminine principles but actually representing the duality of everything, is an important symbol in both Taoism and Eastern thought in general. Taoism also embraces the concept of qi, often written ch’i or ki, the universal force or energy that inhabits all things, living and inanimate. Balancing qi is the core of feng shui practice, where the placement of one’s household and its belongings can be optimized to create health, wealth, and happiness.
Ritual is an important part of religious Taoism and rites are specific to particular deities and deceased ancestors. However, ritual has a different place in the life of a Taoist than a contemporary Westerner, as anyone can and should perform their own rituals without the intermediation of a clergy. Families have home altars and offerings are made by the head of the household, or in fact anyone who wishes. Taoism is becoming very popular in the West, as its principles are often experimented with in Tai Chi, Qi Gong and other martial and fitness disciplines imported from China.
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