Taoism

Taoism (pronounced and also spelled Daoism; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a>: 道教 or 道家; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>: dàojiào or dàojiā) is a philosophical and religious tradition that emphasizes living in harmony with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao" title="Tao">Tao</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a>: 道; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>: dào). The term Tao (or Dao, depending on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization" title="Romanization">romanization</a> system used) originally means "way", "path" or "principle", and can be found in Chinese philosophies and religions other than Taoism. In Taoism, however, Tao denotes an obscure metaphysical force which is ultimately ineffable: "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism#cite_note-0">[1]</a> In Taoism, the Tao is the source and essence of everything that exists.

The keystone work of literature in Taoism is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daodejing" title="Daodejing" class="mw-redirect">Daodejing</a>, a concise and ambiguous book containing teachings attributed to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laozi" title="Laozi">Laozi</a>, or "the Old Teacher". Together with the writings of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuangzi" title="Zhuangzi">Zhuangzi</a>, these texts build the philosophical foundation of Taoism. This philosophical Taoism, individualistic by nature, is not institutionalized. Institutionalized forms, however, evolved over time in the shape of a number of different <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School%28discipline%29" title="School (discipline)" class="mw-redirect">schools</a>, often integrating beliefs and practices that even pre-dated the keystone texts – as, for example, the theories of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Naturalists" title="School of Naturalists">School of Naturalists</a>, which synthesized the concepts of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin-yang" title="Yin-yang" class="mw-redirect">yin-yang</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_elements%28Chinese_philosophy%29" title="Five elements (Chinese philosophy)" class="mw-redirect">Five Elements</a>. Taoist schools traditionally feature reverence for Laozi, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xian_%28Taoism%29" title="Xian (Taoism)">immortals</a> or ancestors, along with a variety of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divination" title="Divination">divination</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcism" title="Exorcism">exorcism</a> rituals, and practices for achieving <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_ecstasy" title="Religious ecstasy">ecstasy</a>, longevity or immortality.

Taoist propriety and ethics may vary depending on the particular school, but in general tends to emphasize <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_wei" title="Wu wei">wu wei</a> (action through non-action), simplicity, spontaneity, harmony between the individual and the cosmos, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Treasures_%28Taoism%29" title="Three Treasures (Taoism)">Three Treasures</a>: Compassion, Moderation, and Humility.

Taoism has had profound influence on Chinese culture in the course of the centuries, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daoshi" title="Daoshi">clerics of institutionalised Taoism</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a>: 道士; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>: dàoshi) usually take care to note distinction between their ritual tradition and the customs and practices found in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_folk_religion" title="Chinese folk religion">Chinese folk religion</a> as these distinctions sometimes appear blurred. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_alchemy" title="Chinese alchemy">Chinese alchemy</a> (especially <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neidan" title="Neidan">neidan</a>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrology" title="Chinese astrology">Chinese astrology</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen" title="Zen">Zen Buddhism</a>, several <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neijia" title="Neijia">martial arts</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine" title="Traditional Chinese medicine">Traditional Chinese medicine</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui" title="Feng shui">feng shui</a>, and many styles of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong" title="Qigong">qigong</a> have been intertwined with Taoism throughout history. Beyond China, Taoism also had influence on surrounding societies in Asia.

After Laozi and Zhuangzi the literature of Taoism grew steadily and used to be compiled in form of a canon – the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daozang" title="Daozang">Daozang</a>, which was at times published at the behest of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_of_China" title="Emperor of China">emperor</a>. Throughout Chinese history, Taoism was several times nominated as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_religion" title="State religion">state religion</a>. After the 17th century, however, it fell much from favor. Like all other religious activity, Taoism was suppressed in the first decades of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China" title="People's Republic of China" class="mw-redirect">People's Republic of China</a> (and even persecuted during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution" title="Cultural Revolution">Cultural Revolution</a>), but continued to be practised in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan" title="Taiwan">Taiwan</a>. Today, it is one of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_China#Modern_history" title="Religion in China">five religions recognized in the PRC</a>, and although it does not travel readily from its Asian roots, claims adherents in a number of societies.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism#cite_note-1">[2]</a>

Taoism

Attachments