Taoist Beliefs and Practices
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.
- Tao is the source of the 10,000 things (universe) but did not create them. 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 become one with the Tao.
- The priesthood views the 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.
- In contrast with the beliefs and practices of the priesthood, most of the laity have "believed that spirits pervaded nature...The gods in heaven acted like and were treated like the officials in the world of men; worshipping the gods was a kind of rehearsal of attitudes toward secular authorities. On the other hand, the demons and ghosts of hell acted like and were treated like the bullies, outlaws, and threatening strangers in the real world; they were bribed by the people and were ritually arrested by the martial forces of the spirit officials."
- Taoists generally have an interest in promoting health and vitality.
- 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.
- Taoists believe that people are compassionate by nature...left to their own devices they will show this compassion without expecting a reward.
History of Taoism
Tao (pronounced "Dow") can be roughly translated into English as path, or the way. It is basically indefinable.
It has to be experienced. It "refers to a power which envelops, surrounds and flows through all things, living and
non-living. The Tao regulates natural processes and nourishes balance in the Universe. It embodies the harmony of
opposites (e.g., there would be no love without hate, no light without dark, no male without female.)"
The founder of Taoism is believed by many to be Lao-Tse (604-531 BCE), a contemporary of Confucius. (Alternate
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 started as a combination of psychology and philosophy but evolved into a religious faith in 440 CE when
it was adopted as a state religion. At that time Lao-Tse became popularly venerated as a deity. Taoism, along
with Buddhism and Confucianism, became one of the three great religions of China. With the end of the Ch'ing Dynasty
in 1911, state support for Taoism ended. Much of the Taoist heritage was destroyed during the next period of
warlordism. After the Communist victory in 1949, religious freedom was severely restricted. "The new government put
monks to manual labor, confiscated temples, and plundered treasures. Several million monks were reduced to fewer
than 50,000 by 1960. During the cultural revolution in China from 1966 to 1976, much of the remaining Taoist
heritage was destroyed. Some religious tolerance has been restored under Deng Xiao-ping from 1982 to the present time.
Taoism currently has about 20 million followers, and is primarily centered in Taiwan. According to 1990 census figures,
about 30,000 Taoists live in North America (I suspect the number is many times larger). Taoism has had a significant
impact on North American culture in areas of acupuncture, herbalism, holistic medicine, meditation, martial
arts (kung fu), and harmonious living (feng shui).
The Yin-Yang Symbol
This is a well known Taoist symbol. It represents the balance of opposites in the universe. When they are equally
present, all is calm. When one is outweighed by the other, there is confusion and disarray. One source explains that
it was derived from astronomical observations which recorded the shadow of the sun throughout a full year. The two
swirling shapes inside the symbol give the impression of change -- the only constant factor in the universe.
One tradition states that Yin (or Ying; the dark side) represents the breath that formed the earth. Yang
(the light side) symbolizes the breath that formed the heavens. "The most traditional view is that 'yin'
represents aspects of the feminine: being soft, cool, calm, introspective, and healing... and "yang" the
masculine: being hard, hot, energetic, moving, and sometimes aggressive. Another view has the 'yin' representing
night and 'yang' day.5 However, since nothing in nature is purely black or purely white, the symbol includes a
small black spot in the white swirl, and a corresponding white spot in the black swirl.
Ultimately, the 'yin' and 'yang' can symbolize any two opposing forces in nature. Most Taoists believe that humans
intervene in nature and upset the balance of Yin and Yang.
This information is taken in large part from
ReligiousTolerance.org