Taoism i s a religion and philosophy that traces its roots back to various spiritual traditions of ancient China, such as nature religion and shamanism. Although some people believe that Lao Tzu is the founder of Taoism, this is not quite accurate. While this may apply to the philosophical or religious versions of current Taoism, both of these can be traced to a much older tradition that is simply known as the Tao.
The word Tao, pronounced dow, is roughly translated to mean the way or the path. Much like Zen Buddhism, Taoism is a spiritual path that is meant to be experienced rather than defined. Rather than recognizing a supreme deity, Taoists refer to the Tao, which is seen as a life force that flows through all. The goal for Taoists is to harmonize oneself with this life force energy and live a spiritually balanced, healthy life.
Yin Yang
A familiar symbol of Taoism is the black and white yin yang symbol that can sometimes represent positive and negative energy. For the most part though, yin and yang are two opposing forces that work together to create a harmonious balance in the universe. These opposites also imply movement and transformation, with one not being able to exist without the other. To better understand yin and yang, you can think of them as cycles. The cycle of birth and death, night and day or even love and hate. Taoists believe that an attempt to eliminate either opposing force will only disrupt the balance of life.
Other Concepts and Beliefs
The Taoist philosophy is to align oneself with the rhythms of life and cultivate an intuitive, rather than a conceptualized, knowing. One way of doing this is by gaining an awareness of qi, or
- life force energy , through
- meditation , focused breathing or
- qigong
Some other ways a Taoist cultivates this intuitive knowing include:
The development of the Three Jewels, which are compassion, moderation and humility.
P'u, which means not being influenced by society, but instead being true to one's self.
Tzu-Jan, which is releasing fears and allowing things in life to develop naturally and without interference.
The Taoist view of death is that it is a final step in achieving oneness with the universe. Spiritual immortality is attained by transforming one's qi into a finer, subtler energy until this qi eventually becomes pure spirit. This is done through positive words, thoughts and actions, and aligning oneself with the natural rhythms of life.
Taoism is a rich and beautiful belief system that fosters unity, simplicity, intuitive knowing and a deep respect for the cycles of life.
