Taoism

Table of contest

1. What is it? 2. The history of Taoism3. Ethics4. Cosmology5. Symbols and images6. Bibliography

What is it? Taoism is a philosophical and religious tradition that

emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao. The term Tao means "way", "path" or "principle", and can also be found in Chinese philosophies and religions other than Taoism. In Taoism, however, Tao denotes something that is both the source and the driving force behind everything that exists.

The history of taoism The keystone work of literature in Taoism is the Tao Te Ching,

a concise and ambiguous book containing teachings attributed to Laozi. Together with the writings of Zhuangzi, these texts build the philosophical foundation of Taoism. Taoism has had profound influence on Chinese culture in the course of the centuries.

Ethics1 Tao and Te :• Tao - literally means "way", but can also be interpreted as road,

channel.• Te - the active expression of Tao is called Te.2 Wu-wei - Wei refers to any intentional or deliberated action,

while wu carries the meaning of "there is no ..." or "lacking, without".3 Naturalness - is regarded as a central value in Taoism. It describes the

"primordial state" of all things.4 Three Treasures - are basic virtues in Taoism comprising Compassion,

Moderation, and Humility. They are also translated as kindness, simplicity and modesty.

Cosmology

Taoist cosmology is based on the beliefs of the School of Naturalists.

In this belief, the Universe is seen as being in a constant process of re-creating itself, as everything that exists is a mere aspect of qi, which "condensed, becomes life; diluted, it is indefinite potential". Qi is in a perpetual transformation between its condensed and diluted state.

Symbols and images

a) Taijitu is a term which refers to the Chinese symbol Yin and Yang ( Taiji ).

b) Ba gua - The ba gua are eight trigrams used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts.

八卦 Bāguà—The eight trigrams

乾 Qián☰

兌 Duì☱

離 Lí☲

震 Zhèn☳

巽 Xùn☴

坎 Kǎn☵

艮 Gèn☶

坤 Kūn☷

Heaven/Sky

Lake/Marsh Fire Thunder Wind Water Mountain Earth

天 Tiān 澤 ( 泽 ) Zé 火 Huǒ 雷 Léi 風 ( 风 )

Fēng 水 Shuǐ 山 Shān 地 Dì

c) Big dipper - The Big Dipper, also known as the Plough or the Saptarishi (after the seven rishis), is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures. The component are the seven brightest stars of the Ursa Major constellation.

Bibliography

• www.wikipedia.pl• www.google.pl

Thanks for watching

By:Karina Borek