tredone-taoism

8/6/2019 Tredone-taoism

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Presented by: Group 3


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In the Chinese language the word tao means "way," indicating a way ofthought or life. There have been several such ways in China's longhistory, including Confucianism and Buddhism. In about the 6th centuryBC, under the influence of ideas credited to a man named Lao-tzu,Taoism became "the way" . Like Confucianism, it has influenced everyaspect of Chinese culture.

Taoism was a highly influential philosophy that evolved about 2,500years ago in China. Its principle proponent was Lao Tsu (Lao Tzu) whowas a contemporary of Confucius, the originator of another highlyinfluential and differently-oriented philosophy. The essence of Taoismwas preserved in the writings attributed to Lao Tsu called the Tao TeChing, written in 81 short chapters, with a total of about 5,000characters. From this base, Taoism developed rich and variedmanifestations in Chinese culture. A subgroup of the Taoists pursuedalchemy and medicine, and their work had a substantial impact on thedevelopment of herbal medicine. Taoism remains of interest to manypeople around the world today, even though its influence in China haswaned considerably from its former level. It has been said that there aremore translations of the Tao Te Ching than any other book besides theChristian bible.


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The Taoist sage lives in close harmony with the natural rhythm and flow oflife. His closeness to nature is organic and spiritual. It is undogmatic andvital. Even in the midst of the city, he remains intimately close to theinstinctual and natural in himself, and his innate goodness guides him sothat he never becomes part of an ignorant society's furtive scramble toreach an imaginary pinnacle. Thus the sage knows that relative to theriver, he still moves against the current. To the outside world the sageappears to take no action but in fact he takes action long before others

ever foresee the need for action. Thinking well about one's actions beforemaking them is another aspect of the Tao.

Human life consists of the time between mortal birth and mortal death.Only the body is subject to age. The spirit of a person is immortal. Thebody allows a person to interact with others, manipulate his or herphysical environment, and to experience sensory perception while in thephysical world. When a body dies, the person continues to exist. When

the body dies, the soul is set free. If one learns to live in harmony with theTao during mortal life, that person will be in harmony with the Tao afterdeath. Some believe that at death, the soul is judged by up to ten differentgods of Hell, is purified by punishment, then reborn again. There are alsothose who believe death is avoidable, and that by practicing specialmeditations or eating certain foods, one can make the body immortal.


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Perhaps the most frequently portrayed aspect of Taoism is the image of the unobstructed flow of life.

In the Tao Te Ching (chapter 48) it is said: "The world is ruled by letting things take their course, itcannot be ruled by interfering." An image of water flowing through a stream bed is sometimes used

to convey the concept. That the flow of water has great potential, as one can see by the deep

gorges in solid rock carved by a stream. "Nothing is more soft and yielding than water, yet for

attacking the solid and the strong, nothing is better." Letting things take their course is often

described as "being in harmony with nature." Nature is one with the Tao, and to not go against

nature is to be in harmony with nature. Harmony with nature requires yielding, but it results in great

things. The Tao, often translated as the Way (capitalized because it is beyond ordinary description),

might be called the "yielding way;" Te is usually translated as power; the book title Tao Te Ching

means, roughly, the classic about the power of the yielding way.

Despite the common reference to this aspect of Taoism, I think that this view of the teaching, when

taken out of the larger context of the Tao Te Ching, is usually too difficult to put into practice

because it is so abstract. What does it mean to lead a life that flows like water and harmonizes with

nature? In this article, I want to call attention to another aspect of the Taoist teaching that may prove

more practical, because it answers the question in relation to how humans live: not just with nature,

but with each other and with the powers and vagaries of one's own mind.

The underlying principle presented in the Tao Te Ching is that one should take care of things that

are in need of doing, and then move on to the next thing that needs to be done, without any

attachment to the accomplishment. By avoiding any "attachment to the accomplishment" it is meantthat one should not dwell in such things as taking credit for it, accumulating rewards (including

material things and power), or spending time with retelling it in order to get recognition.


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The Mien, also called Yao, are one of the many semi-migratory peopleliving in the highlands of southern China, and the northern regions ofThailand, Laos and Vietnam. They practice swidden, or slash-and-burn,agriculture mainly for the growing of rice for their own consumption andmaize with which to feed their pigs and poultry. During approximately threethousand years of contact with the Chinese, they have acquired manyelements of Chinese culture. They have merged Chinese Taoism, includingthe Chinese Taoist painting tradition, with their animist beliefs to form aunique tradition of Taoism.

Mien Taoist paintings are religious, not decorative. Each has a ritual functionand is considered the abode of the gods. During the one to two months ittakes to complete a set of paintings, the artist must work in an atmosphere ofreligious devotion and ceremonial purity. When the work is finished, thepainter himself opens the eyes of each character according to the Chinesecustom for consecrating Taoist icons. The Mien Taoist tradition goes furtherand also requires a priest to perform a ceremony that introduces the gods tothe paintings. Priests then display the set of paintings in a certain order toplay a part in ceremonies. At other times, they are rolled and stored up in abox hanging near the domestic altar. When a set of paintings is judged worn

out, the ownermay decide to replace it.


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Like Confucianism, however, Taoism is not limited to the teachings of one sage or one book.

Taoists believe that the Dao itself originated in a farmore distant past: it is a cosmic Way

(the literal meaning of Dao) that formed, or began to form, before the existence of all

individual things. As the Dao de jingrelates, Before there was a two and a three, therewas the One. This Cosmic One describes the original unity of the universe, an

undifferentiated energy that gave birth to the ten thousand things. The Dao continues to

exist. In fact, it is eternally evolving or coming into existence and is never complete. It is

an energy which permeates the universe, and can be tapped into as a source of health,

vitality, long life, and supernatural power. The Taoist religion is an historical transmission of

texts and rituals that attempt to explain, harness, create and re-create that cosmic energy.

Until recently, Western historians of China limited Taoism to a school of philosophy set out

abstrusely in the Dao de jingand elaborated by the sages Zhuang-zi (dates uncertain, but he

lived between 370 and 301 BCE) and Lie-zi (an historical figure only known by a book

appearing in his name, dating anywhere from 300 BCE to 300 CE). These three thinkers

were said to be the authors of a philosophy that was distinctly anti-Confucian: rebelling

against education, against government service, against the moral and ethical codes of social

interaction, and against the norm

s and rules that govern everyday life. But this is only one part of the story of Taoism. Whereas historians used to limit Taoism to

these thinkers and their reclusive philosophy, we now know that Taoism continued to evolve

and develop, and came to include not just philosophical texts, but also church-like institutions,

rites and ceremonies (with hundreds if not thousands of ritual instruction manuals), a rich

tradition of physical and hygienic practices with the goal of long life or immortality, a pantheon

of terrestrial and celestial deities, and mythologies of their lives and heavenly existence.


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SOURCES:

Dominguez, J. (ed. 2006). All about Taoism. Retrieved February 4, 2009 fromhttp://www.religion-

cults.com/Eastern/Taoism/taoism.htm

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. (1995). Taoism (a.k.a.Daoism). Retrieved February 3, 2009 fromhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/taoism.htm

no author. (1999). The Tao te Chingof Lao Tzu. Retrieved February 3, 2009 from

http://www.kheper.net/topics/Taoism/Taoism.htm

Valea, E. (1999). Salvation and eternal life in world religions. Retrieved February 3, 2009 fromhttp://www.comparativereligion.com/salvation.html#09

Davis, F. (2006). Taoism. Retrieved February 4, 2009 fromhttp://www.marketfaith.org/resources/Taoism.PDF

Subhuti Dharmanada. Ph. D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon. Essentials of TaoismRetrieved 02/04/09 fromhttp://www.itmonline.org/arts/taoism.htm

Randall Nadaeu. Confucianism and Taoism... Retrieved 02/04/09 from

http://www.trinity.edu/rnadeau/Chinese%20Religions/Confucianism%20and%20Taoism.htm

No author. Dragon Bridge,, Paintings of Men. Retrieved 02/04/09 fromhttp://www.brown.edu/Facilities/Haffenreffer/dragon.html


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