Taoism
Orange indicates a Glossary Word
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Name: Taken from the word tao meaning “way” or “path”
Origin (see timelines section)
A.
Date: 600 BCE
B.
Location: China
Adherents (see statistics section)
A.
Number: Unknown (due to eclectic nature of Chinese religion)
B.
Location: Primarily in China
Key Figure/ Founder
A.
Lao Tzu
1.
Date: ca. 604 BCE
2.
Name: Lao Tzu means “old boy” or “old master”
3.
Nature: An extraordinary man
4.
Historicity: Some question whether Lao Tzu even existed
5.
Life
a)
As recorded in Taoist literature
(1)
Some texts related fantastic stories (e.g., that he was conceived by a
shooting star and was carried in his mother‟s womb for 82 years
whereupon he was born an old man with white hair)
(2)
Some texts are more believable (e.g., that he was in charge of the archives
for his native region in China)
b)
Confucius was said to have met him (Confucius being the younger of the two)
c)
Toward the end of his life, he became disappointed with the people‟s response to
his approach and decided to depart for present-day Tibet; he was stopped by the
gatekeeper at Hankao Pass and was persuaded to write down his beliefs before
leaving (the Tao te Ching)
B.
Chuang Tzu
1.
Date: ca. 400-300 BCE
2.
Another key figure/writer in Taoism
Sacred Texts
A.
Tao te Ching
B.
Writings of Chuang Tzu
C.
Taoist canon: Composed of the Three Vaults and Four Supplements
1.
Three Vaults
a)
First Vault: Based on texts of Mao Shan school as revealed and transcribed by Yan
His (between 364-370)
b)
Second Vault: Contains scriptures of Ling Pao school
c)
Third Vault: Built on the Scriptures of the Three Sovereigns (unknown date and
origin)
2.
Four Supplements (included in canon around sixth century but penned much earlier)
a)
First: Basic scriptures is Tao te Ching
b)
Second: Scripture of Supreme Peace
c)
Third: Contains scriptures on alchemy
d)
Fourth: Contains scriptures representing the Way of Celestial Masters
Core Beliefs
A.
The Tao
1.
Meaning: “Path” or “way”
2.
Three senses
a)
The Way of Ultimate Reality
(1)
Ineffable
(2)
Without beginning or end
(3)
Has no boundaries
(4)
Source of all
b)
The Way of the universe (macrocosm)
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(1)
Described
Negative terms
Unity of opposites
(i)
Distinctions are not made
(ii)
There is no absolute perspective—all is relative
(2)
Functions
(a)
Wu wei (without action)
(b)
Natural (harmony/balance)
(c)
Weak/submissive
(3)
Analogies
(a)
Water
(b)
Female
(c)
Newborn
(4)
Value
c)
The Way of human life (microcosm)
(1)
Contra rationality (education, learning, knowledge, words, logic)
(2)
Nature dies in the hands of man
(3)
What one should do
(a)
Become the Perfect/True/Great Man: The Man of the Way
(b)
Return to harmony (abandon the world)
(c)
Yield to nature
(d)
Practice wu wei
(e)
Emulate the Sage
(i)
No discriminations
(ii)
Free from desire and innocent of knowledge
(iii)
Return to the natural
(iv)
Wu wei
(a)
Non-contention
(b)
Non-interference
(v)
When the empire is ruled by the Sage and the Way
(4)
Analogy: Uncarved Block
Taoist values
Humility: Humility and meekness
a)
Taoists reject self-assertiveness and competition
b)
Taoists honor cripples and hunchbacks
c)
Taoists point out that what makes windows, cups and doorways valuable are the
parts that are not there
Naturalism: Respect and alignment with nature
a)
Nature is not to be conquered or dominated
b)
Consequences: Naturalness and simplicity
Relativity of values (identity of opposites)
a)
Symbolized with the yin/yang symbol
(1)
It symbolizes life‟s oppositions: Good/evil, male/female, active/passive, etc.
(2)
Though in tension, the halves are not completely opposed but balance and
complement one another
(3)
Both halves are resolved by their surrounding circle: The Tao
b)
Taoism rejects all sharp dichotomies
(1)
There is no absolute perspective—all is relative
(2)
Analogies
(a)
Chuang Tzu‟s dream of being a butterfly
(b)
The wren and cicada regarding distance
(c)
The farmer whose horse ran away
(d)
The death of Chuang Tzu‟s wife
Aversion to violence
(a)
(b)
B.
1.
2.
3.
VII.
4.
Forms
A.
Philosophical
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1.
2.
3.
4.
VIII.
IX.
Object of Philosophical Taoism: To align oneself with the Tao accomplished by wu wei
Is the most ”exportable”
Associated with Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, and the Tao te Ching
Belief: One should conserve life‟s vitality (accomplished through wu wei) by not using it in
draining and useless ways (in friction and conflict)
B.
Vitality
1. Compared to Philosophical Taoists
a)
Philosophical Taoists: Attempt to conserve their te
b)
Vitality Taoists: Attempt to increase their te
2. Ch’i
a)
Meaning: Literally “breath” (perhaps a better translation would be “vital energy”)
b)
Refers to the power coursing (or not, if blocked) through individuals that should be
encouraged to flow
c)
How to maximize ch’i
(1) By working with matter (solid: food; liquid: sex; air: breath), movement (T’ai chi
chuan, acupuncture), and mind (meditation)
(2) The inner self must be cleaned of worry and distraction so that the true self can
surface
3. Immortality
a)
External (“outer elixir” or “exoteric alchemy”): Ingesting substances to achieve
immortality
b)
Internal (“inner elixir” or “esoteric alchemy”): Creating a spiritual embryo that would
survive one‟s death
C.
Religious
1. AKA: Popular Taoism (since it has the most adherents) (in China, Religious Taoism is
referred to as Tao Chiao [“Taoist Teachings” or “Church Taoism”])
2. Founder: Chang Tao-ling
3. Date: ca. Second century AD (see timeline section)
4. Background: Philosophical and “Vitalizing” Taoism, due to time constraints, is not available
to the average Chinese individual
5. Religious Taoism institutionalized many aspects of Chinese folk religion
6. Influences: Religious Taoism was influenced by Buddhism
7. Texts: Full of rituals that, when performed, have magical effects (tapping unseen powers)
8. Priests
a)
Functions
(1) Exorcist: Exorcism of kuei and protection of mortals against attacks of kuei
(pronounced „gway‟; demon, devil, or ghost)
(2) Ritualist: The Taoist priest performs rituals on behalf of clients and the community
and is the only one who knows the complicated liturgies
b)
Types (in Taiwan)
(1) “Black-heads” (the supposedly higher-class Taoists)
(a)
Wear black “mandarin cap” with a golden knob
(b)
Of superior rank (know the more advanced and complex texts)
(c)
Can carry out popular rites but are the only Taoists competent to perform
the more complex rituals
(2) “Red-heads”
(a)
Wear red scarf on waist or head and carry (and blow on) a buffalo horn
(b)
Ordained in a low rank (know only the rudimentary texts)
(c)
Practice exorcism and other popular rites in the temples on a daily basis
(cannot perform the greater liturgies)
Related Religions (see Religions of India)
A.
Primal religions: Taoism shares many characteristics with primal religions
B.
Zen Buddhism: Taoism influenced Ch‟an or Zen Buddhism heavily (Buddhism + Taoism =
Zen Buddhism)
Structure
A.
Goal: Alignment (harmony) with the Tao (or immortality for Vitality Taoists?)
Taoism- 4
B.
C.
Problem: Misalignment with the Tao
Solution: Realignment with the Tao