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History of Taoism:

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It is basically indefinable. It has to be experienced. It "

 


 
 




        



 
  
  

       

  
   
 

 
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The founder of Taoism is believed by many to be Lao -Tse (604-531 BCE), a

contemporary of Confucius. (Alternative spellings: Lao Tze, Lao Tsu, Lao Tzu,
Laozi, Laotze, etc.). He was searching for a way that wou ld avoid the constant
feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime. The
result was his book:  {  thers believe that he is a
mythical character.

Taoism started as a combination of psychology an d 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. W ith 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. "
 

  
  


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"#### " 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. About 30,000 Taoists live in North America; 1,720 in Canada (1991
census). Taoism has had a significant impact on North American culture in areas of
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Taoist concepts, beliefs and practices:

Y Tao is the first-cause of the universe. It is a force that flows through all life.
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Y Each believer's goal is to harmonize themselves with the Tao.
Y Taoism has provided an alternative to the £

tradition in China. The
two traditions have coexisted in the country, region, and generally within
the same individual.
Y The priesthood views the many gods as manifestations of the one Dao,
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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
 Vod to hear the prayers or to act upon them. They seek answers to l ife's
problems through inner meditation and outer observation.
Y In contrast with the beliefs and practices of the priesthood, most of the
laity have " 


  
 


      

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Y Time is cyclical, not linear as in Western thinking.
Y Taoists strongly promote health and vitality.
Y Five main organs and orifices of the body cor respond to the five parts of the
sky: water, fire, wood, metal and earth.
Y Each person must nurture the & (air, breath) that has been given to them.
Y Development of virtue is one's chief task. The 
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 to be sought are
compassion, moderation and humility.
Y Taoists follow the art of "

 " 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.
Y ne should plan in advance and consider carefully each action before
making it.
Y A Taoists is kind to other individuals, in part because such an action tends to
be reciprocated.
Y Taoists believe that " 
   
 


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The Yin Yang symbol:

This is a well known Taoist symbol. "


     
 
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 "0ne source explains that it was

derived from astronomical observations which recorded the shadow of the sun
throughout a full year. G The two swirling shapes inside the symbol give the
impression of change -- the only constant factor in the universe. ne 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.

ne source states: " 

   
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Another source offers a different definition: A common misconception in the west

is that "      

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Allan Watts, describes the yin and yang as negative and positive energy poles: " 
 
        
  

   
  


 

  

 

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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 polarized forces in nat ure.
Taosts believe that humans often intervene in nature and upset the balance of Yin
and Yang.

About the name: Taoism or Daoism:

There are two commonly used systems for translating the Mandarin Chinese
language into Roman letters:

Y Wade-Viles: This system is commonly used in Taiwan and the U.S. The
Chinese character for "Way" becomes "Tao," which leads to the English word
"Taoism."
Y Hanyu pinyin or Pinyin: This system was developed by the Chinese people
and is now finding increased use worldwide. The " Way" becomes "Dao,"
which leads to the English word "Daoism." The "Dao" is pronounced like the
"Dow" in "Dow-Jones Index."

We have chosen to emphasize the "Taoism" spelling. A Voogle search for "Taoism

returned 245,000 hits, whereas a search for "Daoism" returned only 35,000.

Tai Chi:

There is a long history of involvement by Taoists in various exercise and movement

techniques. Tai chi in particular works on all parts of the body. It "  


  

 


 
  

 
        


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   " Traditional Chinese medi cine teaches that
illness is caused by blockages or lack of balance in the body's "chi" (intrinsic
energy). Tai Chi is believed to balance this energy flow.
Y

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History:

K'ung Fu Tzu (commonly pronounced Confucius in English) was born in 551 BCE in
the state of Lu (modern day Shantung Province). He lived during the Chou dynasty,
an era known for its moral laxity. Later in life, he wandered through many states
of China, giving advice to their rulers. He accumulated a small band of students
during this time. The last years of his life were spent back in Lu, where he devoted
himself to teaching.

His writings deal primarily with individual morality and ethics, and the proper
exercise of political power by the rulers.

In China, and some other areas in Asia, the social ethics and moral teachings of
Confucius are blended with the c  communion with nature and 


concepts of the afterlife, to form a set of complementary, peacefully co -existent
and ecumenical religions.

There are approximately 6 million Confucians in the world. About 26,000 live in
North America; almost all of the remainder are found throughout China and the
rest of Asia.

Beliefs:

Confucian ethical teachings include the following values:

ë : includes ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc. Y

Y

? : love within the family: love of parents for their children and of children
Y

for their parentsY

Õ : righteousnessY
Y

D
: honesty and trustworthinessY

Y

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: benevolence, humaneness towards others; the highest Confucian virtue Y

Y

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: loyalty to the state, etc.Y

Y

Practices:
Confucianism does not contain all of the elements of some other religions, like
Christianity and Islam. It is primarily an ethical system to which rituals at
important times during one's lifetime have been added.

Since the time of the Han dynasty (206 CE) four life passages have been recognized
and regulated by Confucian tradition:

À  : The c 
Y

(spirit of the fetus) protects the expectant woman and
deals harshly with anyone who harasses the mother to be. A special procedure is
followed when the placenta is disposed of. The mother is given a special diet
and is allowed rest for a month after delivery. The mother's family of origin
supplies all the items required by the baby on the first, fourth and twelfth
monthly anniversary of the birth.Y

 


 : This life passage is no longer being celebrated, except in
Y

traditional families. It takes the form of a group meal in which the young adult is
served chicken.Y

  : This is performed in six stages: Y
Y

Proposal: the couple exchange the      : the year, month, day and
Y

hour of each of their births. If any unpropitious event occurs within the bride -
to-be's family during the next three days, then the woman is believed to have
rejected the proposal.Y

Engagement: after the wedding day is chosen, the bride announces the
Y

wedding with invitations and a gift of cookies made in the shape of the moon. Y

Dowry: This is carried to the groom's home in a solemn procession. The bride -
Y

price is then sent to the bride by the groom's parents. Vifts by the groom to
the bride, equal in value to the dowry, are sent to her. Y

Procession: The groom visits the bride's home and brings her back to his place,
Y

with much fanfare.Y

Marriage and Reception: The couple rec ite their vows, toast each other with
Y

wine, and then take center stage at a banquet. Y

Morning after: The bride serves breakfast to the groom's parents, who then
Y

reciprocate.Y
Y

R  : At death, the relatives cry out aloud to inform the neighbors . The family
Y

starts mourning and puts on clothes made of a coarse material. The corpse is
washed and placed in a coffin. Mourners bring incense and money to offset the
cost of the funeral. Food and significant objects of the deceased are placed into
the coffin. A Buddhist or Taoist priest (or even a Christian minister) performs the
burial ritual. Friends and family follow the coffin to the cemetery, along with a
 willow branch which symbolizes the soul of the person who has died. The latter
is carried back to the family altar where it is used to "install" the spirit of the
deceased. Liturgies are performed on the 7th, 9th, 49th day after the burial and
on the first and third anniversaries of the death. Y

Schools of Confucianism

There are six schools: Han Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism, Contemporary Neo-

Confucianism, Korean Confucianism, Japanese Confucianism and Singapore
Confucianism.

Sacred Texts

These were assembled by £
? (1130-1200 CE) during the Sung dynasty. They
include:

The  
or Four Books: Y

Y

The ë

Õ
the Analects of Confucius Y

Y

The £

Õ

 or the Doctrine of the Mean Y

Y

The c?

Y

or the Vreat LearningY

The 
c
the writings of Meng Tzu (371-289 BCE) a philosopher who, like
Y

Confucius, traveled from state to state conversing with the government rulersY

The è
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 or Five Classics: Y

Y


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 or Classic of History: writings and speeches from ancient Chinese

Y

rulersY

The 
Y

£
 or Classic of des: 300 poems and songs Y

The £
 or Classic of Changes: the description of a divinitory system

Y

involving 64 hexagrams. The hexagrams are symbols composed of broken and

continuous lines; one is selected to foretell the future based on the casting of
49 sticks.Y

The £ 

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or Spring and Autumn Annals: a history of the state of Lu from
Y

722 to 484 BCE. Y

The ë £
 or Classic of Rites: a group of three books on the ë the rites of

Y

proprietyY
Y
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