Taoism tends to emphasise various themes of the Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi, such as naturalness, spontaneity, simplicity, detachment from desires, and most important of all, wu wei.

Laozi (Laojun, "Lord Lao"), is considered the incarnation of one of the Three Purities and worshipped as the ancestor of the philosophical doctrine.[23][77].

A recurrent and important element of Taoism are rituals, exercises and substances aiming at aligning oneself spiritually with cosmic forces, at undertaking ecstatic spiritual journeys, or at improving physical health and thereby extending one's life, ideally to the point of immortality.

[58], In ancient Taoist texts, wu-wei is associated with water through its yielding nature. [26], Taoism draws its cosmological foundations from the School of Naturalists (in the form of its main elements—yin and yang and the Five Phases), which developed during the Warring States period (4th to 3rd centuries BCE).[27]. He tore apart temples which demanded animal sacrifice and drove away its priests. [130] Zhuangzi explicitly criticised Confucian and Mohist tenets in his work.

[42], Aspects of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism were consciously synthesised in the Neo-Confucian school, which eventually became Imperial orthodoxy for state bureaucratic purposes under the Ming (1368–1644).[43]. [117], The number of Taoists is difficult to estimate, due to a variety of factors including defining Taoism. Tao is said to be ineffable, and accomplishing great things through small means. The Mystical Bee will help you connect with God and imbibe the power of the Universe. "[50] It has variously been denoted as the "flow of the universe",[51] a "conceptually necessary ontological ground",[52] or a demonstration of nature. A characteristic method aiming for longevity is Taoist alchemy. An indigenous tradition that incorporates more divination and alchemy also exists. It was originally compiled during the Jin, Tang, and Song dynasties. The famous opening lines of the Tao Te Ching are: 道可道非常道 (pinyin: dào kĕ dào fēi cháng dào) [78] Lesser deities also may be promoted or demoted for their activity. [35] Institutional orders of Taoism evolved in various strains that in more recent times are conventionally grouped into two main branches: Quanzhen Taoism and Zhengyi Taoism. Most of the Taoists believe that it is the constant flow of chi that guarantees the welfare of individuals and the world around them by using the combination of Taoist doctrine with an active expression of Chinese spirituality. Within this framework, they play an important role in neidan ("Taoist Inner Alchemy"). While Huang-Lao's positions justified a strong emperor as the legitimate ruler,[126] the "primitivists" (like in the chapters 8-11 of the Zhuangzi) argued strongly for a radical anarchism.

[41], In the 12th century, the Quanzhen School was founded in Shandong. [103] It asserts that those in harmony with Tao will live long and fruitful lives. Taoism, also known as Daoism, is an indigenous Chinese religion often associated with the Daode Jing (Tao Te Ching), a philosophical and political text purportedly written by Laozi (Lao Tzu) sometime in the 3rd or 4th centuries B.C.E. However, the concepts of those keystone texts cannot be equated with Taoism as a whole. A more moderate position is presented in the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi in which the political life is presented with disdain and some kind of pluralism or perspectivism is preferred. : 'the Way', also romanised as Dao). "[20] Chung-ying Cheng also noted that the Taoist view of heaven flows mainly from "observation and meditation, [though] the teaching of the way (Tao) can also include the way of heaven independently of human nature". [148], See also: Nine Schools of Thought and Hundred Schools of Thought, Religious/philosophical tradition of Chinese origin, The term "Taoist" and "Taoism" as a "liturgical framework", Relations with other religions and philosophies, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, harvp error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFKohn2000 (, harvp error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFKirkland2004 (, harvp error: no target: CITEREFDeFrancis1996 (, Living in the Tao: The Effortless Path of Self-Discovery, Mantak Chia, harvp error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFMiller2003 (, harvp error: no target: CITEREFWatts1975 (, 2010 Chinese Spiritual Life Survey, Purdue University's Center on Religion and Chinese Society. In time, most Chinese people identified to some extent with all three traditions simultaneously. Both the Wade–Giles tao4 and the Pinyin dào are intended to be pronounced identically in Mandarin Chinese (like the 'd' in 'dog'), but despite this fact, "Taoism" and "Daoism" can be pronounced differently in English vernacular. Taoism, also known as Daoism, is an indigenous Chinese religion often associated with the Daode Jing (Tao Te Ching), a philosophical and political text purportedly written by Laozi (Lao Tzu) sometime in the 3rd or 4th centuries B.C.E. The joss paper is mostly used when memorializing ancestors, such as done during the Qingming festival. [83] The earliest texts of the Tao Te Ching that have been excavated (written on bamboo tablets) date back to the late 4th century BCE. [89] Ancient commentaries on the Tao Te Ching are important texts in their own right.

[70], The Three Treasures can also refer to jing, qi and shen (精氣神; jīng-qì-shén; jing is usually translated as essence, qi as life force, and shen as spirit). [72] Evolution and 'extremes meet' are main characters. It is at once the beginning of all things and the way in which all things pursue their course.

Taoists believe that when someone labels something as being good then they automatically create an evil.

They also variously include lion dances and dragon dances; human-occupied puppets (often of the "Seventh Lord" and "Eighth Lord"), Kungfu-practicing and palanquins carrying god-images. In this spirit, 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".

[32] Laozi received imperial recognition as a divinity in the mid-2nd century BCE.

Persons from the history of Taoism, and people who are considered to have become immortals (xian), are venerated as well by both clergy and laypeople. Ruokanen, Miikka; Zhanzhu Huang, Paulos (2010). [73] These two different states of qi, on the other hand, are embodiments of the abstract entities of yin and yang,[73] two complementary extremes that constantly play against and with each other and one cannot exist without the other. Life and Death in Taoism are like yin and yang that is from being to non-being. [88], The leading themes revolve around the nature of Tao and how to attain it. Throughout Chinese history, Taoism was nominated several times as a state religion. Early Taoist movements developed their own institution in contrast to shamanism but absorbed basic shamanic elements.


[90] Other important commentaries include the one from Wang Bi and the Xiang'er. World Heritage Sites Mount Qingcheng and Mount Longhu are thought to be among the birthplaces of Taoism. The Mandarin Chinese pronunciation for the word 道 ("way, path") is spelled as tao4 in the older Wade–Giles romanisation system (from which the spelling 'Taoism' is derived), while it is spelled as dào in the newer Pinyin romanisation system (from which the spelling 'Daoism' is derived). Taoists do not believe that the God resembled a human and neither do they have any particular meaning for death.
[107] Other flags and banners may be those of the gods or immortals themselves. In the Shang Dynasty of the 2nd millennium BCE, Chinese thought regarded the Big Dipper as a deity, while during the Han Dynasty, it was considered a qi path of the circumpolar god, Taiyi. [125], Taoism never had a unified political theory. [118] Furthermore, 12 million people claim to be "Taoists", a term traditionally used exclusively for initiates, priests and experts of Taoist rituals and methods.[118]. In Taiwan, 7.5 million people (33% of the population) identify themselves as Taoists. [57] The meaning is sometimes emphasised by using the paradoxical expression "wei wu wei": "action without action". [139] This became institutionalised when aspects of the three schools were synthesised in the Neo-Confucian school. [72] Qi is in a perpetual transformation between its condensed and diluted state. 名可名非常名 (pinyin: míng kĕ míng fēi cháng míng) [37] The Shangqing movement, however, had developed much earlier, in the 4th century, on the basis of a series of revelations by gods and spirits to a certain Yang Xi in the years between 364 and 370. [79] Some varieties of popular Chinese religion incorporate the Jade Emperor, derived from the main of the Three Purities, as a representation of the most high God. The headquarters of the association are at the Baiyunguan, or White Cloud Temple of Beijing, belonging to the Longmen branch of Quanzhen Taoism. [101], The Shangqing School has a tradition of approaching Taoism through scriptural study. A teaching like this can be very hard to grasp when most people desire very concrete definitions in their own life. [2][4] Taoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasise wu wei (action without intention), "naturalness", simplicity, spontaneity, and the Three Treasures: 慈 "compassion", 儉 "frugality", and 不敢為天下先 "humility". [133] Representatives of early Chinese Buddhism, like Sengzhao and Tao Sheng, knew and were deeply influenced by the Taoist keystone texts. Taoism flips this around. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Female shamans played an important role in this tradition, which was particularly strong in the southern state of Chu.

[29] Both terms were used to designate individuals dedicated to "... magic, medicine, divination,... methods of longevity and to ecstatic wanderings" as well as exorcism; in the case of the wu, "shamans" or "sorcerers" is often used as a translation. The power of this way is referred as the Te. The flow if chi as considered as an essential element of life’s flow or continuity, it is believed to support and give prosperity, good fortune, and health, whilst it simultaneously blocks sickness, conflicts, and difficulties. Taishang Ganying Pian ("Treatise of the Exalted One on Response and Retribution") discusses sin and ethics, and has become a popular morality tract in the last few centuries. [138] The three rivals also share some similar values, with all three embracing a humanist philosophy emphasising moral behaviour and human perfection. This has been of interest for students of history of religion such as J. J. M. de Groot,[141] among others. Rather, it asserts that one must place their will in harmony with the natural universe. It is believed that by reciting certain texts often enough one will be rewarded with immortality. It was disbanded during the Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong, but was re-established in 1980. [96], The 64 original notations of the hexagrams in the I Ching can also be read as a meditation on how change occurs, so it assists Taoists with managing yin and yang cycles as Laozi advocated in the Tao Te Ching (the oldest known version of this text was dated to 400 BCE).