Early Religions: Taoism

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Early Religions Taoism

• The Tao surrounds everyone and therefore
  everyone must listen to find enlightenment.
• -Lao-Tse (604-531 BCE)

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Practices of Taoism

• ultimate goal is to become one with Tao
• seek answers to lifes problems through inner
  meditation and outer observation
• must nurture the Chi given to them

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The Founder

• Lao-Tse (604-531 BCE)
• He has been credited with writing the seminal
  Taoist work Example Dao De Jing (???)
• As well he is acknowledged as the founding father
  of Taoism
• Chinese name ??

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Place of Origin

• - Taoism's origins have been traced backed to
  the prehistoric Chinese religion
• - The organization of the Dao De Jing is the
  first record of Taoism in the third or fourth
  century BCE
• - Taoism, became one of Chinas great religions

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History Of Taoism

• Tao roughly translates to the path
• It evolved into a religious faith in 440 CE when
  it was adopted as a state religion
• With the end of the Ch'ing Dynasty in 1911, state
  support for Taoism ended

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History Of Taoism (cont.)

• After the Communist victory in 1949, religious
  freedom was severely restricted.
• Monks were put into labour camps. Several
  million were reduced down to less then 50 000.
• Some religious tolerance has been restored under
  Deng Xiao-ping from 1982 to the present time. 

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SYMBOLS

• There are many symbols and images associated with
  Taoism. However, there is once central symbol,
  known as

THE YIN-YANG or TAIJITU (???)

• Yin (black) represents eternity, dark, feminine,
  left side of the body, etc.

• Yang (white) is its opposite and represents
  history, light, masculine, right side of the
  body, etc.

• Together they represent the peace and harmony of
  the opposing sides.

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ADHERENTS

• Last year, the estimated Taoist population was 31
  million outside China ( primarily centered in
  Taiwan) and around 30,000 Taoists living in North
  America.

INFLUENCE IN THE 21st CENTURY

• Taoism can be seen in Western societies in areas
  of acupuncture and herbalism, certain exercises
  and martial arts such as Tai-chi, and other art
  forms such as feng-shui.

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Tai Chi

• slow moving exercise
• balances energy flow, promoting healthy life
• exercise that requires whole body concentration

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Taoism

• three jewels compassion, moderation and humility
• Taoists follow art of wu wei
• strongly promote health and vitality

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Religious vs. Philosophical

• rituals such as presenting sacrifices, bowing
  toward an altar holding insense in ones hand,
  parades, dragon dances coinciding with lunar
  calendar

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