Taoism

Leilani Merrill

02/21/2021

                                                          

Being and non-being create each other. Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend on each other. Before and after follow each other. Tao Tse Ching 2

           

Taoism was created by Lao Tzu born around 604BC.  The Tao that can be spoken is not the true  Tao.  “Though Tao is ultimately transcendent, it is also immanent . . . it is the way of the universe, the norm, the rhythm, the driving power all nature.”   It’s the idea is that spirit rather than matter, cannot be exhausted. 

The more it’s drawn on, the more it flows, for it’s everlasting. The true master will act without doing anything.  They will lead by example through how the hold themselves; It’s the poise and peace that people observe.  Things will come, and things will go, and one accepts this.  There’s an eternal neutrality, ever flowing acceptance inherent with Taoism. 

There’s an insight to  peace when discussing Taoist ideas.  Things fall into place in letting things go.  Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place.

Tao Tse Tsing 3. To really open the mind to Taoism, one shall expand their perception and understanding to new levels:

 “behind all, beneath all is the Womb from which all life springs and to which it returns….The Tao is transcendent and immanent.  To enter into a transcendent world, a person is willing to step out of the human experience. and It’s a surrender to the force of the universe.…the way of the universe, the norm, the rhythm, the driving power in all nature, the ordering principle behind all life. …spirit rather than matter, it cannot be exhausted; the more it is drawn upon, the more it flows, for it the fountain ever on. “ The World’s Religions pg 198

Wu wei is an essential concept within Taoism and means nonaction.  This is the practice of taking no action that’s not in harmony with the flow of the universe.

Ch’I represents breath or energy. The intention of Taoism is to manage one’s daily life to the Tao, the incessant energy and have joy in the now.

There’s a relativism inherent with Taoism. There is a correlative nature in the capture of opposites. The Chinese have the concept of yin/yang.  “This polarity sums up all of life’s basic oppositions: good/evil, active/passive, light/dark, summer/winter, male/female.”  Although there’s a tension , they’re not entirely opposed, the opposite forces balance one another.  That is, it’s in that synthesis of opposite forces that development happens. 

“Each invades the other hemisphere and takes up its abode in the deepest recess

Of its partners domain.  The Worlds Religions pg 213-214

Yin-dark Yang-light

Everything holds a seed of it’s opposite. It holds an opposite relative to the subject.

There is a cyclical nature to the universe.  Life develops through interaction with opposite forces. We know the cycle of the universe by seeing the cycle of nature.  Winter is here, looking forward to spring to come soon. Change is the order of life, it’s part of natural law.  Day has a seed of night. Without opposition, there’s nothing to support your position. There can’t be one without the other.

Sources:

Tso-Tse Ching

The Worlds Religions, Huston Smith