Taoism

Taoism is a combination of mysticism, philosophical reflection, and poetry. Taoism stresses the unity of humanity and the universe.

In Taoism it is the loss of that unity that is responsible for desire, competition, and the unsuccessful attempts to regulate the resulting strife by means of ethics and moral law.

to stress living in harmony with the dao

To 'achieve' you set obstacles for yourself, you need to be like water and go where the river takes you.

Setting goals are for games, life of the Taoist is no game it is quite tangible and beautiful.

Take heart in your thoughts, words and actions, i mean 'REALLY'.

Be tranquil in the haste and fuss,

Be love when there is hate, be love when there is love also.

Tell your Mother and Father how you feel when you realise all what they have done for you, feeding you as a child, loving you by sheltering you from all they could, for one day you will not be able to tell them the appreciation and admiration.

find it in your heart to calm your thoughts for they are physically killing you, they are the cause of cancer, for they are not the wisdom you seek (your thoughts), what you seek is not in achieving goals but laying down your foolish ways,

repeat as many times a day with consumption of spirit

"i am a calm and relaxed person, i am love"

i promise if you have the will to overcome your desires this will help you see this out come before 4 weeks have set.

Everywhere! But the origin is China and I'd say most people practicing Taoism rest in China

SHi wandi influences Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism in Chinese Culture

Daoism accompanied Confucianism as an influential ethical system within Chinese society. The development of Daoism is linked to a contemporary of Confucius, Lao-Zi (meaning "Old One"). Its major text is the Dao De Ching. Daoism assumed what has been called a passive or "laissez-faire" approach towards life, encouraging its adherents to complacently accept life's experiences and its unavoidable burdens. Faced with this inevitability, it frowned upon government interference and moralization. In this respect, Daoism differed from Confucianism's activism and emphasis on social reform based on the five relationships. Daoism replaced Confucianism's emphasis on education by preaching an acceptance of life as it stood. In fact, these differences helped both schools co-exist within dynastic China by appealing to pre-existing ideas of a balance between yin and yang. (Yin symbolizes the negative, feminine, cool, dark, secret, and submissive. Yang symbolizes the positive, masculine, warm, bright, active, and aggressive. Both elements were said to be found within every natural object and are considered the major forces of life.) Both Daoists and Confucianists concurred that man and nature also needed to strive for a harmonious balance between the elements of yin and yang. Although many Confucianists disavowed Daoism's emphasis on superstition, they nonetheless embraced elements of the philosophy and integrated it with their Confucian beliefs. As a result, despite Daoism's appeals, Confucianism remained the primary belief system underpinning Chinese society at the dawn of the imperial age. China incorporated Buddhism into its society during the 1st century A.D. Buddhism, which originated in India, encourages a respect for life; in China it helped modify the cruel punishments called for under the Legalist philosophy. Buddhism espoused respect for all forms of life. Buddhism encouraged the people to be charitable. Buddhist monasteries became the cultural centers of learning and scholarship. Many Chinese Buddhist monks traveled to India to study their religion in more depth. They brought important Buddhist scrolls and writings from India back to China. Like Confucianism and Daoism, Buddhism tried to encourage the spread of peace and harmony in society. Both Daoism and Buddhism placed an emphasis on the importance of living in harmony with nature and the respect for all forms of life. As a result, many adherents of Daoism and Buddhism became vegetarians because they believed in non-violence. They ate no meat and used no animal products. However, not all Daoists became complete vegetarians. Some ate meat on occasion and many would simply choose not to eat the meat of an animal which was used to work the fields (such as an oxen or buffalo). Confucianism and Legalism in Chinese Government

Confucianism did not emerge as an official ideology in China until the establishment of the Han dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). The first dynasty to unify all of China under one emperor, the Qin (221-207 B.C.), adopted a harsh ruling philosophy called Legalism. Legalism placed an emphasis on strict rules and harsh punishments (even for minor crimes). Legalists believed such harshness would deter people from committing criminal offenses. This practice, it was thought, would serve to strengthen the status and power of the emperor. In reality, the Qin dynasty's ruthlessness bore upon the people excessively and soon alienated them from the dynasty. Following the death of China's first emperor Qin Shihuang in 210 B.C., the empire soon collapsed and was replaced by the Han. The Han modified the Legalist excesses of the Qin by incorporating Confucianism into the ruling ideology. The resulting combination of Legalism and Confucianism has been referred to as "Imperial Confucianism" -- a way of distinguishing it from the original teachings of Confucius. Imperial Confucianism recognized that a ruler could not exercise power solely through the threat of violence; the ruler needed to set a positive moral example for his subjects, encouraging others to embrace his leadership. Nonetheless, this form of Confucianism embraced an important aspect of Legalism by recognizing the ruler's right to use violence as a means of maintaining order among his subjects -- as long as such violence was exercised in order to maintain a righteous and moral government. In sum, Confucian ideals demanded that the emperor's subjects demonstrate loyalty to the throne. At the same time, Confucianism called on the emperor to rule from an enlightened perspective, to rule for the benefit of his subjects (an ideal not always realized in practice, which thereby presented an opening for rebellions against a dynasty without renouncing Confucianism itself). Confucianism remained the primary governing ideology adhered to in China until the collapse of the dynastic system in 1911. Family and the Confucian Ideal in China

Confucianism greatly affected the development of family structure in Imperial China. During the dynastic era, many people lived in extended families -- multi-generational families with parents, children, grandparents, and other relatives living in the same household. The oldest male was the head of the family. Demonstrating the power of parents over their children, marriages were frequently arranged; the bride and groom had no say in the decision to marry. Following the marriage, the bride moved into her husband's house and had to obey not only her husband but also her husband's parents. Responsibility for running the household fell to the bride's mother-in-law, to whom the new bride had to defer. Because of these dynamics, brothers often stayed together throughout their lives, while women rarely saw their birth family again after marriage. Although large families represented the ideal, throughout history many of China's poorer peasants chose not to have many children, the result of limited land and other economic constraints. Within the family, the Confucian ideal of "filial piety" expressed the attitude of respect and devotion to one's immediate relatives. Filial piety pre-dated Confucianism, but was incorporated as a main tenet of Confucian thought. In particular, a person was expected to obey and respect one's parents even as an adult. Filial piety was such an important ideal within the family that stories were written describing an exaggerated concern for parents. One such collection of stories, known as the "Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety," was designed to teach children their responsibilities to their parents. In fact, one of the reasons for having large families in China was the belief that many children would provide for comfortable support in the parents' old age. Ancestor worship, practiced throughout Imperial China, logically followed the ideal of filial piety; a son looked after his parents in this world (filial piety) as well as the next (ancestor worship). Every home had a family shrine dedicated to their ancestors; the oldest male led the prayers. Influenced by a "polytheistic" religious system in which the Chinese worshipped many gods and spirits, family members made offerings of rice and wine to their ancestors at the shrine. It was hoped that they would bless the family with a long life, good health, and many sons. Those who died with no families were thought to wander the earth as ghosts. Chinese Language

The Chinese language is very different from most other languages in that it is a tonal language. The same word can have more than one meaning, depending on whether the speaker's voice ascends, descends, or stays level in pitch. It is this tonal quality which gives the spoken language a "sing-song" quality. It also makes the spoken Chinese language very difficult for foreigners to learn. Other than Chinese, there is only one other major tonal language spoken in the world today -- Maya, spoken by the Mayan Indians in Mesoamerica. Instead of using a phonetic system of writing like in English, the Chinese writing system uses characters. Characters (ideograms) are pictures or symbols that represent a meaning or a word. When these characters are combined, a more complicated meaning is created. For instance, if you combine the character for "north" and the character for "capital" the result is "Beijing" which literally means "north capital."

One must yield to the way of nature

Daoists (Taoists) believe that people should do all things good and seek perfect knowledge of their religion. When one achieves this, one breaks free from the cycle of birth and death, to join the Immortals in heaven.

Tao or Dao roughly mean "Way" Or "Path" but it is a "Divine way" Or "Divine path" It is the begining of all things but not causes things. Chinese people has a saying that " If you are doing good means that you are close to Dao, if you are doing bad means that you are away from Dao.

TAO or DAO is not a RELIGION, unknown to many mistakenly thinked that its a

TAOISM, TAOISM is known as religion but TAO or DAO is commonly known as WAY

TO HEAVEN. it also known as TRUTH, and GOD that created the universe.

it is GOD the creator. the meaning is very wide, often ordinary people does not

understand it, only high level of spiritual cultivator can understand this.

Gong, Guan or Miao

The original Shaolin Temple is in China of course, but there are Shaolin Temples all over the world now. Temples are being built all over to expose other cultures to their beliefs. There are temple branches in Austria, Chile, Mexico, Trinidad, New York, New Jersey, California, and still more to come.

Currently, there are two branches of taoism in religious practise (which is different from the study or school of tao philosofy). There are Quanzhen(All-Purity) and Zhengyi(Orthodoxy,also call Tianshi Dao, which means the Dao of Master-Heaven).

They differ slightly in religious believe. Taoists of Quanzhen are more or less like the monks of Buddhism. They cannot marry or eat meat and live in temples. The Zhengyi Taoist are always married and live in their homes.

As for the scholars studying the dao philosophy, they may have different opinions from each other.

Legalism believes in having clear laws to control people; Daoism believes nothing can be controlled.

The idea of Wu Wei, translated as "doing without doing". It means you let your mind be blank and just do what you're doing without trying.

The Uncarved Block. A person untouched by knowledge, ego, etc. A simple person with humans original simplicity we have at birth.

"Tao Te Ching" or "Tao Teh Ching" or "Daode jing" and other variations on the same are pronounced close to "dow duh jing" with the last word having the initial sound of "jet" and the final sound of "ring."

Zen Buddhism is the Japanese form of Ch'an Buddhism which originated in China with the Indian monk Bodhidharma. Historically there have been a number of lineages of Ch'an and Zen but presently it takes the form of two main schools - Sōtō and Rinzai. There are also some forms of Zen which combine the two forms, especially in the west.

Sōtō Zen has its origins in the Caodang school of Ch'an Buddhism and the silent illumination teachings of Hongzhe. However, its origin is usually taken to rest with Eihei Dōgen (1200-1253) in the 13th century with Soji Keizan (1268-1325) being another important figure in the development of this school. Sōtō Zen emphasises 'just sitting' meditation (shikantaza) and the notion that practice itself is enlightenment. Historically it was the school of the peasant class rather than aristocracy.

Rinzai Zen traces its lineage back to Linji in 9th century China, although the current form of the school owes much to Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1768) who re-invigorated and revived it. In contrast to Sōtō Zen, Rinzai places a large emphasis on enlightenment experiences known as kensho (insight or awakening). Kensho is often achieved through the contemplation of koans, which are presentations of historic encounters between Ch'an masters of the past which pose seemingly confusion questions about reality. The most famous of these is probably "What is the sound of one hand clapping?".

Rinzai was the first of the Zen schools to come to the west with DT Suzuki popularising the form with his writings in the 20th century. Philip Kapleau's 'Three Pillars of Zen' was also of great influence.

Sōtō Zen came to the west with teachers such as Katagiri Roshi and Shuryu Suzuki Roshi, whose book 'Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind' is considered a Buddhist classic.

The primary religious figures in Taoism are Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu, two scholars who dedicated their lives to balancing their inner spirits.

Hsien, in Chinese Taoism, is an immortal who has achieved divinity through devotion to Taoist practices and teachings.

other well known figures include: Immortal Lu Dong Bin; the Jade Emperor; the Three Purities; and the also-Buddhist Kuan Yin.

Taoism is a relaxed and natural way of finding happiness.

A believer in Taoism believes that everything arises from the Tao which is supposed to have been created before heaven and earth. Also, a believer in Taoism believes in living in harmony with nature. When the religion first started, the belief was to live simply and not to act in anger. Also, Taoists believed it was possible to achieve immorality.

The Yin and Yang symbol represents balance, opposing, and harmonious energy symbols.

Tai Chi is an art that seeks balance of energy while building strength.

Feng Shui is used to arrange homes and energy flow.

Hope that helps!

If he was a real historical person, then there are several historical accounts which could be him. In one, he was the court astrologer Lao Dan who lived during the 4th-century BCE reign of Duke Xian of Qin. Qin was in what is now western China. According to another, Laozi was a scholar who worked as the Keeper of the Archives for the royal court of Zhou. The capital of Zhou was Haojing. He was sometimes held to have come from the village of Chu Jen in Chu. Chu was in south eastern China. Yet another story in Sima Qian states that Laozi grew weary of the moral decay of life in Chengzhou and noted the kingdom's decline. He ventured west to live as a hermit in the unsettled frontier at the age of 160. At the western gate of the city (or kingdom), he was recognized by the guard Yinxi. The sentry asked the old master to record his wisdom for the good of the country before he would be permitted to pass. The text Laozi wrote was said to be the Tao Te Ching.

Socrates taught the famous Plato who later taught Aristotle Who eventually taught Alexander the Great. But Socrates got in trouble with the government and was forced to drink poison. Many people told him to run but he believed that there must be law. Sooooooooo.............. He drank the poison

it is unknown who first wrote of "the way", it is not at all important to a practicing Taoist either, as opposed to Talking Taoism, by the populous. But if you should know it is I who leads the Taoist society or any of my righteous brothers/sisters we stand and lead every day for people all over the world spreading love.

Taoism is a philosophical system developed by Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu advocating a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural events.

Taoism arose in China shortly after the arrival of Buddhism. Many of the beliefs, such as reincarnation, are similar. Taoists say they believe in all the Buddhist gods, but Buddhists do not believe in all the Taoist gods.

Both Buddhism and Taoism have philosophical branches that are essentially not theistic, as well as religious branches. At a superficial level, Buddhist and Taoist temples are generally quite similar. Both religions have traditions of sacred caves, particularly Taoism. Buddhism is noted for its monumental statues of the Buddha.

A major difference in the two religions is that Tao priests are relied on to foretell the future and provide guidance for future actions.