Daoism

Daoism derives its name from the word Dao, which means "the Way." Daoism, or Taoism is thought to have been in existence since the Han dynasty. Traditionally, scholars have divided Daoism into two entities, first the “Popular” Daoism” which is a generic label for a wide variety of Chinese religions, and secondly the "Philosophical" Daoism which represents the ancient Chinese social philosophy and a world view that seems to have developed during the later Zhou dynasty.

There are three main figures associated with the origins of Daoism, and each is accredited with writings that have molded many beliefs. The first is a legendary ruler called the "Yellow Emperor." Although there is not much known about him, he is an important figure in China for the fact that several Chinese schools of thought and systems of knowledge claim him as their founder. His book “Yellow Emperor's Cannon of Internal Medicine” is the oldest known writings on traditional Chinese medicine, and it lays a primary foundation for the theories of Chinese medicine. In his book such things as the meridian theory, physiology, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, tui na, acupuncture and moxibustion are explained. THE “Yellow Emperor” is also accredited as the founder of the 5 animal plays, an energy self-healing practice that has lead to the variety of techniques practiced today.

The second figure that is said to be more specific to Daoism is, Laozi ("Old Master"). Laozi is said to have lived during the 6th century BCE, and oral tradition tells us that when Laozi was riding out of town, about to abandon civilization, he was stopped at the Hangu Pass by Yin Xi, who begged him to write down his wisdom for the benefit of others. These writings resulted in a book that can go by two titles, Laozi and Daodejing, roughly translated as The Way and Its Power. The Daode jing, along with the Bible, is one of the most widely translated books in the world and continues to exert a profound influence on Chinese culture. The Daode jing totals some 5000 Chinese characters. The standard edition is divided into eighty-one chapters and two parts. Part I (chapters 1–37) is known as the Daojing (Scripture of Dao); Part 2 (chapters 38–81) is known as the Dejing (Scripture of De). The text exists in a standard edition made by the commentator Wang Bi (226–49 CE), but recent archaeological finds at Mawangdui and Guodian have unearthed earlier versions on silk and bamboo strips.

The earliest biography of the Laozi is contained in the Shiji written by the Han dynasty intellectual Sima Qian (140–80 BCE). Sima Qian identifies Laozi as an archivist named Li Dan at the Zhou dynasty court (1045–220 BCE). During his life it is said that Lauzi instructed the Chinese philosopher Confucius. Apart from Sima Qian’s biography, we have very little historical evidence about Laozi.

The third figure, Zhuangzi, lived around 400 BCE, and his book “The Zhuangzi” is one of the most popular classics of Chinese literature. Commentator, Guo Xiang, around 300 CE, put the edition of the Zhuangzi that we see today together. The Han dynasty historian Sima Qian attributes this text to a man known as Master Zhuang (Zhuangzi) who lived in the third century BCE. Within Chinese and Western culture the text represents a form of Daoism centered upon the Daoist sage as the supremely self-realized individual who wanders free from the conventions of culture and society.

The emphasis in the Zhuangzi is on the spontaneous transformation of things in the natural world and the impossibility of fixing words or human principles onto this world. The text thus ridicules the attempts of philosophers and statesmen to impose some sort of human order onto the world and instead speaks of meditative practices such as ‘sitting in oblivion’, ‘breathing through the heels’ and ‘fasting the heart-mind’.

The key to understanding Daoism is to understand the Taoist conception of the Dao, and this is no easy task, as we see with the opening passage from the Daodejing:

The way that can be spoken of

Is not the constant way;

The name that can be named

Is not the constant name.

The Taoist Way is the entire cosmos and all its workings. The Way is the creator of all things, yet it is not a deity or some other entity with a specific will. Here are some passages:

"Highest good is like water. Because water excels in benefiting the myriad creatures without contending with them and settles where none would like to be, it comes close to the way" (64). Or, to put it in different terms, "Let your wheels move only along old ruts" (60). Taking no specific action to alter one's surroundings or situation is the only natural way to live. When hungry, for example, pick up fallen fruit, but do not try to improve on the Way by constructing orchards.

In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it. This is because there is nothing that can take its place.

That the weak overcomes the strong,

And the submissive overcomes the hard,

Everyone in the world knows yet no one can put this knowledge into practice.

Straightforward words

Seem paradoxical (140).

Exterminate the sage, discard the wise,

And the people will benefit a hundredfold;

Exterminate benevolence, discard rectitude,

And the people will again be filial. (75)

The history of Daoism can be divided into four periods: proto-Daoism, classical Daoism, modern Daoism and contemporary Daoism. The first period, proto-Daoism, covers the time from antiquity up to the second century CE. The reason why this period is called ‘proto-Daoism’ is that we have no knowledge of any formal Taoist religious organizations at this time, but, it is necessary to include this period in any understanding of Daoism because many of the core values and motifs of Taoist philosophy and religion were shaped during this period. Taoist morality texts were published and the practice of Taoist-inspired arts such as taiji quan (Tai Chi) and Qigong (Ch’i-kung) became increasingly widespread.