Nature of Taoism
Nature of Taoism
Taoism was founded and developed by Chuang-Tzu and Lao-tzu. It is both the philosophical and religious belief that teaches living in harmony with “Dao” which means the path, principle, or way. “Dao” was an idea before Taoism, but it is considered the driving force of everything that exist in Taoism, which is why many say that Taoism teaches one to just “go with the flow” of life and the universe. Through Taoism, we see the beliefs of wu-wei (non-interference), naturalness, and the three treasures of Taoism (Compassion, Moderation, and Humility).(Human Nature) Those beliefs all teach balance of nature and man. In no other religion do we see such an emphasis on nature as we see in Taoism. Taoist even believed that for man to live a healthy and prosperous life that man must have a close relationship with nature. Another great aspect of Taoism that is practiced is the idea of yin and yang, which Taoist believe make up the universe and every being in it. (Human Nature) They are two extremes that are always playing against each other but keep the other in balance. In my paper, I will show how Taoist illustrates the ideas of nature and other Taoist ideas are showed in Chinese paintings, medicine and literature.
When you compare a Chinese painting to a western painting you will see that it focuses on nature, a uniqueness that sets it apart from a lot of other cultures. You will see paintings of mountains, water flowing, trees and horses, humans were also painted but they were always just showed as being in harmony with their surrounding and nature. Another distinguishing characteristic is that a painting may also have more than one perspective and can also have more than one focus point, which is uncommon for western art. Taoist concepts towards paintings were directed to landscaping. The main function of landscape painting was a “substitute” for nature, permitting the viewer to travel from one point to the next in the painting, which is why the
Taoism was founded and developed by Chuang-Tzu and Lao-tzu. It is both the philosophical and religious belief that teaches living in harmony with “Dao” which means the path, principle, or way. “Dao” was an idea before Taoism, but it is considered the driving force of everything that exist in Taoism, which is why many say that Taoism teaches one to just “go with the flow” of life and the universe. Through Taoism, we see the beliefs of wu-wei (non-interference), naturalness, and the three treasures of Taoism (Compassion, Moderation, and Humility).(Human Nature) Those beliefs all teach balance of nature and man. In no other religion do we see such an emphasis on nature as we see in Taoism. Taoist even believed that for man to live a healthy and prosperous life that man must have a close relationship with nature. Another great aspect of Taoism that is practiced is the idea of yin and yang, which Taoist believe make up the universe and every being in it. (Human Nature) They are two extremes that are always playing against each other but keep the other in balance. In my paper, I will show how Taoist illustrates the ideas of nature and other Taoist ideas are showed in Chinese paintings, medicine and literature.
When you compare a Chinese painting to a western painting you will see that it focuses on nature, a uniqueness that sets it apart from a lot of other cultures. You will see paintings of mountains, water flowing, trees and horses, humans were also painted but they were always just showed as being in harmony with their surrounding and nature. Another distinguishing characteristic is that a painting may also have more than one perspective and can also have more than one focus point, which is uncommon for western art. Taoist concepts towards paintings were directed to landscaping. The main function of landscape painting was a “substitute” for nature, permitting the viewer to travel from one point to the next in the painting, which is why the
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