Taoism

HUM 1710
11 April 11 2013
Unit Two Paper
Taoism
Taoism grew out of various religious and philosophical traditions in ancient China, including shamanism and nature religion. Zhang Daoling became the first Celestial Master and founder of the first organized Taoist school of thought. This tradition continues to the present day, with the current Celestial Master living in Taiwan. Early religious Taoism was rooted in the ideas of the Taoist thinkers, which were added local religious rituals and beliefs, both to provide examples of Taoist philosophy, and integrate Taoism into the existing world views of all levels of the Chinese people (Fung).
Taoism was first recognized as a religious system during the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE. The publication of the Tao Te Ching and other works provided a focus for Taoist thinking. Taoism became a semi-official Chinese religion during the Tang dynasty and continued during the Song dynasty. As Confucianism gained popularity, Taoism gradually fell and changed from an official religion to a popular religious tradition. After the communist takeover of China, Taoism was banned and its followers re-educated, with the result that the number of practicing Taoists fell dramatically in the next 10 years (Schwartz). At this time Taoism began to flourish in the greater freedom on offer in Taiwan. Before the Communist revolution fifty years ago, Taoism was one of the strongest religions in China. After a campaign to destroy non-Communist religion, however, the numbers significantly reduced, and it has become difficult to assess the statistical popularity of Taoism in the world.
After the end of the Cultural Revolution the Chinese government began to allow a small measure of religious freedom. Taoism began to revive in China, and Taoist temples and practitioners can now be found throughout the country. At the heart of Taoist ritual is the concept of bringing order and harmony to many layers of the cosmos: the cosmos as a whole (the world of nature), the world or human society, and the inner world of human individuals (Graham).
Taoist rituals involve purification, meditation and offerings to deities. The details of Taoist rituals are often highly complex and technical and therefore left to the priests, with the congregation playing little part. The rituals involve the priest (and assistants) in chanting and playing instruments, and also dancing. One major Taoist ritual is the chiao (jiao), a rite of cosmic renewal, which is itself made up of several rituals. “A shortened version of the chiao is a ritual in which each household in a village brings an offering for the local deities”(Fung). In the ceremony a Taoist priest dedicates the offerings in the names of the families, performs a ritual to restore order to the universe, and asks the gods to bring peace and prosperity to the village.
Temple rituals can be used to regulate ch 'i and balance the flow of yin and yang both for individuals and the wider community. Other rituals involve prayers to various Taoist deities, meditations on talismans, and reciting and chanting prayers and texts. “Taoism is an ancient tradition of philosophy and religious belief that is deeply rooted in Chinese customs and worldview”(Fung). It is also referred to as Daoism in some cases, which is a more accurate way of representing in English the sound of the Chinese word.
Taoism is about the Tao. This is usually translated as the Way. The Tao is the ultimate creative principle of the universe. All things are unified and connected in the Tao. It is a religion of unity and opposites; Yin and Yang. The principle of Yin Yang sees the world as filled with complementary forces - action and non-action, light and dark, hot and cold, and so on. The Tao is not God and is not worshipped. Taoism includes many deities that are worshipped in Taoist temples, they are part of the universe and depend, like everything, on the Tao. Taoism promotes: achieving harmony or union with nature, the pursuit of spiritual immortality, being 'virtuous ', and self-development (Munro).
Because Taoism doesn 't make a rigid division between body and spirit, it recognizes that physical actions have spiritual effects. Taoist texts teach the importance of keeping the body pure in order to ensure spiritual health. To remain pure a person should avoid certain activities and foods. Greed, lust, pride and dishonesty are examples of things that should be avoided. Meditation is important to many Taoists. Complex meditation rituals are practiced in various temples. A vital use of meditation is to create mental stillness and enhance mindfulness. This can give a person the mental space to know the Tao directly. Breath is the most easily perceived form of ch 'i, and there are many Taoist breathing exercises. “Taoist breathing exercises are called Qui Gong(qigong). The flow of life energy - ch 'i - within the body can be enhanced, regulated and harmonized by various forms of exercise, meditation, and techniques such as acupuncture” (Graham).
Taoism is taken very seriously by its people. Although it may seem complicated, a lot of the rituals and practices are gone through with an ease to the mind. Unity of opposites and the balance within nature have much effect through meditation, breathing exercises, purity, martial arts, diet and energy flow. These are all recipes to insure its people of spiritual health.
Works Cited Graham, Angus (1989). Disputers of the Tao: Philosophical Argument in Ancient China. La Salle, IL: Open Court. Web. 27 Feb. 2013 Fung, Yu-lan (1952). History of Chinese Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Web. 2 Apr. 2013 Munro, Donald, J. The Concept of Man in Early China. Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1969. Web. 6 Apr. 2013 Schwartz, Benjamin (1985). The World of Thought in Ancient China. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Web. 6 Apr. 2013

Cited: Graham, Angus (1989). Disputers of the Tao: Philosophical Argument in Ancient China. La Salle, IL: Open Court. Web. 27 Feb. 2013 Fung, Yu-lan (1952). History of Chinese Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Web. 2 Apr. 2013 Munro, Donald, J. The Concept of Man in Early China. Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1969. Web. 6 Apr. 2013 Schwartz, Benjamin (1985). The World of Thought in Ancient China. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Web. 6 Apr. 2013