DAOISM
DAO
The Dao is the origin of all beings whose essence is
nothing.
Development of landscape painting, nature poetry, and
garden culture was influenced by Daoism.
DAOISM
A philosophy which flourished in China during the late
Bronze Age and emphasizes humanity’s relationship with
nature.
Function as philosophy of abandonment and withdrawal
from the rampant warfare and social unrest which
characterized the reign of the Zhou dynasty-a period of
constant struggle for power, wealth , and prestige.
Began in the state of Chu in the southern part of the
present Hunan Province.
The ultimate goal of Daoists was to conform to the great
pattern of nature, which is called Dao, “The Way”.
DAOISM focuses on the great mysteries of the Dao; as
a religion , its goal is to achieve long life and,
ultimately, immorality.
DAOISM is a nature-based philosophy. It observes
nature, seeing the observer and the observed as one
entire system.
SYMBOL
YIN AND YANG
In Chinese philosophy, Yin and Yang describe how opposite or
contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and
interdependent in the natural world.
Well-known Daoist religious symbol.
Yin and Yang symbol signifies the perfect harmonic balance in
the universe.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
LAOZI / LAO-TZU, meaning “OLD MASTER”.
Believed to have authored the DAO DE JING / TAO TE
CHING or the book of The way and its power, dating back
to around 3rd century B.C.E.
Considered as the first important Daoist who believed to be
a contemporary of Kung Fuzi.
According to the myth, Laozi was conceived by a
shooting star and was born of a virgin mother, who kept
him in her womb for 82 years; Laozi was said to be
born with flowing hair, which signified that he would
be a wise man.
According to his biography, he worked as a
government archivist but became frustrated with
government corruption, and sensing his unavoidable
disgrace he left Chu and was detained at Hanku pass
by a gatekeeper named Yin His who requested him to
write a book for him before leaving. Laozi agreeably
wrote two chapters about the Dao (Way) and De
(individual power) , which came to be named Dao De
Sing or Laozi
Laozi, depleted as Paude Tianzon the Heavenly Lord of
Dao and its virtue.
Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu), is believed to have lived from
369 to around 286 B.C.E.
Sima Qian also wrote biography at Zhuangzi in the historical
records. According to him, his last name was Chuang his given
name was Chou, abd Tzu means “master”, thus Chuang Tzu
(Zhuangzi) means “master chuang”
He was born in the town of Ming in a small state of Sung, near the
border between present day Hunan and Shandong Province.
He served as an officer-in-charge of a royal garden
during the middle of the waving states period and was
said to be muted by King Wei of Chu to become his
chief minister, and he wrote a book, together with his
followers, which became known as Zhuangzi, and was
believed to be completed before the Han dynasty.
(Fairbank and Reischar 1989)
SACRED SCRIPTURES
Dao De Jing
Daoism’s foundational text is the TAO TE CHING or Dao
de jing, meaning the book of “the way and its power”. It is
a mysterious collection of enigmatic remarks which many
find hard to understand.
The Dao De Jing has oftened been attributed to Laozi, but
some believed that it was a product of the collective efforts
among various group in china..
The Dao De Jing, which literally means “The book of
the way and its power”, expounds on the meaning of
Dao and its accompanying concept of De- the power or
the Virtue acquired by a person by means of living in
harmony with Dao.
BOOK OF CHUANG TZU/ ZUANGZI
Dating to third century B.C.E. and attributed to a man
named Zhuangzi, the second founder of Daoism.
Consists of delightful parables, metaphors, and poetic
passages, and is praised to its high literary value which
represents the most significant formulation of early
daoist thought.
Zhuangzi is divided into three sections: the inner
chapters, outer chapters, and miscellaneous chapters.
All in all, the book, which is an anthology of essays that
make use of parables and allegories, discusses spiritual
freedom which makes one surpassed the limitations of
ones on mind, and not merely the freedom from social
norms and restrictions.
According to the book, the sage - through his
exceptional wisdom – is liberated from life’s ups and
downs and the world has overcome his sensibility.
This gives equal importance to life and death, and does
not advocate longevity as opposed to Confucianism.
For instance, there is a passage which describes the
sage as immortals who no longer depend on a diet of
grains, have defeated death, and have the ability to
help others get well from sickness and overcome other
evils ( Ching 1993).
Zhuangzi’s central theme, however, is the relativity of
things or nature or the balance of yinyang.
CONCEPTS/ BELIEFS
THE DAO
According to Laozi, the DAO, which is the essential
concept and creative principle in Daoism, existed before
the world. It is the foundation of all being, and The Way
in which nature and the universe exist.
All things come from it, and are nourished by it, that is
why sometimes the Dao is called “Mother”.
Dao is the origin of heaven and earth and it is also the
way in which heaven and earth now live.
Its meaning differ across religions an philosophies: for
Confucian, it refers to the basic principles of moral
philosophy while for the Legalists, it is the way of power
( Brown 1987).
The Dao is distinct from God. It is not a being for it is the
origin of all being, and its great virtue is that it does
everything but desires nothing. It is “emptiness”, which
does not compete with other forces but is content itself.
Deity/God (Dao is the origin of all beings)
Unlike the Abrahamic religions, Daoisim does not have a
God, for Daoists believe that the universe originated
from the Dao, which created and controls the universe
instantly guides things on their way.
However, the Dao itself is not God and is not
worshipped by the Daoists. Instead, they worshipped
deities, who are gods of a particular role, and they
traditionally worship Laozi is not only as the first God
of Daoism but also as the representation of the Dao.
For the Daoists, the Dao possesses heavenly qualities, is
mysterious, indescribable, lies under the surface of sense
perceptions, and unifies obvious opposites on a different
level.
Daoists also believed that the Dao can only be found in
silence since it is heavenly and beyond change.
For the Daoists, God is found inside us, in the
thoughtful emptiness from which all power and life
originates in all directions; it is the “Nothing” within in
all of us where all our energy comes from.
The De
Which means virtue or the proper adherence to Dao, is
another basic concept in Daoism.
It encourages inaction in nature and advocates the quiet
and passive nature of a person so that the Dao, or the
creative principle in the universe, may of through them
without interference.
“Non-competition in emptiness”. For Daoist, inaction
means a persons outward actions, and emptiness is the
corresponding inner state, which also means “absence of
desire”.
“There is no greater sin than the desire for possession, no
greater curse than the lack of contentment”. (Brown 1987)
Wu-Wei
Means “no behaviour” or “doing nothing”. It also means
“to do without doing” (wei-wu wei) or “ actionless
activity.”
It refers to the cancellation or restriction of human
behaviour, especially human activities. Wu-wei may
refer to certain stages such as nonbehavior or doing
nothing;
taking as little action as possible; taking
action spontaneously; taking a passive
attitude toward society; waiting for the
spontaneous transformation of things; and
taking action according to objective
conditions and the nature of things, or acting
naturally.
It advocates a “go with the flow” attitude by
cultivating a state of being wherein our
actions are in harmony with the natural
cycles of the universe. The opposite of wu-
wei, which is yu-wei, means taking action,
which Laozi believes causes vicious actions,
theft, and crime.
Wu-wei – considered by Daoism as the
highest form of virtue- emphasizes passivity,
which may benefit less fortunate or weak
people, for it will help them overcome their
opponents and become strong.
Non-aggression is also important in wu wei,
for Laozi believed thet the Daoist ideal
society is a primitive community wit a
natural, harmonius, and simple life which
exists without war and competition ( Sharma
1993).
One may practice wu wei is to becoming an
“enlightened leader,”
One who rules in such a way that the people
become happy and prosperous.
YIN YANG
As stated earlier, the concept of yin yang was
articulated by the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi who
stated that “ yin in its highest form is freezing while
yang in its highest form is boiling. The interaction
of these two establishes he ( harmony), so it gives
birth to things.
Perhaps this is ‘the law of everything’ yet there is no
form being seen.”
Yinyang is an important concept in Daoism which
explains Laozi’s methodology that everything contains
opposite sides, and each side depends on the other,
which emphasizes the concept of dualism, of two halves
forming a whole.
Yinyang emphasizes complementarity,
interconnectedness, and interdependence of both seeking
a new balance with each other.
The Yin and yang symbolize the integration of the
polarities mentioned by Laozi.
The goal is to embody both these polarities in a balanced
and harmonious manner (Hodge 2002).
QI/CHI
The qi refers to the natural energy or life force that
sustains living beings.
QI literally means “air” or “vapor”.
It is sometimes translated as “material force” or “vital
force”.
It is considered as the foundation of body and life.
Daoists believe that everything is made up of qi and will
eventually return to qi. Because of this,people should not
be afraid of death, for life and death are but phases of the
circulation of qi (Sharma 1993).
Zhuangzi articulated the concept of qi with the story of his
wife’s death, which narrates that when Huizi when to
Zhuangzi to console him for the death of his wife, he
found Zhuangzi drumming upon on inverted bowl on his
knees and singing the song. Zhuangzi explained that while
it is true that he was sadded by his wife’s death, he was
also aware that the qi is still there, it just evolved into
another form, which is death.
Qi is considered as the basic component of everything that
exists, which gives form to life and makes things happen. It
is considered as the root of the human body, the basis of
human health. Every person has a normal or healthy
amount of qi, and health is achieved when there is balance
and harmony in its flow.
WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES
Ritual or liturgical expressions are important to the Daoist
religion. This include ritual initiation meant for purification
and renewal in the life-cycle and development of the human
person. Those who will perform such rituals are encouraged
to prepare for them by fasting and by having a spirit of
forgiveness and reconciliation.
MEDITATIVE PRACTICES
Humility and non-competition are among the most important
virtues in Daoism. These virtues, together with naturalness
and naturalism, as well as non-aggression and passive rule,
manifest the fundamental virtue of wu wei.
The physical appearance of the Daoist sage exemplifies the
virtue of humility, for on the outside the sage may dress
shabbily but his mind is full of wisdom and his heart, full of
compassion.
The sage has achieved oneness with the Dao by
understanding its simplicity; his mind is undistracted that is
why he is able to discover the simplicity in the Dao.
MORAL PRACTICES
Physical and spiritual techniques are just as important as
ethical or moral techniques or practices. Daoists put
emphasis on ethical behavior by incorporating it into their
practices.
They value the need for a moral life, of good works as well
as of ritual atonement for misbehavior.
Generally, Daoism, just like other religions, just approve of
killing, stealing, lying, and promiscuity. It promotes
philanthropic, selfless, and humane behavior. Good
behavior is seen as an essential part not only of self-
improvement but the world as a whole.
SELECTED ISSUES
FATALISM
Like any other religion, Daoism has its own share of issues.
One of them is that Daoism has often criticized for
propagating laziness or espousing a falalistic attitude in life
by letting nature take its course and reminding Daoists to
just go with the flow.
Performing all one’s action by not doing forced or
aggressive actions.
Inaction is often mistinterpreted as not doing when in
fact it means doing things naturally by taking the
natural action without the use of force.
Superstition
Another issue encountered by Daoism is the belief
superstitious practices. But the practice of ancestor
worship has been an aspect of Chinese culture which
found its way in Daoism, similar to the Shinto practice
among the Japanese, thus
Daoists often find themselves in temples, praying to the
ancestors for guidance in their everyday lives. They
believed that all things have spirits, and deities of
heavens and earth are all around us.
According to the daoist scriptures, the offering of three
sticks of incense is important if one wishes to convey a
message to the deities, who in return will shower them
with blessings.
Daoists believe that the left hand must be used to
offer the incense, because the left hand represents
the yang, which symbolizes respect. While
offering the incense, they will silently recite the
spell “Burning of the incense shall receive
ultimate peace”.
They believe that by doing so, they are showing sincerity
to the deities, and they believe that a sincere heart can
reach the heavens.
Urban Development
Another issue in Daoism is environmentalism. Daoists
believe in the dictim “ leave nature alone and nature
will thrive.” One should have a healthy relationship
with nature and it should begin with one’s own body.
Daoism advocates the idea that we should follow the
lead of nature instead of controlling it, for humans are
natural creatures who should
Live in harmony with nature.
China’s excessive movement toward urban
development at present is seen as being inconsistent
with the Daoists belief in the importance of living in
harmony with nature. Doists believe that social
harmony will be achieved through a return to nature.
