7/23/2019 404 Taoism

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/404-taoism 1/2

332200  UNIT 4 

TaoismProf. Stephen Hagin  Symbolic Connections in WL   12th edition  Kennesaw State University 

Founded: 500 B.C. in ChinaFounder: Lao TzuBelievers: 50 million (primarily in China and throughout Asia)

Scriptures: Tao Te Ching  (“Book of Reason and Virtue”), the writings of Chang Tsu

Major Beliefs:

1. The Tao (“the Way” of all things) is the Eternal, the Absolute, the moral and physical order of theuniverse, the path of virtue that Heaven itself follows.

2. The Way is so massive and transcendent that we cannot describe it in words or thoughts; any Taothat can be described is not the Eternal Tao.

3. Man aligns himself with the Eternal when he observes humility, simplicity, gentle yielding,serenity, and effortless action. He who has realized the Tao has uncovered layers ofconsciousness so that he arrives at pure consciousness and sees the inner truth ofeverything. Only one who is free of desire can comprehend the Tao.

4. All actions create opposing forces (yin/yang ); the wise seek inaction in action.

5. One who follows the Tao follows the natural order of all things, not seeking to improve upon Nature or to legislate virtue to others.

6. Man is only one of the Ten Thousand Things; man is finite and will pass (only the Tao is infinite).We should seek to detach ourselves from these Ten Thousand things to better understand theTao.

7. The spirit of the Tao is effulgent emptiness; the awakened man is compared to bamboo: upright,simple, and useful outside, but hollow inside.

8. The Tao exists everywhere, the natural way of all beings and things. Tao is the beginning ofheaven and earth, and is mother of all things. It lies hidden, transmitting its perfection andpower to all things.

9. Taoist shrines are the homes of divine beings that guide the religion, bless and protectworshippers.

10.  Three Life-Preserving Energies of Taoism: 

ching  – essence shen – spirit chi  – vital energy

7/23/2019 404 Taoism

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/404-taoism 2/2

Taoism 33221111.  Four Fundamental Concepts of Taoism: 

Wu wei   (without doing, causing, or making)  – Doing something without meddlesome orcumbersome effort. One should not go against the nature of things. Develop an innersensitivity to the natural rhythms of things. Don’t struggle against Nature, but use aminimum effort. Nonaction does not imply “no action,” but rather “not acting beyond

the necessities of the Tao” — not exceeding the action required for the task, and notindulging in calculated action. If we meditate we can hear the promptings of the Taofor us to act effortlessly, efficiently, and hardly giving the matter a thought. Weshould be ourselves (as Nature is itself) and not force ourselves to act or performoutside of our realm of our essence. Like water, we should act as Nature dictatesuntil we find our proper place and purpose. Appetites and emotions must be kept incheck and perfected through meditation, breath control, and yoga.

P’u  (the Uncarved Block) – Simplicity in all states of being; the ability to enjoy the quiet and the simple.

T’ai Hsu (The Great Nothing) – Thoughts (such as knowledge and cleverness) stand in theway of clear thinking. An empty mind hears the birds, but a busy mind tries to

discern what kind of bird is singing, blinding us to the beauty ond essence of Nature.Music is the space between the notes. The greatest ideas come from nothing. “Ithink, therefore I am confused.”

Tz’u  (caring and compassion)  – From caring comes courage. Once compassion isdemonstrated, wisdom is shown as well. A clever mind is not a heart. “Knowledge”does not care, but “wisdom” does.

The Five Elements (Wu Hsing )

The five elements theory has the same underlying philosophy as the yin/yang theory — that of constantchange and evolution. The elements (or “winds”) — earth, metal, fire, wood and water — are bestunderstood as phases of a constantly moving cycle. Each grows and replaces the next in much the sameway as the seasons’ progress. Each of the elements can be seen as the manifestation of a particular aspect of chi , and they also correspond to colors, tastes, seasons, directions and parts of the body, amongother things. Two cycles can be seen at work within the five elements — one constructive, onedestructive — so each element is strengthened or weakened by two of the other elements.

Constructive Cycle Destructive Cycle

From METAL we get WATER  Metal turns liquid when melted

METAL is controlled by FIRE 

When it is melted  

From WATER we get WOOD 

Water makes plants growFIRE is controlled by WATER 

Obviously!  

From WOOD we get FIRE 

Wood burns to create fireWATER is controlled by EARTH 

 Earth holds and absorbs water 

From FIRE we get EARTH 

Fire creates ashes, which become earth againEARTH is controlled by WOOD 

 Plants take in nutrients 

From EARTH we get METAL  All metals are extracted from the earth 

WOOD is controlled by METAL  All wood can be chopped or sawed  

Source:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/2883/main.html#yin