The East Asia Institute and Confucius Institute at the University of Oklahoma

As a part of the College of Arts and Sciences, we are committed to supporting our community through programs that both educate and inspire!

The East Asia Institute and Confucius Institute at the University of Oklahoma

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu

http://nctasia.org

http://Eai.ou.edu

http://Ouci.ou.edu

Study Tours

NATIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR TEACHING ABOUT ASIA 

NCTA Field Study in China and Japan -- Summer 2014

For NCTA alumni in the states of:

Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey,  New York (metropolitan and lower), North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas. 

2015 Study Tour information is coming soon!

Taoism (Daoism) Dao

What is Taoism (Daoism)?

The Tao-The Way or the Path

Lao Tzu-Founder

Tao Te Ching

Concepts:

1. Nature 2. Individual 3. Yin Yang 4. Fengshui

Taoism (Daoism) Dao

Introduction: According to Taoism, the entire universe and everything in it flows with a mysterious, unknowable force called the Tao.

Handout-”What is Daoism?”

Taoism 道

Lao-tzu, translated as either "Old Master" or "Old Boy," is believed to be the author of Taoism. Very little is known of his life; he may not even have existed.

Tao Te Ching道德经

(Classic of the Way and its Power)

“Dao” meaning path or way

“De” meaning virtue

“Jing” meaning canon/law/rules

81 chapters

Read selections from Laozi (Daodejing)

Taoist beliefs

The individual-(Group)

Uncarved block-(simple)

Nature (Not above but part of)

Time (cyclical)

Yin and Yang-(polarity)

The 5 elements (Wu xing)

Wuwei-(effortless action)

Fengshui (wind and water)

Yin Yang

阴阳 Yin Yang

Explain the characters-Moon 月 and Sun 日

Polarity not opposites

Give examples of polarity

Why does it “swirl?”

Fengshui

Chinese system of arranging our environment so that we can live more in harmony with our surroundings.

( 五行 ) Wuxing The 5 Elements

Earth-yellow, fire-red, wood-green, metal-white, water-black or blue

Colors determine mood. Red is considered a lucky color. White represents death!

The Bagua 八卦

Ba1gua4

Bagua literally means “eight symbols.”

8 trigrams used in Daoist cosmology.

Energy map

Helps define spatial relationships.

Black lines represent Yin (broken) Yang (unbroken

The Bagua 八卦

The 8 Remedies

1. Straight lines

2. Light

3. Sound

4. Color

5. Life

6. Movement

7. Stillness

8. Mechanical devices

Bagua

Fengshui Your bedroom!

Fun activity

Remember, the first rule of Fengshui is order!

Make sure that the door to the room is aligned with the bottom of the Bagua!

Have the students superimpose a blueprint of their bedroom over the Bagua.

Bagua

References

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/main_pop/ps/ps_china.htm

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/tps/1000bce.htm#confudao

http://people.opposingviews.com/religious-taoism-vs-philosophical-taoism-6900.html

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/cosmos/ort/daoism.htm

Asia for Educators-Primary Sources

Tao the Watercourse Way by Alan Watts

Tao Te Ching translation by Ralph Alan Dale

Opposing Views by Michael H. Jenkins

Living in the Chinese Cosmos