Where did Tao come from?
Tao is the source of all nature. There are two forces that interact and cause change (creation) in nature. These forces are the Yin and the Yang. Yin, which is the Mandarin word for moon, represents the female, darkness, wetness, coolness, etc. Yang, which is the Mandarin word for sun, represents the male, lightness, dryness, heat, etc. The tension between Yin and Yang causes endless change through production, reproduction and the transformation of energy. Yin and Yang bring about change and balance in life and their interaction is the cause of all creation.
Who is God?
Tao is God, but Tao is not a being. Tao is the source of all and the ultimate reality, and Tao is the cause of all change in life. Tao can only be experienced through mystical ecstasy. Humans seek to reunify with this reality and bring about harmony and live a life of virtue. Tao is the cause of creation and is the force sustaining all life.
Taoism beliefs and practice
A Taoist seeks to reunite with the Tao, the force that creates and sustains all nature. This is an individual effort, with wide social ramifications. When an individual achieves harmony through the leading of the Tao, they in turn affect the social order. This path to harmony often includes six characteristics. These characteristics are:
- Understanding the Tao, which leads to working with the Tao when making changes.
- A laissez-faire attitude, which allows nature to follow its own course as the guideline for change.
- The modeling of one's life after the sage and nature, each of which are modeled after the Tao.
- Emphasis on the Tao's strategy of reverse transformation (destructive to creative).
- A focus on that which is simple (simplicity) and origin (originality).
- The search for intuitive awareness and insight. This includes a deliberate de-emphasis of purely rational or intellectual pursuits.
Taoism teaching
Lao Tzu taught that people (including governments) should act without doing, and work without effort. By this he meant that an awareness of the Tao in our own nature would enable us to do what is right without striving or working at it, i.e., doing what is right naturally. Since humans and nature are inherently good, Lao Tzu felt that people could, through an awareness of the Tao, act in a good and right manner. Tao is able to balance life on its own, and humans need to give up their controlling instinct. Lao Tzu said "Those who want to know the truth of the universe should practice reverence for all life; this manifests as unconditional love and respect for oneself and other beings."
The law of Tao, in respect to nature, means that all is continually reverting to its starting point (all is from the Tao, and all is returning to the Tao). Life and death exist in the eternal transformation of non-being to being to non-being, but the Tao remains the same. Thus all action in society must be done with an eye to reform, reform which will return individuals to their original purity. Individuals must work to conform to the rhythm of the universe, or Tao. When an individual moves in rhythm with the Tao, it is described as wu-wei. Wu-wei is that action which is so in tune with nature, or the Tao, that there is no trace of the individual's actions, so it seems that nothing has been done. It is the concept of apparent inaction, but is, in fact, actions which are completely natural, and that achieve that which the Tao intends.
Taoists follow the art of "wu wei," which is to let nature take its course. For example, one should allow a river to flow towards the sea unimpeded; do not erect a dam which would interfere with its natural flow. Taoists generally have an interest in promoting health and vitality.
Five main organs and orifices of the body correspond to the five parts of the sky: water, fire, wood, metal (Gold) and earth.
Taoism today
Taoism is practiced mainly in the Far East (China, Korea, Japan). The main enclave of pure Taoism is Taiwan, which still has formally established priests and rituals. Taoism is gaining popularity in North America as well. According the Encyclopedia of Christianity, there are some 2.7 million adherents of Taoism around the world. However, some figures place the number at 150 million. Bear in mind that people in the Far East can be members of any combination of religions at the same time, including Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Shinto.
