Philosophical Taoism

        

        

        A series of weak emperors in China from 500 to 600 BCE left the previously powerful empire in state of war and chaos. The Chinese people were desperate for an escape from the pandemonium. One solution came in the form of a new religion: Taoism. Popular belief amongst followers is that Taoism was founded by a man named Lau Tzu, which translates to “old man”. It is said that he lived during the time of Confucianism, which was another religion that sprout up in response to the conditions in China at the time. Lau Tzu was actually a librarian who lived a simple life in accordance with nature. He was discouraged by the non naturalistic attitudes of the people around him and therefore decided to ride away on a water buffalo toward Tibet. According to the story, he was stopped at one point by a man who tried to persuade him to stay. When Lau Tzu refused he asked him to at least leave the people with a record of his ideas. He agreed to this request and the Tao Te Ching was produced (Smith). The lifestyle and attitude that has evolved from the philosophy of this text are extraordinarily interesting and admirable.

        Tao Te Ching translates into English as “The Way and It’s Power”. It is a compilation of “poetry, philosophical reflection and mystical speculation” (Zhao). Taoists follow this text as “a testament to humanity’s at-home-ness in the universe” (Smith). This book is one of the most translated texts of all time, second only to the Bible but it is also said that it is translated differently each time (Zhao). While scholars also believe that it was most likely not written by just one person and that a large portion of it came from older texts, the story of Lau Tzu is the popular and accepted origin of the sacred text by Taoist believers (Smith).

        The Tao Te Ching and the Taoist philosophy center on a sort of energy referred to as, of course, Tao. Philosophical Taoism is less of a religion but instead an attitude toward life. Tao literally means “path” or “way” and can be interpreted a few different ways. One potential

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meaning is “the way of ultimate reality”. This Tao is too great to be comprehended by the human mind but basically encompasses every single thing around us. The next form of Tao is “the way of the universe” and it is the energy within and throughout nature that keeps the universe going. Finally, “the way of human life” is the Tao that applies to the energy of human life interacting with nature and the universe (Smith). It is believed that every person is a child of the Tao and must strive to return to their natural, childhood state (Zhao). A ...

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