Daoism

1. Daoism November 2011

2. Daoism • Daoism (sometimes called Taoism) is a religious tradition whose origins lie in ancient Chinese ways • Its central texts are the Dao de jing (“Classic of the Way and its Power”) and the Zhuangzi • The Dao de jing, a poetic, philosophical work, is attributed to Laozi (Lao-tzu), the “Old Master,” a sage who may have lived between the 6th and 3rd centuries BCE

3. Traditional Chinese Metaphysics • Traditional Chinese thought, including Daoism, holds that there are certain universal principles which govern the world • Chief among these are the concepts of qi, the Dao, and yin and yang • These are not seen as supernatural forces, but natural principles • These principles, particularly, qi, yin and yang, were not unique to Daoism but were widely accepted in Chinese society

4. Yin and Yang • In traditional Chinese thinking, the universe is thought to operate according to the interaction and balance of opposite forces • This duality is called yin and yang • Yin and yang are not forces that exist independently, but are qualities that are defined in relation to one another

5. Qualities associated with yin Dark Heavy Wet Cold Soft Passive Slow Feminine Qualities associated with yang Bright Light Dry Heat Hard Activity Fast Masculine Yin and Yang • Harmony prevails when yin and yang are in balance; disharmony occurs when one is dominant over the other • Yin and yang do not correspond to good and evil

6. Qi • Qi is sometimes translated as “vital energy” • It is the animating principle of the universe • All living things possess qi, which has aspects of both yin and yang • Balanced qi leads to health, while unbalanced qi leads to illness • Qi is thought to flow through all things

7. The Dao • Western scholars have long had difficulty translating the Dao • It is sometimes translated as “the Way” • Daoist tradition emphasizes the ineffable (unnameable) nature of the Dao • Nature is an expression of the Dao • The objective of Daoism is to live in harmony with the Dao, the natural way of things

8. Daoism • “Daoism” is a name given to a number of Chinese traditions which focus upon living in accordance with the Dao • These include self-cultivation techniques, philosophical systems, alchemy, and popular religious practices • Since the first sages of Daoism, Laozi and Zhuangzi, were contemporaries of Confucius, the simple, natural way of life advocated by Daoism may be a response to the social upheaval of the late Zhou period

9. Wu Wei • Wu wei is “actionless action” • It is a Daoist approach to life and action • Living in accordance with wu wei means allowing one’s life to be guided by the Dao • One does not interfere with the natural way of things • Action does not happen according to elaborate plans, but happens spontaneously in accordance with the natural flow of things

10. Daoist Thought • In Daoism, a person should strive to be like: • Water: embodying the principle of wu wei, water flows gently but constantly, moving around obstacles and slowly making a path • An uncut block of wood: symbolizing freedom from external categories. Daoists believe that we should be free of prejudices, waiting for the Dao to transform us into what we need to be • Daoism emphasizes the importance of being free from artificial distinctions, such as good and evil, or humans and nature

11. Popular Daoist Practices • As Daoist thought has often intertwined with folk religious practices, there is a wide range of religious observance within Daoism • The Daoist tradition has temples and religious specialists, as well as procedures for rituals and offerings • In practice, Daoist worship may not correspond with the “official” procedures • One popular practice associated with Daoism is feng shui, or geomancy, which divines the flow of qi through a given area and determines the most auspicious locations for buildings, furniture, graves, etc.

12. Deities • Some Daoists make offerings to spiritual beings or deities • Many deities exist in the Daoist pantheon, which is sometimes called the “Celestial Bureaucracy” • The head of the Celestial Bureaucracy is the Jade Emperor • Higher than the Jade Emperor are the “Three Pure Ones” – formless beings who are pure Dao, sometimes represented as the Creator, the Guardian, and the Teacher

13. Other Daoist Practices • Daoism has historically been associated with the practice of “inner alchemy” • According to this tradition, three elements exist within the body: qi, jing (generative force), and shen (spirit) • Inner alchemy seeks to cultivate and balance these elements in order to attain health, longevity, or even immortality • Alchemical techniques include meditation, diet, gymnastics, breath control, and sexual techniques

14. Daoist Sects • In addition to folk practices, several traditions of organized Daoism have developed over the centuries • Celestial Master Daoism was developed by Zhang Daoling in the 3rd century CE • It is the first form of organized Daoism with a formal clergy • Highest Purity Daoism was an elite sect that focused upon ascetic, meditative life with the objective of purifying the body • Numinous Treasure Daoism and Complete Perfection Daoism synthesize elements of Buddhism and Confucianism with Daoism

15. Daoism Today • Daoism, like Confucianism and Buddhism, was actively suppressed by communists in the 20th century, especially during the Cultural Revolution • Daoism is now one of the five accepted religions in China • A form of Daoist martial arts, taiji quan (known in the West as Tai Chi), has become extremely popular in China and worldwide in recent decades • Another popular practice is qigong, a combination of meditation and martial arts aimed at channeling the flow of qi • In the 1990s, Li Hongzhi created Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa – a combination of Daoist and Buddhist philosophy with qigong practice • Chinese authorities have responded to Falun Gong with hostility, banning its practice and imprisoning practitioners

16. Quotes from the Tao te Ching • Stephen Mitchell translation (1988) 1. The tao that can be told Is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named Is not the eternal Name. The unnameable is the eternally real. Naming is the origin Of all particular things. Free from desire, you realize the mystery Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations. Yet mystery and manifestations Arise from the same source. This source is called darkness. Darkness within darkness. The key to all understanding.

17. Quotes from the Tao te Ching 8. The supreme good is like water, Which nourishes all things without trying to. It is content with the low places that people disdain. Thus it is like the Tao. In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. When you are content to be simply yourself And don’t compare or compete, Everybody will respect you.

18. Quotes from the Tao te Ching 19. Throw away holiness and wisdom, And people will be a hundred times happier. Throw away morality and justice, And people will do the right thing. Throw away industry and profit, And there won’t be any thieves. If these three aren’t enough, Just stay at the center of the circle And let all things take their course.

19. Quotes from the Tao te Ching 25. There was something formless and perfect Before the universe was born. It is serene. Empty. Solitary. Unchanging. Infinite. Eternally present. It is the mother of the universe. For lack of a better name, I call it the Tao. It flows through all things, Inside and outside, and returns To the origin of all things. The Tao is great. The universe is great. Earth is great. Man is great. These are the four great powers. Man follows the earth. Earth follows the universe. The universe follows the Tao. The Tao follows only itself.

20. Quotes from the Analects • EP = Ezra Pound translation, 1933 (paragraph numbers taken from this version) • JL = James Legge translation, 1893 He said: At fifteen I wanted to learn. At thirty I had a foundation. At forty, a certitude. At fifty, knew the orders of heaven. At sixty, was ready to listen to them. At seventy, could follow my own heart’s desire without overstepping the T-square [what was right]. (2.4 EP)

21. Quotes from the Analects The Master said: “A scholar, whose mind is set on truth, and who is ashamed of bad clothes and bad food, is not fit to be discoursed with.” (4.9 JL) He said: To see into one’s mind and not measure acts to it; to study and not analyse, to hear equity and not have the gumption to adjust (oneself to it), to be wrong and unable to change, that’s what worries me. (7.2 EP) Chi Lu asked about serving the spirits of the dead. The Master said, “While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?” Chi Lu added, “I venture to ask about death?” He was answered, “While you do not know life, how can you know about death?” (11.11 JL)

22. Quotes from the Analects He said: If a man correct himself what difficulty will he have in consequent government, if he cannot correct himself, what’s he doing in government, anyhow? (13.13 EP) Tsze-kung asked, saying, “Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life?” The Master said, “Is not RECIPROCITY such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” (15.23 JL)