Daoism is about becoming human by becoming natural! It is about “living”. Fisher considers this as “a tradition of great mental and physical discipline” and a religion that promotes a “simple life in harmony with nature” (p. 186). Daoist way is an effort to “align one’s self with “the unnameable original force (the Dao)” (p. 186). Religious Daoism is very much influenced by Confucian and Buddhist religious traditions and techniques of meditations.
Read Pat Fisher pages 182-199.
1. Tao or Dao: Two ways to transliterate – the Pinyin system transliterates as Daoism and the Wade-Gils transcribe as Taoism. Both are acceptable!
2. Followers of Daoism today numbers around 20 million. Most of them live in Taiwan. There are about 30,000 Daoists living in North America. According to 1991 census 1,720 Daoist live in Canada. The impact of Daoism in North America and in the whole world is greater than their small number primarily through popular phenomenon such as acupuncture, herbalism, holistic medicine, meditation, martial arts and such.
3. There are about 70 million practitioners of taekwondo in the world. This sport that promotes “the way of the foot and the fist” is probably rooted in Daoism in addition to Buddhism and Confucianism. Dao actually means “the Way”!
4. You may see the flavour of Daoism from the two quotes below attributed to Lao Tse or Lao Tzu (604-531 BCE), often considered as the founder of Daoism. The name actually means the “old master”!
“Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river.”
“Without going out of your door, you can know the ways of the world. Without peeping through your window, you can see the Way of Heaven. The farther you go, the less you know. Thus, the sage knows without traveling, sees without looking, and achieves without struggle.”
5. Two more famous Chinese sayings derived from Daoism are:
“Those who know do not speak, those who speak, do not know.”
“Even a 1,000 mile journey starts with a single step.”
6. The important text of the Daoism is Tao Te Ching (pronounced as dao de jing) with 81 verses of different size! This is a poetic text that had existed at least from 350 BCE, and is full of paradoxes that cannot be easily rushed through!
Read Pat Fisher pages 182-199.
1. Tao or Dao: Two ways to transliterate – the Pinyin system transliterates as Daoism and the Wade-Gils transcribe as Taoism. Both are acceptable!
2. Followers of Daoism today numbers around 20 million. Most of them live in Taiwan. There are about 30,000 Daoists living in North America. According to 1991 census 1,720 Daoist live in Canada. The impact of Daoism in North America and in the whole world is greater than their small number primarily through popular phenomenon such as acupuncture, herbalism, holistic medicine, meditation, martial arts and such.
3. There are about 70 million practitioners of taekwondo in the world. This sport that promotes “the way of the foot and the fist” is probably rooted in Daoism in addition to Buddhism and Confucianism. Dao actually means “the Way”!
4. You may see the flavour of Daoism from the two quotes below attributed to Lao Tse or Lao Tzu (604-531 BCE), often considered as the founder of Daoism. The name actually means the “old master”!
“Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river.”
“Without going out of your door, you can know the ways of the world. Without peeping through your window, you can see the Way of Heaven. The farther you go, the less you know. Thus, the sage knows without traveling, sees without looking, and achieves without struggle.”
5. Two more famous Chinese sayings derived from Daoism are:
“Those who know do not speak, those who speak, do not know.”
“Even a 1,000 mile journey starts with a single step.”
6. The important text of the Daoism is Tao Te Ching (pronounced as dao de jing) with 81 verses of different size! This is a poetic text that had existed at least from 350 BCE, and is full of paradoxes that cannot be easily rushed through!
7. According to Chinese traditions Lao Tzu was a keeper of the Imperial Library in China. He was well known for his wisdom. Lao Tzu, perceiving the growing corruption of the government, he left for the countryside. On his way, the guard at the city gates asked Lao Tzu to write out the essence of his understanding to benefit future generations. That is how Lao Tzu is supposed to have written the Tao Te Ching. Read Fisher, p. 186.
8. There are many English translations of Tao Te Ching. You can read a translation by clicking on http://http-server.carleton.ca/~rgray/TaoTeChing/
9. Scholars, however, suspect a multiple authorship of this book. This is one of the widely translated book and the second most influential book in China – first one being the Analects of Confucius. Dao (or Tao) means the Way, and Ching means the classic. Hence the book is the “classic of the Way”! Major thrust of this little book is: “improving harmony” (Fisher, p. 187). Key themes in this book are: simplicity, gentleness, relativity, tranquility, harmony, spontaneity, naturalness, etc.
10. Dr Wayne W. Dyer, internationally well known self-development expert, suggests that thinking Dao thoughts will lead to “greatness” – a living “aligned with nature”, “accomplishing much by trying less”. He calls this “living the wisdom of Tao”! Dyer’s work in some sense is a translation of the Daoist philosophy of self-development to the North American audience. Cf. Dyer, Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of Tao, Carlsbad, California: Hay House, 2007.
11. According to Dyer, by following “The Dao” humans move from “Life of Ambitions” to “Life of Meaning”.
12. What follows (a) is the 15th stanza of Tao De Ching in English translation and (b) is a part of Dyer’s comment titled “Stop Chasing Your Dreams”. [Emphasis is mine!]
“The ancient masters were subtle, mysterious, profound, and responsive. The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable. Because it is unfathomable, all we can do is describe their appearance. They were watchful, like men crossing a winter stream; alert, like men aware of danger; courteous, like visiting guests; yielding like ice about to melt; simple, like un-carved blocks of wood; hollow, like caves; opaque, like muddy pools. Who can wait quietly while the mud settles? Who can remain still until the moment of action? Observers of the Tao do not seek fulfillment. Not seeking fulfillment, they are not swayed by desire for change.”
“Allow them to come to you in perfect order with unquestioned timing. Slow down your frantic pace and practice being hollow like the cave and open to all possibilities like the uncarved wood. Make stillness a regular part of your daily practice. Imagine all that you’d like to experience in life and then let go. Trust Tao to work in Divine perfection, as it does with everything on the planet. You don’t really need to rush or force anything. Be an observer and receiver rather than the pushy director of your life. It is through this unhurried unfolding that you master your existence in the way of the Tao.”
13. Daoism drew strongly upon the ideas of yin-yang. [Read Fisher pages 183 & 185 and study the yin-yang symbol and its meaning.]
14. This ‘religious’ Daoism had its own temples, priests, rites, myths and symbolic images. Lao Tzu was venerated as a ‘saint’ and imperial sacrifices were made to him.
15. Religious Daoism has its own pantheon of gods. To read more you may visit http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/gods.html
16. Religious Daoism considers Lao Tzu also as one of the deities. Daoist gods include among others the following:
a. Yu-huang is the High God. He rules Heaven as the Emperor. All other gods must report to him. His chief function is to distribute justice. He punishes the evil deeds through the hell.
b. Yuan-shih T'ien-tsun is the first principle. Although Yu-huang is the High God, there are other abstract deities above him. Yuan-shih T'ien-tsun has no beginning and no end and is self-existing, changeless, limitless, and invisible.
c. San-ch'ing refers to the three Pure Ones. They are Yu-ch'ing (Jade Pure), Shang-ch'ing (Upper Pure) and T'ai-ch'ing (Great Pure). They are believed to be different manifestations of Lao Tzu. They are not rulers, but rather seek to save mankind by teaching and benevolence.
17. In religious Daoism astrology and divination are very prominent. This movement was sometimes known as Huang-Lao, after the legendary Yellow Emperor, Huang-ti and Lao Tzu.
18. An important feature of religious Daoism is the belief in physical immortality. With that the breath control and hygiene were also emphasised.
Questions to Explore:
1. Discus the religious features found in the ancient traditions of the Chinese that Fisher has outlined in her text. [See pages 182-185: Ancestor Worship, Spirits, One Spirit (Shang Ti), Heaven (Tian), and self-generating energy.]
8. There are many English translations of Tao Te Ching. You can read a translation by clicking on http://http-server.carleton.ca/~rgray/TaoTeChing/
9. Scholars, however, suspect a multiple authorship of this book. This is one of the widely translated book and the second most influential book in China – first one being the Analects of Confucius. Dao (or Tao) means the Way, and Ching means the classic. Hence the book is the “classic of the Way”! Major thrust of this little book is: “improving harmony” (Fisher, p. 187). Key themes in this book are: simplicity, gentleness, relativity, tranquility, harmony, spontaneity, naturalness, etc.
10. Dr Wayne W. Dyer, internationally well known self-development expert, suggests that thinking Dao thoughts will lead to “greatness” – a living “aligned with nature”, “accomplishing much by trying less”. He calls this “living the wisdom of Tao”! Dyer’s work in some sense is a translation of the Daoist philosophy of self-development to the North American audience. Cf. Dyer, Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of Tao, Carlsbad, California: Hay House, 2007.
11. According to Dyer, by following “The Dao” humans move from “Life of Ambitions” to “Life of Meaning”.
12. What follows (a) is the 15th stanza of Tao De Ching in English translation and (b) is a part of Dyer’s comment titled “Stop Chasing Your Dreams”. [Emphasis is mine!]
“The ancient masters were subtle, mysterious, profound, and responsive. The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable. Because it is unfathomable, all we can do is describe their appearance. They were watchful, like men crossing a winter stream; alert, like men aware of danger; courteous, like visiting guests; yielding like ice about to melt; simple, like un-carved blocks of wood; hollow, like caves; opaque, like muddy pools. Who can wait quietly while the mud settles? Who can remain still until the moment of action? Observers of the Tao do not seek fulfillment. Not seeking fulfillment, they are not swayed by desire for change.”
“Allow them to come to you in perfect order with unquestioned timing. Slow down your frantic pace and practice being hollow like the cave and open to all possibilities like the uncarved wood. Make stillness a regular part of your daily practice. Imagine all that you’d like to experience in life and then let go. Trust Tao to work in Divine perfection, as it does with everything on the planet. You don’t really need to rush or force anything. Be an observer and receiver rather than the pushy director of your life. It is through this unhurried unfolding that you master your existence in the way of the Tao.”
13. Daoism drew strongly upon the ideas of yin-yang. [Read Fisher pages 183 & 185 and study the yin-yang symbol and its meaning.]
14. This ‘religious’ Daoism had its own temples, priests, rites, myths and symbolic images. Lao Tzu was venerated as a ‘saint’ and imperial sacrifices were made to him.
15. Religious Daoism has its own pantheon of gods. To read more you may visit http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/gods.html
16. Religious Daoism considers Lao Tzu also as one of the deities. Daoist gods include among others the following:
a. Yu-huang is the High God. He rules Heaven as the Emperor. All other gods must report to him. His chief function is to distribute justice. He punishes the evil deeds through the hell.
b. Yuan-shih T'ien-tsun is the first principle. Although Yu-huang is the High God, there are other abstract deities above him. Yuan-shih T'ien-tsun has no beginning and no end and is self-existing, changeless, limitless, and invisible.
c. San-ch'ing refers to the three Pure Ones. They are Yu-ch'ing (Jade Pure), Shang-ch'ing (Upper Pure) and T'ai-ch'ing (Great Pure). They are believed to be different manifestations of Lao Tzu. They are not rulers, but rather seek to save mankind by teaching and benevolence.
17. In religious Daoism astrology and divination are very prominent. This movement was sometimes known as Huang-Lao, after the legendary Yellow Emperor, Huang-ti and Lao Tzu.
18. An important feature of religious Daoism is the belief in physical immortality. With that the breath control and hygiene were also emphasised.
Questions to Explore:
1. Discus the religious features found in the ancient traditions of the Chinese that Fisher has outlined in her text. [See pages 182-185: Ancestor Worship, Spirits, One Spirit (Shang Ti), Heaven (Tian), and self-generating energy.]
2. Explain the yin yang symbol popular in Chinese traditions.
3. What similarities and differences do you see between the philosophical Daoism and religious Daoism? Explain your answer with details.
4. List and explain three deities popular in religious Daoism.
3. What similarities and differences do you see between the philosophical Daoism and religious Daoism? Explain your answer with details.
4. List and explain three deities popular in religious Daoism.
5. What are some of the Daoist virtues that you have explored in Tao De Ching? Discuss in detail.
6. Explain the purpose and the goal of the philosophical Daoism. What extra features do you see in religious Daoism?
