Quote: "Taoism emphasizes living in harmony with what is known as the Tao—generally understood as being the impersonal, enigmatic process of transformation ultimately underlying reality."
The moral code and principles of Taoism, which emphasize simplicity, humility, compassion, and harmony with nature and others.
Taoism: The basic principles of Taoism, its philosophy, and its place in history.
Yin-Yang: The concept of duality and balance between the opposite forces of light and dark, male and female, and active and passive.
Wu Wei: The idea of non-action as a goal in life, and the use of natural order to attain a peaceful and harmonious existence.
Five Elements: The five basic elements that make up the universe, and their role in Taoist philosophy.
Qi: The concept of energy flow, and its importance in Chinese medicine and Taoism.
Tai Chi: The slow and meditative movements used in Taoist martial arts, which promote relaxation, balance, and harmony.
Feng Shui: The art of arranging living spaces to create a harmonious and balanced environment.
The Tao Te Ching: The primary written work of Taoist philosophy, containing the teachings of Lao Tzu.
Wu Xing: The five basic phases or elements of Chinese medicine, which include fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.
Humility: The importance of humility as a key Taoist virtue, and how it is achieved.
Harmony: The importance of living in harmony with one's surroundings, both natural and man-made.
Compassion: The role of compassion in Taoist ethics, and how it can be practiced in daily life.
Individualism: The view of Taoism on individualism, and the balancing of individual needs with the needs of the group or society.
Spirituality: The role of spirituality in Taoism, and how it is incorporated into daily life.
Nature: The importance of nature in Taoist philosophy, and how it is revered and preserved.
The Three Treasures: The three treasures of Taoist philosophy: jing (essence), qi (energy), and shen (spirit), and their importance to health and longevity.
The Four Cardinal Virtues: The four key virtues of Taoism: kindness, modesty, honesty, and justice, and how they are practiced.
Inner Peace: The goal of achieving inner peace, and the methods used to attain it.
Meditation: The role of meditation in Taoist practice, and how it can promote mental and emotional well-being.
Taoist Symbols: The symbols used in Taoism, their meanings, and their significance.
Wu-wei: Literally meaning "non-doing," Wu-wei refers to the Taoist idea that it is best to act in harmony with the natural flow of the universe rather than to force things to happen. Thus, one should strive to avoid struggling against the forces of nature and instead allow things to happen naturally.
Yin and Yang: The Taoist concept of Yin and Yang describes the two opposite and complementary forces that are present in nature. Yin represents the feminine, passive, and dark force, while Yang represents the masculine, active, and light force.
Tao Te Ching: The Tao Te Ching is a classic Taoist text that contains teachings on how to live in harmony with the Tao. It emphasizes humility, simplicity, and living in accordance with nature.
The Three Jewels: The Three Jewels are compassion, moderation, and humility. Taoism emphasizes these values as essential components of a virtuous life.
Ziran: Ziran, or "naturalness," is another important Taoist value. It emphasizes being natural and spontaneous, avoiding artificiality and pretension.
Pacifism: Taoism advocates for a pacifist approach to life, avoiding conflict whenever possible and seeking to resolve conflicts peacefully.
Environmentalism: Taoism stresses the interconnectedness of all things and advocates for environmentalism and conservation.
Taoist Alchemy: Taoist alchemy is a branch of Taoist philosophy that involves the use of meditation and other practices to transform oneself and attain spiritual enlightenment.
Virtue: In Taoism, virtue is the key to living a good life, and it is defined by compassion, humility, and other moral values.
Quote: "The Tao is represented in Chinese by the character 道 (pinyin: dào; Wade–Giles: tao4), which has several related meanings; possible English translations for it include 'way', 'road', and 'technique'."
Quote: "Symbols such as the bagua and taijitu are often employed to illustrate various aspects of the Tao."
Quote: "Taoist thought has informed the development of various practices and rituals within the Taoist tradition and beyond, including forms of meditation, astrology, qigong, feng shui, and internal alchemy."
Quote: "There is generally an emphasis on virtues such as effortless action, naturalness or spontaneity, simplicity, and the three treasures of compassion, frugality, and humility."
Quote: "Due to the terse quality of Classical Chinese as well as the abstract nature of the ideas themselves, many of these concepts defy simple definitions."
Quote: "The core of Taoist thought crystallized during the early Warring States period c. the 4th and 5th centuries BCE."
Quote: "The two works widely regarded as the principal expressions of Taoist philosophy, the epigrammatic Tao Te Ching and the anecdotal Zhuangzi."
Quote: "Early Taoism drew upon a diverse set of influences, including the Shang and Zhou state religions, Naturalism, Mohism, Confucianism, the Legalist theories..."
Quote: "Later, when Buddhism was introduced to China, the two systems began deeply influencing one another, with long-running discourses shared between Taoists and Buddhists."
Quote: "The status of daoshi, or 'Taoist master', is traditionally only attributed to clergy in Taoist organizations."
Quote: "Daoshi often take care to note distinctions between their traditions and others throughout Chinese folk religion, as well as those between their organizations and other vernacular ritual orders..."
Quote: "Many denominations of Taoism recognize various deities, often ones shared with other Chinese religions, with adherents worshiping them as powerful, superhuman figures exemplifying Taoist virtues."
Quote: "The highly syncretic nature of Taoist tradition presents particular difficulties when attempting to characterize its practice and identify adherents: debatably moreso than with other traditions..."
Quote: "Today, Taoism is one of five religious doctrines officially recognized by the Chinese government, also having official status in Hong Kong and Macau."
Quote: "It is also considered a major religion within Taiwan, and it has significant populations of adherents throughout the Sinosphere and Southeast Asia, particularly in Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore."
Quote: "Taoism has also taken on diverse forms in the West, including those hewing to historical practice, as well as highly synthesized practices variously characterized as new religious movements and often associated with the New Age subculture."