Chinese Philosophies and ReligionsTAOISM

Have you seen some of these things before? They are all connected to Taoism.

TAOISM – What is it?

Taoism is an ancient Chinese system of philosophy and religious belief.

It has very strongly influenced Chinese worldview.

Taoism is also referred to as Daoism (which is a closer sound to the Chinese pronunciation)

• Taoism began in China around 2000 years ago.

• It has no real founder – but grew out of religious and philosophical traditions in ancient China (eg Shamanism)

• Some Taoist ideas come from beliefs/thinking from other places e.g. Buddhism

• Taoism doesn’t have a God in the same way that Christianity, Judaism or Islam does.

TAOISM

POPULARITY OF TAOISM

• Taoism became a semi-official Chinese religion during the Tang dynasty (618-907) and continued during the Song dynasty (960-1279).

• As Confucianism gained popularity Taoism changed from an official religion to a popular religious tradition.

Think : What are some advantages and disadvantages of having an “official religion”?

Extra : What do you know about Confucianism?

• After the communist takeover of China in 1949, Taoism was banned and the number of practising Taoists fell by 99% in 10 years.

• After the end of the Cultural Revolution (1976) Taoism began to revive in China, and Taoist temples and followers can now be found throughout the country.

POPULARITY OF TAOISM• There is thought to be around 12 million

practising Taoists in China today, and around 20 million across the world.

Investigate: Find out approximately how many Christians, Buddhists and Muslims there are in China today.

TAOIST BELIEFS

What is the TAO?

The Tao is NOT

• A thing

• A God (it is not worshipped)

The Tao is often translated “The Way”

Followers believe the Tao is the source of creation but is not a God. It is the way of nature as a whole. All is connected in the Tao.

Wu Wei

The method of following the Tao is called Wu Wei.

“Wu Wei means living by or going along with the true nature of the world -letting things take their natural course.”

Taoists seek to live lives of balance and harmony. They aim to find their way through life in the same way that a river flowing through the countryside finds its natural course.

Discuss : Do you think the phrase “Go with the flow” comes from Taoism?

Why? What does it mean?

How can Taoists follow the Wu Wei?

Some wisdom from Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu.

1. Make more time for stillness and silence. “To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders”.

2. Be open. “The emptiness of a pot is what makes it useful.”

3. Be in touch with our real, deeper selves. “When I let go of who I am, I become what I might be”.

Nature can help remind us of important qualities we

should nurture and develop in ourselves

e.g. The strength of the mountains

The resilience of trees

The cheerfulness of flowers

Instead of worrying about who we should

become we should focus on who we actually are.

If our minds are filled with

ambitions and anxieties

we will miss the thousand

moments of human

experience that are our

natural inheritance.

• Discuss whether you think this way of thinking is still relevant today. Share an example of when you could apply this kind of thinking.

• Brainstorm : Can you think of any Christian teachings similar to these?

Ch‘i

The literal translation of Ch’i is breath or air.

Taoists believe that Ch'i or Qi is the life force that enables beings to survive and is also the basic material of all that exists.

They believe Ch’i also links humans to the universe as a whole.

When it comes to health of body and mind – Taoists believe that the quality, balance and movement of Ch’i is vital.

Taoists believe in spiritual immortality – that in death a person’s spirit/ch’i becomes one with the universe.

CONSIDER: Are there other religions/philosophies that share similar ideas/concepts? Discuss. e.g God breathing life into Adam in the Genesis creation story;

The Force in Star Wars

Yin Yang is the principle of natural and complementary forces –things or patterns that depend on one another and do not make sense on their own.

For example:• masculine and feminine• darkness and light • wet and dry • action and inaction

They are opposites that fit together and work in perfect harmony.

Yin and yang do not stand still - the balance ebbs and flows between them. You can see this in the flowing curve where they meet.

Yin and yang

Consider: What are some other examples of complementary things that work together?

When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created.

When people see things as good, evil is created.

Being and non-being produce each other.

Difficult and easy complement each other.

Long and short define each other.

High and low oppose each other.

Fore and aft follow each other.

TAOIST WRITINGS

THE TAO TE CHING

In the 6th Century BCE the Taoist writings called the Tao Te Chingwas written. The author is thought to be Lao Tzu.

Lao Tzu was reportedly an official in the ancient Chinese royal archives, a writer and philosopher. He is considered by many to be the “founder” of philosophical Taoism.

These writings have had considerable influence in China and beyond and it is one of the most translated works in world literature.

TAOIST WISDOM

Activity 1: Choose one of Lao-Tzu’s quotes.

See if you can find a quote from the Bible or another religion’s wisdom writings that expresses the same idea.

Do you know of any popular movements/ideas around today which follow this particular teaching/philosophy?

Activity 2: Make a postcard or A4 size poster illustrating one of Lao-Tzu’s quotes. Do this quietly, practising mindfulness as you make it.

Activity 3: “Who said it” – look at different wisdom quotes.

TAOIST PRACTICES

Taoist Practices

Taoist physical practices, such as breath exercises,massage, martial arts, yoga and meditation aredesigned to transform a person both mentally andphysically and so bring them into closer harmonywith the Tao. Body and spirit are closely linked.

Many of these practices are called internal alchemy(nei-dun) by Taoists.

Taoists also practice external alchemy (wai-dan),which involves diet and the use of minerals andherbs to promote long life.

Why call it alchemy?Alchemists are people who want to transform things into something more valuable, such as converting lead into gold.Taoist alchemy is concerned with transforming human beings so as to give them longer life and bring them closer to the Tao.

T’ai chi

T’ai chi is an internal martial art (this means it has a spiritual aspect).

It is practised both for its health benefits (body and mind) and for defence training.

Discuss: Have you ever seen or participated in T’aiChi? What was it like?

Investigate : What is the difference between T’ai Chi and Kung Fu? What are the particular aims of each?

Sources include : http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/taoism/