GROUP 8: TAOISM

Members:
 Jhedson Padoga
 Leonilyn Rizo
 Aldin Densing
 Anna Daralie Baring
 DESCRIPTION
 Is the force before all things
 Tao Te Ching (aka Daodejing) states the following:

The Tao gives birth to the one, Tao gives birth to two, two gives birth to three,
three gives birth to all things.
 By giving birth to the one, Tao gave the entire world a mechanism for
balance
 Birth of two means birth of opposites
 Birth of three refers to existence of heaven, earth, and humanity
 All creation can be related back to Tao
 LAOZI
Lao-Tzu (also known as Laozi or Lao-
Tze) is a Chinese
Philosopher credited with finding the
philosophical system of Taoism. He is
best known as the author of the Tao-
Te-Ching, the work which exemplifies
his thought.
YIN AND YANG
 ORIGINS
Taoism is originated from China
China needed a new religion and current
religions in China were ready for a
movement that would bring them all focus
These religions recognized Taoism as the
force governing the universe
 FOUNDERS
Huang Di
Lao Tzu
Chuang Tzu
 HUANG DI
 Huang Di, an emperor of China had visited a hermit and asked him a question during the 19th year of his
reign.
 Hermit refused to answer Huang Di’s question but eventually gave in.
 Hermit gave him profound wisdom that changed the way the emperor governed his people.
 People called him “Yellow Emperor” because of his compassionate and benevolent leadership.
 He was healer and magician and was recognized as the greatest emperor China ever had.
 The secret that the hermit shared with Huang Di? Tao.
 Tao literally means “the way”.
 Following Tao is to practice the way of nature.
 Tao is the balance between two opposing forces.
 Huang Di took the wisdom of Tao and created harmony within himself and thus could create harmony
for his kingdom.
 LAO TZU
 Lao Tzu is recognized as the founder of Taoism.
 However, some scholars are uncertain Lao Tzu actually existed for certain reasons:
1. Lao Tzu means “old master” (a title not a name)
2. Speculate that wisdom associated with Lao Tzu seems to be a combination of the work of three different
people. Think if Lao Tzu did exist, he may have been a man named Li Erh, archivist at royal palace of
Luoyang, capital city of Chou dynasty.
 Based on the theory that Lao Tzu was Li Erh, one can see that Lao Tzu was an older contemporary of
Confucius.
 Kept his job at royal court until he was very old, leaving when he was tired of working in government.
 As he was way out of his province Ch’u, a border guard recognized the old master and asked him to
leave evidence of his wisdom behind.
 Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching, a short collection of wise verses that encapsulated the heart of the
“way”.
 CHUANG TZU
 Was more appealing to educated and wealthy members of
society.
 (369-286BCE), next great sage of Taoism brought Tao to the
common people.
 Little is known about him other than he was one of the authors of
the book that bears his name.
1. Chuang Tzu is a collection of stories, written in prose form to teach
Tao from the perspective of active, everyday life.
 by the time of his death, the philosophical Taoism was born.
 CHUANG TZU
 By2nd century BCE, Huang Lao School was flourishing and
Taoism became the dominant philosophy of the Han dynasty
(206 BCE-220 CE).
 Taoism shifted from being philosophical into religion.
 China had been a polytheistic nation but Taoism introduced
a philosophy that challenged the mythology of the ancients.
 While polytheism and folk religion never died out, the
emergence of Chang Chiao and Chang Tao-ling, folk
religion took a new form as Taoism.
 BELIEFS
Wu Wei
 Central belief in Taoism is wu wei, meaning “not doing”. (does not mean
laziness)
 Is a spiritual request to leave things alone and let nature take its course.
 Person should not manipulate others’ thoughts and minds into thinking a
certain way.
 One should have faith in the Tao and allow people to find their own way
based on the eternal Tao that underlies all existence.
 Huang Lao School brought greater definition to the concept of wu wei in
book Haui Nan Tzu in which we wei is described as follows:
 BELIEFS
1. Doesn’t mean that one should have no reaction to feelings, or no response to pressure.
2. For example if one went stubbornly against nature and wanted to irrigate a mountain,
they are talking action called “yu wei”.
3. But if you take a boat when you see water or take a special cart when you walk in the
dessert, you are practicing “wu wei”.
4. But if you take a boat when you see water or take a special cart when you walk in the
dessert, you are practicing “wu wei”.

 Individuals are vitally involved in what is going around them.

 Actions are based on sense of effortless, wherein they act in a manner that does as little
harm as possible to the natural world.
 PRACTICES AND RITUALS
PHYSICAL WELL-BEING
 Taoistsplace tremendous emphasis on physical health and
longevity.
 Dates back to the time of Liu An (221 BCE) and the Huainan
Master.
 Balanced and harmony within the body became just as
important as a spiritual quest.
 Early Taoist practices have made their way into Canadian
culture.
 PRACTICES AND RITUALS
1. Tai Chi
 Encourages physical activities designed to bring a person into harmony with Tao.
 Harmony is expressed in martial arts such as Tai Chi.
 Founded in 21st century CE by Chang San Feng, tai chi harmonizes the flow of
energy (chi) through the body.
 Accomplished through a series of movements that bring the physical system of the
person into a state of harmony.
 Said to have a positive effect on a person’s nervous system, blood circulation, and
muscle tone.
 Also said to massage a person’s internal organs.
 PRACTICES AND RITUALS
2. Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
 Chinese medicine seeks to bring a balance to the flow of energy (chi) within a
person.
 Balance is disrupted when there is a blockage in the flow of chi within a person’s
body.
 Blockage is remedied through physical exercises, herbal remedies, or
acupuncture.
 Acupuncture: procedure that targets pressure points within the body in order to
maintain a proper flow of chi.
 Practitioners apply tiny needles to acupuncture points.
 365 major points but after growing research, there is a total number of 800 points.
 PRACTICES AND RITUALS
3. Feng Shui
 Art of constructing buildings in accordance with Tao emerged.
 Style of design is called feng shui seeks to bring a building into alignment
with environment in order to ensure the possible use of spiritual energy.
 Accomplished by placing doorways, staircases, windows and rooms in
certain geometrical locations.
 Practitioners also consider road configurations, environmental features,
location of entrances to the building.
 The building is constructed with the idea of balance and positive flow of
energy.
 TAOSIM TEACH US ABOUT
ECOLOGY
1.Follow the Earth
2.Harmony with nature
3.Too much success
4.Affluence in bio-
diversity
GROUP 8: TAOISM
Members:
 Jhedson Padoga
 Leonilyn Rizo
 Aldin Densing
 Anna Daralie Baring