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Taoism

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18 views

Taoism

Lesson

Uploaded by

kathleennace1
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TAOISM

Taoism
(pronounced Dao-
ism) is believed to
have originated
around 300 B.C. The
word "Tao" means
“the way” or “the
It was started by a child
name Lao Tzu who lived in
China around 600 B.C. He
is called Lao Tzu ("Old
Boy"), because nothing is
known of his youth or
origins.
The Doctrine of Morality is
Yin Yang
•Taoist symbol. "It represents
the balance of opposites in
the universe. When they are
equally present, all is calm.
When one is outweighed by
the other, there is confusion
and disarray."
Key Beliefs

of Taoism
TAO
•Tao is literally translated as
“the way” or “the path.”
•Taoists say that the “eternal
Tao” can never be truly
defined.
•A non-personal energy that
created, and resides in all
living things.
Wu Wei
•Literally translated
as “not doing.”
•Means not doing
anything that goes
against nature.
Wu
•Literally translated as
emptiness.
•The ideal state of mind,
empty of any thoughts or
desires that conflict with
the Tao.
Yin and Yang
•The two complimentary forces
that exist in nature.
•Yang represents everything
masculine and active.
•Yin represents everything
feminine and passive
•Too much of either is bad, a
balance needs to be achieved.
Qi
•Qi (or Chi) is literally
translated as “breath,” or “air”
•It is the life energy present in
all living things.
•The martial art of Tai Chi is
designed to aid the flow of Qi
throughout the body.
Key Figures

of Taoism
Lao Tzu (Laozi)
•Might have founded Taoism
•We are not sure if he existed
•Lao Tzu: Old Master
•If he did exist he could’ve been
Li Erh, an archivist
•He wrote Tao Te Ching
Huang Di
•Visited a Hermit who told him the
secret to Tao

•Changed the way he governed


people

•Earned the name “Yellow Emperor”

•The Greatest Emperor China has


ever seen
Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi)
[369-286BC]:
He is one of the
authors of the book
Chuang Tzu, a collection
of stories written in
prose form instead of
poetry that teaches Tao
from the perspective of
active, everyday life.
Yu-Huang
•Known as the Jade Emperor
•The Great High God
•Main job is to distribute
justice, which he does
through a court system of
Hell where evil deeds and
Yuan-shih T'ien-tsun
(The First Principal)
•He has no beginning and no
end

•Existed "before the void and


the silence, before primordial
chaos”
Rituals and
Practices

of Taoism
Rites and
Ceremonies
•Written memorial on behalf of
the people to their God’s
•Major festivals can last for
days
•Rites can vary from
purification, invocation of the
deities, prayers, consecration
Rituals
•Can involve tens and
hundreds of villages.

•Occur every five to ten


years.

•Communal Meals, Military


Parades, and plays
Tai Chi Chuan
•The martial arts form
practiced for balance
•Spiritual, emotional, and
mental aspects
•Form of movement
meditation
The “Three
Sages” from
a Taoist
Perspective
1) K'ung Fu-tse
(mispronounced "Confucius")
- considered life to be sour.
He felt that the world was a
disorderly place, which had
to be controlled.
2) Buddha - considered life
to be bitter. He saw the
world as full of pain and
illusion, full of attachments
and traps. He felt that we
must work spiritually to rise
above these things.
3) Lao-tse - considered life to be
perfect & wonderful as is. He
saw a natural harmony that
could be experienced by anyone
at anytime. He believed the
world to be a teacher of valuable
lessons, and that we should
embrace the wonder of every
moment.
Selected

Issues
•Inaction

•Superstitious
practices

•Environmentalism
Subdivisio
ns

of Taoism
SOUTHERN NORTHERN
TAOISM TAOISM
•Perform •Emphasizes
rituals and moral
exorcisms in
•Spiritual
public to align
discipline
the cosmos
•Also continues
•Frowned upon self-

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