( Da o i s m )

Taoism

S ca rn e ch ia , Ju li a n Phan,
s, Pau l
By Christopher Viva A ngelo Monroy
a Pa tc h e tt , an d
Giann
 a o : li te ra ll y me a n s th e "way",
T
Origins "path", or "principle"

Tao Te Ching

 g in s ( C o n t. )
Ori

Chuang Tzu (350 BCE):Philosopher, inheritor,

promoter, and further developed Taoism.
His teachings were based from Lao Tzu.
Chuang Tzu believed in living a nourishing life and
not to be corrupted by desires.
He and his disciples wrote the Chuang Tzu: his
teachings and practices.
 Philosophy & Religion: metaphysical,
Beliefs physical, mental potential, spiritualism,
meditation

Refrain from political and In achieving perfection and

social influences (DIFFERENT
from Confucianism).
Balance between Humanity,
Heaven, and Earth which
correlate to Mind, Spirit, and
Soul
Yin/Yang: universal harmony;
unity of opposites
successfully navigating through
life= immortality.
Seek and achieve personal
perfections through the natural
world.
Confusion= NO. Contentment/
Clarity= YES.
 Practices
Taoist rituals: the zhai rites.
Zhai(Purification): Confession of moral sins(considered
purification of the heart; also involved bathing and
fasting(purification of the body).
Quanzhen = the complete perfection. It is
dedicated to the Sanqing or the three purities. This
ritual is supposed to be performed everyday but is
usually only done on special occasions like the new and
full moons, and any major festival days.
 t A l c h e m y
Taois
Taoists believed that by studying the universe as well as
man, that unity would be created.
Chinese chemistry began to influence Taoists and they
began experimenting with Alchemy.
Alchemists wanted to find medicine to live forever.
Needed to be absorbed by the body.
Thought to be a special type of "gold".
Practice called "Waidan".
Alchemists also trained their bodies to be able to handle
transformations that were caused by "elixirs".
Ended up failing: External things could not created
immortality.
 Di s t r i b u ti o n

Two Taoist sects: Fangxian Tao and

Huanglao Tao.
High-level religion (wanted by high-class
people.)
Taoists changed their religion to appeal to
people's psychological views and needs.
 r n i n g P o i n ts
Major Tu
In the early stages of the religion, worshippers were monotheistic --
believing in only the Tao.
Soon moved on to honor Lao Tzu and other prominent Taoists.
Began to praise forces of nature, such as the sun, moon, ground, and
the tides, becoming dietistic.
Practices, such as Tai Chi, were meant to enforce values such as
patience and harmony with one's surroundings, thus making it an
effective and practical tool for those who practiced.
Taoist sects soon developed as the religion became commonplace in
China.
Multiple variations and pathways of Taoism soon sprung about
afterwards, such as institutional monasticism and concern for a spiritual
afterlife.
With influences from Buddhism, a portion of Daoist religious groups
adopted institutional monasticism and a greater concern for the life
beyond that of the mortal immortality.
 t P r a c t ic e s
Curren

Rituals are huge events in Taoism

Taoists usually perform rituals on special dates such as
holidays or the anniversaries of deceased loved ones.
One such practice is to lay out sacrifices to the spirits such as
fruits, vegetables, and slaughtered animals.
Another practice is called Communal Renewal which is the
action of inviting Gods to their sacred altar by means of
burning incense.
This ritual can last for many weeks
They also perform many street parades with many decorations
and costumes such as the Qingming festival in Taiwan and
parts of Hong Kong.
 t ic e s ( C o n t .)
C ur r e nt P r a c
Taoist philosophy has changed since
its initial creation.
Main philosophy is that of Tai Chi which
has been added to by the students of Lao
Tzu and later head figures of Taoism such
as Chen Chou-t'ung and Chiang Fa.
Some changes were the transition of the
Old Frame style to the New Frame style
which encouraged more respect towards
the Gods and spirits.

Even though many changes have been made to Taoism it still

retains original purpose of universal harmony (Ying and Yang)
and to stay away from political influences.
 an d C u lt u r a l Im p a c t s
Social, Political,
Taoism is practiced mainly in the Far East (China, Korea, Japan).
The main enclave of pure Taoism is Taiwan; has formally
established priests and rituals.
Taoism gaining popularity in North America
According to Encyclopedia of Christianity: 2.7 million adherents
of Taoism around the world.
Taoist philosophy, religion, and influence on Chinese culture,
offer insight to understanding China of the 21 century.
 c t s( C on t .)
Impa
Its abundant ideas for nourishing life, the Tao Te Ching has
drawn increasing global attention
Has stimulated interests of and inspired many foreign
philosophers, scientist, statesmen, and entrepreneur like
Bertrand Russell, Martin Heidegger, Albert Einstein
Several countries established organizations to promote these
universal values.
Taoist's hold for natural order made a particularly potent force
for environmental activism and protection.
 Impacts (Cont.)
Hua Tuo; famous Taoist doctor of the third century, was first to use a
type of anesthesia.
Hou Bai Yin Fang(400 C.E.): Collection of prescriptions for 101 diseases;
written by Ge Hong ; Contains the first known record of smallpox
Taoist alchemical experiments= the invention of gunpowder(niter,
sulfur, and carbonaceous substances); created the earliest fireproof
sealing material called six-one mud
Accountable for creating glass and preserving valuable data in writings.
Taoist scientific achievements in many other fields: cosmology, calendar
making, geography, geology, mineralogy, botany, zoology, pharmaceutics,
architecture, and psychology.
 QUIZ T I M E ! ! ! !
1) Who founded Taoism and when?

2) What three things that need balance according to

Taoism?

3) Why did Taoists stop practicing alchemy?

4) When do Taoists usually perform rituals?

5) Where is Taoism mainly practiced?

 AN S W E R S !

1) Lao Tzu in 550 BCE

2) Humanity, Heaven, and Earth

3) They discovered that external things could

not create immortality

4) Holidays or anniversaries

5) Far East (China, Korea, Japan)

 Bib l i og r a p h y
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<http://beholders.org/body/martial-arts/82-historytaichi.html>.
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Buckles, Father Luke. and Toropov, Brandon. The Complete Idiots Guide to World Religion:
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Center For Youth Studies. Taoism. 2012. 1 October 2012
<http://centerforyouth.org/files/PDF%20files/Religion%20pages/Taoism%20information.pdf>.
Center of Traditional Taoist Studies Organization. Center of Traditional Taoist Studies. 2009.
13 September 2012 <http://www.tao.org/>.
College, Chinese Arts. n.d. <http://www.taoiststudies.org/taoist_alchemy.html>.
Daoist Foundation. Daoist Ritual. 1 October 2012
<http://beholders.org/body/martial-arts/82-historytaichi.html>.
Hansen, Chad. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . 28 June 2007. 1 October 2012
<http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/taoism/>.
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<http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/history>.
Rabinowitz, Harold, et al. Religion in America. New York: The Reference Works, Inc., 2011.
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THE END! :D