Tao and Taoism Concept

What Is Taoism?

Tao is a metaphysical concept originating in Taoism that has been adopted in

Confucianism, Chan and Zen Buddhism and more broadly in East Asian religions and
ancient Chinese philosophy. While the word itself literally translates as 'way', 'path', or
'route', or sometimes more loosely as 'doctrine' or 'principle', it is generally used to signify
the primordial essence or fundamental aspect of the universe. In Taoist philosophy the
word Tao is not generally considered to be a 'name' for a 'thing': it is a reference to the
natural order of existence, often referred to as the "eternally nameless” (Tao Te Ching-.
Lao-Tzu) to distinguish it from the countless 'named' things which are considered to be its
manifestations. In Buddhism and Confucianism, by contrast, Tao has come to refer to the
outcome of meditative or moral practices (respectively), which is closer in meaning to the
Taoist concept of Te (virtue).
In all its uses, Tao is considered to have ineffable qualities that prevent it from being
defined or expressed in words. It can, however, be known or experienced, and its principles
can be followed or practiced. Much of East Asian philosophical writing focuses on the value
of adhering to the principles of Tao and the various consequences of failing to do so. In
Confucianism and religious forms of Taoism these are often explicitly moral/ethical
arguments about proper behavior, while Buddhism and more philosophical forms of
Taoism usually refer to the natural and mercurial outcomes of action (comparable to
karma). Tao is intrinsically related to the concepts yin and yang, where every action creates
counter-actions as unavoidable movements within manifestations of the Tao, and proper
practice variously involves accepting, conforming to, or working with these natural
developments

The word "tao" (道) has a variety of meanings in both ancient and modern Chinese
language. Aside from its purely prosaic use to mean road, channel, path, doctrine, or
similar, the word has acquired a variety of differing and often confusing metaphorical,
philosophical and religious uses. In most belief systems, Tao is used symbolically in its
sense of 'way' as the 'right' or 'proper' way of existence, or in the context of ongoing
practices of attainment or of the full coming into being, or the state of enlightenment or
spiritual perfection that is the outcome of such practices. Some scholars make sharp
distinctions between moral or ethical usage of the word Tao that is prominent in
Confucianism and religious Taoism and the more metaphysical usage of the term used in
philosophical Taoism and most forms of Mahayana Buddhism; others maintain that these
are not separate usages or meanings, seeing them as mutually inclusive and compatible
approaches to defining the concept. The original use of the term was as a form of Praxis
rather than theory - a term used as a convention to refer to something that otherwise
cannot be discussed in words - and early writings such as the Tao Te Ching and the I Ching
make pains to distinguish between conceptions of Tao (sometimes referred to as "named
Tao") and the Tao itself (the "unnamed Tao"), which cannot be expressed or understood in
language .Liu Da asserts that Tao is properly understood as an experiential and evolving
concept, and that there are not only cultural and religious differences in the interpretation
of Tao, but personal differences that reflect the character of individual practitioners.
Tao can be roughly thought of the flow of the universe, or as some essence or pattern
behind the natural world that keeps the universe balanced and ordered.It is related to the
idea of qi, the essential energy of action and existence. Tao is a non-dual concept - it is the
greater whole from which all the individual elements of the universe derive. Keller
considers it similar to the negative theology of Western scholars, but Tao is rarely an object
of direct worship, being treated more like the Indian concepts of karma or dharma than as
a divine object.Tao is more commonly expressed in the relationship between wu (void or
emptiness, in the sense of wuji) and yinyang (the natural dynamic balance between
opposites), leading to its central principle of wu wei (non-action, or action without force).
Tao is usually described in terms of elements of nature, and in particular as similar to
water. Like water it is undifferentiated, endlessly self-replenishing, soft and quiet but
immensely powerful, and impassively generous. Much of Taoist philosophy centers on the
cyclical continuity of the natural world, and its contrast to the linear, goal-oriented actions
of human beings

"In a nutshell, Taoism is the consolidation of a number of concepts and practices that make
up the "Path", or "Way", of living. The consolidation of ideas and concepts include basic
principles or "theories" regarding the body, diet, breathing and physical exercises, uses of
herbs, philosophical inquiry and, of course, meditation. All of which the Taoist feels brings
a human being into closer alignment with the "natural order" of life and living - a pathway
that humankind appears to have gotten derailed from."

That's a pretty complete definition. But it lacks the poetry inherent in Taoism. Let's quote
straight from the source, Lao-Tze's the Tao Te Ching.

"The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao.

The Name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth.
the named is the mother of all things."

Tao is a force. It's not a God, it's not some sentient being controlling the universe. It just
IS. It's everywhere, all at once. It flows through the entire world, and we're all affected by
it, even if we don't realize it. Here's an example of someone experiencing Tao.
That's Tao right there. Tao is everything that's natural, all the laws of physics, the laws of
science, the nature of the world. It affects every squirrel, every raccoon, every person. In
other words, Tao is the world and the way it works.

A Brief History Of Taoism

Taoism is a Chinese philosophy that first began, scholars believe, sometime around the
time of Confucius, perhaps the most infamous Chinese philosopher, who lived around the
years 500 to 600 B.C.E.

Around this time, many schools of thought were beginning to permeate China; so many, in
fact,that they later became known as the "Hundred Schools" of Chinese thought. However,
the two major contenders of this time were Confucianism and Taoism.

While the Confucians strictly adhered to certain rituals and social laws of etiquette, the
Taoists were much more icnonclastic. They were different from everyone else. They holed
up in mountain retreats, roamed the countryside, were said to be able to perform magic
and unbelievable feats of martial arts. Some, it was rumoured, had even mastered the
secret of life, and were immortal. (Chichiri, from the anime Fushigi Yuugi, was one of these
wandering Taoists. See picture ot the right).

The Taoists were also scholars. They archived tome after tome of priceless information,
which came to be treasured by modern scholars. Books of medicine, painting, sculpture,
martial arts, literature, and countless other subjects have been attributed to Taoist authors.

Taoism slowly faded however, partially due to it's monastic nature and political strife in
the country. As China experienced revolution after bloody revolution, Taoists found it
harder and harder to practce their arts. The sage-like, mysterious Taoist of old has now all
but disappeared from the world, but Taoism, and it's practices, are still being taught today,
both in China and in other countries around the world.

Taoism in unlimited; there's so much to learn and explore that I haven't even started to
scratch the very surface of the surface of the subject here. I highly reccomend that people
read as much as they can, and apply what they read ot their daily lives.

Zen is Zen, Tao is Tao

I understand that the title of this thread “That was Zen, This is Tao” is a play on words.
For our foreign members who may not understand the pun, the original phrase in
English is “That was then, this is now.”
Nevertheless, I think this play on words may give a false impression of what Zen was,
and what it is now. Although both Zen and Taoism obviously lead to a similar goal, their
methods for getting there are quite different. They may be two roads leading to the same
destination, but they are most definitely two different roads.
The idea that Taoism and Chan (Zen) were cross-fertilized is a typical modern
misunderstanding, and one that is usually perpetuated by scholars (and usually Western
ones) — not Chan masters. Taoism and Chan have separate histories. In the
development of Chan in China, none of the six patriarchs had any influence from
Taoism. Bodhidharma (Da Mo), Hui Ke, and Seng Can all taught at Shaolin. Dao Xing,
Hong Ren, and Hui Neng taught at Baolin and Dongshan (both Buddhist temples).
One need only to look at the priests of Taoism and Zen to see some of the differences:
Zen monks shave their head, are vegetarian, avoid wine and intoxication, value the
Heart Sutra, and practice celibacy; Taoist priests generally have a full head of hair, drink
wine, value the Dao De Jing, and are permitted to have wives (and sex!).
Or we might look at their meditation techniques. In Zen, practitioners keep their mind
on the void. In Taoism, visualization is used extensively in meditation. From a Zen
perspective, these visualizations are considered a “deviation” because they cause
thoughts to arise, which conflict sharply with Zen teachings (but not with Taoist
teachings).
Chan talks about no mind (wu xin), and Taoism talks about the extreme void (wu ji). To
a Western ear, these terms may sound similar, but upon closer examination, they are
obviously quite different. Of course, both terms refer to “cosmic reality” and are thus
similar. But this does not point to a link between Taoism and Chan; it points to a link
between all of the world's religions, all of which point to the concept of this “cosmic
reality.”
Bodhidharma's teaching can be summarized as follows:
o Not recorded in language and words.
o Transmission beyond the tradition.
o Directly pointing at the mind.
o Entering Buddhahood in an instant.

These concepts (which I have no time to explain at the moment) are vastly different
from Sarvastivada (which is essentially a Hinayana school) teachings. Actually,
Bodhidharma's teachings were a reaction AGAINST Sarvastivada teachings, not a
continuation of them.
As for Zen Buddhism being different today than it was in the past — this depends on
where we look, just as it does with Kungfu. If we look at modern Shaolin Wushu, we
might say that Kungfu is different today than it was practiced in the past. But if we look
at genuine Kungfu schools, we might say that it is very much the same.
The knowledge in Zen is also extensive, but of a different nature than the knowledge
found in Taoism. Zen has different goals. A simple comparison of the two traditions is as
follows:
Taoist medicine is based on Yin-Yang and the Five Elemental Processes (Wu Xing). Zen
medicine (which is insignificant compared to Taoist medicine) is based on the “Four
Greats” of Metal, Water, Air, and Fire. These two medical systems are characteristically
different.
The signature Taoist martial art is Taijiquan. The signature Zen martial art is
Shaolinquan. While there are many similarities between them, Taijiquan is Taijiquan
and Shaolinquan is Shaolinquan. If they were the same, Sifu Wong would not teach
them as separate arts.
Taoist qigong and Zen qigong are also characteristically different, though they have had
many mutual influences. In my opinion, Taoist qigong is richer than Zen qigong. An
example of Taoist qigong in our school is Dantian Breathing. An example of Zen qigong
is Sinew Metamorphosis.

Grandmaster Wong demonstrating a Taijiquan pattern known as “Green Dragon

Plays with Pearl”

The category of Divination, which is very important in Taoism, is completely absent in

Zen. This is mainly because the Buddha advised Buddhist monks not to use their psychic
powers for divination.
In both Taoism and Zen, meditation is the main method towards the highest spiritual
attainment. But the approaches, as I have explained in an earlier post, are
characteristically different. Taoist meditation is rich in visualization, whereas
visualization is discouraged in Zen meditation.
I'm quite satisfied with what I've learned in this long thread. The lack of evidence to
substantiate the claim that Zen is an offshoot of Taoism — not only in this thread but in
my own research — is surprising. When I compare this lack of evidence with the
mountain of evidence offered against the claim, then it is even clearer to me now than
when we started this discussion that Zen is Zen, and Tao is Tao.