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What is the Tao? Evolution of Philosophical and Religious Taoism

China is known as a place of great mysticism and lore. The Chinese culture is commonly associated with a celebration of mythical heroes, gods, and mythical creatures like the dragon. The myths of China can be traced back nearly 4,000 years, and include different belief systems such as Taoism, Confucianism, and Chinese Buddhism (Willis). For the purposes of this text, the focus will center on the spiritual and cultural beliefs of the followers of Taoism and its evolution from philosophy to religion.
"The founder of Taoism is believed by many to be Lao-Tzu (604-531 BCE), a contemporary of Confucius" (religioustolerance.org). Some say that the book Tao-Te Ching which is the foundation for the Taoist philosophy was written by Lao Tzu to end the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime, but some see him as a mythical character (IBID). As Taoism evolved from a philosophy to a religious faith in 440AD, Lao Tzu became venerated as a deity and thus became an even more important figure for followers of the Tao.
Also very important to the Taoist belief system are the immortals. Taoist immortals are considered "patron saints" of the Taoist belief. Their importance to the culture is reflected in its arts. Images of them can be found in porcelain, wood, ivory and metal reproductions and in paintings. They were representative of typical individuals and represented wealth and poverty, old age and youth, male and female. It was believed that the average human being could learn the secrets of nature and become immortal. These immortals were idolized for wisdom, humor, and moral lessons and became legends that almost every common person was intimately aware of. Only eight immortals are officially recognized in religious Taoism, but legends describe several more (qi-journal.com).
Only the eight will be addressed here. They are as follows: Li T'ieh-kuai-the patron of the sick, Zhongli Quan-messenger of heaven and patron saint of the military, LU DongBin-patron deity of barbers and scholars, Han Ziang-patron deity of musicians, CAO GuoJiu-patron of actors, ZHANG GuoLao-the emblem of old men, LAN CaiHe-the patron deity of florists, and HE XianGu-the only female of the primary eight immortals (chinapage.org ).
Although Taoism acknowledges immortals and supreme beings, this is not the central theme of the Taoist belief system. The Taoist priesthood views the many gods as manifestations of the one Tao (religioustolerance.org). The idea of the Tao is the notion of a natural force that courses through all things and all people. This idea differs greatly from most religious myths in that the focus is not placed on a god or other personified deity but rather on an invisible omnipresent force that simply exists.
The religions of the Western world tell stories of powerful gods who affect the lives of mankind with their decisions; so clearly the notion that the ways of the world correspond to a natural order as apposed to the will of a deity is a difficult concept for some to grasp. To further complicate things, just finding a definition for the Tao is difficult. The word Tao is roughly translated into English as path; it is often referred to as the way. It is said to be indefinable something that has to be experienced. "It refers to a power, which envelops, surrounds, and flows through all things living and non-living. The Tao regulates natural processes and nourishes balance in the Universe. It embodies the harmony of opposites (i.e. there would be no love without hate, no light without dark, no male without female)" (religioustolerance.org).
While this is a foreign concept in the Judeo-Christian cultures, the notion of an energy existing in all things is common in some American Indian beliefs and is reflected in our entertainment media. Consider the following quote from star wars: "The Force is what gives the Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." compare this to the teachings of the Tao and it becomes quite evident that Taoist philosophy has influenced people all over the world (exn.ca).
State support for Taoism ended, with the end of the Ch'ing Dynasty in 1911. Much of the Taoist heritage was destroyed during the next period of warlordism. After the Communists took control in 1949, religious freedom was severely restricted and Taoism suffered greatly. The new communist government turned monks into slaves forcing them into labor, seized Taoist temples, and plundered relics and treasures important to the old Taoist culture. Over time, the millions of monks in the area steadily declined in numbers and were reduced to less than 50,000 by 1960. During the Cultural Revolution in China from 1966 to 1976, much of the remaining Taoist heritage was destroyed doing further damage to the once strong Taoist presence in China (religioustolerance.org).
Taoism currently has about 20 million followers, and is primarily centered in Taiwan. About 40,000 Taoists live in North America and over 1,500 reside in Canada according to census information.
Works Cited:
QI: The Journal of Traditional health and fitness
qi-journal.com/philosophy.asp?-token.SearchID=Immortals
http://www.chinapage.org/8-immortal.html
http://www.exn.ca/starwars/taoism.cfm
WWW.religioustolerance.org
World Mythology
Willis, Roy
Henry Holt and Company
1993
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