Daoism (A Brief Overview)

Daoism - Background

• Claimed to be founded by Laozi (“the wise old man”) at a similar time as Confucius, although his existence is disputed.

• Daoism can be described as a religio-philosophical native Chinese tradition.

• It is also called Taoism.

Daoism - Beliefs

• The central idea of Daoism is “the Dao” (translated to “the Way”) which represents the moral path for humans to follow, and the source of all life.

• Daoism teaches that human beings should be dependent on and in harmony with nature.

• Daoists believe in the unity of all existence and the unity of the dark, feminine characteristics of Yin and the light, masculine characteristics of Yang.

• Going with the flow and lack of government are other principles in Daoism.

Daoist Readings

• One of the most famous Daoist texts is The Classic on the Way and Its Power (Dao de jing), which is attributed to Laozi and is about forming a utopian, primitive society. It also has advice for rulers.

• Another important text is the Zhuangzi, which is attributed to an author of the same name and is about many philosophical topics. It also has mythological stories about figures from the past.

Comparisons with Other Chinese Beliefs

• Daoists try to distinguish their beliefs and practices by differentiating them from the beliefs and practices of other religions. However, Daoism does overlap in some ways with other belief systems.

• Confucianism tends to deal with social rules and structures, while Daoism tends to deal with the meaning and purpose of life.

• Daoism is more focused on the ritual, natural and spiritual realms than Legalism and Confucianism, which focus more on government and society.

• People from lower classes (the common people who faced more suffering) were more likely to be Daoist than Legalist or Confucian for the reasons mentioned in the last two bulleted points.

Daoism- Turning Points

• Daoism was originally not widely accepted.

• Individual beliefs and texts were added to the Daoist

tradition as time went on and the beliefs became more widespread, especially during the third and fourth centuries CE.

• Aspects of Chinese folk religions, a priesthood and rituals were some important additions to the tradition.

• ● In the early fifteenth century Daoist texts were compiled and edited into a canon that is still used today.

Daoism Today

• Daoism is most prominent today in Taiwan, with temples and priests residing on the island. It is still prevalent in China but it was suppressed by Mao Zedong. It saw a resurgence after his death, but it has declined in recent years.

• The Chinese Daoist Association governs the religion in China.

Daoism- Conclusion

● Daoism is the most spiritual of the three main Chinese belief systems, and has beliefs, priests and texts like main world religions. It has ancient beginnings but is still followed by millions of people today, especially in China and Taiwan.