Know about Daoism

Daoism ,or Taoism , is a philosophical and spiritual tradition of Chinese origin which emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (Chinese: 道; pinyin: Dào; lit. 'Way', or Dao).

 

In Daoism, the Dao is the source, pattern and substance of everything that exists. Daoism teaches about the various disciplines for achieving "perfection" by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the all, called "the way" or "Dao". Daoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasize wu wei (action without intention), "naturalness", simplicity, spontaneity and the Three Treasures: 慈, "compassion", 儉, "frugality" and 不敢爲天下先, "humility".

 

The roots of Daoism go back at least to the 4th century BCE. Early Daoism drew its cosmological notions from the School of Yinyang (Naturalists) and was deeply influenced by one of the oldest texts of Chinese culture, the I Ching, which expounds a philosophical system about how to keep human behavior in accordance with the alternating cycles of nature.

 

The "Legalist" Shen Buhai (c. 400 – c. 337 BCE) may also have been a major influence, expounding a realpolitik of wu wei, or qualified inaction. The Dao Te Ching, a book containing teachings attributed to Lao Tzu (老子; Lǎozǐ; Lao³ Tzŭ³), together with the later writings of Zhuangzi, are both widely considered the keystone works of Daoism.

 

Daoism has had a profound influence on Chinese culture over the centuries and Dao (道士; dàoshi, "masters of the Dao"), a title traditionally attributed only to the clergy and not to their lay followers, usually take care to note the distinction between their ritual tradition and the practices of Chinese folk religion and non-Daoist vernacular ritual orders, which are often mistakenly identified as pertaining to Daoism. Chinese alchemy (especially neidan), Chinese astrology, Chan (Zen) Buddhism, several martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, feng shui and many styles of qigong have been intertwined with Daoism throughout history.

 

Today, the Daoist tradition is one of the five religious doctrines officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.It is also a major religion in Taiwan[7] and claims adherents in a number of other societies, in particular in Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia.