The Tao Te Ching is a Chinese classic text and foundational work of Taoism written around 400 BC and traditionally credited to the sage Laozi,though the text's authorship,date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion dates back to the late 4th century BC,but modern scholarship dates other parts of the text as having been written—or at least compiled—later than the earliest portions of the Zhuangzi.
Taoism or Daoism is a diverse tradition indigenous to China,variously characterized as both a philosophy and a religion. Taoism emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao—generally understood as being the impersonal,enigmatic process of transformation ultimately underlying reality. The concept originates in the Chinese word 道,which has numerous related meanings:possible English translations include 'way','road',and 'technique'. Taoist thought has informed the development of various practices within the Taoist tradition and beyond,including forms of meditation,astrology,qigong,feng shui,and internal alchemy. A common goal of Taoist practice is self-cultivation resulting in a deeper appreciation of the Tao,and thus a more harmonious existence. There are different formulations of Taoist ethics,but there is generally emphasis on virtues such as effortless action,naturalness or spontaneity,simplicity,and the three treasures of compassion,frugality,and humility. Many Taoist terms lack simple definitions and have been translated in several different ways.
In Taoism,related traditions,and other Chinese religions and sects who incorporate it into their worldviews,the Tao or Dao is the natural way of the universe,whose character one's intuition must discern to realize the potential for individual wisdom,as conceived in the context of East Asian philosophy,religion,and related traditions. This seeing of life cannot be grasped as a concept. Rather,it is seen through actual living experience of one's everyday being. Its name derives from a Chinese character with meanings including 'way','path','road',and sometimes 'doctrine' or 'principle'.
Laozi,also romanized as Lao Tzu and various other ways,was a semi-legendary ancient Chinese philosopher,author of the Tao Te Ching,the foundational text of Taoism along with the Zhuangzi. Laozi is a Chinese honorific,typically translated as "the Old Master". Modern scholarship generally regards his biographical details as invented,and his opus a collaboration. Traditional accounts say he was born as Li Er in the state of Chu in the 6th century BC during China's Spring and Autumn period,served as the royal archivist for the Zhou court at Wangcheng,met and impressed Confucius on one occasion,and composed the Tao Te Ching in a single session before retiring into the western wilderness.
The Mawangdui Silk Texts are Chinese philosophical and medical works written on silk which were discovered at the Mawangdui site in Changsha,Hunan,in 1973. They include some of the earliest attested manuscripts of existing texts,two copies of the Tao Te Ching,a copy of Zhan Guo Ce,works by Gan De and Shi Shen,and previously unknown medical texts such as Wushi'er Bingfang. Scholars arranged them into 28 types of silk books. Their approximately 120,000 words cover military strategy,mathematics,cartography,and the six classical arts:ritual,music,archery,horsemanship,writing,and arithmetic.
The Three Pure Ones,also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones,the Three Pristine Ones,the Three Divine Teachers,the Three Clarities,or the Three Purities,are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are regarded as pure manifestations of the Tao and the origin of all sentient beings,along with the "lords of the Three Life Principles or 'Breaths' (qi)". They were also gods who were "associated with the sky,the earth and the underworld."
Wu wei is an ancient Chinese concept literally meaning "inexertion","inaction",or "effortless action". Wu wei emerged in the Spring and Autumn period,with early literary examples in Confucianism. It is an important concept in Chinese statecraft and Daoism. It was most commonly used to refer to an ideal form of government including the behavior of the emperor,describing a state of personal harmony,free-flowing spontaneity and laissez-faire. It can also generally denotes a state of spirit or state of mind,and in Confucianism,it accords with conventional morality.
Zhang Ling,courtesy name Fuhan,was a Chinese religious leader who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty credited with founding the Way of the Celestial Masters sect of Taoism,which is also known as the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice,and he is credited as being the founder of Taoism in legend.
Dantian is a concept in traditional Chinese medicine loosely translated as "elixir field","sea of qi",or simply "energy center". Dantian are the "qi focus flow centers",important focal points for meditative and exercise techniques such as qigong,martial arts such as tai chi,and in traditional Chinese medicine.
Chinese alchemy is an ancient Chinese scientific and technological approach to alchemy,a part of the larger tradition of Taoist body-spirit cultivation developed from the traditional Chinese understanding of medicine and the body. According to original texts such as the Cantong qi,the body is understood as the focus of cosmological processes summarized in the five agents of change,or Wuxing,the observation and cultivation of which leads the practitioner into alignment and harmony with the Tao. Therefore,the traditional view in China is that alchemy focuses mainly on longevity and the purification of one's spirit,mind and body,providing,health,longevity and wisdom,through the practice of Qigong and wuxingheqidao. The consumption and use of various concoctions known as alchemical medicines or elixirs,each of which having different purposes but largely were concerned with immortality.
Many Chinese proverbs exist,some of which have entered English in forms that are of varying degrees of faithfulness. A notable example is "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step",from the Dao De Jing,ascribed to Laozi. They cover all aspects of life,and are widely used in everyday speech,in contrast to the decline of the use of proverbs in Western cultures. The majority are distinct from high literary forms such as xiehouyu and chengyu,and are common sayings of usually anonymous authorship,originating through "little tradition" rather than "great tradition".
Bill Porter is an American author who translates under the pen-name Red Pine. He is a translator of Chinese texts,primarily Taoist and Buddhist,including poetry and sūtras. In 2018,he won the American Academy of Arts &Letters Thornton Wilder Prize for translation.
The Northern Celestial Masters are an evolution of the Daoist Way of the Celestial Master in the north of China during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The Northern Celestial Masters were a continuation of the Way as it had been practiced in Sichuan province by Zhang Lu and his followers. After the community was forced to relocate in 215 CE,a group of Celestial Masters established themselves in Northern China. Kou Qianzhi,from a family who followed the Celestial Master,brought a new version of Celestial Master Daoism to the Northern Wei. The Northern Wei government embraced his form of Daoism and established it as the state religion,thereby creating a new Daoist theocracy that lasted until 450 CE. The arrival of Buddhism had great influence on the Northern Celestial Masters,bringing monasticism and influencing the diet of practitioners. Art produced in areas dominated by the Northern Celestial Masters also began to show Buddhist influence. When the theocracy collapsed,many Daoists fled to Louguan,which quickly became an important religious center. The Northern Celestial Masters survived as a distinct school at Louguan until the late 7th century CE,when they became integrated into the wider Daoist movement.
The history ofTaoism stretches throughout Chinese history. Originating in prehistoric China,it has exerted a powerful influence over Chinese culture throughout the ages. Taoism evolved in response to changing times,with its doctrine and associated practices being revised and refined. The acceptance of Taoism by the ruling class has waxed and waned,alternately enjoying periods of favor and rejection. Most recently,Taoism has emerged from a period of suppression and is undergoing a revival in China.
The Huangdi Sijing are long-lost Chinese texts,manuscripts of which were discovered among the Mawangdui Silk Texts in 1973. Also known as the Huang-Lao boshu,they are thought by modern scholars to reflect a lost branch of early syncretist Daoism,referred to as the "Huang–Lao school of thought" named after the legendary Huangdi and Laozi. One finds in it "technical jargon" derived of Taoism,Legalism,Confucianism and Mohism.
Huang–Lao was the most influential Chinese school of thought in the early Han dynasty,having its origins in a broader political-philosophical drive looking for solutions to strengthen the feudal order as depicted in Zhou politics. Not systematically explained by historiographer Sima Qian,it is generally interpreted as a school of Syncretism,developing into a major religion,the beginnings of religious Taoism.
Taoist meditation,also spelled Daoist,refers to the traditional meditative practices associated with the Chinese philosophy and religion of Taoism,including concentration,mindfulness,contemplation,and visualization. The earliest Chinese references to meditation date from the Warring States period.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Taoism:
Heshang Gong is the reputed author of one of the earliest commentaries on the Tao Te Ching of Laozi to survive to modern times,which is dated to the latter part of the Han dynasty. He was reputedly a reclusive Chinese hermit from the 1st century CE.
Taoist Art relates to the Taoist philosophy and narratives of Lao-tzu that promote "living simply and honestly and in harmony with nature."
