Taoism
Part I
What is the human condition?
Humans are subject to changes, ascending and descending in their lives; People are born and they die. They should follow the natural order thus feelings, and needs should be allowed to manifest themselves as part of nature. Until the liberation is attained, they go through reincarnation. However, it should be noted that Taoism created by Lao Tzu doesn’t mention human condition thus no reincarnation. It is later joined in Hsien Taoism 200 year later.
What is the goal?
The Tao is the ultimate goal of Taoism. It could mean many things: God, the Truth, or the source of existence. To gain access to the Tao is to become an Immortal. When achieving the understanding of the natural world, one would gain experiential access to world’s wisdom and power, unifying with the primordial unity. At this point, he is in harmony with the world; anything he does benefits everything (Wu Wei).
How do we get there?
Meditation, inner alchemy and gigong forms are important to develop the understanding of the natural world. They are meant to focus awareness on the breath and flow of qi through bodies. The Taoist practice of aimless wandering through the natural world is supposed to rekindle the curiosity in nature and teach how to communicate with the spirits. There are many ways to attain the Tao as long as one respects the nature and acknowledges its change or impermanence, which leads to the Tao.
Part II
Key Concepts
1. Daojia and Daojiao – they are knowledge about two aspects of Taoism; Daojia is the philosophical Taoism that pertains to reflections of the Taoist sages, whose primary texts are Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi. Daojiao is the religious Taoism that explains religious activities of Taoism such as rituals and ceremonies.
2. Tao – it is the goal of Taoism. Explanation at “What is the goal?”
3. Yin and Yang – the elementary energies representing femininity and masculinity, which complement each other. They symbolize the balance of polarities, which produce the natural world. They are inter-related and mutually dependent; one cannot exist without another. The mixing movement represents its interrelationship and continuous interchanging into each other. The colors of white and black emphasize coexistence while little circles within them mean interdependent nature. Basically, it’s quintessential embodiment of interdependent balance.
4. Qi – the energy or force that every being requires to live on. It flows through meridians, which are the channels in the body in order to energize. It is central to the yogic Taoism.
5. The Five Elements – they are the five basic constituents of the natural world: metal, water, wood, fire and earth. The Ten-Thousand Things is the expression of the various ways that the five elements can combine to produce all the things in the natural world. They support and destroy each other, depending on their nature and connection.
6. Inner Alchemy (neidan) or Qigong – It’s a way to utilize and strengthen Qi in the body. Three types of Qi called The Three Treasure of Jing, Qi and Shen are cultivated by practicing Inner Alchemy, which eventually lead to the Tao. Inner Alchemy also implies that human bodies are vessels for the spiritual journey rather than something to be transcended; bodies are to be cultivated not to be tortured by starvation.
7. The Three Treasures – They are types of Qi that can be strengthened by Qigong practice. Jing or reproductive energy is located in the lower dantian of the lower abdomen. Qi or life energy is located in the middle dantian of the thoracic cavity aroud the heart. Shen or spiritual energy is located in the upper dantian of the head. Three dantians are the places for storing Qi.
8. The Three Purities – they are three highest deities like Trinity, representing three aspects of the divine nature. The Jade Pure One (Yuqing) a.k.a the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning is the central deity of the Three Purities. He appeared simultaneously at the beginning of time. He is known to create the writing system with the pattern of the world. So he is honored as the source of learning and author of the Taoist scriptures. The Supreme Pure One also known as The Celetial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure is the attendant of the Jade Pure One with the task of teaching the lesser beings Taoist scriptures. Lastly, The Grand Pure One also known as The Celestial Worthy of the Way and its Power manages the human world, appearing in many forms, one of which is Laozi, author of the Tao Te Ching.
9. The Bagua – The eight trigrams made for divination systems: Yijing and Fenshui, using Yin and Yang.
10. Grott-Heaven and Wholesome Earths – the imaginary place in China’s sacred mountains where Immortals reside. However it generally refers to places where spiritual energy is potent. The terrestrial branch of Fengshui and the practice of aimless wandering are relevant to those places.
Ritual
Worship
Baibai – It is the practice of offering incense to an altar, which represents the separation of pure from impure. Falling ashes are impure air that sinks whereas the smoke is pure air that rises. This practice also renders the human body as a connection to earth and sky with metaphors of ashes and smoke.
The arrangement of objects varies from sect to sect however there is a general style. The Sacred Lamp is centrally placed in front of the Deity being honored, representing the light of the Tao that permeates the entire cosmos. Two candles are placed on both sides of the Lamp, representing the moon or Yin and the sun or Yang. Three cups are located in front of the Lamp. The left cup contains water for Yang. The right one contains tea for Yin and the center on contains grains of uncooked rice for the union of Yin and Yang since rice demands both energy of Earth and Sky to grow. Five Plates of Fruit and Five Bowls of Food follows after the cups, representing the Five Elements. Fruits represent earlier heaven form characterized by a creative relationship between the elements whereas the food represents a destructive relationship. Lastly, an incense burner is located in front of the plates and bowls, representing the lower abdominal area of human body called lower Dantian where heat is generated to purify the Three Treasure. Within it, three incense sticks represent the Three Treasure.
It’s a fundamental practice that incorporates the idea of yogic Taoism and the Tao: Three Treasures, Ying and Yang, Five Elements etc. The purpose of it is to pray.
Festivals
There are seven major Taoist holidays based on lunar calendar: Chinese New year, Lantern Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Ghost Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Day. They are also traditional Chinese festivals that are not so specific to Taoism alone.
Chinese New Year is celebrated by many religions, however the majority of the deities are Taoist: the Jade Emperor, the Kitchen God, Hongjun Laozu, Tainguan.
Lantern Festival celebrates the first full moon of the year and commemorates the birthday of Tianguan, Taoist god responsible for good fortune. On that day, people hang lanterns and walk with them, enjoying Tangyuan- a kind of dumpling made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with sweet feelings. Eating the sticky Tangyuan symbolizes family unity (sticking together) and happiness.
Tomb Sweeping Day is meant to celebrate the coming of spring and to remember the ancestors with the burning of joss paper called spirit money.
Ghost Festival is to honor the ancestors when the lines of communication between the three realms of Heaven, Hell and Earth are more open than any other times. The ghosts and sprits come to the living unlike Tomb Sweeping Day where the living visits the dead. Joss paper is used and empty seats are left in a table to invite the ancestors. Another tradition is floating down a small paper boats to guide the ancestors back to where they belong.
Double Ninth Festival is on 9th day of the 9th lunar month where nine is the typical yang number in Chinese numerology. A day with two nines is considered to be imbalanced so people go hiking or drink chrysanthemum wine to protect themselves from two much of yang energy. The climbing of mountains represents climbing to a higher position, symbolic of an increase in health, happiness and prosperity as well as longevity that the number nine is also associated with. Chrysanthemum is supposed to have many physical and spiritual benefits. Traditionally flower cake is consumed as well because rice cakes are called gao which is homophone for height, linking back to climbing the mountain. The last tradition is that people carry dogwood as a way to prevent disease and protect health and prosperity.
However I got the impression that most of them are based on Confucius ideas: Family, ancestors, though Double Ninth day is authentically Taoist. Confucius and Taoist ideas govern China.
Sacred Text
Tao Te Ching is the most important scripture in Taoism, written by Laozi (Lao Tzu), creator of Taoism. Tao means way – the natural order of the universe. Te means virtue and Ching means a canon, therefore Tao Te Ching is the canon of the way and virtue. The book is composed of 81 short poems, ranging from political advice of rulers to practical wisdom for people. Metaphor and poetry are used frequently in the text, implying the Tao cannot be taught explicitly but it should be achieved by experience while learning Tao Te Ching is supposed to help the thinking.
The first lines of the Tao Te Ching state that the Tao is ineffable, transcending language. Texts cannot teach the Tao.
The Way that can be told of is not an unvarying way;
The names that can be named are not unvarying names.
It was from the Nameless that Heaven and Earth sprang;
The named is but the mother that rears the Ten Thousand Things, each after its kind. (chap. 1, tr.Waley)
The Tao Te Ching promotes knowledge and humility. Knowledge in Taoism is not only about knowing facts but also about the self thus creating humility. It is based on teaching how to act at an individual level.
Knowing others is wisdom;
Knowing the self is enlightenment.
Mastering others requires force;
Mastering the self requires strength;
He who knows he has enough is rich.
Perseverance is a sign of will power.
He who stays where he is endures.
To die but not to perish is to be eternally present. (chap. 33, tr. Feng and English)
The Tao Te Ching recognizes polarity and relativity of the world, rendering them natural. Nothing is forced but fluid.
When Beauty is recognized in the World
Ugliness has been learned;
When Good is recognized in the Wordl
Evil has been learned
In this way:
Alive and dead are abstracted from growth;
Difficult and easy are abstracted from progess;
Far and near are abstracted from position;
Strong and weak are abstracted from control;
Song and speech are abstracted from harmony;
After and before are abstracted from sequence.
Many translations are written by people with a foundation in Chinese language and philosophy who try to convey the original meaning. However, it is written in classical Chinese, which is hard for well-educated native speakers to understand. When I was trying to get a copy of it, the most popular version of Tao Te Ching in Amazon is written by an author who doesn’t understand Chinese. I guess even the inaccurate translation doesn’t void its authority. More like, there is no authority on it because everything comes from personal interpretation so if the inaccurate version gives some ideas, it’s good, because one learns something.
Doctrines and Beliefs
Key Doctrine
The key doctrine is conforming to the nature so to attain the Tao. Wu-Wei is an example of it. It is the action of non-action referring to a state where actions are naturally conforming without a thought or effort to the world or “going with the flow”. In the Tao Te Ching Laozi introduces his ideal of the enlightened leader with the principles of Wu Wei, who is able to rule in a way that creates happiness and prosperity for all. The practice of Wu Wei is the highest form of virtue that is not premeditated yet spontaneous. There are kinds: Wu Nien – the thought of non-thought, Wu Shin – the mind of non-mind. It is emphasized in philosophical Taoism even though it a shared idea among all the denominations. It is not particularly intended for anyone: any Taoist pursues it.
Different schools of though / denominations
There are three main types of Taoist practice: Quanzhen (complete reality), Lingbao (Numinous Treasure), and Shangqing (Highest Clarity).
Quanzhen focuses on the Inner Alchemy, primarily concerned with longevity and immortality through the alchemy. Following the nature for the Tao, studying the Five Elements and Yin and Yen are important. Its Qigong is so akin to raja yoga. So it is the yogic Taoism.
Lingbao focuses on religious ideas along with reincarnation borrowed from Buddhism. Five Talismans is the most important text. So it is the religious Taoism: it’s more based on ceremonies and rituals.
Shangqing focuses on meditation techniques with the recitation of the sacred canon, which transforms an attitude toward life; knowledge changes life. So it is philosophical Taoism.
Cosmogony and Cosmology
In the beginning is Wuji or Tao (Undifferentiated Unity). From it, Qi emerges, represented by complementary Yin and Yang – the emergence of duality/polarity out of the Unity or Tao. From Yin and Yang, the Five Elements emerges: Wood (greater Yang), fire (lesser Yang), earth (neutral), water (lesser Yin) and Metal (greater Yin), which lead to the eight trigrams (Bagua) – the formation of the elemental constituents of the phenomenal world. From the Five Elements, the Ten-Thousand Things are created – the world.
Religious Experience
Individual experience
Qigong is Taoist version of Raja Yoga based on Qi and meridian. Physical benefits of Qigong practice are conspicuous because it is like yoga. The smoother flow of Qi by Qigong creates positive and meditative minds. As the practice deepens, Qigong is supposed to open the third spiritual eye that allows seeing the patterns of the natural world, leading to the Tao.
Meditation
Aimless wandering is a Taoist practice of a walking meditation where understanding the world with sensory perception is required rather than thoughts. One just observes and appreciates the nature. It’s like vipassana meditation: one is focusing on senses, not understanding philosophical thoughts.
Ethics and Moral Conduct
There are ten precepts with twelve vows, recorded in the Chischu Yujue (Red Writings and Jade Instructions). They are adapted from the Bodhisattva vows of Mahayana Buddhism in the 5th century, where practitioners vow to attain liberation for other’s benefits. As usual, abstinence from killing, lying, stealing, sexual misconduct and intoxication is emphasized.
Some in the Ten Precepts that are unique to Taoism are “Maintain purity and be withdrawing in your social interactions”, and “Don’t be envious if others are better than yourself ! Don’t contend for achievement and fame! Be retiring and modest in all things” the former means modesty and the latter means humility.
Among the Twelve Vows, it is “I will receive the teachings and spread them so that innumerable living beings may be saved,” reflecting the Buddhist idea of Bodhisattva. They are so simple that interpretation doesn’t cause division between sects.
Useful Websites.
http://www.comparativereligion.com/man.html#07
http://www.daoistcenter.org/terms.html
http://www.goldenelixir.com/index.html
