Taoism
Elijah Waller Philo14 Ryan Scherbart December 1, 2011 The Ways of The Way ( Tao) On Earth we are pushed almost simultaneously in some sort of direction, opportunity, decision, etc. and when these situations present themselves we face dilemmas of how and why we should approach them in a certain manner according to moral precepts, short and long term goals, and societal constraints. The teachings of Taoism are an excellent if not perfect life guide for these dealings, because the Tao, or “the way”, can be thought in terms of a form of enlightenment or remedy for the humanly ways of this world. The Tao upholds the natural proof that life is of the utmost importance and the most valued possession in life is intrinsically itself. In this supreme experience of life we face constant movement for advancement of self and quality of life by technology and mentality, yet the Tao gestures a content and simple life where these “improvements” aren’t the strives we need to be making. The orchestrator of Taoism himself, Lao Tzu, it was said, “the greatest Virtue is to follow the Tao and Tao alone” (Tzu 10) which states of the Tao’s incomparability to life’s other moral and spiritual modules. Throughout this paper I will divulge the in the functions of simplicity and humbleness professed in Taoism as well as the utility of the Tao in nearly every aspect of life. History and Beginnings of Taoism Taoism is believed to have started in the 6th century B.C.E. by a former government worker who maintained the royal archives during the reign of the Chou Dynasty. That keeper of the royal archives was named Lao Tzu and he became dreary from his work so left his occupation to pursue a different calling out west. It is speculated that upon his departure from the confines of China, a guard watching the border asked him to record all of his wisdom before he passed. With this incentive Lao Tzu sat down and wrote the Tao Te Ching, which was his only known work summing
Cited: Clarke, J.J. The Tao of the West: Western Transformations of Taoist Thought.New York, New York: Routledge, 2000.Print Goffman, Ken, Joy, Dan. Counter Culture Through The Ages: From Abraham to Acid House. New York, U.S.A.: Villard Books, 2004. Print Tzu, Lao. Tao Te Ching.China:np,nd.Print Welch, Holmes. Taoism The Parting of the Way. Toronto, Canada: Beacon Paperback, 1966. Print. -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. Sages, are wise teacher-like people regarded with high level experience and wisdom of the world and its ways. [ 2 ]. The Yin and Yang is a symbol resonating with ancient Chinese philosophy that represent the natural opposites such as dark and light, innovation and conservation, masculine and feminine, as they occur and have to be in balance and coexistence with one another.