TAOISM There is no crucial difference between the two,

but everything is just a matter of phonetics or

Introduction to Taoism
pronunciation. Both represent the same old
In the previous module, we talked about religious philosophy. Westerners often use
Confucianism and the events that paved the way Taoism rather than Daoism, but the opposite is
for its emergence. Now, let us move forward to true with the Chinese people. They prefer
another religion that also began in China – Daoism because it is phonetically closer to
Taoism. To start this module, I would like to their native language. Therefore, if in case dao
make a comparison between Confucianism and and tao are both used in this module, just refer to
Taoism, but not to make one look superior or this information.
inferior to the other. We can better realize the
There is a story about the three great Asian
uniqueness of these two specific religions when
spiritual leaders: Confucius, Buddha, and
placed side by side with each other.
Lao Zi.
In the accounts of the Grand Historian Sima
All of them were tasting the same water.
Qian, he made obvious on the difference
Confucius found it to be sour, much like how
between the ideas of Confucius and Lao Zi,
he found the world full of inferior people.
the founder of Taoism. The teachings of
Confucius focus mainly on the here and now Buddha found it bitter, much like how he
or the mundane world. He did not pay much found the world to be full of suffering.
attention to something beyond the physical
But Lao Zi found the water to be sweet. What
world. His main concern was to address the
should this tell us about Taoism?
problems of ethics. Confucius wanted to form a
conscientious leader, a good citizen, and a Taoism: Did You Know?
benevolent family man.
The Taoists believe in the idea of yin and yang,
Whereas, Lao Zi was more interested in the
which is the view that two intermingling and
hereafter or the world beyond the physical
interdependent forces are present in reality.
realm – the metaphysical. He was preoccupied
with the problem of mysticism. Lao Zi wanted The yin and the yang may signify a lot of
to develop a person who is one with nature and things in reality like light and dark, fast and
the world of the spirit. This is the fine contrast slow, cold and hot, day and night, male and
between the two great sages of China. However, female, front and back. The two share some
we must take note that the difference in their kind of complementarity. Perhaps, one would
areas of interest does not remove the fact that not make any sense without the other.
they have influenced the Chinese people to a Imagine having light without darkness. Light
remarkable extent. Both of these masters only makes sense if there is darkness. As the
imparted brilliant ideas in their unique way lyrics of Let Her Go by Passenger goes, “Only
that lured millions of followers into subscribing need the light when it’s burning low, Only miss
to their teachings. There may be a difference in the sun when it starts to snow...” However, the
opinion regarding how a person should see yin and the yang must not be seen from a moral
and live his or her life, but these two religions perspective – neither one is good nor evil – but
also have a thing in common – they both from a simple but dynamic balance.
provide a way on how to live one's life.
Discussion on Lao Zi
To save ourselves from future confusion, let us
first clarify one perplexing matter about this Lao Zi
religion. Taoism is also known as Daoism.
The ideas of Taoism are attributed to Lao Zi. The Dao De Jing or Tao Te Ching is the work
However, no one knows if the old master attributed to Lao Zi. This little book has about
really existed. Lao Zi is at the level of myth. 5,250 Chinese characters that are distributed
There is no enough evidence to support his into 81 poems. Despite its size, it is considered
existence. His name is just as symbolic as his as one of the books that have the most influence
life is mysterious. When translated into over its readers. It is second to the Bible as the
most translated book into the English language
English, Lao (old) Zi (master) just means "old
alone, and there are over fifty translations
master." This name is not common because it
available.
is just a title of endearment and respect. It is
possible that the ideas in the Dao De Jing, This book, though little, has sparked almost
which is the work attributed to him, are just a endless quests for interpretations. Therefore, it is
collection of the philosophy of ancient people really difficult to describe its whole content in
which is signed by his name. According to this short discussion. Instead, let us just tackle
Filipino sinologist Dr. Alfredo Co, this issue is the central concepts found in the book.
irrelevant because if Lao Zi is a myth, then he
The character Dao is the central theme of Dao
is the greatest myth that China has ever
De Jing. We cannot confine this term to just one
created. He will exist immortally in the
meaning because it signifies multiple things. But
collective consciousness of the Chinese people
to make things simpler, let us just stick with the
as long as they are willing to assert his
existence. most important definitions. Dao can mean
“Truth,” “Absolute,” “Nature,” “Way of
According to traditions, Lao Zi existed between Nature,” and “Way.”
the year 566 and 470 BCE which makes him an
early contemporary of Confucius. In the When we say Dao is “Truth,” it means that it is
records of Sima Qian, Lao Zi was from Chu, the “Absolute” – the all-pervading Reality.
known today as Hunan province. He is said to The term “Nature” signifies that Dao is the
have served as a custodian in the Imperial totality of nature – how things work and flow.
Archives. He retired to the West, where he
wrote the Dao De Jing at the request of a Lastly, Dao as the “Way” means the path a
gatekeeper. Just like Confucianism, Taoism person should take in life – the law of
was never meant as a religion. It was more of a morality.
philosophical system. However, because of
In simple words, Dao is the Absolute, the Way
several events, the Taoist philosophical
of the Absolute, and the Way to the Absolute.
tradition slowly faded and was transformed
However, it is important to take note that the
into teaching that involves the worship of
Dao is not a god. It is not even a being.
deities and atonement of spirits through
According to the Taoist, everyone and
rituals carried out by Taoist priests. The
everything is a manifestation of the Dao. The
religious practice of Taoism only took form in
ironic thing about it is that while it is a non-
the second century. Taoism, as a religion,
being, it is the source of all being.
mainly focuses on rituals and cosmic renewals
to uplift the relationship between the We can simplify the philosophy of the Dao in
community and their deities’ spirit. this definition:

Discussion on Dao De Jing/Tao Te Dao is Dao

Ching Dao is the Dao of Dao
Dao De Jing
Dao can only be reached if the Dao to the Dao is go with the flow. The idea of Lao Zi is for the
the Dao of Dao individual to live as close to nature as possible
and be one with it.
or
To concretize these ideas, let me give you an
Dao is Absolute
example. Imagine being with someone, perhaps
The Absolute is the Way of Nature a friend. It is in our nature to be with someone
because as the cliché goes "No man is an
The Absolute can only be reached if The Way to island". As any social interaction goes, there is a
the Absolute is the Way of Nature phase in a relationship where you will have to
I am pretty sure that all of you are confused right get to know each other first. All of us are eager
now and asking “Ano Dao?” So let me explain to know who our friends are and to know the
this further. The first line implies that realities surrounding them because, in the long
run, they will also be part of who we are. The
Dao is the "Ultimate Reality" that governs first thing that you should do is to be with your
everything. Here, it is portrayed as the power friends. You cannot know your friends by not
that sustains all things and is the source of being with them. Further, knowing a person is
order in the universe. We commonly associate not just simply being with the company of that
this order with the word "Nature." There is individual because you still need to see his or
water to moisturize everything. There is air for her real personality. If you keep forcing your
every living being to breathe. There is the sun to friend to be the person you want him or her to
provide heat. Some people take good care of be, then it is impossible to know that person.
everything. Taoism believes that all of these What you see in that person is just your
exist and function the way they are because of prejudice that they accepted to embody. Only
Dao. when you let the personality of your friend to
naturally manifest in your relationship can you
The second line means that the “Absolute” is
see the truth about his or her character. The
itself the only way to reach the “Ultimate
same is true with Taoism. Everyone is eager to
Reality.” This is the “Way of Nature.” This
know the “Ultimate Reality” because everyone
means that a person does not have to search for
is part of it. But the only way to know it is to be
anything other than the Dao to know what it
one with it.
is.
The concept of Dao is very important for the
The Dao will provide the answer and it will
Taoist because they believe that man
only unveil itself to the person who is seeking
experiences it in his or her very existence.
to find it.
According to them, man is part of the cosmic
Lastly, this “Ultimate Reality” can only be process which he or she considers as Dao. If a
reached by following the “Way of the man lives his or her life yielding to the working
Absolute.” of the Dao, then his or her life will be
harmonious.
The Dao will not unveil itself if the laws of
morality are not observed. According to the Discussion on Wu Wei
Taoist idea, the law of morality only suggests
Wu Wei
that a person should let nature take its course.
Therefore, the “Way of the Dao” is by being Taoist spirituality can be found in the
one with nature. A person must learn how to experience of Dao, which is about living a
swim with the currents. In a nutshell, the naturally simple life. According to Lao Zi,
philosophy of Dao just encourages everyone to knowing the Dao is not as hard as one thinks.
The way to know Dao just requires simplicity In this module, we have discussed another
and pureness of the heart, sincerity in religion that originated in China. We gained an
intention, and being unaffected by idea of its founder, Lao Zi, and how it began.
artificialities. The Chinese term Wu Wei Dao De Jing was also elucidated and along with
describes Taoist spirituality. It means non- it, we have also explained the concept of Dao.
action or non-purposiveness. The way to Dao We learned that the complex concept of Dao can
does not require grand gestures. Instead, it is only be known if a person practices Wu Wei or
through Wu Wei or not doing anything that non-action.
the meaning of Dao is unveiled. Perhaps, the
What we can probably take away from this
reason why non-action is the way to knowing
discussion is to recognize the realities of nature.
the Dao is because it teaches the person to
Most of our problems root from the failure to
stop, look, and observe the things
acknowledge who we are and the truths about
surrounding him. A person's life can get too
the world we live in. When we go against these
busy to the point that he or she loses grip of
realities, it is inevitable to encounter problems.
nature. A moment of idleness and non-action is
Lao Zi believes that the movement of Dao is a
never bad in this case.
beautiful movement of nature. One may not be
The more a person tries hard to know what able to describe how nature moves, but one can
Dao is, the more that its meaning becomes naturally move with it for nobody can go against
elusive. That is why Taoism has the paradoxical the rhythm of life.
concept of Wei Wu Wei, which means doing
by non-doing. This means that we accomplish
more things when we do not do anything or
when we become passive. Reviewing for an
exam can be a good example of this.
Examination seasons are the most stressful times
in a student's life. Sometimes, most of you need
to burn the midnight oil just for the sake of
passing. Also, things can get unhealthy for your
bodies and your mental state. Because of these,
it is inevitable to experience fatigue that slows
down your progress in reviewing. In this case, it
is better to take a rest for a while and let things
be. The moment you resume studying, you will
realize that you have accomplished more
because you took a rest. The rigorous and toxic
routine of reviewing until midnight is not natural
to a person. And because it is not natural, this
routine becomes counterproductive to your goal.
However, since you recognized your body's
natural need – the need to rest – you became
more productive. But of course, in our context,
this is not entirely applicable. However, it does
not mean that is not true either.
Summary and Conclusion 6