Taoism
The Tao of Pooh is a book written by Benjamin Hoff. The book is intended as an introduction to the Eastern belief system of Taoism for Westerners. It allegorically employs the fictional characters of A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories to explain the basic principles of philosophical Taoism.
The Tao of Pooh was a main source for my senior paper. |
Research PaperAlex
Advisor: Mindi May 21, 212 Taoism Introduction Intuition, simplicity, spontaneity, and the way of nature. These are the main themes of Taoism, an eastern philosophy that emerged from rich Chinese traditions. Although a religion today, Taoism originated as a philosophy; a way of life based on the concepts of Tao, 'the way of life of all things.' Tao is actually pronounced as “dao,” but as is common with many other Chinese to English translations the spelling is muddled. As a philosophy, a religion and the basis for Chinese medicine, Taoism represents the wisdoms accumulated over 5000 years of Chinese history and promotes harmony among beings and nature. Unlike other religions, Taoism does not have a central deity or any omnicient or sentient being governing the universe, but follows tennants and customs in affiliation to Tao, an intangible force flowing through the entire universe. There are some very basic different approaches taken by the Western and Chinese philosophies. Most western philosophies view the individual as an independent and separate entity. Whereas philosophies grounded in Chinese treat individuals as interrelated elements of the whole universe. Basis There are a of a number of concepts and practices that make up Taoism, 'the path,' or 'the way' of living. A closer alignment to the natural order is striven for through a consolidation of practices including meditation, the body, diet, herbal treatments and acumen, exercise, and philosophical inquiry. It is difficult to grasp exactly what Tao is, other than an intangible force flowing without restriction throughout the universe, effecting everything and everyone, whether we realize it or not. Tao is described as being in everything that is natural, expanding beyond physical beings into the interworkings of the world, the laws of physics and sciences as well. It is an inexhaustible energy that flows stronger the more it is drawn upon. The belief in Taoism is not in a God, but Tao, the unnameable force. Everything is affected by Tao, the birds, the bees, every person; Tao is believed to be the universe and the way it works. Tao is the potency of the universe. It includes all gods, deities, divine beings, spirits and souls. A common example to describe Tao's power is, “A boy throws a baseball into the air. The baseball comes down and smacks the boy in the forehead.” Of course we describe gravity as the force which compels the ball back downwards, but the Tao describes the grace, pairity, and efficiency contained in the event. Tao is all the same, and the ground of everything that follows. The deep root of all things has Tao flowing through time and space with eternal wisdom of the universe. It is “The Mother of the World,” giving good and life to all things natural. Tao can also mean "behavior, understanding and the constant changing from and to". Taoism is a philosophy and a belief of simplicity and the very nature of universe. Taoism believes there is no absolute “stillness.” Everything, including the universe, is changing all the time. The relative "stability" can be achieved when a harmony is reached between yin and yang, which are said to be the opposite but related natural forces in the universe. Taoism teaches those who follow to go alone with nature, to seek harmony in life and meditate for mental peacefulness and "emptiness". Any act to one extreme will cause the opposite reaction in force until the balance is reached. Tao and Taoism are different from "God" and "Religion". To understand Taoism, one has to "unlearn" or break out from ones rigid and singular paradigm to view it in a new and more complete manner. Tao can also mean "behavior, understanding and the constant changing from and to". Everything, including the universe, is changing all the time. The root of Tao is defined as, 'the way of the universe, nature, and balance.' It is a reality that is extremely difficult to describe within the boundaries of any language, or even within the confines of human thought, it is rather a phenomenon meant to be felt and experienced. Tao is the root of all things, but all things are not Tao. To be Tao is to be unlimited, undefined or unformed .Tao strives for humans to conform their lives to the way of the state of the universe, becoming a state of being that is its own true self. “Being itself is a way of being,” (Ni). Lifestyle A Taoist's lifestyle is dominantly of the pursuit of the utmost simplistic ways. This is explained through Pu`,which is translated to, 'the uncarved block.' The principal of the uncarved block is that matter in its own natural simplicity contains its own unique, natural powers. Unfortunately, humans tend to derail from the path of Tao, which easily looses these powers. They are unobtainable and spoiled when one's simplicity is altered. The Chinese meaning for the word Pu` is actually two separate characters with different meanings. The two different meanings once translated are then combined. The first meaning is either, 'tree, or wood,' and the second is, 'dense growth, or thicket.' When putting these together there are two ways to phrase out the meaning, either, 'tree in a thicket,' or 'wood not cut.' Both interpretations lead to an emotionally similar English translation, 'the uncarved block.' The Chinese definition of Pu` is natural, simple, plain, and honest. From the state of Pu`, comes the ability to enjoy the simple and quiet. The goal of a Taoist is to gain harmony with Tao, which is living in accord with nature. The naturalism found in Taoism is profound; nature is viewed as something that should not be exploited or abused, but befriended. The ideal Taoist is one who through a natural existence becomes self-sufficient without the necessity of gaining wealth or breaching in on social realms. Taoism recognizes this as the pathway to true happiness. Documentation Taoism is also know as the nameless philosophy. This is explained through the doctrine of Taoism, The Tao-Te Ching. The Tao-Te Ching is, 'the way and its power,' explaining what Tao is assumed and known to be. The Tao-Te Ching is the earliest documentation of Taoism, dating past 517 B.C. It was written by a teacher named Lao-Tzu, who lived from approximately 604-517 B.C. Lao-Tzu lived a very introverted Taoist lifestyle, becoming very in touch with Tao. Although he taught his knowledge and wisdom to his people, they failed to cultivate the natural goodness that he advocated. His society's disregard to his teachings, and derailment to Tao depressed him so deeply that he longed to abandon civilization. However, when he attempted to disembark, he was not allowed to depart until he recorded his teachings as a forced demand to better society. Peacefully Lao-Tzu retreated for three days and returned with The Tao-Te Ching. It is a short book containing 81 quick chapters that describe the meaning of Tao, and how one should live according to Tao. Another well know Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu, who lived from 369-286 B.C., wrote a self titled book that reflects the same teachings of the Tao-Te Ching, although it is more mystical and complex in its outlook. This is the second basic text for Taoism following the Tao-Te Ching, which added complexity as well as dogmatic doctrine in the development of the philosophy and religion. Sects In China there are three variations of Taoism that all center around the Te, 'power.' The first sect is Philosophical Taoism. Philosophical Taoists take an educational approach to reflect and actively try to conserve the allotment with Te that they have. They seek knowledge that empowers life and call it wisdom, arguing that in order to live wisely is to live in a way that conserves life's vitality. Friction and conflict are avoided in a concept called 'we wi,' which means 'pure effectiveness,' used to conserve their Te and expend it efficiently, an attitude cited as essential toward life. The second sect is the Taoist Adepts, who are all engaged in training programs. Their main goal is to increase the allotment of Te. Ch`i is the foundation of their training, which literally means 'breath,' but to the Taoist Adepts it means vital energy. Their main objective was to remove any obstacle that prevented the power of Tao that they feel flowing freely through them. To accomplish ch`i maximization they worked with matter, movement and their minds using various actions. According to these Taoist Adepts, ch`i nutritionally is included as an essential principality of food or matter to be eaten, which led to the production or medicinal herbs, the beginning of herbal medicine. The idea to get ch`i from matter was produced through dancing and exercises which developed into martial arts, most notably T`ai-chi. The purpose of T`ai-chi is to invite ch`i cosmos and remove any blockage of their flow into and throughout the individual. Finally the third sect, the mind, was where Taoist meditation was developed. It allowed them to see 'the self as it was meant to be,' by putting them in direct view of the sources of their awareness. Entering the inner self allowed new conceptual exploration. Taoist yoga created throughout this development was said to be the perspective from which Lao Tzu wrote and informed the information of the Tao-Te Ching. For a Taoist, the objective of their human existence is to reach harmony with Tao. Once harmony is reached and maintained enlightenment has been achieved. Enlightenment is when one's energy is balanced and they have accepted the plainness of life. In this sense Enlightenment is a joining in the energy and spiritual aspect of all things, and has been described as a joining of a “world soul.” Spirit begins to direct the energy in life, dulling desires and impulses by balancing them with harmony and natural fulfillment of positivity and creativity. It promotes simplicity, openness, and wisdom. One who has reached the enlightenment of the Tao is referred to as a sage. A sage has an openness to life, tranquility, simplicity and reserve. They lack arrogance, do not discriminate between opposites and are indifferent to change. The final sect is religious Taoism. It was created in the second century CE when it became institutionalized and brought together by psychics, shamans and philosophy. Shamanism is another important root of Taoism. Shamans are religious persons that perform a number of different services. The Taoist Shaman were associated with the spiritual world, and were healers and destroyers of evil spirits. Although men and women were both Shamans, women dominated the majority of the Shaman sector population. They preformed exorcisms, or spirit removals, at certain times of the year, usually at times of crisis, a drought for example. Women Shaman were deeply important because a ideal Taoist society is deeply connected with maternity and femininity. This is obvious because a woman represents the yin element of nature. Shamans put an emphasis on the religious following and elements of Taoism, not the philosophical portions. The establishment of a church-like sect came with the creation of a 'Taoist priesthood,” which was said to have the power to produce for or bring cosmic life-power upon villagers. The church is very ritualistic or dogmatic and believes magic, ritual, and supernatural spiritualism is the key to Taoism. Mystic ceremonies are used to harness higher powers of Te for human ends. All three sects are centered around maximizing the powers of Te. The philosophical Taoists' interest is in conserving Te. Taoists Adepts attempt to increase their Te. The religious Taoists try to gather the cosmic energy and give the Te to to those who could not afford it upon themselves. Yin Yang What the force of Tao strives for is balance, or equilibrium in a sense. This is described through the yin-yang doctrine, which is based on the concept that there are continuous transformations within Tao and the nature that embraces it. The yin-yang has always been a foundation for Chinese thought and cosmology because of its simplicity and description of parities actually seen and existing. Yin-yang is based on the essential thought that the universe is run by a single principle, Tao, or Great Ultimate. This principle is divided into two opposites, or two principles that oppose one another in their actions, yin and yang. They represent all the opposite principles one finds in the universe. While the principles of yang are heat, light, sun, Heaven, male, ect. the principles of yin are darkness, cool, earth, female, moon, ect. All of these opposites produce one another. The production of yin from yang and yang from yin occurs in a continuous, cyclical motion. This constant balance happens so that at no time one principle dominates the other. The idea of the yin-yang is that there is no factor of life to which the activities of the yin and the yang do not apply. They express contrasting aspects and interrelationships of everything that exists in the universe. They have no set definition which makes them virtually untranslatable in language, but principle can be grasped easily across faith or language barriers. Conclusion Taoism has spread throughout the globe, currently there are over thirty-one million followers. In Taiwan it remains a prominent philosophy and has recently moved west into the United States where the yin-yang symbol has become mainstream. Like many eastern religions Taoism is seen as a mystical religion. As more and more people open their minds to a more peaceful harmonious relationship with nature, these philosophies have become more popular and more influential. Taoism is a complex and intriguing philosophy that has been accumulating followers, doctrines, and principles for centuries. Taoism is much like the history and culture of China. There is so much to it because it has endured so many changes that come with time, yet it remains strong and pertinent to the world today. Its flexibility and willingness to “answer” instead of “argue” like many other mainstream religions has allowed it to grow and develop into a portion of thought and idea which crosses bridges between philosophy, religion, and social influence Without the existence of Taoism, Chinese history would have been significantly altered; rather for Taoism not to have existed, Chinese history would have had to be significantly different,and in turn so would have the history of the world been significantly changed. |
BibliographyWorks Cited
Book, Inc. The World Book encyclopedia. 2006 ed. Chicago: World Book, 2006. Print. Feng, Gia, and Jane English. Tao te ching. New York: Vintage Books, 1972. Print. Hoff, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 1983. Print. Hoff, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet. [New ed. London: Egmont, 2002. Print. "Taoism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2012. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/taoism/>. MLA formatting by BibMe.org. |