Taoism

Origins

History

Founding time:

Prosperous time:

Developing time:

Decline period:

Ever since the People's Republic of China was founded, series of new policies were implemented. Rules and principles of the Taoism were banned which were in conflict with contemporary regulations. In 1957, main land of China set up China Taoism Association arranging inner business of the related issues. It is not until the Great Cultural Revolution vanished did the Taoism recovered from the havoc.

Numbers of people believing in Taoism is countless as not all of them are required to be monks. Based on the data, Taoism is deemed the largest religion in Tai Wan, China.

Theory

On the basis of Dao(Tao) De Jing by Lao Zi, Tao and De are prized as basic faith. Tao literally means "way", but in Taoism, it is "the One, which is natural, spontaneous, eternal and indescribable. Tao is the nature of all universal substances and exists everywhere. All things are unified and connected in the Tao. Te(De) embodies Tao.

Some of the theory Taoism connects with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)theory well cause it respects birth and life and detests death so the believers are devoting their whole life pursuing the channel to immortality. They believe that length and fortune of life can be controlled by human himself not the god. Being good at cultivating himself in a religious way and preserving one’s health well, they deem he would reach the immortality and turns into an immortal. Therefore, Taoism has so many practice methods citing as smelting the Dan medicine; massage and chanting, etc. Taking Dan is considered one method to reach immortal.

As the famous saying goes, when nothing is done, nothing is left undone. This is another way of following Tao. Things in this world act or develop in their own patterns; we human should not act upon it.

Tao Skills

Various skills of Taoism among which five most influential ones are listed as follow:

  1. Shan(means mountain in Chinese), which through sitting in meditation, practicing Kong Fu and food therapy to fulfill the satisfactory human character.
  2. Yi(means medical science)has various ways of treating:
  1. Ming(means life)is to understand life through fate inference in order to follow the nature rules better and live a better life.
  2. Xiang-one method of chasing propitious luck and avoid ill one on the basis of what we see.
  3. Bu—divination aimed at forecasting and manage things orderly.

Influences

Taoism impacts on all facets of Chinese culture on different levels.

Some of the sects practice Wu Shu and Qi Gong.

Martial arts in Taoism is quite distinct among all kinds of Wu Shu, it follows the model of round and circle, gently stretch out the arms and legs and let one's opponent start hitting and then get the better of him.Tai Ji, one simple Wu Shu, is practiced by larger and larger amount of people now days in China that no matter you are young or aged; it is definitely a nice way to keep healthy.

Qi Gong in Taoism is another branch of Chinese Qi Gong, it also made contribution to the exploration and development of Qi Gong.

Ways to keep healthy in Taoism also inherited and promoted meridians content of Huang Di Nei Jing in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In addition, Taoism followers learn the medical skills and contributed to TCM on grand extent, believers as Ge Hong, Sun Si Miao and Tao Hong Jing, all forged their careers in this domain.

Influences on TCM

Philosophy thoughts of Taoism attaches with life science and medical science so well and the double identities of the Taoists also as medical scientists that the medicine and the Taoism tightly bounded with each other.

The view of unity of heaven and human being separates the traditional medicine study from western medicine. Tao pursues long life and respect all kinds of healthy-keeping methods. Tao theory of healthy-remaining includes Tu Na, Dao Yin and massage, all absorbed by Chinese health preserving theory.

Many of the Tao theories become central part of the Chinese medicine despite its philosophy section among which, acupuncture assimilates its essence.


Taoism