Taoism, or Daoism, is both a philosophy based on the teachings of Lao Tzu and a subsequently formed polytheistic world religion based on the concept of Tao. The philosophical goal is to be in harmony with nature and the universe for the good of the individual and the world as a whole. The religious version of Taoism has a slightly different approach with a central goal of attaining immortality through a combination of practice, metaphysics and the occult rituals based on the concepts of the Taoist philosophy. That immortality was once considered attainable during the course of a lifetime, but has since been modified due to obvious obstacles, such as science, into a broader and more spiritual interpretation of a heaven concept and spiritual immortality. Religious Taoism includes many deities, including a deified Lao, a heaven concept, as well as a form of hell. Clearly religious Taoism and philosophical Taoism have similarities, and some significant differences.
The very first sentence in the Tao Te Ching says that the Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao (Tzu). One way to translate this is that no one can tell you what the Tao is. The only way to prove the Tao is to experience the Tao. While this may sound broad, it is intentionally so. Everyone has to find his or her own path and own way. The Tao means “the path” or “the way”. It is believed that the Tao is also the origin of the universe and that it determines all things (Sharma). This term has metamorphosed within religious Taoism over time to mean something more like heaven’s path. Taoism teaches that there is a way of nature, a natural flow of energy and life. Logically, going with the flow of reality or nature produces harmony. Taoists believe that conforming to the way will improve and prolong life. It is thought that through finding harmony with the way, almost anything is possible, and that going against the flow will lead to unbalance and strife both in personal life and in the world as consequence. In the religious context, going against the way can also incur the wrath of upset gods and in some sects lead to punishment not only to self, but also future generations.
Another central concepts of Taoism is that of duality, balance, wholeness and equilibrium. This is visualized in the Yin and Yang, which are often seen drawn together as the Taijitu. The forces of Yin and Yang are in constant interaction and one cannot exist without the other. There is no happiness without sadness, no black without white, etcetera. This is not a good vs bad comparison, simply a statement. Opposites are not always in balance, but ideally should be in order to move along harmoniously, as all things are in a perpetual state of change thereby nothing is constant. Religious Taoism again takes this concept further. The Tao Te Ching states:
“The Way begot one,
And the one, two:
Then the two begot three
And three, all else.” (Tzu).
In religious Taoism, this can be equivocated somewhat to the Christian story of Adam and Eve and the creation of mankind. This passage is also a good example of how Taoism uses patterns and how they believe in the interconnectedness of all things. Taoism is keen on finding patterns and using them to both explain and become closer to the Tao. Qigong is a pattern of exercises and breathing techniques based on Yin and Yang. The Book of Change, or I Ching, includes the use of patterns created by sticks and coins as a source of divination or fortune telling (Kochmer). Many other rituals and practices in Taoism are also meant to bring harmony. Feng Shui, for example, is a set of guidelines created in order to maintain harmony and balance in physical spaces. It prescribes how furniture and homes should be situated, colors to use, and many other design and space related concepts.
Wu Wei is another tenet of Taoism. It translates as “no behavior” or “doing nothing” and is a concept of action is inaction, where doing nothing is the highest achievement. This relates back to the concept of Yin and Yang, and posts the theory that by doing nothing, the most will naturally happen to create balance. Lao believed that the most skillful leader is the one that shows no outward signs of leadership. In order to accomplish wu wei, many disciplines are used. Meditation is one form of calming the mind and body and finding unity with the Tao. Dietary restrictions and exercise are also part of Taoist guidelines for improving focus on the Tao and away from focusing on society and the outer world. A related concept is tzu-jan, which translates as “being natural” or “spontaneity” (Sharma). This suggests that the Tao is natural and that anything that is conducive to the Tao should develop spontaneously.
Religious Taoism contains a heavily mystical and spiritual history involving both alchemy and ritual. This religious incarnation of Tao occurred during a time in China when there was much political and social upheaval and there was a reversion to some of the old thoughts and ways. Beginning with Lao, there is a tradition of Taoist leaders who, at some point, usually early in life decide to go on a quest for immortality in an obsessive fashion. This personally seems somewhat ridiculous, but I’m not a ten-year-old boy 1500 years ago with nothing to do but do manual labor and daydream about how it could be possible to live forever, and then take off into the mountains to sit and do nothing- other than possibly listening to some old guy with the same dream under the pretext of finding enlightenment and the perfect combination of cinnabar and gold. As a result of these spiritual journeys, each new sage added another layer of ritual and belief, resulting in numerous sects of Taoism. In this manner, Taoism shows some similarities to the variety of modern Christianity, and some of the religious theories even appear remarkably parallel. One sect of Taoism included the ability of Taoist leaders to forgive sins instead of those sins being passed on from generation to generation as previously believed. T’ao Hung-ching compiled the various gods and organized them into seven tiers. Lu Hsui-ching put great emphasis on lineage and genealogy. Both of these facets are strikingly similar to the much later formed Mormon religion. Taoism was one of the more institutionalized religions of the East, as well as a powerful political and social tool. War and competition are not virtuous under Taoism, and like other religions, it has been used to keep people in subservient placidity. Due to the nature of wu wei and Taoism as a whole, it works well to keep the general masses in place as long as the argument that it is for the best of the people and the world can be swallowed. This is not to say that there were never uprisings by Taoists, just that it can be used both for and against its believers. In more recent history Taoism still has significant philosophical impact in China, but the religious impact of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and any other religion have been steeply hobbled in China due to the Fourth of May Movement that sought to replace religion with science in 1919.
In conclusion, philosophical Taoism is based on the idea that there is a force that connects everything, it came before and will be here after and is everything that is. It is key to this belief that everything has meaning and balance. It is useful in helping individuals find connection and value in nature and motivation to maintain the natural state of the universe without the complexities of science. In the religious context, this extends to a belief in an afterlife, and in some cases immortality. It presumably gives people the hope for future that most people seek in religion.