Comparitive Religion
Comparitive Religion
Comparitive Religion
Anyone may benefit from the simplicity of Taoism in today's never-ending world. This
way of thinking is more than just an obscure ancient Chinese philosophy, and
anyone can understand some of its core principles by reading a few quotes from the
Dao De Jing, one of Taoism's most important texts. This knowledge establishes a
straightforward basis for achieving peace, making life a little simpler.
Laozi, who was the philosophy who lived during the 5th or 4th century BCE
describes how to behave in accordance with the alternating cycles of nature in his
most popular set of lessons, the Dao De Jing, in other words, how to “go with the
flow.” Looking at a few key quotes from the book shows a wealth of knowledge about
how to best handle life.
In this teaching, it shown that life can quickly get complicated, but often all we
need to do is return to the basics. These guidelines present critical rules for
managing acts, relationships, and self-worth in a few, succinct sentences
when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Many Eastern philosophies remind us that transition and death are the only
real constants in existence. Accepting these facts of life, while not easy, will
relieve you of a lot of pain and give you more freedom in life. It's important to
remember to let go and let life take its course.
4. Harmony
“Tao engenders One; One engenders Two; Two engenders Three; Three
engenders all things. All things carry the yin (femininity) while embrace the
yang (masculinity). Neutralizing energy brings them into harmony.”
Yin and yang are the Chinese term that defines nature as having two
opposing, complementary, and interdependent powers. To put it another way,
two halves balancing each other to form a whole. Yin and yang are still in
motion and shift with the passage of time. One factor grows while the other
shrinks, and this pattern can be seen in nature. The night transforms into the
day. The planet meets the sky.
Examining and comprehending these trends in ourselves and those around us leads
to greater life balance. An individual who becomes too rigid, for example, can crack
under pressure. Instead, they can become softer and more flexible in order to restore
yin and yang stability.
BELIEFS IN TAOISM
It is basic for all religion and culture that we all have beliefs in anything. Taoism is a
philosophical and theological tradition that is deeply rooted in Chinese culture and
worldview. The following are the top ten Taoist principles and beliefs.
1. Humanity.
Taoism's main emphasis is on man's spiritual life, in which his humanity is
compared to a bamboo stick, which is straight and plain by design but has a
hollow core that yearns to be filled, but is versatile enough to conquer
resistance and withstand natural forces.
3. Man’s will.
In Taoism, man's will be not seen as the root issue. Rather, it is thought that
man must align his will with that of the natural world. According to Taoist
philosophy, the universe already operates in harmony in its own way, but if an
individual doing his will against the environment, he will disturb the already
existing harmony, so he should go with the flow of life.
6. Belief in deity.
Taoists believe that the supreme being (ultimate truth) is beyond words or any
conceptual understanding but they name it’s as the Tao or the Way. The
power of this way is referred as the Te. These Tao and Te are the central
concepts of Taoism. Tao is described as the divine way of the universe. Te is
the power of Tao and it is the power to bring Tao into realization. It includes
the belief that human interference can be damaging.
10. Immortals.
The Immortals, or Xian as they are called in Chinese, are granted primary
importance among all spiritual beings. These ideal beings are said to live far
away in an untroubled environment, where they have an easy life, according
to the Chuang-Tzu. They are said to be ageless, eat only air, drink only mist,
and enjoy the power of flight. The Eight Immortals, who are said to have been
born during the Tang Dynasty, are said to revere these strong beings.
PRACTICES IN TAOISM
In this world that full of culture, religion and traditional method, we all know what the
best practice that we can follow and we can deny. Plus, we must respect all practice
whether we could not follow it. All culture, religion and races have their own practices
in this earth. Taoism is one of it.
Taoism recognizes that physical acts have a metaphysical impact and it does not
create a strict distinction between body and spirit. There are a few practices that we
can follow.
1. Purity.
Taoist scriptures emphasize the importance of maintaining physical purity in
order to maintain spiritual wellbeing. An individual must avoid certain activities
and foods in order to remain pure. Greed, lust, vanity, and dishonesty are only
a few examples of things to avoid.
2. Meditation.
Many Taoists believe in the importance of meditation. In different temples,
complex meditation practices are performed. One of the most important
purposes of meditation is to achieve mental stillness and improve
mindfulness. This will provide mental space for an individual to directly
experience the Tao.
3. Breathing.
Breath is the most easily perceived type of ch'i, and Taoist breathing
exercises are plentiful. Qui Gong is a Taoist breathing method that they called
(qigong).
4. Energy flow.
Exercise, meditation, and therapies like acupuncture and moxibustion can all
help to improve, control, and harmonies the flow of life energy (ch'i) within the
body.
5. Material arts.
Chang San-Feng (Zhang Sanfeng) developed Taoist exercises that became
Tai Chi (taiji) (1127-1279 CE). Modern Tai Chi activities are more likely to be
secular than Taoist rituals.
6. Diet.
Staying away from alcohol, meat, beans, and grains is recommended by
traditional Taoist teaching.
Best practices of positive input will help a lot of people to have a good life. Plus,
practices from Taoism is very healthy and we can use it in our normal life to get
better experience for knowing another culture.
References
Allison Michelle Dienstman (2018) “These 4 Teachings of Daoism Will Help You
Navigate Life” – Retrieved from https://www.goodnet.org/articles/these-4-teachings-
daoism-will-help-you-navigate-life