history of taoism
There is a dispute on the origins of Taoism. One theory is the earliest known Taoist text may be the work of a minister of the ruler of the Shang-Yin dynasty in the eighteenth century B.C. The other theory is that it was began by the mentor of the father of the Chou dynasty in the twelfth century. What is known is that, Li Erh (6th century BCE) who is better known as Lao Tzu (the Old Master), was the author of one of the most influential texts of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching. Lao Tzu, a contemporary of Confucius, was the keeper of the imperial library, but in his old age he disappeared to the west, leaving behind him the Tao Te Ching (Book of Tao and Virtue). From this book, which is only about five-thousand words in length, Taoism gained it's name. Taoism believes "Tao", or the way, to be the mystical, mysterious, and "ultimate principle underlying form, substance, being, and change". Tao encompasses everything. It can be used to understand the human body, the universe and nature. The logic of Taoism encompasses the Yin and Yang forces, which represent all opposites. These two forces are complementary elements of all systems that thrive in an interdependent network and result in the harmony or balan
Taoism puts a great deal of value on human life. Taoists do not focus on the afterlife, but rather emphasize efficient methods of elevating health to obtain longevity. Taoists firmly believe that human lives are in our control. Therefore, Taoism teaches people to enhance their health and longevity by minimizing their desires and centering themselves on stillness. The most famous advocate of Taoism, Lao Tzu, felt Taoism promotes nonaggressive, peaceful coexistence of factions. He described the ideal state as one that is fully loved by it's people. "One in which people love their country and lifestyle so much that even though the next country is so close that the citizens can hear its roosters crowing and dogs barking they are content to die of old age without ever having gone to see it". He felt weapons were tools of destruction and any decent person would loathe them. He also felt that there should not be any celebrating after a war, only grieving. The Taoist canon can be traced back to "the first comprehensive Taoist texts" called the San-tung Ching-shu mu-lu prepared by Lu Hsiu Ching in the fifth century. The project was ordered by the emperor Sung Ming-ti. The finished work was around twelve hundred chapters. T'ang Hsuan-tsung, who believed he was a descendantof the sage Lao Tzu, began a search to retrieve all of the Taoist texts throughout the empire.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Yin Yang, Tzu Taoism, Te Ching, Tao Virtue, Lao Tzu, History Taoism, Confucianism Han, Chuang Tzu, Sung Hui-tsung, Chuang Chou, te ching, tao te, tao te ching, lao tzu, taoist texts, taoist text, yin yang forces, century bc, chuang tzu, yang forces, han dynasty, taoist canon, taoism tao te,
Approximate Word count = 927
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
