Are There Any Taoists On The Board?

[custom36 5]

Let me know if you're a taoist. I'd like to talk about beliefs and such. I'm new to the religion.

[mrdannyg 274]

I've done some reading on taoism, and a lot of the ideas and concepts are very helpful in centering (centreing??) myself, and in general bringing about calmness.i wouldn't say i'm a taoist or anything, but the concepts are definitely helpful in bringing about balance and calmness.

[FOOSE1 0]

What exactly is taoism? What are it's beliefs? I'm lazy and don't feel like researching .

[weishan14 0]

What exactly is taoism? What are it's beliefs? I'm lazy and don't feel like researching .

The following is taken from http://www.religioustolerance.org/taoism.htm.History of Taoism:Tao (pronounced "Dow") can be roughly translated into English as path, or the way. It is basically indefinable. It has to be experienced. It "refers to a power which envelops, surrounds and flows through all things, living and non-living. The Tao regulates natural processes and nourishes balance in the Universe. It embodies the harmony of opposites (i.e. there would be no love without hate, no light without dark, no male without female.)" 2 The founder of Taoism is believed by many to be Lao-Tse (604-531 BCE), a contemporary of Confucius. (Alternative spellings: Lao Tze, Lao Tsu, Lao Tzu, Laozi, Laotze, etc.). He was searching for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime. The result was his book: Tao-te-Ching (a.k.a. Daodejing). Others believe that he is a mythical character. Taoism started as a combination of psychology and philosophy but evolved into a religious faith in 440 CE when it was adopted as a state religion. At that time Lao-Tse became popularly venerated as a deity. Taoism, along with Buddhism and Confucianism, became one of the three great religions of China. With the end of the Ch'ing Dynasty in 1911, state support for Taoism ended. Much of the Taoist heritage was destroyed during the next period of warlordism. After the Communist victory in 1949, religious freedom was severely restricted. "The new government put monks to manual labor, confiscated temples, and plundered treasures. Several million monks were reduced to fewer than 50,000" by 1960. 3 During the cultural revolution in China from 1966 to 1976, much of the remaining Taoist heritage was destroyed. Some religious tolerance has been restored under Deng Xiao-ping from 1982 to the present time. Taoism currently has about 20 million followers, and is primarily centered in Taiwan. About 30,000 Taoists live in North America; 1,720 in Canada (1991 census). Taoism has had a significant impact on North American culture in areas of "acupuncture, herbalism, holistic medicine, meditation and martial arts..." **********************************It is interesting to note that when I was in Taiwan I found that most people view Taoism as a philosophy rather than a religion.I also found many parallels between Taoism and the Book of Proverbs in the Bible.

[FOOSE1 0]

Thanks for the infor Weishan . . . interesting reading.

[custom36 5]

http://www.geocities.com/australiantao/FAQ.html