Tao definition how to#

Tao definition how to#

Early Taoism drew its cosmological notions from the School of Yinyang (Naturalists) and was deeply influenced by one of the oldest texts of Chinese culture, the I Ching, which expounds a philosophical system about how to keep human behavior in accordance with the alternating cycles of nature. The roots of Taoism go back at least to the 4th century BCE. Taoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasize wu wei (action without intention), naturalness, simplicity, spontaneity and the Three Treasures: 慈, compassion, 儉, frugality and 不敢爲天下先, humility. This can be done through the use of Taoist techniques and by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the all, called 'the way' or 'Tao'.

Taoism teaches about the various disciplines for achieving perfection through self-cultivation. In Taoism, the Tao is the source of everything and the ultimate principle underlying reality. The Tao Te Ching, a book containing teachings attributed to Laozi ( 老子), together with the later writings of Zhuangzi, are both widely considered the keystone works of Taoism. Taoism ( / ˈ t aʊ ɪ z əm/, / ˈ d aʊ ɪ z əm/) or Daoism ( / ˈ d aʊ ɪ z əm/) refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家 daojia) or to a religion (道教 daojiao) both share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the Tao ( Chinese: 道 pinyin: Dào lit.