Taoism

LaoziⅠ.TheFounderofPhilosophicalTaoismPhilosophicalTaoismBiographyofLaozi(老子的生平)ThefirstrecordofthebiographyofLaoziisfoundintheShiji,orRecordsoftheHistorian,bySimaQian.Withinthebiographyarethreestories.①Storyone:老子者，楚苦县厉乡曲仁里人也，姓李氏，名耳，字聃，周守藏室之史也。—《史记·老子韩非列传》LaozioriginatedfromtheQurenlineighborhoodofLiVillage,CountyofKu,intheStateofChu.HisfamilynamewasLiandhisgivennamewasEr;hewasstyledDan.Asanadult,hewasinchargeoftheroyalarchivesinZhou.anarchivistorlibrarianatthecourtofZhouLiEr(李耳)BoYang(伯阳)LiDan(李聃)ElderDan(老聃)SeniorLord(老君)SeniorLordLi(李老君)SeniorLordTaishang(太上老君)TaoistLordLaoZi(老子道君)SupremeMysteriousandPrimordialEmperor(太上玄元皇帝)Names②Storytwo:孔子适周，将问礼于老子。Once,ConfuciuswenttoZhouandconsultedwithLaozionritualmatters.老子曰：“良贾深藏若虚，君子盛德、容貌若愚。去子之骄气与多欲，态色与淫志，是皆无益于子之身。”Laozi'sresponsewasacritiqueofConfucius'steachings.LaozitellsConfuciustogiveuphisstiffdeportmentandpridefulairs.孔子去，谓弟子曰：“鸟，吾知其能飞；鱼，吾知其能游；兽，吾知其能走。走者可以为罔，游者可以为纶，飞者可以为矰。至于龙吾不能知，其乘风云而上天。吾今日见老子，其犹龙邪！”ConfuciusisreportedtohavepraisedLaozi’swisdomandtohavecomparedhimtoadragonwhoseabilitieswerebeyondhisunderstanding.③Storythree:老子修道德，其学以自隐无名为务。居周之久，见周之衰，迺遂去。至关，关令尹喜曰：“子将隐矣，强为我著书。”于是老子迺著书上下篇，言道德之意五千余言而去，莫知其所终。LaozicultivatedDaoandDe.Inhisstudieshestrovetoconcealhimselfandbeunknown.HelivedinZhouforalongtime,butseeingitsdecline,hedecidedtoleave;whenhereachedthepass,thekeepertherewaspleasedandsaidtohim,‘Sir,youareabouttoretire.Youmustmakeanefforttowriteusabook.’SoLaoziwroteabookintwopian(篇,volumes,parts)settingoutthemeaningoftheDaoandDeinsomefivethousandcharacters,andthenhedeparted.Nooneknewwherehewenttointheend.Conclusion:1.HewasanarchivistorlibrarianattheroyalcourtofZhou;2.HewasvisitedbyConfuciusandtalkedaboutrites;3.Hepreachedtheretirementfromtheworld;4.Heleftthecourt,wrotetheDaodejing,anddisappearedwithoutatrace.TheDaodejingistheclassictextofDaoism.ThiswasthefirstworkwithacomprehensivephilosophicalsysteminthehistoryofChinesephilosophy,expandingthescopeofman'sthinkingfromlifetotheuniverseasawhole.Work:Daodejing(TaoTeChing)Translation:theClassicoftheWayandItsVirtueLegendaryauthor:ThebookisattributedtoLaozi,thefatherofTaoism,sothebookisalsocalledtheLaozi.Originalpurposeofthebook:—ahandbookforrulers—areligiousguidebook—apracticalguideforlivinginharmonywiththeuniverseThefeatureofthebook:brevityanduseofanalogyandparadox(悖论）e.g.上善若水将欲歙之，必故张之；将欲弱之，必故强之；将欲废之，必故兴之；将欲取之，必故与之。Structureofthebook:ItisashortbookofaboutfivethousandChinesecharactersconsistingoftwoparts:—TheBookaboutTao:chapters1-37withanemphasisonphilosophy.—TheBookofTe:chapters38-81withanemphasisonpoliticsandmilitaryaffairs.Ⅱ.BeliefsofPhilosophicalTaoism①Tao/Daotheimageofahairy,humanheadafootwalkingthewayoftheancients—Taoisundefinable,unlimited,andunnamable.道可道，非常道;名可名，非常名。无名，天地之始;有名，万物之母。—《道德经》第一章TheTaothatcanbetoldofisnottheeternalTao;Thenamethatcanbenamedisnottheeternalname.TheNamelessistheoriginofHeavenandEarth;TheNamedisthemotherofallthings.Thefeaturesof“Tao”:—Taoisthesourceoftheuniverseandmakesallthethingsintheuniverse.Thefeaturesof“Tao”:道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。Taoproducedtheone.Theoneproducedthetwo.Thetwoproducedthethree.Andthethreeproducedthetenthousandthings.有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，独立而不改，周行而不殆，可以为天地母。吾不知其名，强字之曰道。②WuweiInDaodejing,WuweiisoneofthecharacteristicsoftheTao.为学日益，为道日损。损之又损，以至于无为。无为而无不为。取天下常以无事，及其有事，不足以取天下。—《道德经》第四十八章Inthepursuitoflearning,everydaysomethingisacquired.InthepursuitofTao,everydaysomethingisdropped.LessandlessisdoneUntilnon-actionisachieved.Whennothingisdone,nothingisleftundone.Theworldisruledbylettingthingstaketheircourse.Itcannotberuledbyinterfering.Wu-weiTranslation:nonaction,inactionornondoingMeaning:Wu-weimeanstakingnoactionthatisnotnatural,thatisagainsttheoriginalnatureandwishesofthepeople.—《道德经》第六十三章“为无为，事无事，味无味。”“'absenceofviolentbehavior'or'actingnaturally'”•Wu-weiisastateofmindaswellasaprincipletowardslife.toachievepeaceandquietnessofmind“followtheinevitable”and“simplymovewiththings”Evaluation:•WuweiisanimportantpoliticalviewduringtheSpringandAutumnPeriod.“Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsleast.”--HenryD.Thoreau•theCelestialMastersmovement(天师道),alsoknownastheFivePiculesofRice(五斗米道)•TaiPingTao(太平道)•theCompleteRealitySect(全真教)•theOrthodoxSect(正一教)Ⅰ.SectsofReligiousTaoismReligiousTaoism(道教):AfamilyoforganizedChinesereligiousmovementsoriginatingfromtheCelestialMastersmovement(天师道)duringthelateHanDynastyandlaterincludingtheOrthodox(正一教)andCompleteRealitysects(全真教),whichclaimlineagesgoingbacktoLaoZi(老子)orZhangDaolinginthelateHanDynasty.ReligiousTaoismBackgroundFounder:Originalname:Time:Influence:EasternHanDynastyZhangLing（张陵）midao（米道）IthadgreatimpactonthethinkingoftheChinesepeople,aswellasonthepolitical,economicandculturallifeofthecountry.FivePiculesofRice(五斗米道)Ⅱ.BeginningofReligiousTaoismCitygodsortowngods(城隍)aredeitiesinChinesemythology,responsiblefortheaffairsofthecity.Ⅲ.Gods/GoddessesTuDiGong(土地公),alsoknownasTuDi(土地)orTuGong(土公),isanindigenousearthgodworshippedinChina.TuDiGongisportrayedasanelderlymanwithalongwhitebeard,ablackorgoldhatandaredoryellowrobe,whichsignifieshispositionasabure